Whiff of the Windies

A restaurant in New Friends Colony claims to serve authentic Caribbean food & drink

This place claims to be “India’s first Caribbean bar and restaurant”. I don’t know if this is true. Nor am I sure what you get here is genuine West Indian cuisine. What I will say, however, is this: if your basic idea of a good evening is agreeable food and drink in a pleasing environment of subdued lighting and well-bred Rock, you’re unlikely to be disappointed here.

One reason I liked Carib was because it is not — and is not meant to be — crowded even when full to capacity. (Which is what it was the Saturday evening I went.) Tables are scattered about the blue back-lit hall, and Joel Garner could have lain full stretch between any two and still have had a couple of feet of air at either end. Seating is more compact inside the glassed-in lounge, but I guess the idea, since the music is softer here, is to let you sit close and talk softly.

I started with some excellent fish cakes (it’s a rare Bengali that’ll praise a fish dish in a Delhi restaurant), and followed it up with some satisfyingly crunchy corn fritters. (It’s a rarer Bengali that’ll recommend a veggy dish while eating out.) The Jerk Chicken Legs didn’t quite explode in the mouth the way the classic Jerk should, [blame it on the sweetish Miami Beach (tequila, blue curacao, grapefruit juice, pineapple juice) I was gulping?] but it was still nice and hot and garlicky.

The Grilled Gambas Pil Pil (prawns stuffed with minced, spiced meat, with just a touch of clove flavouring) were impressive — in size and taste. The Stir-fried Chicken with Celery was succulent and flavourful, though I didn’t think much of the mound of rice it came with.

Of desserts, the menu currently has just three. I approached the Passion Fruit Jelly reluctantly (too full, I was claiming), and ended up finishing the whole thing. The Chocolate Mousse with Honey Rum looks good and, I am told by gourmands who accompanied me, tastes better.

Carib worked for me, and should work for you. Just don’t take the Caribbean thing too seriously — that is, don’t go looking for a place Clive Lloyd or Michael Holding might visit for the taste of Momma’s home cooking. Also, in the three hours that I spent at Carib, they didn’t play a beat of Bob Marley.