Out of the three malls in Vasant Kunj, Promenade has been one of my favourites as it has some really nice food joints. From fine dining to sports bars and cafés, it has them all. On my last visit I opted to drop by at the latest café from the Veda brand named Veda Café. Providing al fresco as well as indoor sitting, Veda Café has earthy and unfinished walls to give it an Indian yet modern feel. The menu consists of dishes from across the country served as pre-plated portions.
Out of the three listed soups, the pineapple soup, made out of roasted pineapples, was so tangy that even taking a sip was a challenge. Drinking chilled water to clear the palate, I moved to the starters.
Out of the small bites section, sevian kurkuri was delicious — basically spring rolls stuffed with cheese and mushrooms coated with crispy fried vermicelli. The Chicken 65 with Andhra spices was made to perfection, with crisp, spicy chunks of boneless chicken. The dry fried malvani prawns were also good to taste, while the fish in kasaundi served on a skewer was soft and flavourful.
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The palak patta chaat, which the chef said is one of the most popular dishes here, was served chilled but lacked the tangy flavour it ought to have. The six typical North Indian grill and kabab options were worth a try. The sakora murgh had a particularly nice, earthy flavour.
The coriander and cardamom powders used in the marinade gave the drumsticks a refreshing flavour too. The mutton seekh was a surprise as I didn’t expected it to be so tender and flavourful. The dahi ke kabab were prepared in a way different from the usual, loaded with dry fruits which gave the kababs a subtle sweetness. I would not mind these as a hot dessert option.
The starters may be impressive, but the main courses are likely to steer Veda Café’s popularity. Regional delicacies are served as a complete meal, pre-plated. The Kerala meen moilee and the Bengali prawn curry made my day. The use of coconut and mustard in the curries was absolutely perfect, though the neer dosa served alongside was a disaster. The Parsi mutton dhansak served with brown rice was delicious. I loved the viscosity of the curry and the flavourful boneless mutton which really complimented the rice. I paired it with appam and it tasted even better.
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To bring this fusion and profusion to a sweet end, I opted for Bombay Faluda, which turned out to be pathetic and the only preparation I regret tasting.
Meal for two: Rs.1100 plus taxes