Having embarked on a coastal voyage a few years ago, Akshay Kakkar’s explorations once took him to the land of saints and scholars, Ireland. His eyes wandered prudently in the direction of the myriad churches and monastic houses, but his memory most played out the experiences he had at some of the gastronomic havens the island had to offer. A few of them were Cornucopia and the Green House Restaurant. Butler house, a newly launched restaurant by him in Punjabi Bagh, is inspired a lot from the Irish world. It comes as a reflection of his impressions that he carried approximately 7,185 kms back to Delhi, especially of some of the butlers at these restaurants, who were not only suave and charming but also very knowledgeable, Kakkar shares with us.
The restaurant certainly carries every bit of the ebullience one finds in Irish bars. “Those are the pubs where they don’t only serve food and drinks but also extend you warmth and affection in plenty. They have good interiors, warm lights and big bar areas—things I made sure to include when I decided to launch my own,” says Kakkar, adding, “The other feature at the restaurants in Ireland boast is the friendliness quotient that the staff extends. It really helps when the staff is happy. That’s been ensured at Butler House.”
While the decor and service live up to the Irish hospitality, what is surprising here is that while Butler House presents a multi-cuisine extravaganza, it fails to offer some of the quintessential Irish cuisine, including Irish stew, colcannon, boxty, coddle, nor the much-loved dark beer called stout. “We will soon have stout beer in stock, and we’re also working on the food items, but since we’ve just launched, we thought it would be better to focus on Indian food sensibilities.”
Spread out in abundance is a global spread that includes salads, soups, small eats, dim sums, burgers, wraps, meals in a bowl, pastas, pizzas, European mains, oriental mains and more. Must-try dishes, according to Kakkar, are Murgh Safeda, Mumbai Merijaan bhel, Ludhianvi Lemon Pepper Chicken, Prawn Bird Eye Chilli Sui Mai, Masala Oats Vegetables, Mama noodles with assorted Mushrooms and Chinese Greens, Onion Capers and Green Chilies Sauce and tofu.
Whether the multi-cuisine smorgasbord justifies the lack of Irish food signatures in the menu stills remains to be seen, but a promising sign is the number of visitors streaming in to savour a new dining experience. Hope it turns out to be a success story.