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Shibuya

When you are really into something and a friend takes a plunge in that area, there is a special feeling. Lately i have been having that feeling often with more and more friends becoming a part of the growing restaurant business in Delhi. Shibuya, started by a very well respected and loved person in the the Delhi food scene is one such place. He decided to put his money where his mouth was and last night i decided to take my money and my mouth to Shibuya.

Located in the GK2 M block market its above the 24x7 convenience store. A great thing about this part of the market is that parking is relatively easier to find.

The decor is what i would call urban chic, very tastefully done in the restaurant area with bright lighting and the bar upstairs has an appropriate sophisticated and hip vibe. Once the bar gets operational its going to be a popular place.

There are balconies on both floors and sliding glass panels merge the indoors with the outdoors. This would be where most people would want to sit, we didn’t because my wife feels EXCESSIVELY cold.

The name Shibuya does bring in images of Tokyo but the food here has other Asian influences as well and that is great when you want Asian but can’t commit to a single country.

The food was really good and we managed to go through quite a few appetisers. Some of the things that stood out for me were the edamame, the pork gyoza, the surf and turf roll, the Shibuya toast and the lime and wasabi sorbet. The unusual drizzle of truffle oil on the edamame was delicious, yes not very Japanese but who cares when it tastes good. The rolls though a little large were very well made and all the research that went into getting the menu right has worked. I need to visit many times more to be able to try the other menu items especially the main course items.

P.S. Please bear with my pictures as i am learning and experimenting with some new stuff.

 

From Kashmir with Love ...

Sanjay Raina invites with so much love and cooks with so much passion that its hard to say no any place he calls us. So when he invited me to come to Paschim Vihar for the launch event of a Kashmiri Food festival, i said yes first and looked on Google Maps for the location later.

On the D Day i was careful about eating a light lunch to prepare for what i knew would be a memorable dinner. Battling the rush hour traffic which was complicated further with religious processions for Valmiki Jayanti, we reached over an hour late. We were, however, welcomed with a big smile and open arms like always. It was a small gathering and in the midst of food stalwarts i felt i had arrived in more ways than one :).

Some of the food i had eaten earlier at a Mealability event but there were some new things i wanted to try from the very large menu.

As a meat eater, the Tabakmaaz hits the spot just right and i love the cartilage bit in the middle which you can just eat up as well. The Nadru Churma is something that should be packaged and sold, its an amazing snack. I had to take additional helpings of that.

I accidentally ate a paneer tikka piece and was pleasantly surprised, it was delicious and unlike the Punjabi paneer tikka which i am not a fan off. I was looking away and speaking to someone when the server served me a piece and now i am glad he did and i ate it. There was absolutely nothing i wouldn’t eat again, all the food was delicious.

We were getting so distracted in the picture taking that Sanjay got an entire thali with all the items in one so we could take the picture and then go back to enjoying our food. So the thali you see in the pictures is NOT what i ate.

Oddly enough, my absolute favourite item was the Haak. Maybe its a sign i am getting old but it looked good and tasted great, it had bite and flavour. Not surprisingly we were told that Haak and rice is like the ultimate comfort food for a Kashmiri.

I didn’t know Sanjay’s background in singing so i was taken aback when he picked up the mic and starting singing as good as he cooks. His soulful sweet singing and the perfect Phirni was the perfect ending to a perfect evening.

For those of you live near the area or don’t mind the trek do visit Indyaki at the Radisson Blu for amazing food with excellent service. The festival will be on for another 10 days. If not, enjoy the pictures below.

Mealability - Flavours of Kashmir

During my travels, my conversations usually get driven towards a discussion on food. While my interest lies in whatever is the local food in the place i am in, theirs is about Indian Food. Its funny when i tell them “there is no Indian food’.

As diverse as our wonderful country is, it poses a challenge to those seeking Indian food where the food changes with pretty much every state, sometimes even within the state. If one wants to eat all the Indian food, one needs to travel extensively all over India which poses a problem for someone like me who is employed and gets only limited time off. One can of course visit the various state bhawans but the food and the experience can vary. Sadly regional cuisine is not very well represented even in a city like Delhi, let alone internationally.

It is thanks to people like Sanjay Raina who bring the experience of another state to us, in this case, Jammu & Kashmir. Kashmiri food was not something i was very familiar with and I had been looking forward to attending an event of Mealability. On the 26th of August i was able to attend a curated event organised at the Stately Suites in Gurgaon. Mealability mixes in the 2 broad styles of Pandit and Muslim food so one can try both. Most Kashmiri restaurants usually stick to one style.

A disclaimer here: I am no authority on Kashmiri food and i never comment on authenticity, i just write about my experience.

The event was a pre-plated 7 course dinner that had a mix of meat and vegetable dishes on every plate. This kind of dining ensured people try everything, else in a buffet people would migrate towards the few items they would like to eat and not even try the others. Food from different places can also include items that are of an acquired taste and not for everyone, that doesn’t mean the item is bad, its just not for me.

Sanjay’s passion to ensure we had a great experience was very evident and with a lot of energy he went about explaining what we were about to eat. There was also some music and visuals of the food projected up on a wall. In between the food servings we had a hot pot of kahva and a plate of breads which was sitting like a step child so i showed it a little love and did take a couple of small pieces.

The first plate arrived with Tabakmaaz, Seekh Kabab Kanti and Nadru Kabab and Nadru Churma. Also on the plate were Akhrot (Walnut) ki chutney and Pyaz (Onion) ki chutney. My favourite on this plate was the Tabakmaaz, soft and delicious. Didn’t really like the Nadru Kabab much, i thought it was dry and fibrous which i was told is how it is, like i mentioned earlier some things are an acquired taste. The Nadru Churma on the other had was quite crunchy and enjoyable like chips.

Next plate had the Lal Chicken, Mutton Kaliya, Nadru Yakhni, Dum Aloo and some rice along with Pudina (Mint) chutney. Everything on this plate was delicious with the Mutton Kaliya standing out. Its usually the food that is simple which tastes the best but its the most difficult to perfect, just like this Mutton Kaliya. A surprise was the Nadru Yakhni which i would have totally avoided in a buffet but i tried it and liked it. The pre-plating ensured that carnivores like me also eat their vegetables.

The third plate had Chicken Yakhni, Rista, Khatte Baingan, Palak ka Saag along with rice and Mooli (Radish) ki chutney. All the items on this plate were very good with the exception of the Baingan which i don’t really like but i was a good boy and i tried it. The portions were just right and we got enough of everything through the different courses.

The final plate has the Mutton Roganjosh, Tomato Paneer, Bhadarwahi Rajma and Goshtaba along with rice ( i could now see why bread is a step child in Kashmiri cuisine) and Mirchi ki Chutney. The Goshtaba was my favourite item on this plate followed by the Roganjosh.

The dessert course came next with the Madur Pulao which was a saffron flavoured sweet rice filled with nuts and spice. I though Sanjay had saved the best for last (which he did confirm later) and out came the Saffron Phirni. The Phirni was outstanding and i can see why its his favourite.

The overall experience was great, the food was delicious and the company added to the experience. Already had some friends when i went there, came back with a few more :).

 

Between Buns ...

Ever since a friend told me about this place he was opening, i couldn’t wait for it. So impatient was i that i showed up a day before i was scheduled to go for the trial LOL. I wish all scheduling errors are this delicious.

So i caught them with their pants down and I got a sneak peek Between Buns, i also felt some avocados too. No really, i literally pickup some avocados as i was taking a tour of the place :). When a passionate foodie decides to get into the food business odds are it will be great.

Since the whole menu was not on offer i had to take what the kitchen had available. It was not a difficult choice when the chef offered to make a tenderloin burger. It arrived soon enough looking as good as a burger can look. It wasn’t dressed in its intended brioche as that wasn’t ready but the substitute whole grain bun was no slouch. Juicy and flavourful with the right mix of dry and wet, needing atleast 2 napkins. A clear sign of a good burger. The accompanied sriracha mayo and green chilli mustard were an amazing dip for the french fries.

Stepping into a restaurant in the making allows for certain surprises and when the meat for the wellington was put before me to rest, i had to insist (ok beg!) for a taste. So the chef whipped up a smashing dish of the sliced up buff along with a great onion whiskey jam. The meat was so good i really hope they introduce a steak soon.

Not only is BB making their own bread but they are also making their own ice cream. And that leaves the door open to some naughty combinations. I tried a couple of outstanding flavours and that lead to the mic drop moment … BACON ICE CREAM ! I needed to be alone with that one.

Its a simple cafe that is making some kickass food. Needless to say this one is a winner and i sure as hell will be frequenting the place.

Noshe Joon with Kindly Cook

They say, birds of a feather flock together. So i recently decided to join a flock which also, like me, lives to eat. After missing out on some great events with Kindly Cook, i finally managed to attend my first group event. A dinner at Noshe Joon.

I am a big fan of Iranian food and to be able to taste those flavors here was awesome. For those who havent tried it, Iranian kababs are very diffrent from the Indian kababs that we are used to.

Started with some rose water sherbet with poppy seeds and then traditional buttermilk and salads but my mind was only on the kababs and i could hardly wait for them to be served. I went for a combo Chicken/Lamb before i realised that i could have gone for Lamb/Lamb but i am glad i tried the chicken too. The lamb was expecially delicious, tender and super flavorful. We were told that it took them a long time to be able to get the right flavor and consistency with goat meat that is consumed in India. And that attention to detail and patience showed in the food. A lot of the ingredients are imported from Iran and having been to Iran recently i found the flavors to be perfect.

Whats better than great food ? Great company and back stories.As the patriarch of the family Mr Lajpal Singh Anand regaled us with stories from his adopted homeland. How his food was the glue that kept the Indian community together through good times and bad.

In the midst of all the eating, we did a little routine on a song which was recorded on video and and is now on the internet for posterity.

The hospitality and the warmth exuded by the family that runs the place didnt feel like we were dining in a reataurant. It was like sitting in their living room and enjoying a lovely home cooked meal, if that home had been in Iran and the food had been Iranian. Mrs Anand who has a wonderful voice, entertained us with some soulful songs.

Other than the impromptu jig that broke out, it was everything i expected and more and i cant wait for the next one.

Arriba Mexican Grill

Mexican restaurants have usually had a unlucky run in Delhi and i don’t mean the tex mex type. The cuisine should have an acceptance for our palettes but it seems not. So i wanted to try Arriba before the Mexican curse hits it, although i hope it doesn’t because this once looks like it will be a regular on my list.

The place is nestled in the Asiad Village complex in the space that some may remember as Angeethi, a BBQ. The look has a nice simple Mexican cantina look and has both indoor and outdoor dining options. The space in not very large though so prior booking is advisable on weekends.

The first thing i look for in any place with even a remote Mexican promise is Guacamole. I am obsessed with guacamole and getting fresh guacamole can set the mood of the meal. The guacamole at Arriba was prepared table side with the chef asking for preferences of what should into it resulting in a delicious precursor to our dinner.

 

The pork belly skewers were delectable, moist and falling apart. The sweetness of the glaze was a good contrast to the chillies on the same skewer. Also ordered the tequila infused prawns, they were very nice, juicy, large and soft.

The chicken fajitas were excellent, very well prepared and the included bits and bobs hit the spot just right. One thing to note, if you order a lot like i do, be prepared to move things around. The plates on which the food arrives are pretty large.

The black bean and chorizo torta was a good take on a slider although i found the seasoning a little on the higher side, maybe due to the already seasoned chorizo used but that said it was a great messy burger. Any burger that oozes out the sides gets a plus 1 in my book.

For the vegetarian on our table the skinny taco salad was a good starter but the tequila and white wine mushrooms were amazing and a must have.

Finally moving on to dessert,  found the churros to be excellent and soft in the middle, often these become crusty and dry inside. Accompanied with a dark chocolate and a chilli chocolate dip.

One thing missing from a mexican experience was a tangy touch of salsa. The included tomato salsa was quite sweet and a nice pico de gallo would have been ideal. There were two other sauces both spicy but the green tomato based one was a great combination of heat and flavour.

Chef Noah Barnes has the flavours right and presentation was great.The cost is on the pricier side but the food makes up for it.

Ambience: 8/10

Food: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Overall: 8/10

The ROOT of the STEM

For a recent article in a magazine, i got to thinking about the state of STEM education in India.

STEM education in our country is lagging behind due to various reasons. Our schools are not equipped with the right kind of labs and tools, curriculum is not current. Our teachers are not properly trained in the subjects they are teaching and there is a lack of interest generation in the minds of students and their parents. Yes there are centres of excellence all over the country but in general things are not good even in private schools, govt schools are a whole other matter.

STEM education needs to start early in school to build the interest and to capture the natural curiosity in children and channel it. Maths for instance, the foundation in the early years is very important for a sound knowledge. By the time the students are in grades 11-12 its too late to bridge the gap if the foundation was weak.
Stress on practical and experience oriented learning plans rather than theory based. Just today i saw a hilarious image that said "Another day has gone by … and i still haven't used Algebra". If the practice of rote learning of formulas etc doesn't change then neither will this thinking. Algebra is used is various ways, sometimes when people don't even realise they are using algebra. If you need to calculate the return on investment for an expense or justifying the need for a diesel vehicle over petrol, you need algebra. Yes these examples are not suitable for school but more suitable examples for real world issues can be found.

STEM cannot be learnt , it has to be experienced and understood so its principles can be applied. There should be a shift in the education from learning to calculate the square root of a number to why it needs to be calculated and what practical problems it can solve, the actual calculation can be done by computers.

STEM education is best done with an element of fun and games, so it keeps the students interested. Schools also need to do a lot of mentoring with the students and show them the importance of STEM education. Various studies have also shown that STEM education encourages the brain to innovate. So by encouraging STEM education we also hope to encourage students to push innovation.

A lot of the quality of education imparted is dependant on the quality of teachers, so if the teacher professional development becomes an important issue then it will have a direct impact on the students. The kind of teacher the student has usually has a major influence on the subjects the student chooses later in life and therefore the career. A students lack of interest in a particular subject or immense interest in another subject usually points to what the student feels about the teacher of that subject.

Getting the right teachers to be able to teach the STEM subjects and also be inspirational enough for the students to fall in love with the subjects is vital. A good STEM student will make a great STEM teacher so we should try and get some of the STEM graduates to become teachers even if for a temporary period.

Parents also need to be roped in and if they also become believers in the need for STEM education then their influence on the students is going to be vital. One of the challenges in imparting STEM education is to be able to convince people of the importance of STEM for everyone and not just science students.

Due to a very poor rating in the PISA study, we need to give extra emphasis to these subjects so our nation remains competitive in a global scenario. STEM promotes research and development and as a nation we need to push that to create innovation and intellectual property which is something we severely lack as a country.

There is a huge need for professionals in the STEM based careers so it highly likely for someone with a good STEM education to land a job as against one who doesn't. Career growth is also faster in STEM based jobs which are also usually higher paying than non STEM based jobs. Most of the fastest growing industries are those that require STEM based skills in their employees. So a focussed STEM push will help reduce the unemployment in the country and boost the economy.

Regardless of the careers picked by students in the future, STEM education promotes analytical thinking and problem solving for real world issues, it helps one understand the world around us. For example in the rural environment people are more likely to build proper toilet facilities if they understand hygiene and how it effects the human body. Science education also encourages the use of medicines and reduces the belief of superstitions.

There is barely any avenue left where technology has not penetrated. The use of technology has become a basic need. Private sector aside, even to avail of government schemes most of the information is disbursed electronically and also the transaction process is gradually becoming electronic.

Todays children think and learn differently, we cannot use the same teaching methods and infrastructure of yesterday to be effective and relevant. So the biggest challenge is to overhaul our entire education system to be able to teach the learners of today and tomorrow.

Just my 4 cents.

 

 

When i was app-spired

Appspiration , is that a word ? If it is, it should mean inspired by an app.

I have always enjoyed tinkering around with tools and enjoyed making something. This joy has recently been put to use in order to make projects for my school going son. As the years go by, the nature of the subjects he is studying is becoming more interesting so making models out of those is a fun filled activity for me.

This year the topic was force.

Earlier in the year my company released an iPad app for science, called Xperica HD (Full disclosure : I manage the development of that app). This app features interactive experiments covering a few topics in Physics. During the development of this app, i learnt quite a bit about those topics, much more than when i was in school.

This is when i was appspired.

I decided to take one of the experiments featured in Xperica and make it into a physical model.

  The selection of the experiment was the first hurdle, any of the 10 experiments could be made into a model but would the model be interesting and meaningful ? After much deliberation, i settled on the experiment involving pulleys. The idea was to show how the use of pulleys can reduce the need for muscular force. On one hand, the model had to be made and on the other, the my son's team needed to be educated on the model so they could present it in their school.

After going over the various elements in my mind with several options, i sketched out a rough  idea as to what the model may look like. Since there were weights involved and force, i know the basic frame had to be tough. I went to a construction site i knew where wood work was going on and got a hold of one of the carpenters. With his help,i was able to make a strong rigid frame of wood that could take quite a punishment, if needed.

There were going to be 2 systems for comparison, one with a single fixed pulley and the other with one fixed and one movable pulley. The system with the movable pulley would need much lesser effort to lift the same amount of weight than the single pulley system. At least that was the theory. I myself had never expreienced a comparison of this sort. The two systems would be built side by side on my wooden frame for easy comparison. Each of the systems would have a 1 KG weight suspended on one side and the string could be pulled to move the weight.

Next up, i cannibalised my sons mechanical modeling set to build the pulley system. Using the basic pieces it provided, i made my pulley frames and fitted them on the wooden frame. Next up was the acid test, would the double pulley system actually feel lighter on the load ? Absolutely :) . While pulling the two strings you could certainly feel the double pulley system had a major advantage.

But how could i make this even clearer and visible ?

I decided to attach spring scales to each of the pulley systems so one could visibly make out the force applied on each. Finding spring scales was another matter. After a couple of days of searching both on the real world and on Google, i found a vendor who dealt in wholesale supplies of scales including spring scales. But i wanted only 2. After some explaining and cajoling on the phone i managed to convince them to sell me just the 2. Although they were located in a different city from me, it wasnt too far. Without wasting any time, i dashed to their warehouse location and picked up my scales :).

Once i got back home, i attached them to my model and was thrilled to see the double pulley system was using almost half the force and the single pulley system. Mission accomplished.

 

Why i think the iPad will be a game changer in the classroom ...

I have seen from up close the introduction of computing into the classroom, for most schools this means handing out laptops to the students. And while i lectured on the usage of technology, i found that the problems with having laptops in the classrooms far outweighed the advantages. The end result was that the laptops really didn't add any value to the classroom. I must point out that i am talking from an Indian context and the classrooms of higher education institutions.

I honestly feel the iPad will change how the classroom computing game is played world over. And Apple who used to call themselves the largest education company, are going to position this product so. This is also evident from the education targeted multiple iPad packs which have also been announced.

Many of the students who enter higher education institutions are handed a laptop as part of their educational material, most have never owned a laptop before and many are not properly IT literate. As a result a large part of their productive day is spent in 'managing' this new tool. I used to see frustrated students trying to cope with malware, software updates, connectivity issues,configuration problems and general usage issues. The seemingly simple task of connecting to the campus wireless network could be considered herculean when one doesn't understand all the different options and settings. The IT support staff were doing more re-installs of operating systems than anything else during their work days. This issue was also the same for the faculty and non teaching staff, all dealing with usage issues and not really spending all their time on the work they were supposed to do.

I have been using an iPhone for a few months now and i see what that platform brings. Following with the keeping it simple and stupid philosophy, the high technology is hidden behind a clever and very intuitive interface. This interface magnified becomes the iPad. The touchscreen interface makes the performing of various computing tasks very simple. The lack of too many configuration options don't confuse the user who can concentrate on doing the job at hand and not worry about the settings. Something that remains to be seen is how effective the new touch version of the iWork suite will be for the various tasks a student needs to perform. I am certainly sounding like an Apple fanboy here but as a user, i find that things just work. Small apps are basically widgets that don't have the complexity of standard software and are focused on performing various tasks. Keeping the single tasking approach, Apple has also reduced the instability of an operating system. This however is a much debated topic and it is rumored that they will finally start some sort of multitasking ability in their OS this summer.

Usually the people in the know would say that one should stay away from first generation Apple products as they have kinks that need to be worked out, i kind of agree with that. The iPad however is not first generation. Yes the processor is new but the general hardware is from the hugely successful iPod/iPhone products as is the operating system.

The iPad will most certainly benefit from the success of the app store as well and while iPad specific apps will start appearing, most present apps should also work, giving the iPad a HUGE advantage through available application right out of the door. Not only do the existing apps make life simpler but the framework allows developers to create apps much more easily than regular applications. I wont be surprised to see schools coming out with their own specific apps that combine various school specific information into a easy to use app, not to mention the communication capabilities and syncing of school calendars. This would be a major factor working on the side of the iPad when competing with other tablets.

The pricing of the iPad also, i feel, may be right for mass adoption in the classroom with the lowest end model selling for $499 in USA and i am sure there will be education discounts. The Indian pricing has yet to be announced but with the duties and various resellers involved it will be much higher. The iPad will be certainly easier for schools to manage and support and the need for support personnel will be much lower providing a lower total cost of ownership than laptops.

Books can be finally made in electronic form and should be cheaper than the printed books, the environmental impact of not using paper is an added bonus. Converged books seem to be more possible with images or videos embedded into the text. Book updates can finally be handed down to the students. Books could also be combined with activities and exercises at the end of any topic to reinforce the learning. Virtual labs could be made as apps and allow students to perform experiments either on their own or collectively by connecting multiple iPads together.Tests could be taken right on the iPad and the results available in minutes. With the ability to receive background updates the students can be kept informed of various information the school wants to disseminate. The ebook reader is limited in its scope while the iPad brings ebooks along with all the other functionality, making it a much better equipped computing product. The younger generation is more in tune with using electronics and i think they will be far more open to reading on a screen as opposed to picking up a book, this hopefully will get the youngsters to read more, which is becoming somewhat of a lost activity.

I can see iPad docks built into table in classrooms and libraries where students can simply place their iPads and work. Combine the iPad with a nano projector and you have a portable teaching tool that can be used either in a classroom or out of it. In India it can serve as an inexpensive community teaching tool.

I would also combine the classroom iPad with bump technologies solutions. Think about it, students can simply bump their iPads with the teachers iPad and their homework or reports gets downloaded into the teachers iPad. Students could also bump their iPads with a central computer (which also supports the bum technology ofcourse) and get all their schedules and any updates.

The iPad is certainly more mobile than a notebook or laptop computer and offers much the same usage while bettering the phone in size and battery. As the Apple has positioned it, right in between the phone and the laptop.The form factor is also great, the screen is decent enough to be able to read out of and the on screen keyboard will be easier to type on as compared to the tiny one on the iphone. It can slip into any bag without trouble, ofcourse in a protective casing. If Apple could create a control panel for administrators to manage multiple devices like the Blackberry Enterprise Server it will allow schools to control the content on the apps, which can be set free once the students leaves the school.

The problems i foresee are to do with the pricing and issues of theft and breakage.

So is the iPad the gun in a knife fight ? Are the days of physical books in the classroom numbered ? That remains to be seen but i am betting on a huge presence of iPads in classrooms.

Varq

The Taj group of hotels have among the best restaurants in hotels located all over the world. It then is not surprising that a new restaurant that opens in a Taj gets top priority in any food related news item. Varq is one such restaurant launched at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi, not so long ago, largely heralded as another feather in the Taj restaurant cap. It has been on my todo list for a while now and recently i was able to go there for dinner along with a few friends. Being very impressed with Masala Art at the Taj Palace also in New Delhi, i didnt know what to expect from Varq.

The restaurant itself is beautifully done up, very nice full wall mural by Anjolie Ela Menon on one side. It gives the right look of any upscale fine dining restaurant. Expensive restaurants like to make the customers feel special by offering FREE bite sized food creations and Varq is no different. First up was something served up in fancy soup spoon kind of way covered by a lid, urging you to open it and see what lies within.I could call what was inside a fried lentil cake soaked in whipped curd and a tamarind sauce, garnished with pomegranate seeds but sorry Monica Didi, i am calling it a dahi vada :).

Next up was another on the house palate teaser, a tamarind sorbet. Couldnt taste the tamarind but there was a distinct taste of Amchoor, which , for the uninitiated, is a seasoning made from dried raw mango, so it would be a raw mango sorbet.

I wont comment on food the others had ordered and what i didnt eat. My ordered appetizer came next, Malabari Prawns. They were fried and were sitting up on a delicate coconut chutney bed. They were a little oily but still tender and flavorful though light on the real malabari spices, i guess something more palatable for the western guests. For the main course, i had ordered the Murg Khatta Pyaz and Martbaan ka Meat. The chicken was just like they serve in Masala Art so nothing new there and the mutton was an achari ghost served in a real martbaan or barni used for fermenting and curing pickles. Anything exciting ? no except the breads accompanying these dishes were different. I had an olive naan and a tomato mozzarella stuffed kulcha, certainly these are items not available in Indian food places and would be considered "Fusion".

The desserts were probably the best part of the meal and my favourite was the Jalebi platter. Very thin and crisp jalebis on a foundation of kalakand and a not so sweet rabri which was the dipping sauce. Another dessert i tried was the malpua, which were rolled up like a swiss roll and seemed to be stuffed with a sweet carrot mince and also had the same rabri laid out in the plate.
So could the Taj have gotten a restaurant wrong ? Is the food not good ? No, actually the food is quite good. What it seems to have is an identity crisis. Its not contemporary indian food and its not fusion. The question is, who will go to eat regular Indian food in a good environment thats VERY expensive ? I think the answer is three kinds of people who would visit Varq on a regular basis. Ofcourse there would be many people who would come to satisfy their curiosity and see what new has spawned from the Taj F&B womb.

The first kind of customer would be those who want to be seen in a restaurant thats been so well received by the press and food critics and one thats clearly expensive. Unfortunately there are many such people in Delhi for whom presence is a way of life and being seen at an "in" place is very fashionable, and the food that is being served doesnt really matter at all. Such people wouldn't be caught dead even near a place like Moti Mahal, which does serve good food in my opinion but would be considered "down market".

The second kind of customer would be the very rich people of Delhi who may feel they are in a slum if they are not surrounded by expensive art, served on foreign china and crystal stemware. If they want to eat Indian food, Varq is where they would go.

The third kind of customer would obviously be the foreign guests of the hotel who will probably like this restaurant the most and will certainly come back.

Additionally, the free bite sized titbits came back in the end of meal in the form of paans, freshly made at a paan station in the restaurant. Really good, but i had to eat about 6 to really get it going.

I came away from the meal, feeling underwhelmed by the experience. There was nothing radical or new about the food. Somehow i felt the food a Haveli (the restaurant Varq has replaced) was much nicer and unpretentious. It is however unwise to judge a restaurant by one meal alone. Especially when not many of the dishes have been sampled. So i will try out Varq again and order something different the next time.