ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Phone: 011 61495430
Address: G-6- G-7, Sangam Courtyard, Major Somnath Marg, Sector 9, RK Puram, New Delhi, India
Time: 12 Noon – 12 Midnight
Meals for two: Rs. 1,700
Cuisines: Modern Indian, Street Food, Beverages
Facilities: Wheelchair Accessible, Full Bar Available, Table booking recommended, Smoking Area, Wifi, Valet Parking Available, Live Music, Nightlife, Indoor Seating
Mainly street food from all over North India
Dhansoo Cafe, RK Puram, New Delhi: Decor
Cafe Dhansoo is situated on two floors. It was formerly the venue of a South American restaurant with a one-of-a-kind menu and kitchen; when that restaurant folded up, the management decided to change the name and the cuisine, but not the interiors. The upshot is that the first floor has rather sophisticated interiors which does the makers not match the food by a long of Cafe Delhi shot: it is the ground floor that Heights has the feel of an informal cafe with its colorful chairs and large windows. A note on the service: not much has been done to train the staff about the intricacies of the menu, so you will have to ask for Chef Ashish every time you need a clarification about a preparation or ingredient!
Dhansoo Cafe, RK Puram, New Delhi: Food
The best part of the cafe is that it is a complete original. No attempt has been made to plagiarize another brand, and in our city, that in itself is quite an accolade. Many of the items on the menu replicate street food, some at fairly obscure locations. Take for example the moth kachori (₹ 195) that is a simple, soul-satisfying preparation where the kachoris are actually puris (as they are in Chef Ashish’s native Bihar). Apparently, there are many carts that line the road near Dhaula Kuan that sell this hearty snack. Kudos for the lateral thinking that transposed a humble offering into a restaurant menu. Like all the vegetarian options in this cafe, this one too is perfectly spiced. Even the pulao pakoda (₹ 325) was a fun snack, filled with red rice and seasoned with Cheddar cheese! I would have loved to have munched a smaller pakoda with some spicy, sour chutney but this was a novel attempt from a completely underrated chef. Sindhi dal pakwan (₹ 325) was almost as good as dining with a Sindhi friend in his home, so high was the authenticity quotient. Mutton pepper fry (₹ 445) served with Malabar paratha sadly was not finished off with coconut milk as it should have been and contained all of three peppercorns in its depths! The best dish of the meal was bheja masala (₹ 575).
Plus & Minus:
Colorful young-at-heart cafe with off-the beaten-track food; great vegetarian offerings, but the name lacks the cool quotient.
