There's No Vacancy Here For Dull Gastronomy...

Hudson Lane is a hub of cafes that have become hangout spots for youngsters. A new and worthy addition to the list is the month-old No Vacancy Cafe located opposite the Tata Power Plant and spread across three beautiful floors and a picturesque rooftop.

Having heard about Chef Anas Qureshi's culinary aesthetics, I decided to visit the outlet for lunch a couple of days back. The restaurant emulates a rustic charm with bricked walls and blinds and is quite spacious. The ground floor has also been designated as a family zone because hookahs are solely served upstairs, which is a plus point for teetotalers like me.

The outlet is well-lit and there are popular jingles constantly playing in the background.

The menu offers an eclectic mix of cuisines ranging from North Indian to Oriental to Italian to Mexican and patrons are spoilt for choice, so I decided to opt for dishes that had the Chef's hat portrayed next to them.

Here's what all would form for a delicious meal at No Vacancy Cafe...

Beverages: 

Lemon Iced Tea

Peach Virgin Mojito

Ferrero Rocher and Blueberry Cheesecake Shakes

Appetizers:

Schezwan Chicken Drumsticks were honey glazed and a bit spicy on the inside. This one was a dish with balanced flavors.

Loaded Nachos layered with cheese and kidney beans, topped with sauce, and were served alongside Salsa and Sour Cream.

Tangy Corn Tacos had sweet corn, lettuce, tangy spice mix, and lime going into its making.

Doodhiya Murg Tikka is NVC's spin-off on the classic Malai Murgh Tikka and was delicious.

Dig In Pizza is Chef Anas's inspiration from an 'Eat it as a Pizza or Pie' concept. The crust is blown up, which on slicing reveals a loaded pizza - cheese chunks, corn, zucchini etc.

Salads presented in a wooden bowl:

Grilled Vegetables and Mesclun Salad was a mix of veggies, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and olives.

Chicken Tikka Salad was a tangy mix of crunchy chicken chunks, onions, and lettuce. I liked it better than the former.

Main Course: 

Dal Makhni and Kadhai Chicken were served with a life-sized Family Naan and Lachcha Parantha.

Red Thai Curry with Steamed Rice added an Asian touch to the meal.

Desserts:

The star conclusion to the meal was Forest Dome conceptualized by Chef Anas to present the wilderness on a plate, with red velvet cheesecake centered chocolate mousse in a chocolate ball surrounded by aqua and earthy elements - brownie soil with mint leaves.

Pouring warm vanilla sauce on it makes the dome melt away to oblivion and the sweetness lingers on the palate.

Forest Dome is surely art on a plate.

Another dessert worth trying are Fried Brownie Rolls topped with caramel and filled with a soft walnut brownie center, served with ice-cream.

All in all, No Vacancy Cafe has become quite popular (read full-house) thanks to their great food, ambiance, and service in a short span of time and I hope they keep up the nice work. :)