Robots, Star Wars props, the famous infinity stones from Marvel’s cinematic universe - Zorawar Kalra’s newest restaurant YOUnion is a Millennial/GenZ’s playground. Coupled with good food, ofcourse. Hands down the most quirky and innovative concept from the kitchen of Massive Restaurants, YOUnion’s USP is its impeccable service and a carnival-like ambience.
And the largest shots menu in the country; 300 varieties to be precise. We were sold.
The Ambience:
From the get-go, YOUnion is playful, lively and thematically as perfect as it gets. A graffiti façade leads you to the interior that has been divided into two zones - The Rose room is just as the name suggests - Pink. High ceilings, pink fringe chandelier, its grandeur illustrations and a metal foliage dot the corners with neon signs. The Mexican Room with its green foliage and tropical vibe is fun and vibrant. The artificial ceiling of this room has been made with dried twigs, inspired by Mexican plants and roses, and is equally instagrammable and my pick for a lazy evening.
To cater to their extensive drinks menu, YOUnion goes the extra mile with customised glassware for the bar. Think Stormtrooper helmet if your group wants to share a drink (it has been designed by Andrew Ainsworth himself, the prop-maker who made the original helmets for the popular movie in the Star Wars franchise).or a Stiletto glass for extra oomph. Curated by Barnaby Ingram and Dino Koletsas of Dare Hospitality, we were bowled over by a special selection of shots - cherry vodka, strawberry daiquiri, melon vodka and orange vodka. We waited with bated breaths for the evening to get progressively blurry.
The Food:
Meant to be a place with no rules, YOUnion’s love for a casual affair melts easily into its food offerings, featuring dishes both local and global. Uday, our genial server leaves no stone unturned and gets us “the best food you’ll ever have.” The meals come in no particular order, and the quantity is far too generous (the bill also fits the pocket of an average working GenZ, so all good there). The Hara Bhara Kebabs are moist and succulent, followed by Truffle and Toast. The truffle oil highlights the delectable combination of mushroom pate and parmesan, with an ever-so slight crunch. Edamame Truffle dimsums are refreshing, light, and we polish them off far too quickly.
Gochujang chicken tikka, from a section called ‘guilty pleasure’ is next to be devoured, and rightly so. Charred chicken marinated in Korean chilli paste is a flavour bomb, as much as YOUnion’s special loaded nachos.
Our Recommendations:
What we would definitely go back for is the Harissa Chicken Satay that comes wrapped in a glossy spicy sauce. And if you, like us, survive the onslaught of their crafty mixology, make sure to dig in to their signature Caramel Cheesecake with the perfect honeycomb crust.
Details:
Where: A block (9-14), Ground Floor, Qutub Hotel, Shaheed Jeet Singh Marg, Qutub Institutional Area, New Delhi, Delhi-110017
Timings: 12:00 pm to 1:30 am
Meal for two: INR 2,100 inclusive of drinks
