There’s something about north Indian food that lends itself to celebration, indulgence, richness—an experience. And much as the cuisine is vilified, finding symbolism in the likes of chicken and paneer enrobed in orange gravies, there exist a vast repertoire of techniques that result in exquisite, nuanced flavours.
The smokiness of dhungar with the imperceptible aromatic flavour that says charcoal but isn’t; the sizzle of spices in hot ghee of a baghar adding depths to a dish; the slow roasting of food over burning wood, coals or cowdung uple even resulting in tenderness that melts in the mouth; the difference a certain metal pot makes, and the all-time favourite technique of dum, sealing in flavours only to accentuate them.
Loya, a new restaurant by Taj Hotels, celebrates all this and more. What it also celebrates is the spirit of home—the food, the ingredients, the cooking methods, the bonhomie, the warmth. Aptly named, Loya, which means gathering on a festive occasion, launched just ahead of Diwali, bringing to the national capital a menu that truly captures the new sentiment of eating out.
A trend that began even before the pandemic, a taste of home is the experience several chefs and restaurants now aspire to deliver. Not just a revival of painstaking, lost recipes, delivering the home experience in restaurants is also largely a consequence of consumer demand. Paucity of time and reluctance of effort has led to traditional, intricate dishes finding house in restaurants rather than home kitchens. Also, with eating out not just a luxury and cause for celebration, diners are opting for clean flavours that combine seasonal produce and simple recipes.
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As a result, restaurants are now sourcing not exotic, imported ingredients, but local, seasonal and regional produce that brings alive the flavours of home.
Like the fresh turmeric used in a radish relish served with chole and bharwa kulche at Loya in a dish reminiscent of Amritsar. Or the powdered roasted walnut shells that lend a rich dark colour and smoky flavour to Kangra Kodhia Gosht, a wonderful mutton dish made with pahadi masalas and curd that is rich in flavour but light on the palate. The marinade that clings to melt in the mouth gosht ki pasliyan is a paste of stone flower and kabab chini spice crushed on a sil batta.
The timbri is subtle on the jhinga, enhancing its flavour delicately. As Taj Hotels’ brand custodian Taljinder Singh said at the launch, they packed off a few chefs for a month to Himachal, Punjab and Uttarakhand to scout for recipes and explore ingredients and cooking techniques.
The result took ten years to fructify in a menu that is an ode to north Indian cooking, be it the simple ori raita or the slow-roasted baby lamb dish called raan-e-jirga. Everyday ingredients like kathal, baingan, methi, spinach, Himachali wadi, green pea vatana find a place in recipes symbolising the northern states, with a distinct pahadi influence.
A mention of Loya is incomplete without talking of the décor. The vibrant colours of the canopies and upholstery are the perfect counterfoil to the stone columns and jaalis. Lush greenery and mellow lanterns lend to the warm atmosphere, and a stunning bar against a lit stone wall with a stream of water that ends in a waterfall—again a nod to the mountains—is a dramatic backdrop to the highs induced by the eclectic cocktails. Inspired by the number 5, the drinks offer a taste of the region’s botanicals and spices. Mulethi, saffron, orange blossom, rose, mint, lemongrass and more come together with spirits in creative concoctions.
Interacting at the launch, while IHCL MD & CEO Puneet Chhatwal refused to be drawn into inevitable comparisons with another popular north Indian restaurant housed in a rival hotel chain, he is confident Loya will hold its own and will be a hit.
“North Indian cuisine is always popular, and Loya offers the best of the region,” he said.
The brand plans to take the concept to Bengaluru and Mumbai in less than a year and then to other cities. For now, Delhi gets to feast.
