Cafe Jiji, Sector 15, Gurgaon

[Rated: 4/5]

“Jiji means happiness in Italian,” says young chef Anup looking quite cheerful himself. Well, I have not been able to find the word “jiji” or its cheerful meaning in any of the European languages. But if Café Jiji has decided to create its own brand of joy, who are we to quibble? The interiors certainly do justice to the mood. Large, open, airy spaces, colourful murals, sleek furniture, and a well executed décor all add to the energy of this restaurant.

L'Angoor, Gurgaon

[Rated: 3.0/5]

The name L’Angoor can be intriguing, especially if it is the name of an upscale restaurant. “We serve modern American cuisine,” says Chef Hitesh Gupta. I query him on the thinking behind the name, and their crest of two primates with a bunch of grapes. He does explain the significance of grapes in fine dining that their wine restaurant promises but the langur connection to their food or service continues to remain a mystery. 

Eggriculture, Super Mart-1, Gurgaon - Eggciting Times

[Rated: 3.0/5]

“An egg is always an adventure; the next one may be different,” said Oscar Wilde. And the next one at Eggriculture, a very small, almost minute café at the Supermart 1, is certainly an adventure. This one-month-old eatery is geared to serve eggs in 43 different forms.

“My inspiration behind this café came while I was enjoying a late night anda paratha under the Moolchand flyover,” says Harsh Mehra who runs this place, ably assisted by his two young daughters. A consequence of the nocturnal nibble is a menu that is varied and tempting enough (at egg dish prices ranging from Rs 60 to Rs 110) for me to want to order the full monty. I curb my enthusiasm and ask the owner for his recommendations.

Bernardo's, Gurgaon - Goan Restaurant

 


[Rated: 4.5/5]

What does it take to be a restaurant which, in its eight-year-long existence, changes location six times across south Delhi and Gurgaon and is still followed by its loyalists? Well, here is what seems to be Bernardo’s simple recipe – take a small space, decorate it simply, serve up authentic and fresh Goan food… and add the personal touch. Like some old black and white photographs from the family album, lovely goan music, cane furniture with brightly coloured table cloth. 

Kyoto, Sector 15, Gurgaon

[Rated: 4/5]

In the Gurgaon Sector 15 market, known for its Fab India mega-store, lies a quaint little restaurant called Kyoto. It is known for its authentic, homely Japanese food. As I enter, I see a restaurant with modest oriental décor bursting at its seams with hungry gents of Japanese origin.

“Ninety nine percent of our clientele is Japanese,” says Nepal-born Chef Suryanarayan, somewhat distracted, and understandably so, given the teaming crowds eagerly waiting for their afternoon repast. As he hurries back to the kitchen, the chef who started his career as a sous chef in Tokyo does recommend that I try the daily special bento box (Platters) as well as a few other dishes.

56 Ristorante Italiano, Golf Course Road, Gurgaon

[Rated: 4.5/5]

“I serve traditional Italian food,” says Chef Tiziano Ranieri of Ristorante 56, “simple basic food that my mother taught me to cook.” And then this 57-year-old unassuming Neapolitan goes on to wow the palate with delightful flavours, textures and tastes. The high-ceiling, open spaces and the elegant simplicity of the restaurant complement the experience.

Café Mozart, South Point Mall, Gurgaon

[Rated: 2/5]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. The newly opened Mozart Café at the DLF South Point Mall bears no resemblance to the great maestro. With a dimly lit lower ground floor (euphemism for basement) location, a kitschy confused interior, and a clichéd Indian-Chinese-Continental menu, the restaurant is neither a café nor has any howsoever remote connection to Mozart.

Coming to the food in this diverse and seemingly discordant ensemble, there is a wide choice presented in its encyclopedic 18-page menu offering drinks, starters, mains and desserts in Oriental, Indian and Western style dishes.

Ummami, Global Foyer, Gurgaon

Mille-feuille of dark Hazelnut Chocolate

[Rated: 4/5]

Gurgaon has had an explosion of multi-cuisine eateries, especially at the DLF Cyber city and the Golf Course Road. What is common to most of them is their tendency to clone each other. So there is the regulation mezze platter with minor variations, chicken tikka with minor variations, and chilly chicken-hakka noodles with no variation. In this multitude of mediocrity, a gem of excellence has finally landed in Gurgaon.

Umami is a Japanese word meaning "pleasant savory taste". Add some ‘mmmm’ to it, and it would quite sum up the eating experience at the recently opened Ummami, situated above the Mercedes Benz showroom at the Golf Course Road. The restaurant serves some fine Japanese food, along with wood fired Pizzas, Pasta, Asian, Mediterranean, and of course, Indian dishes – all at reasonable prices. And a fine selection of wines and cocktails.

Striker Pub & Brewery, Global Foyer, Gurgaon

[Rated: 3/5]

Is Striker a joy to the beer guzzlers’ world?. This micro-brewery tries to bring all the good things in life together…..good beer in nice ambience, foot tapping music and great food. Does it succeed? 

Barely over a month old, and nesting over the Mercedes Benz showroom on the Golf Course Road, Striker Pub and Brewery has a distinct industrial décor, a stage for the bands to perform (Parikrama was here some time ago), a smoking room, and enough cozy nooks to have a nice evening.

Cocoberry range of Desserts, Gurgaon

As summer races in, and we prepare for ‘those lazy hazy crazy days of summer’, it is time to bring out the Hawaii chappals and look for lickable icy treats. A great addition to the options available to us Gurgaonites is Cocoberry’s range of frozen yoghurts.

Before you say ‘Dahi in ice cream? Are you crazy?’ it is time for some clarifications. You see, Frozen Yoghurts have nothing to do with the familiar, home made Curds. A Frozen Yoghurt is a frozen dessert containing yoghurt culture and other dairy products. It is slightly more tart than ice cream, as well as lower in fat, due to the use of milk instead of cream.

Seasonal Tastes, Westin Hotel, Gurgaon

[Rated: 2.5/5]

Buffets always appeal to the best and the worst in human nature – should one be a picky gourmand or an absolute glutton? Normally one starts with the first and then all goes haywire. Adding to the Gourmand Gluttony of the Gurgaon-scape is the newly opened Westin at the IFFCO chowk at its coffee shop “Seasonal Tastes” which boasts of a daily 100+ course menu at Rs 1200 plus taxes.

This bountiful buffet starts with a generous array of salads, antipasti and mezze dishes.

Brix, DLF Cyber Park, Gurgaon

[Rated: 3.5/5]
Life at the minipolis of DLF Cyber Park can be daunting. It is good to note that eateries like Brix at Building 10B do add some flavor to it. This resto-bar, which essentially serves the eager beavers of the offices in the vicinity, can dish out good food.

The ambiance is inexplicably dark for Lunch time, but the cheeriness of the wait staff does compensate

Mojo, MG Road, Gurgaon

[Rated: 3/5]
You are likely to find LA Woman and lot more music from the eighties playing here. Mojo, the relaunched and revamped resto-pub at DLF City Centre is open again. This time, to cater to the older, less boisterous clientele with a higher propensity to spend.

The décor has gone through some changes, but retains the dance floor and the unintentional retro feel. The food is more varied and definitely better. There is an exhaustive range of Chinese, Thai, Mediterranean,

Tau's Cafe and Lassi Bar, Ansals Plaza, Palam Vihar, Gurgaon

[Rated: 3.5/5]

This café sounds straight out of a ‘Jat Yamla’ movie set, conjuring up images of large people with large moustaches gulping lassi from large peetal glasses. Tau’s Café at Ansal Plaza, Palam Vihar may not have the rustic setting, but it certainly has the food to make Dharam Bhaaji, and all the other Deols drool.

Love and Mustard, Galleria Market, Gurgaon

Kosha Mangsho

[Rated: 3.5/5]

Tucked away in a cozy first floor nook of the Galleria market, the modest sized Love and Mustard promises and delivers fine Calcutta cuisine.

The menu here is extensive and varied – doing justice to the sheer variety available in the City of Joy. Vintage photographs of Kolkata and the melodious Bangla music provide excellent backdrop to the culinary adventure.