Smokeys BBQ and Grill

 

Went to this bar in VIPPS local shopping centre of Masjid Moth, Greater Kailash II last night because there was Karaoke on and one member of our group is a very good singer and we wanted to give it a try.  When we arrived at 8pm the place was deserted!  I thought this can’t be a good sign but, fortunately, it didn’t take long for a very reasonable crowd to assemble.

We started off the food with a few starters which we all shared and they were delicious, from the potato skins through to the salad the tastes were not what I expected from an American BBQ joint.  We then took some time out and had a few drinks and had a go at the singing for a while.  Manish, the guy presenting the Karaoke, was fantastic getting everyone involved and even taking the mike himself to show us how it was meant to be done.

I was surprised at the high level of talent that was displayed on the microphone, I’m used to drunken evenings where people tend to shout rather than sing, so this made a very pleasant change.  Later we decided to have some food from the main course menu and I decided to try a burger.  It was delicious that all I can say, it wasn’t the McDonald style burger at all!  The meat had been hand-made and the dressing and salad were all very fresh.

After a few more beers I regret to say that I took on the mike and managed to destroy a perfectly good U2 song with my friend Rubin.  Still no one seemed to mind and the evening went by in that way a few excellent singers then some who destroyed other songs in a similar way to me.

If you are looking for somewhere fun to go mid-week then Smokeys is your place but watch out the price tag does get a bit steep if you don’t keep a check on it.  The price for the wines are terrible so don’t even look at those (we made that mistake).  I hope you enjoy it and if you have some stories to tell please share them with me.

A Visit to Karim's Restaurant at Jama Masjid Delhi

A cycle rickshaw ride from the Chawri Bizaar metro stop, Karim's is small, hidden gem in the dirty back streets of old Delhi. This drab roadside eatery is accessed through a tiny passage way that opens up to reveal a small courtyard (shown above) when you get inside the restaurant serves up the most authentic Mughlai fare in the city which is what you might expect considering who runs the place. Haji Zahiruddin comes from a family whose bloodline extends back to the chefs who conjured elaborate feasts in the courts of Mughal emperors. Generations of chefs honed their culinary wizardry in the nearby Red Fort until the last Mughal Ruler was toppled by the last British ruler in 1857. Returning to Delhi in 1911 after his family spent decades in exile. Haji Karimuddin, the grandfather of the present owner , setup shop in the same alleyway where his descendents now prepare their family recipes, each one a closely guarded secret.

They are certainly secrets worth keeping. Sumptuous curries like the lazeez murg saag ( A spicy chicken and spinach dish) or the Badshahi badaam pasanda (tender chunks of mutton simmered in a tangy almond paste) complement perfectly the selection of succulent grilled meats from the tandoor, an array of of flavorful rice biryanis studded with dried fruits and pungent spices and the steaming hot naans and rotis. Best of all these regal delights still come at dhaba prices. In this imperial city even paupers can eat like kings. 

The Health and Safety standards would never pass muster in any European city (that I have been to) but the food is unbelievably tasty, even to my western tongue. The picture below shows a fan blowing the smoke from the BBQ grill up toward the extractor fan (which may actually have worked at some point). There is a long line of customers waiting outside for any free table inside. We were encouraged (subtly) to vacate our table as soon as we had finished to allow other people to take our table.

On the whole the experience would have been daunting for people who did not know what to expect. The streets are narrow, dirty and congested. People push and stare at you and when you arrive at the restaurant the standards of cleanliness leave A LOT to be desired. If you can look past all that you will actually enjoy some wonderful dishes and it is so affordable that it doesn't really matter if you don't like one of the dishes on offer. Just order a selection (especially the dry meat dishes) and share with all the people at the table. Be prepared to eat with your fingers as this will enhance your experience and there is a sink to wash your hands in.

On the way back from the restaurant we didn't take one of the plentiful cycle rickshaws but elected to take one of the new additions to the Delhi street scene an electric rickshaw. These still allow these narrow streets to be accessible however they reduce the amount of pollution in the air around these congested streets.

QBA Nu Delhi

Over the Christmas period in 2013 I went to two events at this club.  The first one was the Christmas Boogie Woogie night organised by Kalpana Mehra Penfold and the second was the Tag Christmas do.

I enjoyed both functions however there were problems with both - which is not a good sign.  On the Christmas Boogie Woogie the venue was shared among three or four separate parties.  The main floor downstairs was cleared for the night and was allocated to some school reunion for a boys school.  We were allocated an area in the balcony.

Which wasn't too bad as it was private and, because our drinks and food were all covered by the ticket charge then no one else could come and take these.  Problems began when we wanted to use the dance floor, the group downstairs didn't want us to use the floor so the management asked us to leave.  Of course they were told to get lost and the evening was a big success.

The second evening was a sponsored event by Tag.  This means that entry had been covered but we were responsible for our own food and drink, not a bad idea, but it meant the waiters were following you around and there didn't seem to be a way to pay for your drinks also the event wasn't well attended but I enjoyed it anyway.  On both visits the food was forgettable, not good, not bad just forgettable and the drinks (if you have to buy them) are on the pricey side. 

Its not a club I would recommend as there are much better, friendly places around Delhi that could be used for events.  However, if you are invited to an event then go as the live music I experienced there was good (a big loud for me) but the tunes were good.

Just a couple of pictures from the events I went to.  The lower one is the Christmas Boogie Woogie night and as you can see people make an effort in Delhi to get into the Christmas spirit.

Sen5es Restaurant DGC visit 22nd Dec 2013

On the 22nd December 2013 the Delhi Gourmet Club (DGC) went to the Pullman Hotel in Gurgaon to have an event in the Sen5es Restaurant there.

On this occasion there was more than 100 DGC members in attendance.  The event was initially planned to be outdoors but the weather was not brilliant and it was decided to bring the party indoors to the Sen5es restaurant.  The restaurant was all, and more, than you would expect from a top notch hotel.  Great food, beautiful decorations and well trained staff.

We were greeted with drinks and smiles and everyone settled in for a lovely time.  It was only my second DGC event and already I was feeling at home.  People recognized me and came up for a chat which was very nice.  I also met a lot of new people and managed to form some good friendships with some of them.

Above are a few photos I put together.  The table I sat at was the largest (pictured above) and seemed to be the collecting point for people as they came and went.  As the food was served buffet style people would drop by and share one plate and then move off for the next round.  A very sociable way of getting to know people.  I have included a picture of the amazing seafood but I could have literally covered the page with amazing photos of the food.  There was so much the Pullman Hotel could have fed a small army!  The picture on the right shows Rocky, one of the three organizers of the DGC, with the very talented head chef at the restaurant.  I don't know his name as yet but I will try to find out and when I do I will edit the post as I feel his attention to detail is worthy of a mention.

Delhi Gourmet Club Lunch at the Made in Punjab Restaurant 15th December 2013

I joined a Facebook Group called The Delhi Gourmet Club where people come together a couple of times a month to enjoy a new restaurant together.  This event was my first so I didn't really know what to expect.  So on Sunday 15th Dec 2013 about 70 members of this club descended onto the Made in Punjab restaurant in Cyberhub Gurgaon.

The restaurant is new, as the whole of the Cyberhub complex is new, and they were trying to get some exposure so the rate they gave the club was excellent, 2100 rupees which at the time of writing is £21, the price included unlimited drinks and way too much food for me to eat.

The food was first class and this was not just my assessment some of the people from the DGC (Delhi Gourmet Club) are very knowledgeable about food and they were all very impressed with the quality of the food as well as the presentation.

On arrival we were greeted with drinks and I, as the new guy, was introduced around and I met some lovely people.  After about an hour of socializing we settled down to the first of many courses.  Obviously my western pallet didn't like some of the food offering but on the whole the food was first rate and there was plenty to drink.  The staff were very well trained and did their job of being available without being intrusive.

The lunch actually lasted around five hours but it didn't seem that long because everyone was having a nice time.  Fortunately, for me, the table I was at was filled with people who just loved to laugh.  We had a blast and other people at the event keep stopping at our table to enjoy the
atmosphere there.

One of the most impressive things about these events, for me, is that everyone speaks fluent English and ALL the conversation is carried out in English even at tables where all the people were from India! now that shows us up in the UK.

One very nice touch was that the menus were in the form of a scroll, which had been printed just for that event, and you could take them home as a reminder of the day.  If you look closely at the photo above you can see them neatly presented with a gold coloured bow around them.  When all the guests left they were given a little goodie bag filled with nice little touches, nothing expensive, just nice little things like little pouches filled with spice mixes and a miniature bottle of wine - just good little touches.

Looks like I have joined this club at the right time as the weather is perfect and it is the lead up to Christmas.  There is another event next week and I am looking forward to that already.

First Impressions

After travelling for just short of twenty four hours I was really glad to arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport at approximately midday. We got off the plane quiet quickly and the journey through passport control was very straightforward, I must admit after travelling to many third world countries I was expecting to be held up at this stage so I was pleased that my route to baggage reclaim was not impeded.

Baggage reclaim was another story all together. I didn't realise the amount of luggage that the people on the flight had taken with them. I wish now I had taken some pictures as I have never seen the like of this before! Huge great bales of possessions held together with string and plastic bags mainly. The baggage allowance on Saudia Airlines is a very generous 46KG but no one had kept to that except me! All the other passengers were carrying bags that they could barely move! However I was in no mood to take photos I just wanted to get off the plane and head for the shower. It took about an hour and a half for my bags to finally arrive and for me to get through the green lane to the outside world.

Tyrone, the Indian office manager, had sent his driver to pick me up and he was patiently waiting for me outside the terminal building - so far so good. The weather is fantastic a lovely summers day (UK style) not too hot but certainly warm enough. Jassie, the driver, took me for a 30 minute drive to the hotel I would be staying in for the initial part of my time in India. The roads can best be described as chaotic. The first thing you notice in that everyone is blasting their car horn I don't know why as no one is really losing their temper, no one pays attention and it doesn't seem to serve any purpose but they all do it anyway. I will do a separate post about the roads as they deserve it and this post is about my first impressions.I was taken to the The Palms Town and Country Club a hotel in Gurgaon and it is superb.



Service, location and facilities are all great a very pleasant surprise after travelling all this way.  The hotel was even far enough from the roads to mute the incessant car horns - a good thing when I needed serious sleep.

Now it would be easy to focus on the negative aspects of Delhi but if that's what you're interested in then move on, I will mention all aspects but I won't dwell on the negative side of things.  Delhi is dirty, smelly, polluted, noisy and overpopulated but there is an energy here that is very appealing, it feels positive and vibrant, somehow I feel like I've come home.  I suppose because of my experience with Saudi Arabia then Delhi feels very similar.  Many Indian people fulfilled the working roles in Saudi and therefore I think the day to day living is so very similar.

A lot of people here, especially the young people, are very intelligent, very well qualified and very motivated.  Most people work very long hours and KNOW they have to earn their own rewards.  They know they can't rely on the state so they look after themselves and their families.

There is a lot of poverty here and some people are living in awful conditions but there are other people who live a very western-type lifestyle.  They are becoming upwardly mobile and consumer driven.  There are western style shopping malls popping up all over and the TV is pushing consumer goods like there's no tomorrow.


 We travel around in various forms of transport:

This is my favorite over here its called an Auto short for Auto Rickshaw.  They are everywhere they buzz around powered by motorcycle engines but they are very cheap, typically £1 will take you 20 minutes travel time.  The drivers can be a bit of a nightmare trying to bump up the fare especially if you are a westerner however they do still try and rip off native customers as well.  Also make sure you have small notes as they don't tend to have any change, especially in the morning.

I

If you want to travel any distance at all in Delhi I would suggest using the Metro system.  The roads are such a stressful experience and the Metro gets you there much more quickly.  The trains are clean and air-conditioned and they arrive every three or four minutes.  A word of caution however they get very crowded and the concept of personal space is not important here.  Hold onto your possessions I have already had my phone stolen on the Metro and it was in my front trouser pocket!  Some of the stations get very crowded and I think pickpockets will target people so just be aware.  The price of the Metro is the most appealing thing I take the Metro two or three times a day and it costs me less than £3 per week!

If you need to go somewhere off the beaten track or if you need to travel late you will need a cab.  You can get all sort of charging systems with these but I liked Meru cabs as they go by meter and they will wait for hours for you for very little cost

These are bicycle rickshaws.  I wouldn't recommend them as they are slow and aren't much cheaper than the Autos.  You do have to try them at least once just to say you've been on them.