In a line: Delhi’s first gastro-pub, Monkey Bar has introduced 12 exciting bowl meals for this winter season.
Cuisine: Multi-cuisine
Price for two: Rs. 1200(approx)
Available till: January 15, 2018
Location: Vasant Kunj, Right opposite DPS
Must haves: Wild mushroom khichdi, panch phoron and kasundi mach, nagarjunga inspired chilli chicken
Winters.
According to me, winter is the best of the season amongst all the others. The beautiful bounty of vegetables and fruits during winters makes winter meals more elaborate, more hearty and of course, more delicious.
At the onset of my favourite season, Monkey Bar, Vasant Kunj, has introduced “One Bowl Winter” menu, that is all about soul food. If savouring bowlful of deliciousness is your definition of a comforting meal, then this gastro-pub should be on your go-to list this winter!
A melange of beautiful textures, ingredients and combinations, the Chefs at Monkey Bar have introduced 12 bowl meals, that celebrate traditional food with their own twist. Whether you prefer non-vegetarian over vegetarian, Indian over Asian, chicken over seafood or rice over noodles, the meticulously curated menu ensures that no palate feels dejected.
Though the bowl meals are good enough to satiate the hunger of a soul, sharing is going to be the key to dig into the other options that are at disposal. That’s what I ended up going last weekend, and certainly, didn’t regret a bit while sharing. The best part about these meals are the beautiful condiments that are accompanied alongside, which elevates the overall flavour profile of the dish.
Luncheon with friends last weekend commenced with every North Indians definition of comfort food, rajma chawal. The meal was accompanied with chilli pickle, papad and sirka onions, spicy yoghurt, spinach pakoda and tawa aloo. This proceeded with the Panch Phoron and Kasundi Maach. Surmai cooked with Bengal’s famous kasundi mustard was served with gobindobhog rice, curd marinated masala baingan, fried green chillies and a beautiful tomato chutney, which ached for a refill.
The Wild Mushroom Khichdi was something that caught my attention in the very beginning, hence, without giving a second thought, it was ordered and demolished in no time. Harmony of slow cooked wild mushrooms with moong dal khichdi, the dish became the undisputed winner, the moment I had a bite. Quick suggestion: Don’t forget to pour the desi ghee that comes along. It’ll accentuate the flavours and make it even more delicious that it already is.
Speaking of the best, the Nagarjuna Inspired Chilli Chicken cannot be far behind. Replete with spices, with a predominant kick of curry leaves, the chicken was topped with freshly grated tender coconut and was served with malabari parathas, plantain chips, masala chillies and green chutney.
When it comes to bowl meal, it’s impossible not to think of the Korean Bibimbap. The ultimate hearty bowl meal, Bibimbap had a spicy gochujang steak over pink sticky rice, alongside mushrooms, sprouts, blanched spinach, pickled cucumber and carrots, topped with fried eggs.
But this is not where it ends, they’re plenty more drool-worthy options like seafood linguine, Kashmiri yakhni, Moroccon tagine and kadhi chawal et al. So whether you’ve to catch up with friends over food and drinks or need a place for a hearty meal with family, you know that Monkey Bar can be a great destination to enjoy some really good food at prices that wouldn’t burn a hole in your pocket.
The Food Fanatic 