"An afternoon with dear wife Seema, happens very seldom and that too on a working day lol , she was like how come you are wiling to go for lunch on aw working day , but so worth it , connected , reflected , discussed , argued , planned and then just ATE m ATE heheheheheh.. all forgotten . I love this part where the food takes over the mood and you wipe out all issues and concerns and concentrate on the food .. we were interrupted by Shagun and Nawal hehehehehehehe and wasnt i glad . "
Zerzura - have been there for a couple of parties - have had great evenings at Zerzura - great setting good food and super entertainment and good food . This is when we decided that we must come back for a meal and we did . So lunch was fixed between Miya Biwi ; at lunch met Shagun who went onto explain what zerzura was and why he was here - as per him - Zerzura is a Ancient city hidden under the sands of the Sahara desert , city that was never found .. The whole thing started sounding like Aladdin stories , i felt as though i was going a class of history , was so involving .Al this just built my appetite even more .
THE
LEGEND OF ZERZURA
Historical
writings from Libya tell the tale of a camel driver - Hamid Keila – who was
tended to by the Zerzurians or 'El Suris' after he braved a storm and days of
thirst that killed all others travelling with him in a caravan. As Hamid's tale
of the mystery city of Zerzura unfolded, a city not known to be on the map of
the world then, it was about a white city, whose approach was adorned with
gates that carried a carving of a strange bird, a paradise of luxurious white
houses, lush palms, bubbling springs with kind men and women who spoke a
strange form of Arabic.
Subsequently,
many a tale has emerged around Zerzura with some of the oldest being of a man
who came in search of hiscamel and stumbled upon the fabled oasis, to Saharan
explorations of the 1800 and 1900s by the Zerzura club that never found the
lost Eden, to the modern Pirates of Caribbean: The Price of Freedom, that has a
main storyline setting on Zerzura.
Hamid
fled from Zerzura, stealing with him a ruby set in a gold ring, but when the
Libyan leader and his army from Benghazi went finding this city, they came
across none.
FYI - Lifted of the menu of Zerzura
Zerzura occupies one corner of the Clarion Collection Hotel - Qutab Institutional Area opp kwataria Sarai where all the top management schools are ,bang on the main road ...
Oh man this hotel has history for me and my family,it had the first bowling alley in the country , the first All India bowling competition was held here ,,we guys were regulars - a super hangout in the days of the Yezdi and Jawa's (Dont know how many remember these 250cc bikes) used to be such fun , this was during the hippy days , i was a kid and used to be taken to this bowling alley by my elder cousins heheheheh ...
Awesome location , ample parking totally uncluttered. you enter from the main lobby of the hotel and there you have the land of - Zezura . Zerzura also plays the role of the the coffee shop for the hotel guest hence you will notice in the menu they have continental dishes and pizzas, specially for the travelers/house guest .... beautiful Wooden Jaali work on the doors , The emblem of Zerzura standing out like Alladin signage ,a warm smile from the busy hostess dressed in Khaki to greet you - you enter you see yellow lighting like the Arab tents a huge bar , modern furniture , small stage for performances , big lamps and doors leading you to the outdoors - here they have excellent air conditioning , greenery, private huts - the area gives you a feeling of sitting in an oasis camp and enjoying an evening ... beautiful setting . The outdoors is the preferred area for most people ... you can smoke there , they have a nice bar counter to hangout at and the open oven . Overall it is a huge place for hanging out and also for some fine dining experience.
Kebabs / Hookah/ Hummus/ Belly Dancing / Sufi Music - Zerzura
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| Outdoors and Indoors |
Check out the private huts , the bar counter , the chunky wooden chairs and tables , a 150 seater restaurant . Next time i go i will take the huts for my harem Lol . Trust me the aircon is good so not to worry about eating out in the summers . infact while we were eating it started raining and the feeling of rain pouring cool breeze sitting in the open was fantastic. Added tot he romance hehehehehe .Plus it is a smoking zone , so party time .
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| The Outdoors |
Zerzura at Qutab carries the charm of the desert with
hues of sand being used in the overall color palette, the 'Zura' stone creating
a sand-finish effect, traditional lattice typical of the Persian-Middle Eastern
region and gold leafing representative of the treasures to be found.
The lamps you see lighting up the Zerzura have been
sourced from two Turkish brothers who make them by hand. The colours are
reminiscent of the grand bazaar of Marrakesh and the Palaces of the region. The
solid acacia furniture in the outdoors adds a touch from the region of Morocco
and Lebanon. You can also find semi-private zones with seating for 8- 10,
acting like a little oasis sanctuary of your own in the middle of the desert.
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| Shagun Somani - Who discovered the Land of Zerzura |
THE MAN WHO FOUND ZERZURA
Shagun Somani
Restaurateur
And Owner, Zerzura And Hinglish - A Corporate Boy worked in the Retail markets for Internationals brands - Dumps everything and enters the wild life of Restaurateur ... boss he had guts . Hats off to you Shagun.... his dad supported him his wild decisions . He got married early :( warna the chics would have queuing up out side zerzura heheheeheh. Shagun is totally a operations man - totally handson with all aspects of running a restaurant , he has done some amazing marketing segmentation of the audience and hold events to tap them . he is now re positioning Zerzura into a more food centric restaurant and i am in agreement with him 100% - The best food i have tasted so far from the MENA region . Shagun's company Legion Entertainment initially launched a Colonial cafe called Hinglish in the west of Delhi , backed by good management of a good hospitality company Shagun uses all his marketing techniques and Experience of retail to promote Zerzura. I kept telling that you really dont need to - the food the ambiance is a Killer and people need to just come once to fall in love .
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| Chef Nawal Prakash |
Chef Nawal Prakash :With a
two decade long experience and expertise in the industry, Chef Nawal has spent
over 8 years in the United States as an ‘Oriental Specialist’.
He is the person behind the establishment and Success of China Kitchen and
TK’s- the Oriental Specialty Restaurant at Hyatt Regency, Delhi.
After two
decades of working with hotels and restaurants, Nawal joined Under One Roof
Hotel Consultants – Nawal has now grown from AVP to Senior VP. They apparently manage the kitchen for Zerzura.
His
shifts across cuisines is a part of the training and self learning module
encouraged at Under One Roof and the director Manu Mohindra – who himself is a
chef with vast experience across the globe, and a dozen hospitality projects
across the Middle East.
Centre picture you can see Chef Nawal explaining to us the concept of Tagine cooking - very educative and gave us first hand info on the concept.
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| Home Made Bread and Dips |
Breads and Dips :If You must - the starters and other dishes are to die for , no point stuffing yourself with the breads ... but if u really do want to - then go ahead and dip the bread i the two awesome dips black peppers and Garlic .... healthy option to butter .
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BULGAR AND ZAFRAN CHICKEN BROTH
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Chicken Broth :Flavorful
broth of fresh vegetables, Bulgar wheat, and saffron (Made
with sautéed vegetables like Onions, Mushrooms , Bell peppers, Leek, Celery,
Garlic , saffron, bulgar wheat and
chicken stock) as simple as that - beautifully textured , amazingly flavored broth - the subtle yt beautiful flavor of saffron just makes you go uumph and slurp , so smooth ... infact MIND BLOWING yes in caps ... was being diplomatic while trying it but ended up finishing the entire portion , first time i have seen a dish grow on me so beautifully - definitely going back for more ..
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PINEAPPLE AND POMEGRANATE TABOULEH
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Pineapple and pomergrante tabouleh - Made with chopped Parsley, Chopped Onions,
Chopped Tomatoes, Chopped Pineapple, Pomegranate, Bulgar Wheat, Lemon Juice,
Olive Oil and Honey - Im a salad freak and specially salad's like these with citrus flavored veggies and fruits . The Grilled Pineapple adding the naughtiness to the salad soaked in lemon juice . Very refreshing and playful salad.
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| MUHAMMARA |
Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and
Walnut dip (Made with Roasted Red Bell
pepper, Chopped Walnuts, Olive Oil, Chilli Paste, Honey and Bread Crumb) Being Red bell peppers you do expect the dip to be nice and spicy but no it wasnt "looks can be deceptive " hehehehehe but yes the flavor was nice and eaten with pita it was a delicious spread .
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| Pita in the Making |
PITA: While walking out i noticed this chef baking some roti type thingy - we paused - it was PITA wow - they bake their pita in the ovem and it swells like our ghar kee rotis .. we both ate one one garam garam Pita and loved it - and this was after the meal . LOL. When removed from the oven, the layers of baked dough remain
separated inside the deflated pita, which allows the bread to be opened into
pockets, creating a space for use in various dishes. At home we get Pita and stuff it with greens hummus pulled bar b qd chicken - and its a whole meal.
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| LAMB KIBBEH |
Lamb Kibbeh: Deep fried Mince and Bulgur
Wheat dumplings served with Yogurt dip
(Conical Dome Shaped Meat
and Bulgar wheat Dumplings Stuffed with Cumin and Cinnamon flavored meat mince
with parsley and Pinenuts) Croquette stuffed with mice lamb pine nuts , parsley and other simple flavored spices . kibbeh means ball , in Syria the angrez also called them Syrian torpedo's. Nice starter. Have had this several places and always found it very dry - these guys at zerzura impressed me with the sticky parts inside - loved it .
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JUJEH KEBAB
|
Jujeh Kebab: Classic Iranian char grilled
Chicken kebab, marinated in yoghurt and saffron. Served with Black Pepper aioli
dip and salad - served very commonly on a bed of rice or with lavash ... no spicy spices just simple marination cooked well thats it . Yes grilled veggies on the side is important to complete the dish .
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CHELO KEBAB
|
Chelo Kebab: Char grilled Mince Lamb
kebab, marinated in Sumac and Saffron.
Served with Black Pepper dip - the national dish of Iran , served in every corner of the country . Always on a bed of saffron rice and in some place they top it with an egg also .. just yum . The kebab i thot was a bit spicy more on the Indian side of spice levels , but combined with the rice the spice was neutralized , actually liked the spicy part of it .
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KEBAB-E-BARG
|
Kebab E Barg: Char
grilled Lamb fillet kebab marinated in Olive oil and Onion paste. Served with
Garlic Labneh - the Sultans meal in Persia. Beef Lamb Mutton or even chicken... the meat is marinated in the basics and olive olive .. the meat is cut in slices and then put together on the skewer - when broken it looks like our tunday kebabs but yes without all the spices the kebab just melts (this is shuguns fav). Use your hands and enjoy the kebab with soem Pita.
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| HUMMUS WITH MEATS |
Yeh hai their version of laal maas , kidding , Beautiful cooked mutton eaten with hummus , the mutton is marinated with simple ingredients and olive oil then roasted in the oven thats it, the fact that the meat is rested enuf makes it nice and succulent . Hummus which is Chickpea, Olive Oil,
Garlic Paste, Tahina Paste and Lemon Juice was wel made - not all that thin just right thickness with a crunch and freshness .. perfect sourness . Some call it hum us the others call it hoo mus .. no difference , i just love it - infact my man Friday has also mastered the art of making it and every evening he insist on showing off the same with a bunch of lavash. To be honest add a dash of tabasco to it for the tinge hehehehehe.
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COUS COUS WITH LAMB CUTLET, HARISSA AND FENNEL
TAGINE
|
Tagine of Lamb: Slow-cooked Lamb Cutlet and
lamb chunks in an aromatic Fennel sauce Served with Pickled Chili ,Pickled
Lemon and Pickled Cabbage - Tajine or Tagine cooking is historical the dish comes from North Africa , the style comes from some chemist who believed in condensation. The funda about this style of cooking is slow and even cooking - some of these big time chefs keep a safe distance between the bottom of the pot and the flame and also keep aluminium foil to evenly distribute the heat .. simmer cooking . The vapours are to rise and then condense back in there, logic is that the falvors remain intact .. as per chef Nawal they put water on the top of the cone to figure out if the dish is ready . Cumin is the main ingredient of al Moroccan dishes - very evidently seen smelt in the gorgeous dish at zerzura
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BUS STATION KEFTA WITH EGG AND TOMATO
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Bus Station Kofta :Egg and Tomato dishes are
popular in bus and train stations and ports around the Middle East. Travelers waiting for connecting transport services tuck into dishes like this to sustain
themselves during long journey. Boss Eggs and tiger are inseparable - i drool when i see eggs and specially the ones with the yellow intact . The orgasm of bursting an egg yellow only a hard core egg lover can understand . The combination of the eggs the kebab and the masala of tomato is just wonderful .
This section is reserved to all you desert freaks - trust me The Deserts at Zezura are to die for - all made in house .
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BAKLAVA WITH PISTACHIO ICE CREAM
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Baklava: It’s a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo
filled with chopped Pistachio and Almonds sweetened and held together with
saffron flavored syrup . The baklava was
one desert i used to run away from - heavy rich etc etc - was forced to eat the
one at Zerzura and OMg god finished two pieces carried two home for mother in law
who is a killer meetha freak - it was so fantastic ,original and authentic .
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DATE AND FIG GRATIN WITH ROSEMARY AND HONEY ICE
CREAM
|
Almond pudding/ Gratin topped with
soaked Figs and Dates - No Words to explain the feeling warm gratin of Dates, Figs on bed of almond pudding ... eaten with honey ice cream .The almond flavors in the pudding was dominating - one bite and the mouth was flooded with an amazing burst of almonds ... un beatable flavors. Together with the date and the huge figs it was a superb desert.
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Egyptian Act Tanoura ; Belly Dancing and Sufi Singers |
Live Entertainment: Small mention becos i dont want to distract you from the FOOD , they probably are the only place which has live belly dancing every Wednesday , the belly dancers are trained and are from the land of the originals Morocco, besides the belly they also invite dancers from other MED regions time and again to perform at Zerzura .They have created a platform for live sufi singers the one in the picture is a friend of mine Jasleen Aulakh from Chandigarh , and amazing singer and a dear friend, on some days they have Dj's pelting out super sufi music .. so they have it all going for al age groups .
Tigers Overall Experience: Just wonderful - for several reasons starting with food - no extra spices , no hazardous cooking oil , fresh veggies , fresh dips, meat well marinated , perfectly barbequed and Pita .... Zerzura has every right to boast about its food . we had the Med Side of it though they serve pizza's etc etc also . I would love to go back again and again for the simplicity of the food - trust me i love this food becos it brings out the real flavor of the ingredients - which doesn't happen in out style of cooking. and the best part about this kind of food is no after affects of popping a zinetec etc etc . The overall experience of Food service ambiance was fantastic. And its no expensive .. 1200 per head to a 1700 with booze , which as per today's times is just perfect .They have an array of fancy cocktails which i wil try next visit for sure .
Food : All the above and a must try place . Experienced chef knows it all . He has the patience to drive you thru an entire MEd meal ... just ask for him. Technically speaking the Arabic or the Mid Eastern food has been scientifically designed Meats for survival and Veggies for the glow on the skin - im sure al of you also must have noticed the glowing spotless skin .. its al thanks to the veggies , dates and olive oil. The rich spices are the secret to their cooking aided by their slow cooking methods. The food of Zerzura is well researched covering the entire region . The have a conti section also for the hotel house guest . I found zerzura to be the true representative of the Arab land . Sourcing - yes al ingredients are sourced locally - the saffron was actually amazing the strands were almost 2 inches long , the dry fruits abnormal sizes sourced direct from khari baoli the wholesale market . Nawal is very choosy about the ingredients which speaks a lot about Zerzura.
Ambiance : Ok here goes shagun - Two sections indoors and outdoors - indoors you are welcomed by a dim lighting ,formal seating area , with a huge bar in front with the choicest of liquor , very modern . As yet you dont feel as if it is a Med place until u step outside into the oasis - perfect Med setting and now you feel as if u have reached the land called zerzura. A perfect party place also . I would prefer a separate entrance tot he outdoors oasis separate the club from the outdoors.
Service : The staff is good very smartly dressed , they need a bit of more sprucing up on the dishes , they need to sit with the chef and learn ingredients , but on the whole very prompt polite and alert . To aid the service staff - we recommended zerura to place a one pager at the beginning of the menu for people to understand the food and the flow of service .
PS: Was on an Invitation from the restaurant .
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