Having creating ripples with its name and its unique take on regular dishes (with molecular gastronomy thrown into a few) served at relatively affordable prices at its outlet in Cyberhub, Gurgaon, Farzi has now hit the heart of Delhi in Connaught Place (“CP”).
The new 105 seater Farzi is more airy and spacious than its Gurgaon counterpart, has a twenty-eight seater hookah section, a DJ tucked away in one corner, an island bar (dispensing drinks from all four sides) and its own banta making machine for cocktails in the bar. It also has two prime tables (window seats facing the inner circle of CP). Well one thing for sure – it definitely has a feel good buzz about it.
Being regulars at Farzi in Gurgaon, my friend and I were keen to try all the new additions to the diversified menu of Farzi in CP – the menu in CP has all the old dishes and a big array of new dishes. So let’s just cut to the chase and talk about their food…..
Baby Cashew Idlis with Kaffir Lime Gunpowder – lovely mini idlis tossed in an in house non-spicy gunpowder laced with kaffir lime. The gun powder adds a lovely crunch to the otherwise soft idlis. This could be an anytime snack for anyone looking for a light bite.
Mac n Cheese Pakora Bites – Cheesy balls of macaroni and cheese, panko crusted and fried, served with a fiery garlic chilli sauce which compliments it. Difficult to go wrong with this cheesy favorite of many and now in its new avatar as pakoras.
Green Curry marinated Paneer Tikka with Sambal Mayo – this marriage of kaffir lime and the subtle paneer sure was a raving success – wonder why no one thought of it earlier. The soft, luscious paneer with the green curry and kaffir lime flavour simply explodes in the mouth with flavour. The accompanying sambal spicy mayo further adds on to the taste.
Bhatti Ka Murg with Brown Onion Raita – There is nothing new to a chicken tikka but it is also the easiest to mess up. Well marinated and soft, this murg was taken to the next level because of the burani raita topped with crispy fried onion served with it. The crunch from the onions was unexpected but welcome to the taste buds.
Smoked Patthar Ke Kebab with Wasabi Walnut Chutney – I simply loved these thinly sliced beef kebabs marinated in oyster sauce. The presentation itself is so beautiful where the pickled onions look like cherries on top. Pathar kebabs are so called because they are cooked on a hot stone though that is not the case here. These slivers simply melt in the mouth. Before we realized we had eaten it, the serving dish was empty. A must try for all meat lovers.
Pine nuts and Scallion “Paddu Yaki” roasted tomato, Parmesan Appam – mini paniyarams, crisp on the outside with a soft centre tempered with curry leaves and mustard seeds, were very well cooked. However, the tomato based sauce accompanying it needs a kick to uplift the dish. There is a non-veg variant also – Chorizo and Scallion ”Paddu Yaki” smoked tomato kut, Parmesan Appam. This was equally well cooked. Both had a crispy parmesan cheese cracker accompanying it though I don’t think I would miss it if it wasn’t there.
Delhi Belly Tikka, Roasted Russet Apples, Murraba Glaze – these pork belly tikkas are to die for. It was a spectacular dish – perfectly cooked pork without too much of the blubbery fat, crunchy on the outside with crushed anardana, topped with caramalised green apple, the murraba glaze adding to the texture and sweet flavor and making it a drool worthy dish. It was a sweet, sticky and sour heavenly delight. A definite must try.
Goats Cheese and Walnut Tikki Basil Chutney Spheres – nice crunchy tikkis topped with tamarind chutney and basil chutney.
Grainy Mustard Fish Tikka, Kasundi mint cream – soft flaky fish with the goodness of mustard paste would definitely be any Bengali’s delight. Only that these were a tad bit too salty which can be easily fixed.
Mutton Kuzhambhu, Maduri Podi Appam– a non-spicy South Indian preparation of mutton served in an appam. I quite enjoyed digging into the soft boneless mutton.
Bheja Fry, Fresh Coriander and Cumin – this was the first time I ate bheja and I simply loved it. The creamy texture of bheja eaten with a freshly made appam was awesome.
While partaking of the food, we also tried out some of their cocktails – Chai Pani, Three Musketeers, Farzi Idea and Banta Mango. Their banta cocktails are a must try.
For desserts, we tried Milky Way Big Bang which is created on your table by the chef who solidifies an ice cream then breaks it. The plate has different flavoured chocolates, caramel fudge, nuts and sauces. You take the ice cream with a different element for each bite and it’s like eating more than one dessert at the same time.
Nolen Gur Baklava, Tender Coconut Granita and Chocolate Dirt Pile are also worth trying.
Chef Sainyam Kapoor has done wonders with the menu. His passion for food and cooking where he successfully marries contrasting textures and tastes, comes across when he talks about each dish in detail. His journey from conceptualizing to delivering is quite commendable.
Whenever one dines in Farzi, one thing for sure is that the taste buds are in for a treat. With unique combinations that work, unusual presentations and great service, the whole dining experience leaves you with a good taste in the mouth. And for a change, the waiters are well versed with the menu and can help explain the concept behind each dish. And yes, the pricing is also much affordable compared to its Gurgaon’s outlet.
Ratings (out of 5)
Food: 4.5 | Drinks: 4.5 | Ambience: 4.5 | Service: 4.5 | Overall: 4.5
Meal for Two: Rs. 1500 | Credit Cards: Yes | Alcohol: Yes | Timings: 12 pm -12pm | Wheel Chair Friendly: Yes
Address: Level 1, Block E 38/39 Inner Circle, Connaught Place, New Delhi | Telephone: 011 43551028, 9599889700.
Disclaimer: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant. Due judgment and care has been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review, but readers need to consider this review keeping this fact in mind
