In Delhi, Chanakyapuri is a high-profile area that is replete with foreign embassies, plush five-star hotels and broad avenues. While the diplomatic heart of India primarily invites dignitaries, now it could be a stop-over for the Indian musafir too who can satiate their taste buds dining on a train without boarding it!
A new rail-themed restaurant, Kapasaa, has opened, converting an actual 3,000 kg rail coach into a 55-seater restaurant, offering dishes that are not just named after trains in India but also bring flavours of the places they travel to. TMS visited the restaurant on the tranquil Abai Marg. It chronicled stories of the waste-to-wonder initiative of the Indian Railways through delectable food on the wheels.
Best out of waste
The restaurant nestled along a serene boulevard, offers a refreshing escape from the city’s pollution and bustle. Behind it, the greenery of the Chanakyapuri Railway station add to the themed ambience, lending it an into-the-woods charm. The restaurant features a refurbished coach on an artificial track to resemble a stationary train while its façade resembles a platform. Guests can either choose to sit in al-fresco dining overlooking the green space or be seated in the coach.
Our curiosity took us inside where the interiors were adorned with framed glass hangings chronicling the history of railways with episodic turns; how the Indian Rail network became one of the largest in the world, the monumental launch of the first passenger train in the country that ran from Mumbai to Thane in 1853 to anecdotes related to ‘The Father Of Railways’, George Stephenson, who built several locomotives that could pull both passengers and freight, for the first time, in 1825 in England, showing the viability of railways.
Perched beside curved glass windows, we spoke with Nitin Lochab, general manager, operations, Aroon Food Services Pvt Ltd — the company which built the restaurant. “This is a discarded rail coach that we obtained as part of a government tender. The idea was to convert waste to wonder. The biggest challenge was to lift this coach from Patel Nagar and bring it here which involved lifting with three to four cranes. It took us five months to give it a new lease of life.
We removed the small fans, berths, and folding tables and adorned the interiors with intricate tile work on the walls, floor coverings and leather upholstery. The greenery around the restaurant along with ample parking space adds to its benefit.” Additionally, Sachin Rana, director, Aroon food services pvt Ltd said, “Visitors can enjoy a unique dining experience, reminiscent of train travel, and take memorable selfies outside. The restaurant will be open all seven days of the week, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.”
This restaurant is one of the four envisioned by the Delhi division of the Northern Railway to be converted into train-themed dine-ins to promote waste to wealth generation concept of the railways, announced last year. The first such restaurant opened at the New Delhi Railway Station early this year while spaces were designated for the other three at Anand Vihar, Old Delhi and Chanakyapuri.
Food on track
While the menu serves soups, starters, and main courses as well as beverages that one can find in the pantry of any rail journey, its highlight is dishes named after trains. To begin with, the Shaan-e-Punjab Tikka (`425) named after Shan-e-Punjab Express, which runs between Amritsar and New Delhi, served us the quintessential flavours of Punjab with its soft boneless chicken cooked in a tandoor that had been marinated with spices and mustard oil.
A little more spice, however, could have done no harm! We next opted for the Tomato Soup (`249), one of the most opted for yet simple delicacies of an Indian train journey. Its warm embrace was perfect for a slightly cool November where every sip provided comfort in a bowl along with crispy deep-fried bread cubes.
The main course had Rajdhani Paneer (`395) named after the eponymous train that connects the capital to various states like Goa, Assam and Tamil Nadu. It had the capital’s all-time favourite paneer tossed with onion, capsicum, and bell pepper in a creamy tomato-rich gravy for a scrumptious feast that we paired with Butter Naan (`65). On cue, came the Gatimaan Makhani (`350), a dish named after one of the super-fast trains of India that run between Delhi and Jhansi.
The black lentil dish had a buttery and velvety texture lent by a paste of cashews, tomatoes and cream. One can also go for its other variant, Loco Makhani (`315), which is made in the slow-cooking method. “The name Loco Makhani is derived from the word ‘locomotive’ — the engine of the train that is used for pulling the coaches. The dish has black lentils simmered overnight and cooked with garlic paste, tomato purée, fresh cream and butter for a rich flavour,” says chef
Shageb Beg who is working under executive chef, Sanjay Bhatnagar.
Lochab shares about the diversity in the menu that expands from evergreen munchies like French Fries (`235) and Garlic Bread (`245) to Italian delicacies. “Indian travellers these days are well-exposed to other cuisines and flavours. This is why we have also included pasta and thin-crust pizza such as Margarita Express (`395), BBQ Chicken Pizza (`445), and variants like Paneer Tikka Pizza (`415).”
Soon came the Melange Of Vegetable Pizza (`415). It was loaded with the goodness of farm fresh vegetables like roasted bell pepper, earthy mushroom, crunchy broccoli, onion and briny olives, all generously covered in a luscious blanket of cheese atop a base as thin as a whisper. Our brunch ended on a decadent note with Alfredo Pasta (`399) that put an end to our endless cravings for cheese.
Lochab shares that the restaurant will soon have live counters to pique the interest of visitors. “As winters are coming, we will soon have a live counter preparing seasonal delicacies like Bajre-Ki-Khichadi, Makke Ki Roti,
Sarson Ka Saag and Lahsun Ki Chutney, amongst others,” he adds.