Category: reeta skeeter

Guppy by ai, Summer Menu

This hasn’t been intentional but the last few posts have been around eating healthy and snacking healthy. This one’s no different. Top chefs are waking up to vegetables around them and are cooking up a storm with the most exotic produce. This is #trending in the world of gastronomy. Suddenly vegetarianism is cool and Skeeter can proudly say she was always cool! 
Guppy by ai has been revisited one too often: when Skeeter doesn’t want to cook, when she wants to eat out but eat light and healthy or simply put, when she simply wants to eat at Guppy by ai. Guppy by ai also has this amazing team led by chef Vikram Khatri and supported by chef Saurabh, that reinvents its menu time and again, presenting food that stuns the senses. Their use of vegetables, both local and exotic, mesemerises. Take the Sakura wood smoked pumpkin soup (Rs 250), which is hearty with a slight smoked flavour and comes topped with healthy, crispy pumpkin seeds that make all the difference. You get all benefit that this humble vegetable has to offer at a go: the fruit to the seed. I tried the Water chestnut and Tofu Motoyaki (Rs 400) with a little reluctance. What I got was the Japanese silken tofu and water chestnut baked in a rich sauce. I could nibble on it all day long. Umami in a bowl. 

The Seaweed and Mesclun salad (Rs 450) was up next. Young mustard, seaweed and fresh baby greens are served in tangy plum vinaigrette. Apart from the spectacular presentation and the sublime taste, the ingredients were a showstopper. Move on Nori, I got Tosaka on my plate. Yes! The wobbly tosaka seaweed (green and pink) tossed with other greens and a tangy plum vinaigrette made the summer outside so much bearable!
Salad was followed by some deep fried indulgence as Tempura was taken to another level with whole ladyfingers, nori and even coconut peeping out from the crunchy batter!

Oh and what is a visit to Guppy if you don’t try their red rice Sushi?

But what really had my heart was the Hiyashi Tanuki Cha Soba (Rs 750), the Chilled green tea soba served with scallions, chilled soy flavoured broth and bonito. The green tea infused soba noodles are served on a bamboo sheet resting on ice in an earthen pot. Some places also serve it on Zaru, which is a bamboo tray that looks like a traditional sieve. The scallions, chilled soy flavoured broth and bonito are served alongside. You take the noodles in an empty bowl provided to you, add the rest of the accompaniments to taste, hold the bowl up and enjoy! If you like simple flavours Hiyashi Tanuki Cha Soba comes highly recommended. If not, you could try the very flavourful Tofu and exotic vegetable curry rice (Rs 900).

The Matcha pudding ended my meal. I’ve had Matcha icecreams and Matcha is undoubtedly my favourite Japanese green tea, the other being Sencha. This pudding is made from Matcha tea powder and served with house made toffee sauce (Rs 350). Lots of Matcha powder is dusted over the pudding to make you go mmmmm… Trust Guppy by ai to come up with something as delicate as this. No other flavour overpowered the star ingredient, Matcha. Yet I could taste and relish all other elements this excellent pudding was made of.
(This review was on invitation. The views herein are mine.)

Of jams and post-its


Dear readers,

It has been a marvelous journey on Delhi Foodies’ Zone so far. Skeeter loves the appreciation mails, the queries and feedback that you guys keep sending every now and then. Keep them coming. It is fun to interact with you and this communication gives Skeeter a perspective on what you want to read and what you don’t. Today, Skeeter wants to share with you a really cute and heart-warming post-it that a dear friend sent across. Thank you!

The twain meet

As a child Skeeter heard about wine and cheese pairings, also, about wine and continental food pairings. A crisp rosé or lighter varieties of Pinot Noir with white fish (yes this is still a vegetarian blog) or crabmeat, oyesters et al have always been on the wine connoisseurs description of heaven on earth and so forth. A few moons ago, there was much debate on Indian food being paired with wine. Great stories were penned around the Indian food and wine combo.
All this while Skeety thought, dadi (grandmom) always said khaane naal paani ni peen da(with your food don’t take water). Wonder where that came from or where it went. Times are certainly changing, and how!
Skeeter attended a food and tea pairing event at The Park hosted by Ty-phoo tea. TV show host and chef/owner at Aurus, Vicky Ratnani, led the show. Vicky has given an edge to vegetarian food in India through his food show Vicky goes Veg where he shows how much vegetarian variety can one enjoy with the relatively new vegetables (think Zucchini, Red/Yellow/Orange peppers, Broccoli) that are being sold by the neighbourhood vendor these days. Also, how the traditional ingredients can be adapted to new world recipes.

At the Ty-phoo event, Vicky went one step further by demonstrating, how to cook with tea and how to pair food with tea.
Traditionally, in North Indian cuisine, we steep a black teabag with chole (chickpeas) to give them the blackish/brownish tinge. Also, we often pair chai and samosa. This is perhaps the oldest tea and food pairing Skeety can think of. An often heard 4 o clock anectode is…’chai aur samose ho jaayein'(let us have tea with samosas). Whether you are spending an afternoon at work, at home or with 4pm guests, this is one hit pair.
With the new variety of teas hitting the supermarket shelves teatime is only becoming more and more enjoyable. So, sit back and infuse your foods with tea or sip it along with your food (yes there are health benefits and jazz).
For some ‘out-of-the-pot’ pairings, Vicky served well-assembled Harissa spiced grilled veggies, mint and rocket leaf cous cous, chickpea puree with Moroccan Mint tea. Peppered cottage cheese (infused with a Ty-phoo Masala tea bag) was served with a side of masala mashed pot and pickled cucumber ribbons.

Skeety particularly loves and recommends an orange infusion with a cinnamon stick for a tangy, robust flavour. Drink it as is or pair with your favourite food. Better still, steep it, chill it and add a dash of gin or vodka. Other infusions available are Black Currant and Lemon & Lime Zest.

If any of the readers would like to try making the above mentioned dishes by Vicky Ratnani, drop me a mail at reeta.skeeter@yahoo.com

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.

Dilli meets London @ Prezzo (from the London Diary)

A shopping spree at Harrow led the girlies to St. Georges Shopping Centre for a much needed lunch at Prezzo (serving Italian cuisine). For vegetarians it is rocket science to read through that menu and stay sane to order.
The girlies managed. (These girlies o’course are Skeety and the Nuttiest Nut)15 minutes of consultation and contemplation later they ordered some fries and Mozzarella in Carrozza with Podomoro sauce. Mozzarella in Carozza is essentially Mozzarella cheese deep-fried in breadcrumbs served with a tomato-based pomodoro sauce. And ofcourse coke.
The Mozzarella in Carrozza was a bite of heaven! It was made to perfection and served at just the right tempature.
They then ordered a Margherita Pizza for the main course from the Calzone menu which Prezzo offers. The Pizza was nice and that’s about all Skeety would like to say about it.The array of sinful desserts they serve could not tempt the two tummies to overeat after stuffing in the above.
As for the service, the staff were a little indifferent even when the restaurant had only three tables occupied at that hour.
When the food is excellent, ambience a classic and staff resembles a mouth blister, it seems as if the cake has been robbed of that fabulous piece of decor. Sigh!
P.S.: This is one of the few posts from Skeety’s London Diary which may be written about here when Skeety so desires.

Location: St Georges Shopping Centre, St Ann’s Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 1HS0208 4279588

On Google Maps for St.Georges Shopping Centre

Something, anything…

This blog is, from this day, dedicated to the memory of Sabina Sehgal Saikia. Skeets had always wanted to make her read this blog. Alas Skeety was unable to do that in time. In 10 months to be precise. This someone is one of the few people who sowed the seeds of ‘love for food’ in Skeety.
And then, Skeety wants to thank R. Thank You R for asking ‘that’ question. Thanks for setting a few very important things right. Thanks for everything. Be with Skeets.
********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *********
For change this ain’t no food post per se. But then it does revolve around food. It has to! Innit?
A very random post this. Perhaps best describes the *floating* state of mind.’
WE BEGIN
Skeets was sitting at a certain ‘Subway’ in a certain locality in NCR. Enjoying a fresh BIG plate of crispy iceberg lettuce topped with yum yum gherkins, yum yum jalapenos, yum yum balck olives, yum yum tomatoes, cool cool cucumbers and YUMMIEST of them all the Sweet Onion dressing 🙂 So? That’s normal. Eh? NO!!!
Skeety got stares. From EVERY single person who was present there. The only good thing today was that Skeety chewing away the salad more merrily than a cow or sheep chew on their pasture 😛
Skeets acknowledged yet ignored stares. Spoke to the self in the mind. Had a nice time basically. And one day Skeets shall share with you a list of restaurants in Delhi where you do NOT get stares for being an unaccompanied girl, eating merrily in a restaurant.
Girls can have all the fun! 😀

It ain’t Greek to the superstar plate smasher *Greeksta*: Skeetah

So much for Greek Pizzas.
Skeets now hops forward to her bewitching new find: It’s Greek to me.

Here is how it happened: A asked Skeets if she could have some wine. Skeety’s non-muggle instincts told her that this place MUST have wine. So, there they were headed. Minutes later, they entered a cosy little restaurant which was dressed (read decorated) in such a manner that it could easily pass as some tavern besides a farm at some highway in Greece.

Comes next what? The living end of CONFUSION. The ‘placing of the order’ time.

Skeets is known for her habit of reading the menu only for such a little while that the person accompanying her (if any) may be provoked enough to stab her with the butter knife kept in front of them. Gee.

Dodging the knife, Skeets ordered the Mezze Platter to be shared with A and a glass each of red wine.

The Mezze Platter tasted as promising as it looked. It bore: Tirokafteri fritters (a stuff of feta and spinach mix), Spanokopita (pita bread with some dressing), Falafel (fritters made of fava beans/chickpeas), Dolmathes (sort of steamed dumplings made of rice and pine nut filling, wrapped with grape leaves). These were accompanied with small helpings of Tratziki, Hummus, Eggplant dips and a few breads. The Dolmathes did not go well with Skeety or A’s tastebuds. Rest, all were classics.

Then came, the most intriguing bit. The Plate Smashing. It is a Greek tradition to smash the plates after meals. They smash plates at taverns where the females perform Hassapiko (Greek dance form) and the likes. So, Skeets asked at the restaurant if she will be given a plate to smash. They said YES. And so, Skeets unleashed her wikkid side and smashed the plate in the Smashing corner and walked away to glory after having had a smashing time. Another visit is pending. SOON.

Please note: Falafel is not Greek but a street food snack popular in many countries, especially the Middle East, and Hummus dip is again popular in the Middle East countries…
Skeets hasn’t had Greek food before. So, Skeets was more than glad to incorporate some suggestions in this post, with a vision to familiarise us Delhiites with Greece and its cuisine.Fellow blogger thalassa_mikra threw some light upon Greek cuisine and traditions:Tirokafteri – is a traditional Greek Dip made from Spiced Feta Cheese…Spanakopita is spinach pie – spinach and cheese filling inside layers of filo dough…
So what was served to Skeets was more of a namesake of Greek food.
Another blogger Hellenic says: The plates are not smashed after a meal. Usually the plate smashing (and it’s a tradition on it’s way out in most of Greece), takes place during a solo dance performance when plates are smashed in joy at the performance. Also, plates are not smashed in the restaurants in Greece. It is no more permitted and it takes place in Bouzoukia (night clubs). Today in Greece, people enjoy the same, but only throw Flowers.

(Location: B-6/4, Commercial Complex, Safdarjung Enclave, Opposite Deer Park, New Delhi, 110029)

P.S.: Deepak (Bigger, better Delhi Foodie) swears by their breads and I stand by him and NOD in acceptance.

It’s Greek for me!

To make a morsel enter my mouth, the texture, the flavour, the aroma, the colour, are all put through an acid test. Call me what you like, but believe me you, I have been like this all my life. As a kid, I would go to the kitchen and inspect mom-made food to see if the four of these are okay. If not, I would declare ‘I am not hungry’. Of course at that point in time I never knew I would grow up to be in love with food.
Later, a lot of additions were made to this list (which are often written about at DFZ).
I once opined that food courts at shopping malls can never serve good food, and hence should not be even thought about unless you are dying of hunger and cannot drag yourself to a good restaurant nearby, or far away for that matter. Little did I know that I would soon trounce my own opinion (proudly so), and throw it down the tallest tower. Ha!
Wow! I am finally talking (read writing) about Wow Italia, the one place whose mention can make my stomach growl and howl. This place has left me awed for quite some time now; this is the place I would love to visit again and again and yet again. They do, inarguably, the best Greek Pizza in or around town.
Stationed in the food court of The Metropolitan Mall in Gurgaon, for money the size of the smallest black mustard seed (‘maybe’ I am exaggerating), Wow Italia serves me their chef-d’oeuvre Greek Pizza topped with Fresh Garlic, Feta cheese (my favourite), Black Olives, Parsley and Green Beans. If I die and go to heaven when I have Costa Hot Choc, after having this Greek Pizza, I enter a state of blissful trance.

Wow Italia also hold the distinction of being the first eatery to own a heartfelt personal note hand-written for them by Reeta Skeeter on a circular sheet of paper which comes beneath the Pizza on the Pizza tray. 😀

Also, I would recommend their Pasta (Spaghetti is the best bet) with Dansih Gorgonzola. This pasta is falvoured with Rosemary and topped with Capers, Black olives and Parsley. Yum!
Do visit. You will NOT regret.

Little wonders

At times little things that you want, HAPPEN. My case was something like this: I used to interview celebs and commoners. When all this was at its peak, I had people coming to me and asking me to ‘please’ write about them. I remember this particular incident. About 4/5 years ago AK came to me and asked me to do a story on her. Half-heartedly I started doing it (I was sure the Editor would say NO to it later on). The fact that she wanted me to write about her put me off, for I should have been the one asking her to talk to me. Anyway, the story got published in TOI and that was that. Years later, I read about her on the front page of TOI. And I was like :O That was her fate. O’ course she is a famous artist now and all that.And with incidents of the like happening on a day-to-day basis, I wondered [I was a kid then ;)] if a day would come when I will be written about. Lo and Behold!
Click on the image to enlarge and read 🙂