dessert – Delhi Foodies' Zone

Yum Yum Cha, Select City Walk

Joining the Pan-Asian brigade of Diva Kitsch, Yum Yum Tree and others is a colourful cafe called Yum Yum Cha in a busy mall in Saket. To begin with, Yum Yum Cha takes Sushi and Sashimi from fine dining restaurants to a more casual, relaxed setting. The food is stunning and how they dole out such gratifying fare from a tiny space at Select City Walk mall, Saket is a wonder. Well, not really. What else would you expect when you get to know Yum Yum Cha is a product of the famous sibling The Yum Yum Tree?

The 40 cover dining space is an open cafe done tastefully with colourful Japanese Origami dumplings, tea pots, geisha, slippers denoting casual dining, tea-pots and more. These symbols are also embroidered on napkins and on aprons of the ushers and would keep you visually engaged while you wait for your order (which won’t take very long).

While the Spicy Asparagus dumplings (4 pieces for Rs 245) with a filling of asparagus in satay sauce and Bok Choy dumplings (4 pieces for Rs 245) with vegetables and garlic, chilli are good, the star of the show is the Crispy Vegetable Cheung fun (Rs 385 for 6 pieces).

Asparagus tempura and Spicy avocado Sushi come at Rs 485 for 8 pieces. Club that with a nice drink and you have an afternoon meal. We tried the Black Magic and the Thai orange and Kaffir Lime fun bottles from the listed beverages. The drinks, however, were a little underwhelming. Some tweaking and intensifying of flavours would reap yummy benefits. The Crispy Corn cake (Rs 285) was topped with chillies and burnt garlic. Bang on flavour, pretty presentation, tweaked for the Indian palate (read spicy and full of garlicky goodness) this was a show stopper and comes highly recommended.

The sizzling basil & chilly sticky rice were served up beautifully in a hot stone pot in which it was assembled and cooked. The server stirs it up right on the table for an interactive touch and some fun on the table while you drool into a coma by aroma. The Paper Hot Pot based on Japanese Nabe will have the people on your neighbouring table stealing glances. We ordered the Ramen soup with noodles and it was pretty acceptable.

Your buck would really stop at the dessert. Do not order anything other than the world famous

Icecream. For the uninitiated, Mochi is made from a glutinous Japanese rice which is pounded into a desired shape and coloured suitably. The ice-cream comes filled in the Mochi. We tried the classic Matcha Green Tea which is a Skeeter favourite. The coconut and Jaggery Mochi is a sensational delight for those who like things a little sweet.

The service was good and a tad fast. It was heartening to see owner Prathna Tuli enthusiastically manage tables rather than leaving the task on the shoulders of their able staff.

Made in Punjab

Any offering from the house of the legendary Jiggs Kalra cannot be ignored. So when Skeeter came to know about Made in Punjab she had plans to go there and sample the grub. After a much delayed visit Made in Punjab fare was finally sampled and how!

For starters they’ve done away with the tradition of serving 6-8 kebab pieces on a plate with a little garnish on the side or a bowl of chutney placed in the center. Spectacular presentation followed up by quality food is the USP of Made in Punjab. Spearheading the venture is Zorawar Kalra, son of Jiggs Kalra (who has donned the mentorship cap for the restaurant and the chain). Zorawar thinks big, aims to break and has broken the Mom and Pop shop concept that ruled the Indian dining scene for a long while and is making quick strides in the industry. He knows his game and is good at it.

The grub

Skeeter started sampling the chef’s Degustation menu with shots of World’s Heaviest Lassi (thank heavens they were just shot glasses). Bursting with flavour, the saffron infused lassi (Rs 220) had bites of heavenly peda in it. Skeety wouldn’t mind being on a repeat mode for this shot. Next came a refreshing bite of the Palak patta chat (Rs 145). A chat with some greens in it: Crispy fried spinach topped with chilled creamy yoghurt, tamarind chutney, pomegranate pearls and a hint of masala. The next arrival, Dahi puchka chat (Rs 145) is again a winner. A sensory delight. The two things that could accentuate this dish to another level would be a spicy chutney or masala and aata puchka as opposed to the suji (semolina) one they used. But understandably, the aata puchkas when filled with yoghurt would have a lesser life. They wilt away way too quickly.

If Skeets had to point out the most pretty dish on the menu, the Beetroot Di Tikki (Rs 315) would take the honour. It came seated in a kishti (boat) with droplets of sauce denoting water on a black slab. Pretty neat! Skeety did not try the Bhatti da paneer (Rs 315) but anyone from the land of Punjab would have fond memories of food cooked in a bhatti or a tandoor.

The Tandoori Guchchi (Rs 550) was done well. It came stuffed with cheese. Morels or Guchchi are very close to Skeeter’s heart. You can either make a dish or break a dish using these. There is NO grey area.This one was a big, fat, flavoursome morel and the paneer enhanced the texture of the dish.

Then came a Kiwi chuski or kiwi iced lolly, a palate cleanser to prepare Skeets for the main course. Yummy and refreshing!

For the main course there were crispy Mirch Paranthas and Dal Made in Punjab (Rs 315). Both, done to perfection, but what really stole the show was the Guchchi Pulao (Rs 595) and the Burhani Raita (Rs 150). Morels have to be treated well to be appreciated by diners. A great dish this, came in a jar, looked great, and tasted very well. Skeeter would’ve preferred the Morels in the Pulao without the cheese stuffing (a personal choice as Morels have such a robust and earthy flavour that they don’t really need help from other ingredients). The Burhani Raita was a stunner. Skeeter is a self-confessed garlic fan and makes Burhani raita at home quite often. There are two ways you can do it: raw or fried. Made in Punjab fried some garlic flakes and tossed them into creamy yoghurt. The Burhani raita married the flavours of the Guchchi Pulao pretty darn well.

Dessert was Crispy jalebis with rabri (Rs 225). Crispy jalebis planted in a glass filled with rabri were a delicious end to the meal. Just the right amount of sweetness (unlike the overtly sweet that we are used to) and crisp to perfection. P.S.: Skeeter was invited to review Made in Punjab. Thanks Zorawar, Sonali, Varun and MIP team for a memorable afternoon and great food.

Artusi Ristorante: An Italian sojourn

If there’s another country whose citizens are as passionate about their regional food as India Skeeter would vote for Italy. Though Italian visa has not been stamped on Skeeter’s passport yet, Italy remains in top five of the travel bucket list. Till then Skeeter keeps satiated by sampling Italian culinary offerings in Delhi. Let us be frank. Skeeter was a wee bit shy trying out Artusi Ristorante simply because Diva is practically next door. Ritu Dalmia introduced Skeeter to Italian food (as she did to most of you Skeety believes) few years ago and Skeeter has NEVER gone beyond Diva. Not a wink.

An invite to sample food by Artusi kept sitting in the inbox. There were heaps and heaps of praises in the social circles. Skeeter was growing restless and finally gave in to the temptation. Artusi is a quaint restaurant with limited covers and welcoming interiors. It features food from Emilia Romagna region in Italy and is named after Pellegrino Artusi, one of the founders of Italian cuisine, who penned the first Pan-Italian Cookbook. The owners are Gurpinder and Oscar Balcon, a well-travelled couple who globetrotted before settling in India. Oscar tells that a lot of the food featured on the Artusi menu is just like his mother would prepare.

One walks into the restaurant through a bar that has a deli corner too. The bar is designed such that one can overlook passers by on the street through a full sized glass wall while enjoying their drink. Very European. The lighting was a bit harsh but it could in no way dampen the experience.
The first thing that would strike one is the freshness of the ingredients used. The Rape e Noci salad came first. Roasted deep red beets, water cress, crunchy and juicy green apple slices and walnuts dressed in goat cheese, finished with croutons and balsamic made for a pretty plate and pleasing palate. Emilia Romagnia happens to be the place where the first Balsamic vinegar was aged. The region is also famous for its Parmesan cheese and Parma ham.

The Tomino came next. An Italian cheese roundel (a very generous portion that) melted over a bruschetta that was drizzled with fragrant truffle oil. There were sauteed mixed mushrooms (Skeeter’s favourite Enoki too!)for company. It was a dish that relied on the star ingredients than anything else and worked very well for Skeeter. By now Skeets was very full but she had to sample the pasta and so she called for a small portion of Paglia e Fieno Aurora. This handmade white and green angel hair pasta was a treat to the eyes and was set in a pink sauce with shallots, mushrooms, tomatoes and cream. Skeeter cannot even begin to write about the freshness of this one. The pasta was al dente and the sauce beautifully complemented its texture. A must try.

The meal ended with Artusi signature dessert which was what pulled Skeeter to this Ristorante in the first place. The Panna Cotta Fichi e Mandorle. Panna Cotta with caramelized figs and fig sauce in a lush pool of caramel and beautiful almond slivers. As Skeeter writes this post she cannot but help think of when she will get another bite of it. Soon, very soon.

Of Raclette and chocolate at Hyatt Regency, Delhi

Delhi winters are coming to an end and Skeeter hates bidding good bye to winters. All fatty (read yum) foods are best enjoyed in Dilli ki Sardi. So Skeeter decided to bid adieu to Delhi winters 2013-14 in style. A Stammtisch dinner at Hyatt Regency, Delhi did it for her. No one eats cheese like the Swiss and the French do. And you know you are in good hands when a Swiss chef is taking care of you. Skeeter met chef Marin Leuthard who has put together the Stammtisch menu after some pondering over which cheeses to include, what would his patrons like and so on.
Stammtisch is a friendly dinner over conversation, great wine and food. It originated in Germany where regulars meet at a table reserved for them one particular day of every week. They debate/talk on various topics. At Hyatt, there is a long table for 12 reserved for the Stammtisch where people can meet, greet and eat. There can be strangers on the table too! All unite for food and talk.

Our table on the day we visited had a rather small gathering but a rather interesting conversation that ranged from the preferred cheeses of the Swiss, to Raclette that we sampled later, on to the delightful Swiss chocolates and much more.
The buffet menu is pretty wide and changes on a rotaional basis so that guests coming back get ample variety to savour. Skeeter shall share her three favourites from the Hyatt’s Stammtisch menu.

Raclette is a Swiss cheese which is nothing short of poetry for the way it is had. You heat it over a special Raclette grill or a pan, scrape off a melted portion onto a plate. Baby potatoes, Rosti (a swiss potato pancake), gherkins, pickled onions and dried meat are the usual accompaniments. It is so famous that almost every Swiss household has a Raclette grill. Raclette is made from cow’s milk and there are a couple of stories associated with it, the most prominent one being that the farmers had it as a nutritious meal. They would leave the cheese near the fire and go to work to come back to a melted Raclette, which, they would then have with bread. Buy the story or not, do go to Hyatt for the Raclette experience. You can skip the Rosti they serve it with or ask for a non oregano-ed/herbed version of the same. Skeeter bets it would taste better without those.

Skeeter’s next favourite was the Spatzle. It is dish which surfaces in many German, Swiss and Hungarian meals(pre-packed ones are available too). Spatzle is essentially a homemade egg dumpling which was super soft and was served with some Emmental cheese and topped with fried onions. Yum!

A white chocolate bark studded with almonds had Skeeter floored towards the end of the meal. It was showcased brilliantly: unevenly broken barks of Swiss milk chocolate with almonds clumped together in glass. It tasted great and had great visual appeal. Have never loved white chocolate like the way I did at Hyatt.

Oh and there was a fab cake spiked with Kirsch too!

Diva Kitsch

As newbie restaurateurs queue up to feed Delhi’s belly, Diva Kitsch starring Pan Asian fare by Delhi Diva Ritu Dalmia opened its doors to Dilliwallas. For someone who is more than possessive about her babies (she refers to her restaurants as that), and is very well travelled success is the only invincible outcome.
Diva Kitsch, the current Delhi hotspot is artsy, is chic, has better service, dishes out impeccable food and offers non-intimidating yet elegant presentation on your plate clubbed with ambience that soothes. It also reiterates Delhi’s (and more importantly Dalmia’s) potential of serving some of the finest non-5 star fare in town. At Kitsch, if you can, make a reservation and ask for a table by the window, before you go. Go for lunch, if you like things bright with a dash of sunshine, and go for dinner if you are a Delhi lover, and love to watch Delhi’s heart beat at night. The view is spectacular. The night Skeeter visited it was raining cats and dogs and was the best possible time to visit. Pray for rain before you go and it’d be even better. Promise! But go you must.
Skeeter arrived at what looks like just a house converted into a restaurant on the main road of Defence Colony. There is of course Kitsch on the ground floor. Move further and you are enticed by the astoundingly massive floral decor and a huge chandelier; climb a few stairs, and you have already started soaking in Diva Kitsch environs.

The courses are divided into Small Plates, Big Plates and Desserts just like Cafe Diva at GK 1. The menu is detailed, and has a wide range of choices. Even for a vegetarian who has comparatively less variety to pick from, Skeeter is not complaining. One gets to pick their favourite local veggies and Diva Kitsch transforms them into a dish from another region of the world for you. You may recognise the vegetable but your tastebuds will definitely be in for a surprise.The liquor license will be in place soon. The beverage menu is pleasing with an array of teas and coffees on offer.

Why Pan-Asian?

Ritu’s favourite countries in SE asia are Indonesia and Thailand. After having successfully run the show at some of the best Italian restaurants in Delhi, including the one at the Italian embassy she came up with Diva Kitsch as she says she needed “something to stimulate me, so doing a totally different cuisine was like learning a new language, or going back to university.”

Vietnamese rolls

The Vietnamese rolls reminded Skeeter of Kylie Kwong. For no apparent reason really, but the texture, the freshness of the ingredients, the cuts, the whole experience. They were served with nahm jim (a popular sweet chilli sauce from region). Highly recommended. In fact, Skeeter was about to order another round when she stopped short and ordered Crystal dumplings.

Crystal dumplings with Chinese greens and water chestnuts

Four crystal-like pearls came seated atop a banana leaf inside a bamboo steamer along with Nahm Jim again. The dumplings reminded Skeeter of Kwong again as she has grown up watching the woman steam the most delectable dumplings in those.

Young Jackfruit curry with fresh red Chilli and crispy Ginger served with rice noodles

This one comes with an in-house endorsement (as ‘recommended’ on the menu). A must try for the vegetarians – the menu says. And why not! Here’s how Skeeter thought the jackfruit curry was assembled: Young handpicked jackfruit cut into cubes and boiled with spices to infuse a flavour that would remind any non-vegetarian eating it, of, mutton. The jackfruit is then simmered in a yellow curry and served with rice noodles. An immensely gratifying dish.

Udon noodles in a mushroom broth infused with black Pepper and Sesame

Skeeter has a thing for Udon noodles. The texture is somehow very, very soothing to the palate. The noodles are wholewheat and when clubbed with the right kind of soup/broth they make for a superb, filling comfort dish. They are mostly served as a part of a soupy dish. Diva’s take was a very, very fine version of this rather simple dish. A light broth, with robust shiitake stock and undertones of garlic, spiced to perfection with udon noodles and shiitakes thrown in. The portion was HUGE. A meal in itself (think soup and noodles). Come winter and this dish can be decorated with florets of broccoli for more texture and some colour.

Diva Kitsch, bowl, udon noodles, shiitake

Roti Bawang- Malaysian flat bread filled with Onions, served with Spicy Sambal and green curry

One bite of Roti Bawang will immediately make you think of home, of ghee, of crispy paranthas. It is a cross between a parantha and a Kerala porotta. Super crisp, thick, onion filled delight this. Though, this is a Malay flatbread sold at Mamak stalls in that country, it certainly has strong Indian influence. The spicy sambal on the side is Diva’s take on sambal sans the fish sauce. It is tangy n hot and goes so well with the Roti Bawang. The green curry on the side is coconut based and explodes the flavours of kaffir lime leaves, green chillies, lemongrass, galangal and perhaps some coriander root in your mouth… It is rather invigorating. That said, even if you have the Roti Bawang on its own minus the curry and the condiment, you will come back yearning for more.

An accompanying non-vegetarian highly recommends Lamb, Potatoes and baby Onions stewed in Massaman curry, wok fried greens or mash. Also, Ritu’s version of fish n chips was spectacular. It comes plated well with a small bucket of fries and edamame beans on the side.

Jaggery crème brulee

The dessert is a well-thought take on mishti doi topped with a crisp layer of jaggery toffee sheet topped with a nest of spun sugar for decor(signature Diva style). Skeeter can go on but this wonder is better tasted than read about.

Diva Kitsch, jaggery creme brulee, spun sugar

Diva Kitsch, delhi, jaggery creme brulee, dessert

Ritu Dalmia is a gracious host and personally took care of what came to our table. As with all other Diva branches, she likes to know what people order and if she does not like it, she’d make suggestions (rather reinforce them). With the food you have at any Diva outlet, comes free, the education that Ritu imparts. She tells you what exactly goes into your food. Skeeter suspects it is Dalmia’s mission to tell the diner about what goes behind those delectable meals. What a deal!

Where:

D 17, Besides Petrol Pump, Defence Colony, New Delhi

011 40648861

Pennywise: Approx 3,000 for a meal for two without alcohol

Tres -> Delhi’s sparkling star

The mood

A much needed dinner outing had Skeety thinking and after closing in on a Chinese favourite Skeety dumped it for the Modern European food serving restaurant in town: Tres. And no cheesecakes for guessing Skeety came home happy after the dinner. It was an absolute impulsive, ‘I must get out today’ evening. Skeeter was not hungry. Okay not much. She called up for the directions, and was told the exact directions (it pays to have well-informed staff). Reached there without event on the broomstick.

The drinks

Our table set in for the evening with an Apple Rosemary julip (Rs 225) that had fresh apple chunks, a twig of fresh rosemary, zesty lemon topped up with lemonade. A rather refreshing take on a drink. As perfect as it could be. The second drink we ordered was the Tres Mary (Rs 225), which the menu says is a Classic Virgin Mary with house made tomato jalapeno relish. A lovely drink again, though I’d have liked the rim of my glass much better salted (It could just be a Skeeter thing). We also had a generous and very fresh bread basket accompanying the drinks.

The food

The menu lists these broad categories: Small plates, Sharing plates, Salads & Appetizers, Soups, Mains, Meats and desserts.
We chose to order Roasted goat cheese and beetroot, apple walnut dressing and olive bread (Rs 419) from Salads & Appetizers. What we got was a giant slab of goat cheese on the slightly toasted olive bread with a taste bud teaser, finger licking good, beetroot, apple walnut dressing on a bed of lettuce. A medley of flavours, each distinct and each binding all ingredients together for a unique flavour. This was a dish Skeeter will definitely go back and order again. We requested our attendant to leave the plate so that we could polish off the dressing to the last drop. Skeeter does believe in helping nice restaurants clean the plates you see.

Next, we opted for the vegetarian sharing plate, which is a trio of chef’s selection served with dry salad, relish and crust bread (Rs 659). The chef can never be wrong. We trusted them blindly and got our share of a)Baked artichoke hearts b)Roasted summer peppers, aubergines and mushrooms and c)Deep fried corn tortellini with salsa verde for the sharing plate. The baked artichoke hearts stole Skeety’s heart. Naughty them. The roasted peppers, aubergines, mushrooms had bulbs of garlic thrown in and a chunk of cheese for company which altogether made for a very, very warm and hearty plate. The tortellini were perfect but the salsa verde did not shine much. As much as Skeeter would have liked to order the Mains, she thought an almost full stomach would not be able to do justice to those plates of art. And then, Skeeter wanted to secretly make some room for dessert.

The list of desserts made us slightly dizzy (so many good options to choose from), so we went ahead with the chef Julia’s recommendation of a “little different” Cajita (Cajeta) cake with seasonal fruit, a Tres speciality and trademark. An extraordinary end to a magnificent dinner.

The people and some titbits

Chef Jatin Mallick, Chef Julia and Fatima Lobo are the people behind the place. Tres means three in Spanish.

If you make a reservation and go you are likely to be better off as the place got almost full by 8:15ish.

They are open for dinner only and start early at 6pm.

The plating of each dish was outstanding and made each dish very, very visually appealing.

The not so good

Our tiny table could barely accommodate the beautiful big plates.

The waiters were in a rush to take away our glass of unfinished beverage which we did not like. We had to stop them but our lovely bread basket was taken away. *Insert very sad smiley*

None of the above will deter us from going there again and again, and more. Will try to update this post as and when.

How to reach

Shop No. 17, Main Market, Lodhi Colony, Delhi, 110003

Opposite Vir Savarkar Park

Ph: 011 24625520

Damages: Approx Rs 3,500 for two without alcohol.

Veiled City

Several parda nasheen women pass by Skeety as she walks towards Lal Kuan after getting off the Chawri Bazaar metro station. A five minute walk later she reaches Bade Mian kheerwale. The widest of wide smiles greets her as Jamaluddin invites her in. Skeety feels as if she was the only customer he had been waiting for whole day. Such is old world hospitality. Though in this part of Delhi women walk around in veils and are seldom unaccompanied, those from outside this world are treated with equal respect. Tehzeeb reigns supreme. Skeety is made to sit on a rickety chair but is treated no less than a princess on a PINK chair.
Conversations with Jamaluddin are devoured even as the taste buds await the kheer. Questions shot by Skeety are answered with perseverance.
And then enters the much acclaimed kheer. Converstaions halt. The dessert made from rice, milk and sweet (sugar and/or jaggery) over slow fire, enters the mouth. New age gelatos cannot match this taste that takes you to pre-cooking ranges age. An earthy, sweet flavour bursts in the mouth as one takes a bite. The rest four senses stand still. Such is the spell cast by the flavours.
Floored!
P.S.: Jamaluddin tells Skeety that the kheer sold at his shop became famous as “bade mian’s kheer”, when food writer Rahul Verma started calling it so.
Location:
From the mouth of Chawri Bazaar metro station, start walking towards Lal Kuan. On your right, you will find this shop. Skeety can give you the exact location, but then she’s never upto any good. *wink*

Dilli: City of Sins

Dilli’s Delight,
It seems so, but isn’t light,
Let the sweet tooth dig into a sinful bite,
It will set your taste buds tickling and tune them JUST right…

Chandni Chowk beckoned Skeeter yet again. This time it was for childhood love. Skeeter fondly remembers being driven by dad to the ‘kone wali’ shop (Corner shop) for ‘Hot and Sweet’ Jalebis, when she was a child. And when she grew up she was enlightened about the name of the shop. It is aptly named ‘Old and Famous Jalebiwala’. Having a tradition of making and serving Jalebis running for over 100 years, what better name could the shop possibly have?
Even more fascinating and dramatic is the location of the shop, for it is located right at the beginning of the famous Dariba Kalan or the Silver Street. The location is also known as Dariba Nukkad (Dariba corner). The entire set-up is bound to make one high and nostalgic. Best dessert and best silver-jewellery shops. They also serve samosas but Skeeter has never cared to taste them because Jalebis RULE.

Kailash Jain the owner of the shop poses with a smile for Skeeter. He has been running the shop for the past 30 years and is Skeeter’s ‘Jalebi Uncle’.

For those readers who aren’t aware of what Jalebis are, here’s Skeeter throwing some light: An Indian dessert, it is made of crisp coils of dough, deep-fried, and thereafter dipped briefly in sugar syrup for the royal taste. Best had hot during winters. Skeeter does not like this explanation, nevertheless it is here for your benefit.
History: The recipe of Jalebis is widely claimed to have originated in the Indian city of Punjab, though they are consumed in Pakistan and Bangladesh as well.

Geography: Round and round and more… (like pretzels but not really so)

Maths: To be had hot PLUS to be had with dipped in boiled milk (for relief from congestion, so day the elderly and the wise), PLUS/MINUS Can be had with/without rabdi.

Skeeter’s take: Go to the Old and Famous JalebiWala’s shop. Eat it there when a fresh lot is made. Don’t be greedy else you may burn your tongue.

Address:

1795, Dariba Corner , Chandni Chowk , Delhi- 110006

Damages: Rs.100 per half a kilogram.