Lavelle Road is buzzing and how. A posh mall with its restaurants, a five star hotel, a buzzing pub and now a casual diner that's adding some fun to this corner of the city. After Hrs checks out Smoke House Deli.
If Lewis Carroll’s Alice owned a restaurant, it would probably look like this one. Not that a fully laid out tea party awaits you the minute you walk in, but the mostly-white setting with drawings on the walls (incidentally hand drawn) and the happy chirping from the other tables do create that illusion. White can be a dangerous colour. A couple of other restaurants in the city, in their attempt to be classy and understated, went all white and ended up being scary. But the person behind the décor of Smoke House Deli deserves a pat on his or her back as does the artist who’s made unique drawings across all the SHD outlets in India. The music is well chosen and it doesn’t blare from the speakers and the buzz, to put it simply, is quite energising, without being intrusive.
The outdoor section of the restaurant is far more tempting if you want to take in the winter afternoon sun. That you have to be Hulk in disguise to pull out those white garden chairs is another matter. The service isn’t exactly god sent, so take those menus and decide what you want at one go. And make them repeat your order. A few slip-ups did occur around me during two of my visits, hence the caution.
What goes best with their cinnamon iced tea? Peri Peri Rings, of course. Okay, so I made that up but to be frank, those rings were good. Perfectly crisp, with no greasy bits or over-browned rings, you can eat loads of those at one go and the portion size even lets you. Before I get repetitive, let me tell you straight away - the restaurant is very American when it comes to portion sizes. You can share almost everything they serve, so order wisely.
The Pearl Boconcini, Roast Peppers and Pickled Onion salad, served with pesto vinaigrette would be one of my favourites. Not one wilted leaf on the plate, no over seasoning and no random infusions of flavour.
From salad to fish, the jump was easy. Two orders of fish — the Prawn-Crusted Halibut and the Cambodian Basa With Smoked ‘Pimento’ Puree, served with dill and sourcream mash — took very little time to appear. That the basa didn’t do my lunch buddy any good about 30 minutes later is a different story altogether. The halibut was a good choice though, even if I say so myself. The hint of chilli oil added a bit of bite to the otherwise simple pan-fried preparation.
And then there was the House Special Tenderloin Steak, served with blanched asparagus and chunky potato wedges. Given that it was medium rare, it did take a little effort to cut through but it tasted just fine. A smokey after-taste made it all the more interesting for me.
The finishing touches came in the form of a large slice of the Flourless Chocolate Fudge that can best be described as a sinful experiment. Try it, especially if you want to understand what guilt tastes like.
Where: Smoke House Deli, Lavelle Road
Call: 41276272
Recommended: Bagel and Cream Cheese with Smoked Salmon; Baby Fennel, Smoked Chicken and Thyme Soup; Pearl Boconcini, Roast Peppers and Pickled Onion Salad; Prawn Crusted Halibut; Flourless Chocolate Fudge. They also have a fully-stocked bar
How much: Rs 1,500 (for two; without alcohol)
Hours: 9am to 11pm. They serve breakfast as well.
Credit cards: Accepted
Parking: Limited parking available
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