So my wife recommended one of her fav joints, Punjabi By Nature, in Noida. PBN is quite popular and has a few branches. We got in after a reservation and were seated promptly. The Restaurant itself is just so so, not much in terms of ambiance or decor.
The service was quick and food was great. We got the paneer makhani which was succulent, sweet yet had a tang to it, the dal makhani was quite robust and almost dal bukharaesque (which has more dimension to it) the breads were average and the biryani was just weak. Overall worth going to, they could def try and take things up a notch. Food 8/10 Service 8/10. Damage 1500 for 3 without drinks.
The next day we tried another of her favcs, Bercos in Connaught Place, this one was actually dissaponting. I expected something fairly competetive but it was wanting on every level. The dim sum (called momos) was just terrible. No taste all texture. The Veggies in schezuan were allright but nothing to really crow about.
The only saving grace was the green curry which i think they mucked by making it well. It wasn't exactly authentic but it tasted good, so cant complain. Food 3/10, Service 4/10 Damage 1200 without drinks.
Also had some interesting chaat, interesting only that it was pretty bad, dont know how they have a chaat culture when almost everything we do in Mumbai is clearly better except maybe the Punjabi/Moghlai fare, which i reckon is only better on averages. The tikki and stuff was just plain bad, the pani puri was somewhat tolerable.
An interesting sidetrack while driving around we came across this guy called Jain Shikhanji, he is all over the place Noida, Meerut, Aligad, etc etc.
All he does is make fresh lime soda with his own special Masala. At 17 a glass he apparently sells 4000-5000 glasses a day. Go figure. I had some it, it was pretty good, although there are plenty of imitators all over the place.
So all in all i couldn't make it everywhere i wanted to but i got a sense that New Delhi and surroundings can really cook up some North Indian fare but they are at a complete loss when it comes to creating an ambiance, setting a palate and then doing anything Western or Eastern well.
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Came across your blog when researching on restaurants in Bombay. Me and my husband are moving to Bombay and were a tad clueless about the restaurant scene there. Your blog and review compilations are great!! Thanks a ton. I think I am going to be digging into your blog a lot in the months to come.
Gaurav,
I have lived in Bombay and Delhi for extended periods of time and I am sorry that your experience in Delhi was not good. Although PNB and Bercos were good some time back, there are much better places. The mughlai fair at Gulatis on Pandara road, Chick Fish at Malviya nagar, Colonel Kababs at Defence Colony are miles better and Karims at Both Nizammudin and Jama Masjid are way better.
I will not say a lot about South east Asian food as that is way better in Bombay.
Try these places when you are down next and I promise you won't be sorry. Also there is a story that makhani dal and chicken was put together by Moti Mahal at DariyaGanj in Old Delhi.
hey, interesting post! i have been putting some effort to develop this website - www.foodlet.in
it has the menus and phone numbers of all major restaurants in NCR region (increasing day by day).
make sure you check it out. would love to get some feedback!
Have you tried paapri chaat in ND. Love it. Foodwise I find the quality of meat much better in Delhi than at Bombay
K,
I havent tried the Papdi Chaat in Delhi. I cant commment on the quality of meat.
However i think Delhi has def gotten into the groove when it comes to food. I dont know if its the nature of the UN & International presence there or the sheer pretentiousness of nouveau riche Delhi but they have def raced ahead in terms of cuisines and are doing a decent job of it.
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