Delhi: Redux

When I went to Delhi last time, I had thought of following it up with trips to other Indian cities like Hyderabad, Lucknow and the likes, checking out the food scene in each one of those, and then chronicling those trips here. Sounded easy enough, but my work life had other plans. So while I've not been able to make plans for any of these, I've been to Delhi again. Mostly to chill out with some friends, but also to take care of unfinished business.

Five days in Delhi sounded like enough time to cover all the food-joints I had missed when I went to Delhi last time. That was what I thought, till my friends who have been living there for a while now, started bombarding me with one restaurant after another, each one with a different cuisine and a different specialty. Kashmiri Wazwan, the best Kebabs, Israeli and Greek food, places to drink....the list grew many fold, and what had looked like a piece of cake, suddenly looked like it would take some doing. Couldn't do it all, so here's what I did.

State Bhavans are an awesome place to eat in Delhi and after gorging on the spicy delicacies at Andhra Bhavan last time, it was time to choose another state. Assam Bhavan was recommended to us, so we decided to go there. This one has a regular restaurant as opposed to a canteen, which is the case with most other Bhavans/Sadans. Jakoi has a cozy feel to it and the outdoor seating is highly recommended when weather permits. The menu was big with a lot that piqued my interest, but the Parampara Thali sounded like a good deal. It sounded like a huge spread, which it was and had a few choices within it. It was time to try exotic meats and I went for the pigeon curry while a friend went for the duck. Everything on the Thali was good, from the dal and chutney to the freshwater fish (which is not usually a favorite of mine) and the fish steamed in bamboo. The pigeon meat was gamey as expected and the curry was well made, but the duck was certainly better. We ended the meal with a peculiar dessert with puffed rice, milk and molten jaggery. Jakoi doesn’t beat Andhra Bhavan but I would still recommend it, especially if you're a carnivore. That’s 2 hits out of 2 for State Bhavans and I still have some 33 to go...phew!!

On my last visit, I missed Kareem Hotel coz it was during Ramzan, when the restaurant remains shut during the day. So that’s where we went the next day, looking silly riding cycle rickshaws from Chawri Bazaar metro station through old Delhi's crowded bylanes. Now with all the attention, the restaurant has become a bit commercialized and I've heard people saying one should try some of the other eateries in the vicinity to get a more authentic Mughlai experience. But, for lack of time and research, it had to be Kareem's. Over the years, the restaurant has expanded and taken over other shops in the vicinity, so now it occupies several blocks in an alley/courtyard. The menu is small but loaded with several Mughlai classics. We went for the standard Seekh Kebab for starters and I could not resist ordering the Bheja Masala, especially since it had been a while...:) I had to have some mutton, so I ordered a plate of Mutton Burra and my friend got some chicken dish, the name of which I can’t remember now. All of this was really good except for the Burra which was really chewy and seemed virtually uncooked. But surprisingly, the star of the show here was the Sheermal, which is the Roti we ordered to go with the food. It’s a thick, slightly sweet bread that for some reason reminded me of a waffle, but it was easily the best item on the menu. All the food at Kareem's floats in a sea of oil and with the amount we had ordered, I was too full to eat anything for the rest of the day.

The next evening, my friends took me to Khan Market, to an Italian place they really like - Big Chill. This seems to be a real crowd-puller and the decor was really nice. There's decent Italian to be had here and I like my Ravioli and the Pizza we had, but it's still your typical Italian-adjusted-for-Indian-palate kind of a place. The deserts are really good though.

On my last evening, I really wanted to go to this one restaurant I had seen on TV called Yum Yum Tree. It’s a Pan-Asian restaurant in New Friends Colony and the name really caught my attention. Also, while browsing the menu online, I found Pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup I wanted to have for a while.
The place is split into two sections - one for Japanese and South-east Asian and one for Chinese. We did not know this and sat in the Chinese section thinking it was all the same. But determined as I was to have the Pho, I managed to convince the waiter to get it for me. Now I know I'll have to go to Vietnam to know what it tastes like for real, but this one wasn't too bad. Beef, noodles and greens in a flavored broth, it hit the spot. And it went down well with Asahi beer. The pork buns were quite good as well. The place is definitely recommended, but do take care of which section you chose to be seated in.

Two trips and there's still a lot to be done in Delhi. The State/UT Bhavans and Sadans alone will take several visits and I'm not even counting all the stalls at Delhi Haat. Add to this, all the new places my friends have come up with. I think I'll have to make this Delhi trip thing a semi-annual affair...:)