Lorenzo, The Clarens Hotel, Gurgaon - Not so Good - Not so Bad - 3/5

Lorenzo.......Yeah! A Spanish name....and you would think they serve Spanish. Well, Nah! they call themselves "World Cuisine". With very bright vibrant interiors and white marble flooring Lorenzo primarily attracts either Residents staying at Clarens hotel or other guests looking at an economical buffet lunch or dinner in an ambience better than a barbeque nation or a pirates. 

A 60 cover restaurant located at the Lobby level at the Clarens Hotel in Gurgaon sec 29, next to country inn. They try to position themselves as a fine dining restaurant although the service is just about OK. 

Hello......Zomato they have a menu, so you could upload that :) The A la Carte is very similar to that of any regular coffee shop of any hotel with the usual pizza's, salads, burgers, fish and chips and north Indian items. Although the a la carte menu boasts of a wide selection of Italian, Indian, Continental, Chinese, Thai, Mongolian, African, Mexican and Arabic cuisines, but if one wants a hog till you drop meal, the buffet is a fantastic deal, money wise atleast. 

On a sunday brunch however I realized there was still a very low turnout of the guests wanting to eat here. The buffet spread looked very professional and very appealing, even though for the price I wasn't expecting much of a variety. We were greeted with a welcome drink, and we jumped straight to soup and salad, since there wasn't any option for starters. The soup was nice, but could have been a bit warmer. 

They also had a live pasta counter so I tried the Spaghetti with white sauce. Oh la la! oh so Italiano, so yummy, so creamy, so cheesy the spaghetti (That I am almost writing this with an Italian Indian accent). The spaghetti was truly the highlight of the brunch. But the shocking part was watching a chef cook on the pasta counter without a chef cap. Didn't seem right, and seemed quite unprofessional! Thank god my pasta had no hair strands. 

I proceeded to the salads, which were not very extraordinary, just that the cottage cheese salad in the buffet really stood out, the cheese had freshly ground pepper bits in it, and one could get the punch of the pepper with every bite of the cottage cheese, a nice twist to this salad. The waldroff salad and the chicken and pasta salad were just OK. 

The buffet main course was very standard and no unusual or unique items on offer. The usual dal chawal, mutton chicken, paneer and stuff. Ok let me begin with the formal introductions of the mains. 

The Murgh badaami didn't have any badaami (almond) taste in the gravy or any bits of almonds in the gravy. Wonder why the name badaami, only to make it catchy and flashy it seems. I want to call it "NOT SO BADAAMI MURGH"

Ah the mutton was........no prizes for guessing, it was the Roganjosh. I have simply had better, especially at home, and I can certainly cook a version much better than this. 

Dal tadka was passable.

The methi paneer was nice, quite flavorsome and somewhat different than the usual paneer gravies. 

The Chinese veggies and noodles didn't seem worth the effort so I saved my energy and just gave them a royal ignore. 

Raita - Blah....

Coming to the not so sweet part of the meal.......

Gulab jaamun almost made me high blood sugar. I couldn't take another bite, it was so darn sweet. 

Chocolate truffle - they had used bitter chocolate, so was a little bitter for my palate. 

Apple pie - Blah.........passable

Firni - The show stopper. The best I have ever had. tasty, perfect meetha and balanced taste. Fab

Thanks to the great company over lunch, and the satisfying bill, we didn't mind the average meal. 

Would I go again? Cant say....


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Guppy by Ai's Delicious Winter Menu- 4.5/5

I am a huge fan of Mr. A. D Singh and what he brings to the Delhi Food circle. I have been an ardent Olive group fan and when Guppy opened, I knew its going to be another jewel in Mr. Singh's Cap. And I often feel very very scared while reviewing any of his restaurants fearing I would not do full justice in describing the awesome experience that I have every time I visit any one of his Jewel's that the world calls restaurants.

Guppy is a tropical fish also called Rainbow Fish. So true to its name this Japanese restaurant is as colourful in every aspect as its name. I had been dying to visit Guppy ever since it opened and finally I got a chance to visit Guppy in the season I generally refer to as the  binging season. And no season is better than winter to try the multi talented and multi award winning Chef  Vikram Khatri's Winter menu. 

Having had a disappointing Japanese experience at Delhi's well known - Sakura at Hotel Metropolitan I had left hope of finding great Japanese food in Delhi, but last week I had the most heavenly japanese creations that will leave a lasting mark on my palate for all times to come. And I am not surprised that they won the Times award for being the best Japanese cuisine restaurant in the city for 2014. 

What sets Guppy apart is Chef Khatri's amazing culinary skill and technique of combining fresh, exotic and bold ingredients to arrive at a unique combination of flavours in his dishes. And this unique skill and flavour in the food makes it what I simply call - Soulfood. 

Guppy has a playful multicoloured ambiance with colourful walls and a totally cute Alice in Wonderland kind of a setting. Love the red hearts that make the wall paper and the lovely hanging colourful lights, large papier mache doll head fixtures and cute comic murals all over. Its a very comfy, cozy yet a very modern restaurant. 

The normal menu including the winter menu is full of choice offering a wide variety of dishes, cocktails and some traditional japanese beverages. There is some world class Sushi and Sashimi and some awesome soft shelled crab dishes and some juicy pork belly on the menu too. I was pleasantly surprised to see the amazing variety of vegetarian dishes on the menu which by the way is quite praise worthy especially because its almost impossible to imagine Japanese cuisine in vegetarian. 

Service is just what it is like the groups other restaurants - Courteous, spotless and service with a smile. Love the way the servers know their dishes in and out and recommend when one is confused. 

Even though I was there to have the winter menu, I experimented and tasted the other well known and hot selling dishes. Food has an Excellent presentation like a picture on a plate. The "pork belly" was stupendous, simply out of this world and so was the soft shelled crab. Every item I had had a unique taste and flavour and impressed me to the core. Every dish exceeds your expectations in terms of presentation and flavour and pleases your taste buds to the fullest. I was fortunate enough to have sort of a Chef's table conversation with the Chef who has been with this restaurant since inception and brings with him rich industry experience which reflects in the food he makes.

There was a lot to eat, and I mean a lot, I will recommend the must haves on the menu. So coming down to my food verdict, here it goes. 

Apple Blossom 

A fantastic Cocktail. Loved the flavour of the green apple and the Cranberry. A must have My rating - 4/5

Mulled Wine 

Ah! My Ist time having Mulled wine and it absolutely delighted me and exceeded my expectations. A perfect drink to have on a cold wintry night. My rating 4.5/5

Danshaku potato Spiral with Jasmine Tomato soup and Broad beans 

A pretty dish served right before our soup arrived. Loved the presentation. 

Chicken suimono

‘Dobin Mushi ‘inspired clear chicken soup with root vegetables and chicken dumpling, served in tea pot. Loved the great flavour of the mushrooms in a chicken broth. Simple yet comforting soul food. My rating 5/5

Snow Peas, Bean, Corn kernels and Kikurage Mushroom Salad                                                                                                                                        
Served with sesame dressing and crushed walnut. A Wow vegetarian salad. An absolute must have. My rating 4/5

Beetroot and plump avocado tartare (veg)                                                                                                                      
Slow cooked tender beet root and plump avocado tartar with citrus dressing - excellent presentation. Soft mushy and mild in flavour. Spot on. My rating 4/5

Chashu Ramen                                                                           
Homemade egg noodles, in a pork and soy or miso broth, which the chef painstakingly cooks for 72 hours, is a brilliant dish. Loved the flavour of the dish. My rating 4/5

Mushroom takikome rice (veg)                                                                                                                                                     
I am a great Khao suey fan and this dish reminded me of this burmese favourite. This dish is Japanese sticky rice slow cooked with mushroom, kelp dashi and seasonal vegetables. The  dish is served in a claypot over fire and is brilliantly done. Loved every morsel of the mushroom flavoured sticky rice. My rating 4.5/5

Tofu and water chestnut (veg)                                             

This Marinated tofu and water chestnut dish is served with jalapeno and black bean reminded me of my childhood days when I used to go bonkers eating chestnuts in summer. Loved the combination of flavours of Tofu and the chestnut. A very unique dish indeed. My rating 4/5

 Crispy soft shell crab                                                                                                                                   
Soft shell crab cannot get better than this. Period. Nitrogen batter fried soft shell crab tempura served with wasabi mayo is possibly the best creation of Chef Khatri. My rating 4/5

Guppy Signature Pork Belly                                                                                                                                   
Juicy, sinful, succulent Slow braised pork belly, glazed with soy honey is titilating to the core. It is so sensual in taste that it transports you to heaven. It is served with mustard miso sauce which makes it even more super. My rating 5/5

Minute Steak Tuna Tataki                                                                                                                                  
Quick seared Andaman tuna, served with leeks, pickled onions, and fresh daikon threads, in citrus soy. Another soulfood dish and the tender tuna really delights ones taste buds. My rating 4/5

Scottish Salmon Sashimi                                                                                                                                         
One of the best I have tasted in Delhi Topped with ooba pesto, served with yuzu soy dressing. My rating 4/5

Tsukiji  Tuna Sashimi                                                                                                                                           
Another great creation. Topped with garlic chips, served with soy wasabi dressing. My rating 4/5

Black rice California roll                                                             
Loved the black rice with its crunch on the outside and Cream cheese, takuwan cucumber, avocado, asparagus on the inside. A great combination of flavours. My rating 4.5/5

Nasu dengaku inspired grilled aubergine (veg)                                                                                       
Guppy's take on nasu dengaku. And Aubergine cant get better than this. Aubergine pulp and onion cooked in gochujang miso, stuffed in aubergine shell and baked with garlic panko is delicate in taste and a brilliant vegetarian creation. My rating 4/5

Grilled Market fish              

Just made me go Oh Wow! Brilliant, juicy and tender this fish is Served with spicy tobanjan sauce and seasonal vegetables .My rating 4.5/5               

Chicken katsu curry rice 
                                
The dish of the day for me. Panko fried succulent chicken leg served with a brilliant Japanese curry and steam rice. This dish is the star of the day for me and I was swept off my feet with this rockstar of a dish. My rating 5/5

Blue berry crepes and seasonal fruit flambé                                                                                                              
A dish full of bollywood drama and glamour. The server Flambés the Blue berry crapes and seasonal fruit in brandy and berry sauce giving this meal the final gala farewell. Loved the tender crepes and loved the fruity flavour of this dessert. My rating 4/5. 

Guppy has entered my inner circle of top rated restaurants and I am definitely coming back for more.

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