Dakshin: Sheraton New Delhi Hotel, Saket, New Delhi

Restaurant Name: Dakshin: Sheraton New Delhi Hotel, Saket, New Delhi
Phone: +911142661203, +911142661204, +911142661290
Address: Saket District Centre, District Centre, Sector 6, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi 110017 India
Time: 07:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 3,000
Cuisines: South Indian
Facilities: Wheelchair Accessible, Full Bar Available, Valet Parking Available, Indoor Seating, Romantic Dining, Luxury Dining

On the very day that restaurants were allowed to open, I hurried to Dakshin for my fill of the kind of food that Delhi’s snack and breakfast places simply do not serve. ldlis and dosas are breakfast dishes in all the southern states, and hence, you will not get them in Dakshin. What you will get is the most painstakingly put together menu, encapsulating vegetarian, meat and seafood favorites from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Though each state has just one page devoted to it, no favourite has been left out: I was so glad that my favourite mensakai has recently been added to the Karnataka page. Do ask for coconut water in place of regular water: it cools the system down, after all those chillies.

Dakshin: Sheraton New Delhi Hotel, Saket, New Delhi – Food

Vazhai shunti (Rs. 425) is a seldom seen specialty of Thanjavur that is crisp outside and melting within with the flavour of plantain and minimal spices. Deep-fried to just the right point, it is served with three types of chutney and is a wonderful start to a meal. Ananas mensakai (Rs. 800) is one of my favourite preparations from Karnataka and I was delighted to see it on their new menu. Dainty chunks of pineapple are cooked in a gravy of chilli and grated coconut with a handful of spices, including Byadgi chilli. The sweetness comes from the pineapple, but another layer of sweetness is from the grated coconut, while the chillies are for their hotness quotient. If there is an Indian counterpoint to Chinese sweet and sour pork, it is this master-piece, seldom seen outside Karnataka. Muvvankaya (Rs. 800) is the embodiment of the saying that the tastiest aubergine preparations in India come from Andhra Pradesh. It is true, and you too will be hooked when you try this dry dish enlivened with smashed green chillies and poppy seeds. Nathakodayoor yera kozhumbu (Rs. 1,500) is a dish from coastal Tamil Nadu that has coconut in it.

Plus & Minus:

It is time the restaurant goes in for a refurbishment: sage green walls would make the pale gold upholstery stand out that much more. On the plus side, the vegetarian choices are so compelling that you will not miss fowl or fish!