Every state has some of their favourite dish or food which you can relate to. For me it is sattu (roasted Bengal gram flour) and I have always been great fan of this. Apart from eating famous litti -chokha, we consume Sattu in variety of interesting ways. Be it Sattu ka parantha, Sattu sharbat, sattu ka laddu, each is unique and reminds you of your roots.
When I moved to Delhi, I used to miss preparation of Sattu and would get my packet from hometown. I have always wondered as to why this healthy flour isn’t part of any menu. Well, Indian accent was the first restaurant where Manish Mehrotra incorporated Sattu parantha.
I am sure you must be wondering what I am talking about. I have always been great admirer of rural food or country side food. I have always believed that such food have humungous scope and potential to be part of restaurant innovative menu.
When a dear friend Umesh, invited me to try food for yet to be launched village balcony in HKV, I readily said yes. I have always been a fan of his curated menu and have loved the way he would share his story around each dish. I have known him now for quite sometime and have always been amazed on his understanding and knowledge on food philosophy. One common thing that we both believe is – “Khane me swaad hona chahiye”( Food should taste good)
I carry a perception that HKV is overhyped in terms of food and this area doesn’t have interesting food/ambience to offer (except for a handful). But, since this was an invitation from Umesh, any place that he invites, makes all the difference!
The Village Balcony as the name says is a café that serves global village food. You must be wondering about the term – “Global Village Food” – This café serves food that is inspired from countryside ( or rural places) across globe.
Ensalata de fruit which is Romanian inspired salad had grilled papaya that goes well with crunchy lettuce head and equally balanced by orange vinaigrette, a perfect combination of sweet, tangy and crunchy salad, great way to start your meal.
Grilled sattu soup which is our very own local ingredient inspired from HEC colony of Ranchi. This colony is a place of Afghani folks who drink warm sattu along with their famous afghani naan which is almost like biscotti.
A local srilankan dish – crunchy curry leaf tempura is an ideal dish for any cocktail, however I would recommend you to try it with mint julep which is made of crushed ice and mint and a popular drink of southern United States.
If you like Thai, then you shouldn’t miss bloody Thai martini – a perfect combination of alcohol and Thai herbs and you will love this with risotto milanesa and smoked corn with grilled chicken breast. This is an interesting risotto which is made without the usual cheese and cream. Instead fresh pesto is being used- a recipe that gets its inspiration from country side of Italy. This is a wholesome meal as typically in countryside, people cannot afford cheese and cream and hence pesto and grilled chicken is a great combination.
Koliwada tawa fiss is cooked in koliwada style and served in traditional way. Similarly hummus bin mekhleyah , an Arabic dish that has lot of pickled vegetables also has the authentic flavours.
My favourite drink at The Village balcony was patna express- the humble and one of the most underrated food from Bihar “Sattu” mixed with tequila and tempered with asafoetida and cumin seed. I also enjoyed the regular screwdriver that had orange soda – an interesting mix that changes the flavour of the drink.
If you love to go to HKV and tired of regular stuff, then The village Balcony is the right place to head for. This is the place that has best cocktails and amazing global village food.
#MFMBites Recommends – Grilled sattu soup, Ensalata de fruit , Koliwada tawa fiss and risotto milanesa with patna express ,bloody Thai martini and mint julep
Quick Facts
The Village Balcony
26, First Floor,
Hauz Khas Village
New Delhi, India
095559 00004
