Dining in Little India is almost a monthly sojourn for some of us in the office—we know we can always count on a little spicin’ up to get us back in the mood after a rough day at work. After one of those days, we braved the rain for a long overdue visit. Tucked away in an inconspicuous corner of Hotel Grand Chancellor, tracking it down can be confusing for first timers. It’s actually an inviting space, with careful design consideration evident—the layout is spacious with booth seats and attractive designer lamps to set the mood. Food-wise, it’s comparable to the other more modest joints around, although expect prices to be a tad bit higher—you are paying for the ambiance, after all. Our starters of carrot coriander soup and masala cheese marvel—deep fried spiced paneer and cheese dumplings, were a little disappointing. The latter, especially, was overly salty, and lacked the richness that we were accustomed to. Thankfully, our mains fared better: The vegetable pulao, buttered rice with chickpeas and onions, went fabulously with the tama sabzi, assorted vegetables stir fried with special masala sauce; diwani handi, mushrooms and assorted vegetables cooked with chatpata spinach curry; and our personal favorite, tamatar bharta, a creamy mince of ripe tomatoes and corn tempered with spices. The diwani handi is better than most we’ve tried, which tends to be overpowering; Kailash Parbat’s version is more subtle with just the right toss of beautifully melded spinach. We’ve never been fans of Indian desserts (much too sweet for our palates), but the sweet lassi was a perfect balance of sweet and sour. Which pretty much sums up our experience here—we loved the ambiance and the vibe; but food can be improved.
