Stairway to Heaven

Land of some of the most exotic food preparations, it is not uncommon to find a food stall, a restaurant or a coffee shop at every other turn in India. A visit to each and every one these places would require the budget f a king and the appetite of a giant. Food lover Deepanshu Verma picks six of the best Indian eateries transcending price, state and location that offer a direct stairway to food heaven

Pirates of Grill, Gurgaon
If you ever embark on an expedition to discover tongueliberating tastes of North Indian cordon bleu, Pirates of Grill must be one of your pit stops. It is one of those places where the taste gets you excited, compelling you to explore more with the service of each dish. While the restaurant caters to non-vegetarian taste buds, they also serve vegan delicacies. Among the array of dishes they have to offer, some of their most popular ones are grilled prawns, Brazilian Churasco chicken, Punjabi aneer and Tawa Boti Soya Mushroom.
Must-try dishes: Moong Dal Halwa, Garlic Green Prawns

Crimson Chakra, Chennai
Even before you get inside Crimson Chakra, you can’t help but be drawn to the inviting ambience of this seemingly old bungalow-turned restaurant. With staff ever-ready to cater to your taste buds, Crimson Chakra is one of the most popular restaurants in the auto hub of India, Chennai. Serving a mix of continental and North Indian food, some of its best dishes are the Thakali Poondu Soup, Mushroom Soup and Crab Meat Cakes. Chicken Lasagna and Mutton Isabella in the main course should not be looked over.
Must-try dishes: Poached Chicken Breast Clemenceau, Vendakkai Meen Soup

Peter Cat, Kolkata
If Peter Cat was a political party, the Chelo Kabab would be its Prime Ministerial candidate. Unquestionably the most famous food item on Park Street, Chelo Kabab – which principally includes soft and spicy luscious kebabs that are accompanied by a buttered bed of rice and are served with poached eggs – have single-handedly transformed Peter Cat into a landmark in Kolkata. With gloomy lighting and a laid back vibe, Peter Cat is the ideal place for those solely interested in devouring its beautifully prepared food items.
Must-try dishes: Vegetarian Mixed Grill Sizzler, Fish Makhmail Keba, Fried Chicken Liver

Global Fusion, Mumbai
Spread across 7,500 square feet and playing host to around 320 diners at a time, this list would be incomplete without a mention of this restaurant. Global Fusion is one of the most popular restaurants in the western suburbs of the city. Serving elaborate vegetarian and non vegetarian buffet seven days a week, the food is exotically scrumptious and doesn’t disappoint. Its Spicy Pepper Chicken, Fried Pepper Mushrooms, Honey Chilly Potatoes and its Fried Pomfret are real treats for non-vegetarians. The restaurant has a mini lagoon that offers Japanese, Thai, Chinese and North Indian cuisine, focusing more on the non-vegetarian preparations. Incredibly popular for its Sushi, the restaurant boasts of a separate kiosk serving well over two dozen varieties of it. If the appetisers and the main course aren’t enough, the dessert counter is sure to leave you stuffed to capacity. From exclusive Baskin & Robbins ice creams to cheesecakes, pastries and a number of Indian desserts, they have it all. No wonder this place draws in customers by the hundreds.
Must-try dish: Crab soup, Cheese Prawns, Shanghai Paneer

Church Street Social, Bangalore
In addition to the delicious food Church Street Social offers, the restaurant also boasts of a casual, laidback ambience and grungy, undone interiors with graffitied backdrops. The menu is presented on toilet paper rolls and in tin cans with a ‘caution’ label stamped on it. A great place for beverage lovers and drinkers in general, one of its most popular drinks is the Cosmo Explosion. It is a blissful jumble of vodka, cranberry juice, candy floss and Malta orange. As for the food, you can’t afford to miss the Elvis Presley French Toast. A twist on the old-school French Toast, this one includes peanut butter, soaked sugar sprinkled bread slices that are served with bananas.
Must-try dishes: Anda Shammi Kebab, Sesame Honey Chilli Fries and Chicken Bao

Khan Chacha, Delhi
With their oldest restaurant located in the heart of New Delhi, Khan Chacha is known for its scrumptious North Indian cuisine. In business for the past 41 years, the eatery has popularly preserved its authentic taste in each one of its food items whether they are succulent chicken or mutton preparations, scrumptious rice treats or even delicious kulfis. Its mouth-watering delicacies like the Chicken Tikka Roomali Roll and the Mutton Seekh Kebab Roll draw foodies not only from Delhi, but also from the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Some of its other well-known dishes include Mutton Kakori Kebab, Mutton Tikka Roll and Fish Tikka. Obviously, the restaurant is not very popular with vegetarians, however, its vegetarian Paneer Tikka and vegetarian Hariyali Roomali Roti are delicious. Apart from its rolls and tikkas, the lassi served here is also a crowd favourite.
Must-try dish: Chicken Biryani, Mutton Seekh Roll

Volume 4 Issue 1