Grub House, a restaurant that launched some time back in Rajouri Garden, was put together in a bid to do something different—not based on market standard’s only, but also by the restaurant’s own threshold. Introduced by the Gola Group that owns the famous Gola Sizzlers’ restaurants all over Delhi, Grub House came into the picture to offer an experience that would be completely different from its famous cousin. Even though, people walk into Grub House expecting sizzlers on the menu, considering that’s the popular selling item of the chain, Rajat Kapoor, its owner, decided against the idea of serving the same. Grub House wouldn’t ape Gola Sizzlers, he told himself.
As Kapoor set out to put the design of the cafe together, he thought of it as a casual place that would offer a little bit of everything. “Gola’s strategy was to focus on one particular cuisine—Indian, especially sizzlers and they made it the best place to get them. Here, however, the idea is to not focus on any one thing in particular, but make the restaurant a place for multi-cuisine choices that find acceptance with a larger spectrum of guests,” says Kapoor.
Grub House is a three-floor establishment with the ground floor turned into a cafe, the first floor’s dedicated to a dining facility, while the second floor is a lounge. A little bit of all kinds of decoratives comprise the interiors. Miniature motorcycles, gramophones and more, smartly quoted cushions, rows of kitchen jars filled with Indian spices, pillars doubling up as wine stacks and contrasting upholstery, helps in making the restaurant look sprightly and well structured.
While your eyes feast on the visual ornamentation, your taste goblets can feed on the choices galore in the menu. As you leaf through it to make your choice, stop on the page that mentions the chaats, for they are worth a try. Murg Salli Ke Chaat, Charred Chicken Tikka with Aloo ke salli, Kalmibade and Keema ke Chaat, Shami Kebab Papdi Chaat and others are worth a consideration. Besides that, Glass Noodle Salad and Harissa Prawns too are worth a try. “During the many tastings with the chef, I would always tell him to not become too experimental. We wanted to put together a menu that would read and taste different, but not so much that it becomes unappetising for our customers,” says the owner.
The price here is comparable with other dining houses. Afterall, securing guests to keep the business profitable is challenging in a market where multiple restaurants operate to survive. For Grub House, however, being an off-shoot of an established brand, is an advantage. But, that doesn’t eliminate competition, so, this new baby must follow its familie’s footsteps unwaveringly to garner continued patronship.