Wenger's Deli, Connaught Place, New Delhi

Note - This place takes its last order at around 8:30 PM/8:45PM. You feel this is bad - this is actually much later than the legendary sister concern which shuts door at 7:45 PM.

Wenger's Deli, Connaught Place

Wenger's Deli is sister (and very new) concern of the legendary Wenger's. We all know about Wenger's, which is just phenomenal in terms of value for money it offers. Wenger's Deli is an attempt to get into next level - from Bakery to Delicatessan - but with same focus on 'value for money'.

It is located adjacent to Keventer's in A-Block (on the radial road), Connaught Place. With the legendary Wenger's two shops away, this place is rightly placed for attracting the crowd. But it gets a bit hidden due to its location. However once you step inside, you will find the same quality as Wenger's and will feel satiated with very less hit on the wallet.

Decor
Remember, this is a Deli - better suited for a pick-up or a quick bite between work. This is not a fine dining setup at all. Decor is very minimal. Actually, the place itself is very small - hardly 10 or 12 seats (bar stools, to be precise) are available for seating. During rush hours, the waiting can go long due to limited seating - best is to order first and wait or grab the food and step out. The seating is also much in a bar fashion with stools facing the walls (window) and fixed tables in the walls. The caricatures on both walls make the setting a bit light and makes it feel much like a Deli. Overall, seating is less but the decor is good (or maybe perfect for the venture).

Service
The Deli has an open kitchen - actually kitchen probably has same amount of space as the front desk and the sitting area. The kitchen is visible through an open glass panel. That kind of sets a good tone as you can see your order being prepared in hygienic way. The service is just about okay. I have found it to be very quick at times and then slow at other times. Also, it depends on the rush and orders in the queue.

Food and Drinks
Now comes the main part - Food.

Food at Wenger's Deli is amazingly fresh, cheap and quantity is good. This frankly stands out in whole of Connaught Place. After trying various items from their menu, here is what I would recommend

Salads - Cucumber and Grape one; really nice combination and flavor.
Panini - Go for Greek Hero or Vegan Delite (yes the one with aubergine) in vegetarian section or Peri Peri Chicken in non-vegetarian section.
Waffles - All of them are good; perfectly baked. If you are into waffles, try them here.
Smoothies/Shakes - Zacarito or Hawaiin (if you like it in Coconut milk)
Burgers - The non-vegetarian section rules here. Sorry for the other side but the classic Chicken burger or Mutton Shami burger are both awesome. They are very filling and have perfectly prepared patties in them. A bit on spicy side though. But we, Indians, love it that way. Don't we?

So, what is missing? In my opinion, coffee is surely missing from the menu. Well, no hot drinks till now on their menu. I fail to understand why. I hope they get this corrected soon.


USP
Three things - food preparation, food quantity and price. Perfectly sums it up.

Here are the ratings on different aspects
Decor - 3/5
Service - 3/5
Food - 5/5
Drinks - 4/5

Details
Wenger's Deli
A-18, Radial Road
Connaught Place,
New Delhi

South Indian Snacks Corner, Jantar Mantar

Important - Please note that this place is not open on Sundays.

For my first 2-3 visits to this place, I never asked the name of the place at all. Food is so yummy that you forget everything else. But then, during a visit, when I asked the name of the place from the guy who stands there taking the orders most of the times, he just said 'South Indian Snacks Corner'. The most generic name (and maybe most apt) one can have for such a place.

For once, this could be just another fill-in-my-food kind of place but run out of a small kiosk and its adjoining one for past many years - some say around 20 years, this place dishes out amazing flavors through its hot South Indian snacks on dirt cheap rates. I think the most priced item on the menu would still be of 70-80 rupees only. Even the parking in some of the malls cost more than this in Delhi. Dirt cheap does not mean low on taste. The preparation of food is awesome here - I have never ever eaten any hard Idlis here or over-fried Dosas here. Move over Sagar Ratnas...

The place does not have a sitting area at all and you can see utensils being cleaned in a corner. It is like an half open kitchen with a huge boiling cauldron of Sambhar just outside of the kiosk. If you are too much into ambiance, move on to CP. But if you want to enjoy Delhi food where it is best then this is the place to be. The popularity of the place can be seen anytime you go there with sufficient enough attendance but during lunch hours you can see hordes of loyal office goers from the neighbourhood for their value-for-money meals. The service is amazingly fast and you can enjoy coffee/lassi/shakes from other shops around.

Coming back to food, I do not know where to start from and where to end. You can pick any item from the menu and it would be wonderful in taste. Everything here comes with pure coconut chutney (no dal chana in there), hot Sambhar and the Red chutney. All of them are just rightfully spiced - nothing over the board. On the main dish front, Dosas are just appropriately filled with stuffing and are never over-fried. Idlis are appropriately steamed and soft to enjoy them being dipped in Sambhar. Dal Vadas are not much interesting but till now I have never eaten Dal Vadas which can just blow my mind. Sambhar Vada is one of my favorite here since they are appropriately fried and make wonderful combination with their Sambhar. And this is the only place, where I do eat Upma. Yes, the Upma is just amazing - no fancy ingridents there - just the mix of coconut and dal. They do have other varieties of Dosas and then there is a dish of the day as well. Maybe someday, I will get bored with their regular fare and would move to more dishes but as of now the regular fare is keeping me engaged. Having said that, Rava Kesari is a good way to end the meal here - no fancy stuff but an honest home-food feeling.

And I think "home food feeling" is the best description of this place.

Average cost for two would not be more than 120 rupees

Details:-
South Indian Snacks Corner
In front of designated protest area, Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar Road
New Delhi

Andhra Bhawan Canteen

Andhra Bhawan Canteen at last - after living for more than 10 years in Delhi.

But as it is said - there is always a right time for everything. So, mine happened on one Saturday in early September when I finally reached for a lunch at Andhra Bhawan Canteen. First thing which I noted is lack of proper parking - one has to park on the road alongside. After driving in circles for two times, I decided to park in the free parking lot of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, just across the road. This looks like a good and more secure way of parking.

On reaching at the canteen,there were people already waiting. For a second, we thought of turning back but then I remembered that their management is efficient and one does not have to wait for too long. Good that we stayed for the experience - we had to wait only for 4 minutes or so.

They serve breakfast from 7:30 to 10, lunch from 12 to 2:45 and dinner from 7:30 to 10. Ordering is simple as there are fixed menu option. Breakfast has idli + dosa + vada along with tea/coffee while Lunch & Dinner has two veg. curries, plain rice, dal pappu, sambhar, rasam, curd, sweet, papad, pickle, and puri (lunch) or phulka (dinner). They serve Hyderabadi Dum Biryani on Sundays only. Plus you have options to take non-veg side dishes like chicken curry, chicken fry, mutton curry, mutton fry, fish curry, fish fry or prawn curry as an add-on.

Pretty simple for someone to make a choice. Prices are just too low to be real. Pay, take a token and then wait for your turn. And while you wait, do make sure to take a note of the efficiency of managing such a place. Place is just a simple-no-frills setup, do not expect fine dinning here. And take a note of the guy managing the show - an amazing guy who calls out the token numbers in such an interesting way, alternating between English, Hindi and Telgu. Just amazing.


Sitting could be shared - although we got lucky with a full table to ourselves. As soon as one we were seated, thali was served, and then there were always servers running around shouting "currrrry", "riiiiice" and so on. Dal Pappu was amazing - I could just have taken the full thali only for that Dal Pappu. Rest of the stuff was also fine - but nothing that amazing. Chicken Fry was typical though and loved it a lot.

Overall, the experience was over in less than 8 minutes. Phew!!! This is not the place if you are looking for any indulgence. This is basic canteen but the food is worth a shot. A must have (at least one)...

Average cost for two would be around Rs.300 - this is the best part.

Andhra Pradesh Bhawan
1, Ashoka Road
New Delhi

Lighthouse 13, MGF Metropolitan Mall, Saket

Went to Lighthouse 13 once last year (2012) while we were roaming around in the Saket malls. Since it was Sunday, opted for the Sunday brunch (or buffet) but it left us a lot disappointed. Seriously, the place is charging too much for literally very average food.

Seating is good, music was good but the main lifeline (food) of restaurant was very weak. The food buffet preparations were ordinary. They had nearly everything covered - Indian, Continental, Europeran etc... but I think that is the trap which they have fallen into. Too much options are actually spoiling the quality of the food there. The hotness quotient of the food was also missing - so the breads were actually coming out not-so-hot from behind the scenes. Overall, a disaster for us to go there, I must say.

Have not gone back to the place since then although Saket features regularly on our shopping or weekends activities. Maybe someday we will try to have courage to go for a-la-carte there and hopefully see much better results than last visit.

Till then, Lighthouse 13 is not where my ship is going to anchor :)

Average cost for two would be around Rs.2000 (without alcohol).

If you still want to go, here are the contact details:-

Lighthouse 13

13, 1st Floor, 

MGF Metropolitan Mall, 

Saket, New Delhi

Phone - 011-49422265

Karim's, Jama Masjid, Delhi - 6

Karim's, an institution in itself, is something which should be placed as one of the "places-to-eat-at-before-you-die" list. This is indeed true for carnivorous humans who love Indian food.

Although Karim's has various branches across Delhi and NCR, but the best one still remains the original one at 16, Kebabian Gali, Near Jama Masjid, Delhi. It is not very hard to find - ask anyone around and you will know - but it is surely not one of the most wonderful ambiance to have a restaurant. But nevertheless, with whatever Karim's has to offer, anything is good. And believe me, if you like Indian food and that too Mughlai-style then Karim's is a must must visit. There is long history behind Karim's but in short they were the original chefs/cooks for the Mughals. And it is said that the recipes of all the dishes have carried over generations without much alterations. So, basically you are eating what Mughals ate centuries back.

My recommendations are Tandoori Burra - its just the best you can have, Nahari - only Saturday/Sunday and that too in the morning, Murg Mussallam, Jahangiri Qorma, Badshahi Badami Pasanda, top this all with Naan and specially Sheer Mal.

Average cost for two would be around 500 or so.

Contact Details:-
Karim's
16, Gali Kababian,
Jama Masjid,
Delhi

Phone - 011-23269880, 011-23243343, 011-23264981, 011-23243342, 011-65653802

QBA, Connaught Place, New Delhi

Some months ago, in the heat of Delhi's summers, I was in the CP and surrounding area and was looking for some good place to eat. Due to vegetarian people in company, we wanted to go to a place having good enough vegetarian options. Initially thought about going to TGIF but then figured out that TGIF at CP is closed. So, we went to QBA, in the middle circle (or is it inner - CP always confuses me).

The entry is quite hidden which is usual with most of the place in CP. You would search for the entrance, which is toward the rear of the block. You start walking in the dingy looking, narrow alleyway, almost tempted to turn back. But suddenly you would see the reception at the ground floor. Once you reach to the restaurant through lift, you feel a calm and soothing atmosphere inside - especially when are coming from hot Delhi summer outside. The place is in cool blue interiors with two levels and a terrace for sitting. The first level is more like a lounge with sofa sitting plus bar area while the second level is more formal sitting. The terrace would be a nice sitting option in the winters - to eat food and talk while the crowd at CP running underneath.

Food is not at all good - just okay. Although we were looking for vegetarian place but QBA did not turned out to be one :). The prices are surely more than they should be. Although I was quite disturbed there by some socialite ladies discussing their families - mom-in-laws and all that (and disturbing our talks in between) but it was otherwise quite silent in the lunch time. They have live band in the evening which I have heard is also not very bad. We had very little food - mostly appetizers only.

I would certainly recommend the place to relax and enjoy rather than for the food. The sitting is relaxed, ambiance is cool and the space they have with them is awesome right there in the middle of CP.

Contact Information
QBA Restaurant & Bar
E-42/43, Inner Circle,
Connaught Place
New Delhi
Ph. 011-41512888

Dimsum Lunch @ Mainland China

Once again I was back to Mainland China. Yes, it is surely my favorite Chinese restaurant in the whole city. Great food and cheap too. And one more factor for my frequent visits to this place, is my wife's preference of this place :)

So, last weekend I went to Mainland China - this time for a dimsum lunch. Although they do not have a fixed dimsum menu lunch but one can order dimsum from their a-la-carte menu. And that is what we did as well. We ordered SuiMai dimsums filled with chopped vegetables (one of our favorite there), steamed vegetable wontons in a rather unique sauce, silken tofu delight vegetable dumplings (chopped vegetables filled in a soft silky tofu covering and base) and XO sauce flavored chicken and prawn dimsums.

Nearly all of them were very good. Apart from these, other notable dimsums are vegetable hargao, prawn hargao & seafood dimsums. Overall, our dimsum lunch was worth driving down all the way from Noida to G.K. - Mainland China has never disappointed us till now. The bill for a dimsum lunch for two (consisting of five different dimsums) would be around 900 bucks. On weekends, make sure to go with prior booking - this place sells like anything.

Contact info:
Mainland China,
Plot No. 4, Local Shopping Centre,
Masjid Moth, Greater Kailash - II,
New Delhi - 110048
Tel : (011) 40535525 / 26
Email : mlcdel@airtelbroadband.in

China Garden, G.K.-II

China Garden, located in the M-block market of Greater Kailash-II, is a branch of the famous China Garden chain of restaurants across the country. The chain is founded by Nelson Wang, a famous chef and the guy who could be quite literally termed as the one who has a big hand in popularizing Chinese food in India. As the story goes, he arrived in Mumbai from Calcutta in early 70s with only 27 rupees in his pocket. His first restaurant was opened in 1984 in Mumbai. And since then the name has grown bigger and bigger. He is the one said to have invented 'Chicken Manchurian'. Wang also started a women exclusive nightclub called Piano Bar in Mumbai.

Delhi's China Garden is another good Chinese option in the city. The ambiance of the place is soothing. There are glass stairs, wonderful oriental artifacts and simulated water fall. The whole setup is wonderful. The food also does not lacks behind (although in some areas only). Chinese, Thai and Japanese is served at this place. Nelson Wang's philosophy of cuisine with a twist can be felt quite easily in the dishes.

In soups, try clear soups rather than the 'filly' ones. Clear soups are tangy and quite apt for a start. In the starters, I have tried dim sums only and could not found them as good as at other places (say Mainland China). Veg Sui Mai was quite spicy and the covering was not as thin as we like it to be. For the main course, try Teppanyaki, quite filling and wonderfully done. One can also go for Prawn in Pepper Garlic. Rice and Noodles are all properly cooked and are of good quality.

Overall, surely one of the good options in the city for Chinese cuisine. The rates are also not as high as other places like House Of Ming. Average cost per person would be 600 rupees. They have lounge as well as a Piano Bar.

Contact Info:-
China Garden
M73
M Block Market
Greater Kailash - II
New Delhi - 48
Ph. +91 11 29223456-59

Sona Sweets, Nehru Place

I remember Sona Sweets from my days while working near Nehru Place. Nehru Place has lots of wonderful small eating places - Sona Sweets is surely one of the best there. It is a small eatery joint which offers nearly everything in India fast food - from Chhole Bhature to Aloo Parantha, from Chaats to Pao Bhaaji, from Idli to Dosa and much more.

It has a large (as per Nehru Place standards) open kitchen area where there are large stoves and large flat tawas. You can actually watch your paranthas or dosas being made right there (it is not a good experience watching though). The place is nearly filled each day during the lunch hours and you may have to squeeze yourself first to make an order (do payment and take a coupon) and then squeeze yourself more to get the food at your table. In the meantime, I forgot, you need to watch for a table as well. But let me tell, all this hardship is worth it. Truly amazing food at reasonable cost, especially the Aloo Parantha is tasty and filling - one is enough for me. But the best thing is Lassi there - served in a large (Punjabi) style glass, it is one of the best I ever had till now.

So, go there for Aloo Parantha and finish off with Lassi. Just make sure that you do not rush into lunch hours.

Contact Info:
Sona Sweets
G 1, 27 Saraswati House,
Nehru Place
New Delhi - 19
Ph: 91-011-26426777

Swagath Restaurant

Swagath Restaurant is a famous chain of restaurants in NCR which specializes in Indian Mughlai food and Coastal food. It is surely the best restaurant in the coastal food category in Delhi and NCR. The main restaurant is at Defence Colony with branches at Malviya Nagar and Noida. It is a non-vegetarian foodies paradise - nearly any non-veg item from their menu is worth ordering. Vegetarian food is also quite good - although it is more famous for its non-vegetarian offerings.

For the starters, try Fish Tikka Ajwani (Boneless Fish Marinated with Yoghurt, Ginger, Garlic and Gram Flour; flavoured with Ajwain cooked in Tandoor), Mutton Seekh Kebab (Minced Lamb Marinated with Ginger , Garlic Paste with touch of red chilly, finished in clay oven) or any Fish Fry. For the main course try Chicken Stew, traditional Butter Chicken (some of the critics do rate it as one of the best butter chicken in Delhi) or Chicken Masala Chettinad. Try Mutton Biryani or Subz Biryani - they are really wonderfully cooked. Since I am not a great admirer of coastal food, I have not tries their coastal food options more but they are surely regarded as the best in Delhi.

They also offer Chinese food but I will suggest to just skip it since this is not what they are best at. The cost is little bit high but it is worth every buck you spend. Food for two would cost around 900 bucks (without drinks). They do home delivery as well and their portions for home delivery are quite large.

Contact Info:-
Swagath
14, Defence Colony Market
New Delhi
Ph:- +91-11-24337538

Swagath
C-8, Malviya Nagar
New Delhi - 17
Ph:- +91-11-51830622, 51830613, 51830640, 51830649

Swagath
J-57, Sector - 18,
Noida (U.P.)
Ph:- +91-120-2516066, 4240619

Sampan @ Crowne Plaza Surya

Sampan is the Chinese cuisine restaurant at Crowne Plaza Surya. The best thing about Sampan is its location. It is situated on the top floor and offers a panoramic view of the city specially a marvelous view of the DND road with its curves and elevation properly visible. Sampan, meaning a flat bottomed boat in Chinese, has good décor and Chinese artifacts. Apart from these two good things, place is not much worth to write about.

The food is not that good as other Chinese joints in the city. And the cost is too high for the place and the food. Food for two will cost around 1600 to 2000 bucks. Crowne Plaza Surya is not regarded as a good hotel in Delhi and Sampan also lives to this reputation. There is nothing spectacular about food here. It serves Szechwan and Cantonese varieties mostly. One can try Crispy Spinach and Corn for the starters. While in main course, try Chicken in Sichuan Sauce or Vegetables in Garlic sauce variants. One can also go for their buffet which happens daily on weekdays in the lunch timings (from 12:30 to 2:30 or something of that sort). It is cheaper and would let you try various things without worrying about shooting your bill upward.

Nothing great for me expect the views it offers.

Contact Info:-
Sampan
Crowne Plaza Surya
New Friends Colony
New Delhi – 65
Ph:- 26835070, 41672222

Jade, The Claridges

Jade (earlier known as Jade Garden) is the oriental cuisine restaurant at The Claridges in New Delhi. The setting is good - on the ground floor of the hotel along a grove of bamboos. The atmosphere in professional and the staff is courteous.
For the food part, it offers Chinese and Far Eastern Oriental cuisine. It may not be the best Chinese in the town but it is surely the one where you can enjoy the kind of Chinese food which gave birth to the Chinese cuisine culture in India. Do not let go of the complimentary fried prawn munchers served along with food - they are delicious. For starters, go for Shredded Spinach - a rather crispy item - it is truly wonderful. In the main course go for Stir Fried Chinese Greens or Bean curd with Mushroom. Their quantity is just enough - so order just the right amount for your guests.
It also offers an exclusive dim sum menu which includes vegetarian and non-vegetarian dim sums plus sweet dim sums as well. They have a large variety of dim sum - around 35 to choose from. Apart from this, they also offer executive lunch on weekdays - wonderful stuff at a cost - but worth a shot if you feel it. I would suggest to go à la carte here since other options are quite costly. But Jade is surely worth a visit (or maybe more).
Contact Info:-
Jade
The Claridges
12, Aurangzeb Road,
New Delhi - 110011
Phone:- 23010211

Buffet @ Mainland China, G.K.-II

The first time when I visited Mainland China G.K.-II, I was very much impressed by their food (to read about it have a look at this blog entry). And I had a glimpse of what they offer for their daily lunch buffet - which is served on second floor. So, today I again headed toward Mainland China, this time to taste their lunch buffet.

And it was wonderful – simply wonderful. They have huge variety for the buffet, so such a reasonable price. If their a-la-carte menu is genuinely Chinese, their buffet is one of the best Indian-style Chinese to get in Delhi. To start with, they offer dimsums – I tried both veg and non-veg ones. Plus they had four starters – 3 veg and one non-veg; I was able to taste only two of them (since I had to save myself for various main course dishes) – Chicken Drumsticks Hunan Style and Crispy Veg. They had 5-6 types of salads on offer. And I forgot to mention that they had soups on offer as well – one veg and one non-veg. Their main course continued the more-than-enough trend set by starters and salads. They had five main course veg dishes and five non-veg ones plus rice and noddles both in veg and non-veg variants. My last visit to their place was totally a vegetarian one, this time I stuck with non-veg variety only. The non-veg main course dishes had nearly everything to try – chicken, lamb, prawns and crab. I tried Prawns In Spicy Chilli Sauce, Crabs in Butter Garlic Sauce and General Tao’s Favorite Chicken. And they were all delicious. Having stuffed all this in my stomach along with beer, my next target was wonderful dessert and fruits section. They had 5-6 desserts ranging from ice cream to mousse and fresh fruits.

Really, it was a very rich buffet in terms of variety of Chinese dishes plus the quality of food as well. And all this for 375 (+taxes) bucks per person only. Mainland China is slowly becoming one of my favorite places for Chinese. Next time, I am going to go for dimsum treat only.

Contact info:
Mainland China,
Plot No. 4, Local Shopping Centre,
Masjid Moth, Greater Kailash - II,
New Delhi - 110048
Tel : (011) 40535525 / 26
Email : mlcdel@airtelbroadband.in

The Host, Connaught Place, New Delhi

The Host is one of the worst restaurants I have ever eaten in plus it is costly. It is a very old restaurant in the busy Connaught Place area. From its interior, staff and food it looks like they have frozen in time. The service is pathetic as well.


Their menu consists of Indian & Chinese cuisine. But they are bad at both - even roadside vendors can cook better food than these guys. Surely waste of money to go there - I have done it once. I went there just because I was exhausted while roaming around in C.P. and wanted to eat something. And my bad luck was such that I was standing in front of this restaurant when my stomach ached for food. And so it happened - and I am now writing here.


Do not go there. Walk a few steps and go for TGI Friday's in the same block.

Flavors Of Italy, New Delhi

This trattoria run by Italian chef Tarsillo Nataloni is a true Italian restaurant in New Delhi. What makes it wonderful is that it is as authentic as you can get to Italian cuisine in India. The restaurant has indoor seating (smoking as well as non-smoking areas) plus there is an outdoor verandah along a small green area. It is filled with wrought iron tables and gives you the feeling of road-side restaurant settings so famous in Italy. The menu includes a broad selection on Italian dishes along with wonderful pizzas. They have everything - Anitpasti, Salads, Soups, Panini, Pizza, Pasta, Risotti and much more. The pizzas are made in the wood-oven as well.

Do try their "Peri Peri Pizza" - it is wonderful and something which you will not get anywhere else in Delhi. All the pastas are worth ordering, specially the one in Napoli sauce. They also have the option for whole wheat pasta and pizza base for weight watchers.

One thing which I dislike a lot about the place is that their service is very poor. The staff takes a lot of time to even come to your table to ask for order and then takes a lot of time delivering it. Overall there is surely a need for the staff to get their service level up a lot. Worth a place visiting in spite of this. Also, the place gets a lot crowded in the evening, so make sure that you reach early. Meal for two would cost somewhere around 1000 bucks.

Contact Details:
Flavors Of Italy
49-54 C, Moolchand Flyover Park,
Rind Road,
Defence Colony
New Delhi - 110024
Phone : 24645644, 41550367

Berco's, Noida

Berco's in sector 12, Noida is one of the oldest restaurants in the city. It is a oriental cuisine restaurant, specializing in Chinese. Its Chinese cuisine may not be the authentic one but still it is worth a visit (a maybe more). If you are working nearby, then it is a really good place for a lunch. The place actually gets very much crowded for lunch - so start early (12:30 types) if you want your orders to be quickly served. Also, it is a good joint for having reasonably priced liquor - they have happy hours during the day (till 7 or 8 in the evening). I have been to this place many times because it is pretty close to my office.

On to food, as I said most of it is chinjabi food. But it is still very good - and surely looks great with good liquor/beer. In veg starters, you can try Crispy Corn Pepper, Spring Rolls and Crispy Chilli Potatoes. In non-veg starters, you can go for Juicy Chicken Drumsticks, Chilli Garlic Crispy Chicken and Chicken Kunchao. In veg main course, try Vegetable Holy Basil, Three Treasure Vegetables Hunan Style or Classic Thai Red/Green Curry. In non veg main course, one can go for Holy Basil Chicken, Mongolian Chicken or Chicken Peking Delight. They have some pre-defined meal combos as well containing salad, rice/noodles along with main dish in sauce of choice - which is worth the money.

Average cost per person is around 200 bucks (no drinks). If you go for combo meal, it would be much cheaper (only around 150 per person).

Contact Details:-
Berco's
R-1 Barat Ghar Complex
Sector-12
Noida
U.P.- 201301
Phone : (120)2545376 / 277
Mobile : 9350583325

They have other branches in NCR as well:

CONNAUGHT PLACE
G-43/3, Middle Circle, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-110001
Phone : 41513541 / 42
Mobile: 9350536583

JANAKPURI
R-2, DDA Building
Janak Palace District Centre
Janakpuri
Phone : 25532777 / 999
Mobile : 9350536712

KAMLA NAGAR
38-UA, Jawahar Nagar Bungalow Road
Kamla Nagar
Delhi-110007
Phone : 23854660 / 23856988 / 32905525
Mobile : 9350583279

PREET VIHAR
A-Block Market, LSC No.6,
New Delhi-110092
Phone no-65486551/64683651
Mobile no.9899795568

PITAMPURA
Pankaj Arcade Plot No 18, Road No. 44,
Rani Bagh Commercial Complex
Pitampura
Delhi-110034
Phone : 27011527 & 37
Mobile : 9350584711

VAISHALI
Ansal Plaza Opposite Dabur Factory
Vaishali
Ghaziabad U.P.
Phone : 95120-3261363 & 65
Mobile : 9350585044

GURGAON
S-01, Central Plaza Sector 53,
DLF Phase-5
Gurgaon Haryana
Phone: (0124)4143001-003
Mobile : 9911675299

Dhaba @ Claridges, New Delhi

A visit to Dhaba was long due since I had heard a lot about it. But I would say that I was not that much impressed by the restaurant. It is ok for occasional visit but not much more than that.

Dhaba is the Claridges Punjabi restaurant, done up like a roadside truck stop; it serves a refined, hygienic version of the simple, tasty food found along North India. The place is pretty small and hence the sitting is quite close. The concept is good but the food is not extraordinary. We tried Matar Paneer (cottage cheese along with peas in thin gravy), Dal Tadka (yellow lentils) and Balti Meat (red meat cooked Indian style) - they were all good but that about it. Overall, I think the non-vegetarian food is better there but it is surely costly. Food for two would cost something around 1200 bucks.

Worth occasional visit - although I would prefer Jade (Chinese restaurant at Claridges) more.

Contact Info:

The Claridges

12, Aurangzeb Road,

New Delhi - 1100011

Phone:- (011) 41335133

Yellow Brick Road, Ambassador Hotel

Yellow Brick Road is quite an interesting place. It is the 24 hour multi-cuisine coffee shop at this Taj property but it is more famous than the other specialist restaurants/bars there (Larry's China or H2O+). The color scheme is very bright - mostly primary colours, and makes you feel as if you were eating in a kid’s room. The menu is set inside a news paper; it is like - while reading the news, why don't you order something? I liked it - at least the concept is unique and quite innovative. The photos on the walls are of old Raj-era advertisements which give a nostalgic feel to it.

The food is not so great - but considering that it is a multi-cuisine attempt, it is ok. We tried a special salad (which was the best items on our lunch) - 'Kurkuri Idli Chat' (fried savory cakes made of a batter consisting of fermented black lentils, rice and fenugreek; all tossed up with other spicy items & sauces). It was something which we have tried and it was simple yet it tasted wonderful. Do try it if you go there. The fresh juices there are also wonderful. We also tried 'Bangkok Vegetable Curry' and it was fine.

Overall, the food is not so great but the place is worth a visit (but just one only).

Contact Info:
The Ambassador Hotel
Sujan Singh Park
Cornwallis Road
New Delhi -110 003
Phone: (011) 24632600

Mainland China, G.K. - II

For long Mainland China (at Local Shopping Complex, Masjid Moth, G.K.-II) has been on my 'must-go-to-one-day' list. And somehow I was not able to go there. But today I went there for lunch and when I was coming out, I was wondering why the hell I did not went there earlier??? Yes, it is surely one of the best Chinese food place you can have in Delhi. And I was missing it till now!!

To start with, Mainland China has excellent staff (very friendly, helpful & courteous). The place is a modern setup and gives a no-nonsense feeling by the way it has been built and furnished. It covers 2 floors and has comfortable sitting arrangement. They have separate menus for Dim Sum and Other Items. It has several options for vegetarian and non-vegetarian stuff. And for a change I went all vegetarian today.

The best thing I liked about Mainland China is their Dim Sums - they are simply one of the best you can get in a city dominated by Chinese restaurants serving 'Chinjabi cuisine' instead of the real thing. I would personally recommend to try their Dim Sums if you go there. The best ones are SiuMai (also called Shaomai or Shāomài; small steamed open dumplings with chopped filling inside a thin wheat flour wrapper) & Hargao (also called har gau; delicate steamed dumpling with chopped up filling and almost translucent wheat starch skin). The translucent Hargao is a good demonstration of the chef's artistry to make these translucent dumplings.

For soup, try Silken Tofu with Clear Vegetable Soup - it is a recommended one. In the main course go for, Stir Fried Chinese Greens Cantonese Style (semi-gravy dish) or Vegetable in Chinese Parsley Sauce. They are wonderful and very tasty. Accompany it with any of the fried rice - they have some very good ones, specially Golden Onion & Shitake Mushroom Fried Rice - the one I tried and was very satisfied with the quality & taste. They use fresh ingredients and vegetables which was evident from the taste of their dishes.

Average cost for two people without drinks would be 1000 bucks - pretty cheap for the quality of the food. They also have buffet lunch available each day - it costs 350 bucks plus taxes and from whatever I could explore it is VFM.

A must go for:-
1. One of the best Chinese food in Delhi.
2. Dim Sums - they are among the best.

And since, I have rated the vegetarian options till now, I will surely write about their non-vegetarian stuff one day.

Contact info:
Mainland China,
Plot No. 4, Local Shopping Centre,
Masjid Moth,
Greater Kailash - II,
New Delhi - 110048
Tel : (011) 40535525 / 26
Email : mlcdel@airtelbroadband.in

Pind Balluchi, Lajpat Nagar

If I could summarize Pind Balluchi at Lajpat Nagar in one line, it would be 'Good old Punjabi food without burning a hole in your pocket'. Yes, it is cheap, excellent & very tasty food. Once I was part of a party of about 16-17 people there and the host actually paid only around 2000/- for all our food!! I have been there on several occasions and I could say very easily that average per head never goes above 150 bucks. That's too cheap for good food in Delhi.

As the name suggests, Pind Balluchi, has been made like a Pind (Village). So there is a village chaupal (meeting place), haveli (house), gufa (cave), village well and even a (plastic) tree simulating stylised rusticity. The entrance itself is through a grand haveli-like-gate and the guard there would greet in Punjabi. The whole atmosphere is village like with constant chattering and tempting smells of delicious Punjabi food. The cutlery is also along the theme with big steel plates and large copper like glasses. It surely symbolises the return of Indian cuisine to main stage.

To the food now. It is one restaurant which has very good vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian options to go for. For vegetarians, go for 'Sarson ka saag' (curried mustard leaves) along with 'Makke ki roti' (corn bread), it is totally divine. Other good dishes to have are 'Dal Tadka' (lentils with a spicy tempering) and 'Butter Paneer Masala' (a bright colored, creamy and light buttery flavored cheese dish). For non-vegetarians, go for 'Tangri Kebab'(chicken leg piece marinated in curd, ginger garlic & spices - gone through the tandoor) for starters. Go for 'Dhaba Meat' (Indian-style-roadside-eatery-type mutton) in main course, it is really wonderful at Pind Baluci. Accompany it with 'Mutton Biryani' (rice and mutton cooked with Indian spices). The mutton biryani is served in a 'handi' (Indian style earthen pot) - and it tastes very spicy and tasty. Do not forget to have 'lassi' (skimmed curd) with the meal - it is served in large copper glasses, the traditional Punjabi style.

Overall, you will feel satisfied with food at this restaurant and your pocket will not feel light after coming out. One thing to note is that avoid going on weekends - it gets very crowded and you may have to wait a lot. The service also degrades at that time. It is open all days except Tuesdays.

Details
Pind Balluchi Restaurant
M-58, 1 and 2nd floor
Lajpat Nagar-11
Ph: 011-29839001
Mob. 8527099880