Diners Delight

Two flights of stairs take you up and away from the dusty lane in GK 1 M block market,to The International Diner. With the word diner we expected our senses to be smothered with the American diner typography and graffiti...

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Diners Delight

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Two flights of stairs take you up and away from the dusty lane in GK 1 M block market,to The International Diner. With the word diner we expected our senses to be smothered with the American diner typography and graffiti,and were relieved when we got none of it on other side of the glass door entrance. The restaurant is roomy with a square open display kitchen,a through the diner art work in the corner. A short flight of stairs on one side that take you to the lounge section,which has a bar,blue lighting and booming music to boot. But if food is all you are looking for then you can return to the mellow-yellow of the restaurant,where the music is distant.

For a diner menu,this one does have an international touch Mexican,Morrocan,Arabic,Indian and Lebanese cuisine makes a cameo with the rest of Yankee classics. The breakfast (from 9 am to noon) has the regulars omelettes,sandwiches,French toast etc. The English breakfast is available all day.

We started with a Harira Shorba,a lamb and vegetable soup (Rs 125),the lamb was tender and the soup light. The Roasted Tomato soup (Rs 99) was tangier than expected,but held its own. For the starters we ordered the Moroccan chicken skewers (Rs 225) and Kastoori Kebabs (Rs 225); the skewers were a bit dry,but the tartar sauce-like dip with the dish stuck it out. The Kastoori kebabs were bang on,with succulent chunks of chicken with hints of fenugreek lingering on after the first bite. While dips and chutneys go incognito at any table,the verdant pudina chutney accompanying the kebabs was outstanding.

And while we were nodding in appreciation,a giggle here and a guffaw there rang through the air. We saw these hoops of joy were beer-induced. Clearly for a joint which has recently opened,it has got the thumbs up from the market regulars. The service was prompt and across the interactive kitchen you could see the chefs move in silent precision. It was relaxing watching people who cook your food look calm themselves. The Beef Burger (Rs 225) did carry a bit of that tranquility,it melted in our mouths. The beef mince was juicy. The Spaghetti with meat balls (Rs 290),(and we mean real meat balls,unlike cubes of meat added as an after thought) got our votethe spaghetti was al dente and the meat balls were spiced just right. The Dajaj Meshwi,an Arabic dish made with roast chicken on bone (a large chunk of leg with bone marinated with lemon,cinnamon and cardamom),served with kabsa rice (spiced rice with raisins and nuts) and daqous sauce (a spicy tomato sauce) was delectable,though the chicken could have been marinated better.

The two page menu is select,but it was the desserts that hit the nigh note for us. The Classic Cheesecake (Rs 245) though a little expensive,was yummy,the blueberries did not taste like they just popped out of a can,and the cake slid easily into our mouths. The Pistacchio dumplings (Rs 195),two pieces served with vanilla ice-cream,were sweet and held a tiny baklava in their middle,packed with dry fruits. We had the dessert in silence,the food did the talking. The walk down the stairs was lighter.

Meal for two: Rs 1500

Address: M 69,GK I,M Block Market

Contact: 46696140

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