Asia Major

The pan-Asian diner Chilli Sea..son at the Lodhi Colony market now has a new address and an exhaustive menu. The restaurant, set up six years ago by popular food consultant Suddha Kukreja, has checked into the bustling Defence Colony market.

With Vietnamese duck rolls and fish satay on lemon sticks, the new Chilli Seasonss is a patchwork of favourites from different Asian woks

The pan-Asian diner Chilli Sea..son at the Lodhi Colony market now has a new address and an exhaustive menu. The restaurant, set up six years ago by popular food consultant Suddha Kukreja, has checked into the bustling Defence Colony market. Now called Chilli Seasonss, the spelling tweaked after suggestions from Kukreja8217;s numerologist, the restaurant is spread across three floors. While the first two floors mirror the old one at Lodhi market with similar furnishing and minimalist deacute;cor, the second floor, buttoned with bright red couches and a bar counter, will soon stir some interesting cocktails and fine wines.

8220;We ran into some issues with the Lodhi property and decided to step out. Defence Colony is an ideal spot because of its proximity to Lodhi Road and is actually better in terms of footfalls,8221; says Kukreja, who began dotting the city with a string of restaurants after setting up Rred Hot Cafeacute; in Gurgaon almost 12 years ago.

Chilli Seasonss goes beyond the Japanese-Chinese-Thai fare. The new menu seems a patchwork of favourites from different Asian woks. There are Vietnamese duck rolls, Malaysian grilled prawns, soft-shell crabs with Thai dressing, Indonesian chilli chicken and Patsay, a Tibetan specialty, with fried pork and cabbage.

Seafood dominates the menu, with crabs, lobsters and squids. 8220;Delhiites boast of their love for seafood, but hardly venture beyond sole fish,8221; she says. As if to prove her point, there is a whole red snapper on the menu. Pla Laat Phrik Rs 380 has crispy fried red snapper with six dressing options. We try Thai chilli and the sauce complements the flavours of the fish without overpowering the dish.

We also go for Chilli Seasonss Platter Rs 280, which was popular at the Lodhi Garden outlet. Two servings each of Thai spring rolls, tofu and mushroom satays and corn cakes are handed with chilli and sweet soya dips. There is even a Yam Manchurian Rs 275 that turns out surprisingly yummy.

The Vietnamese duck rolls Rs 220 are simply done, with steamed flour sheets wrapped around portions of duck and veggies. The Satay Platter Rs 350 probably wins among the starters, with Thai chicken satay, Malaysian prawn satay and Balinese fish satay wrapped around lemon sticks. Among salads, Vietnamese Green Rs 190 takes the lead with a chilli mayo dressing.

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The menu also boasts a new selection of pot meals for shoppers who drop in for a quick bite. Hainanese Chicken Rice Set Rs 250 makes for a delicious platter with rice, chicken, soup and two chilli dips. Mix them all and you have a delicious meal.

Desserts at Kukreja8217;s diners always need a special mention, and at Chilli Seasonss, Toffee and Walnut Pie Rs 140 with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is a superb last bite.

Meal for two: Rs 1,000
Contact: 24618358
Location: 47 Defence Colony Market