Dhaba @ Claridges, New Delhi

A visit to Dhaba was long due since I had heard a lot about it. But I would say that I was not that much impressed by the restaurant. It is ok for occasional visit but not much more than that.

Dhaba is the Claridges Punjabi restaurant, done up like a roadside truck stop; it serves a refined, hygienic version of the simple, tasty food found along North India. The place is pretty small and hence the sitting is quite close. The concept is good but the food is not extraordinary. We tried Matar Paneer (cottage cheese along with peas in thin gravy), Dal Tadka (yellow lentils) and Balti Meat (red meat cooked Indian style) - they were all good but that about it. Overall, I think the non-vegetarian food is better there but it is surely costly. Food for two would cost something around 1200 bucks.

Worth occasional visit - although I would prefer Jade (Chinese restaurant at Claridges) more.

Contact Info:

The Claridges

12, Aurangzeb Road,

New Delhi - 1100011

Phone:- (011) 41335133

Khaja Chowk, Sec-18, Noida

UPDATES (16 Sep 2013) - Khaja Chowk closed down a long time back. There have been several restaurants opened and closed as same place. Not sure which one is running there now.

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Khaja Chowk, a concept-based restaurant chain, has opened its outlet in Noida's Sector 18 market. It is a restaurant inspired by Indian street food. The overall ambience and setup of the restaurant is about daily activities and common scenes across Indian streets. There is also an auto-rickshaw-converted-into-dinning-table for four people. There are also small auto rickshaws as decorative artifacts. Overall, the setup is quite unique and good.

Now, to the food part. The lunch buffet is not good - very less in variety. They claim it to be a five course buffet - which it is not at all. It has no starters, no soups - just 3 veg and 2 non-veg dishes plus one salad + one sweets. Although the rates are cheap (175 for veg buffet and 195 for non-veg buffet), the less of options in the buffet makes it a not-to-go-for thing. We tried a-la-carte instead. One of the starters which we liked was "Khaja Chaat Platter", it was really wonder. It was basically traditional Indian chaat items served with some innovation in terms of toppings & fillings. In main course, we liked "Besan Ke Laddu" a lot - it is Jodhpuri-style filled gram flour dumplings in lemony flavored curry.

Overall, a good place of occasional visit - fits the budget nicely and will go well with each age group.

Yellow Brick Road, Ambassador Hotel

Yellow Brick Road is quite an interesting place. It is the 24 hour multi-cuisine coffee shop at this Taj property but it is more famous than the other specialist restaurants/bars there (Larry's China or H2O+). The color scheme is very bright - mostly primary colours, and makes you feel as if you were eating in a kid’s room. The menu is set inside a news paper; it is like - while reading the news, why don't you order something? I liked it - at least the concept is unique and quite innovative. The photos on the walls are of old Raj-era advertisements which give a nostalgic feel to it.

The food is not so great - but considering that it is a multi-cuisine attempt, it is ok. We tried a special salad (which was the best items on our lunch) - 'Kurkuri Idli Chat' (fried savory cakes made of a batter consisting of fermented black lentils, rice and fenugreek; all tossed up with other spicy items & sauces). It was something which we have tried and it was simple yet it tasted wonderful. Do try it if you go there. The fresh juices there are also wonderful. We also tried 'Bangkok Vegetable Curry' and it was fine.

Overall, the food is not so great but the place is worth a visit (but just one only).

Contact Info:
The Ambassador Hotel
Sujan Singh Park
Cornwallis Road
New Delhi -110 003
Phone: (011) 24632600

Latitude @ Mosaic, Noida

Latitude is a multi-cuisine restaurant at the mezzanine level of Hotel Mosaic, Noida. From past sometime, it has become a frequently visited place by me. The decor is quite subtle and professional. Seating arrangements are comfortable and the staff is cheerful. Food is of varied cuisine - Oriental, Indian, & Continental and nearly most of them are good.

For starters, try Greek Salad or any of the kebabs - they are really good. In the Indian menu main course, try Nalli Gosht (a lamb curry on the bone with grindless gravy), Bhindi Jaipuri (crispy, stir-fried Okra) and/or Paneer Lababdar (cubes of cottage cheese cooked with tomatoes, cashew nuts and whole ground spices). Go for Hyerabadi Gosht Biryani (rice + lamb with tasty spices) - it is really one of the best ones I have tasted in Noida. In the Oriental menu main course, try Chinese Vegetable in Hoisin Sauce. They have a daily buffet in lunch also which has good number of items and variety - costs a little on higher side though (699 plus taxes).

Overall, a good place to go with your family and enjoy good food. Average cost of two person would be around 800 (without drinks).

Contact Info:

Mosaic Hotels
C – 1, Sector – 18, Noida – 201301
Tel Phone: (0120) 4025000