Chef of the Week-Veena Arora

As the great Indian summer begins to shine, Chef Veena Arora, Chef de Cuisine, The Spice Route, The Imperial Hotel, New Delhi introduces her soup creations at the iconic restaurant to keep you light from 11th April-20th April 2014. Cool yourself with this special menu filled with the goodness of herbs and spices such as Mint, Cilantro, Fennel, Turmeric, Basil, Cardamom, Dill and Cumin in lots of refreshing flavours, inspired from the kitchens of South East Asia. 

We thought this was just the right time to profile the hugely talented Chef who has also been awarded by the former President of India, the honour of being the 'Best Lady Chef for the Year 2012' by Ministry of Tourism, India!

Chef Veena Arora

Chef Veena Arora was born and brought up in Thailand in a small town named Phathalung situated in the south of Thailand and close to the sea and the Malaysian Border. Her father was in the Indian National Army and posted at Burma ( Now Mynamar ) during the second world war from where he travelled to South of Thailand and settled in Phathalung. Therefore, though being an Indian by origin, she grew up amongst Thais as they were the only Indian family in that town. Her family, therefore virtually lived on Thai food, which she cherished.

Following her marriage to an Indian, Veena settled into India in the year 1980 and ever since then she has been living in India. They had a small restaurant in Thailand and therefore, it was easy for Veena to learn about Commercial Thai Cuisine. Her husband and her two children also developed a palate for Thai Cuisines and thus cooking Thai food at home also become a pleasure.

Chef Veena joined Holiday Inn (now The Lalit) at Babar Road near Connaught Place, New Delhi as a Thai Food consultant during the year 1994 for their Thai restaurant, Silk Orchid. Thereafter she was sent to England for a couple of months by the management to train for their new restaurant, Blue Elephant that replaced Silk Orchid in the year 1996.

Veena then joined The Imperial hotel as their Consultant Chef for the yet to be opened Spice Route – The South Asian Restaurant, in the year 1996.

Ever since then Chef Veena Arora has been attached to the Spice Route Kitchen as their Chef De Cuisine creating various menus for different seasons and occasions all round the year. She also continues to create different versions of the cuisine for the Neo-Thai food lovers, owing to the ever increasing popularity of the cuisine. She is proud that today The Spice Route is amongst  the best South East Asian Restaurants in India and is also well known all over the globe. We get the dope from the lady herself:

 1.      What is the latest addition to your menu?

I have introduced light soup creations at The Spice Route to compliment South East Asian delicacies, this April. The special menu filled with the goodness of herbs and spices such as Cilantro, Fennel, Turmeric, celery, Basil, Cardamom, Dill and Cumin in lots of refreshing flavours is inspired from the Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian kitchens.

While 'Thai Soup with Minced Chicken Stuffed in Cucumber' is a healthy and filling option, one can choose a 'Fine Melange of Vegetables and Meat with Cabbage Roll soup with Chicken and Prawn' sprinkled with black pepper, which is a cooling Vietnamese variant. The soups are not only a perfect combination with appetizers but also make the main course, delectable.

2.     The hottest selling item on your menu.

Kaeng Kheow Waan kai- Chicken in signature Thai Green Curry with Pea and Krob Aubergine.

3.     One dish you are extremely proud of creating.

Pineapple Delight.

4.     Which is the oldest dish on your menu?

Sate Bali- Indonesian chicken sate served with traditional peanut sauce.

5.     Most expensive dish on the menu?

It is one of the lobster creations- Kung Nang Phad Khing-Stir-fried lobster with ginger and Thai black mushrooms.

6.     Name some celebrities who frequent your restaurant? 

Amitabh Bachhan, former president of India Mr. K.R. Narayan and his wife, Chelsea Clinton- daughter of Bill Clinton, Sheila Dikshit amongst others.

7.     The dish on your menu that gives the most value for money.

I think most of the dishes on my menu are value for money and make the guests experience varied and authentic South East Asian Cuisine.

8.    The best thing about being a chef.

The privilege to delight the guest with a cuisine that he cherishes for years is the biggest satiating factor of being a chef. Creativity, fame and a decent salary comes along with the profession.

9.     The worst thing about being a chef.

It is not glamorous, even though many chefs have achieved a considerable standing in the industry and are well known. Also long and strenuous hours require lot of commitment.

10.The best home cooked dish you enjoy. Who makes it?

It has to be the Mutton Curry made by my husband.

11.  If you were not a chef, what would you have been? And why?

I would have been a lawyer then, as I like to be firm and truthful while taking a stand against trouble makers.

12. One chef you really admire and look upto?

Chef Vincent Joseph who has been my inspiration for many years and with whom I started my career.

13. What’s the USP of your restaurant?

The Spice Route at The Imperial serves 6 cuisines under one roof in an ambience soaked in breathtaking art.

14. What do you like about the city you are in-Delhi?

Delhi is a land of foodies and is filled with people who love to experiment with food and explore new cuisines. I love the greenery and wide roads too which is a rare sight in most of the other metros.

15. One guest you wish to be able to create a dish for. Who would that be? And what would you serve him/her?

It has to be none other than the Thai Princess. I would love to offer her something from Kerala cuisine like Chemeen Thoran-Kerala style prawns, stir-fried with coconut, curry leaves and black tamarind, flavoured with mustard seeds or Meen Arvat Anjj -Fried fillet of sole stir-fried with curry leaves and Kerala masala as she is very fond of Indian flavours and is always willing to try something new with Indian spices.

16. Would you like to share a special recipe or two with our readers?

This is a special dish I'd like to share:

CHEMEEN THOREN

QTY                INGREDIENTS             

150gms	PRAWN
02gms	RED CHILLI POWDER
02gms	TURMERIC
T/Tgms	SALT
T/T	TAMARIND/ LEMON JUICE
10ml	COCONUT OIL
15gms	CURRY LEAVES
15gms	ONION (chopped)
03gms	CUMIN SEEDS
15gms	COCONUT (grated)
04gms	GINGER & GARLIC PASTE

METHOD  :  Cut  prawns  into  small  pieces. Marinate  prawns  with  turmeric, chilli  powder, salt, ginger & garlic paste. Put oil  in  the  wok, add  cumin  seeds, then  chopped  onion, grated coconut and  curry  leaves. Then  add  marinated  prawns and tamarind juice. Garnish  with  grated  coconut  and  fried  curry  leaves.

Diggin into Spring

-Shivani Mohan    

  The year's at the spring
    And day's at the morn;
    Morning's at seven;
    The hillside's dew-pearled;
    The lark's on the wing;
    The snail's on the thorn:
    God's in His heaven—
    All's right with the world!

I know that's an oft quoted piece of poetry but what's there not to like about this celebration of spring from Robert Browning's 'Pippa Passes'? What's there not to like about spring, in fact? Everything is glowing and blooming and buzzing. It is fun being outdoors. Radiant flowers greet you everywhere and it is really difficult to stay morose or low with so much beauty all around.

Well I have discovered a neat little restaurant tucked away in South Delhi's Anand Lok that almost embodies spring in all it's glory. Diggin, which is right opposite Gargi college is a delightful, little restaurant with refreshing interiors and an enchanting quality about it. The first time I walked into the corner restaurant in the small market, I couldn't believe I was in Delhi. I felt I was inside an Enid Blyton novel, something straight out of 'The Magic Faraway Tree' in the enchanted wood.

 

The facade of the two storey restaurant is in ruddy exposed brick work and the interiors are very British. There are swings covered with lush green creepers, there are pretty white bird cages and bird baths hanging from a huge tree, there is a white, wrought iron staircase with ornate filigree work and window sills full of flowers.

The ground floor is more of a coffee shop with a stunning assortment of fresh baked breads, cookies, breakfast rolls and gelatos. One wall is almost  done up like a pretty nursery with multi coloured, mix and matched cushions and grandfather clocks. There is so much sunshine and colour to soak in. You just feel instantly happy stepping into this zone.

As you climb the beautiful staircase to the first floor, there is an open area with neat little tables over looking a balcony overflowing with potted plants hanging from top. Even the napkin holders have pretty sparrows and birds that seem to magically add to the chirpy atmosphere.

The dining area inside too is pleasant and pretty with a huge tree painted on one of the walls. It is airy, with an abundance of natural light in the daytime with an open kitchen. Established last month by an enterpreneur called Digvijay Singh in consultation with Dii Consentes Hospitality spearheaded by Chef and Restaurant Planner Tarun Kumar Lal, the restaurant is a little oasis of  a lemon souffle-like lightness and cheerfulness in a sea of some OTT and jarring eating places of Delhi. Chef Amitabh Kumar, who also looks after the management of the restaurant is polite and interacts a lot with the guests. 

I landed up for lunch on a rather busy Sunday afternoon. The whole place was bustling with college couples, expats and brightly but elegantly dressed families (you know the kind with 14 people at a table, with a grandpa in a fedora hat and a granny in chiffons and pearls-picture perfect)!

All Pork Sandwich

Citrus Chicken Burger

Basil and Lime Mojito

The menu is not very large but is refreshing and easy to select your order from. There are a lot of pizza and pasta and interesting sandwiches probably to cater to college students. But if you want to turn your meal into a fine dining experience, they have enough choices for that too. Diggin is still awaiting the liquor license (which should be coming shortly) so currently you can have lovely mocktails. I try the Basil Mojito and believe me, it's so refreshing, I think with just a sip I have forgotten all the tiredness of a fortnight of being a single parent with a kid off from school for spring break!



For starters we try the Citrus Chicken Salad and Bacon Stuffed Chicken Legs. The chicken legs are simply out of the world, topped with pine nuts and a delicious Agrodolce

Bacon stuffed Chicken Legs

 sauce. It is a hearty dish that can be had as a main-course too if you want to keep things light. 

Citrus Chicken Salad

The salad is again literally seducing my palate with bursts of meaty smoked chicken and citrus and greens and springy crunchiness.

Pan Seared Fish

For the main course, we tried Pan Seared Fresh Fish and Lamb Shank with Seasonal Vegetables.The fish is nice and has everything that I expect from a good fish dish. It is perfectly cooked with green beans, salad, citrus touch and a mash with flavours of fennel. So much is the attention to detail that each little sliver of roasted almond on the salad is just perfectly roasted and goes crunch crunch crunch in your mouth. I was very impressed with that. You know how bad soggy nuts can be!

Lamb Shank with Seasonal Vegetables- the winner undoubtedly

As far as the Lamb Shank is concerned, I can vouch for the fact that this is one of the best lamb dishes I have ever tasted in Delhi in the entire history of my foodie life! And that's saying a lot. Soft and oozing with flavours, the meat almost falls off the bone, melting into your mouth which I am told by the chef has something to do with a very slow cooking technique. The rich red wine sauce is well seasoned and robust. Lovers of red meat, I beg of you, go have this lamb at Diggin. Period.

Belgian Chocolate Gelato

For dessert there is a choice of Tiramisu and very British tarts, cakes and pies. But we settle for a light and ethereal Belgian Chocolate Gelato to end the lunch on a beautiful note.

Tiramisu

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” 
― Rainer Maria Rilke

NIRAV MODI LAUNCHES ITS FLAGSHIP BOUTIQUE IN THE CAPITAL

NIRAV MODI, a brand known for its iconic jewels, launches its flagship boutique at Defence Colony, New Delhi

New Delhi, 2014: NIRAV MODI, a brand known for its innovative and exquisite diamond creations that have  been well appreciated at international auctions at Christie’s and Sotheby’s, launched its first flagship boutique at D-33, Defence Colony, New Delhi amid much style and glamour.

With the launch of this 6,000 sq.ft. boutique, the brand is now set to bring iconic NIRAV MODI jewels to the people of the capital and promises to take the way jewelry is experienced into new realms of luxury.

Nirav Modi, Founder and Creative Director

Speaking on the occasion Nirav Modi said, “It gives me great pleasure to launch a boutique in the heart of the country and close to people who I believe have always been appreciative of the NIRAV MODI ethos of design, craftsmanship, innovation, quality and rarity and supportive towards our brand. We look forward to adorning every unique individual that walks through our doors and doing so in a way that makes it an unforgettable experience for her.”

At the launch, a themed fashion show saw models and charismatic women from Delhi cognoscenti take to the ramp, adorned by the latest collections from the NIRAV MODI atelier. Dressed by Dabiri, the fashion studio run by the talented duo Ambika Jain and Divya Kapur, the models came from a wide age – range, signifying the timelessness of NIRAV MODI jewels that are created to bridge generations and serve as a family legacy.

Dilshad Sheikh, Neeli Kapoor and Bina Ramani gracefully represented the phase of adulthood while the age of innocence was well characterized by Anna and Avanti Talwar, Anushka Ansal and Ishira Goel. Supporting their efforts were well known beauties of the ramp such as Indrani Dasgupta, Anchal Oberoi, Ankita Jain, Tina Chatwal, Archana Akhil, Parvathy Omanakuttan, Deepti Gujral and Sonalika Sahay.

Bina Ramani

Omar Abdullah &Sara Pilot

Indrani Dasgupta

The choice of models across age-groups also reflected the evolution of life and the concept of NIRAV MODI jewel being treasures that accompany a woman through the many stages of her life from a young age through womanhood and eventually to the next generation, in a harmonious cycle.

Family and friends including Omar Abdullah & Sara Pilot, the Ansal Family, Charu Sachdev, Kalyani Saha, Sanjay Kapoor, Sanjay Sharma (Head of Christie’s in India), Sujata Assomull Sippy, Deepika Jindal, Rajiv Luthra, Rajiv Memani, Renu Bhatia, designers such as Rohit Bal, Varun Bahl, Gauri and Nainika, were spotted at the launch party, all congratulating Mr. Modi, admiring the décor of the boutique and trying on several pieces from the collections in-store.

The concept of the boutique draws inspiration from Nirav Modi’s personal design aesthetic and his passion for iconic art. Art lovers too were seen admiring noted works from the Progressive school of art which found place of pride in the salon. 

Who Doesn't Need Some TLC?

You all know I have been sampling all this exotic fare at fancy restaurants. While it is great fun trying out great dishes, over-indulgence in food always has it's repercussions. 

Delhiites as a people, love food. Even in the middle of recession, whichever restaurant I went to, I mostly found it bustling with people, spending on food as if there was no tomorrow. But the flip side is that lifestyle diseases and obesity is on the rise. At the end of the day food is supposed to nourish you and make you feel good, not overpower you or overwhelm you.

Yet modern lifestyles are such that many people do not get the time to plan out nutritionally balanced meals properly. While cookery shows are on the rise, there is a whole new generation of youngsters who neither have the time nor the inclination to bother getting into the kitchen and toiling over pots and pans. I don't know whether that's good or bad. It always helps to be a little aware of and monitor what's going inside your body. It's the only one you have!

However there is some help at hand. 

Tarani’s Low Calorie Kitchen brings the concept of gourmet calorie controlled meals to your doorstep. Get ready to be good to yourself. Tired of starting diets and never sticking to them? Wondering if food can be tasty and healthy at the same time? Well, get some TLC in your life with Tarani’s Low Calorie Kitchen.

TLC will be offering calorie controlled and portion controlled gourmet food deliveries across the country. Get rid of the cooking blues; take away meals or canteen food and sign up for this meal plan which gets healthy meals delivered to you with no fuss or bother. Now eliminate the stress of consulting a dietician, or purchasing and cooking meals for your next diet. 

TLC offers four basic meal plans, each of which has a customized and calorie controlled menu, are designed for Healthy Living, Weight Management, aiding in meals for Type 2 Diabetics, and helping with nutritious meals for Cardiac Health. 

The meals are portion controlled, fresh frozen and ready to eat. Each of the meals has been specially prepared according to the customized meal plan, in the state of the art TLC Kitchen in Delhi. The meals are best described as fine dining and offer a fabulous way to stay healthy and fit, all the while dispensing with the need to cook special meals at home.

They are ideal for working couples, singletons and anyone who does not have the time or resources to cook healthy food at home. The TLC kitchen is the brainchild of promoters Tarani Kapur, and has on board well known hospitality consultant, Sohrab Sitaram, who is the name behind many successful hospitality concepts and ventures. The meals have been created according to a plethora of healthy recipes which incorporate the most optimum ingredients for your special dietary needs. 

The meal plans are best done over a period of two weeks for optimum results andoffer, lunch, dinner and a mid-day snack. TLC ensures customized support and has four main meal plans to choose from: 

Calorie Controlled- Designed for people who want to eat healthy and feel good without compromising on taste. 

Weight Management- Designed to help and aid weight loss along with maintaining a healthier lifestyle. Gourmet food with the right calories…just for you! 

Diabetic Friendly- Designed for people with type 2 diabetes. 

Healthy Heart Program- Designed for better cardiac health- food prepared with low sodium content and calorie controlled. Getting onto the TLC diet plan: Getting onto the TLC Kitchen diet plan is as simple as the click of a button. 

I have tried their Calorie Controlled meals and was mighty surprised at the taste and variety. You don't feel guilty having interesting variations as they are super light and just the right portion. The added advantage is that once you try this for a fortnight, even if you do not want to continue, your body will be tuned to healthy and appropriate eating, a habit that you would be able to build into your long term diet, making minor changes and enhancements in your planning.

Get onto www.tlckitchen.in, and choose the meal plan most suited for you. Register and pay online and be ready to receive your frozen meals. TLC Kitchen also has a dietician on board to help clear your doubts and concerns, as well as help you choose the right meal plan for you. 

The meals at TLC come beautifully packaged in special containers keeping the nutrients packed in and the food fresh for a long time. The balanced meals help you reap maximum results and offer a truly fine dining gourmet experience. Imagine indulging in Baklavas, Brownies, Thai curries, Chicken Cordon Blue, Meen Moilly, Noodles and Stuffed Kulchas, all of which help you control your weight and have a healthy heart as well. 

The cuisine is replete with the freshest of ingredients and also offers highly nutritious meals. TLC Kitchen calorie controlled meals are pre-portioned so you don't need to count calories; the meal programs are designed to be an aid in helping individuals to meet their weight management and wellness goals all at the price of INR 275/- a meal which is less than what you would pay for a fine dining experience at a restaurant.

All of these gourmet diet delivery meal programs are delivered by Courier throughout India & hand delivered in Delhi NCR. Whether you live in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Indore or Chennai, they have a healthy meal delivery program for you! 

*** It is recommended that you consult with your doctor prior to starting any new diet or weight loss program. TLC Meals are priced from INR 275/- a meal and a programme of lunch, dinner and midday snack for two weeks would cost INR 10,386/- and for four weeks is INR 18,666/- .The minimum delivery for all meals is 14 days. 

Website: www.tlckitchen.in

Raasta

A restaurant is not just a place to go eat. A good restaurant is a moment in time that captures a mood. A good restaurant ideally shows you a different way of life through a meal. For me a good restaurant is the cute cusp between imagination and reality.

When we go out to eat or lounge, we are not necessarily looking for just food and drink. We’re looking for memories, for thrill, for delightful discoveries and for latent learning. We’re looking for a getaway from the monotony of our homes, the synchronicity of clocks that rule our lives. We’re looking for anonymity and abandon, for reverie and rebellion in equal measure. 

There are times when the poshest of restaurants in a five star hotel leave you wanting more. At others, a hole-in-the-wall establishment can meet all that you were looking for on that particular day.

Outside the Raasta alley

So I set out one day recently to review yet another restaurant. Now that the initial enthusiasm of reviewing restaurants is waning, I was guilty of waking up that day and going, “Oh no, another restaurant!” We creative types get bored easily, you know. My lucky colour that day was yellow and I wore a summery yellow T shirt with a floral skirt with flowers in red, yellow and green to upgrade my enthusiasm a bit. The weather was on the cusp of a reluctant winter waving goodbye and a cheerful spring peeping in from the windows. So I threw on my parrot green crochet, netty shrug looking more florescent than I’ve ever looked in recent times.

I reached Hauz Khas village surprisingly hassle-free that day, simply following the Google Maps navigation lady on my phone, whom I call Billo Rani. Half way through I wondered if I was too casually dressed? I confess I had not read the brief properly and while every restaurant claims to be multi cuisine these days, I was just bored to look through the menu.Taking a cue from the name Raasta, I assumed it would be predominantly Indian with some Chinese and Lebanese thrown in.  So what if it were a very stuffy, very brocaded, very sherwaniied place in a typical Indian 'way' or Raasta? I beg your pardon for the oversight rightaway. 

We located Raasta in 5 min as it is very easily accessible from the main Hauz Khas village parking area. As we opened the discreet looking wooden door of Raasta on the first floor, it was as if we had entered Jamaica. Oh My Goodness! But the whole damn place is an ode to Bob Marley! Imagine my utter delight. I have maintained -since the early 1990s- that reggae is the most joyous sound in the world. It can transport me to a different heaven altogether. I mean is there a bigger musical delight than ‘Buffalo Soldier’ on loop?! 

The huge wooden bar in Jameson Lounge, Raasta

The restaurant is designed in green, yellow and red(note the colours mentioned earlier, ahem) which are the typical colours of the Rastafarian movement of a Caribbean sect, juxtaposed with wood, paintings of Bob Marley, wide screen TVs, Marley memorabilia, Jamaican and Caribbean motifs all around and almost no artificial lighting during the day. It was like entering a dark, mysterious den of discovery and delights. 

Big spacious green and wicker lounging sofas, low tables, a huge wooden bar and a huge open balcony called the Jameson Lounge, overlooking green kikar trees with eye-catching pillars and panels done in yellow, green and red. Can’t remember when was I last so happy to see so much colour. 


Time just stood still. I felt I was sitting on some faraway, tropical beach, with reggae music soothing my soul. I had to literally stop myself from dancing as the crowd was mostly young college students who looked roughly half my age! 

Marley memorabilia

Relaxed lounge seating

Raasta Special

We started with the Raasta Special Mocktail, a mix of strawberry, cranberry juice and fizz. Very refreshing and tropical in taste, and sets the mood for some calypso carousing.

Apache Salad

Crispy Caribbean Chicken Strips

Raasta offers a snack menu that encourages small nibbles, light bites and a hearty meal as well. For starters we tried the Caribbean Chicken Strips, 
which are tender chicken strips marinated with Caribbean dry rubs, crumbed, fried and served with a fiery Harissa sauce. The Apache Salad I ordered features lightly grilled sea 
bass on a pleasant salad of lettuce, red and yellow peppers, olives and cucumber. Can be a great one dish meal for dieters. 

Lamb Empanada

Pomegranate Stuffes Three Cheese Bites

While Raasta has improvised the menu to cater to a wide range of palates, incorporating local tastes, I stuck to the original classics served here which is Caribbean and African food. 

But the selection offers cuisine from all across the world and is a melange of Oriental, Middle Eastern, Indian and Continental cuisine.


For vegetarians ‘Pomegranate Stuffed Three Cheese Bites’ as a starter are simply exquisite. 

Seafood Stew

Caribbean Chicken Curry

For main course we had Seafood Stew and Caribbean Chicken Curry. Both were served with fragrant garlic rice and absolute delights in terms of taste, flavours and lightness. The Seafood Stew was in a tomato based sauce, piquant and not oily at all. 




The Caribbean Chicken Curry has tiny pieces of perfectly cooked chicken in a fragrant and aromatic chicken mince with interesting interludes of Caribbean jerk spices. 

The Prawn & Chicken Jambalaya is also a speciality here, although to cater to the average Delhi youngster, they have enough pasta, pizza and kebabs too.

Creme Caramel with a View

The atmosphere is unpretentious and relaxed and the food hits the right notes with new tastes and sensations, transcending old, predictable barriers. Much 
like the theme of the place.










Rastafarian culture after all, is a way of life dedicated to an ideology that believes in the rejection of materialism and embracing greater spiritual values. The Raasta movement which brings alive a more free-spirited approach to life found its main champion in Jamaican born singer-Bob Marley whose soulful lyrics made Rastafarian culture popular in mainstream music and culture. One of reggae’s earliest proponents, his songs live on long after the legend has passed on. Raasta-the lounge pays tribute to this great legend, with a primarily Reggae influence on music. 

Bob Marley is said to have claimed that the word reggae came from a Spanish term for "the king's music". The music became synonymous with the songs of revolution and independence sung by Jamaican singers and then popularised in the mainstream by Bob Marley and others. Dubstep's early roots are in the more experimental releases of UK garage producers, seeking to incorporate elements of drum and bass into the two step garage sound. 

I am told the mood in the evenings is very different and clubby and the spacious place is packed on most weekends. 

These are the special nights at Raasta: 

1. Raasta Monday- Reggae Night 
2. Raasta Tuesday- Karaoke Night 
3. Raasta Wednesday- Retro Night 
4. Raasta Thursday- Simmer Down Session with Reggae Rajah's 
5. Raasta Friday- Dub Night 
6. Raasta Saturday- Killwish with Reggaetoon dancehall + Dub 
7. Raasta Sunday- Ladies Night At Raasta

They also call live bands often to perform. It's just the right place to enjoy these musical melodies and discover new and fresh musical talent with some great food and drinks.

To me Raasta is yet another triumph of stand-alone restaurants/lounges in Delhi that have pushed the boundaries, pushed the envelope of entertainment in 5 star domains and given refreshing, revolutionary recreational spaces. It is anti-establishment in a delicious, eclectic manner. Symbolically as I step out, playing on the system is a song that goes “Mr. President, retire, retire, retire.”

I know for sure, the day I am feeling down and out and a bit listless, and when the world seems without rhythm or melody, I will put on my bright yellow T-shirt and torn denims and hit ‘Raasta’! I’ll be a Rastafarian again!

Raasta Caribbean Lounge 
Number of covers: 88 
Average meal for two: Rs 1500 
Reservations only till 9 
Contact No: 011-40623028 
Address: 30, First Floor, Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi- 110016