To begin with - Here is my list of favorite places and favorite chefs of this year and as always – This clearly is MY list, MY view and MY personal preference!Chef of the Year – Sujan Sarkar of Olive bar and Kitchen– Without a doubt he is the most sought after chef in 2014. Sujan, who has worked in London, voted as the youngest chef of the year in UK, his favorite cuisine being modern French, not only has changed the face of Olive, but has also transformed it into a fine dining modern European place. Indian Accent and Manish Mehrotra – They don’t need any introduction and neither have they required any sort of publicity. Indian Accent is India’s finest dinning place, where Chef Manish and Chef Shantanu, have worked together to give you gastronomical journey that you will never forget!North Indian Restaurant - the list is endless here and at times, it gets difficult to decide on the CLEAR WINNER. I loved Charcoal that opened 2 months back and offers some exciting dishes like nimbu chicken and nimbu mutton. This is Akash Khurana’s grand mom recipe and they have been cooking it at home for years. Then comes, my personal favorite Dhaba by Claridges for their Balti meat and dhaba roti, simply outstanding!Nothing can beat, Made In Punjab’s railway mutton curry, mutton champ(to me they are the best in town), and salmon tikka. The legend - Karims for their glorious mutton korma and stew, sheermal naan, kadhai mutton and khamiri naan, always gives you an unforgettable experience! Chor bizzare provides mouthwatering Kashmiri food and I have always enjoyed visiting this place.South indian/Coastal – Under vegetarian category, Carnatic Café tops the list and for non-vegeterian it is Desse Dakshin, for their outstanding food. I also love the recently launched The Toddy Shop for some excellent Kerela food and I terribly miss Gun Powderthat is, unfortunately non-operational now. Italian – Diva has always been my favorite. I just love that place. Artusi too, in my opinion is the best Italian standalone. The evergreen Tonino makes you go gaga and Tuscan kitchen at K3 serve amazing food. Pan Asian/Chinese – I love Guppy by AI and without a doubt, it’s my favorite! Apart from this, I loved the food at Yum Yum Cha as well as Yum Yum Tree. Another hot shot and a place that I have frequented, while I was dating my wife, is Mandarin Court that has got even better with time!European/American – All American Diner is my all-time favorite and I love to my have breakfast here! For classic burgers and wafer thin pizzas, I vote for Indigo Deli. Regional Cuisine – This is tough! I love Shiv Sagar and I would die for Café Lota for their brilliant food and excellent presentation. Apart from the above list - Here are some classics - K3 at JW Marriott, the best place for brunches and lunch for the love of fresh and some really unique and exciting dishes at their Tuscan and Cantonese Kitchen. Executive Chef Girish Krishnanis not only fantastic chef but an excellent leader too. Right from the conceptualization to the formation - Immigrants Café, for their amazing shakes and finger licking food. Chawanprakash shake as well as cream and bacon shake should never be missed here!Sensational Debut of the Year – FARZI Café - This list will be incomplete if I do not mention about the restaurant that launched with a bang and is a modern Indian bistro that serves some amazing tapas food. This is an amalgamation of modern Indian and molecular gastronomy. Brainchild of Zorawar Kalra, Farzi café, has indeed redefined the concept of bistro/tapas in Delhi/NCR.
To begin with - Here is my list of favorite places and favorite chefs of this year and as always – This clearly is MY list, MY view and MY personal preference!Chef of the Year – Sujan Sarkar of Olive bar and Kitchen– Without a doubt he is the most sought after chef in 2014. Sujan, who has worked in London, voted as the youngest chef of the year in UK, his favorite cuisine being modern French, not only has changed the face of Olive, but has also transformed it into a fine dining modern European place. Indian Accent and Manish Mehrotra – They don’t need any introduction and neither have they required any sort of publicity. Indian Accent is India’s finest dinning place, where Chef Manish and Chef Shantanu, have worked together to give you gastronomical journey that you will never forget!North Indian Restaurant - the list is endless here and at times, it gets difficult to decide on the CLEAR WINNER. I loved Charcoal that opened 2 months back and offers some exciting dishes like nimbu chicken and nimbu mutton. This is Akash Khurana’s grand mom recipe and they have been cooking it at home for years. Then comes, my personal favorite Dhaba by Claridges for their Balti meat and dhaba roti, simply outstanding!Nothing can beat, Made In Punjab’s railway mutton curry, mutton champ(to me they are the best in town), and salmon tikka. The legend - Karims for their glorious mutton korma and stew, sheermal naan, kadhai mutton and khamiri naan, always gives you an unforgettable experience! Chor bizzare provides mouthwatering Kashmiri food and I have always enjoyed visiting this place.South indian/Coastal – Under vegetarian category, Carnatic Café tops the list and for non-vegeterian it is Desse Dakshin, for their outstanding food. I also love the recently launched The Toddy Shop for some excellent Kerela food and I terribly miss Gun Powderthat is, unfortunately non-operational now. Italian – Diva has always been my favorite. I just love that place. Artusi too, in my opinion is the best Italian standalone. The evergreen Tonino makes you go gaga and Tuscan kitchen at K3 serve amazing food. Pan Asian/Chinese – I love Guppy by AI and without a doubt, it’s my favorite! Apart from this, I loved the food at Yum Yum Cha as well as Yum Yum Tree. Another hot shot and a place that I have frequented, while I was dating my wife, is Mandarin Court that has got even better with time!European/American – All American Diner is my all-time favorite and I love to my have breakfast here! For classic burgers and wafer thin pizzas, I vote for Indigo Deli. Regional Cuisine – This is tough! I love Shiv Sagar and I would die for Café Lota for their brilliant food and excellent presentation. Apart from the above list - Here are some classics - K3 at JW Marriott, the best place for brunches and lunch for the love of fresh and some really unique and exciting dishes at their Tuscan and Cantonese Kitchen. Executive Chef Girish Krishnanis not only fantastic chef but an excellent leader too. Right from the conceptualization to the formation - Immigrants Café, for their amazing shakes and finger licking food. Chawanprakash shake as well as cream and bacon shake should never be missed here!Sensational Debut of the Year – FARZI Café - This list will be incomplete if I do not mention about the restaurant that launched with a bang and is a modern Indian bistro that serves some amazing tapas food. This is an amalgamation of modern Indian and molecular gastronomy. Brainchild of Zorawar Kalra, Farzi café, has indeed redefined the concept of bistro/tapas in Delhi/NCR.