ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Phone: +91 8130990915, +91 8130990916
Address: The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Maharaja Surajmal Road, Near Yamuna Sports Complex, Vivek Vihar, New Delhi India
Time: 7 PM – 11:45 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 3,500
Cuisines: North Indian
Facilities: Wheelchair Accessible, Full Bar Available, Wifi, Live Music, Indoor Seating, 4/5 Star, Outdoor Seating, Smoking Area, Table booking recommended, Valet Parking Available, Luxury Dining
Dilli 32 – The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Vivek Vihar, New Delhi: Decor
In a just world, Dilli 32 would have been the talk of the town. Its reigning chef, Ashwani Kumar, is a rare genius who can master the intricacies of any Indian cuisine he comes across. Thus, though Dilli bathees (32 in Hindi, the name of the restaurant) serves Dilli ka khana, Chef Ashwani has held festivals of food from Mahmudabad near Lucknow, Rajasthani regional specialties and a variety of other cuisines, all surprisingly successfully. He is blessed with a thirst to learn, limitless patience and a phenomenal power of observation to notice what secretive cooks do while they try to hide their processes from competitors! The restaurant is open only for dinner and is pleasantly formal and what is known as ‘fine dining’ with a ghazal singer whose voice is uncannily like the late Jagjit Singh‘s.
Dilli 32 – The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Vivek Vihar, New Delhi: Food
I thought the cold drinks served were rather enticing Bael ka sharbat and Modinagar ka masala shikanji (₹ 300 each) would have been my picks. Panki (₹ 650) was rice-flour batter steamed in a banana leaf. This west coast specialty was a little too far from the original perhaps because of the fact that there was no discernible flavor of asafoetida or banana leaf. Each vegetarian starter costs ₹ 650; a platter of any three of your choice is ₹ 1,500. In the kebab section, galawat ke kebab (₹ 1,100 for 6 pieces) is where Chef Ashwani is on firmer ground: pate like texture and delicate spicing to enhance the flavor of the force-meat. Nihari (₹ 1,250) was described as ‘mutton curry’ on the menu! However, the full-bodied flavor and rich gravy made it the best dish of my meal. In short, it is an advertisement of the talent of this kitchen, which would give a khandani cook a run for his money. It also shows the power of training in the context of cuisine. The Bhopali murgh rizala (₹ 1,250) was pleasant enough to taste, but was nowhere close to the original, as served in Bhopal, where the cilantro leaves are ground to a paste and slow-cooked with the chicken that consequently becomes green inside.
Plus & Minus:
The lighting is too poor to read the menu by or to appreciate the presentation of the food.
