Desi Di - Sounding the Dinchak!

Taking Desi Di at face value, it will surely pique your interest. The place comes with the caption 'Dhinchak' which roughly translates to attitude and that is quite clearly seen in their interiors which has a sparkle about it. It embosses and makes use of multitudes of colour giving itself a quirky and bohemian feel. It captures desiness in full vigour and it's the kitschy set up that brightens up the atmosphere and gives it a zany outlook. The seating arrangement is pretty large and converged into different enclosures and you see each of them portraying the shiz through its wall paintings, miniatures, antiques, colour co ordinations etc.

Talking about the food, it goes in tune with the name of the place and is all desi. They have deliberately avoided South Indian cuisine but brought forth a lot of different items from canteen style to road side to hardcore Punjabi flavour and much more. A lot of innovations also came to the forefront with regard to taste and presentation. One more thing is that they have tweaked some of the items mildly in order for it to suit the palette of the localites.

We started our foray with a few drinks and chai. The lemon barley shikanji was more of a refreshing tonic to beat the heat. The Punjabi Lassi with nuts was pretty frothy and flavourful. The kala khatta soda was a lovely iced drink. The red hibiscus ice tea which was presented in a large beaker looked very appealing but somehow I didn't find it to be too distinctive on taste to any other usual fruit infused tea.

There was a section in the menu titled "All Day Menu" comprising of snacks and starters. The paneer bhurji papad waa very nice with smudged pieces of cottage cheese gregariously spread across the roundish oval along with sprucing of masala and inter laden in the center with a delectable pumpkin dip. The samosas were served in a canteen style box with 2 kinds of chutneys and a bunch of chilli's. These contained the usual potato masala but the texture of it was very good. The Arbi Pakoda was super crispy and slathered with the rightful dosage of spices making it a great snacker. The vada bao was quite lovely with the aloo loaded vada made Bombay style dunked in steamed bao buns. This one defined the Dhinchak as it was made in true Bambayya style with generous garnishing of podi mixture in addition to gentle spraying of chutneys and to infuse the spice quotient lengthy pieces of green chilli's were provided as accompaniment. The sambar kichdi was another one dish which was absolutely yummy and this one was great eating with the crispy papads. The Pav Bhaji fondue however was quite a disappointment. It was the usual pav buns torn as pieces and kept like bread sticks to eat dipped with the bhaji. The masala lacked a bit of creaminess and surely could have been better.

In the main course part, we had a Gujarati special item called Panki. We tried the palak corn version and this was basically a stuffing inside a green leaf that needed to be scraped and eaten. Quite a different experience trying this one. We also got naan with Malai Kofta which was done with the right ammunition and went very well with the Indian bread. The best of the lot was the Paneer Kurchan which was an aromatic panneer gravy cooked with much love and going really well with Naan. It was also served interestingly in a cooker and the flavour was very vehement.

The desserts were a complete win. The Pudina chai brulee was toothsome and really rich in taste with a subtle hint of pudina flavour in a cream brulee base. The gulab jamun cheesecake was a conglomeration well done with the mellow effect of the cake and the juicy taste of the jamuns being simply melt in the mouth. And we rounded the proceedings in superlative style through the Gajar Ka Halwa samosa with candy floss. This was totally bindaas with the samosas containing a sweetened pasty essence and coming along with a bowl of Malai floating with nuts and a fruit infused cotton candy floss. The whole dessert was a sinister creation and a wonderful workout for the sweet craving aficionado.

The rates seem fairly reasonable for the quantity and quality of stuff served. The service was quick witted. It was a pleasure conversing with the host who had complete knowledge of the items in the menu and about the specialities of each dish. Parking is of least concern as it's located in a club with abundant space being available. The place radiates with a kaleidoscope of colours and showcases dhinchak (attitude) in resolute fashion. This is a nice little place to visit especially with large groups and spend some good noteworthy time by soaking in the colour co ordinated ambiance and eat sumptuous food to your hearts content.

Bazar @ GRT - An absolutely riveting encounter!

The all day dining restaurant at GRT has received a tremendous facelift and has been rechristened by the name 'Bazaar'. From the moniker it can be easily gauged that the theme must be in relation to the local influx of culture and folklore. But it's much more than just that. A significant amount of homework has been done studying into the potpourri of diversity of the bazaar streamline across India, middle east and the Turkish region.

The ambiance amazes and how. They have captured many intricate details and brought about the rusticity in a very arty form. There is a lot of kitsch associated but you don't feel it to be overdone one bit and only ends up being suave and sophisticated. The usual buffet restaurant's at the star hotels tend to be one dimensional with bright lights and opulent interiors. But Bazaar, GRT bucks the trend by creating a niche trend of it's own which is beautifully appealing and appealingly beautiful.

Some particular anecdotes worth mentioning include incorporating elements from the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. The 5 different kaleidoscope tile pattern have been imported from Cairo. And adding India to the fray, wooden casks have been used for the ceilings just like how it tends to be in a market. The walls were inscribed with items from the field belonging to the GRT group. The decor overall seemed very impressive with a swirl of colours of different proportions making up the surroundings.

The spread on offer was replete with an oeuvre of delectation spanning across various cuisines predominantly oeiental, Indian and continental. They had various sorts of add ons and specific counters for salads, desserts, chaats and an area to dish up one of their specialities namely the 'superbowl' which is apparently a nutrient filled diet rich food constituent made in the ad lib style. Another interesting thing was on the largesse main course section, they separated the stands and there was one exclusively for vegetarian and another for non vegetarian. Along with all these, we also got a crack at some of their special fusion based ala carte cuisine.

It would end up being a dossier if I had to list each of the items and give a description. Briefly to put it in place, the Moroccan soup was mildly spicy containing plenty of ingredients and felt flavourful. The pizza was an absolute delicacy with a string of exotic veggies over a thin crust layer suffused with a tantalising layer of cheese. The sandwiches and burger somehow seemed a little too plain for the liking. The dosa however presented in an immaculate fashion in the form of newspapers were wonderful to consume along with 3 varieties of chutneys and an esculently tasting sambhar. The Panneer Tikka starter was super succulent and packed a punch. The other one's on the day were pretty good too. The superbowl concept however seemed a bit too far fetched. It was massively advertised but felt more like a new age wine in an old bottle. Wouldn't really term it as unique as I have tried similar stuff having different naming convenient elsewhere.

The main course section had a lovely varied spread and most of the things which I had a shot at seemed pleasant to taste. It was of immense proportion and there were options galore. I loved most of the Indian and Continental stock whatever I got to taste. A whirlpool of chaats were another great add on to the mix. We also got to have shots at various mocktail creations. The strawberry banana shake served in a tall glass was lovely. A chocolate shake with pieces of orange peels on them tasted a little odd. The other drinks and Mojito though were immensely refreshing. The dessert draw had quite a feast on offer with a melange of Indian and western sweets and pastries. The service was hospitable and rates are par for the course.

Adumbrating on the whole, it was a fascinating experience visiting Bazaar with it's all encompassing extravaganza and attention to detail on all fronts totally bowling us over. Highly recommended choice for those looking for a grand upscale one of a kind fine dining escapade.