Tigers Experience at FARZI Cafe .. Modern Indian Bistro

Customer Comments post visit to Farzi

"The Only Place where u talk less and concentrate on the Food - each dish engages U"

"You checkout the dish upar neeche"

"You know everything here is Farzi - Decor , Food , People heheheehh"

"You have to leave your acquired taste behind"

"You can look forward to surprises"

"Be all set for a shock from the EDm generation"

"You have to enjoy each dish alone ,no Sharing"

"Even the grass is growing ulta on the walls"
"Chefs Kitne cute hai na - haan the servers are also so Cute "

and to Tiger , the food at Farzi is all about Science , Technique , Fusion to engage the customer. The Ambiance at Farzi is a combination of Exquisite designing , elegance , comfort ,hip happening  and bistro feel . The service at Farzi .. very brit .. servers wearing ties smartly dressed , well groomed net net Total Farzified experience

Above are some of the comments of people post eating at Farzi Cafe .. Indian Bistro . Amazingly Interesting , Superbly thought over , Well researched , Well practiced ,Well Imagined  - a total Farzi Place - you may call it an illusion or you may just about expect the name Farzi to say the story , Or you may buy the name as another catchy name .. Zorawar spent a lot of time thinking about it before he christened this baby .... His line of thinking was simple - a good combination of ethnic traditional food with infusion of the modern style of cooking to deliver a taste which will last with you for long. On the flip side when i heard the name Farzi and i Kept Sir Jiggs Kalra and Zorawars family in mind i Said iska dimag kharab hogaya hai heheheheheeh

Tiger was invited by allin sundry at Farzi to try out their food - and he eventually went . Btw i also attended the Launch  Party and the highlight of the evening were two - the airconditioning and the turnaround at the bar - 40 second to be precise and u had a bar tender attending to you - mind blowing . 

Center of the most happening place in Delhi NCR - The Cyber Hub Gurgaon - 8000 Sq Ft of elegance actually sheer elegance - you can see and feel the effort that has been put into Farzi ... You enter into a nice elegant cafe like section , enter the main restaurant  wooden interiors , Solid wood tables - no fuss furniture . ,beautiful stage for gigs , perfect space to make space fore the dancing post dinner , a huge long bar to hangout at - I am really looking forward to the Gig nights when we can hangout at the bar with some amazing Farzi drinks and Farzi Khana. (Illusionary drinks and food)

FARzi Interiors

The London phone booth is for the butter chicken , the typewriter is for the bill . Good innovative toys to add to the illusion .

Farzi Menu 

The simple menu may look simple but i can assure you that it must have taken them a year to put this menu together... amazing research , collection of dishes , good time spent in the food lab to put these dishes on the menu . All the dishes my sound pretty simple easy but when they are served you are suddenly hit but a WOW . Its all about molecular gastronomy - well to know the real meaning u can do a google - all i can say is that if you dont get the process of this experiment right it can really fall flat on your face and screw up your reputation - each dish needs to be experimented on atleast a 100 time before it can be served . These are new concepts in India and either you can love them or u can hate them - i hated them but post my visit to Farzi and actually seeing the process happening infront of my eyes i have become a firm believer of this art . 

From wiki bhai "Molecular gastronomy is a sub discipline of food science that seeks to investigate the physical and chemical transformations of ingredients that occur in cooking. Its program includes three axes, as cooking was recognized to have three components, which are social, artistic and technical

Physical and chemical Transformation of ingredients wow this is what i witnessed in each dish served to me .. mishti doi being made into a sphere with panch toran masala in it, topped with strawberry crush , was a perfect example. 

About Molecular Gastronomy - This has several methods - its all the new age science fiction story - Speherification , Foam , Smoking ,Gelification , Emulsification,Transformation , Air , Flavor pairing . The use of human friendly chemicals is the key word for these techniques - they require a clean room ,good apparatus and  Patience .  To summarize Molecular Gastronomy centres around the idea of changing textures, of familiar flavors in unfamiliar presentations .  Farzi Mastered it .

A note of caution Farzi offers a per head dish experience - i would prefer you dont share and enjoy each dish selfishly . 

Mishti doi and strawberry amuse-bouche

Reverse Speherification  - Wow a new term with a lot of meaning - the process is quite easy - Get hold f Distilled water , add Sodium Alignate , get your frueit puree ready ,all Calcium Lactate Glucanate , Sugar , salt and there you go .. hehehehehehe not so easy dude .. the art of mixing each ingredient , ensuring its bubble free, making sure the measure are constant , the cooling period is accurate ... what you get after this process is a a sphere shaped ball which due to Jellification has a thick membrane around it and burst with a pop when cut .. this can be done with almost all dairy products , yogurts cheese , fruits etc .

Mini Raj Kachori with Crisp Okra Salad

I'm a Chaat freak and was lucky enough to capture it being made , i didn know he was making it for me lol ... Raj Kachori dissected and served with the foam of imli served on this huge ocean rock .... the raj kachori had the regular fillers with mint chutney served with fried Crispy bhindi for the crunch . So basically you eat it like u eat a raj kachori cut thru and thru the imli foam the kachori and go for it .. u may add a a few okra pieces for a better crunch ... good thinking i must say as the textures and flavors merged beautifully . The Imli Foam is nicely made and does not disappear soon , but please eat it jaldi jaldi . 

Any liquid or solid with gas suspended in it like a sponge. Addition of Surfctant in Liquids is required to make the foam like they have used in Farzi to make Imli Foam. Even bread is a foam of air and carbon dioxide (produced by yeast) suspended in solid flour and other ingredients. FYI

Farzi OK 

This is a refreshing non alcoholic drink made up with Fresh Californian orange and Thai Kafir Lime leaves, our farzi’s made vanilla syrup and orange juice. I love the Tanginess of this healthy option . a bit to sweet for me but beyond control i guess when u have fresh fruti juice .. the lingering aroma of kafir lime makes it even more desirable .

Sarson Ki Galwat , corn and cheese tostados

Check out the colorful plating .. reds green yellow white orange what else so u need ...  A family secret disclosed here , we believe that each meal shud have all colours in it to make it a healthy meal ... think about it .

The Sarson ke kebab transformed to match the meat element , which they did , the corn or makki ki roti stuffed with cheese , the chaas Sphere and the chiilly pop corn all to be eaten individually and enjoyed - like the colors the flavours too create a riot in your mouth . Start with the chaas sphere .. breaks beautifully in your mouth to fill it with nice chilled simple chaas .. followed by the kebab and the pop corn and then the makki cheese with the beet root ... very interesting marriage . Agree there are too many elements in it but a good starter.

Galouti Burger , Tawa Roasted Boti

Presentation does count .. This Galouti burger is served in this beautiful bright vanity case made in steel .. duno where they procured the same from .. the burger had a nice soft Galouti with perfect masalas not spicy but flavorful along with a tawa roasted boti - so inshort a whole meat burger served with potato wedges .  Smooth bite and u cant stop with just one bite you are forced to finish the animal .

Chilli Pork ribs with Reduction of Rishta Gravy

Interesting very interesting ribs marinated in Chiilies soaked in kashmiri rishta gravy and served with the reduction . Perfect marriage of the west with the east ... specifically Kashmir . The meat well cooked slips of the bone , the rishta gravy is spicy tangy and full of kashmiri masala .. so basically a great change from the bar b q sauce niormally served withthe ribs . And i love Rishta and also Ribs . Going back for more soon wil eat a whole rack this time .

Chicken 65 Lollipo with egg drop and Tomato Chutney

South Indian chicken 65 - in the form of a lollipop and the nice tangy mustardy tomato chutney was lovely .... chicken 65 cooked three ways . Sorry cant explain much as i was busy biting into this beautifully flavored lollipop and enjoying the merger of south india and the chatora me . But a well cooked Leg of chicken tossed in buna masalas .

Hajmola Lollipop with Imli kee chutney

The well deserved palate cleanser after witnessing the battle of flavors in all dishes .. perfect hajmola for digestion together with bachpan kee imli ka flavor a mind blowing lollipop. i love palate cleansers - cool refreshing make u ready for  fresh start .

Meethee Paronthee with Duck Liver Maska

My Winner Number one - firstly was eating a Meetheee Paronthee after years - actually ever since i lost my mother and then topped with Duck liver - Just WOW, what a combination of Sweet and salt - i actually took one one gariye a piece of the liver and let them play in the mouth .... the paratha must have been a tandoori lachha parantha and then sugar worked on it later .... One fab imaginative dish . Excellent fusion of West Traditional and modern .

I wil not stop nor listen to my wife saying not to eat  for this paronthee come what may .. im in love .

Posh Maggi

My Killer dish number 2 - I love maggi in any form - and with so much izzat who wont love it ..... maggi cooked in white truffle oil with chilly flakes topped with fat foie gras - i am a foie gras freak sadly its being banned in india tooo im sure we will have a juggad ready to replace this gorgeous meat . Nothing beats maggi in the 'N' number of ways you can eat it .... either which way its always a  winner - and i know why this dish - the genx chefs must have gorged on this in their hostels and fluke se experimented to get it right hehehehehehe .. Its a foodies delight.

Green Apple Foamintini  

This drink is made up with fresh Granny Apple Extract and Elder Flower syrup and lemon Juice and over the top we have Farzi made mint cream. Initially was a bit uncomfortable to sip the drink as i have a moustache problem , they get soaked in the drink and then i look like a dhoodh peeta hua bachha hehehhhehe, but nevertheless had the drink .. amazingly refreshing and with the nitrogen cream it even tasted better. 

An iSi Whip is a tool that uses gas and pressure to whip cream and create foams, fluffy sauces, light soups or infusions in just a matter of minutes instead of hours with incredible results. They are cylindrical stainless steel canisters with a handle and assorted tips for dispensing. The inert gas used with the iSi Whip is nitrous oxide (N2O) and it comes in a recyclable disposable cartridge called a charger. The N2O charge is attached to the iSi Whip canister to inject the exact amount of gas necessary to create the final product.

Parle G Cheese Cake

Khao G Parle G hehhehehheh A well set lemon cheese cake cushioned between to parle g biscuits presented in a plate of rabri decorated with Gems and pistachio.The server insisted i ate it like a angrez which is take the biscuit with the cake out cut into both and dip the spoon in rabri and enjoy the fusion of sweets melt in your mouth .. a great  desert .

Roohafza Creme Brulee

An another classic presented in a very modern and apopular manner - Roohafaza creme brulee topped with falooda - wah wah lajawab .. a well set desert perfectly caramelized sugar .. good one chef Himanshu took me by surprise . 

Phirni Oxidised

Phirni made up of puffed rice with bed of pistachio batasha by adding Liquid Nitrogen & served with thandai cream ... Beautiful transformation of Punjabi Dishes with modern technology . More than the desert the presentation was so impressive ... total fine dinning style in a Indian Bistro . 

Farzi Paan

Bhudie mai kai baal as we knew candy floss int he  earlier days hhahahaha . Pan Pasand toffee crushed , dehydrated paan merged and stuffed into the candy floss in the shape of a gujia - wah wah ... super treat  to head home with  saala Paan mein bhee twist  LOL 

Some Amazing Photography by Farzi - Incredible Plating

The 'Farzi' Team 

The Team Profiles :

Zorawar Kalra : An Young dynamic MBA from Boston , A Guru of a Father ,one of the most knowledgeable men in the country where recipes are concerned ,just for your interest Mr Jiggs Kalra was appointed to cover the Bohri Mohaalla in Mumbai by Mr Khushwant Singh himself and then he became India's first first food writer , this was told to me by the father of Indian cuisine Mr Rajen Bali , a friend of Mr Kalra.- A home of experimental cuisines - every meal has a history , every meal has a twist . Zorawar - gave the easiest and the simplest brief to his team " Anyone walking into Farzi has to go out Happy , bas thats it - do wahtever it take to make the customer happy "...  this was the brief given to Varun Duggal and Sonali  for Farzi . And trust me between Varun , Sonali , Himanshu and Saurabh they have created magic with food and have taken customer contentness to another level. Zorawars business acumen is resting on a strong platform which involves Risk , Adventure and Guts ... he is passionate , he has a vision, he is a peoples man - his team loves him ,he believes in his team , he is handson on the day to day operations . Zorawar spends time between the sensation of India specifically Mumbai "Masala Library "  ; " Made iN Punjab" and now "Farzi both in cyber hub gurgaon.

Varun and Sonali : I admire this collaboration of operations and marketing .... they work like the hand and glove - totally dedicated to making the place a success ; for them Satisfaction of the customer is epitome . I believe they have a calendar of events lined at Farzi - Gigs , Artist  all set to get the city Farzified . Varun is the GM Operations and Sonali is the Marcom Head for the Group - Young Dynamic, Popular, Visionaries ,Hard working , Pleasure to have a meal with , which is the most important to Tiger LOL

Chef Himanshu And Chef Saurabh Udinia - Chote Bacha hehehehehehe. Himanshu -  A Catering School Graduate from Delhi - Worked in Old World Hospitality the Mecca for turning out some of the most amazing chefs in the country , then under Iconic Chef Manish Mehrotra and now with Massive Restaurants . Chef Saurabh - Another Delhi boy did his catering college from Delhi - worked in Le Meridien , went abroad to train under different reputed chefs and now is back . He is currently stationed at Mumbai . They were instrumental in making Made in Punjab and then Masala Library in Mumbai  the most sought after places to eat in .... They are a Dream Team for an Entrepreneur, Total rockstars . They have not only mastered the act of molecular gastronomy but also have experienced a lot of it to bring the same to the table at Farzi and other Massive restaurant establishments. They are imaginative, efficient, adaptable and the biggest USP of these two young chefs is that they are opne to suggestions. 

Tigers Overall Experience: SUPER DUPER - Farzi is the change , the same change that we saw in the music scene from clues to rock n roll to disco to trance to EDM . While walking out i met both the young chefs and gave them an idea . Why not put a DJ console in the kitchen whee the plating happens - it wud be something different which no one has ever experience ever before . The guys have EDm flowing in their blood . Their energy is seen in the dishes they are combining . Ok on a serious note Enter Farzi with no pre conceived taste or notions nor an acquired taste  , visit farzi to experience magic being done to your food and trust me you wil come out screaming Eureka .. And yes you must take out time to congratulate the young chefs and the young turk on their effort towards research , experimenting and deliverance of Old traditional dishes with a twist . Trust me when they told me Farzi means an Illusion i laughed but then when im writing this blog and i see the full picture from start  tot he end i am more than convinced - the exteriors so elegant , the interiors give u a fine dining feeling and then comes the food which is so out of the world and yet simple. 

FARZi is positioned between a Restaurant and a PUB

Food : Simple Traditional dishes which we all have tied several times but the twist the boys have given to modify the dish is so incredible - turning around a simple daal chawal , raj kachori , creme brulee etc etc  is a ART . The pricing is ok ok or rather i wud say low for the effort gone into each dish . The kitchen is manpower intensive .. the kitchen works 24 hrs .. the lab takes a lot of patience  and space and of course silence to create magic . The food is Fusion , several aspects of Molecular Gastronomy .... 

Ambiance : Upbeat , Modern, Mystic,has the buzz. The entrance gives u a Al Fresco feeling witht he outdoors and the mist thanks to DLF ; The inside is wood laden  - a mix of an Irish pub , a beautiful fine dinning place , a hip happening joint and an eco friendly London bar . 

Service : Wish i had taken pictures of the team , so smartly dressed , with ties , gallots etc , they have made an effort to pick the chiknas from the lot available heheheheh, im sure the girls wil love them , the bar tenders are attentive alert suggestive and efficient.  The servers were or rather are very much aware of the dishes they serve , which is nice .

Sorry , Zorawar, Varun , Sonali, Himanshu , Saurabh and the Team Farzi - You have to bare up with me two more times to complete enjoy and do justice to the  Menu and i Look forward to the Farzi Experience . 100% recommended.