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Journalism of Courage
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This is an archive article published on May 12, 2010
Whine and Dine
Have you ever had a meal in the middle of a dance floor? Probably not. But that is exactly what we got a taste of at Pepper,the new bistro lounge at Forte Grand Complex at Chanakyapuri.
Have you ever had a meal in the middle of a dance floor? Probably not. But that is exactly what we got a taste of at Pepper,the new bistro lounge at Forte Grand Complex at Chanakyapuri. Like every new restaurant,the furniture (that would have been right in a log cabin) was spanking new and the bar shiny with twinkling glasses. Under the shadow of the second level that hung above us,we were handed large square planks of wood with the menu on it. A little cumbersome to hold,the menu had the regular global cuisine dishes.
We placed orders for the soup,and noticing the 45-minute wait requested for hot desserts,we went ahead and placed orders for starters and main course as well. Soon,the DJ whose console floats halfway between the two floors of the restaurant began churning out screechy dance music. Our eyebrows hit the dance floor above us. The manager explained,There is a birthday party being hosted today. A young ladys birthday. We asked why was there no sign outside saying there was a private party happening or why we were not told over the phone when the reservation was made. The DJ eventually took the hint and the music was switched to mellow 80s.
The food would set things right,right? Not a chance. Seafood Chowder (Rs 185) was thin and watery; even the rubbery prawns seemed to have curled up in disgust at the broth they were forced to swim in. The Roast Spinach,Garlic and Mushroom (Rs 150) Soup was minuscule in portion. The starters and the main course hurled the rest of the evening into a downward spiral. The seafood was covered in tasteless batter in Frito Misto de Mare with Golden Fried Calamari and Prawns (Rs 550) although the garlic dip tried valiantly to save it. Chicken Suya (Rs 325) was tasty but not tantalising enough. Pepper Chicken (Rs 525) layered over spiced vermicelli tasted old and the Pasta Arrabiata with Chicken (Rs 475) was dry. The only dish that did manage to hold itself together with some yummy lemon vinaigrette was River Sole (Rs 550).
As we jousted with the food,they danced overhead with Bollywood music thumping away. Baked Apple Cake with Cinnamon Ice Cream (Rs 395) did not look like it was worth the 45-minute wait. But the strobe lights,searching for life forms on the ground,found our faces and someone yelled Happy birthday. We were seriously worried about that Hot Chocolate Tart (Rs 395) that looked indestructible in front of us. We scooped the chocolate,but the pastry looked as though it needed to be flung twice. Akon was singing I wanna love you,love you,love you… but the tart got no love from us. Maybe it was a bad night. Maybe on other days this dance floor is just a restaurant. Maybe. But the food is definitely not going to get us back there anytime soon.
Meal for Two: Rs 3,000
Address: Forte Grand,
Chanakya Lane,Akbar Bhavan Annexe,Chanakyapuri
Contact: 26878320
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