HT City Crystal Awards
The HT City Crystal Awards held in October were the first-of-their-kind food awards in the Capital, for Delhiites got to choose the city’s finest restaurants and restaurateurs themselves. The People’s Choice awards, conferred on 15 restaurants, were decided on the basis of more than one lakh votes! The results were declared in a gala, star-studded evening.
Bartender @ 21
It’s the most recent, and a significant, wah moment of the year. Thanks to Delhi’s new liquor policy, you no longer need to be
25-years-old (the legal drinking age) to fix a drink; you can now take charge of a bar at 21. That may just be the kickstart the bartending industry needed. And the news has definitely put young and aspiring bartenders in high spirits!
Honey, I shrunk the cake!
Delhi went ga-ga over mini cakes, or cupcakes, this year. Cute, colourful and delicious, these bite-sized delights were much in demand, with patissiers flexing their creative muscles to come up with the most creative cakes. The best part? These are a sinful yet guilt-free indulgence.
Butter chicken turned 90
2009 ushered in the 90th birthday of two iconic dishes that are hugely, if not singularly, responsible for lending saddi Dilli its jovial, boisterous image — butter chicken and tandoori chicken. From their birth in a tiny shop in Peshawar in 1928 to their post-Partition introduction to Delhi thanks to Moti Mahal (Daryaganj), the dishes have mapped a long and laudable trail and created a huge fan following.
Liquor on a cafe menu
You no longer need to visit a pub or a restaurant for a drink — you can enjoy one in the relaxed environs of a cafe. In what can be seen as a move in the direction of European cafes, Barista Lavazza (Defence Colony) recently got the license to introduce liqueur coffees. There’s also a small selection of wines, beers and bar bites on the menu. What’s more, if you feel a wee bit tipsy, they even have a home drop service!
Liquor on a cafe menu
You no longer need to visit a pub or a restaurant for a drink — you can enjoy one in the relaxed environs of a cafe. In what can be seen as a move in the direction of European cafes, Barista Lavazza (Defence Colony) recently got the license to introduce liqueur coffees. There’s also a small selection of wines, beers and bar bites on the menu. What’s more, if you feel a wee bit tipsy, they even have a home drop service!
Restaurant launches of the year
Delhi welcomed several big names to its growing list of eating out options. Actor Arjun Rampal opened LAP, a members-only lounge bar. Olive Bar & Kitchen made a comeback after a three-year hiatus. Two high-end delis — the Oberoi Patisserie & Delicatessen and Smokehouse Deli — set shop. In a tribute to the city’s increasingly adventurous palate, there were several ‘firsts’ as well — Lodhi at Aman New Delhi Hotel introduced Spanish Catalonian cuisine and Jolly Rogers in Gurgaon brought French Polynesian cuisine to the city. Italia, Cibo, Taman Gang, Indian Accent and Blue Ginger were other big-name launches.
Indian restaurants best in Asia
The legend of its delectable sikandri raan lives on. Bukhara at ITC Maurya made it to The Miele Guide’s list of Asia’s Top 20 restaurants for the second year running, up three places from last year’s 14th position. Chef JP Singh, the man behind this North West frontier cuisine restaurant, featured in the Top Chefs list in the guide, which is being hailed as the first authoritative and independent annual guide to the region’s best restaurants. That’s not all — with 48 restaurants making it to the Top 450 list, India became the second best
dining destination in Asia after Japan!
The new ice cream
This year, the traditional summer cooler was faced with a strong competitor — frozen yogurt. This healthy and novel alternative to ice cream was introduced by Cocoberry in early 2009, and it immediately struck the right chord with dilliwaalas. Each helping comes with a huge selection of fresh fruit or dry toppings. It remains to be seen whether other stores launch their own
versions in 2010.
It was a beer-y good year
Beer was king among alcoholic beverages this year. An increasing number of restaurant menus started featuring wheat beers, abbey beers, ales, stouts, draughts, etc. A cafe dedicated to the drink — the Come Drink Beer Cafe — opened outlets in Faridabad and Nehru Place. Freshly brewed craft beer (at Howzatt and Rockman’s Beer Island) and bottled craft beer (Little Devils) grew in popularity. And the city played host to a beer bartending competition and even appreciation sessions by a beer sommelier! In short, 2009 belonged to the hoppy brew.
Gourmet start to the day
Mornings became more delicious this year, thanks to an increasing numbers of Delhiites opting to start their day with a breakfast or laidback weekend brunch at a restaurant. And their options were no longer limited to expensive five star hotels — this year, several stand-alone diners rolled out elaborate breakfast and brunch menus, complete with freebies such as unlimited champagne or wine to woo patrons.
What a disappointment!
Khan Chacha shuts shop
An ugly legal tangle between the brothers who ran the place and the landlord ended in an indefinite closure of the popular 37-year-old joint — Khan Chacha in Khan Market. The tiny shop was famous for its succulent kathi rolls and kebabs, so it wasn’t surprising to see crowds thronging to it till late into the night. Foodies are hoping that the mess is resolved soon.
An unsavoury start
Access restricted only to holders of international passports’ — this line on the poster of ice cream major Haagen-Dazs had Delhiites screaming discrimination. While the company says it was an unfortunate choice of words, it has left the city with a bitter taste in the mouth.
No respite for under-25s
The new liquor policy may have brought respite for aspiring bartenders, but the legal age for being served a drink still remains 25, leaving many disappointed and rooting for change. In effect, it means you can get married, have kids and even fix a drink... but not have it.