Instant Gratification – Guaranteed!!

Consider this hypothetical scenario:

You have been working all morning. You have forgotten to bring lunch. It is 1.00 PM. You are on planet Earth. You are in the Republic of India. You are in Gurgaon. You office is in DLF Cybercity. And there is this sudden irrepressible craving for biryani welling up from your abdominal abyss.

You bring up Google maps, type Hyderabadi Biryani and click locate. This is what you got.

Did you say ‘voila’? Probably, not. You realize, with a jolt, that Google cannot provide you all the answers. QED.

How will you cope up with this existential dilemma? What will you do next?
Here is what you can do. Grab you wallet and walk over to Dhakshini in DLF Cybergreen food court. And what would you find there? An ocean of bowed heads wolfing Hyderabadi Biryani, yes you heard it right, ecstasy and deep spiritual contentment etched vividly over their faces. So you walk over to the counter, pay a hundred bucks, collect the steel thali with its round plantain leaf and a large bowl of biryani with an aromatic chicken leg delicately poised on top, a half moon of an egg beside it and two small bowls – chicken curry and raita on the side, make way through the human wall and pounce on an empty chair. The universe awaits in hushed silence as you transfer biryani to the plate and with infinite delicacy, scoops a large spoonful into your salivating mouth. 3 seconds elapse. Big Bang! Birth of cosmos, an explosive decompression of space, time and gravitation sends you reeling across the floor. You recover and the same eternal bliss you noticed on others, permeate you. As you fork the last grain of rice off the plate, you thank providence for granting life next door to this biryani paradise.

Let me assure you, I’m not kidding. But again, it was just a hypothetical scenario and you know where they eventually lead to – gastronomic hyperboles!!!

Had enough of hypothetical scenarios? I am dying to give you another… Maybe another time…

But I cannot leave you without a mention of the ultimate momo experience in Gurgaon. This one is ‘Cheap and Best’. And you would go back for more, I assure you. I have been doing it for the past five years… Check out chicken and veg momos at ‘Cj’s MOMO’ outside Big Bazaar food court at Sahara Mall. It is a momo benchmark. The dark red chilly dip sends tear drops splattering to the floor and your hand-to-mouth co-ordination falters as each momo sets your head spinning… More like a hallucinatory experience… Go for it…

Dhakshini
(A Unit of Andhra Bhavan)
KF-10 & 11, 1st Floor,
Foodcourt, Tower-C,
DLF Cybergreen,
R-Block, DLF City,
Gurgaon – 122002
Tel: 0124-3224441
For Delivery Call: 9311953179
Dhakshini also serves other exotic dishes such as Chicken Dosa, Keema Dosa and Egg Dosa.

 

Cj’s MOMO
Big Bazaar, 2nd Floor,
Sahara Mall,
Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Gurgaon
Tel: 9811301499/ 9810869608 – Call only after 12.00 Noon

 

“Mezzed” up Weekend – Mediterranean Cuisine

 

Last Saturday we went out shopping for winter ware and landed up at Metropolitan Mall. So, for lunch we decided to check out the food court on the third floor. There were several outlets catering to every taste – South Indian, North Indian, Kashmiri, Indian street food, Chinese, Lebanese, pizza, burgers, roll, you name it. 

After an intense debate, we settled on OZ Express which served a mouth watering menu of the “best of Lebanese, Kashmiri and Italian Cuisine”. We gawked at the pictures of various items on the menu and drooled for a while before ordering vegetarian Mezze Platter and vegetable Stroganoff . 

 

The Mezze platter had Hummus, Mutabbal, Tzatziki, Tabbouleh, Falafel, vegetarian Polpetts, Fatayer and Pita bread. Since we were unable to make out which was which, the chef explained each of them before we took away the platter. 

Hummus – Mashed chickpea dip
Mutabbal – Mashed baingan (eggplant) dip a.k.a Babaghanoush
Tzatziki – Yogurt, cucumber, garlic dip
Tabbouleh – Salad dish made of parsley, mint, tomato, onion etc
Falafel – Chickpeas patty
Polpetts – I guess these are marinated carrots and cauliflower, not sure
Fatayer – A kind of samosa
Pita Bread – Round leavened flatbread
 

We spread various dips and garnished each slice of Pita bread with Tabbouleh before gingerly taking a bite. I liked it best with Tzatziki. Pita bread, Falafel and Fatayer were in duplicates. The quantity was substantial and it took two of us to wipe the platter clean. 

The Stroganoff turned out to be a desi version of the classic Russian dish originally made of beef. This one had sautéed broccoli, carrots, celery, mushroom, bell pepper and chopped onions in a thick creamy yogurt based gravy served with rice and green salad. Finger licking delicious!

Cost for two: Rs.320/-
Vegetarian Mezze Platter – Rs.175 + 12.5% tax
Vegetable Stroganoff  – Rs.110.00 + 12.5% tax

I would definitely recommend Oz Express. The counter was neat, service was cordial and delivery was timely. It was a pleasant dining experience, notwithstanding the clamour of the food court. 

We crowned this glorious meal with yummy double scoops of Coffee-Walnut & Black Currant ice creams from Giani’s. Total Rs. 80.00, a pittance compared to the wallet blasting rates of Baskin Robbins. 

Belly dance, anyone… 

Oz Express
3rd Floor, Food Court,
MGF Metropolitan Mall
Gurgaon
Tel – 9810165198

Oz Express Menu from foodie bay is available here: Link

Grilled to Perfection – Barbeque Nation

 This week we visited Barbeque Nation, the restaurant chain with their hallmark “on the table” grills. It is a great place for lunch especially during winter when you can warm frozen hands over the coal fired grills while gobbling barbecued chicken, lamb and succulent prawns.

The restaurant is located inside Sushant Lok, Phase I, easily accessible from MG Road. Advance booking is advisable since it is almost always crowded during lunch time.

The restaurant staff was exceedingly courteous. As soon as we were seated hot grills were placed on cut outs at the centre of the table. Already marinades and dips with brushes to apply on the meat were kept on the table along with an explanatory leaflet. The marinades offered a chance to pretend to customize the grilled meat according to own taste.

Apart from an a la carte menu there are two buffet options to choose from. The standard buffet comes with a complimentary drink (beer, soft drinks, iced tea, mock tails etc), unlimited chicken, mutton and vegetable barbeques, main course and desserts. The second option which cost Rs.550 + taxes has grilled fish and prawns in addition to items on the standard buffet. Standard buffet (Rs.300 + taxes) is available only during lunch time on weekdays.

We chose the regular buffet which had grilled Mexican Chicken, Mutton Masala Kheema, Moroccoan vegetable and Paneer. I gorged on the exceptional barbeques and focused less on the main course which was pedestrian. Even though stuffed to the brim, I found room for the main course and crammed in some Dum Biriyani and Mutton Rogan Josh. I couldn’t resist a bit of orange soufflé, vanilla ice cream and Phirni to bring up the rear.

When compared to other restaurants of the same class, the standard buffet lunch at BN offer excellent value for money. The fish buffet seems a little pricey though. Overall I would rate BN 8 out of 10 for good ambience, excellent service and wonderful barbeques. The only minus is the humdrum main course which really doesn’t matter if you ask me.

Barbeque Nation, Ground Floor,
Ansal’s Shushant Plaza, Sushant Lok,
Block A, Phase I, Gurgaon – 122002, Haryana, India
Tel: +91-124-6060000, 6456297
gurgaon@barbeque-nation.com
http://www.barbeque-nation.com/