Culinary Feast At Lazeez Affaire...

Delhi has its fair share of iconic establishments in the F&B space that are adept at drawing patrons even after decades of being in the biz. One such franchise is Lazeez Affaire, a fine-dining restaurant serving its tried, tested, and loved recipes rooted in North Indian cuisine.

Of late, Lazeez Affaire has been revamped under the patronage of First Fiddle Restaurants helmed by Priyank Sukhija. Located in Malcha Marg at Chanakyapuri, Lazeez Affair is spread across two floors, and a well-equipped bar and bakery to its credit.

While the dining area on the ground floor is sectioned into meal hours for Lunch and Dinner, the area on the first floor remains open throughout the day. The dining area is well lit with tones of beige and white dominating the interiors.

The ambiance is also marked by mellow tones with soft instrumentals playing in the background as patrons relish their meals.

As for the menu, there is a considerable number of options across Indian and Oriental cuisines, appealing to most if not all kinds of palates.

Ideally, a meal at Lazeez Affaire should begin with the quintessential Indian summer coolers, especially Kesar Ale, Chaach, and Aam Panna. Among the other mocktails, Mango Cool Mint would be a good choice for the refresher.

The in-house specialties among appetizers would be Dahi Kebab or pockets of hung curd flavored with coriander seeds for a unique after taste or Seekh Kebab and Mushroom Galouti that are smooth on the palate and Fish Tikka that has the subtle flavor of nice mustard marination.

Among the Oriental preparations, the Soups and Dimsums are worth a try, especially Asparagus and Corn Soup, Tofu & Pokchoy Dimsums, and Chicken Suimai.

For Mains, you can undoubtedly opt for the Nawabi Tarkari Biryani served with a portion of Raita and plated in an earthen clay pot or Handi, though the spice may be a bit high for some.

If you would like some curry and bread, do try the Paneer Dhaniya Adraki and pair it with some crisp Pudina Parantha.

Among desserts, Indian specialties steal the show once again, especially the Phirni garnished with saffron and the Tricolor Kulfi Platter that has Mango, Kesar, and Paan Kulfi to emulate the flag on a plate.

All in all, it would be a classic meal at Lazeez Affaire that is a must-try. :)

A Trip To Punjab At Pind Balluchi...

Pind Balluchi has always been one of the iconic brands in the F&B space that comes to mind, and the first choice for many when it comes to relishing authentic North Indian delicacies.

I decided to conclude a recent shopping spree with a light-hearted dinner. And, Pind Balluchi came across as a reasonable choice.

The ambiance is pretty much similar across all outlets of the said franchise, with the imitation of a village, with the सरदार जी on the cot at the entrance, a Banyan Tree setup which is a center of attraction, a kitchen enclosed in glass with all the flavorful aromas, some paintings depicting Punjab folk traditions and ambient folk music playing in the background.

Here's what would form for a nice meal when visiting Pind Balluchi...

Beverages:

Orange Blossom

Indian Summer

Appetizers: 

Chatpate Tawa Mushrooms were stuffed with veggies in between and had a tangy aftertaste.

Paneer Tikka Shashlik was chargrilled to perfection and layered with bell peppers and onions.

Tandoori Murg Tikka is one of the classic preparations at Pind Balluchi and was finished with a dash of lime.

Fish Tikka Lemon and Pepper had soft fish chunks seasoned well.

Dahi Saunth Ki Papdi had the street food undertones, finished with yogurt, tamarind, pomegranate, and sliced potatoes.

Main Course, served with an assorted bread basket:

Paneer Hara Pyaaz Lababdar had well-sized, soft cottage cheese chunks in a creamy gravy.

Dhaniya Murg Curry had flavorful chicken chunks in a coriander gravy.

Desserts: 

The meal concluded on a sweet note with  Rasmalai, Kheer, and Matka Kulfi.

On the whole, Pind Balluchi comes across as a fine place to relish North Indian cuisine, complemented by attentive service and a rustic ambiance. :)

Driving Away The Blues At #Blues...

A visit to Blues in Connaught Place came about as a consequence of a Blogger's luncheon organized by Bloggers Board.

It was the season's vibe that took over on reaching the venue as the place was decked with fairy lights, holly, bells and a life-size Christmas Tree placed adjacent to a piano on the entrance.

Blues, as is literally evident, draws inspiration for its theme, from music. The decor reflects exactly that, with musical instruments adorning the place, and portraits of iconic names in the music industry being put up on their walls.

The place is also color-coordinated with blue upholstery and crockery. Also, the stewards sport blue uniforms paired with the retro 'Dev Anand' caps.

The food is humble in its presentation and nice on the palate. There are quite a few items that are of popular appeal. :)

We began the meal with their welcome drink, Muddy Water, which was essentially cold coffee, with a layering of chocolate syrup.

Among the appetizers, relished the following:

• Mexican Nachos with Tomato Salsa - Crispy, crunchy nachos served with tangy dip. Quintessential introduction to Mexico and its cuisine.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Fish Tikka - My must-try item from their menu. Soft chunks of fish cooked well in light oil, served with mint chutney and salad alongside.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Mushroom Tikka - Whole button mushrooms deep-fried. Light on oil and succulent.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Chicken Tikka - Soft succulent chunks of chicken, served alongside mint chutney.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Paneer Tikka - Cottage cheese chunks finely chargrilled.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Barbecued Chicken Wings - Leg pieces marinated in honey and pepper.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Also tried their Blue Lagoon and Virgin Mojito. Another mocktail, Part-Time Lover, came in a strawberry-vanilla base and was presented as a shake-like concoction.

The Main Course was an Indian Affair with authentic Indian curries like Paneer Makhani, Butter Chicken, and Mutton Rogan Josh being paired with Indian Breads like Lachcha Parantha and Paneer Naan.

Also on offer were the superbly prepared Chicken Biryani and Veg Pulao. One of the dishes left to try was Chicken Lasagne, however.

The desserts, namely Chocolate Mousse and Fruit Trifle were good enough, with slices of fruits such as apple and mango in the trifle and the mousse was quite smooth on the palate.

To ring in the festive spirit, we bid adieu with cakes from TADO - The Artisan Deli And Oven at Vivanta By Taj, Surajkund. Cutesy snowman there, atop a sinful chocolate cake.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas too. :)