“Lolab with Big Bull, Kahwa, Kulfi? Mana with Tequila, Maggi, Jalapeno? Vindara with Vodka, Sesame, Lemon Pickle? Simbor with Gin, Betel Leaf and Coffee? Or, Coromel with Vodka, Tamarind, Butter Popcorn?” In Indore, India’s cleanest city, Chef Vedant Newatia was naming cocktails off his mint-fresh Masala Code pan-Indian restaurant’s menu and my food-sense was getting addled. Maggi in a cocktail? Popcorn, too? And isn’t Mana the last village on Indo-Tibet border? And Lolab, a valley in Kashmir? Surely, Chef Newatia was stirring geography into the dainty coupes, flute and highball glasses.
“The menu is our love letter to India. To its valleys that smell of saffron and pine, to its coasts heavy with salt and tamarind, to its forests where Mahua flowers fall after the rain…Our cocktail menu is inspired by landscapes, flavours and memories from Kashmir to Kanyakumari,” Newatia un-addled my brain that was distracted by a cocktail that came poured in a red/white striped popcorn cup with real popcorns bobbing in the toothsome liquid. In Indore, one always begins with Indori poha-jalebi but in Masala Code, there were options from across the country - Goa’s Ros Omelette, Mumbai’s Vada Pav, Jodhpur’s Mirchi Vada, Chettinad Paniyaram, Mysuru’s Benne Dosa, Biryanis, Kadhi, Momos, Indo-Chinese…So much more in the menus: Day Menu highlights India’s most-loved breakfasts and canteen classics and the Main Menu expands into a spirited showcase of regional flavours.
Ask any Indori and he’ll recommend must-haves in the city: Indori poha jalebi, Khopra Patties, Dal Bafla, Bhutte ki Khees, Garadu (boiled spicy yam) and Mahua, the drink brewed from wild Mahua flowers and often called India's oldest indigenous drink. But if Mahua is not your lunch drink, step into Atelier V, Indore’s first casual fine dining and classic cocktail bar that serves 12 classic cocktails from around the world along with an eclectic pick of Large Plates, Small Plates, Rice Bowls, Pastas, Burgers, Salads & Soups. From rustic Italian bruschetta and bite-sized crostini to loaded open toasties, there are endless ways to enjoy bread at Atelier V. Then, there are pastas and Stroganoff, Shawarma, Schnitzel, Chimichanga, Ramen, Taco Platter, Empanadas. For me, there’s nothing more undeniably satisfying than a well-crafted rice bowl and in Atelier V, I dug my spoon into the hearty Korean Bibimbap Bowl that came loaded with carrots, onions, spinach, beansprouts, mushrooms and kimchi.
{{/usCountry}}Ask any Indori and he’ll recommend must-haves in the city: Indori poha jalebi, Khopra Patties, Dal Bafla, Bhutte ki Khees, Garadu (boiled spicy yam) and Mahua, the drink brewed from wild Mahua flowers and often called India's oldest indigenous drink. But if Mahua is not your lunch drink, step into Atelier V, Indore’s first casual fine dining and classic cocktail bar that serves 12 classic cocktails from around the world along with an eclectic pick of Large Plates, Small Plates, Rice Bowls, Pastas, Burgers, Salads & Soups. From rustic Italian bruschetta and bite-sized crostini to loaded open toasties, there are endless ways to enjoy bread at Atelier V. Then, there are pastas and Stroganoff, Shawarma, Schnitzel, Chimichanga, Ramen, Taco Platter, Empanadas. For me, there’s nothing more undeniably satisfying than a well-crafted rice bowl and in Atelier V, I dug my spoon into the hearty Korean Bibimbap Bowl that came loaded with carrots, onions, spinach, beansprouts, mushrooms and kimchi.
{{/usCountry}}They say, Atelier V’s food pairs well with everything - Cocktails, conversations, awkward dates. Even existential crises!
Midnight cravings: In the country’s cleanest city for eight consecutive years, midnights are not meant to snooze, it is to walk the Khau Gali of Sarafa Bazaar - a jewellers’ lane by the day and gourmands’ haunt at night. Every night. Food carts start getting wheeled in around 10 pm with a million food options, the most popular being Bhutte ki Khees, Dahi Vada, Garadu, Coconut Crush, and the immensely popular Dus Paniwala Pani Puri (pani puri that comes with 10 different kinds of spiced water). There’s Indori Gundi Paan that is wrapped in silver foil and - if you want a mighty sugar rush - the jaleba (a gigantic jalebi).
Must try at Sarafa Bazaar: Try Dahi Vada at Joshi Ji’s, Chole Tikki at Sawariya Chaat, & Sharma Chaat, Khopra Patties at Vijay Chaat, Jaleba at Shree Devnarayan, Coconut Crush at Mahakal Shop, and Navin Shop, Garadu at Saawariya, Bhutte Ki Khees at Agarwal.
Cheers to a Rascal: In Indore, find a Rascal. No, not the lumpen fellas but a first-of-its-kind ready-to-drink libation that stirs the art of well-crafted cocktails with the refreshment of summer sodas. Manufactured and marketed by Great Galleon Ventures Pvt. Ltd (GGVL), the triple distilled Rascals at 10% ABV come in 330-mL bottles in Fresh Lime & Mint, Classic Rum & Cola, and Twisted Coffee & Caramel flavours. Rascals with very funky labels are not available across India, so, when you are in Indore, quaff a Rascal.
The world’s first 100% recycled PET hip flask: In Indore, a vodka bottle could make you rethink waste? Seems far-fetched? Not quite. Only available in Madhya Pradesh, the V21, a triple-distilled, silver-filtered vodka with 40% ABV, is packed in world’s first 100% recycled PET (rPET) hip flask that is sleek, shatterproof, and travel-friendly. But V21 is not just a Bacchanalian delight - by switching to rPET, GGVL reduces water use by over 5.7 million litres (enough to hydrate 60,000 households), energy consumption by 3.8 million megajoules (roughly equivalent to keeping the entire city of Chandigarh lit for a full day), carbon emissions by 140 tonnes (that’s the oxygen output of nearly 3 million trees in a single day), and solid waste by 42% — all per product lifecycle. So, when you pay ₹220 for the 180mL vodka hip flask, you are in a way saving the planet!
In Indore, learn the best pairings from Chef Vedant Newatia:
• Butter naan: Best with Butter Chicken, Murg Musallam, Paneer Makhani
• Bajra roti: Best with Laal Maans, Jungliu Maans
• Rumali Roti: Best with Rogan Josh, Bhuna Chicken
• Neer Dosa: Best with Mangalorean Fish Curry, Prawn Curry, Ghee Roast
• Missi Roti: Best with Dal Makhani, Chole