Raising A Toast To Corporate Master Chef's Delhi Edition!

There is no love sincerer than the love of food. I got to witness the same late last month at Select Citywalk, Saket which was the venue for the Grand Finale for the latest season of the Delhi Chapter of World On A Plate's Corporate Master Chef.

Focussed on the theme of getting corporates to juggle culinary nitty-gritty in the gastronomic arena leaving behind their desk jobs for a while, The Corporate Master Chef is a crowd puller wherein luminaries from the food world act as stern critics to choose the best among the best and crown the winner who is at the top of their game in the kitchen.

This time around, model-turned-actress-turned chef and 'Mummy Ka Magic' fame Celebrity Chef Amrita Raichand had been roped in as the brand ambassador and to judge the fourteen finalists for the Delhi edition of the contest.

With summers in full swing, the Grand Finale was kickstarted with a refreshing recipe from Chef Amrita's hat that featured a healthy twist to Tabbouleh, a Lebanese Salad, in the form of the addition of core ingredient and pseudo-grain Quinoa, and king of fruits, Mango.

Touted as a Superfood (along with Chia) by the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Quinoa is a powerhouse in terms of being a treasure house of low glycemic load carbs and Zinc, which is present in trace elements in the human body.

When I asked her if she ever had any blunder dish with Quinoa, she expressed her views on the same captured in this snippet.

While the masterclass with Chef Raichand was full of anecdotes to master the perfect salad recipe, the hearts of the finalists were set racing when it was revealed that a preliminary round featuring teams of three to four contestants each would help in the elimination of three teams to deciding the final three or four contenders that would compete amongst themselves to be bestowed the title of The Corporate Master Chef.

The teams were given a half-an-hour timeline to present their creativity and skill on the plate while keeping the limelight on India Gate Quinoa as a core ingredient. Though the rain gods had a role to play in intercepting the conduction of the final, Chef Amrita quipped that she cooled Delhi down to a certain extent!

Being the advertorial face of companies like Whirlpool since her modeling days, Chef Amrita has been known as the Yummy Mummy with her nutrition-centric recipes at Mummy Ka Magic, especially for children. More so, with her son Agastya being at the center of her world, culinary and otherwise.

Moreover, with a TedX talk to her credit, and a Youtube Channel, Being Amrita - Chef and Beyond, it was wonderful to see Chef Amrita in action too, at the event.

Chef Amrita also mentioned her connect with cooking to be the strongest thanks to her mother and Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and the fact that she could create so magic with so many ingredients.

Speaking about her experience judging the Grand Finale for Corporate Master Chef, Amrita applauded the enthusiasm displayed by the contestants. Also, she mentioned her upcoming venture to be 'Punjab De Super Chef' to be televised on PTC which had her touring the entire state of Punjab over a fortnight or so while relishing the dishes prepared by home cooks - each being a Super Chef in their own right.

On the whole, The Corporate Master Chef finale was held successfully at Select Citywalk and Delhi had a winner adjudged by Chef Raichand with a pat on the back. :)

An Aura Of Great Food At Auro...

Auro Kitchen & Bar is one of the popular restaurants located centrally to, as its name suggests, Aurobindo Place, Hauz Khas. I had heard quite a few compliments about them from my colleagues and decided to pay them a visit for lunch a few days back.

Auro is quite prominent to spot in the DDA Shopping Complex. They have a nice way of building the appetite for patrons who wish to dine here, as they make them climb the two-floor-long flight of stairs that end at the rooftop restaurant that Auro is.

The outlet is spread over a relatively large area that bifurcates into indoor and outdoor spaces, and it also supports musical gigs over the weekend too. Intentionally or not, the outdoor space marks itself as a smoker's zone.

Here's listing some of the must-try dishes at Auro...

Beverages:

Flower Power had a hint of chamomile, honey, and lime.

Orange Thyme, as the name suggests, was an orange-based mocktail with a thyme garnish.

Yuzu Limeade was prepared using Yuzu which is a Japanese lime.

Jungle Juice was a concoction of orange, pineapple, and lime.

Salad:

Mint and Pomegranate Quinoa Salad had a refreshing lime flavor with an appreciable garnish of fresh mint. Quinoa being the healthy grain, is in vogue, and this one is a nice bet at Auro.

Appetizers: 

Paneer 65 Slider came in a portion size of two sliders served alongside crisp potato wedges. The cottage cheese had been prepared nicely with a mildly spicy touch.

Char Grilled Baby Potatoes were served with a layer of melted cheese on top, a garnish of micro greens, and rocket leaves on the side.

The Mushroom Ranikhet is Auro's signature half 'n' half Pizza.

Truffle Kulcha and Wild Mushroom Seekh was soft and melt-in-mouth.

Main Course: 

Lentil and Vegetable Curry was paired with Lemon Rice, Malabar Prantha, and Appam on the side.

Masala Cottage Cheese went well with Milk Prantha, which was softer than regular preparations.

Desserts: 

Chargrilled Gulab Jamun with Rose Mascarpone was served on a bed of crisp vermicelli, which made it seem like a brown haystack at first, but it was nicely done.

Old Monk Chocolate Fondue had sliced kiwis, bananas, and apples, and some marshmallows to go along.

On the whole, Auro sports a chilled-out vibe and comes across as a hangout place fit to visit with friends or colleagues on a weekend over a delicious spread.  

Saying It With A Bunta...

Bunta Bar is an ode to the bar culture of India. It is fun, familiar, yet innovative. Bunta Bar aptly reminisces the fondness for the bottle with a marble i.e. Bunta.

Located in Janpath, right next to Fresc Co., Bunta Bar is spread across a floor and a restricted but beautiful rooftop.

While the decor ingeniously incorporates elements like Bunta Bottles to form an arch over the seating area complete with sofas and ice-cream sticks to adorn the paper napkin holder, the ambiance is moderately lit and features a mix of chairs, benches, and sofas as seating. The creative on the wall is also beautiful.

The food re-creates and amalgamates the best of multiple regional cuisines, thus being inspired by the culinary diversity of our country.

The Menus are designed in the form of Coffee Table Books, distinctly for Beverages and Food. Housing one of the largest varieties of Buntas (both alcoholic and otherwise), Bunta Bar's attempt at popularizing Buntas once again, reflects through.

The Beverage Menu has a border of digital Bunta Bottles running through each page, while the Food Menu has Indian designs in its making.

Here's what would be the must-have dishes when visiting Bunta Bar.

Beverages:
'
KPT Bunta was a flavorful concoction of Kokum and Paan.

Bunta Soda had the Jaljeera flavor spot on.

Choco Nutty Shake was thick and the chocolate flavor lingered on the palate.

Lemonade Iced Tea had that refreshing vibe.

Salad:

Quinoa Bhel Puri was complete with pomegranate seeds, Sev, and Papdi. Quinoa has caught pace as a healthy grain and is now being incorporated into dishes by many F&B joints.

Appetizers:

Chakna Platter was presented in glasses of Cutting Chai and had small bites which went well with the Bunta.

Paneer Tikka Masala Nachos were crisp and cheesy, served alongside sour cream and salsa.

Corn and Feta Samosets are easily one of the best appetizers at Bunta Bar, owing to their thin outer crust, and delicious filling of corn and feta cheese, which went well with the two kinds of dips.

Mushroom Shami was firm yet melt-in-mouth served on a Malabari Parantha and garnished with an onion ring and mint dip.

Kerala Chicken Nuggets had the prominent flavor of black pepper and curry leaves.

Sole Tandoori Tikka lent the lingering mustard flavor to the fish, which was itself soft and melt-in-mouth.

Main Course:

Half 'n' Half Pizza i.e. Veggie Lovers and BBQ Chicken.

Dessert:

Brownie with ice-cream was the Dessert of the Day, topped with chocolate sauce on a platter.

All in all, Bunta Bar comes across as one of the nice places to bid adieu to mid-week blues with friends and a relaxing vibe. :)

Aesthetic Delicacies At Too Indian...

Aesthetics in modern food, a reminisce of childhood, an artistic in-house herb garden, modernist chic interiors, and retail therapy. That's what the newest brainchild of Mr. Varun Puri, Too Indian is all about. 

After the success of Imly, Varun is here with an indigenous concept of the best of two worlds - Food and Retail, in the form of Too Indian. Given its prime location in the heart of Rajouri Garden and a knack for presenting Indian delicacies with a twist that pleases the eye, Too Indian is here to stay and impress big time. 

Having had a fantastic launch, the news of which spread through ace critic Marryam H Reshii's testimonial of 'Love at first sight', I knew I had to visit Too Indian to witness their gastronomical theatrics soon enough, with them having arrived in my immediate vicinity. 

I thus visited Too Indian yesterday for lunch and it was almost a full house. The decor is interesting with vibrant elephants, stained glass windows, leafy lampshades, a proclamation of being second best to 'माँ का खाना' and a futuristic retail section in the heart of the restaurant. 

There are multiple surprise elements in the aesthetics all through the meal, and it's best to play along but the Mango Sorbet that is staged on a Ferris Wheel tops it all. :)

Coming to what would be my recommended dishes from their menu when you visit Too Indian... 

Shakes: 

Nutella Shake 

This one was served in an actual Nutella Jar too. :) 

Honey Bunny Delight Shake 

Salad: 

Top Trending Quinoa Salad wherein the Top Trending finds its way in the name owing to the growing popularity of Quinoa as a healthier grain. This one was finished with apple, citrus, lettuce, and beetroot on the side. 

Appetizers: 

Is This Dahi Bhalla? is the first question that must pop in anyone's mind on seeing the plating of the dish with three distinct yogurt flavors topped with potato savories. 

Painter's Canvas quite literally with fried fish atop paintbrushes accompanied by five distinct dips on a palette. 

Indo-Persian Kebab served in an archaic book platter with a tiny table lamp and clothespin on each Rumali Roti. 

Here Is Something To 'Taco' About of course, with cone-shaped tacos in cutesy cookers filled with raw rice grains. 

Main Course: 

Dal Khao Suey was a flavorful fusion of Indian and Burmese cuisines. 

Home Style Chicken was all about soft chicken chunks in a delicious gravy. 

Paneer Makhanwala was crisp yet melt-in-mouth and went well along with the bread. 

Quinoa Kathal Biryani was another specialty coming from Too Indian, combining two healthy alternatives - Jackfruit and Quinoa. It was served in the form of a quintessential Tiffin complete with Raita and Salad. 

Khameeri Roti is puffed using yeast, hence 'खमीरी' and was soft as a furball. 

Chur Chur Naan was the classic Amritsari flatbread that had been literally crumbled to pieces. It was a crispy delight. 

Desserts: 

Daulat Ki Chaat is the iconic Delhi-6 winter dessert that has been replicated to the tee, here at Too Indian. 

Milk Cake Pie had an interesting presentation with chocolate tree branches and a liberal topping of condensed milk syrup. 

Coming to the Retail section which is Too Indian's USP, as they have incorporated something pathbreaking in the F&B industry, it is a genuine curation of items that may interest the average Indian shopper. 

Items have been arranged in sections like Food Items ranging from Candy to Oil-Free Pickles to Cookies to Ghee to Spices to Jams and Preserves to Savory Snacks like Fryums, Granola, and Lotus Seeds, Home Decor ranging from Vases to Photo Frames and Statuettes, Kitchenware like Mugs, Sippers. Jugs and Bottles, Toys like Minions inspired Alarm Clock and Piggy Bank, and Craft Items like Crayon Pencils put together to form a Photo Frame. 

I'm sure that Too Indian will keep pulling the crowd like it already has, not only backed by its delicious food, but also by a strongly put Retail Therapy regime that promotes the efforts of Home Chefs and Artists in hindsight. 

Best wishes to Team Too Indian for a stellar show in the F&B space. :)