Tigers Experience at Jama Masjid for Ramadan

"Make an Effort to learn about the other Cultures of India - the only way to increase brotherhood , and no better to connect than FOOD ". -Tiger

The Sad part of Delhi is that we don't have much exposure to other Cultures of India - we hardly have any Muslim , Parsi, Gujju,Tamil friends - whereas other cities like Mumbai , Kolkata ,Bangalore have all the cultures as apart of their daily life .. wonder why ? .Hence our exposure to Cultures , Cuisines , Festivals , Rituals are very limited in Delhi. Things are changing with the corporate sector growing more and more cross culture hiring is going on and hopefully we delhites shall be familiar with India and its diverse cultural family. 

I could be wrong but as per me the oldest cuisine belonging to India was the Mughal Cuisine of the Rajas Maharajs of India . The cuisine has come a long way - it caters to the riches , the commoners , the poor and the Army . The only cuisine which doesnt use external masalas to cook - it cooks in the natural extracts of  each ingredient .. what could be better . The cuisine which encourages families to sit together and eat at all times from one plate , a cuisine which believes in slow cooking, Dum cooking , Dhuandar cooking... and trust me Mughal cuisine is not loaded with vegetable cooking oil EVER. 

Well keeping this is in mind Three foodies volunteered to do a Food walk at Jama Masjid during the holy period of Ramzan . Ok let me take you through  a little build up before the walk - Date Decided 10th July, Time of meeting 7.30 at gate no 1 ... the plan was to go by metro from green park on the yellow line - get off at Chawri Bazar  and head to ashok chaat bhandar  and then move on to the land of kebabs and curries on rickshaws... i was reluctant and offered to take my car driver but co walkers wouldn agree for the reason that it will too crowded etc etc and we wont reach jama Masjid in less than two hours  , but some how i convinced them and we scheduled departure at 6.30 by my car n driver . Trust me we were in Jama Masjid at 7.15 and right infront of Meena Bazar which is like right der and the driver got enuf parking space also ..  don't get scared by the choices of reaching der - you have to walk in either case . So the gear has to be Sports Shoes , tracks , camera, hand towel , hand sanitizer , 1000 rupees in change (you cud even do with 500) - Two big thumb rules of entering Jama masjid , No Tips to the beggars and be prepared to eat Bade ka Meat (Buff) .

Right side the Jama Masjid left side the Food Gully ... the place had the buzz - people breaking fast , drinking sharbat  eating khajoor , kebabs etc etc .. very very festive spirit  - all dressed in fresh white kurtas , yes one thing is der you hardly see any women on the streets - im sure there's some logic in that . The people are so warm and welcoming - they insist you sit and eat and its like almost eating out of their hands . What an Experience.

Jama Masjid Greets You 

Not so crowded , may be our timing was right , shops all set up , the bar b q pits glowing all smoked up , the neons just getting turned on - people breaking fast with sharbat and Khajoor .. huge number of dates and dry fruit stalls op the masjid .. and its festive time . I fell in love with the top two pictures - sunset , pink walls of the masjid ,surrounded by bougainvillea trees with beautiful pink flowers , we were there to capture the right moment  as the light were switched on at the masjid. People had just finished their evening prayer and now it was iftaar time .

So we decided - Kebabs / Curries /Biryani and Desert to be sampled. and the walk begins .....

Lalu Kebabee

The Walk starts .. one of the foodies with me had been here before - so it was Lalu Kebabi - Mr Lalu is no more but his descendants tun the show now ..... the aroma of kebabs being is divine , just love it . We ordered buff kebabs - seekhs , boti tikkas and shammi - garam garam kuch bhi chelga ..  On top of the seekhs and tikkas he pours some special melted butter which makes the flavors so divine .. i need to figure this one out - pouring butter is it a new thingy or has it been done from before  - will go again and find out .. stay tuned , til then enjoy the Hot Smoky kebabs , even if it was buff the boti was not that hard , easy to chew  . 
There is another kebab/curry / Roast chicken joint called Anmol chicken corner which is yet another favorite of a number foodies and yes he good - but we wanted to try out newer guys hence lalu , not bad at all - you wil love the way he warms his kebabs and serves them to you .the noise they make while tossing around the seekhs is delightful.

Sharbats

The Sharabat , The coolers - much deserved after the long sweaty walk down the lanes of the world famous Jama Masjid . Roof Afza / Watermelon and milk and Apple , Kesar and milk  sharbat  - actually so refreshing we drank up two glasses each . phenomenal cold shakes - and now we understand why this is served after the community breaks their fast every evening . this is no particular shop but we had it opp Rahim or nadeem  cycle wala . can u see the freshness on the foodies faces lol 

Nadeem- Cycle wale

Rahim / Nadeem - (hope i got the name right) he has been around for the last 12 years - he used to come on a cycle and sell his food, today the place is the same but more organised and his twin brother also helps him with the roaring business . He specialises in Keema , Mirchi keema , brain curry, Daal Ghosht and one shalgum wali sabzi which was not ready at that time .Most of it is Buff . They want to make us comfortable and insisited that we sit and eat but since we had more places to attack we stood relished the dishes . We ordered all the four dishes .. Trust me All four were killers , yes they were Buff and Rahim challenged us to get any meat eater and if they can guess the difference in his food - its free for life , you want to take it on let me know . :) The Keema well pounded with aloo and matar , the mirch keema nice and spicy , the brain was makhan malai .. the yellow  daal ghost was mild but awesome - we polished al the plates with four roomalis.

Pehelwan Biryani

Further  down the row from the Chitli Kabar Chowk keep to the left and walk on ,peeping into all the gullys - on the left  , you will see this big man sitting with even a bigger Degh infront of him called Phelwan Miya .I would go back again and again for this mans chicken biryani - Achari , Light masala - each strand of rice separate , not greasy , light BUT SO FLAVORFUL  it did not have that strong kewra wali smell, amazing Briyani for 50 /- only a plate  and to top it he serves with so much love . The Biryani Degh was huge and was totally full up  , he  said it will be empty by morning ... amazing . A must must do he beats them all so far . This is Pehelwan Biryani. 

Haji Sharbati 

Since 1957 , sells Brain , Nihari and kahmeeri roti thats it . Haji Sharbati - the shops name is Sharabti Nihari . A very dear friend and big time foodie goes there twice a week only to eat nihari by the kilo , wat an animal ... trust me if i describe the whole meal you will never go - so i leave it you to check out personally. But the Brain Mutton , Buff nihari are too die for  . Such nice people insisted in eating more , insisted that we sit and eat - really loved their hospitality . The brain was beautifully cooked separately , topped with gravy and a bit of ghee adrak and chilly , the buff nihari was soft thick  flowy gravy - both have been designed to be eaten with the soft khameeri roti . Truly divine  . Ok time to turn back and eat more heheheheheheh.

Aslam Chicken

Aslam Bhai Ka roast chicken , Bismillah. This man is famous and only for one dish - Roast chicken .. which when deconstructed is tandoori or barbecued chicken with loads of butter thats it , To be eaten with roomali / khameri roti . Break roti dip and soak the butter , tear a bit of chicken and go ummmmmmmm. It is fingerlicious - please leave the blood report at home . 

Karim - The First One

1913 is when Karim came into existence .. wow truly historic . the place remains just the same but with modern looks . I have personally been here twice before once to eat their raan and the second time to eat the full bakhra .. and both were just amazing experiences . Karim is iconic and is spreading  in Delhi NCr like wild fire . At this juncture we were joined by two more foodies doing what we were doing ,so now we had a table of five and each sharing their food adventures of Jama masjid like tourist meting in the evening to recap , they had bought cooking masalas from Noori - who apparently supply the masala to all the restaurants in Jama Masjid - acha jee, not sure about this  . Anyways we landed up here becos my fellow foodie said coming to jama masjid and not eating in karim is a shame so we went in ... heheeheh

Well hate to say this but the experience was BAD ,we ordered mutton seekhs which were dry , pre cooked just warmed and served so unlike a kebabee place ; our co partners ordered a chicken stew - sweet gravy ..not happening, my buddies ordered two plates of nihari (now this is a funda you must be clear about - Nihari is an early morning dish in Jama Masjod - but just because is was ramadan time they serve it all night and we got lucky) man they were awful - full of red chilies and bad gravy , normally you get the nice sticky gravy of the marrow but none here totally commercial and bad , all the above were eaten with khameri Roti and naan - full of extra soda just bad  and then to end it i ordered a Phirni thinking it would be nice flavored with saffron etc - nothing like that sugary and awful one bite and we wasted three portions - we spoke to the manager on duty - he said it was out sourced , i was like hain ..... Overall experience was terrible .  And the foodies who insisted on taking us there also agreed with the bad food experience . Never again . I believe all the franchises of Karim are as bad . I never write like this but i am compelled to do so , tried reaching the owner but in vain , wrote a comment hope they read it .. they need to go back to the 1913 recipes and treat people to original authentic mughal cuisine and not commercial master gravies .

You could try Rehmatullah and Al Jawahar if you feel like .They are better.

The Foodies in Action

The true story of a foody is - Enthu about eating , jumps around everywhere in search for food , eats like a pig , gets exhausted eating , sits down for a break , drinks a Kaali wali aerated drink and then yet again wants to eat meetha, for a true foody eating is like there is no tomor , actually when you come jama masjid there is no tomor - you dont know when u wil come next , so kill it guys  ....  Foody and Im Lovin It . 

Expressions of Jama Masjid

Expressions of Jama masjid ... could have spent and evening taking pictures of people on the streets ... beautiful expressions , the streets always engage me . 

Over all Tigers Experience : The Food At Jama Masjid is total - Khana Dil Se , have the guts to experiment , trust the server , dont doubt them , eat what they serve becos they think its the best , eat small portions , meet people , greet them , hug them and cherish being right der . To my surprise - clean roads specially the by lanes we felt guilty throwing tissue on the street ... no spit , no paan , no water - wonder how .   Yes beggars but no eye contact is the name of the game . Besides the regular eateries please try whatever you want to , food doesn't bite .

Food : What amazes me is the fact that each of the establishments we visited specialized in One or Two dishes - and thats it . Chef Driven i would say LOL. 

The above is totally my opinion, my taste my experience , my ideology , sorry for not mentioning any names of the streets or places - for me it was one long road thats it . I did get a bit breathless with all the shops people etc but its ok keep sipping water , yes that reminds me the only place where u can find a loo is Karim . 

Going back again for Anmol , Gur ka Sharbat , Double ka meetha , mango Ice cream,sutli kebab, Sheermal and qorma and to find more places inthe lanes of Jama Masjid . Foodies Never GIVE UP.

The recommended Route: Kebabs: Lalu/ Anmol/Qureshi ; Aslam Chicken/ Nadeem  - Keema/ Pehelwan Biryani/ Sharabti Bihari and Brain … rehmatullah or Al Jwahar But NOT KARIM EVER till they dont change their attitude and food quality.

Tigers Experience at Zerzura - Clarion Collection Hotel , Qutub Inst. Area , New Delhi

"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

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 . 

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.

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 .

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.

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 . 

BULGAR AND ZAFRAN  CHICKEN BROTH

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 ..

PINEAPPLE AND POMEGRANATE TABOULEH

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.

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 .

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.

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 .

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 .

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 . 

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.

HUMMUS WITH MEATS

Hummus with Meats :Pureed Chickpeas blended with Tahini, Olive Oil and Garlic.

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.

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

BUS STATION KEFTA WITH EGG AND TOMATO

 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 .

BAKLAVA WITH PISTACHIO ICE CREAM

 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 .

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.

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 .

Tigers Experience At Olive Bar and Kitchen - Qutub,Mehrauli

Welcome to Olive

2003 it all started in this hidden Mughlo ke Zamane kee haveli owned by a friend Sanjeev Batra , Sanjeev sure had some vision to get hold of this heritage property years ago when there was no development around the Qutub Area ; he partnered with the Olive group headed by none other than Mr A D Singh and others to create history opposite the historical Qutab Minar - Olive immediately got recognized by every travel magazine for the most amazing restaurant in this heritage setting, in India  . Olive today is one of the most  Iconic restaurants in the country . The ambiance was the number one seller when they started off - at that time it was more like a Med Lounge they served more Mediterranean food and now the focus is Food Food and More Food . They have had some amazing Chefs work with them in the past , to name a few Chef Manu Chandra - the whiz kid in the industry Chef Manu is a Stephenian a total Delhi boy from malcha marg , studied at the culinary institute in New York  - He mastered and ran the olive at Bangalore which got featured as one of the top restaurant of India - btw i sponsored a Nida mahmood Fashion Show at Olive Bangalore , just hehehehe. From Chef Manu Chandra he became Manu to me as a friend - and how - OLD Monk is the connect between us . He launched Monkey Bar Bangalore and Delhi , now has a new baby called Fatty Bao in Bangalore - he amazes me with not only his Skills as chef but his inter personal skills , which i have witnessed at many conferences . Chef Sabyasachi Gorai  - Executive Chef Olive , as far as i remember i met Chef Saby for the first time at Ai the Japanese place by Ad Singh at MGF mall Saket - a killer of a restaurant , can never forget the Black Cod on the stone mind blowing , from there he moved onto other olive branches etc - he was awarded as the Chef of the Year by the President of India , Olive Opened the Olive Culinary Academy under Chef Saby's banner - both won laurels for their creations

Gorgeous is the setting Romantic is the mood u r at the right place in town the Olive Bar and Kitchen- very Mediterranean, white walls , White cane furniture, white pebbles, beautiful candles at night  ... and the iconic peepal ka tree which everyone loves sitting under .A favorite for the expats m they love the openness , the heritage feeling and of ciurse a to die for Wine Menu  . " Dappled sunlight on soft arm chairs. A white pebbled courtyard punctuated by bougainvillea. Worlds collide and time stops in this Mogul mansion turned alfresco Mediterranean restaurant; home to warm and casual elegance, with its beautiful white walls, the white pebbled courtyard with a vast canopy of the Banyan tree, and the stunning star-lit tree-top terrace bar under the shadow of the Qutub Minar" . - Stolen words but beautifully described.  Vaise the indoors is as beautiful with huge windows lovely white curtains , great air conditioning , u still get the feeling of openness not to worry .My choice - Winters outdoors , summers indoors .

Besides the out door  and indoor setting they have a beautiful Green House on the side which essentially is being used for The Chefs Table and soem amazing pop ups organised by Mohit Balachandran - the last one i attended was a Persian Food cook out - Fantastic.

The Inreriors

The Current Chef De Cuisine - Chef Sujan Sarkar. - 

Dada a simple Bengali man , determined, passionate , loaded with too much creativity and fire to learn more  - i was lucky to spend a afternoon with him over a simple pizza and nimboo pani - he has done what a successful chef does - travel and work under gurus of the industry to understand their culinary art and implement the same in your own style . Traveled  to many countries to understand the fusion of culture and food and how it si received by the locals . Chef belongs to Kalyani - area of Kolkata - remember Kalyani beer yes that the place - family is into agriculture , two brothers , a simple Bengali family . 

Was certainly scary for Sujan to come back to India and work ... the money , the environment , the people , the traffic , the ingredients, the work culture , the kee hazoori - but but he took it as a challenge and grabbed the opportunity with Olive . 

Loved what the chef said to me summarize his concept of cooking the The Fish , the Veggies have to look fresh when they are served to the customer and we make all efforts to deliver the same . This had a connect with Jamie Oliver style of cooking - Sujan worked at fifteen in uk with Jamie . Chef Sujan has fed celebrtites in the UK - wonder how he feels feeing the Tigers , today hehehehehehehehehe.

Chef Sujan Sarkar

Chef did not know i was doing this candid number on him hehehehe but i loved the collage of Sujan and that too in black n white ... doesn't he look like a Don , or maybe he can get away for a simple nice patient man or a new generation artist from shantivan... but he is the curator at the Oilve Lab, doing magic to al the menus , introducing new dishes , tweaking old ones .. thanks to AD he has the liberty to change what he likes.

Sujan started his career with JW Marriott Mumbai, after graduating from IHM and then moved to Hilton hotels, UK in 2004. After spending some time in Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant, chef Sujan S. started working under Peter Tempelhoff (Relais & Châteaux Grand chef) and then the Michelin-starred Galvin at Windows under Andre Garret and chef Cris Galvin. By the end of 2008, he took over Automat restaurant (American steak house and brasserie) in Mayfair as the Head Chef and the following year opened Almada restaurant in Berkley Street which used to be the celebrity hot spot of London with regulars like Madonna, Jude Law, George Clooney, Jay Z, Leonardo di Caprio, Sir Elton John, Cindy Crawford, Mickey Rourke to name some. Here, he served a modern European inspired menu.He also developed a degustation menu for the Whistling Shop (voted best cocktail bar in London). His last assignment was with Cipriani Group of Restaurants, famous for Italian fine dining experience before he came to India after almost 10 years and has joined as Chef de Cuisine for the Olive bar and kitchen, New Delhi and Mumbai.

Chef Sujan S. specializes in: Modern European, Mediterranean, American, 

Italian, Cutting edge modern cooking, Modern and molecular gastronomy and Chocolate.

Lifted of chefs personal website www.sujans.com

The World Famous Olive Pizzza , please dont ask me to describe what al went on it - Chef Sujan went in to do the magic and this what came ... the more i think about it the more i drool so enuf is enuf - just see the pics and be happy .

An open challenge to al Pizza makers in Delhi - You beat this and i get free pizza for the rest of my life from Olive  Lollllllll !!!!!

Now this was another day - was invited for a bloggers table . 

The new summer menu at Olive Qutub is crafted using fresh seasonal produce and oh-so- light ingredients.  Chef Sujan S. creates a visually stunning showcase that is vibrant and colorful with robust flavors sourced from local farms. 

As per me a Summer Menu should be - Cool to look at , Refreshing to bite into, Easy to Digest and interesting to keep coming back.

Reflecting new world Mediterranean and European cooking trends, summer menu at Olive Qutub combines a variety of ingredients to create distinct flavours.  Light and some rare found ingredients like soft goat cheese, salsify, melon, green apple, sweet heirloom tomatoes, broad beans, baby gem lettuce, endive, micro lettuce, local rhubarb, baby artichoke, white and green asparagus, pink lemon and avocado are paired with succulent meats of deep sea lobster, crab, Chilean sea bass, clams, duck and lamb rump amongst others.

New items on the menu include tempting delights of water vinaigrette, caramelized white chocolate, dark chocolate soil, ox tail ragout, chicken and tea consommé, fresh burratta sorbet, gazpacho granita, avocado and green apple sorbet, salt baked beetroot, confit chicken leg pave, savory granola, smoked goat curd, hazelnut puree and cauliflower mousse. I had not even heard of half these things - i had to record all this come home and do a google about them to understand what the hell were these funny ingredients hahahahaha

With a focus on purity in cooking techniques, Chef Sujan S. uses an array of vegetables, different cuts of meats and experiments with desserts and homemade sorbets in unusual flavors. He must have done so much research combined it with his experience across the globe to come up with these dishes . 

Besides the above i think the man has made art on the plate - perfect ingredients , a lively combination of colours , a great fusion of flavors , excellent plating for the visual orgasm and trust me each bite is a new story being told to your rusty palate .  The summer menu for me was Fresh , interesting ,educating, discovery and a eye opener, the menu had a lot of summer refreshers merged with light flavored sauces and syrups .. too good chef.

Amuse Bouche

Amuse bouche- a pumpkin cracker, with soft goat’s cheese, semi dried tomatoes and sorrel - wonderful dish the pumpkin crackers were the surprise element for me  a bit sweet but topped with goat cheese for the acidity it was a brilliant dish.

Char Grilled Baby Gem and Vegetable Salad served with smoked goat curd and homemade savoury granola  - this i think is Jamies style ... fresh garden veggies. A nice comforting healthy salad . What i loved in the dish was the combination of the smoked slightly burnt veggies with the cheese - outstanding combo .

The Home Cured Salmon with pickled cucumber, salsify (root vegetable), caviar, wood sorrel, cucumber and green apple water is a must try which showcases flavour textures and how a simple cured salmon dish can be elevated to the next level with the apple flavors . the chef patiently comes and pours the apple water for you to relish the entree. Not many may like this dish and pass it off as bland but i loved the cured salmon .

Compressed Melon Terrine

Olive Picture

olive Picture

The Compressed Melon Terrine is made with soft feta cheese, fresh avocado sorbet, poached kalamata olive and crispy ham. Chef Sujan patiently uses elaborate techniques to prepare the terrine which is a construct of three different types of melon stuck together with fruit pectin(Muskmelon, Watermelon and Canary melon stuck together by fruit pectin) and compressed  to create this delicious starter. You can taste the sweet, the salty and the sour all in one dish. The best or the worst part of these kind of dishes is that you need to first sit and absorb the dish , understand each element of it , then slowly start rating iot to enjoy each flavor. Very challenging dish .

Foie Gras and Chicken Liver Parfait

Olive Picture

After Bacon this is my second love chicken Parfait and Foie Gras - the salty , creamy , buttery  or rather utterly butterly delicious - dabbed on top of some table bread was the killer dish of the evening  for me . Nice ambitious yet simple combination

Chicken and Mushroom consomme

A real Homey - a Italian consomme had during winters for celebrations , beautifully made pasta filled with cheese and soaked in the broth . I call it the chefs Hat pasta .Chicken and Mushroom have a perfect marriage .

Zucchini Wrapped Reef Cod

Zucchini Wrapped Reef Cod Almost the Same dish with two colors of the Zucchini .. reminded me much of a ceviche , but no the Cod was beautiful cooked and wrapped in the zucchini which not only protect the fish but also added a mystical flavor to the whole experience - on the side were fritters and potato spaghetti. This is the signature dish of the Summer menu. 

Corn Fed Chicken Breast

Corn Fed Chicken Breast served with pave of confit chicken leg, sweet corn puree and hazel nut jus is a piece of art in both presentation and taste. The Corn fed Chicken Breast was cooked in its own juice making it tender and succulent. The Hazelnut sauce which was poured over it, greatly contrasted the salty taste of the chicken. Tigers number one rule of eating meats - if cooked in its own Jus - the dish has to be a killer .

Lavender Scented Australian Lamb Rump

Rump of Lamb which is first sous vide with lavender and then roasted and served with white onion puree, confit solo garlic, baby roasted vegetables, semi dried tomato and broad beans is a perfect summer dish for meat lovers. The Rump is the most tastiest part of the Lamb - true meat eaters would agree with me - very little fat thats why . Beautifuly cured and marinated - perfect pink color , perfect falvor none over powering the other - each flavor distinct.

Sirloin Steak

Sirloin Steak Beautiful medium rare Oxtail Ragout - first time got my hands on a oxtail steak - Brilliant dish with Black Garlic Puree and potato fondant - OUTSTANDING first time experience . Tired each item on their own - the meat with the black garlic was a perfect combo the potato and the garlic was even better . Overall an amazing experience.

Tiramisu

The All time favorite Tiramisu .Check out the modern art .. beautiful - trust me Sujan is a Artist , Im so confused - how the hell do chefs make it happen and the consistency , only chefs of this caliber can  do this - how much experimenting they must doing to get it right and create a visual delight ... Fantastic . Served with a coffee sorbet .. wonderful.

Tigers Overall Experience : i would rate Olive as one of the most romantic places in delhi - with the change in gear to food - Olive yes is the culinary mecca . Olive caters to every age group , every audience of people dinning out or hanging out - they have a freaked out bar called the dirty martini .. lively on every Saturdays .  Great experience to be at Olive , The best experience to be with chef Sujan one on one ...  Can Never complain about this brand come what may . Olive is a classy place to show off , to entertain clients , go romantic , to pig out , to sip wine to chat up with the chef and have a fun meal . 

Food : regular food is outstanding , chef Sujans new menu is progressive modern and challenging - a must to go eat and admire the mans capability . new ingredients , new flavors new engagement - so educative and experimentive - excellent and am thankful for this food experience . 

Service - Always smiling staff , slowly learning the construct of the dishes , very helpful .

Ambiance - Not saying a word more LOL . SUPER .