I am a closet sandwich fiend. Give me a sandwich, and I kind of turn into a drooling fiend. I showed this tendency at a very young age when my mother gave me a toast with malai and sugar on it. Years later, when I was introduced to Jain Sa’ab’s sandwiches, I realised all that you could do with two slices of bread, some butter and fruits. Then, when I start haunting Kent’s in the Defence Colony Market, I fell in love with grilled sandwiches oozing with melted cheese. Then, of course, I discovered the wonderfully soft ham, tuna and chicken sandwiches at Hawker’s House in Jangpura, and came to the conclusion that there was nothing like a sandwich prepared with soft white bread.
I am close to changing my mind once again. I had some grilled sandwiches the other evening, and they were so good that I have to go back to all the sandwiches that I have loved over the years again and then decide on the winner.
But let me tell you about the grilled sandwiches. My friend, Harsh, has been urging me for a while to visit Chaskaa in Surajmal Vihar in East Delhi. Now I don’t think much about Harsh’s eating habits (he is the one who always puts tomato ketchup on my pasta when I cook it with simple herbs) so I didn’t give him much importance. But he went on and on, and so I decided I needed to visit Chaskaa.
If you know the Yamuna Sports Complex in East Delhi, you can find the market at Surajmal Vihar (it’s called Kamal Complex) very easily. Leave the sports complex on the right and take the first turn left at the T-junction after that. You’ll find the market complex in front of you, and Chaskaa right there at the corner.
I saw the sandwiches list and asked for grilled chicken sandwiches and grilled cheese sandwiches. The filling was excellent. The chicken had been chopped and mixed with a sweetish mayo and green pepper. It was crunchy and soft at the same time – and delicious.
I met the chef, Sagar Rodrick, who is originally from Kolkata, and the young owner, Gautam Sharma. I like what they have done at Chaskaa – there is a huge menu, and the idea is to serve everything fresh to keep the clients happy. The place is open from 11 am to 11 pm (Phone: 42518282, 42518383).
The menu includes Chinese and tandoori, but I focused on the continental section. I am told its chicken a la king (Rs.310) is rather good. I had the chicken stroganoff, which was again excellent. It came with buttered rice, and the chicken was in a delicious brown sauce prepared with Worcestershire sauce and HP sauce. There is a lasagna section too (chicken tikka lasagna: Rs.320 and spinach and corn lasagna: Rs.290).
The sandwich prices vary between Rs.70 (for vegetable grilled) and Rs.90 (chicken and cheese and egg and cheese sandwiches).
All in all, it’s a very nice place indeed. It’s not very far from my house, and I hope to go there every now and then to pick up something nice. And I think I have to treat Harsh with respect now. He may like his ketchup, but he sure knows his sandwiches.
