If you feel tired and hungry after shopping in Rajouri Garden’s huge marketplace, a trip Essence Bar and Restaurants is not a bad idea. The four-month-old restaurant is a fine option when it comes to Mughlai cuisine.
It has a beautiful dining area, decorated with hues of black and gold which lend a royal look to the place. The four-storey building has a separate space for parties and can accommodate 200 persons.
“Being situated in the heart of Rajouri Garden, a predominantly Punjabi locality, Essence attracts the born lovers of Mughlai,” said Abhilesh Chopra, the general manager.
The menu at Essence begins with vegetarian starters like dahi ke kabab and bharwan paneer. Among non-vegetarian starters, there is the murgh banjara and the murgh zaituni, made out of paste of olives and roasted with olive oil. Murgh Hazarvi is another option. It is prepared by stuffing boneless chicken with cheese, and roasting it over a slow fire. The starters can be teamed up with their mocktails.
After the delightful starters, expectations of the main course reached dizzy heights. And it didn’t disappoint. Gosht Beli Ram, a shredded mutton creation, is chef Alok’s delectable recommendation. Vilayati sabzi is another innovative creation. As the name indicates, it uses only imported vegetables. Some of the other items are Kashmiri roghn josh, saag gosht, kadhai gosht and makhani chooze, Essence’s special butter chicken.
Although the meal was adequately stuffing, I ended with the nutty brownie and vanilla ice cream from their confectionary.
(A meal for two costs Rs. 2800)
