Identity Crisis…

Today we went to Pizza Hut for lunch. The service was prompt and the ambience comfortable. The price tag, dizzying. A whopping Rs.495.00 for a potato appetizer that looked so inviting on the menu but pathetic on plate, and a medium pizza  whose topping consisted of a smattering of cheese, sliced portions of two olives and one jalapeno, a diced quarter pepperoni and three baby corns.

The intrinsic value of what we had didn’t add up to more than Rs.100.00. But we were not only paying for the merchandise but also for the commercials, for the hoardings, for the air conditioning, for the location, for the service, for a host of intangibles that we didn’t realize consciously. They were not selling just pizzas or appetizers at Pizza Hut. They were selling an experience. What we ate mattered. But only so much!

The restaurant couldn’t sell the food any cheaper. If they did, the upmarket image of the chain would be lost. Customers came in not only to eat, but to be seen and heard, to be counted, to be reassured of their affluence and social standing. When dining at Pizza Hut, they were dining among equals. The rickshaw pullers, the daily wage workers, the janitors, the sweepers and the security staff that we saw outside through the glass windows did not figure in the scheme of things inside the restaurant. It was out of their bounds (may not be literally so, but socially so). Pizza Hut defined us, defined what we were; it gave us the stamp of authenticity. It was not a price tag, but a social tag. We were paying for our identities…..

We whipped out the credit card, paid up and left… We were still credit worthy….

Analysis Paralysis at – did you say – Food court!!

 

Food courts are a relatively novel concept in India although they have been prevalent abroad. The greatest advantage of a food court is the variety of choice which, to me, is both a boon and a bane. If you don’t have a food fixation, a food court lets you to explore and choose from a large spread, suiting every taste and budget. On the flipside, the smorgasbord of cuisines leave you vexed for choice. In a large group, thrashing out an agreement for a meal menu, pandering to every taste can be gruesome. While it has been a pleasure eating out at food courts, I have found it impossible to achieve a harmonious blend of dishes that complement each other. More often I end up with an incongruous mixture, of items that caught my fancy as I checked out various counters.

The food court at third floor of Ambience Mall is one of the largest in Gurgaon. On weekends the atmosphere is noisy and festive. From the lunch table you can watch a swirling farrago of activity play out like a movie clip – shrieking children on a carousel with kaleidoscopic blinking lights, agitated mothers, starry eyed teenagers, amorous couples, septuagenarians, young, old, high class, middle class, aspiring class, tiffs, shouts, surreptitious glances et al. There are a bewildering array of counters offering anything from burgers, street food, dosa, pizza and kebabs to wraps, noodles, sushi and gelato making it tough to reign in one’s greed.

This weekend we sauntered from counter to counter to finally assemble this totally incompatible mix.

– Slice of stuffed vegetable pizza and a plate of baked potatoes from Sbarro, the Italian counter – Total Rs. 167.00
– Vegetarian combo with noodles, Thai red curry, spring roll and dip from Sala Thai – Total Rs.100.00
– Crispy vegetable wrap and Crispy chicken katsu wrap from Sushiya, the newly opened Japanese counter – Total Rs.145.00
– Tropical Banana Walnut ice cream from Fruzen – Total Rs. 39.00

Stuffed with paneer, sautéed onions and a smattering of tomato puree, the pizza tasted good even though it did not contain any vegetables. I was grateful to Sbarro for providing good quality plastic fork and knife. Crisp and medium spiced, the baked potato was savory too.

The Thai red curry went well with noodles, but had a faint ‘fishy’ whiff enough to put off vegetarians. The spring roll was crunchy. Nothing to write home about, but the combo lived up to our modest expectations.

Sushiya, the Japanese counter had opened only a week back. They had vegetarian sushi priced at Rs.25.00 each.  When I went to the counter to check, the sushi appeared tiny and not particularly appetizing. I struck up a conversation with Benny, the counter manager and found that Sushiya had seven outlets in Delhi already. Founded by Varun Modgil, the chain offered various combinations of sushi including ‘cosmopolitan zed’ (I guess, this meant modified for mass consumption) versions. Wasabi, the pungent accompaniment of sushi was imported by Sushiya from Japan, assured Benny. Anyways, in the end, we took wraps. The vegetarian wrap with large onion chunks and generous vegetable stuffing was delicious. The chicken wrap, with a substantial bulk of katsu (deep fried chicken strips) and salad dressing was also outstanding. It could give a run for your money to KFC Twister any day. Guess I’ll be back for more, sooner than later.

The tropical banana walnut ice cream from Fruzen is one of my personal favourites. I have had it countless times and ennui is yet to strike.

Despite the ludicrous combination, the meal was satisfactory. The food court by juxtaposing the most unlikely cuisines, in my opinion achieves a surrealistic eloquence a la Salvador Dali or Gaudi. Grotesque, bordering on the ridiculous, yet infinitely sublime. Am I going overboard? Happens to me, especially after screwball meals…

Click the link to visit Sushiya: Link
Foodiebay link to Sbarro menu: Link
Foodiebay link to Sala Thai menu: Link

“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