There is something about the word ‘Tau’. I have a little niece who calls me Tau, and when I was growing up, that was the word we used for village elders and generally all grizzled men. I don’t hear the word much these days — and that’s why, when a friend told me about a restaurant called Hungry Tau, I was all ears.
I called up the owner, Anmol Rampal, and found that the eatery has three outlets in Gurugram, and is planning to open one in Delhi (sometime in June). The largest one — which can seat 40 people or so — is in Gurugram’s DLF Phase 1 (D144, shopping Mall, Arjun Marg) and was set up in December. The other two are in Sector 15 and Sikandarpur. It also delivers food to distances of up to 5 km (phone numbers: 9650507267 and 0124430911).
Young Anmol, who was an IT-guy in New Zealand before he moved to operations and then trained as a chef, has given the dishes a special touch, making the best of the West and the East. The menu is quite an eclectic one — and includes Chinese and Indian favourites. But there is a nice burger and hotdog section, too.
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I love hotdogs, and remember eating my first hotdog at a small place called the Milk Bar in Connaught Place some 50 years ago. Tau’s hotdog menu includes Chicken Tikka Hotdog (₹99) and Jalapeno and Cheese Hotdog (₹99). I had the Classic Hotdog (₹119) — which had a nice layer of milk and cheese combined with ketchup and a plump chicken frankfurter nestled in between two buns.
I enjoyed their signature Tau’s Special Pizza (₹149). The crust was thick but crunchy, and the base sauce — cooked in-house with tomatoes, oregano, chilli flakes and garlic — was topped with a coat of Amul mozzarella cheese and peppered with jalapenos, tomatoes and onions. What gives the pizza its twist is the fact that the veggies on top are roasted in a tandoor, lending a toasty flavour to the dish.
Among the burgers on offer are Chicken Peri Peri Burger (₹99), Aloo Tikki Burger (₹59) and Paneer Burger (₹89). The menu includes fries with cheese and capsicum (₹139) and Caesar’s Salad (₹99). The Indian section has dishes such as Matki Chicken Dum Biryani (₹319) and Vegetable Dum Biryani (₹229). I enjoyed the signature Tau Special Murg Mussalam (₹189) — there was keema in the gravy, which had been flavoured with grated mace, clove, and cinnamon.
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I like keema, and had asked for the Keema Pao Peri Peri (₹99). Anmol tells me that they add cider vinegar and lemon juice to give the minced meat — served with soft buns — its tangy taste. I, however, found the keema a wee bit too tangy.
But I certainly look forward to Tau’s Delhi debut this summer. The food, cooked fresh with each order, has its special flavours and the chef’s magic. And it will be nice, after all these years, to be able to call someone — even if it’s a restaurant — Tau.
The writer is a seasoned food critic