Review: Paranda Restaurant at Vivanta by Taj Surajkund

Dhabas have been an integral part of any North Indian foodie's life, couple it with someone whose friends are bitten by the travelling bug. Apart from childhood memories of travelling with family to Punjab, Rajasthan and the hills, the distinct memories of eating at dhabas are shared with Puneet and Vivek on various road trips.

Getting an invite from Paranda at Taj Vivanta, Surajkund positioned as speciality Indian Restaurant had me wondering why would I want to eat Dhaba food at a 5 star. Went along with the flow to see what they had to offer.

The decor set the mood just right. Vibrant colours in matkas leading up the staircase. A lifesize truck with colourful sayings, very characteristic of the highways. The lift doors cleverly built in with bright green wooden doors like those of a village home. Paranda is a hair accesory in Punjab, a kind of tasselled tag for braiding hair. How could I resist being my crazy self with my friends Mukta(also kindly agreed to share her pictures for this post), Rekha and her lovely daughter Agreya.

 

The theme of highways and villages is carried forward in every bit of the decor superbly built-in to blend yet stand out. Charpoys, lanterns, martaban, brass utensils(all sizes of pots and pans), parandas, dupattas, bangles, old radio sets, traditional jewellery. The place is a photographers delight.

Photo Credit: Rekha Kakkar

We were welcomed by the staff, Chef Ganesh Joshi and the GM Mr. Rajeev Khanna. Chef Joshi introduced us to the concept of the restaurant. The menu features an abundance of robust, earthy dishes that have evolved from the province of Punj (five) Ab (water) – The Land Of Five Rivers. From the ingenuity of the ingredient to the flawlessness of the execution, every aspect of Paranda will lead to an emotive, intense, liberating way of eating with fingers unlike any other says Chef Joshi.

An interesting amuse of golgappa stuffed with potato, chickpea and sweet tamarind chutney led me to believe that this food journey would surely be rewarding. Yes, I got seconds. Am never the one to pass up good golgappas. The Magan Murg Shorba however was a disappointment as it was too salty. Not something expected at such a place. Some murmurs had the soup instantly replaced.

The starters were a Platter of Methi Achari Tikka, Murgh Sunheri Shahi Tikka and Bhutta Malai Jhinga with baby Khasta Roti. The chicken was soft and succulent, fish was flaky and the prawns were flavoured well and my favourite out of the lot. We were served a unique combination of onions marinated with spiced yogurt. Something I haven't seen at at any Dhaba. It made the onions loose their punch. What we all missed on the table was sliced onions or better still 'Mukki wala Pyaz' where the truckers just smash the onion with their fist. Once pointed out, it was served instantly on the table. This lack of punch was an overall view on the table, best described as 'Food-For-Foreigners'.

The main course started with Sood de Dhabey di Dal, Palak Kofta Makhni Wala, served with Pudina Parantha and Namak Mirchi ka Parantha. The dal gets it's name from an eatery in Ferozpur called Sood Da Dhaba. Sec 7 ka Mutton Tariwala, was a take on a local dhaba in sec 7 in ambala. The mutton was cooked very well in a tomato based curry and spices were just right. The Mushroom Mattar was passable. Zeera Pyaz Pulao has a lot of us going hmmmmm, the fried onions and flavours of spices brought out by dollops of Ghee.

For desserts there were Malai Chamcham, Anjeer ki Kulfi and Gulab Jamun. Despite being stuffed by now, the entire gulab jamun went in. The Malai Chamcham and Anjeer ki Kulfi were nice however Falooda wasn't up my street. The dried paan was an excellent mouth freshener.

The Dal, Mutton tari wala and Namak Mirchi ka Parantha was true to it's Dhaba style and something I'll surely go back for. The view of the Aravallis from a huge glass window near our table gave us a sense of eating with nature. The company made it an even more enjoyable experience. Was fun meeting Anjali(Product and Food Stylist) and Maneesh (of Mystic Foodie Mantra)

A huge thank you to Saumya and Nafisa for having us over. Heartfelt thank you to Chef Ganesh Joshi for reaching out to our hearts via our stomachs  and wishing his team all the best.

Blogger's Table at Guppy by Ai ~ Delhi's Newest Tryst With Japanese Cuisine

Guppy by Ai is Chef Vikram Khatri's baby, another restaurant by AD Singh. The promise of contemporary Japanese food in Delhi, heartfelt invite, and the opportunity to meet friends over dinner prompted me to accept the invite for the Blogger's table by Chef at Large.  Japanese is just about Sushi and raw food is the belief Guppy is out to bust.

The interiors done by Anshu Arora give the place a wonderful vibe with a stunning play of colours, props, art work and lighting. We visited the restaurant for dinner, hence the slightly dim pictures, am sure by the day it would look soothing and playful. The ceramic rose knobs, use of Origami and metal to make lights(done by Jenny Pinto) Japanese kokeshi dolls, vintage cameras, old tiffin boxes and more such Japanese memorabilia  add a chic value to the place. No 2 corners look alike, yet the theme is flowing along like a rivulet. What I found odd was a plastic sheets used to curtain off their lounge. it's not something I would have expected in a place like this.

Who is behind the stove cooking is an important question along with the food being prepared. Who better than some who is dedicated to the cuisine and a warm person, always willing to go the extra mile to make his guests smile. Chef Vaibhav and I have had our share of cuisine clicks. Then and Now.....


The menu reflects the spirit embodied in Guppy... The colourful, spirited yet clean design.


Chef Khatri and Chef Vaibhav both welcome us with an amuse of Tomato and jasmine tea served with a prawn cracker with pickled vegetables dressed in goma dressing and seasoned with furikake(Japanese seasoning) for the non vegetarians and Tomato and jasmine tea with Seasame cracker with pickled vegetables dressed in goma dressing and seasoned with aao nori and shichimi for the vegetarians. The amuse did it's job well by setting the tone for what was coming ahead.

Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese, "seven flavor chili pepper"), also known as nana-iro togarashi,  and simply shichimi, is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients.
A typical blend may contain coarsely ground red chili pepper (the main ingredient), ground sansho, roasted orange peel, black sesame seed, white sesame seed, hemp seed, ground ginger, nori or aonori. Source

Small plates 
Edamame Sea Salt/Chilli Garlic(Steamed soybean pods with an option of sea salt or chilli garlic dressing) were a thumbs up. Sushmita and Aishwarya were happy to see the bowl thru at an addictive pace. The salty and garlicyyyyyy flavour were a hit with me. It won a repeat order when we visited again. The pace at which these beans vanish while chatting with friends is astounding.

Guppy House Salad (Seasonal crunchy vegetables, palm heart and bamboo shoot, dressed in karashi mustard) was fresh and it mustard dressing won my heart. Yes, I'm biased, mustard is a flavor i really like.

Chirashi Seafood salad (Assortment of pickled prawn, tuna, salmon, crab and baby greens in goma-ae dressing) the seafood was fresh. With some encouragement Aishwarya tried the seafood and was soon convinced that she would order again. Her delightful look at the Roe popping in her mouth amused us all. Going back again with a friend, I was very happy to order it again and was served the same consistent taste.

Prawn Gyoza (Black tiger prawn pot stickers, pan fried, served with chilli ponzu soy sauce) and Exotic Mushroom Gyoza (Gluten-free, crisp bottom steamed pot stickers, served with chilli soy dipping sauce) were wonderfully done. The flavours went well with the dipping sauces, especially the ponzu sauce. These pot sticking delights are a definite winner for me.

Crisp Vegetable Harumaki (Exotic vegetable filo rolls, crisp baked in oven and served with chilli garlic) and Rice Paper Vegetables Roll (Shredded vegetables and lettuce, wrapped in rice paper with yuzu kosho sesame sauce) were disappointing for me. The vegetable rolls were to oily for the description given.

Chilli Lime Dressed Agedashi Tofu (Crisp fried silken tofu, dressed in sweet and spicy chilli lime dressing) was interesting but couldn't hold my fancy as it was a bit oily. That said, it's dressing was absolutely wonderful.

Sushi Rolls - Spicy Salmon Special Roll (Spicy mayo, tobiko and tanuki) and Asparagus Tempura Roll (Spicy mayo and leeks) were neat, precise and just like they should be. Would have loved to the the Guppy twist on them

Guppy Signature Pork Belly (Slow braised Belgium pork belly, glazed with soy honey and served with mustard miso sauce) is cooked for over 72 hours told us Chef Khatri. There are pictures of this I caught simmering away quietly in the kitchen. The glaze was balance of  flavours which went well with the meat.

Mains
Guppy Signature Black Cod (Baked miso marinated black cod served on a hot stone) The star of this show was the baked Black Cod which arrived, sizzling on a large smooth pebble, locking in the flavors. outside was a nice char while the inside were soft and flaky.

The classic way we eat in is when the food put on the table is the star. It's photographed, discussed, visually eaten before being devoured.

Desserts were Warm Carrot Cake (Carrot cake served with mascarpone frosting) which tasted very nice with the frosting but would have preferred for it to be lighter and Yuzu Lemon Cheesecake (with Kafir lime glaze) left me a bit wanting. We were also spoilt with Nutty Clusters, Pyramids of chocolates filled with chocolate ganache and balls of Red Velvet cake paired with desiccated coconut.

A peek into their kitchen, small yet clean, neat and well organised. people who are happy cooking and have smiles on their faces after a long and hard day at work will surely produce fantastic food where the smile passes onto the diner's face..... That's what I call a D-E-L-I-G-H-T-F-U-L meal....

Thank you for hosting us Guppy and a huge shout out to Chef Vaibhav for being a wonderful host and Chef Khatri for convincing me that vegetarian Japanese can be equally flavorful. This team with it's hard work should certainly go places.

Will I return to this place?
Certainly yes.... and I did. Went for a quiet dinner with a friend, where the table which wasn't booked in my name. The food and service was equally consistent as our blogger's table. Suggested the place to cousins, who also came back praises for the place.

Wishing the team at Guppy all the best.