Buffet Largesse

 

Plenty of restaurants in Gurgaon offer buffet lunches on weekdays. But if you are looking for a reasonably priced buffet dinner or a weekend buffet lunch, Bawarchi is probably the only answer. For Rs.289.00 inclusive of taxes, the restaurant provides a decent dining experience.

Bawarchi is located on the second floor of a three story building dwarfed by the vertiginous concrete expanse of DLF Belaire luxury apartment complex, in a small lane off golf course road. A Pipal tree and a tiny, makeshift shrine beside the ground floor entrance dispense divine benediction all around. Inside the restaurant, dark furniture, muted light and a wickerwork ceiling convey the impression of a solar eclipse in progress. Blood red translucent glasses accentuate the gloom. On the wall are Thai dancers in plaster relief. A wine rack, strategically placed facing the door, dispel any doubts of alcohol availability. Through a glass window on the far side white toques of chefs waver through wisps of smoke rising from Tandoors. Flickering light from a wall mounted LCD panel cast a ghostly spark in our eyes.

The buffet comes with a complimentary drink – choice of mock tails, soft drinks or a bottle of beer. We settle for bright yellow fruit punch delivered in a fluted glass. The unremitting flow of starters – Paneer Tikka, Dry Veg Manchurian, Murg Malai Kebab, Chilly Chicken, Tandoori Chicken – soon have us satiated. Yet we manage to cram in some Kaen Kai, Rogan Josh and Murg Kadaiwala with Roti and Sada Chawal. Phirni, Kesar Kheer and Gulab Jamun also somehow find a place in our increasingly bulging bellies.

Overall, buffet at Bawarchi is a great bargain. The dishes are unambitious, yet tasty; quantity copious; the staff attentive and courteous and the ambience easy on the eye.

Handy tip – work up an appetite before you plan to visit.

Bawarchi Indian Restaurant
Amilal & Sons Building
2nd Floor, Golf Course Road
Opp. IBIS Hotel
DLF Phase V, Gurgaon
Contact: 0124-2396101, 102, 9958077798
Website: Click Here

Foodienomics
Buffet: Rs.289.00 (inclusive of taxes)

Rating
Food: 6/10
Ambience: 6/10
Service: 7/10
Overall : 6/10
Comment: Great value for money

Bawarchi Menu on Foodiebay: Click Here

Photo Courtesy: V P Vinod

Love in times of Gastronomique

I recently attended a two day corporate training program at Park Premier, Gurgaon. After 4 hours of leadership spiel, the lunch break acquired an almost desperate charm. Down Town Cafe, the hotel restaurant with an alabaster finish had a bright earthen coloured mural adorning the rear wall. Sun light filtering through brown curtains with large polka dots lit sofa backs and cast elliptical shadows on tables. The restaurant overlooked the hotel atrium where executives leafed through papers or clobbered at laptops. Behind the buffet counter chefs turned chicken fillets on the grill. An enormous vase of artificial flowers spread like a banyan tree over the salad counter.

Our 45 minute lunch break was much too small to plunder the vast array of dishes on offer. So, with uncanny intuition, I decided to limit the intake of flora to desserts and fruits and concentrate on fauna for the main course.  On day one, a cursory flirt between grilled chicken in pepper sauce and parantha was followed by an earnest courtship of sliced fish in hot ‘n sour sauce and steamed rice. My brief dalliance with baby corn in mustard sauce was delightful. Day two, sliced lamb with black bean sauce and parantha surpassed expectations while grilled fish with Veronique didn’t quite scale the benchmark. On both days, desserts outshone each another in sweetness and appeal, be it blueberry or pineapple gateaux, strawberry soufflé, kiwi mousse or banana pudding.

The food at Down Town Cafe is fantastic, the ambience pleasing and service outstanding. This temple to gastronomy is worth all the devotion it deserves. My only prayer at its altar is for slightly more reasonable rates. Amen.

Park Premier
353-357, Sector 29
Gurgaon, Haryana 122001, India
0124 4604616
Website: http://www.parkpremierhotels.com/

Foodienomics
Lunch Buffet – Rs.549.00 + taxes 
Dinner Buffet – Rs.699.00 + taxes 

Overheard:
“Our normal rate is Rs.850.00 + taxes, but we have special rates these days”
Please take note of this cryptic message. Don’t blame me if your eyes pop out on seeing the bill.

Rating
Food – 9/10
Ambience – 8/10
Service – 8/10
Overall – 8/10

 

Yumz – Ragbag Mediocrity

Walk boldly into this vividly dichromatic world on the darker side of the spectrum – bright red sofas and chairs, jet black walls and ceiling – even the air conditioners are painted black, a mirror studded orb cast fuzzy oblong patterns in a corner, red n white checkered table cloth spread over black table covers, waiters split in half – black till the torso, bright red waist up, a mirrored wall on one side flip this deeply contrasted world into eternity where fragmented reflections stare back at you. In the LCD screen on the rear wall Nigella Lawson mutely follows Kylie Kwong while high decibel crooning of Madonna and Michael Jackson drive you to distraction. Welcome to the scarlet-black never-land of Yumz!

This intersection and overlap of discordant themes is further amplified by the restaurant menu which features Indian, Continental, Chinese, Mexican and Italian in an overarching ambition to shrink-wrap an entire food-court within its narrow confines.

As soon as we sit down and soak in this eerie ambience the waiter is at our elbow to take order. Our Chicken Shorba arrives piping hot and leave a pleasant lingering taste. The Boti Kebab (barbecued boneless lamb chunks tossed Yumz style) that follows is commonplace.  Swallowing mounting skepticism we order Chicken Goli Mirch recommended by the waiter. This work of art with generous lumps of chicken immersed in creamy uninspiring gravy dominated by the flavour of ground black pepper does precious little to salvage the rapidly deteriorating impression. By the time we finish the meal I do not have much faith left in the Yumz way of churning out grub.

On the brighter side, the service was efficient, the staff solicitous and attentive. The portions were substantial. Price – quite reasonable. Quality of chicken and lamb used in the dishes were excellent. However, the Yumz way of cooking was appalling despite the best ingredients. In my opinion, the attempt to be the jack of all trades turned the restaurant into master in none! Of course I admit that such limited sampling of the menu is inadequate to make sweeping judgments. Yet, I cannot help feeling that Yumz food lack character, the vital ingredient that draws returning customers. After all one cannot be everything to everyone and still remain something special.
Chicken Shorba – Rs. 65.00
Boti Kebab – Rs. 170.00
Chicken Goli Mirch – Rs. 190.00 (Half)
Tandoori Roti – Rs.4.00 each

Yumz
H 8 – 9, Qutub Plaza
DLF Phse 1, Gurgaon
Contact: 0124-4275511, 3017789, 9873431314
Foodiebay Yumz Menu: Click Here
Web: www.yumzmeal.com
Home delivery available within 3 KM
Accepts Ticket Restaurant coupons