Royal China, Nehru Place: Chinese Par Excellence

Whenever it's about Chinese food in Delhi, Royal China in Nehru Place has consistently been in the top 5 for people. The place makes up for a destination for brilliant Chinese food, and also accommodates all kinds of events and companions. It is one of the most romantic places in the city with a panaromic view to gape at, it makes for a perfect family get together or a friends lunch, and all this is because of the impeccable food here. Because food makes the center of every attraction and that is what attracts people here.

Royal China's unlimited dimsum lunch for a fixed price is one of the most favourable fixed lunch options in the city, because their dimsums are to kill for! A huge array of dimsums, veg and non veg, made with such finesse and perfection. Their Vegetable Crystal Dumplings are a must try even if you're a non vegetarian. And if you like something spicy then do try the Seafood Dumppling with Ginger and Chilli Oil. A burst of flavours from that delicious chilli! Go with the basics like Chicken and Chive, Prawn and Chive if you like to stick to the usuals, and you will be blown away by them too. The dimsums are served with three dipping sauces and each of them complement the dimsums beautifully. I'm personally a fan of the chilli oyster. 

The People & Co., DLF Cyber Hub, Gurgaon

Coming from the same people as Canvas Laugh Club in Mumbai, The People & Co. in Cyber Hub, Gurgaon is a bigger version of Canvas. A restaurant, a bar and a stand-up comedy place, all under one roof, that's what you get in Gurgaon. Spread across a huge space, decor dominated by huge blown up pictures of artists, walls adorned with People & Co. logo, yellow and blue lighting dominating the place, it has a very energetic and fun vibe to it.

Plate is their all-day dining place, Public is the open space and bar, and Canvas is where the stand-up comedy acts take place. I started my evening by having two drinks at Play, Fiery Dawn and Twisted Mule. Both drinks were nice, but I wish the Fiery Dawn had a more chilli flavour in it from the green chilli. We ordered for Greek Feta and Baby Spinach Phyllo Rolls and Crispy Prawns in Burnt Garlic Butter. The Phyllo Rolls were made with excellent technique- the phyllo pastry was so thin and flaky! The stuffing of spinach and feta too was superb in taste. But the prawns were really bland. Dipping them in the butter garlic dip on the side was some solace but it wasn't as nice. We then took our food and drinks and moved to Canvas, where the stand-up acts happen. Canvas is made in a theatre-style seating, with the front portion of the hall made in a semi dining format. The seating of the dining place also face the stage, but they have tables between the chairs to accommodate food and drinks for people watching the show. You can order things before the show begins and the server gets it for you there, and you can then also order things during the show but be sensitive to the others watching the show and try not to disturb them. A service which isn't there in Canvas Mumbai and really takes into account the needs of its customers. An amazing show that almost made me fall off my chair. Delhi hardly has any places that focus on entertainment along with food and drinks, and what's better than having comedy treat your senses and please you. A must must go to place, Canvas!

While the show was on I ordered for Thai Chicken Dumpling with God's Very Own cocktail. Thai Chicken Dumpling again had the same issue- delicious and juicy in taste, but the coating of the dimsum was stuck to the bottom and came off the instant I tried to pick it up. Quite messy to it, and with all that coating falling off, it was no longer even a dimsum for me. God's Very Own was a white rum based cocktail with kokum, kaffir lime and lime juice. The drink was so sweet that I had to get it changed twice till it became somewhat fine. Also had to get more kaffir lime added as I couldn't taste any flavour of it in the drink.

Once the show got over we headed to Plate and ordered for drinks- 12 O'Clock, Sangria and Hybrid Theory. 12 O'Clock was a coriander liqueur based drink. A different drink with coriander in the raw form too. Their Red Wine Sangria was too potent and delicious in taste. For someone who likes their sangria strong, if you're visiting People & Co., you must give the sangria a try. Another different drink was Hybrid Theory with an apple liqueur in the base. The description said the liqueur was aromatic, and it really was. Quite a potent drink, this one too. For mains we had Lamb Galouti and Pasta in Pink Sauce with chicken. The Lamb Galouti was good in taste, but both the galouti and the mini ulte tawa ka parantha it came on were extremely oily. So oily that I could taste the oil in every bite. The texture was nice, the taste was nice, but the excessive oil content ruined it all. Pasta here is that one dish that I would definitely order again! A delightful pasta with a thick well-balanced sauce oozing saltiness and sweetness, creaminess and tanginess. 

The staff was really courteous, the place is really well made, the vibe is enjoyable and lovely, but they have a lot to work on for the food and drinks. Canvas really really deserves a visit. Not one in fact, it deserves several visits. Entertainment at its best!

Timings: 12 Noon to 12 Midnight
Contact: 0124 4141000, +91 7042913733
Address: Premises no. 5, Building 8, Tower B (Ground floor)
Disclaimer: The review was done on an invitation from the restaurant. All views expressed are unbiased in nature but readers are advised to exercise their own discretion.

Connect with me on:
Twitter: @sahibagursahane
Instagram: @thetastingfork
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thetastingfork 
Snapchat: @thetastingfork
Roposo: www.roposo.com/@thetastingfork

The Phenomenal Winter Brunch at K3, JW Marriott New Delhi

A Winter Brunch that stands unparalelled for me. Yes, that's right, I'm yet to experience a better winter brunch in Delhi NCR than the one K3 at JW Marriott Aerocity does. Live grills, multi-cuisine, fresh off the pan delicacies, steaming food on the shelves, puchkas with vodka, and bubbly/wine/cocktails to lift your spirits up. What more do you ask of a place on a lazy lavish Sunday?

Started off with salads and cold cuts. Seafood salads, fresh Caesar Salad tossed and mixed for you, a well-balanced Thai Chicken Salad, a wide array of cold cuts to cheese from, a cheese platter for nibbling on. Hummus, baba ganoush and tzatziki, fresh pita bread, dips and waldorf salad, carpaccio and lamb salad, grilled chicken salad, cold cuts of numerous kinds, variants of dips to go with them. Superb variety to choose from!

New In Town: Thai House by Kylin taking the city by storm!

The brainchild of Chef Nikkhil Kanwar and Saurabh Khanijo, Thai House by Kylin located in GK 1 N Block is the latest entrant in the food scene in Delhi, and one that completely devotes its entire menu to Thai food. It introduces the people of Delhi to Thai food that's more than just Thai curries, Chicken Satay, and a few salads, and does so extremely extremely well! The restaurant that comes from the makers of Kylin in Vasant Kunj is here to stay and please all.

The place is spread across two floors, and has both outdoor and indoor seating. Comfortable sofas and chairs with lamps hanging on each table, yellow lighting dominating the scene and a decently sized place. The second floor of the restaurant is the terrace area. Beautiful and simply perfect for Delhi winters!

While we were waiting for our food we were served rice crackers to nibble on. I then started my meal with a soup- Mixed Seafood Coconut Soup. Light, very aromatic, a lot of different kind of seafood, and hardcore delicious. Do not miss this one! Followed this with Crab Cakes and Corn Patties which were similar in look and texture but different with the flavour. Served with a spicy tomato dip that was lent its sour taste to the appetizer. Minced Chicken Spicy Salad was made of very fine bits of chicken with onions, zucchini and some greens, and a slight chilli punch to it. A very refreshing salad- totally loved it! 

Robert Giraud Wines come to India with Lake Forest Wines

Lake Forest Wines brings to its portfolio a new set of wines- Robert Giraud Wines! Lake Forest Wines is very well known in India for the various wines it markets and sells, and to add to its existing brilliant collection, you have Robert Giraud Wines bringing you a wide range of both red and white wines.

Made In Punjab comes to DLF Mall of India, Noida!

Opened in the newest and the most buzzing mall of Noida, DLF Mall of India, Made In Punjab is arguably the most popular Indian restaurant in that mall now. A preferred choice for people who are looking to have delicious Indian food with a twist, having a buffet for both lunch and dinner along with ala carte only adds to their popularity.

A huge restaurant space with a high ceiling, glass work everywhere, buffet counters in an elevated space, and comfortable sofa seating with cushioned chairs too, Made In Punjab is spot on with their interiors.

Travel: Weekend Getaway at The Lalit Mangar, Faridabad

Set amidst the Aravalli range of Faridabad, Lalit Mangar is Lalit Hotel's latest property to be launched in India. A destination for calm and relaxation, only a few couple of kilometres away from Delhi, you can't imagine a beauty like this can be so close to Delhi. 20 minutes from Chhatarpur and an hour away from the farthest points of Delhi, Lalit Mangar is set inside the Mangar village of Faridabad.

A sprawling beautiful property with 34 rooms, each with its own balcony with a clear view of the Aravallis, a restaurant and a bar to fulfill all your food and drinks needs, a spa like no other to treat you of your ailments, and a very quiet and peaceful vibe make Lalit Mangar one of the most desirable weekend getaway destinations from Delhi and the neighbouring areas. The road to the hotel is perfect, the drive is so picturesque, and the grandeur of the hotel really sets your expectations high for the rest of your stay. The hotel is built from high to low, so as you keep on walking from the entrance of the hotel towards the end of the property, it's a downhill, right into the valley. Rooms have been built in a straight line from high to low, and in parallel lines one after the other. All the rooms have their balconies on the same side- facing the Aravalli range, so all of them have an amazing view to themselves. And the rooms have been built so strategically that no room's view of the Aravallis is blocked by the room that's in front of it.

Food and Experiences at Suryagarh, Jaisalmer

Suryagarh doesn’t give you meals, dishes or food items, it gives you experiences, memories and treasures. Food and experiences play a major role during your stay here, and that’s one of the major factors that make Suryagarh stand out as a hotel. It’s not even funny how I can recall every single minute of my time here during those four lovely days, and how I remember every single meal of mine so distinctly. Maybe that’s the reason I still go around recommending Suryagarh to any and everyone I come across who wants to go out for a holiday/mini vacation. Read about the rooms at Suryagarh and the hotel in another post here.

Signature Thali and cocktails at Draksh

My first night at Suryagarh saw cocktails and dinner in their bar, called Draksh. Tables lit up with small candles, cutlery set up in the most royal way, for a Suryagarh Thali experience. Started off by getting some drinks from the bar and enjoying our appetizers- Dahi Ke Kebab and Pathar Kutta Gosht. The Dahi Kebab was coated with sago and was very crisp. But the Pathar Kutta Gosht was the winner for me. Hand pounded goat meat coated in a thick gravy masala consisting of strong aromatic flavours of cardamom and cinnamon, served with three accompaniments- walnut chutney, garlic chutney and ker pickle. Ker, a specialty of Rajasthan had a nice sour tinge to it, but the rich walnut chutney was my favourite pick. Came in such cute little cutlery! 

Review: Tata Sampann Masale

Tata has recently launched a wide range of such masalas, called the Tata Sampann Masale range. Recently tried a couple of these, ranging from coriander powder, turmeric powder and red chilli powder to Punjabi Chhole Masala, Paneer Masala and even Chicken Masala. The former lot are the typical spices that you put into your food, and the latter is what is the essence of the dish. These spices are available in 100 grams packets, and also in 5 sachets of 20 grams each, packed into one box. The strong point of Tata Sampann masale is the supply of high nutritional value of daily foods that Indian households include in their meals. The spices have essential oils in them and the aroma and flavour in them is completely undiluted, something that's not seen in most spices. They're natural and healthy, enabling people to consume wholesome healthy food.

I tried their Punjabi Chhole Masala for lunch last weekend and all I had to do was boil the chhole, and follow the instructions given at the back of the packet. I had to do nothing more and nothing less. Added a little red chilli even though that wasn't mentioned at the back of the packet, but I like my food slightly spicy and thought the addition would be nice for me. Perfectly delicious Punjabi Chhole were served for lunch with hot fluffy saunf ki poori for lunch. The chhole didn't look like they weren't made from scratch using a perfect blend of all the masalas.The gravy was slightly thick and mostly watery, with a good consistency mixed with the chhole. Could be relished with any kind of bread, like a kulcha or a parantha, and the chhole would make their taste come out so well with everything they're paired.