Outside, Delhi is loud and smoggy, the flood of headlights blinding in the otherwise dark night. Even inside The Lalit’s lobby, there’s a constant buzz from the crowd which has gathered for some important business conference or the other. It’s only when we ride the elevator to the 28th Floor that everything changes, and a kind of comforting, enveloping hush descends.
This is The Lalit’s oriental cuisine restaurant, Woks. It stands where the legendary Noble House did, back in the 90s. Noble House was an award-winning Chinese restaurant, and Woks has brought back the signature dishes from its old, popular, and as we find out later, incredibly delicious menu. Adding authenticity and history to it is Chef Sudarshan, spearheading the Woks kitchen. Chef Sudarshan had also been the chef for Noble House.
Before the food arrives, we explore the cavernous layout of Woks, already charmed by the meandering walk into the seating area, the landscaping that evokes the old orient, and the intricate statues of five Chinese nobles –– Fu (for prosperity), Lu (for wealth), Shou (for health), Sui Sing (for long life) and Mei Lei (Lord Buddha for Eternal Bliss) — who gave the place its name.
It is the view, though, which truly surprises. Beyond the glass windows running along the walls of the restaurant lies Delhi, in all its modern, historical, beautiful, dusty, traffic jammed glory. There’s Connaught Place, the majestic Indian Flag at its centre, the Parliament, the Jama Masjid, Humayun’s tomb. It’s a particularly clear night, the smog settling closer to the ground. We stand still, taking in the frantic rush of life going on below.
The interior is a mix of dark mahogany and reds and brown, and each table arranged in a way that gives it its own private little space. Soft music mixes with the delicious aroma of good food, and we turn to our menu.
It’s an interestingly concise menu, with a range of options that stop just before they become overwhelming. There are old favourites and new experiments, and we begin with a few of both. The first to arrive are a trio of vegetarian dimsums –– Thai, Asian greens and corn and leek. Each dimsum has a distinctive, delicious flavour and the thinnest, most translucent of coverings. The spicy Thai one is especially good, with a tangy sweetness that is addictive. Light and fresh, the first dish we taste is a success, and we move on to the second with enthusiasm — crispy spinach and corn basket. The basket itself is the lighest and crispiest one, and the entire dish comes together beautifully. We sprinkle the crispy spinach on the basket, abandon the forks and knives, and resort to savouring the whole thing the old-fashioned way. Assembled well, it doesn't fall apart in our hands, making things easy and neat.
What arrives next on our table makes us pause for a bit. The whole Himalayan trout, glistening with the dark, sticky crusted black pepper sauce, is breathtaking. We are told that this trout, flown in every day from Kashmir, is a star attraction. As we tuck into it, we know exactly why. The fish has been cooked to perfection, so that its skin is crispy, and the inside soft, falling apart easily as we cut into it.
Our stomachs are beginning to protest, but there's a long way to go. First, we see one of Noble House's signature dishes appear –– cauliflower in butter garlic sauce. Now, with butter and garlic, we've got a winning combination already. There's just the right amount of rich, pungent and aromatic goodness to this dish, that makes it a must order. For the non-vegetarian enthusiasts, prawns replace cauliflower, and once again, the combination is impossible to resist.
Finally, we make our way to the Peking duck, which comes wrapped and ready for us to enjoy. The neat little rolls are attractive, and the dish is good, though not great. Compared to the rest of the food we’ve just experienced, it pales. The duck is a tad gristly and slightly overdone, and the dish is missing what can only be described as the punch. It is all right, but also forgettable.
Finally, we move on the desserts, and they are good desserts. There is the crackling good toffee apple, the dense, sweet date pancakes and the scoop of ice-cream that ties it all together. The meal is complete, and it ends on a note that begs a return.
On till: November 30
Venue: The Lalit, Barakhamba Avenue, Connaught Place
