Indian Cuisine,English medium

The snaking staircase with red railings lead to the first floor of the rectangular restaurant that has all possible colours in the English lexicon,from maroon chandeliers to orange ceramic tiles embedded on the tables and oil paintings of a local dhaba suspended on the walls. “It is an attempt to transport the dhaba into a sophisticated setting of a fine diner,” we are informed later,by the manager. Each wall stands in stark contrast. If red lounge-style cushions and couch occupy one side,adorning another wall are beige and brown tiles — reflecting signs of an architectural disaster. The bar area,with its silver bordering,looks straight out of a ’70’s Bollywood film. Though these elements stand out individually,the theme of the restaurant sends out conflicting signals.

As we settle down on the cheap bulky wooden chairs,the menu holds promise of a good evening ahead. The items include standard tandoori dishes,like tandoori chicken (Rs 188,half) and mutton seekh kabab (Rs 188). But for starters,we were enthused by the Tandoori chaamp (Rs 222). The excitement,however,was short-lived. The mutton pieces were so skinny that it left us scraping the meat off the bones,but what made up for the sham was the tender meat smeared crudely with the right amount of spices. For vegetarians,there is nothing more exciting than the vegetarian platter,with its assortment of vegetarian tandoori items. The food is served in dhaba style stainless steel utensils,as is a chilled glass of chaach (Rs 55),which is otherwise served in kullars in most restaurants. A fresh lime costs Rs 55 and there is no alcohol. The service is prompt and the staff is eager to help. But the constant ’90s Hindi music by obscure signers like Nitin Bali,playing in the background,is a mood-killer.

We were not too disappointed by the main course offerings and settled for a bhuna gosht (Rs 188). The cardamom and cinnamon flavoured rich gravy blends perfectly with tandoori roti (Rs 17). Yet again,the quantity left us wanting and the cold rotis did not help. The attempt at Angrezee Dhaba,we realised,is to offer dhaba dishes,with their rustic charm and aura intact. To a large extent,the attempt is successful. This,we found out,after sampling the sirkey pyaaz wali bhindi (Rs 133),that has crunchy ladyfingers lightly sauteed in vinegar-soaked onions and liberal doses of spice mix. The desserts are an unimaginative mix of gulab jamuns (Rs 44) and matka kulfi (Rs 66). It also seemed surprising that the place mysteriously ran out of most items. Is it worth a visit? Only if you are in GK II and do not want to splurge on a meal. That can be a tall order in the area.

Meal for Two: Rs 1,000 plus taxes

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