Lap it Up

Good food,like good company,should be available at all times. At least actor Arjun Rampal believes in this. Strutting around in the garden of his much hyped VIP club,LAP,at Hotel Samrat,Rampal was discussing the dos and don’ts with the manager,making sure that all is perfect with his new venture that remains open till wee hours in the morning. Formerly an exclusive club for the privileged few,LAP is now welcoming all customers who are willing to pay.

The non-members are still not served indoors,but they can sit outside,under the colourful ornate lanterns. Making space for the new venture in their expansive garden are three new structures — if one looks somewhat like a Pompeii set,the other is a Moroccan hamam and the third,a wood fire oven,keeps you warm in the winter chill. While acid jazz and tempo urban beats play outside,hectic techno gushes out when wooden doors to the club open sporadically.

The menu in the new restaurant is exhaustive: spanning continents,from Arabia to America,Italy and Japan. The range includes shwarmaa,sushi,the humble penne,bangers and mash. The pizza with goat’s cheese and artichoke is a delight. The bartender offers Something New,which tastes midway between a lime daiquiri and a midouri sour. For the

mild-natured,he whips up mean smoothies.

With its high standards,the new space at LAP certainty has the potential to make it big. After all,such ventures are

popular world over — from London to New York.