There are certain places which have their own charm. And that is why some spaces are your favourite when it comes to having a relaxed meal. When I think about having a nice brunch (yes, a Sunday brunch) in an al fresco setup in Delhi, the place which comes to my mind first is in the Garden of Five Senses, in one of the restaurants in it I mean.
Well, if you agree with me here, you have a Sunday brunch option this entire February at its restaurant FIO — Country Kitchen & Bar. The swank restaurant can bring back the romance of dining out through a charming setting by blending well its outdoors with indoors.
The Sunday brunch menu is an ode to the country kitchens of Italy and India. I first take a walk through the buffet offerings, ticking the dishes in my mind, the ones I would like to taste. Breads in a wooden bucket replicates a typical Italian bread shop. Live counters for eggs and salad are tempting.
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Well, the chef is generous enough to serve me on the table and I start my brunch on a sunny Sunday with burnt jalapeno and tomato basil soup. The dishes have perfect Italian flavours. Since I love eggs in breakfast, the chef serves me egg Benedict with sunny side up placed on an English muffin. The Benedict is made well though I would have preferred more seasoning.
I try out a salad with fresh veggies and Parmesan shredding blended in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, refreshing. Next comes the petit lasagne con verdure. You would love its portion. Each lasagne is made in a small bowl which makes it easy to eat and also allows you a light meal so that you can have space in the tummy and the will at heart to try out other dishes.
There is a pan-grilled basa with yellow pepper too, bland though. I would have preferred it to be grilled for some more time so to get crisp coating on the fillet.
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After enjoying the Italian imports, I move on to the Indian section which seems quite tempting. From the live station I order Hyderabadi keema pav, delicious. Spicy minced keema with a soft pav is the perfect combination to have. Punjabi murgh made in kadai style is again spicy and flavourful. Yellow dal at FIO is tasty and is cooked pretty well on spit fire.
While I am relishing the dishes, the chef comes with moong dal pakodis, better known as ram laddoos in Delhi. They are hot and crisp. walk up to the dessert section, it is crowded with people. I ask for a fruit couli waffle and gajar ka halwa. The waffle is nice but the sugar dipped fruits just killed the flavours as they are too sweet. Gajar ka halwa helps me to end the meal with sweet memories though.
Meal costs Rs.1799 before taxes per person
Served on all Sundays of February (From 1 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.)