For capital continental fare, try Pepper (Eating out with IANS)

NEW DELHI - How about a lunch of New Zealand lamb chops, chicken yufka, shish touk, falafel and hot chocolate tarts on a manic workday? You’ll find it all at a new bistro in the capital’s buzzing Akbar Bhavan, home to important government offices.

The complex, which houses the external affairs and overseas Indian affairs ministries, has added to its kitty a new 50-cover bistro lounge, Pepper, on a modest 2,000-square feet of space done up in wood and iron.

The multi-level bistro cafe with a groundfloor bar, a mezzanine booth lounge and an open-air diners’ enclave at the rear is the third restaurant in the complex along with Garam Masala and the Jewel.

The bistro, which will be launched formally May 1, is eyeing the niche embassy crowd, the ministerial crew and youngsters, with a dawn-to-midnight menu that combines Continental, Mediterranean and Indian fare.

The USP of Pepper, however, is its “baked on demand” cakes and pastries that can be ordered with the main menu and served within 45 minutes of the main course, Kamal Khattar, managing director of the restaurant, who also manages Forte Grand, Garam Masala and Jewel, told IANS.

“The local residents were looking for a smaller eatery to chill out in the evening,” Khattar said.

The eatery plans to include a hookah bar and a dance floor in the future for late night revellers.

Chef Kishan Pal, who is advising the kitchen staff about the menu, said: “He has been lenient with spices, keeping in mind the nature of the clientele.”

“We have tried our best to be authentic because the expatriates who live in the neighbourhood are used to diets that are free of spice,” he said.

He said the chief flavours “were those of sesame, star anise, garlic, olive oil and a combination of seven essential Lebanese spices - which include allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, fenugreek and powdered ginger”.

The price band for a meal for two varies between Rs.1,200 and Rs.1,500, Khattar said.

Bistros as a restaurant culture are witnessing a revival in the capital almost after a decade, feels designer-architect Nikhil Segel, who conceived the interiors of Pepper.

“The only good one I can think of is the Qutab managed by restaurateur A.D. Singh, but it seems to have fallen on bad times. The capital boasts of very few bistro cafes. The city needs more casual and chic eateries where anyone can walk in for a quick and affordable meal,” Segel said.

(Madhusree Chatterjee can be contacted at madhu.c@ians.in)