They call it the &lsquoExpress Lunch.&rsquo Aimed squarely at professionals who want a premium yet quick dining experience for their midday repast, this three-course, 45 minute affair at Indyaki&mdashthe Indian restaurant&mdashat the Radisson Blu makes an enticing proposition. And that&rsquos not just on account of the time and quality of fare involved, but crucially, the fact that at Rs 899 (plus taxes) it appears to be a value-for-money deal.
Sitting in the airy&mdasha feeling amplified by its minimalistic decor&mdashrestaurant, there&rsquos no escaping the eatery&rsquos easy formal ambience&mdasha dressed-down Friday work feel if you will. And the menu for the Express Lunch kind of extends that premise with the no-frills yet good quality a la carte offerings. Indyaki&rsquos USP has always been its teppanyaki rendition of Indian cuisinebut the restaurant&rsquos allure had been limited to dinner until now that is.
Seated next to the Teppanyaki grills, we decided to order a selection of dishes from each of the courses. In our defence let me just say that you can&rsquot review a restaurant based on three courses So we gorged and how We started off, (literally) with a series of appetisers&mdashbroccoli artichoke ki tikki, palak (spinach) corn ki seekh, the humble paneer tikka, kuti mirch ka mutton seekh, laung ka murgh (chicken) tikka and kasundi macchi (fish) tikka&mdashall served with a side of fresh salad and slivers of grilled bread. The broccoli and artichoke ki tikki and the chicken tikka really stood out amongst that selection&mdashjuicy and well-marinated.
In the main course selection we had mutton biryani, chicken biryani, dal makhani, accompanied, (prudently) by a bowl of soothing raita. Biryani isn&rsquot a smart choice for a business lunch for obvious reasons but cognisant of that, the chef at Indyaki is exceptionally stingy with oil&mdashgood move that The salan&mdashcurry in Urdu&mdashis made of peanuts, onions and a whole lot of mild spicy goodness and really complemented the light biryanis
The dessert section of the menu has all the usual suspects but we asked for the chef&rsquos special&mdashchikunder (beetroot) ka halwa (who eats beetroot ka halwa). But it turned out to be the star of the show A must-try if you ask us. At the end of the day Indyaki makes an excellent prospect for a business lunch&mdashyou can be in and out within the hour&mdashif you&rsquore in West Delhi. The hotel&rsquos close proximity to the popular D-Mall also makes it an option for tired weekend shoppers. But if it&rsquos Friday, and there&rsquos no firefighting to be done at work, then it&rsquos a good idea to take it easy and take up the restaurant&rsquos excellent beer-combo offer with the Express Lunch. At Rs. 99 for a pint, you&rsquoll loosen your tie in no time.
What Express Lunch
Where Indyaki, Radisson Blu Paschim Vihar
When Monday &ndash Sunday except Tuesday
Time 12 - 3 pm
Price Rs. 899 per person Taxes Beer Pint @ Rs. 99/-
