SO WHAT MAKES DELHI HEIGHTS CLICK WITH THE DILLIWAALAS?

It is strange that Delhi Heights has been around nearly for four years but I managed to get there only until yesterday. Reason being, the restaurant is always packed and I never managed to get a table, so last evening when I made a plan to go the Ambience Mall in Gurgaon , I made a reservation as I really had to know why the place is so packed always!

The place is quirky with various kinds of seatings from dhaba style to booth, menus are designed in a funky manner…the bar menu reads ‘the book of booze’, LCD's galore means that you would not miss your favourite soap, the menu is huge which means there is something for everyone, the regular water served is flavored with fresh mint….to cut it short Delhi Heights has caught the ‘pulse’ of the Dilliwaalas!

Coming to the food, I tried a couple of things, to start with a ‘meat platter’ which consisted of Shish Taouk, Chicken wings and meatballs in bbq sauce. To be honest it wasn’t even close to authentic but was ‘chatpata’…just like how most of us Dilliwaalas would like it…with desi masalas and zing …perfect to go with your tipple. My ‘Minty lemonade’ was absolutely refreshing and I loved the jar in which it came and was equally impressed with the thick straw which made it so much easier to enjoy the drink with.

The main course, sampled quite a few things which I was told by the chef are a must try, ‘Laal Maas with Bajre ki roti’, ‘Juicy Lucy burger’, ‘ Chennai Geeli Biryani’, ‘Schezwan chicken chilly garlic noodles’ and the ‘ Sole with lemon butter sauce’! And wait…No I wasn’t being greedy; I had company to share my food with!!

Guess what all the food had in common…the ‘Desi Tadka’...for example the Geeli Biryani brought me back memories of my sister-in-law cooking a pan fried quick fix biryani with some lamb curry which I must say she is quite a pro at and makes it rather well. This Geeli Biryani at Delhi Heights though had nothing Chennai about it but I kind of liked it, was enjoyable.

The Schezwan Noodles took me back to a recent friend’s party where he showed off his culinary skills by making something similar…which became the hottest dish of the day as we all just ate that and everything else on the menu almost remained untouched.

The point I am trying to make is that Delhi Heights has got the pulse of the Delhi market…food here is comfort food…a kind of restaurant food that the lady of the house sometimes likes to try making at home and the whole family enjoys! And that led me talking to Kartik (who was coincidently there at the outlet), when he came to ask what I thought of the food and he shared that the restaurant was started by his Grandmom who also ran a famous banquet called ‘Batra Banquet’… that put everything in place…a woman’s touch was evident…someone who knew the Punjabi fusion with any cuisine would definitely work with the Dilliwaalas!

FAST FACTS

Meal for two: Rs. 1200 plus taxes.

Timings: 11 am - 11.30 pm

Cafe Delhi heights locations:

Delhi- DLF Promenade, DLF place Saket

Gurgaon- Cross point Mall, Ambience mall, Cyber hub

They also have an ongoing Mango Festival for the month of June.

Cafe Delhi Heights at the Cross point Mall is their flagship outlet, Apart from the regular Menu, on offer are Special Breakfast Combos running at CDH Cross point only. 

CHEF JAYDEEP MUKHERJEE...FORCE BEHIND THE CRAZILY POPULAR AND MUCH CELEBRATED INDIGO DELICATESSENS!

WHO

CHEF JAYDEEP MUKHERJEE, MUMBAI

Jaydeep Mukherjee, fondly known as JD, is well known as the force behind the crazily popular and much celebrated Indigo Delicatessens, Colaba outlet being the first which has for a decade been a showcase of his pioneering innovations in this category. He started his career with the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai, as a Chef Trainee in 1994, and it was at the Zodiac Grill, back then measured the first-rate European food restaurant in the country, that he learnt the elementary ethics of cooking. Moved on to Cunard Cruise Lines in Miami, where a long and remarkable influence on board the iconic luxury liners, Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Royal Viking Sun gave him a revelation to the world of high-end gastronomy. In 2002 he took on the mantle of Chef de Cuisine and later that of Executive Chef with deGustibus Hospitality, the maverick company that had given character to the iconic Indigo and re-written the rules of fine gastronomy in Mumbai. The Indigo Delis were recently awarded the ‘Best Restaurant in Mumbai’.

WHAT

SIGNATURE DISH: REUBEN SANDWICH

The menu hasn’t changed much since inception except for daily specials which they offer on a tidy blackboard. The star of the show however is the ‘Reuben Sandwich’ of which they have sold over a million portions already. This hearty sandwich is an absolute labour of love as the making of the home made Pastrami (the only standalone restaurant in the country that makes it in-house) is a 23 day process. The brisket is cured in a traditional process for 21 days, smoked for 12 hours and cooked for 6 hours before it goes into the Rye Bread for being toasted brown, buttery and crisp and the cheese melted just right to ooze out. The best part about the sandwich here is that the filling is regulated and in balance, so when you bite into it you get a pleasant and luscious mouthful.

WHERE

INDIGO DELICATESSEN, COLABA

Housed quaintly just behind the Gateway of India  Indigo Deli at Colaba marks a clear departure from often seen soul-less sleek minimalist restaurants, celebrating the nostalgia of the good old neighbourhood places replete with a kitchen store and a matchless offering of bakery, patisserie, a café menu and gourmet retail, set in an environment of social conviviality. Whether your bliss lies in the first lustful bite of a warm croissant or at the bottom of a freshly brewed cup of coffee, in that decadent forkful of eggs on the beach or the last crumb of an Almond cake… You are sure to find it and make it your own out here. With the philosophy of using the finest seasonal produce available to achieve a menu that is all at once eclectic, skilled, and unpretentious, JD presents Deli cooking at its best. The place is raucous most of the time as it is well patronized. After more than a decade and with a long list of loyal clients, it needs very little endorsement.

Chef JD was carefully chosen by Taste and Travel, a few years ago as one amongst the top ten young chefs in the country and was presented in the October 2010, Anniversary issue of the Vogue magazine on its cover story on young icons from various walks of life. ‘No profession on earth enhances the mind, body and soul like mine does…’ he says!!

Address: 5, Ground Floor, Pheroze Building, Chhatrapati Shivaji Mahrishi Marg, Apollo, Bunder, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400039

Cuisine type: Delicatessen

Tel: 022 6655 1010

Timings:  8:30 am – 12:00 am

Reservations: Recommended