Neighbourhood dining was a trend that began at the turn of the century when Western chefs began to source organic produce from close-by farms. Reducing the carbon footprint became a cuisine philosophy that has acquired interesting innovations. The restaurant chain Bombay Brasserie takes locale dining national while keeping this in mind. It opened its doors to Delhi foodies recently to take them on a gastronomic trail across the country. For example, the famous Amritsari aam papad sourced from Amritsar finds its way into the delectably flavoured aam papad paneer.
For those with a taste for some fire power, there is the Fiery thecha prawn and the Guntur podi chicken. The prawns are tossed in the staple green chilly paste called thecha that hails from Pune. For the chicken, the source is the infamous Guntur chilly from Andhra Pradesh. Traditional (and inspired) street food from across India also finds its way into the menu. The one not to be missed is the Tamil street chicken that comprises shredded chapati and coconut-spiced chicken. For those with vegetarian on their mind, there is the delectable and supremely healthy Kumaon-style greens with mandua (ragi) roti, served with jaggery and butter.
Shikha Nath, brand director, Bombay Brasserie of K Hospitality Corp, says, “Bombay Brasserie’s concept revolves around a traveller embarking on a culinary journey across India. Delhi being the food hub of the country as well as a traveller’s destination, we are excited to bring a host of unique dishes.”Little wonder that among the many others the traveller will find on the menu are Rajputana murg soola kebab (spiced with the famous shikar ka gosht masala), Kashmiri naan kebab (a kebab flavoured with the traditional kebab chini masala and the naan brushed with saffron), and of course, what the restaurant calls the Bombay lunch home phenomenon.
This comprises subtle preparations such as Mario’s mango prawns and coconut rice, Bombay dabba gosht (prepared in the Bohri style). If one still has space after the cross-country journey, one can indulge in the magnum opus: Amritsari kulfa. It boasts the not-so-humble kulfi, combined with phirni, rabdi, rose syrup, and of course, falooda. There is also the very Anglo-Indian bread pudding, or you can indulge in the various ice-cream sandwiches on offer. “The Delhi market is now more than open to experimenting. There exists a great opportunity for Bombay Brasserie with its unique Indian food offering,” adds Nath.