What comes to your mind when Someone asks you about food in Delhi? Butter chicken, butter naan, aloo gobi, paratha and may be a couple of dishes more.. Yes? or Yes?
Doesn't come as a surprise: these are probably the most commonly available dishes. But the next set of question I've always had on my mind is, Is this all that this cuisine has to offer? Which cuisine does this injustice? Every cuisine has a story/history; what's it for this?
Curiosity to learn and explore this cuisine in more detail had me accept the invitation from JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity to join them on a specially curated tours to indulge in the flavours of Delhi.
My first learning on arriving was that the cuisine comprised of 3 sub- cuisines:
1. Cuisine of the Mughals in Delhi (Non-Vegetarian)
2. Cuisines of the Marwadi Community (Vegetarian)
3. No points for guessing this one - Punjabi cuisine
JW Marriott played gracious hosts to set stage for a perfect 2N3D experiential tour of these cuisines which amalgamate to form what is called Dehlvi Cuisine. Our experiences were diverse in every way; be it:
- Dining in possibly the finest restaurants housed in JW Marriott Aerocity to dining on the street side with barely any ambiance to speak off.
- Spending time at leisure in the plush hotel property to attempting to achieve the 'been there done that' in the really busy and bustling streets of Old Delhi.
This list can go on but in a nutshell, our 3 days in Delhi were a fun-filled roller coaster ride of diverse experiences; each better than the other. While I will share my detailed experiences in upcoming posts, here's a sneak peak of what is to come:
Day 01:
It all started on this fine day with lunching at K3 Restaurant housed in JW Marriott Aerocity which easily has the most extravagant buffet spread I've seen on my travel stints across the country. Trust me there is not one bit of exaggeration in the previous statement I make. My thoughts were running wild, "If weekday lunches were so extravagant, then how would the Sunday brunch offering be?"
Anyways, the evening was what I (well, all of us I'm sure) really looked forward to. We toured the magnificent Jama Masjid and then spent the rest of the evening around the periphery of Jama Masjid where we were food hopping from one place to another in search of that food nirvana of sorts.
At the end of this wonderful evening and a really really long day, I looked forward to calling it a day and crashing in the comforts of my bed back at the hotel.
At the end of this wonderful evening and a really really long day, I looked forward to calling it a day and crashing in the comforts of my bed back at the hotel.
Day 02:
After a really long previous day and the much needed sleep the night before day two, we kicked it off with a healthy dose of breakfast perfect to get us moving for another wonderful day of exploring another segment of Dehlvi cuisine. This time, it was a tour of the Chawri Bazaar aka spice market followed by the food hopping exploring the vegetarian take on this cuisine. Honestly, at first I was not really excited about this tour (When it's vegetarian; you know me ;) ) but the excitement only grew as time went by.
In between all the food, was another place of worship that we visited and I have to acknowledge that my visits to Delhi have never been complete without a visit to Gurudwara Sees Ganj Saheb. Food seemed to follow us where we went and here at the Gurudwara, it was the Karao Prasad that's undoubtedly inimitable.
In between all the food, was another place of worship that we visited and I have to acknowledge that my visits to Delhi have never been complete without a visit to Gurudwara Sees Ganj Saheb. Food seemed to follow us where we went and here at the Gurudwara, it was the Karao Prasad that's undoubtedly inimitable.
Back at the hotel one does expect luxury and to be pampered and what better way then to unwind at the plush spa' is what I thought. However with the limited time available, I chose to hit the very well equipped gym and take a plunge in the lovely open to air pool.
Evening was a Jugalbandhi between 2 chefs -
Chef Asif presenting Kababs in our very own Delhi style
Chef Arif showcasing Kababs from the land of Kababs; Lucknow.
If someone said 2 worlds existed; JW Marriott Delhi Aerocity was the place hosting it that evening exclusively for us. Every course of meal offered 2 distinct cuisines from
Day 03:
Originally planned was a drive to Murthal for the parathas and more at some of the famous dhabas but socio-political condition in that part of the geography played spoiled sport. With a goal to leave no stone unturned, the team at JW Marriott Aerocity headed by Exec. Chef G Krishnan recreated the experience in the hotel property with a special touch of the brands hospitality standards.
With rest of day 03 free and available at our disposal, I hit the street of Delhi to visit Karol Bagh for some chole chawal at Gafoor Market followed by a chilled glass of badam milk at Roshan Di Kulfi to beat the heat. By now, it was time to head back to the hotel pack-up and get set to say something I didn't wish to - 'Goodbye'.
Signing off now with more travel stories. Safe & fun travel!
Note: This event was attended on invitation from JW Marriott Delhi Aerocity. However, the opinions expressed are solely mine and are absolutely unbiased nor influenced by the brand in any way.
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