Do as the Dutch Do

Even as our eyes and mind wander dreamily to the West’s cooler communes,Delhi’s mercury has seemingly risen with the opening of Amsterdam Bar and Kitchen,a Saket restaurant inspired by that city’s infamous red light district. While the restaurant’s window displays are bereft of forms of feminine beauty,the restaurant’s interiors do plenty to titilate,and emulate arguably the world’s favourite X-rated destination. To complete the Dutch design,clogs dominate the interiors — from wooden ones adhered to the restaurant walls to cutlery served in ceramic ones. From coasters illustrated with naughty nothings,to walls adorned with provocative pictures and neon signs,Amsterdam makes no apologies for its inspirations.

Tearing our eyes off our surroundings,we attempt to decide what to order. Thanks to our recurrent high hopes of bunnies,the adult version,emerging from a hat (or any other transportational mode,not limited to a hollow,gigantic cake) it only takes a few minutes to pick the Amsterdam Special Platter comprising onion rings,mushroom bruschettas,lamb cubes,bbq skewers and smoked salmon. The cubes of lamb come with an earthy,meaty flavour,uncomplicated like most commercial rendezvous’,while the smoked salmon tartare is fresh as spring,comprising dessicated salmon flakes,uplifted by pulverised onions and crunchy gherkin bits,finished off with a spray of mayonnaise. The bruschettas and onion rings are meat to vegetarians we’re sure,but it’s the skewers that turn up the heat. Barely clad in a negligee of hot barbecque sauce,the chicken is spicy without being hot,and sweet without being cloying. We are not to be blamed for any natural associations. Those looking to wet their beaks would do well to check out the cocktail menu,which is as innuendo-laden as the restaurant interiors. This includes drinks such as Pop Your Cherry and 36-24-36,which are among the more modest ones.

Since we’re in Amsterdam,or as close as one can get to the Dutch city without leaving the NCR,we decide to get freaky with our main dish and order a main course and a salad. For our mains we have Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks with Spiced Couscous,while our greens are not so much one dollar bills as a rather overpowering Prawn and Squid Salad. The meat dish could be a textbook example of how to cook lamb perfectly,the bones shedding off tender meat quite quickly (no pun intended). The accompanying gravy is drunk on wine and makes for an amorous drive with the vehicle that is the modest couscous.

Amsterdam Bar and Kitchen does not offer a dessert menu yet,which is a shame,but guests are welcome to dig into waffles for a happy ending. We choose waffles with chocolate sauce because we’re yet to get over our fixation for cocoa. Without getting Freudian,our waffles,when they arrive,resemble our grandmother’s. With the texture and consistency of an oven’s newly borne biscuit,the waffles are as high as a Dutch dyke and have terracing to accommodate multitudinous fillings. The dam bursts asunder,filling our mouth with the sweetest of flavours.

Meal for Two: Rs. 2000 (including taxes,excluding alcohol)

Address: Ground Floor,DLF South Court Mall,Saket

CONTACT: 9810111534