Listicle | Fine food & drink

HIGH FIVE | KLAP

With malleable attention reduced to about 30 seconds on the Gram and brand loyalty about as dependable as the IMD forecast for rain, a restaurant celebrating five years is as much anomaly as achievement today. More so, in the tony environs of Delhi’s Khan Market, where the discerning come out to sample the delectable and just as quickly, deport the less desirable. So as KLAP completes its half decade validation, it’s time to applaud. Fittingly, the restaurant has introduced a new food and cocktail programme as an homage to the evolution of its host venue; the new menu meanders between the market’s five distinct lanes, tracing its beginnings as a travellers’ market in 1951, the bookseller years, its diplomatic influence; emergence as a dining destination, and of course, present-day avatar as an after hours melting pot.

While storytelling has its exalted place on the marketing pyramid, is the new worth attendance and attention? Yes, especially when it comes to cocktails. As Navdeep Singh Sethi, Co-Founder, KLAP, puts it: “Guests may not remember every ingredient in a drink, but they always remember how easily they returned to it and the kind of evening it became part of.” A boast that is definitely not in vain: On the new liquid menu, the Spice Route, which is a zingy liquid with Pisco, carrot, lapsang and bird’s eye chillis is a crowd pleaser, the real surprise is II Chapter, a nutty, layered, delight with tequila, mezcal, soy and hazelnut—a marriage that may not seem obvious but is worth several refills.

The food, closely tied to appetite and familiarity, ranges from modern Indian to Asian, Japanese, and European. While the KLAP Bhel with avocado, glazed pumpkin, and crisp brown rice offers dollops of flavour and freshness, the salmon ceviche, which is supposed to summon citrus and sharp heat, is tepid on the flavour scale. The tiny ghee podi idli coins punch above their weight, as do the coastal prawns. As for desserts, the Gelato Egg Tray with its layered chocolate shell and flavoured gelato is genius—sates the sweet spot without the calorie or conscience overload.

Price: Rs. 5,000 (Meal for two without alcohol)

PINNACLE OF PASTRY | Haute Patisserie

Relaxed charm and quiet luxury are two of The Imperial, New Delhi’s biggest draws. Now, this Lutyen’s gem can add another quite confidently: Haute Patisserie. Inspired by Europe’s great pastry lineages—Parisian artistry and Vienna’s Hofkultur—every confection focusses on texture, balance, and visual harmony. Since freshness and seasonality guide the menu, expect the Mango & Coconut to embody summer, the gluten-free Orange and Chocolate to script for sensitive palates, and eggless options to delight the vegetarians. At the heart, lies the Imperial Fruit Cake, a curated smorgasbord of flavours that celebrates both orchard and garden with a balanced palate of texture and sweetness. Spice recommends the Haute Patisserie’s interpretation of the famous Austrian Sacher Torte with a moist sponge, orange jam filling, and glossy bitter chocolate for glazed comfort. Pair it with some great coffee and you’ll thank the Hapsburgs.

Price: Rs. 550 (per slice)++; Cakes and Tarts Rs. 2,500 ++

Www.theimperialindia.com

CHOSEN, NOT BOUGHT | Paul John's Aarambh

If FOMO was a spirit rather then a sentiment, it would be Paul John Whisky’s Aarambh. A single cask release in an exclusive collaboration with The Cask Circle, (Pune’s whisky connoisseur community), 180 bottles were all sold out before a single drop was bottled. Drawn exclusively from Single Cask #20523, and finished in another rare bourbon cask, it is bottled at 50% ABV. With every bottle claimed before even bottling, this copper coloured single malt stands as one of the rarest launches by an Indian whisky brand. The unpeated single malt, distilled in November 2017, opens with apple pie, oak, vanilla, and orange blossom honey on the nose, while the finish lingers with tropical fruit, malt, and milk chocolate. According to Michael D’Souza, Master Distiller behind Paul John Indian Single Malts, “The November 2017 distillate had a clean, balanced character that we felt deserved to shine on its own. Ex-bourbon casks are often the best way to showcase the true DNA of a distillery, as they allow the spirit’s natural character and the influence of the local microclimate during maturation to come through. A heavier sherry or virgin oak influence could have masked some of those unique attributes,” explains D’Souza.

Price: Rs. 7,750 (750 ml)

NUDGING NOSTALGIA | Farzi Cafe

When Farzi Cafe first opened doors in 2014, in Gurugram’s CyberHub, it essentially ‘Farzified’ Indian food with a playful, irreverent, progressive interpretation of popular favourites, making innovation a Farzi staple. More than 11 years, a 4-month shut-down and redesign later, the new Farzi menu brings back some of the OG dishes, along with a few new heroes. The crisp, buttery, layered Avocado Masala Benne Taco combines South Indian nostalgia with a contemporary twist, while the chilli cheese jalebi is the savoury sibling of its namesake dessert with a cheddar, mozzarella filling, dusted with naga chillies. The papad prawn is a cracker crust for chubby prawns, served with a wasabi-chilli tartar sauce, but its the cocktails that are truly saucy. Inspired by Indian cities, Hyderabad (Biryani Cocktail) translates aromatic notes of a Hyderabadi Biryani through the prism of a glass, while Mumbai (Chowpatty Bhelpuri Highball) is a fizzy blend of chutney cordial, lemon soda, gin and oodles of fun.

Price: Rs. 4,000 (Cost of meal for two without alcohol)