A cuisine popular across the world which was also added by UNESCO to its list of the world’s intangible cultural heritage is that of France. After its acceptance across the globe, French cuisine has shown some presence in Delhi as well. One restaurant which is doing pretty well is Rara Avis located in GK 2’s M-Block market.
Recently, they launched their summer special menu consisting of dishes made from seasonal ingredients to give a refreshing feel. Rajiv Aneja, one of its main pillars, took me through all the new inclusions and explained how they have kept the menu rotational.
Though I close my eyes and order an onion soup whenever I am at Rara Avis, this time for a change I tasted their summer special gazpacho. Cold, refreshing and slightly spicy, the soup was made to perfection and I loved it. On the chefs recommendation I followed my soup up with a smoked salmon salad which was a tad high on the sourness though nicely smoked.
The marinated fish with dill and lemon was outstanding. The way the chef sliced the fish made all the difference to the texture and body of the delicacy. Same was the case with Provence-style prawns, which were subtle and maintained the balance of flavours. My last visit had some serving issues but this time the management has worked on it and I could notice the improvement. Though the restaurant had a decent crowd, my gastronomic journey did move at a reasonable pace. The chicken croquettes made in béchamel sauce — known as the mother of sauces in French cuisine — were crunchy and tasty, slightly under-seasoned but still full on flavours. The butter in the white sauce gave the chicken a nice creamy texture which I loved.
But a dish that, apart from escargots, has become my favourite at Rara Avis is the duck breast with orange sauce. The sweet and mildly tangy flavour of the tender duck breast was worth every bite. I should admit that though Chinese duck delicacies are celebrated, this French preparation was commendable. Before I could move to the dessert section Rajiv insisted on a tenderloin steak. The steak was done rare medium and quite a reasonable one. As I was about to finish my steak, in came some desserts. Chocolate mousse and lemon tart meringue — two very distinct flavours competing with each other to be the winner of the day.
Meal for two: Rs.3000 plus taxes
