RESTAURANT REVIEW: THE COLONY BISTRO, KAILASH COLONY

For a quick bite in Kailash Colony

 

I understand this Colony Bistro is a branch of the Colony Bistro at Amar Colony. I've never been to the original but this tiny offshoot is a sweet place to catch a bite if you're in the neighborhood. There's no real reason to go to the Colony Bistro considering Kailash Colony Market also has Big Chill which tends to monopolize the Italian/Continental food supply of Delhi. The market has lots of other more established eating options as well and the Colony Bistro isn't going to be awarded break out restaurant of the year but it's cute, new, pleasant and worth a try.

Looks Like

This place is adorable, there are 8 chairs in total though I doubt more than 5 full grown adults could squeeze in at a time. It's clean and cheerful but I can't think of more to write about a space the size of a king sized bed.

Tastes Like

I walked in time for brunch and ordered the Eggs Benedict (English Muffin with Poached Eggs, Bacon and Hollandaise Sauce). The English muffin was unexpectedly sweet (might have been an actual muffin) and the hollandaise goopy - the kind of quality you'd expect from a good home chef. The technical details might need to be sorted out but in broad strokes the food is tasty. The same goes for the lemonade and the Millionaire Brownie Shake which reminded me of a shake my brother and I used to make out of milk, Toblerone, Kit Kat bars and ice cream.

Also available are sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and pasta.

Feels Like

Service isn't particularly quick - the guys are bumbling but earnest.

 

INCREDIBLE IDIA AND A BOWL OF PEA SOUP

 

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”

― Martin Luther King Jr.  

 

The idea of IDIA (Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access) was started by Shamnad Basheer (ex-Professor of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS)) as a movement to eliminate inequities in access to higher education. Statistics show there's a shocking dearth of diversity amongst the students clearing entrance tests for most national law universities, the IDIA team was set up to help change these statistics. Their main aim is to provide access to resources required to crack the CLAT to students from marginalized communities and regions, who wouldn't be able to get through the exam otherwise.

 

Local IDIA Chapters have been set up across the country which have started an intensive training programme for students who are interested in pursuing law as a career. IDIA also selects students for the training program through its exam called IDIA National Aptitude Test which is held every year in several centres across the country. Contact Diptoshree Basu (INAT Coordinator) at dbasu3@gmail.com to find out how you can contribute, that is through donations, volunteering or maybe even mentoring some of the students that IDIA is trying to help.

 

 

I thought an appropriate pairing for the inspiring work being done by IDIA was this nourishing but simple Pea Soup - they're both good for you and good for your soul.

 

Serves 2

 

Recipe Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

What you’ll need:

 

1 cup shelled peas

 

2 onions (sliced)

 

2.5 cups vegetable stock

Note: I usually melt Maggi cubes into hot water for this but I’ve heard they may contain MSG. Explore other brands of stock cubes to find one you like.

2 tbsp olive oil

 

1 tsp salt

 

1 lemon (juiced)

 

Red chilli powder to taste

 

Oregano/Thyme/ Rosemary/ Parsley or whatever seasoning you prefer

 

 

How to:

 

1. Pop olive oil into the container you’ll be using. Heat the oil a bit and then add the onions, stir while they soften and caramelize.

 

2. Add the peas and stir till soft. Add the stock and the rest of the ingredients (except the lemon juice) and let cook for about 15 – 20 mins.

 

3. Puree the mix and check the seasoning. Adjust as per taste.

 

4. Add a squirt or two of lemon juice and serve.  



RESTAURANT REVIEW: AL BAKE, NEW FRIENDS COLONY MARKET

For the wackiest shawarma (and the honey chilli potato)

 

I don’t know of any other eatery that's so popular for just one dish. One singular snack is Al Bake’s hallmark. The Chicken Shawarma. Unlike other shawarmas the rolls here are slender, cut into tiny bites and made of a thin romali roti stuffed with spicy chicken mince. The unexpected accompaniment to this oddball interpretation of a shawarma is a generous dollop of creamy mayonnaise manufactured in-house. It doesn’t sound like much until you order it and realize you’ve inhaled a couple of rolls without bothering with niceties like chewing or breathing. These hot off the pan chicken parcels make for a satisfyingly soft, spicy bite. If you’re vegetarian, you can bask in the golden glory of Al Bake’s Honey Chilli Potatoes – crispy, sweet, spicy, and perfect. Forget Lays, and their idiotic new flavors, the phrase no one can eat just one fits Al Bake far better. They've got "Manchurian" and "Mughlai" on their menu but their hottest seller is the shawarma.

 

 

 The place has no décor – it’s just a bunch of tables and chairs which in itself isn’t a problem but NFC Market is filthy so I wouldn’t blame you if you just wanted to order these in. They don’t store very well though so make sure you get them in your mouth asap. This won't be hard.

PRODUCT REVIEW: WINGREENS DIPS

The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.

- Oscar Wilde

 

 

Chips and dip are the easiest snack in the world but sometimes there isn't even enough time to mix hung curd and condiments. My quest for readymade dips led me to Wingreens which seemed readily available in grocery stores. On doing some reading I discovered that Wingreens is run by the Women's Initiative Network which works to empower women through training and sustainable employment in the agricultural sector. WIN also works on the conservation of water resources and on improving soil quality by helping farmers with drip irrigation, composting, water harvesting which also helps increase agricultural productivity.

Their products include fresh produce, potted herb plants (like fresh oregano, thyme, mint etc) and freshly dried herbs and spices. My favorites though are their dips. The Tomato Salsa, Rosemary Hummus and Garlic Dip are flavorful and punchy. The Basil Pesto, Dill Tzatziki I found oily and a little bland. Check out their website for more details (http://www.wingreens.in/).

RESTAURANT RIP OFF: BIG CHILL'S PEAR, WALNUT, BLUE CHEESE AND SUN DRIED TOMATO SALAD

If you're afraid of butter use cream.

- Julia Child

So far I've banged on and on about the value of having an outlet and the joy that having a hobby adds to our stressed, hyper extended lives. You can read about it along with a recipe for Moroccan Cauliflower and Almond Soup here. I stand by what I've said but I suppose nothing's ever that simple. Over the last two years, a lot of people have come up to me and said kind things about this silly little blog and each little pat on the back is exciting and motivates me to keep cooking, writing and posting. There's also been a lot of sarcasm and judgment that I still don't completely understand.
 
I've been accused of being anti-feminist for choosing to write about food. I've been congratulated on coming up with such a clever way of appearing eligible. Some snidely decide for me that this is a foundation an alternate career despite the fact that I've put 5 years of my sweat and tears into being a corporate lawyer. Not much sweat (we have very effective central air-conditioning in my office) but there have been instances where of sobbing into a set of board resolutions but that's another post.
 
I was initially surprised that an amateur blog with a recipe a week (at best) can generate so much negativity. There are two kinds of snarks - the first who need to believe that every effort has an elaborate concealed agenda behind it. And that the agenda is to somehow belittle them. And the other who is frightened into a reflexive state of defensive contempt at the tiniest expression of individualism.
 
I have a job and I have hobbies too. Sometimes I work very hard to get it all together. Sometimes (like this week) I get absolutely nothing done and sleep at 7:30 pm. Let's all cut each other some slack.  
 
I'm celebrating my first angry post with a recipe for this simple but AMAZING salad I always order when I go to Big Chill. When I realized I had blue cheese at home, I realized it was really easy to recreate at home!
 

 

Serves 2

Adapted from Big Chill Cafe

What you’ll need: 

Handful of Lettuce leaves (torn into shreds)

2 pears (chopped into bite size pieces)

2 -3 tbsp of blue cheese (or as much as you can handle – I put way more into my salad)
2 -3 tbsp of sundried tomatoes (sliced into slivers)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar (I used white but you can use whatever you have on hand. The darker the vinegar, the tangier and more pungent it is so if youre using apple cider vinegar or something like that you may want to try a smaller quantity first)
Salt to taste
Handful of walnuts (chopped roughly)
1 lemon (juiced)

How to:

 

1. Combine the lettuce, pears, blue cheese, tomatoes and walnuts in a salad bowl.

2. In a small bowl add the vinegar, lime juice, olive oil and salt. Mix well.

3. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, check the seasoning, adjust it if you need to and serve immediately.

TAKEOUT REVIEW: ZAFFIRO KITCHEN

The ladies behind the restaurant Zaffiro have moved out and started Zaffiro Kitchen, a weekday lunch service.

 

The Food

 

Unlike other delivery services Zaffiro has a set menu (serving vegetarian and non vegetarian versions of each dish) for the week. I tried Monday's Exotic Mexican Burrito Wrap (vegetarian) and Friday's Zaffiro Special Triple Decker Club Sandwich (with chicken and egg). The Burrito Wrap is generously filled with refried beans, sour cream and tomato relish, a rich and creamy mix nicely wrapped in soft tortilla though just a little bit bland. The Club Sandwich is a whopper, three layers of sandwich bread bursting with grilled vegetables, chicken and egg cut into quarters. The meals, though just one item are portioned to make for a satisfying lunch.

 

They've recently expanded the menu to include fun sandwiches (I love the Tuna and Peppers, Rosemary Potato and the Classic Club) and some very summer appropriate salads (<3 the Greek Style Yoghurt with Macerated Fruits, Dry Fruits and Muesli). 

 

 

Packing and Paraphernalia

 

The food comes neatly packed in a pleasant brown cardboard box. Since deliveries here are geared towards providing working lunches for office goers in the Okhla area I wish they'd provide condiments - ketchup/mustard/salt/pepper and a few paper napkins would have been very helpful.

 

The only hiccup is that the food takes a while to arrive and my office is not more than 15 minutes away. Unfortunately a working lunch is rarely so flexible that it can be rescheduled for an hour later and each time I've ordered from Zaffiro Kitchen I've had to eat at my desk.

 

Zaffiro's food isn't bad at all and the quality of the ingredients stands out but they need to fix their delivery logistics if they want more customers.