Restaurant Recommendations for Delhi / NCR

Before I met Kartik, I made sure to keep my weight somewhere from 90 to 95 lbs. After I met Kartik and we progressed on to have a stable relationship, I kept my weight between 95 and 100 lbs. Vancouver is an easy place to maintain your weight—you walk around a lot, you head to the beach, you take public transport. I could maintain my weight at 100 lbs easily even though I was eating terribly unhealthy food.

Moving on from Vancouver, things were not so easy when we moved to Toronto. I had to give up junk food [insert complete heartbreak here] for healthy, home cooked food. Fortunately enough, we lived in a building that had a pretty nice indoor swimming pool, sauna, and gym so my weight stabilized at 105 lbs.

In India, my weight’s shot up to 120 lbs…I think. Could be a little more or less but I haven’t owned a scale in ages and I’m not going to buy one now or check my weight. The last thing I need is to look at how much I weigh and get depressed. Fortunately, Kartik says I look far more like a human being now and less like a stick…but I like being a stick dammit!

SET'Z @ Emporio Mall, Vasant Kunj

Here are some restaurants I recommend in Delhi / NCR [in no particular order]

1.       Magique

a.       This restaurant is located in a beautiful property called The Garden of Five Senses. While their main selling point is surely their ambience, they also feature a delectable menu. I’ve been there 4 times so far and I would recommend this place for anyone visiting Delhi in the future. Recommended dish: Khao Suey—Chicken

2.       Red Hot Cafe

a.       I’ve never dined in this restaurant but we order food home from here once a week. They feature a wide selection of pan Asian cuisines and their Penang curry [chicken] is to die for. I’ve heard that the ambience is not very comfortable to dine in, but they’re pretty punctual with their deliveries. Recommended dishes: Chilli Chicken—gravy, Penang Curry—chicken. Cheap and delicious!

3.       SET’Z at the Emporio Mall

a.       I’ve been to SET’Z quite a few times and I have pleasant memories of all occasions. Located in the very expensive and perhaps ostentatious Emporio Mall, SET’Z is more of a very pricey food court cum restaurant. They feature an eclectic menu and they also hold a Champagne Brunch on Sundays. I’ve only been to their champagne brunch once, but I loved it! Unlimited alcohol—check. Multi-ethnic eclectic buffet—check. Lots of chocolate desserts—check.  I liked their champagne brunch far more than the champagne brunch at the Oberoi, Gurgaon. Recommended dish: everything! Just go to their brunch!

4.       The Spice Route at the Imperial Hotel

a.       This is a super pricey restaurant so I would recommend going there for lunch instead of dinner, but their food is amazing. If you love South East Asian cuisine as much as I do, then you must visit this restaurant at least once. Just order one dish and do not order alcohol—that should lessen the impact on one’s wallet.

5.       Ummami

a.       Ummami features a multi-ethnic, eclectic menu and can be compared to SET’Z, minus the ambience. We went to their Saturday brunch last weekend and I was really impressed with their sushi. Probably the best sushi I’ve had in India including SET’Z or Shiros, which has good sushi that’s a bit too salty. I also liked the fact that unlike other restaurants in this region, they do not use an overload of spice on Asian cuisine. Recommended dishes: California Rolls, Teriyaki Chicken, and thin crust pizza margherita.

Other restaurants I recommend [let’s call them second tier recommendations] are:

1.       The Big Chill, Khan Market—good American Italian food, great desserts, NO alcohol [though I’m sure the wait staff will oblige you under the table]

2.       Monk, Galaxy Hotel, Gurgaon—Asian cuisine—mainly noodle bowls and sticky rice bowls and dumplings. Love the sticky rice dishes.

3.       Beer Café, Vasant Kunj—not much of a beer drinker, but I like the ambience of this place. Also like the card system they have.

4.       Rockman’s Beer Island—brewery at Ambience Mall, Gurgaon. Great chocolate martinis—I’ve heard a mixed review on their beers.

5.       Mama Grotto’s, Khan Market—only been there once, but loved their sticky rice dishes. Huge portions, easily shareable between two people. Low on spice.

There’s a good explanation as to why I’ve ballooned to 120 lbs [losing this weight is damn near impossible]. Curse you Delhi/ NCR and your amazing restaurants!