The first thing that hits me as I enter the first floor of the one-year-old Café 88 at the Mehar Chand Market foodie hub, is the wonderful décor taking me back into the times of graceful dining, where time would stand still and food would be consumed in a lingering manner in idyllic settings.
I am greeted by the manager of the restaurant, Deepak Khawas who belongs to Darjeeling and has been here since the start of the restaurant. Café 88 is the brainchild of Tenzing Sonam, the man behind Yeti – the Himalayan Kitchen at Hauz Khas Village. The food at this 74-seater restaurant is multi-cuisine. Though the liquor license has still not come, they do have the terrace garden at the second floor ready to greet the tipplers.
I look at the menu and many exciting dishes leap out of the page. I start with Jamaican Fiery Prawns (Rs 588) that are more fiery than fiery, and are served tapas style dipped in olive oil. Since I am a lover of all things hot and spicy, I love the prawns but fail to find the elusive Jamaican connection. From the soups, I choose Mexican Chili Buff (Rs 485) which is meant to be a soupy version of chili con carne. Converting the classic chilli dish to a soup robs it of its meaty flavours, and what one gets is a runny tomatoey broth.
On recommendation of Deepak, I try Malaysian Banana Leaf Fish (Rs 588) which apparently is a popular dish here. It has basa cooked with sambal sauce wrapped in a banana leaf. The sambal is disappointing. There is no heat, and the taste is unidimensionally turmeric laden sour. Also the sambal has been ground to baby food consistency, giving the dish not a very pleasant texture. Nasi Goreng (Rs 485) is a nice pulao with nice satay and a non-descript peanut sauce, except that there is nothing Indonesian about it. The accompanying red hot sambal is missing and the taste lacks depth. Mutton over Rice (Rs 485) is an ordinary dish with no redeeming features.
Just as I was losing hope, I am served the famous Bhutanese dish Datchi (Rs 485) which is a comforting and enjoyable cheese stew. Among the sandwiches, I try the popular Vietnamese Bánh Mì Sandwich (Rs 488). The bánh mì sandwich is a product of French colonialism in Indochina, combining ingredients from the French (baguettes, pâté and mayonnaise) with native Vietnamese ingredients, such as cilantro, fish sauce, and pickled carrots. The sandwich here has pork belly filling. It is a tasty and filling sandwich, marred by the pork belly that is rather chewy.
French Dip Sandwich (Rs 488) is a great concept very much like our chai and biscuit. A roast beef filled baguette is served with a rich beef broth and I am asked to dip the sandwich into the broth and eat. The end result is a meaty, fulfilling indulgence. Yum! I end the meal with an agreeable Café 88’s Special Cheesecake (Rs 185).
Café 88 is a lovely place to hang out in. The food will require some tweaking. While the menu is fascinating, in most places the food served does not live up to the international classic dishes featured on the menu. I hope the food finds its groove soon.
Ratings (out of 5)
Food: 3.0 | Ambience: 4.0 | Service: 4.0 | Overall: 3.5
Price: Rs 2000 for two | Alcohol: No | Credit Card: Yes
Address: 32-134, Meherchand Market, Lodhi Colony, New Delhi | Phone: 011 33036640
