I love you sister - Happy Rakhi!

My sister is great friends with me. She is pregnant now and we are very excited to welcome her twins into the world. I am a twin too and my sister is the younger one. We look nothing like each other but we do think alike. We live in the same city and spend a lot of time together. She lives about 30 kms away from me but the best part is that her office is very close to where I work. Whenever she any any issues at work she drops by at the end of the day to talk things out with me.

I haven't ever said this to her but as I write this blog I am constantly thinking how important those conversations are for me. My grandfather was very close to me and when he died I completely broke down. The only person who could understand my pain was my sister. It took me days to get over it and she helped me and heard me out very patiently. We were very young when that happened and I am not ashamed to say that I was very immature. I was extremely surprised to see that my sister who is just as old as I am mothered me and acted like she couldn't let anything happen to me.

Years have passed since that happened and now it is upon me to father my sister. She is is a very difficult phase in her life and when she comes to me with teary eyes a part of me dies. I want to do all I can to help her but let's face it, I am human. It isn't easy for me to hear what she has to say to me and not react. I then realise that she isn't looking for a reaction. She is just looking for a shoulder to cry on and I will be that shoulder.

My sister is a gem of a person and has always been nice to people and animals. I am very excited for Raksha Bandhan and I have a lot of presents that I have purchased for her and for her child. I have also thought for a lovely name for them - yes she is having twins too. I guess it runs in the family.

Rakhi is a very special time and I am very excited to spend the whole day with her...... I love you sister!

Image Credit: santabanta.com
Write up credit: Abhinav

Nashta (Golf Course Road, Gurgaon) - 3.5/5 Stars

Nashta is a wonderful option for people in a hurry. I do not cook and I am always looking to have a nice breakfast before I leave for work. I read a couple of reviews of Nashta online and I knew I had found what I was looking for. Nashta is a wonderful option for people who love a nice hearty meal in the morning.

   

The best part about Nashta is that the food at Nashta is very fresh. You can taste and tell that it has just been prepared. It is delivered piping hot to your door and it comes with freshly squeezed juices, freshly cut and baked potato wedges, etc.

Since there were 6 of us, we ordered a variety of options and got to taste a lot of different things on the menu. The juice I liked the most was the "Berry Explosion", a very guilt free healthy start to my morning. The juice did not taste synthetic at all. It was all natural and fresh. I did not quite like the "Orange Juice" as it had some bits and a quite a strong zesty taste but the rest of the juices were great.

The "Chicken Tikka Breakwich" was a meal in itself. The chicken tikka had been marinated in Indian spices, chillies and came with a coriander mayo dip. The sandwiches and wraps came with potato wedges and dips. It was a complete meal in itself and was packed perfectly. I read while I eat so my breakfast tends to get cold. I was very pleased to see that I could eat and then microwave my breakfast in the container they sent with it because it was microwave safe. They also sent some wooden cutlery.

 

We also had a couple of "Premium Combos" that came with dessert, salad and a fruit bowl. The fruits were cut beautifully and consisted of melon, papaya, orange, etc. The salad had iceberg, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes and the dressing had been served separately. Overall, it was a nice satisfying meal, packed perfectly and priced reasonably.

Dont skip breakfast!

Mayank

(Delhi Food Club)

Contact: ms.mayank@gmail.com

Elf Cafe & Bar (Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi) - 4/5 Stars

Why is one compelled to visit a place? For me it usually is when I hear from a lot of friends that this place shouldn't be missed. Elf Cafe Lounge is all I heard from my group of foodie friends before I finally decided to visit the place in the lovely Hauz Khas Village. 

 

As a lot of other people may tell you, Hauz Khas isn't as happening as it used to be, it could either be due to the controversy that caused some places to temporarily shut down. Whatever it was this place isn't the same. There was a time when it used to be bustling with hipsters regardless of the time of the week. Anyhow, Elf Cafe Lounge is certainly a rare gem in the lovely crown that is Hauz Khas Village. 

 

 

This certainly is the most happening place at HKV, the place belongs to Dinesh Arora who is quite well known in the party scene of Delhi. You would know him from the newspapers! He runs other restaurants like Ivory and Wushu. This place is great for parties because it has private lounges and is at least 2000-3000 sq. feet in area. Its multi-cuisine menu consists of tandoori food, American, Spanish, Italian, etc. The restaurant does a good job with most of its dishes because it has well known chefs from around the globe. 

 

 

Elf is a very welcoming and unpretentious place with some really good food, my recommendations are: Dahi Kebab, Chicken Tikka Pizza, Pasta and Brownie Sundae. We happened to try a lot of different things but these were surely my top favourites. 

 

 

What I loved most was the music (sufi, soul, rock, you name it!) and the ambience. It is a perfect date kind of place. I would certainly pick Elf for a fun night out with my partner. I was informed by the server that the place also has an in-house bakery and they do personalised cakes for special occasions. I have only been to Elf once but I know where I'm gonna plan my partner's surprise birthday party.

 

Keep partying! 

Mayank

(Delhi Food Club)

Contact: ms.mayank@gmail.com

#MamaDrinkUp @Mamagoto, Khan Market - cocktails, snacks and alfresco dining!

#MamaDrinkUp was a fun filled event at the terrace of Mamagoto in Khan Market. We at the Delhi Food Club have always loved Mamagoto for its delicious Thai Green Curry, Honey Chicken and Crispy Chilly Potatoes but now with the introduction of interesting cocktails on their menu they have found yet another way to wow us.

   

A very pleasant evening with great drinks and the company of some really good friends, - what can be better than that?

The Mamagoto crew has certainly managed to create innovative concoctions that are not available elsewhere. Their in house spirit infusion include kaffir lime leaf infused in silver tequila, thyme infused with dry gin and so on.

The resultant cocktails are crisper, finer and there isn’t any taste of factory made syrups and other artificial flavours. Nothing is too sweet or too sour, all balanced for the discerning palate.

The restaurant's mixologists have balanced herb with fruit to master some stellar tastes with a rich mouth feel and unique after taste. Apart from this they have flavoured Margaritas, Daiquiris, and Mojitos. The Mojitos were our favourite and I would certainly recommend them to you!

Mayank

Contact: ms.mayank@gmail.com

Restaurant Review: Amaranta – The Oberoi (The Oberoi,Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon) – 4/5 Stars

This is a very underrated place. My first experience here was so memorable. It was the birth of my best friend’s twins and the couple was throwing a celebratory party. Amaranta is a breath of fresh air amongst the many many such that serve restaurants Sea Food. 

We were very happy to learn that the sea food is flown in fresh on a daily basis. The Oberoi hospitality is and has always been fantastic. 

The malabari paratha is one of my most favourite things but I wish they could have done it a little better. Pepper Prawns and the Andhra Fish Curry were both to good to believe. 

The decor is minimalistic yet fancy. Amaranta is an expensive place but it is worth every penny.

Restaurant Review: Hachi Ba (26, Saraswati Kunj, Golf Course Road, Gurgaon) – 3.5/5 Stars

I like restaurants who focus on food more than the decor. Hachi Ba is one such place. The decor isn’t too fancy and won’t wow you in any way. 

The service and the food are fantastic though. Everything on the menu looked interesting and we did not know what to order. I always think if you are confused just ask the staff what to get. I have always ended up satisfied when the staff has surprised me with their choices. 

We asked for recommendations and we finally went with Chicken Munchow soup, Chicken Momos, Hachi Ba Noodles and Shredded Lamb. My personal favourite was the Shredded Lamb. It was delectable. It is fun to hang out at Hachi Ba during winters. 

The wooden rustic tables are wonderful. I feel very comfortable dining at this restaurant. The food is good, service is nice and quick.

Restaurant Review: Gola Southend (9, Defence Colony Market, New Delhi) – 3/5 Stars

My partner finished work and asked me to pick her up at the Defence Colony Market. I was excited about going to the Defence Colony Market after such a long time. We had our very first date at Moet’s!



I don’t know if I took a wrong turn or it was due to excessive traffic but I was completely lost until I used my Sat Nav to reach the Defence Colony Market where she was waiting eagerly for me in a lovely pink dress. 

The first thing she said to me was: “I’m so hungry!” and I just said instantly, let’s get into the first restaurant we see and the first restaurant we both looked at together was Gola! 

The restaurant has two floors and isn’t crowded at all so couples get a lot of solitude here. The decor is so far away from special that it lingers close to the Government run canteens. What did we start with? We started with Golden Fried Prawns and Chicken Spring Rolls. 

I liked the prawns but the spring rolls were a huge disappointment. It was hard to understand why they seemed so soggy! What was next? Our main course consisted of Chicken Chooza, Murg Makhni and Hydrabadi Biryani. I have to admit I am never in my life going to order hydrabadi biryani because they just cannot make biryani like awadhi’s do! 

The sauce base for murg makhni was quite good but if you ask me the food reminded me of what you would eat at a wedding, which means, too much oil and very little attention to detail. How did it end? We just decided to order a round of drinks because we hadn’t finished talking so we had some fruit beer which was surprisingly nice. 

Is Gola recommended? 

Not so much!

Restaurant Review: Dhaba By Claridges, DLF Cyber City - 5/5 Stars

Dhaba By Claridges, as I am sure everyone knows by now, is a new funked up franchise of the very popular Claridges Hotel. I say funked up coz the interiors have taken the essence of a roadside Dhaba and added the colour of a Karan Johar movie and the coolth of a Tarantino flick. I mean coloured cutting chai glasses as chandeliers, 'theka' styled steel grills hiding single malts, the interiors itself are worth the price of admission. 

Over to the menu now and at first glance it seems like any other North Indian restaurant however Corporate Chef Ravi Saxena, who very graciously accompanied us, told how each dish has been carefully thought of, keeping actual roadside 'dhabas' in mind. Like authentic dhaba food, dishes here are freshly prepared and served and certain dishes once finished, will not be prepared again in true dhaba style.

You cannot visit this place without trying their cocktails that are named after desi 'tharras'. They come in brilliant little 'tharra' bottles along with salt and spice laced glasses to pour your drink in and are they delicious or what! I had almost all of them and I would highly recommend the 'Santari', 'Toofan' and 'Narangi' (although all others were equally brilliant). If you want to know what is in these drinks, go try for yourself. 

Coming to the food, we started with a mix of veg and non veg fare like Veg galouti kebabs, Tandoori Bhune Aloo, Dhaba Murgh roast, Dhaba Prawns and Tawa Mutton. 

Veg galouti was absolutely sublime and as the Chef said it did not contain any of the traditional ingredients (like rajma) used elsewhere for galoutis. Just everyday vegetables mixed with the right kind of spices.

Tandoori Bhune Aloo were a revelation because they were so perfectly roasted. It reminded me of top London Restaurants serving fantastic roast potatoes cooked in goose fat. They came with a saunth chutney and more importantly that sprinkling of fresh onions and tomatoes, Dhaba style. 

Dhaba murgh roast and the Prawns were again great but the best starter was Tawa Mutton. Fantastic pieces of perfectly cooked mutton and an amazingly light (uncommon for meat dishes) and flavourful curry. This dish was truly the work of a master chef.

In between the starters and the mains, the Dhaba staff did a jig on 'Badtameez Dil' and I was just one 'Santari' shy of joining them. Much to everyone's relief I did not. 

The mains included Butter Chicken, Dal Dhaba, Amritsari Chole , Balti Meat, Kanastari Baingan Bharta (Chef's specal recommendations) and a magnificent Chicken Pulao. 

Now, the Butter chicken and Daal were expectedly great but the Baingan ka Bharta was drool-worthy. It was the best I've ever had (Sorry mom) and its genius lies in its simplicity. 

The Balti meat was again great and a special mention has to be given to the amount of meat that this dish has. A carnivores wet dream I say (Hows that for a South Indian reference).

I really loved the Chole too especially that tamarind water accompaniment, which elevated it to greatness.

This is one of those few places where I categorically did not miss non vegetarian food at all and I never thought it will be possible.

My stomach still had space for desserts, (not kidding) and they did not disappoint. The phirni was wow!. It might be a tad sweeter than most places but I like that more (Sorry Karims). The Badam Halwa was outstanding and so were the Gulab Jamuns but I genuinely think I had great Rasmalai after aeons. Soft, 'chenadaar' and subtly sweet, I was a bite away from a proposal (No really!!). 

Finally our meal was topped of with a 'Panditji' ka special meetha paan, reminding us of the restaurant's roots.

There is also a very cool weighing machine at the entrance that gives away your fortune by placing coins in it ( Don't worry the coins are provided by the restaurant).

I think Dhaba by Claridges is a phenomenal restaurant where food, ambience and mood create a very unique blend. It is a place you are going to go repeatedly and puts a smile on your face. When was the last time you visited a restaurant like that?

Photo Credit: Shivangi Reviews 
(www.shivangireviews.com)