Review of The Restaurant "Soda Bottle Openerwala" - Gurgaon.

Review of The Restaurant "Soda Bottle Openerwala" - Gurgaon.

Few understand the food scene as well as restauranteur A D Singh does . Sensing the gap for niche cuisine restaurants he along with Super Chef Sabyasachi Gorai has given Delhi / NCR two new gems , Guppy by AI ( Japanese ) and A whole new kind of Bombay Irani Cafe aptly named - Soda Bottle Openerwala , and in a master stoke filling tha gap for good authentic Parsi cuisine in Gurgaon/Delhi.

The moment you enter the restaurant you are transformed back to nostalgic times spent in Mumbai's Irani Cafes or the best known of all the iconic Britannia . Old odd bod pieces of furniture , cleverly matched antique lights , some kitch sofas , jars of namakpara along with toffees, retro music of the 60's all blend beautifully to create this lovely Bombay Irani Cafe .

To begin with we ate Vada Paos and Spicy Mushrooms on Khari which were washed down with excellent Ganna Nu Ras ( sugarcane juice ). A special mention is not out of place for the mushroom khar ( puff pastry ) . Next ordered was Aloo Aunty 's Veg breadcrumb fried cutlets which have a dash of rava adding that bite to them. The filling was interesting as it was chutney infused.Another very nice dish was Marghi Na Fracha - Parsi style fried chicken - wait for their bar license , a perfect snack .While we waited for the next round ( yes I have a great appetite ! ) we ordered yet another indulgence - Sekhan Je Bin - a nimbu based drink with chunks of plum and mint leaves .
What followed was a foodies dream . Sali Marghi , Chicken Beri Pulao , Keema Baida Roti and Bhendi Bazar Ke Sheekh Paratha . All of these were as I remember eating them years ago when Britannia had still retained it's sheen and flavors . We needed the good old fashioned whipped frothy espresso coffee to wash all this down .

The food follows its traditions . If the Keema called for sugarcane juice brewed natural vinegar - that and that alone is used or not made at all , nothing is compromised . Soda Bottle Openerwala has clearly raised the bar . I hope they maintain the quality and standard and look forward to the Dhansak next which I believe will be a Sunday special.Do check the place out , I don't believe you will come away disappointed .

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Review of Lavana Restaurant - Hyatt , Gurgaon

Today Rocky Mohan and I attended a Master Class organised by Groupon at Lavana - Gurgaon's latest gem , the fine dining restaurant at Hyatt Gurgaon . The masterclass was an interactive one which made it all the more interesting . We watched Master Chef M Rehman and Chef De Cuisine  Sunil Kumar Gangwal take us through a delicious culinary journey and later ate in Nawabi style in their restaurant Lavana on what was cooked during the master class , apart from some other delicacies .

In the masterclass we watched the chefs make Chowk ki Tikki , Murg Kebabiyan , Paneer Lazzatdar , Murg Awadhi Korma , Navratan Biryani and Shahi Tukda. We later sat down to feast on all these dishes along with one of the best Nihari I have ever eaten . We also ate some brilliant kababs and amazing Sheermal and Gilafi Kulchas .The shahi  Tukda was outstanding - slowly cooked with love for over 20 minutes ....

Master Chef Rehman with his innovative culinary skills and extensive research has put together a menu that takes one on an gourmet journey across different regions , showcasing the best of Awadhi , Rampuri , Hydrabadi , Kashmiri and typically Mughali cuisines .

I believe Lavana , which means "salt" will be one of Gurgaon's finest restaurants if they sustain the standard that we experienced today .

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Japanese Restaurant Season

 

 

The Oishii Festival - Oishi in Japanese means delicious, and that's what the focus of the Japanese Restaurant Season is , to showcase their delicious food to lovers of good food in Delhi and Mumbai through select restaurants.I happened to take a friend to Guppy By AI for lunch where we discovered to our delight that the food festival was very much a part of their menu for a few more days.

For Rs 1200/- per head you are in for a scrumptious six course set menu which showcases a few spectacular vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes. The food was exquisite as always at Guppy , and if you enjoy Japanese food do head out and treat yourself to a delicious Japanese meal .
This festival is also on at Sakae Sushi , Megu , Asia 7 and Izakaya apart from Guppy by AI

 

 

A Gourmet Dinner with Napa Valley's fiest wines hosted by Delhi Gourmet Club

 

Last night Executive Chef Ravitej Nath & his team wowed members of Delhi Gourmet Club with the spectacular meal, beautifully presented and served at your club's event at Amaranta , The Oberoi , Gurgaon .On behalf of attending members of Delhi Gourmet Club , Founding members Rocky Mohan and Sourish Bhattacharyya I would like to thank the hotel for pulling out all stops and ensuring we had a great evening . A special thanks to Rathijit Dutta for all care taken before and during the evening .
 
The service was great , Anshul managed the flow of the evening very well . The food was brilliant , and this is perhaps the first time I received not a single negative feedback !
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars showcased their hearty reds , some delicious and crisp whites and kept us in happy 'spirits' !

Review of Ajit Khalsa Dhaba , Chattarpur , New delhi

When Mohit balachandaran invited me to join him and fellow foodies at Ajit Khalsa Dhaba I didnt need to give it a second thought - I knew I was being reintroduced to the delicious world of dhabas by the master himself .Forty years in business and Ajit Khalsa Dhaba continues to remain one of Delhi's most famous dhabas . The reason isn't hard to figure out . The owners have remained true to their product and the food continues to retain it's ' dhaba ' character and hasn't been bastardized to suit modern times - no dieting here !

Another or perhaps the most important aspect about the food is the quality . Meat , chicken and paneer for that matter were of superb quality - all served for aprox under Rs 120 per plate - with a big smile .The place is clean despite being on the busy Chattarpur main road.

We ordered chicken malai tikka and tandoori tikka , the marination was brilliant , bursting with flavors - however not cooked perfectly as near the bone there was some red. I do hope this was a one off thing as I would love to eat these again.Mutton Korma was nice , as was the dahi meat - nothing to rave about .Ma ki dal too was okay .

What was really excellent was the alu gobi , khoya panner and dal fry - the latter was the showstopper . Rara meat was excellent - something to head back for most definitely .

The menu is vast and everything is freshly prepared . Service is great and this is like total value for money - you can walk away quite satiated after eating a plate of meat curry with tandoori 2 rotis for under Rs 120 . Do try the place . I am told the butter chicken is a must do - that for next time .

 

 

Review of Mamagoto , Gurgaon .

I am a unabashed fan of brand Mamagoto so readily agreed to meet up with a friend for dinner at their Gurgaon restaurant which I hadn't visited earlier . The restaurant  is nice and open , and unlike the other branches there is lots of space and light AND is not noisy at all ( my nightmare at Khan Market ) even though it was choc o block full.

We settled down to have a couple of drinks , and ordered a dish vegetable tempura to munch on. I was a bit skeptical as in a lot of places my vegetable tempura experience hasn't been too great , and often have had to suffer what looks and tastes like pakoras . However these were light , white and crunchy , and came with an assortment of delicious dips. A very good start to a meal.I now view vegetable tempura with new respect !

For dinner we ordered Tangtze River Grilled Fish topped with pickled red and green chillies . Spicy flavors typically Hunanese . The fish is served with a hot ,sweet and sour sauce , a brilliant ensemble of flavors.A must have if you enjoy a spicy dish.

Chicken in Shezwan sauce is a favorite of mine  .This dish stands out as the Shezwan Chilli Paste and the Black Vinegar used in it are genuine Chinese which sets it apart from the run of the mill ones you get .Order a sticky rice with this dish and you have yourself a delicious and complete meal .

The only downer for me was the Papaya Salad. I found it too sour . They don't use carrots in the salad so perhaps the sweetness wasn't balanced out well .

This was a delicious meal , enhanced with great service and a very reasonable tab . I will happily head back and probably order the same once more at lease.

Restaurant review - Guppy by ai , New Delhi

 

 

Guppy by AI being caught me by surprise . You cannot but help wear a big smile on your face when you enter the restaurant - playful vibrant colors , lots of light and feeling of space engulf you and the first thought that came to my mind was " what fun " ! This gem of a restaurant serves Japanese food with a subtle twist . I was a vegetarian today and wondered what I would find on the menu - I needn't have worried I was spoilt for choices.Vegetarian food apparently is their USP

We started with a Red Miso Soup served with a crunchy house salad . The soup was outstanding , the seaweed ( Wakame ? ) and spring onions gave a beautiful flavor. A small bowl of steamed and salted Soy Bean Pods kept us busy while we waited for the other courses . I was informed by Executive Chef Vikram Khatri that the soya pods were imported from Japan as only those were guaranteed to be insect free and could be eaten without peering into each pod !

Chili Lime Dressed Agedashi Tofu was nice and tangy  .What I did enjoy was their gluten free Mushroom Goyoza - a steamed dumpling with a crispy fried base - very unusual ! 

 

The star of the meal was the Vegetable Harumaki - crisp baked vegetable rolls , totally exotic and a must have .

Sushi - Lovely Asparagus Tempura along with Japanese Vegetable Rolls topped with a kimchi dressing , could make a meal on them.

For mains we went with a Terikyaki glazed artichoke dish which came with a tofu served on a bed of asparagus - again excellent , as was their sticky fried rice with garlic flakes .I didn't care for their Rayu Noodles as I couldnt understand the flavors or maybe I was simply stuffed .

If you want to eat the ultimate carrot cake head to Guppy - it's not dense like most , it's light , spongy and totally worth every calorie !

Guppy , just as the name sounds is a fun eating place where they serve some seriously delicious food !

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