Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Eating Out-Gurugram Style!


No longer relegated to merely being a satellite city of India’s capital New Delhi, Gurugram is one of the most happening places in the NCR with everything from a bustling business district to a dynamic eating out scene. Tapping into the latter, we bring you a serving of six such hotspots that each bestow onto this city some serious bragging rights as a newly-minted foodie haven.  



By Raul Dias

Amaranta
Pushing the culinary envelope further and further over the last few years with its unexpected pairings and presentations—all resulting in a thoroughly modern Indian dining experience—is Amaranta. This fine dining restaurant at The Oberoi Gurgaon is all about celebrating a menu that explores palates and pairings using authentic Indian flavours in a progressive way. Called the ‘play-ted menu’, here one encounters dishes like Indian Ocean lobster sorshe served with an imaginative avocado tartare, the banana leaf sea bass, pumpkin cappuccino or perhaps the chickpea flour cake with onion fritters that takes Indian cuisine to a whole new level. And the setting is no less experimental with its floor-to-ceiling windows that let in natural light and overlook a reflection pool that runs alongside the restaurant.
The Oberoi Gurgaon, 443, Udyog Vihar, Phase V, Gurugram
Tel: 0124-
2451234

Elemenopi
This onomatopoeic sounding restaurant with a wildly eclectic menu offering is the latest global gastronomical venture in Gurugram’s swanky One Horizon Centre. It takes you on a gourmet voyage across countries less travelled. With its tagline ‘Belly Well-Travelled’, this rather experimental dining place is full of exciting offerings for lovers of good food and drinks. The menu cruises around over 10 exotic countries and brings to you some of their iconic delicacies such as mahjouba, skampi na buzaru, cevapi and tuna Nicoise from Algeria, Croatia, Bosnia, and France respectively! Coming from the guys at the The Beer Café chain of restobars, Elemenopi’s prowess in the alco-beverage segment is imperative. It stocks more than 50 varieties of beers from more than 20 countries, apart from the largest collection of wines, cocktails, and other spirits in the city.
Plaza level, One Horizon Centre, DLF Phase 5, Gurugram
Tel: 0124-2575036

Pra Pra Prank
Occupying prime position at Gurugram’s restaurant ‘Ground Zero’—the DLF Cyber Hub—Pra Pra Prank caters to the palate of the comfort seeker and the gourmand alike. Claiming to be the first ‘Playful Brasserie’ in India, this three-month old restobar is all about a menu that is non-conformist and quirky, dotted with dishes that make it a delight for food lovers. From the modern take on universal favourites like karpao chicken fried rice to novel Asian delights like the rainbow sushi to interesting mains like the grilled whole lobster, and the pork belly skewers with kalonji raw mango relish, all are addictive and great accompaniments to innovative drinks like the Japanese negroni and the pop-corn flavoured prohibition pop up cocktail. All this, in a stylish, yet quirkily done up space that features a live sushi bar and an open kitchen.
Shop No. 24, DLF Cyber Hub, DLF Phase 2, Sector 24, Gurugram
Tel: +91-959996582/9599965292
Nagai
Nagai is Japanese for longevity. A Japanese restaurant with roots in Ibiza, this contemporary Japanese restaurant and sake bar is a recent addition to the Gurugram dining out scene. The cuisine here is essentially Japanese with signature dishes that combine Thai, Mediterranean and even Mexican influences. Start with Japanese inspired tapas that go from classic steamed edamame to crispy pork and aubergine skewers. The starters showcase Japanese classics like salmon and tuna tartar with vegan choices like caramelized lotus root with soya and sesame. Sushi being the signature at Nagai, indulge yourself with everything from himachi sashimi to maguro nigiri and uramaki rolls. Mains here are a procession of highly nuanced dishes like, a hearty Japanese curry chicken and even a few Thai dishes thrown in for good measure. But take some time and look at the well-done up space at Nagai. The walls of the restaurant reflect enthralling artwork by Fin DAC, an Irish urban street artist, based in London, who makes large murals of masked women with fashionable style, with an emphasis on their beauty.
#305, Ground Floor, Sector 29, Behind Pllazio Hotel, Gurugram
Tel: +91-9958022300

Prankster
Brimming with an unbridled feeling of youthful energy thanks to its campus like theme, the playful Prankster is a cool-n-casual first-storied restaurant to hang out at with a menu that’s anything but casual. The cuisine here is best described as ‘progressive nostalgic’ where the chefs attempt to fuse numerous indigenous dishes with contemporary techniques and a twist. Expect to find dishes like the choley kulche doughnut which is served with a gaajar achaar mousse, sambhar cappuccino and the nitro dahi bhalla savoury ice cream that not only evoke childhood memories but gives the diner of today a creative and innovative experience which one won’t forget in a hurry. Choose to spend your evening seated at one of the many campus zones like the library, the mixology lab, the amphitheatre or perhaps at the hostel room that is perfect for a private party with its bunker beds and study tables!
8-9-10, Sector 29, Main Market, Gurugram
Tel: 0124-4266653

Pirates of Grill
Just a few years old and already Pirates of Grill is proving to be a magnet for those seeking out a fine dining bar-be-que concept along with a full buffet. Imagine juicy, succulent grills cooking at your own table, and food that keeps coming until your tummy surrenders! Their innovative offerings at unbeatable prices, have made this family-style restaurant a runaway success in Gurugram. Here, one can choose from an assortment of international kabab delicacies and make your own bar-be-que at the table itself. The global cuisine buffet on offer here gives you an option to indulge yourself in around 16 starters, 12 main course dishes and a live dessert counter. One can also enjoy their signatures like the Brazilian Churasco and Moroccan grills along with the fiendishly popular skewered pineapple that’s both sweet and savoury at the same time.   

Shop No. 7-10, MGF Mega City Mall, MG Road, A Block, DLF Sector 28, Gurugram
Tel: 0124-4013333

(An edited version of this article first appeared in the July 2018 issue of  Go-Getter, the in-flight magazine of Go Airways) 



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