Eating Out:
From age-old eateries
in the bylanes of the Walled City to glitzy, specialty restaurants in five-star hotels,
Delhi is a moveable feast. It offers a choice of Indian and international cuisine's in
different ambiences to suit varied budgets.
For gourmets, Delhi is
synonymous with Moughlai and Frontier cuisines. The best of Mughali cuisine can be enjoyed
at Karim, (both in Jama Masjid and Nizamuddin) where recipes, dating from the times
of the Moughals 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 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 innumerable Chinese food outlets of the
"meals-on-wheels" and kiosk variety can gauge the popularity of this cuisine.
The growing
sophistication of the Delhite's palate is discernable in the increasing number of
specialty restaurants-El 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 Thai (The Oberoi) and Sukothai (Hauz Khas Village), Japanese
food at Tokyo (Ashoka Hotel) and Osaka (Hauz 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 Niewas) 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 Cabin (Taj Mansingh), though numerous
multi-cuisine restaurants also offer continental food. Keeping pace with the changing face
of the city is the growing number of fast-food outlets, which serve all manners of
cuisines.
A delightful outlet
offering a range of Indian cuisines are the food stalls at Dilli Haat. Here, the
cuisine of different states is made available very moderate rates. Set in the midst of a
spacious craft bazaar these cafes are a very pleasant place to enjoy food.
For the more intrepid,
eateries such as those at Paranthe wali gali, or chaat at Bengali Market and Sunder
Nagar, bhelpuri at Greater Kailash and sweetmeats from 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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