Misc. Delhi Eats and Drinks

Rogan josh, saag gosht, and butter naan at Karim's in Old Delhi.

Japani and samosa from street kitchen in Old Delhi.

Kati rolls and Hit Beer (brought back from Sikkim).

Four cheese pizza at Amour in Hauz Khas Village.

Vegetarian pizza selection from Pizza Hut. Tiny like only Indians would ever make them.

Excellent charcuterie plate to share at P'tit Bar in Defence Colony. Highly recommended.

For the daring - (buffalo) tartare with all trimmings at P'tit Bar in Defence Colony. Highly recommended.

Delicious lunch of sesame-coated chicken salad, penne carbonara, and juices at Latitude 28 in Khan Market. Recommended.

Super fresh carpaccio at Baci in Sunder Nagar. Highly recommended.

Surf'n'turf carpaccio of smoked salmon and tenderloin, and smoked apple martini at Smokehouse Grill in GK2. Highly recommended (especially for innovative cocktails).

Warm chocolate fondant with rhubarb compote and mint-chocolate ice cream at Smokehouse Grill in GK2. Highly recommended.

Hot and sour soup at Le Belvedère in Hotel Le Méridien in Windsor Place.

Layer cakes at Costa Coffee in Lajpat Nagar.

Refreshing, self-imported bubbles.

The Cellar

Fish tapas, bread, olive tapenade, tomato salsa, expensive water, generic chardonnay

The Cellar, Oryx Rotana

P.O. Box 29922
Doha, Qatar
+974 4402 3333 

Notes

I recently had a long layover in Doha, and decided to spend the day in the city. Before heading home on the last leg I wanted a good meal and a decent glass of wine. Oryx Rotana is located right next to Doha airport and in addition to being a functional hotel with a lovely atmosphere it is also home to a tapas bar. The Cellar has several theme nights each week such as oyster night, wine-at-retail-prices night and so on. After a month in India I was however craving fresh fish and opted for a plate of fish tapas which included both scallops, gravlax, shrimp and mussels - all things nicely cooked, of good quality and well tasting. Bread, tapenade and tomato salsa is complementary and of decent quality. Accompanied by two glasses of South African Chardonnay it set me back approx. 300dkk in total, thus not an inexpensive meal, though the glasses of wine did secure a good night's sleep on my flight home. Highly recommended if you're in Doha and need to kill some time.

Set'z

Whisky sour + espresso martini

Setz's
3rd floor, DLF Emporio Mall
4, Nelson Mandela Marg
Vasant Kunj
New Delhi

Notes:
Strangely located in New Delhi's finest mall, Set'z is a good place to experience the debaucheries of the Indian upper class during the weekends. I'd rather mention you can also meet one of my very favorite objects of the entire World, a Toto toilet. If this is still not enough reason for you to go (though it should be - it is probably the only Toto toilets on the entire Indian subcontinent), Set'z is both a restaurant and bar however I know of their cocktails only. I do recommend their espresso martinis, and I am known to be a rather strict judge when it comes to espresso martinis. Cocktails are fairly priced at 300-500 rupees. Recommended for a fun night of people-watching.

Bellevue at The Oberoi Amarvilas

Amuse bouche

Sea bass with spring vegetables.

Bellevue
The Oberoi Amarvilas
Taj East Gate Road
282001 Agra

Notes:
This lunch turned out to be a lovely break on a day were my father, B, and I ambitiously had set out for Taj Mahal trip out of Delhi in just one day. The Oberoi is a gorgeous hotel and it is evident that even the small details have been looked out for. The lunch we had was delicious and would in India be categorized continental which also means that little regard is given to things such as seasons or local availability. Anyhow, my fish with October, spring vegetables was precisely cooked and very tasty. The guys much enjoyed their burgers as well. Recommended if you want to espace the Taj Mahal crowds,  pass on your regular lunch dosa, and spend a small fortune.

The Blue Bar

Whisky sour + frozen fig daiquiry

The Blue Bar
Sardar Patel Marg
Diplomatic Enclave
Chanakyapuri
New Delhi

Notes:
I am not afraid to admit that this place is a favorite hangout spot in Delhi for B and I. Not only is the garden of the beautiful Taj Palace hotel like a little oasis in middle of hectic Delhi but on top of that they serve some of the most sophisticated cocktails you will find in the entire city. Add to that a fantastic happy hour - two cocktails (must based on the same spirit) for the price of one everyday from 18-20. That I tell you, dear reader, is a recipe for success. Unlike many other Delhi bars, Blue Bar will provide you with more experimental cocktails. I clearly remember a fig daiquiry (as pictured) and a tobacco-infused Manhattan which were both tasty and interesting encounters. Prices range from 600-800 rupees which is above average, unless you hit the happy hour that is. Tacky cocktail glasses and masala snacks are of course included in the experience - it's India after all. Very, very recommended.

Wasabi by Morimoto

Amuse bouche.

Delicious, fresh salad. A rarity in India.

Kaiseki Zen Lunch Set featuring miso soup, assorted sashimi and tempura, grilled salmon in tamari, pickles and grated daikon. 

Ice cream trio with fresh fruits.

Tofu "cheesecake", tuile and fruit compote.

Wasabi by Morimoto
The Taj Mahal Hotel
1, Mansingh Road
New Delhi

Notes:
B and I were so unfortunate to have a trip to Kolkata cancelled and thus had a long weekend to spend in Delhi. What better way to make up for the lost points on the vacation account than to load up on Japanese goodies? We thus opted for lunch at Wasabi by Morimoto, sister restaurant to the Wasabi restaurant in Mumbai, which has been one of India's few representatives on San Pellegrino's World's Best Restaurants List. We opted for a Kaiseki Zen lunch set and two glasses of white wine, and were quickly served an amuse bouche of cold soup as well as a fresh, crisp salad, dressed with a perfect amount of dressing. Very simple but quite exotic considering the lack of raw foods in Indian cuisine. The lunch set arrived and it was gorgeous. The quality of the sashimi was pretty exceptional, and I am not surprised that it is flown in from Tsukiji every day. The tamari-glazed and grilled salmon was so rich, fell apart in perfect flakes, and was slightly raw in the middle. Perfection. The tempura was light and crisp and the accompanying pickles were just right. We therefore decided that we could not leave without desserts. The trio of ice cream was delicious and interesting flavors of e.g. yuzu and spearmint, while the tofu cheesecake was a bit heavy but certainly tasty. All in all, this was not a cheap lunch - it set us back around 7000 rupees, but it can be done cheaper. Like in most Indian hotels wine is not cheap (and the selection not impressive either), but the lunch set is just 1700 rupees, which I think is an excellent deal. Highly recommended.

McDonalds India

Indian fast food aplenty

McDonalds
Globally yours - even in India

Notes:
Lets call this an experiment. We went into B's local McDonalds in Lajpat Nagar and ordered practically everything that is unavailable outside the borders of India. Oh yes, and fries... Our extensive fast food selection included the McVeggie (dull at best), McSpicy Paneer ("Cottage cheese" in a burger), McSpicy Chicken (way too much breading, surprisingly spicy), Veg Pizza McPuff (edible and extremely good value at just 10 rupees), McAloo Tikki (the children's favorite that goes into the Happy Meals) and of course the Chicken Maharaja (Indian BigMac equivalent). Quite a feast. I hardly ever frequent McDonalds, the only incentive for a visit being the occasional new McFlurry edition. This also left me unsurprisingly unsatisfied. I need beef in my burger! No need to say India will not provide you that - they even have a salad sandwich but I guess there is no need to say, we skipped that... Recommended. For the fun of it.