It was midnight and I was craving for a hot parantha, so I went to my favourite joint under the Moolchand flyover. While having the hot parantha with butter, I saw a small boutique property Park Inn by Radisson Hotel bang opposite. Being curious I walked towards it and had a glimpse of the hotel and saw it had a beautiful outdoor seating restaurant named Anticlock.
I made a mental note of visiting Anticlock, and was there for dinner the next Saturday. Anticlock is a casual dining area with beautiful outdoor seating serving food from all the regions of the country.
It is named Anticlock as it transports you to your childhood and serves food to which you can relate to.
The Chef in charge is Sushmit Daniels, a veteran in the field. Being a master of his craft, I was sure to have a great meal. I started with a Pulled Kathal Taco, which was basically jackfruit cooked in some aromatic Indian spices and filled in a taco made with makka di roti — interesting pairing which complimented each other and had balanced flavours, though I felt that the taco was a bit soggy.
Sukha Mutton Ghee roast served on top of a small bite sized warqi parantha was a delight. Perfectly roasted in clarified butter with subtle southern spices, mutton was worth every bite. Before the main course, the chef served me a simple jhal muri, the taste of which kept on lingering throughout my meal.
The only disappointment for me was the Nawabi Seekh whereas a recipe once the seekh was ready, the chef had tossed it in butter or cream which just overpowered the flavours of the meat. I like my kebabs raw and would have loved them right out of the tandoor without any sauce or butter on top.
For my mains, I settled with just one dish and it was the Prawn Malai Kari, a typical Kolkota dish cooked in coconut gravy. Paired with steamed rice it was comfort food and much enjoyable than any other fancy creations.
Shahi tukda to end was just the perfect icing on the cake.
Osama jalali
Food Historian and writer