Stuff about Delhi, malls, metro, eateries, movies, sports, etc
Advertisement:
Make money from home !
Educated ?
Have internet access ?
Want to work from home and make Rs. 5000 per month ?
Fluency in English needed.
If interested, send an email to paidarticles @ gmail.com.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Food court at Shipra Mall - many choices, mostly Indian ones
If you are into doing a lot of shopping at Shipra Mall (it is after one of the better malls in the entire east NCR region), then you should consider the food court of Shipra Mall, called Bite Inn. The food court is of a fairly large capacity, enough that we could get seating comfortably on a Sunday evening at 8 PM (of course, Shipra also has other seating options, so maybe this could also be a reason). Each counter of the various options below have a fairly large list of menu items, but the variety is a bit difficult to find, mostly North Indian food (and this could be because the common patron is a person who eats North Indian food). You get a chit from each eating place, and have to pay at a common bill counter, and then get a bill that you need to give back to the food counter. Food was okay, and the place was fairly clean and seemingly hygienic (and you could get Diet Pepsi / Coke, something not available at other food courts). Here is a list of the eating options: Nariyal Chutney Rasoi e Punjab New Woks Chinese O2 Pure Veg More than Paranthas Made in China Andaaz-E-Lucknow Dilli Darbar Ice Cream and various soft drink options (no liqour).
For the citizens living in East Delhi, starved of some good restaurants, there is a new one that has opened up and promises to improve the overall cuisine standard. Till now, there were the restaurants that were open in the various malls, and now you have a Pind Baluchi that has opened up in the Karkardooma market on the main road (not the best of locations, but it's okay). The restaurant is small compared to the other Pind Balluchi's in other parts of the city. It is spread over 2 floors, but overall seating must not be more than 60 people (a guess). The restaurant has similar interiors such as the other Pind Balluchi's. Our experience was mixed. We had ordered some Shammi kababas, along with Malai Kofta, Khumb Pyaaz Bhujiya, and rotis (along with raita and onions). The other stuff was all great, except for the Malai Kofta which was pretty much declared uneatable by my companions. We got the waiter over and told him the issue; he was pretty much discomfited, and eventually offered us another dish. We had done with the mail, and did not want another dish, and eventually, after a lot of confabulation with his other staff, he offered us some free deserts, which were superb. Overall, except for the malai kofta, the rest of the meal was great. The restaurant offeres non-veg and veg, with dishes such as various Kababs, Tikka, Tandoori items, Paneer dishes, spring roll, various north Indian meat dishes, and a good sampling of veg dishes. The Gulab Jamun was superb. No liqour.
Contact details: Karkardooma Village (next to the Metro station), Vikas Marg, East Delhi Phone: 011-22378686, 011-22378787, 9999777881/2/3 They do home delivery.
Vegetarian restaurant - Govindas at Iskcon temple in Delhi
If you desire some great vegetarian food, then probably one of the best (and not very expensive place) is a place called Govindas. The food here is great, with the focus on serving vegetarian, healthy food (the food is cooked as per principles, with no garlic or onion in it). How does food taste without any onion or garlic ? Well, my experience was that at a minimum, portions of the food were palatable, and some of the food items were great. How would I rate the overall food experience ? Well, rate it as above average. The gentry was good, with families sitting there carefully in a well decorated interior (the eating tables are at a slight depression to the buffet tables). We had actually booked a party at the same restaurant (and they had given us a small ante-room that was good enough to seat around 40 people). The food at the party level was good enough that the guests liked the good (even the people fond of non-vegetarian food enjoyed the vegetarian food laid out). A plus point was that the restaurant is located within the premises of the ISKCON temple in East of Kailash. Address: ISKCOM Temple Complex, Sant Nagar Main Road, East of Kailash, New Delhi – 110065. Timings: Noon-3.30 p.m. & 7.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m
South Delhi had access to some of the earliest malls in Delhi. You had the good (but now slightly old-fashioned and hot in summer) Ansal Plaza on Khel Gaon Marg, and the malls in Gurgaon that were not so far away. However, there is now no need to go to these places; you have the brightest and best new mall opened up in Saket, called Select Citywalk Mall (link). The 1,300,000 sq ft (121,000 m²). retail development is spread over six acres and includes a multiplex, serviced apartments, offices and public spaces. Situated on the Press Enclave Road, it is within 15-20 minutes of driving time from prime residential colonies such as Panchsheel park, Geetanjali Enclave, Greater Kailash, Anand Lok, Gulmohur Park, Hauz Khas, Safdarjung Enclave & Sainik Farms.
Map of the Mall (not too hard to get directions once you know the exact location):
The mall has plenty of good brand name stores, it has a multiplex (PVR), and has good eating options. What more do you want ?
Shops: Fabindia, Pantaloons, Food Bazaar, Mac (cosmetics), Lush (soaps / cosmetics), Shoe Tree (shoes), Benetton (clothes), Clinique (cosmetics), Esprit (clothes), Guess (clothes), Barista Creme, Mothercare, Hidesign, Mango, Pratap, Kimaya, Wills Lifestyle, Shoppers Stoppe, Good Earth Veranada, L’affaire, Allen Solly, Arcelia, Home Stop, Crossword, H2O, Van Heusen, Nine West, Tommy Hilfiger, Charles and Keith, Inc5, Nine West, Shoe Tree, Lancome, Loccitane En Provence, Forest Essentials, Tissot, Swatch, Ethos, William Penn, Guardian Lifecare Pvt. Ltd, Valaya.FNP, Kalpana, Cheemo, maspar, Mynah
Food: Food Court called Food Talk (many types - Chinese, South Indian, North Indian, Mexican, Italian, Sizzlers), KFC, Gelato, Barista, Caffe Coffee Day, all-vegetarian Sattvik, Cocoa by Belgique, Patchi
Taking the mall’s entertainment quotient much higher is a public space called Saanskriti, having an open air amphitheatre, specialized lighting, water bodies and trees, specially planned for conducting cultural programs such as fairs, festivals and art performances.
Pleasure of eating from the local chole-kulche wala
It's a hot Delhi season, and one is wondering as to what to eat in the daytime. Sometimes one feels that eating the regular roti-sabji can be a bit too much, and one would like to have a break. A break does not always mean going off to the local pizza joint or the local heavy food stuff; instead there is the pleasure of going off to the local chole-kulche waala. Many of you would know what I am talking about. There is the guy having the 4 wheeled cart (thela) on which there is a large amount of stuff, one of which is a shiny big brass round vessel in which there is a large number of boiled chole. He has parked himself under the closest leafy tree, and has several cylindrical utensils in which there are many different spices, salt, a liquid that is used to wet the dry chole. So, when you go to such a guy to get food, you will find him skilfully mixing the dry chole with the spices, mix in some salt, add some liquid and some lime, and then add in chopped onion and tomato along with some coriander, and it's ready. He will also have a small burner with him on which heats up some low fat kulche (as opposed to the oil laden bhature), and wraps the whole thing for you in a small curved plate made of leaves. And that is it, enjoy this delicious meal (for the small charge of Rs. 10).
For people living in Karol Bagh, Roshan Di Kulfi is one of the most famous places in Karol Bagh for eating, and has been there for a very long time. As the name would suggest, it is very famous for the Kulfi (and charges a decent amount for it as well), and one would say deservedly so. People are so fond of the Kulfi that they will go again and again for it. The shop is now much more approachable, since it is located around 500 meters from the Karol Bagh Metro station, on Ajmal Khan Road, and you reach the shop. If you don't have the inclination to walk, rickshaws are very easily available. Of course, you might get distracted since you will cross Ghaffar market, and it is one of the best market for bargains on electronics and mobiles. The shop now serves all kinds of food, including Pizzas, but the traditional stuff of chaat and chole bhature are very good. Lassi is also pretty good. And on the subject of Kulfi, try it with the vermicilli like falooda, and you will realize how good kulfi-falooda can be. What kind of food does it serve? Streetfood (Chhole Bhature, Chaat, Kulfi) Address: 2816, Ajmal Khan Road, Karol Bagh City: New Delhi Phone(s): 25710045 It does not take credit cards, and is not air-conditioned, but most people who go there do not expect anything like that anyhow.
Delhi Eating: Food Court of 'Great India Place' in Noida
The Great India Place is a massive mall located just off the Sector 18 market in Noida. It has a huge number of shops and showrooms catering to a number of different brands in clothes, apparel, accessories, shoes, etc. You name the brand and you should be able to find it there. To cater to all this, it has a massive capacity in terms of car parking, with the entire huge basement for car parking (although the car parking is expensive, costing Rs. 30 per visit). On the 3rd (top floor) of the Great India Place, you have the eating options as well as the bowling range. The food court is a bit stylish, although the chairs and tables are all place close together and can get cramped. You have a central dome and a circular area around which the chairs are arranged, and on one side, you have the food court options, while on the other side, you have a vegetarian restaurant called 'Yatra'. The food court has a variety in terms of Indian (South and North Indian) along with Chinese, Mexican, sandwiches, pizza, burger and other such food. You get a variety of drinks over there (all non-alcoholic). And then there is the Yatra restaurant, where you have a vegetarian thaali. Here you actually get to sample 2 types of vegetarian cultures, and you can really enjoy the food. Quantity is unlimited, and it costs around Rs. 150 on weekdays and Rs. 170 on weekends, and is a good place to eat.
While there are a large number of restaurants who would want to claim that title of best Rajasthani and Gujarati restaurant in the area of Delhi and surroundings, one outstanding contestant is a restaurant called Farsaan. Located on the Mehrauli-Badarpur road south of Delhi, the restaurant has been located earlier in Lado Sarai and then Greater Kailash, and then finally to its ultimate destination of Saidulla Jab, near Mehrauli, and this is where it seems to have found root. The food is cooked by traditional Maharajs and the decor is authentic as well. There is an option of traditional seating on the floor, or on tables. The food is not very complex, with an option of a Gujarati thali, or a Rajasthani thali, these being served on silver thalis. The Gujarati meal is sweeter, while the Rajasthani food is more spicy. In these meals, you get the regular stuff of khandvi, dhokla, srikhand, sangri, gatte ki sabzi, bajre ki roti, choorma. The restaurant also serves fried namkeens. The meals have unlimited eating, so build up a healthy appetite before heading there. Address: KH 30, Saidulla Jab, MB Road, Opposite D Block Saket New Delhi, DL 110030
Well, almost Ghaziabad. It is located within 2 km from Anand Vihar ISBT, inside the Galaxie Cinema complex, just off the Dabur chowk. Now Galaxie, besides a movie complex, also has a few eating options. There is Sagar Ratna, there is a caffe, there is an Indian restaurant, and there is this Vegie India. I remember reading, maybe in the menu, that it was a fine dining restaurant. Well, a fine dining restaurant it certainly was not. The place had the look of a normal restaurant, with families, kids, normal cutlery, normal menu, etc. If I compare it with other fine dining restaurants, it would certainly come much worse off. If you are going with family and kids, it is a pretty good place; well, I did not like the food much, but there were a number of other people in there who seemed satisfied; maybe my taste buds were expecting some more masala in the food. The restaurant serves a variety of mockails (apparently, alcohol does not go well if you have a vegetarian restaurant), and in addition, serves Indian and Chinese food. The variety was okay, and the food quantity, while not a lot, was decent. The naan was good. It was not terribly expensive either, with the bill for 2 people coming to Rs. 423, but with taxes, it came to Rs. 485 (a lot of tax). Worth a try, especially if you live in that area.
