Below is a list of food that I miss dearly, because I can no longer eat them.
01-Chicken Cutlet
Perhaps one of my favourite foods. It is simply minced chicken with spices crumbed with bread and deep fried. I don’t even remember when I first had it, but my earliest memory is eating it at one of my aunt’s house in Kolkata. I have had various kinds over the decades. Some of them have a bone sticking out of the corner.
Growing up outside Kolkata, it was rarely found anywhere, even at Bengali restaurants. Hence, I looked forward to my annual trips to Kolkata in those days.
It is best served with sliced onions, carrots/beetroot and cucumber with mustard sauce. I hate it that modern places have now started serving it with Lemon and Tartare sauce, equating it to a Schnitzel.
02-Juicy Lucy Burger (Cafe Delhi Heights)
I normally don’t like eating mutton, but the Juicy Lucy burger, Cafe Delhi Heights’ signature burger was an exception. This burger was famous for being too big for most people and I would often go to eat it with my friends to compete with them on who can finish one.
PS: K & Rajat could always finish at least 1.5. I think I can now, too.
It was served with breadsticks and butter.
03-Chicken Stroganoff (Bisque)
Bisque is a little known bakery in Central Arcade, DLF Phase 2, Gurgaon. We came across it when we used to live nearby. I have had many Stroganoffs, but none like the Chicken Stroganoff here. For me, this was and is, the ultimate comfort food.
Ther purple onions and bits of black pepper complement the softness of the chicken and rice perfectly.
04-Six Chilli Chicken burger (Smokey’s BBQ & Grill)
Smokey’s BBQ and Grill was a restaurant in DLF Cyber Hub in Gurgaon. We used to go there often from work & I always ate the Six Chilli Chicken burger.
Unlike most places which put hunks of chicken inside the burger, Smokey’s put a minced chicken patty, interspersed with 6 types of chilli. The burger was delicious. So were the sides of salad, baked beans and fries.
Unfortunately, this place closed down even while I was there.
05-Vegetable Chop
The Bengali vegetable chop, defying the definition of what a chop actually is, is a delicious dish. Unlike the Chicken Cutlet, it is stuffed with vegetables (beetroot being most common) but like the cutlet, it is breaded and fried. Also, not readily available outside Kolkata while I was growing up.
PS; Extra points if there are bits of groundnut inside.
06-Anything at Banani’s Kitchen
Banani’s kitchen was a Bengali and Dhakai restaurant in Gurgaon. Unlike most Bengali restaurants, which did not do snacks like chop and cutlet, this place did. They did everything I liked about Bengali food and there was not one bad dish at this restaurant.
The ambience was nice and cosy and since it was directly opposite our daughter’s school, we often ate here after picking her up from school. This was also, the only place where we allowed ourselves to go and eat during weekday nights.
Th entirety of my knowledge of Bengali & Bangla music also comes from this place.
Notable dishes included their pulao, chhola narkol daal, ogo bideshini, luchi, mughlai paratha, gondhoraj lebu shorbot & nolen gur/pan ice cream.
It’s a shame though, that this place closed within a few years. I blame Bengalis like Ayan who refused to eat here.
07-Chicken Coriander Pesto Pizza (Pizza Express)
Pizza purists will start swearing at the thought of this desi-fied Pizza, but this Pizza is too good to be insulted. It has bits of Chicken Tikka, crunchy & juicy onion rings and a coriander based sauce, giving it it’s desi taste.
I used to pour the accompanying garlic oil on top and ate it. I have not had a pizza as good since then.
The last time I visited Ambience Mall, I made sure I ate it.
08-Berry Pulao at Soda Bottle Opener Wala
Soda Bottle Opener Wala was one of our favourite places in Gurgaon, located in Cyber Hub.
Their signature dish is berry pulao. which is Pulao with berries and cashew nuts, soaked in ghee. Already quite heavy in itself, if you pair it with something like Paneer Sanju baba or Akuri, you will be in food coma the rest of the day/night.
I still go to there South City Mall branch, when I visit Kolkata.
09-Classic Pesto Chicken Pizza (Tossin Pizza)
This is another one of those comfort foods, which you order at the end of a rough day, because Roti and Dal just won’t cut it. I remember it coming with a hemisphere of lemon, too.
10-Dal Bukhara (Bukhara, ITC Maurya)
I remember I purchased the Times Food & Nightlife Awards book with my parents at Ambience mall and Bukhara was number 1 in that list for Delhi. Years later, I took my (extended) family to ITC Bukhara for my birthday treat &it was such a proud moment for me.
Slowly, as my purchasing power grew, we started going there for less special occasions. Rajat & me used to treat each other here for referring each other to their respective companies.
The Dal Bukhara is unique in the way that it has a strong flavour of garlic and tomatoes. It is gently simmered over a charcoal flame for 24 hours & is best had with Naan Bukhara and without any other dish.
11-Kung Pao Chicken (Yo! China)
Yo! China was a chain selling low-cost indo-chinese food. While any Chinese will inadvertently faint if you showed them the food here and called it Chinese, their King Pao chicken was delicious. When I had newly shifted to DLF Phase 2 and stayed alone, I often ordered this because of how cheap and delicious it was.
I remember that it came in an earthen pot, something unthinkable for low-cost places like these.
12-Anything at Punjab Grill
Punjab Grill was open of those fancy places at Ambience Mall we saw every weekend but rarely went to, because it was too expensive. But when we did, the food was so, so tasty.
Recommended is their buffet which often has all their signature dishes, including Seekh Kebab, Dal makhani and Tandoori Broccoli.
This is one of the few places in this list which is also in Bangkok, but we seldom go there because of well, how expensive it is.
13-Pasta (The Big Chill Cafe)
When we moved to Delhi, The Big Chill Cafe was this legendary place which we visited all the way in Saket. Eventually, they did open up more branches and one even in Gurgaon.
Their pastas are just amazing. Each and every one of them.
I miss going to their branch at Ardee mall with my family.
14-Chicken Burger (Hot Millions)
Long before anyone in the tri-city area had even heard the name McDonalds, we had Hot Millions. It had Pizzas, Footlongs and best of all burgers. I used to eat/order from here regularly when we lived at Panchkula.
Their Chicken Burger had a greasy bun, with a greasy minced chicken patty inside, slightly burnt, but crispy. With loads of mayonnaise and vegetables, this is perhaps the best burger I have ever had.
The last time I went there, I ate 3 of them and then cried.
15-Anything at Nirula’s
Saved the best for the last. The timeless classic, the oldest fast food chain in India, Nirula’s. I have been eating here since my childhood. I rediscovered this chain. when I moved back to Gurgaon for work.
Although the main branch is at Connaught Place, luckily we had an outlet near our office and frequently, we ordered from here.
I almost always chose between their Chicken Chop (Not to be confused with a Bengali chop) or Chhole Kulche or both.
The Chicken Chop came with such mouth watering coleslaw, I still cannot believe it.
The chhole kulche came with a hemisphere of lemon wrapped in a smash muslin cloth.
I just checked their latest menu and it has been modernised a lot and most of the classic items are now gone.
I am hungry now.
