Machan: Taj Mahal Hotel, Mansingh Road, New Delhi

Restaurant Name: Machan: Taj Mahal Hotel, Mansingh Road, New Delhi
Phone: +911166566162
Address: The Taj Mahal Hotel, No.1, Near, Man Singh Rd, Khan Market, India Gate, New Delhi 110011 India
Time: 24 Hours
Meals for two: Rs. 3,500
Cuisines: Continental, North Indian, Beverages
Facilities: Breakfast, Full Bar Available, Seating Available, Indoor Seating, Romantic Dining, 4/5 Star, Table booking recommended

Machan: Taj Mahal Hotel, Mansingh Road, New Delhi: Decor

Usually, when a restaurant as venerable as Machan undergoes a renovation, there are snarls of outrage. “I hate the new look” and “Why couldn’t they have let the old version prevail”. This time, even the naysayers are dumbfounded. For, the most recent makeover of this iconic coffee shop / all-day diner does indeed make Machan look so old world yet completely contemporary; so graceful yet with a promise of the forest, that complainers, if any, would be outnumbered. Gone is the clutter of the faux machan in the centre and the paintings of wildlife. Instead, the walls have been clad with a covering that approximates the greenery of a forest while the windows of the restaurant look onto a veritable forest of trees in the hotel’s garden and beyond. As always, the menu caters to everybody and his taste-buds: Sandwiches, pasta, breakfast, western-style meals, Indian dishes — the works.

Machan: Taj Mahal Hotel, Mansingh Road, New Delhi: Food

Some of the best things on this remarkable menu are unbelievably simple yet effective and highlight the wildlife theme. Take pug marks (Rs. 1,050) for instance: A couple of toasts topped with chopped mushrooms flavored with chipotle chilli and arranged to resemble pug marks. Though it is fairly simple, it has become some-thing of an icon on the menu. All three fish preparations in the Open Area at the Safari section are out-standing: salmon en pauplette (Rs. 2,050) is served with a yellow chilli salsa; the ocean turns purple (Rs. 2,450) is an indulgence of seabass poached in butter: It is the purple potato that tints the sauce. The desert of Greek salt (Rs. 2,450) is another show-stop-per but my personal favourite is the sophisticated plating and flavors of mushrooms on the forest floor (Rs. 1,400). It features several varieties of mushrooms including mushroom ‘paper’ in a plat-ing that calls to mind a forest floor, albeit one that is artistically groomed! The menu has something for every taste; fairly important, considering that the other restaurants of the hotel are currently under renovation. Thus, tang cu ji (Rs. 1,650) includes a bowl of chick-en nuggets in a sweet and sour sauce, with a fruity tanginess and a hint of sweetness. The carnero barbacoa (Rs. 1,550) uses pulled lamb with a three chilli smoked salsa and soft tacos made of blue corn.

Plus & Minus:

Several ingredients come from South America and are not commonly en-countered in Delhi, adding a top note of exotica.