360 degrees
Cuisine: world street food
Of the party crowd, for the party crowd, by the party crowd
Atmospherics: the good news is that the former dowager that Connaught Place was, has yet another party venue. Enormous and on two floors, there are semi-private areas, lounge corners, dining spaces and open terraces including one that is exclusively for smoking. The music is not too loud and the service is fairly attentive. Not one inch of the interiors is a throwback to the heritage building that the restaurant is housed in, but the imprint of architect of CP, Robert Tor Russell, is fast vanishing. In case you sit at a dining table rather than a lounge seat, do be aware that most of the food will be served in ‘containers’ that have been chosen for their perceived novelty, rather than their convenience. Hefting them around the table will be a full-time job.
Table talk: the menu is divided into three passport-sized booklet named Far East, South Asia and Far West. The print is small and the lighting is woefully inadequate to read it. I managed thanks to the torch in my cellphone. Bites by Bombay (₹295), Nagamese egg shoap (₹295), Sarafa kees (₹355) and Aminabad ki galauti (₹445) were all so wide off the mark that I had to keep consulting the menu to see what I had ordered. The kees was accompanied by so many other elements that were not mentioned on the menu that it was served in a tiny chutney bowl, the paneer etc stole its thunder. Nagamese egg shoap turned out to be pear shaped potato pakodas that any railway station would serve. The one Indian preparation that was brilliant was the Goan ros omelet (₹295). Essentially a street-stall dish in Goa’s bazars, it is a thin, spicy curry with a fold of omelet in it. It was a fairly good copy of the original, but the other main course was nihari keema (₹495). Rich and full-bodied, at lacked the pretensions of the starters, at least.
Plus and minus: a location to die for, but they have to shorten the menu, the better to concentrate on bringing in more authenticity.
Must try: not applicable
Food: 2.50, Service: 3.00, Décor: 3.00
1, Scindia House, Janpath
Ph: 43511929
Open from 12 noon to 12 midnight
Credit cards accepted; alcohol served
Meal for two : ₹2500
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