RESTAURANT REVIEW: MI FOOD CENTRE

For amazing kebabs. And that's all that matters.

 

I have a love hate relationship with Meharchand Market. I know the India we inhabit, the one with food blogs, holidays abroad and instagram accounts isn't the one everyone gets but nowhere is that more obvious than at Meharchand. Just a few years ago, the place was overrun by small tailoring units with a semi-slum in the back. The tailoring units are gone. The slum remains. Almost every store opened after I moved to this city and the poverty persists, side by side. Fancy cupcakeries with pretty glass doors that are smudged with the hand prints of street children looking in. Pretentious French restaurants with half naked babies sleeping unattended on the sidewalk in front covered with flies. You can stand on the doorstep of a foofy boutique and actually feel you have each foot on a different planet.  Every time I go back there are fewer tailors and more stores peddling Indian kitsch. The restaurant scene has also really taken off but I'm not fan. Elma's is bizarrely structured, Café 88 is pretty much a total bust, Chez Nini gets mixed reviews and after a bad first impression I haven't ventured back. The only place I liked was Bagel's Café which has now been replaced with something called "Tikka Town." In the middle of this blossoming identity crisis, MI Food Centre stands solid, watching fads fade in and out while serving out super kebabs.

 

 

Looks Like

Nobody here has the patience for frills or frippery - the place is clean and efficient without a single bit or bauble to distract you. This austerity extends to not having any seating space so either stand on the sidewalk or get your kebabs to go.

 

Tastes Like

A friend of mine recently had a facebook status that read "It's blasphemous to diet in Delhi, the city that makes the best aloo paranthas and butter chicken, the city that hosts Nathu's and Karim's." In addition to these temptations the average Delhi-ite must also resist the charms of, amongst others, all day happy hours, kebabs/ rolls, biryani and chole kulche which threaten every minute to destroy any attempt at restraint or dieting. It's no wonder I managed to pile on 10 kilograms within months of moving here.

What can I say about the kebabs, rolls and other meaty joy at MI Food Centre? The meat quality is breathtaking and the cooks clearly know what they're doing. Spiced, juicy, succulent (yes, succulent - what can I do I know the word is overused but it's apt here!) morsels of meat, there isn't a weak link in the menu because this isn't that kind of place. These guys aren't "trying," "experimenting," "having fun with flavors." This is real. This is proof that if you have quality ingredients and know, really intrinsically, deeply, experientially know how to cook them, you don't need gimmicks and logos. Hell you don't even need chairs.

Try the transcendental Mutton Seekh, the inspired Chicken Tikka (with butter - the butter makes this chicken butterier than the butteriest butter chicken you've ever tasted. I swear, don't skip the butter), the skillfully Roasted Chicken or the over the top Changezi Chicken with Khamiri Roti.

 

Feels Like

Standing on the street while hungry customers milled around me, this is one of the more memorable meals I've had in a while. As a food blogger I eat out all the time and I sometimes find myself becoming jaded. It was nice to go back to a place that focused solely on making good food. Clearly (and hearteningly) most people seem to concur, the establishment only opens up in the evenings and people flock there every day. The portions are generous and would make great party snacks.

I love my cafes and bistros but I can't help but feel relics like MI Food Centre, with only their food to speak for them, without slick PR teams and jazzy interiors need more of our love and attention.

 

GUEST POST: MEATLOAF BY RADHIKA AGRAWAL!

“Soon they were all sitting on the rocky ledge, which was still warm, watching the sun go down into the lake. It was the most beautiful evening, with the lake as blue as a cornflower and the sky flecked with rosy clouds. They held their hard-boiled eggs in one hand and a piece of bread and butter in the other, munching happily. There was a dish of salt for everyone to dip their eggs into. ‘I don’t know why, but the meals we have on picnics always taste so much nicer than the ones we have indoors,’ said George.” 

― Enid Blyton, Five Go Off in a Caravan

 

I’m pretty sure most people my age grew up on a steady diet of Enid Blyton books – I certainly did. Whether it was the Magic Faraway Tree, the Wishing Chair, Amelia Jane, or the Famous Five and Secret Seven, and a few years later, Mallory Towers and St. Clare’s, I loved them all. Many years later I learned about how much criticism Enid Blyton and her books had received for supposedly being racist, narrow-minded, classist and sexist.  Keeping those issues aside, however, I think people would agree that Blyton had a knack for making things (yes, especially food) sound completely amazing (even plain old boiled eggs and bread, as in the quote above).  [Also, I’m fairly certain a big part of why I enjoy picnics and cute outdoor-sy restaurants and al-fresco dining in general is because of the descriptions in those books.]

Apart from the regular ol’ jam buns and cucumber or ham sandwiches and lemonade and a few other things which were pretty familiar, a lot of the food in Enid Blyton’s books always sounded oh so exotic to me. Over the years, thanks to pestering my mother to decipher the amazing-sounding dishes, and owing to more stuff being available in India and to travelling, I did manage to try many of those “fascinating” food items, with mixed results – I vaguely remember the disappointment of a 9 year old learning that “Nestlé’s Milk” was just Milkmaid/condensed milk. Sardines were too fishy-smelling, marzipan is quite random, watercress sandwiches are downright gross and treacle tarts, well the ingredients are enough to make a person diabetic. Scones and clotted cream, granted...those are fine. Oh, and I still don’t know how to pronounce Blancmange.

Meatloaf, however, turned out to be a big surprise, in a good way. It’s fairly basic, is super healthy (its meat and vegetables, for the most part) and lasts for a few days in the fridge. Try it!

 

 Recipe by Mum (adapted from a handful of online recipes)

What you’ll need:

750 grams minced meat (we use mutton keema) – if you’re washing the mince, make sure your strain it (you could use a sieve or one of those bowls with small holes at the bottom) and remove the extra moisture.

100 grams breadcrumbs (you can get them at most grocery stores)
1 carrot (minced)
1 cup onion (finely sliced)
1 cup spring onion (minced)
1 sprig of celery, chopped
2 beaten eggs
2 tsp garlic paste (or some minced garlic)
2 tbsp ginger (minced)
2 tbsp butter 3 tbsp fresh herbs – parsley or rosemary or both (minced)
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper (white and black pepper, both, if available)

Note: For mincing the vegetables, ideally use a food processer or vegetable chopper. Otherwise, chop until you get the smallest pieces possible.

For the Topping sauce (optional, but recommended)

5 tbsp ketchup

2 tsp mustard sauce
2 tbsp vinegar
¼ tsp chilli powder
Lime juice, salt and pepper to taste

How to:

1. Preheat your oven to about 200 degrees C.

2. In a pan melt the butter on medium heat until foamy, and brown the sliced onions. Add the celery, spring onions, carrot, ginger, garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, use your hands (there’s really no other way) to mix the meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, herbs and the vegetable mix from the previous step.

4. Season with the salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. At home, we usually also add some chopped up jalapenos and some mustard sauce (obviously, it isn’t recommended that you taste the raw meat to check if its seasoned properly – just sort of dab a finger on the mix and taste).

5. Press the mixture down into a loaf tin (or two) (or even any baking dish should do) and bake for 30 minutes at 200 degrees.  (Note: Unlike cakes, which rise, the meatloaf actually settles down in height once its baked so don’t worry about how much you fill in).

 

6. Topping sauce: Adding this is recommended because it adds a whole lot of sweet and spicy flavour to the loaf. Mix the ingredients together to make a sauce. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and spread over the top. Stick it back in the oven for another 15 minutes or so.

7. Slice, and serve, either hot or cold.

 

RESTAURANT REVIEW: CAFE LOTA

For celebrating a great idea

 

It's been about a month and a half since I've witnessed pleasant weather in Delhi so when it rained recently I ran out of the door before the humidity had a chance to catch up. Airy, semi-open Café Lota is the perfect spot to enjoy a good weather day in the capital.

 

 

Looks Like

Refreshingly minimalistic, the space is demarcated by jute screens and houses little more than simple tables and chairs with the occasional terracotta knick knack. Set up outside the National Crafts Museum, the café is a favorite of design students doing research and lawyers who loiter after court. Adjoining the space is the charming museum gift shop. While the nets of jute offer playful peeks of sunlight during the winter, they can't hold off the blazing summer sun and so go only when the weather cooperates.

 

 

Tastes Like

I'd heard great things about Lota but wasn't prepared for how much individual character the menu has. Indian classics are reinterpreted in playful and unexpected ways - the dishes reminiscent of the inventiveness of Indian Accent at a tenth of the price.

I loved the Palak Patta Chaat (Crispy Spinach Leaves, Potatoes and Chick Peas topped with spiced Yoghurt and Chutneys). I was expecting a Papdi Chaat with spinach and was totally fascinated by the batter fried spinach leaves that paired perfectly with the cool yoghurt mix. Also amazing are the Mini Rava Idlis (Molgapodi), which is basically a dozen mini idlis tossed with pungent, orange molgapodi and served with coconut chutney. Highly recommended and a priority on my wishlist for my next visit is the Beetroot Chop with Cream Cheese.

 

The mains were impossibly hard to choose, all the options looked so good and I eventually settled on the Parsi Salli Boti (Boneless Goat in a Sweet and Sour Tomato based Gravy topped with Potato Straws). The curry was appropriately rich with a generous helping of crispy fried potato. Whilst usually served with parathas, I preferred pairing the curry with appam to add more tang to the otherwise mild Boti.

 

If you have a sweet tooth, don't skip dessert. I really liked (and my companion nearly passed out over) the Bhapa Doi Cheesecake (Sweetened Steamed Yoghurt on a Crunchy Biscuit Base topped with Almonds and Pistachios). If you're not up for a whole meal stop by for a Bel Sherbet or a cup of a single estate artisanal coffees or a sport of a single estate specialty tea.

 

 

Feels Like

 

In my head Café Lota is a cross between the laid back charm and prices of Gunpowder at its best and the whimsy and imagination of the food at Indian Accent. Considering the phenomenal success the café's enjoyed I hope the appropriate authorities get their act together and start equivalent cafés at the other lovely museums we have in Delhi.  

 

 

PRODUCT REVIEW: DIVIN-E-LICIOUS CUPCAKES

I'm a huge fan of the good work being done by the lovely sisters behind Divin-e-licious, Gayatri and Anushka Kakkar. They're an embodiment of my favorite modern fairy tale, both sisters fought off the siren song of filthy lucre to pursue their gourmand dreams and made a huge success of it. The princesses then lived happily ever after pursuing a lifetime of successful entrepreneurship.

 I'm not the biggest cupcake fan so I was really excited to hear they had decided to push the baking envelope and expand their menu to include a variety of mini jar cakes. Each eggless cake is baked into a little jar dripping in pearls and packed into a gorgeous floral box just in time for the festive season.

I tore through the classic chocolate, licked the jar of chocolate ganache clean and wept with joy over the red velvet. My personal favorite though was the chocolate nougat which made me feel like my mouth was surfing through waves of impossibly rich chocolate interspersed with perfect, little bursts of nougat-y crunch.

  

Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Divin.e.licious.cupcakes

Contact: 9811961572

i-PROBONO AND A NUTELLA CAPPUCCINO

“While we do our good works let us not forget that the real solution lies in a world in which charity will have become unnecessary.”
― Chinua Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah

 

I know a lot of corporate lawyers who are looking for a chance to help out but aren't sure where to start. i-Probono is a great way to dip your toes into the pro bono world.

"i-Probono is a non-profit online network connecting organisations in need of legal assistance with lawyers and students who want to use their legal skills for the public good. The network's global outreach enables people to engage in projects from around the world and allows organisations to source assistance across jurisdictions. This is the first website of its kind for the international pro bono community, bringing people and projects together to give organisations the support they need and volunteers the experience they want. Organisations working for the public good, such as charities, social enterprises, NGOs and advocacy groups often need help with legal matters, but legal expertise is an expensive resource that often requires pro bono assistance." (From the i-Probono website).

The process is simple, just sign up and create a profile setting out your practice areas/ areas of expertise and they'll match you up with organizations that require your services. Check out their website here (http://www.i-probono.com/).

The perfect start to any work day, pro bono or billable, is this decadent chocolate-coffee blended Nutella Cappuccino.  
 

Serves 2

Recipe adapted from Alyssa and Carla

 

What you’ll need:

2 cups of milk

3 -4 tbsp Nutella (put more in if you like)
½ tbsp espresso powder (or more if you want it stronger)

 How to:

1. Pop milk into a saucepan and let it simmer.

2. Pour milk into a blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend. Pour most of the drink into cups.  

3. Blend the remaining milk at high to froth it up and top up your mugs with the froth.

 

PRODUCT REVIEW: COCOATEASE - CHOCOLATES AND CAKES

 

I don't know how to recommend these guys - I realize their website is desperately amateur and their facebook page is largely neglected but the chocolates they make are divine. This is not like every other plug for home made chocolates that proliferate lifestyle magazines and blogs these days. My favorites are the Dark English Chocolate, two layers of milk chocolate with a crispy, praline filling, studded all over with chunks of almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts and the equally perfect White English Chocolate and I'm not even a fan of white chocolate.

These guys do a lot of corporate gifting and I first came across their confections last Diwali when I ate through half a box. They're a little tough to get a hold of but if you're overwhelmed by the crazy number of advertisements for chocolatiers these days, try Cocoa Tease. They are, in fact, incredible.

Try their website here (http://www.cocoatease.com/chocolates.php) or facebook page here (https://www.facebook.com/cocoatease).

RESTAURANT REVIEW: FLYING SAUCER CAFE, NEHRU PLACE

For masochists

 



Non-Veg Messy Platter

The Flying Saucer Café reminded me how naïve I am, bumbling about in the big, bad blogosphere writing honest restaurant reviews. My colleagues and I rather trustingly relied on Zomato's superlative score and headed over for an office lunch only to come away wondering whether the gushing praise on the site was meant to be biting sarcasm. Just to give you context for the rest of my review, as on 12 December 2013, the Flying Saucer Café was ranked the #1 restaurant in Delhi NCR with a rating of 3.9 on the basis of 284 votes.

 

Looks Like

 

Occupying a ginormous hall in Epicuria Mall, the Flying Saucer Café has a lot of space at its disposal which it doesn't use to any interesting effect. While it's pleasant enough, it seemed not quite complete. Also, I can't figure out what the name has to do with anything at all.

 

The wooden furniture and floral upholstery, the cutesy branding and the How I Met Your Mother references on the coasters are all sweet enough on their own but incomprehensible put together. Considering the incredible aesthetics even mid-range restaurants in Delhi display these days, the Flying Saucer Café's efforts are, in comparison, quite unimpressive.



Assorted Boo-shetta.

Tastes Like

 

If you don't have much time, my review in short is, avoid this place like you would a swarm of dengue transmitting mosquitoes. For more details continue to read below:

 

I want to make it really clear that this place isn't mediocre and overpriced or suffering through a couple of teething issues. No, this place is truly terrible and nothing short of razing it down and starting over will help.

 

The menu reads like an encyclopedia of world cuisine with a leaning towards generic continental and Italian. The Non Vegetarian Mezze Platter was standard but the kebabs cold and the portion of each dip tiny. The Assorted Bruschetta Mini Platter was imminently instagrammable but the beginning of the long, sharp drop downhill. It was meant to be topped with tomatoes and mushrooms and other lovely things but the result was a picture perfect mess. The Spicy Prawn Pasta was just a middling arrabiatta with a little bit of shrimp thrown in.

 

The crowning disgrace though was the Chicken Cacciatore (Chargrilled Chicken with Tomato Risotto, served with Bacon and Mushroom Sauce) which came highly recommended by the waiters. The chicken was still raw (which the waiters explained was because Italians eat their chicken al dente), languishing on a pile of risotto with the consistency of congealed pus.

 

 

After that debacle nobody had the appetite for dessert.

 

Feels Like

 

Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse, of course it did. The service which has been slow and shoddy through the entire meal finally collapsed under the strain of having to process our bill. Chaos ensued while trying to calculate the price of the number of dishes consumed and deducting the sum of the number of dishes returned and the number of dishes that never showed up and finally dividing the amount equally between multiple cards. The manager had to be called in and he promptly decided this breakdown was our fault.

 

The Flying Saucer Café was a shockingly bad experience. What I can't get over is all the reviews and publicity this place has managed to buy. If I was a tourist relying on the usual round up of food blogs, magazines and newspapers I would have no idea of knowing what a waste of time the restaurant was! And that's pretty scary - that I don't actually have a single resource for restaurants that I can really trust, not for a dearth of publications or writing but because they're clearly all on sale.  

FANTASTIC FRIENDICOES AND AN UNEXPECTED STRAWBERRY SALAD

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”
― John Bunyan

Friendicoes began in 1979 in a tiny room with a curtain for a fourth wall, no electricity or water. Within a week they had 27 dogs and 12 cats in residence. Today, the city shelter is triple its original size and they have a country sanctuary to house animals who need lifetime care while also running 4 spay / neuter clinics to help control the stray dog population in Delhi and Gurgaon. There are ambulances on call for emergencies, a hospital for strays in Delhi, a well-equipped clinic /path lab for pets and a mobile equine clinic for working horses and donkeys. They also look after and find homes for abandoned and rescued animals.

All of this adds up to a ton of work to help out the animals that we often forget we share this city with and these guys can use all the help we can give them. Along with fundraising events, you can check out their website (http://www.friendicoes.org/ or their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/friendicoesindia ) and volunteer, foster, adopt or sponsor an animal. Also helpful would be fundraising activities or donation drives (for old newspapers, furniture, mattresses, wheat and dal) to help this incredible cause. Just because your schedule or lifestyle doesn’t allow you to keep a pet doesn’t mean you can’t help make a four legged furry out there really happy.

Happiness like the best food is usually just that simple. This super simple strawberry salad, is an explosion of happy tastes, sweet, salt, tart and peppery.

Serves 1

Recipe adapted from Good Food Magazine

 

What you’ll need:

 Handful of strawberries (chopped into bits)

Salt
Pepper
Juice of one lemon

How to:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Serve chilled.