Guppy by Ai: talk of the town

To eat a different cuisine, and that, to a heartful doesn't happen very often. It happened at Guppy by Ai. Chef Vaibhav Bhargava and manager Gulzar, our hosts for the evening explained that at Guppy by Ai they serve their take on traditional and contemporary Japanese cuisine with slight modifications to suit the Indian palate. The new menu, he goes on to explain, was a result of old favourites from Ai and the innumerable food tastings that happened at the restaurant before they opened doors to public. No wonder their menu is full of wonderful gastronomical surprises for the vegetarian taste buds. Skeeter for sure will be seen eating there more often. Chef Vikram Khatri who heads the kitchen was unfortunately not present on the night Skeeter visited.

Guppy is already the talk of the town as Skeeter spotted the who's who of town on the night of her visit. Chilli garlic flavoured edamame kicked off our evening. The edamame bean pods are usually boiled and salted but the Chilli garlic rendition of Guppy by Ai lent it a different note altogether. A must try. Next, came, a very fresh Guppy house salad with Zucchini ribbons, carrot ribbons, thin slivers of beet, bamboo shoot, bits of broccoli and palm heart tossed in karashi mustard, finished with a sprinkle a roast sesame seeds.
Rice paper vegetable rolls which had shredded vegetables and lettuce, wrapped in rice paper followed with yuzu kosho sesame sauce. The presentation was what fascinated Skeeter. Caramalised onion slivers plated in a way that they looked like a leaf! Ask for the Rice paper vegetable rolls and the house salad if you are particularly watching your weight. Anyone who indulges in the Sushi is not vegetarian debate, MUST try the tempura Sushi here and decide for themselves. There is a Sushi counter in the dining area where you can watch all the action live.

Chilli lime dressed Agedashi Tofu was the next to have Skeeter floored. Agedashi Tofu is traditionally served after it is cut into cubes, dusted with cornstarch and deep fried. It is then served placed on hot broth. This one had a tangy chilli lime dressing and a little salsa on the top and was served aka oroshi (a Japanese radish condiment) and dashi sauce. I've had better versions of the Miso soup elsewhere about but the Crisp vegetable Harumaki was a relevation: Baked filo pastry with a stuffing of shredded vegetables. Crisp on the outside with tender, flavourful vegetables inside; this top notch dish was presented strewn with pearl-like corn. It can be served fried also, if one requests (but I wonder who'd do that and why?). Impeccable plating clubbed with outstanding flavours. A winner, this. The presentation of all the food we had matched the equally delightful decor. Origami paper used as lampshades, metal lion fish lights, Japanese dolls and other Japanese artefacts placed all over the restaurant showcase the effort put in for doing up the place.

The rock corn tempura stole Skeeter's heart. It was served with a Sriracha spiced mayo that teased the tongue gently. The Teriyaki glazed artichoke and Tofu set made a good pair with the garlic fried rice which Skeety really enjoyed. End your meal with a Yuzu lemon cheese cake which has a splendid Kaffir lime glaze on top of it, or opt for a warm carrot cake with a cream cheese drizzle. The warm carrot cake was ethereal. Served at an excellent temperature, this sublime cake was spiced with cinnamon and was a great finish to a phenomenal meal.

I've also had people sing praises about Guppy by Ai's gorgeous Black Cod plated on a hot stone, the Ramen that is served in a broth that take 72 hours to prepare and excellent Pork Belly. But more about that later.
Address- 28, Main Market, Lodhi Colony, New Delhi
Timings: 12 to 3.30 and 7pm to 1am
Lunch for two w/o alcohol: 1500 ++
Dinner  for two w/o alcohol: 2000 ++
For Reservation - 01124690005/6, +919650185005

Diva Kitsch

As newbie restaurateurs queue up to feed Delhi's belly, Diva Kitsch starring Pan Asian fare by Delhi Diva Ritu Dalmia opened its doors to Dilliwallas. For someone who is more than possessive about her babies (she refers to her restaurants as that), and is very well travelled success is the only invincible outcome.
Diva Kitsch, the current Delhi hotspot is artsy, is chic, has better service, dishes out impeccable food and offers non-intimidating yet elegant presentation on your plate clubbed with ambience that soothes. It also reiterates Delhi's (and more importantly Dalmia's) potential of serving some of the finest non-5 star fare in town. At Kitsch, if you can, make a reservation and ask for a table by the window, before you go. Go for lunch, if you like things bright with a dash of sunshine, and go for dinner if you are a Delhi lover, and love to watch Delhi's heart beat at night. The view is spectacular. The night Skeeter visited it was raining cats and dogs and was the best possible time to visit. Pray for rain before you go and it'd be even better. Promise! But go you must.
Skeeter arrived at what looks like just a house converted into a restaurant on the main road of Defence Colony. There is of course Kitsch on the ground floor. Move further and you are enticed by the astoundingly massive floral decor and a huge chandelier; climb a few stairs, and you have already started soaking in Diva Kitsch environs.

The courses are divided into Small Plates, Big Plates and Desserts just like Cafe Diva at GK 1. The menu is detailed, and has a wide range of choices. Even for a vegetarian who has comparatively less variety to pick from, Skeeter is not complaining. One gets to pick their favourite local veggies and Diva Kitsch transforms them into a dish from another region of the world for you. You may recognise the vegetable but your tastebuds will definitely be in for a surprise.The liquor license will be in place soon. The beverage menu is pleasing with an array of teas and coffees on offer.

Why Pan-Asian?

Ritu's favourite countries in SE asia are Indonesia and Thailand. After having successfully run the show at some of the best Italian restaurants in Delhi, including the one at the Italian embassy she came up with Diva Kitsch as she says she needed "something to stimulate me, so doing a totally different cuisine was like learning a new language, or going back to university."

Vietnamese rolls

The Vietnamese rolls reminded Skeeter of Kylie Kwong. For no apparent reason really, but the texture, the freshness of the ingredients, the cuts, the whole experience. They were served with nahm jim (a popular sweet chilli sauce from region). Highly recommended. In fact, Skeeter was about to order another round when she stopped short and ordered Crystal dumplings.

Crystal dumplings with Chinese greens and water chestnuts

Four crystal-like pearls came seated atop a banana leaf inside a bamboo steamer along with Nahm Jim again. The dumplings reminded Skeeter of Kwong again as she has grown up watching the woman steam the most delectable dumplings in those.

Young Jackfruit curry with fresh red Chilli and crispy Ginger served with rice noodles 

This one comes with an in-house endorsement (as 'recommended' on the menu). A must try for the vegetarians - the menu says. And why not! Here's how Skeeter thought the jackfruit curry was assembled: Young handpicked jackfruit cut into cubes and boiled with spices to infuse a flavour that would remind any non-vegetarian eating it, of, mutton. The jackfruit is then simmered in a yellow curry and served with rice noodles. An immensely gratifying dish.

Udon noodles in a mushroom broth infused with black Pepper and Sesame 

Skeeter has a thing for Udon noodles. The texture is somehow very, very soothing to the palate. The noodles are wholewheat and when clubbed with the right kind of soup/broth they make for a superb, filling comfort dish. They are mostly served as a part of a soupy dish. Diva's take was a very, very fine version of this rather simple dish. A light broth, with robust shiitake stock and undertones of garlic, spiced to perfection with udon noodles and shiitakes thrown in. The portion was HUGE. A meal in itself (think soup and noodles). Come winter and this dish can be decorated with florets of broccoli for more texture and some colour.

Roti Bawang- Malaysian flat bread filled with Onions, served with Spicy Sambal and green curry

One bite of Roti Bawang will immediately make you think of home, of ghee, of crispy paranthas. It is a cross between a parantha and a Kerala porotta. Super crisp, thick, onion filled delight this. Though, this is a Malay flatbread sold at Mamak stalls in that country, it certainly has strong Indian influence. The spicy sambal on the side is Diva's take on sambal sans the fish sauce. It is tangy n hot and goes so well with the Roti Bawang. The green curry on the side is coconut based and explodes the flavours of kaffir lime leaves, green chillies, lemongrass, galangal and perhaps some coriander root in your mouth... It is rather invigorating. That said, even if you have the Roti Bawang on its own minus the curry and the condiment, you will come back yearning for more.

An accompanying non-vegetarian highly recommends Lamb, Potatoes and baby Onions stewed in Massaman curry, wok fried greens or mash. Also, Ritu's version of fish n chips was spectacular. It comes plated well with a small bucket of fries and edamame beans on the side.

Jaggery crème brulee

The dessert is a well-thought take on mishti doi topped with a crisp layer of jaggery toffee sheet topped with a nest of spun sugar for decor(signature Diva style). Skeeter can go on but this wonder is better tasted than read about.

Ritu Dalmia is a gracious host and personally took care of what came to our table. As with all other Diva branches, she likes to know what people order and if she does not like it, she'd make suggestions (rather reinforce them). With the food you have at any Diva outlet, comes free, the education that Ritu imparts. She tells you what exactly goes into your food. Skeeter suspects it is Dalmia's mission to tell the diner about what goes behind those delectable meals. What a deal!

Where:

D 17, Besides Petrol Pump, Defence Colony, New Delhi

011 40648861

Pennywise: Approx 3,000 for a meal for two without alcohol

Of Ravioli rituals at Olive Culinary Academy

Fifteen student chefs, two buddy chefs and a master chef comprise the Olive Culinary Academy structure. For those of you who dine at Olive (Qutub), the sunshine room aka the Greenhouse has been taken over, length to length and breadth to breadth by the first batch of OCA. This, shall remain in force till the OCA finds a permanent home.

The culinary wizard

The trail blazer of this venture, Chef Saby (Sabyasachi Gorai), is a bundle of nerves these days. As Reeta Skeeter chats with him, Saby mumbles something impromptu, "they pulled off that choco mousse cake well. It did not fall apart. It was not perfect but it was not anywhere near what I was fearing it to be." Clearly, his mind lies in getting every act being performed at OCA right. Skeeter has an opinion here... The OCA students did a fab job at the chocolate mousse cake. Spearheading a culinary academy with an international accreditation and holding the sessions at the premises of a very successful restaurant is not an easy task. But Chef Saby is not the one who is bogged down easily by anything that revolves around his passion: great food and better service. He shows Skeeter his cellphone and reveals it has not internet connectivity. He has even given up his laptop. He took an added responsibility (of the OCA) and tore away from his life what he deemed not-so-important at that point in time. The ever smiling Chef Noor-Al-Sabah and the gracious Subirendra Nath are among the faculty. 

The students

Skeets was on a self-invited visit to the OCA. She arrived when the lunch preparations were in progress. Every evening the 15 student chefs receive on their email addresses, the menu for the next day. They are given some warning as to what they are expected to do the following day. They can read the recipes, do their research and clear doubts with the buddy chefs or the master chef (Saby). The first batch at OCA come across as a confident lot. After all, they are handpicked by a star, after thorough interview rounds. Only two students who are over age(as per the prospectus limit) have been allowed on board. 

The students are a curious mix. There is Divija who comes across as extremely passionate about her new professional path (she is a lawyer and quit her job to study food); there is Sofya who left her job as a tax accountant in NY, came all the way to India and is exploring food. As Divija and Sofya share their experiences, they are rejoiced to discover Stephen's stint with a middle-eastern restaurant. Divija is cooking up mid-eastern food for a friend's' party and promptly asks Stephen for help with some of the food she wants to make. For Pradeep, it is about refining his skills as he has previously studied at a culinary school. Sahil, who has done his BBA in Marketing to make the parents happy, finally coaxed them to let him persuade his passion. Sagar and Akash are from a culinary background. Infact, Akash dropped his Australian study plans when he heard that he could get an opportunity to learn from and work with Saby (cult following?). Yasir, Mansi and Ananya have just finished school and have found the culinary practicals and academics at OCA as their calling. Girish and Ritu are the exceptions among the young lot and are thrilled at what they have learnt at OCA so far.

Observations

Everything at the Greenhouse at Olive seems to be moving in a rhythmic fashion. There's no causal banter, there are only jokes around food and more, around errors, if any. There are occasional shout-outs from Saby. No student escapes his hawk eyes. As Saby is talking to some visitors at the academy, he shouts at a student that what he has just thrown was pumpkin pulp that could have otherwise been used to make at least one and a half portions of pumpkin soup. The student gets the point and takes it well. The students are given top notch ingredients to work with and they ought to respect the same. They shout orders at each other. The one receiving the order promptly executes the task. This was an absolute delight to watch as it indicates they have been taught to work as a team and they do a mean job of it as is seen in what came. Skeeter has always regarded ravioli making as a ritual which requires utmost devotion, concentration and skill. She was particularly stupefied at the dexterity the OCA students showed at this skill. 

The Pasta ritual

The course

The students are taught at par with industry standards. Since it is a certificate course, it can be completed faster than an associate or bachelor's program. The one year course has two modules. Module one consists of theory sessions, pictorial and live demonstrations as well as practical sessions. Module two is a 6 month Paid Internship at branches of Olive countrywide. Whilst, the rest of the desired info is up for grabs at the OCA website, what is of particular interest is the TAKE HOME CHEF concept introduced at the OCA. The students at Olive Culinary Academy will come to your home and rustle up a gourmet dinner for you and your guests, assisted by master chefs and senior chefs.

Olive Culinary Academy,

One Style Mile, Mehrauli, New Delhi.

Mobile:+91 880 011 1279

Landline:+91 (011) 2957 4407

E-mail: chefsaby@oliveculinaryacademy.com

E-mail: subir@oliveculinaryacademy.com

E-mail: noor@oliveculinaryacademy.com

Of jams and post-its

Dear readers,

It has been a marvelous journey on Delhi Foodies' Zone so far. Skeeter loves the appreciation mails, the queries and feedback that you guys keep sending every now and then. Keep them coming. It is fun to interact with you and this communication gives Skeeter a perspective on what you want to read and what you don't. Today, Skeeter wants to share with you a really cute and heart-warming post-it that a dear friend sent across. Thank you!

Delhi with a view

Skeeter's dream Delhi house would have a lot of natural light, a lot of greens (with maybe a patch of thicket) and a patch of an organic kitchen garden. The kitchen garden would overlook a pebbled path with some bright garden umbrellas planted here and there for a nature-packed cuppa in the morning, a glorius lunch in the afternoon and a humble bar-be-que at night. While all that may be a little far-fetched to call hers forever, Skeeter does sometimes hop, skip and jump to Lodi -The Garden Restaurant for a meal. Last Saturday, was one such occasion.

A welcome shot of the seasonal mango panna perked Skeeter up as she flipped the pages of the menu. In no mood for a particularly heavy meal, Skeeter began with the Lodi greek salad with a lemon dressing (Rs 395). A salad can only be right (crisp and fresh) or wrong (overdressed and wilted) and this one was right. The salad portion was big with lettuce, bell peppers, assorted olives and some feta thrown in and tossed with a lemon dressing. Skeets went on to have the Mezze platter (Rs 595) instead of a full fledged main course and was happy with her order. The Mezze came in an oval dish with fresh pita, hummus (a perfect blend of flavours), tzatziki (fresh and creamy) and baba ghanouj (just the right texture). Different preparations of the falafel always intrigue Skeeter. Some are too dry but taste good, some are soft and fluffy. The one at Lodi was shaped a tad different and took Skeeter back to the kuchas of Chandni Chowk where she has some of the best kalmi vadas (more on that later). The falafel tasted somewhat like the kalmi vadas and the texture was nice (neither too soft nor too hard). The accompanying spanakopita was nice and crisp on the outside, tender and bursting with flavour inside. 

Next came the dessert platter (yes a full dessert platter with a slice each of the sinful array of desserts). Skeeter picked the mango cheesecake. The cheesecake was nice in texture albeit a tad less flavourful, or so thought Skeeter. 

Dessert usually ends a meal, but Skeeter couldn't leave without sampling some of the products Lodi stocks at their Deli. The onion jam was deelish. A must buy, especially when you lead a hectic life and would want to save yourself all the trouble and labour that goes into making it. Skeeter, of course, makes it at home and it is a big hit. Also, try their organic mustard oil (Rs 200). Skeeter had been looking for the same for a while and found it here. Apart from these there are some pates, dips, pickles, preserves, flavoured oils and salad dressings to choose from. Skeeter has heard that much of the food you eat at Lodi, is grown at the farms owned by them and is organic. The mangoes used in the cheesecake were organic as well. That the tribe of restaurants in Delhi is slowly but steadily moving towards Organic, is a sign of good food returning to our tables. 

And the last word: do try out the carefully crafted breakfast menu (popular among with expats in Delhi and backpackers on a stopover). They have some interesting tea blends, coffees, buttermilk, juices, jams, porridge, waffles, pancakes, muesli et al. 

(P.S. Though I am a patron of Lodi, I was invited by the team on this particular visit.)

When Skeeter met David Rocco

It is mid summer in Delhi and Skeeter's pasta love is beginning to warm up. 20 minute pasta dinners that can double up as breakfasts are the best way to ensure least time spent in the kitchen. Pasta thoughts led Skeeter back to a lunch with chef David Rocco, who is widely acclaimed for his Italian style of cooking. Though this luncheon happened much earlier, if you can recall an experience with profound thoughts, you can bet it was a great one.
A bunch of bloggers gathered at West View, ITC Maurya for a meetup with the chef who claims he's not a chef, he's Italian! There are a few things that would draw one to David Rocco's food shows. There is some country music thrown in the shows for sure, David loves interacting with locals and trying out their recipes and all the shows are shot so well that you almost want to be at the place which Rocco is showcasing.
Cut to the event. Predictably, the conversations revolved around food. While David Rocco told us about his tryst with Indian food and Indian oils, we quizzed him about which olive oil should one really pick up. David told us that he loved the unique flavour and the pungency of Mustard oil, though his loyalties still lie with Olive oil. He went through the whole cycle of attaining mustard oil- from farm to bottle. Skeeter personally prefers mustard oil and all things mustard. Once a person realises the depth and flavour mutsard oil can give to a dish, there is no looking back. David also shared how Italians take some days off work and go olive-picking and they are paid handsomely in hold your breadth: Olive oil! Ain't that cool now? It is these nuggets from various travel tales of a person that make great stories and great experiences.

 

Having arrived at the hotel a little early, Skeeter and Anita got time to soak in one of the best views of Delhi from the rooftop balcony of West View. Delhi never appeared prettier and so green. We were joined by other bloggers soon. David joined us at the table a little later. Though David didn't cook for us that day, the recipes of the food that we had at West View that day, were all his. Chef Manisha Bhasin of ITC also joined the table, adding another star to the conversation. We began with a Neapolitan style pasta with chunks of eggplant and mozarella sauce (Rigatoni con Pomodori e Melanzane) which was simple and delicious. I could have had endless helpings of the same. It was paired with Fratelli Sauvignon blanc. Skeeter like Fratelli from the selection of Indian wines on offer at wine stores. Next came the Beetroot Risotto, so well plated that Skeets could just laminate it and frame it on her wall. Skeets managed to do better. She took pictures of it. Grin. Perfect pink in colour, the Risotto came with such gorgeous sides of broccoli doused in olive oil and the cutest baby carrots for company. It was paired with Fratelli Sangiovese. Skeeter loved the bite of the Risotto to bits. Perfectly cooked. Next came the Dolce, which should've been the star of the meal, but were sorely disappointing. Will skip writing about it. 

All said, it was an afternoon well spent. David Rocco is a charming and talented chef. Oops Italian! From plucking and eating lemons, skin on in Amalfi episodes to tossing pizzas with two chefs in another episode and then the drunken spaghetti episode, he's fun on TV and in real life.

He was in India to shoot for the Indian chapter of his show, so we will get to see more of him on TV, and that too in familiar locales. Skeeter is looking forward to it! It was fun meeting Ruchira, Deeba and Sangeeta again.

When Skeeter baked

Skeety put this baby in a newly acquired loaf tin and then the oven...it started to rise in a few minutes and rose even more and MORE. She was scared it would explode right there in front of her eyes. But it didn't. Turned out nice and lemony. A little crunchy on the top. But, heck it was cake! Devoured to the last crumb. The lovely eggless lemon pound cake with a drizzle of cane sugar and some more lemon.