They call it the ‘Express Lunch.’ Aimed squarely at professionals who want a premium yet quick dining experience for their midday repast, this three-course, 45 minute affair at Indyaki—the Indian restaurant—at the Radisson Blu makes an enticing proposition. And that’s not just on account of the time and quality of fare involved, but crucially, the fact that at Rs 899 (plus taxes) it appears to be a value-for-money deal.
Sitting in the airy—a feeling amplified by its minimalistic decor—restaurant, there’s no escaping the eatery’s easy formal ambience—a dressed-down Friday work feel if you will. And the menu for the Express Lunch kind of extends that premise with the no-frills yet good quality a la carte offerings. Indyaki’s USP has always been its teppanyaki rendition of Indian cuisinebut the restaurant’s allure had been limited to dinner; until now that is.
Seated next to the Teppanyaki grills, we decided to order a selection of dishes from each of the courses. In our defence let me just say that you can’t review a restaurant based on three courses! So we gorged and how! We started off, (literally) with a series of appetisers—broccoli artichoke ki tikki, palak (spinach) corn ki seekh, the humble paneer tikka, kuti mirch ka mutton seekh, laung ka murgh (chicken) tikka and kasundi macchi (fish) tikka—all served with a side of fresh salad and slivers of grilled bread. The broccoli and artichoke ki tikki and the chicken tikka really stood out amongst that selection—juicy and well-marinated.
In the main course selection we had mutton biryani, chicken biryani, dal makhani, accompanied, (prudently!) by a bowl of soothing raita. Biryani isn’t a smart choice for a business lunch for obvious reasons but cognisant of that, the chef at Indyaki is exceptionally stingy with oil—good move that! The salan—curry in Urdu—is made of peanuts, onions and a whole lot of mild spicy goodness and really complemented the light biryanis!
The dessert section of the menu has all the usual suspects but we asked for the chef’s special—chikunder (beetroot) ka halwa (who eats beetroot ka halwa?). But it turned out to be the star of the show! A must-try if you ask us. At the end of the day Indyaki makes an excellent prospect for a business lunch—you can be in and out within the hour—if you’re in West Delhi. The hotel’s close proximity to the popular D-Mall also makes it an option for tired weekend shoppers. But if it’s Friday, and there’s no firefighting to be done at work, then it’s a good idea to take it easy and take up the restaurant’s excellent beer-combo offer with the Express Lunch. At Rs. 99 for a pint, you’ll loosen your tie in no time.
What: Express Lunch
Where: Indyaki, Radisson Blu Paschim Vihar
When: Monday – Sunday except Tuesday
Time: 12 – 3 pm
Price: Rs. 899 per person + Taxes; Beer Pint @ Rs. 99/-