Last week, in FE?s special New-Year edition, we told you that the one constant for 2012 in terms of restaurant dining in India is going to be some splendid innovation by young chefs across board, who are keen to experiment, push the envelope and put their passion and personal beliefs about how and what to cook on the platter. The other overriding theme for this year is, well, quality.
Anyone who has been following the restaurantscape in India closely will acknowledge that attention to quality and top-of-the-line ingredients today is much more than it was even two years ago. And not just in high-end restaurants but even those targeting a mass audience. Even neighbourhood restaurants want to authenticate their cuisines, Indian-Chinese has died a natural death, old bastions of generic Punjabi-Mughlai cooking are graduating to regional cuisines and from fowl fixations to, say, seafood, in response to the growing sophistication of the market, while at the high end, it is now possible to get some top-notch international food at the unlikeliest of locations.
One of the best thin-crust pizzas that I have tried has, believe it or not in Amritsar. (Ista?s coffee shop does a great job). Breakfasting in Jaipur, another touristy town that thrives on its own local food but not much beyond, I was amazed to come across the super-stylish Espresso steamed eggs served up in a coffee cup. The scrambled eggs are cooked using steam from an espresso machine and are part of a six-dish signature breakfast menu developed by three star Michelin chef Jean-Georges for Le Meridien hotels worldwide. And even in our own Jaipur, they do well not just with foreign hotel guests but local Jaipurwallahs checking in for a weekend break at the resortish property.
The best focaccia sandwich has been in McLodeganj at Nick?s Italian Kitchen, where I sat on a bench overlooking the valley and bit into one stuffed with the reddest, juiciest tomatoes you can find in India. The best and most authentic Japanese food is now in Gurgaon badlands rather than any five star hotel. And the one cuisine that you must sample in Chennai is not Chettinad or even Tam Brahm but Korean, given the number and quality of Korean restaurants there.
In Delhi, the eastern part, across the Yamuna, has never been a fashionable place to live in?forget dine in. For the scores of professionals who do stay in the area?journalists, lawyers, retired bureaucrats, technocrats and so forth?eating out has always been synonymous with going to south Delhi. Until now. Life beyond the Yamuna is changing fast and in the very first week of the New Year I have discovered two hidden gems, which need to be discussed in detail.
When the Hilton came up in Mayur Vihar about a year ago, it seemed like an unlikely destination for a high-profile hotel chain. In particular, the question that begged asking was whether there would be enough of a local clientele for its international food? Today, with four restaurants in two adjacent properties owned by the group in the area, things seem to have turned out better than expected.
The Roadhouse bar and grill at the Doubletree property is a must-visit for the quality of assorted American food that it serves?steaks, BBQ cheeseburgers, fried chillies, nachos? which you don?t quite get anywhere else in the country. And this week, I checked out Infinity, the all-day diner, at the Hilton that has now opened next door to the Doubletree.
Apart from the mandatory Indian food on the buffet, it was the pizzas that stole the show. I loved their open kitchen, where guests can not only see chefs cook but can casually stroll in for a chat or to get their pizzas customised. There is also a salad bar, where greens can be tossed fresh in dressings of your choice. And there is a range of flavoured olive oils all made in-house. For a heartier meal, lamb shanks on a bed of mash are totally satiating.
The other much-talked about hotel project to have come up in the region is, of course, the Jaypee Greens Resort and Spa. The sprawling hotel overlooking the magnificent golf course was last in the news during the Buddh circuit F1 races, when most of the celebrity guests and drivers stayed here. As many as seven really good restaurants function within the premises. My favourite is La Brezza, the Italian restaurant, with a wine bar and a soothing view of the golf course.
The two-storeyed wine bar has an envious collection and you can do a small tasting before settling on the poison of your choice. The bar menu is distinct with a large variety of spuntini (snacks in Italian, where tiny and complimentary portions are usually offered in bars with a glass of wine). The restaurant itself is family-style with some charming touches: Placed on each of the tables are small potted plants of basil and fresh leaves from these are clipped on the table and topped on your pizza and pasta. On the menu are not just the usual pizza, pastas and mains but also sections on the best of Italian regional produce served with minimum fuss: from a selection of cheese to salumi or the cured meats.
You may as well have been dining somewhere in Italy, except, of course, this is very much the NCR.
The writer is a food critic