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THE DELICIOUS CUISINES
From age-old
eateries in the by lanes of the Walled City to glitzy, specialty
restaurants in five-star hotels, Delhi is a movable feast. Delhi offers
a choice of Indian and international cuisines in different ambiences to
suit varied budgets.
For gourmets, Delhi is synonymous with
Mughlai and Frontier cuisines. The best of Mughlai cuisine can be
enjoyed at Kariam, (both in Jama Masjid and Nizamuddin) where recipes,
dating from the times o the Mughals have been the closely guarded secret
of generations of chefs.
Delhi ka Aangan (Hyatt Regency), Darbar
(Ashoka Hotel), and Corbetts (Claridges) are among the many options
available in the expensive range, while Gulati Restaurant (Pandara
Market), Angeethi (Asiad Village) and Degchi (Regal Building) are among
those catering to more modest budgets. The finest Frontier cuisine is
available at the Bukhara (Maurya Sheraton), Frontier (Ashoka Hotel) and
Baluchi (The Hilton).
At the other end of the scale there are
the many popular roadside eateries around Jama Masjid and Nizamuddin
where kababs, rotis and biryani are the order of the day.
Every five-star hotel in the city has a
Chinese restaurant, while most markets in South Delhi have a
medium-budget Chinese restaurant. The popularity of this cuisine can be
gauged by the innumerable Chinese food outlets of the " meals-on-wheels"
and kiosk variety. The growing sophistication of the Delhite's palate is
discernable in the increasing number of specialty restaurants - EI Arab
(Regal Building), Dum Pukht or the process of slow cooking developed in
Awadh (Maurya Sheraton), Kashmiri food at Chor Bizarre (Hotel Broadway),
Thai food at Baan Tahi (The Oberoi) and Sukothai ( Hauz Khas village),
Japanese food at Tokyo (Ashoka Hotel) and Osaka (Haus Khas village),
Tibetan food at eateries near Chanakya Theatre, and Mexican food at
Rodeo (Connaught Place).
Another indication is the frequency and
popularity of food festivals organized by hotels. South Indian food is
another favorite, the vegetarian variety of which is best enjoyed at
Sagar (Defence colony), Sagar Ratna (Lodhi Hotel) and Dasaprakash (Hotel
Ambassador). Coconut Grove (Ashok Yatri Niwas) offers excellent
non-vegetarian cuisine from south India.
The best of continental cuisine can be
eaten at five-star hotels, for instance La Rochelle (The Oberoi), the
Orient Express (Taj Palace) and Captains Cabins (Taj Man Singh), though
numerous multi-cuisine restaurants also offer continental food. Keeping
pace with the changing face of the city are the growing number of fast
food outlets, which serve all manner of cuisines.
A delightful outlet offering a range of
Indian cuisines are the food stalls at Dilli Haat. Here, the cuisine of
different states in made available at very moderate rates. Set in the
midst of a spacious crafts bazaar these cafes are a very pleasant place
to enjoy food. For the more intrepid, eateries such as those at Pranthe
wali gali, or chaat at Bengali Market and sunder Nagar, bhelpuri at
Greater Kailash and sweetmeats fom Annapoorna and Ghantewala can be part
of the gastronomical tour of Delhi.
Delhi is also synonymous with the
omnipresent tandoori chicken and tandoori roti, which, when freshly had
from the tandoor, makes a delicious meal. This is often available at
roadside dhabas at a moderate cost.
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