It's fascinating to watch the culinary landscape of a city begin to change. There are extravagant interiors to savour, smoke-laden cocktails that are as mesmerizing to watch as they are when drunk, finely plated food that you don't want to disturb but true change begins when change makers take risks. Not that I would deem this venue a risk, it's more of a challenge, one that asks a guest to leave assumptions behind and surrender themselves to experience, that promises to be both enlightening and extremely satisfying!
The new change is nestled in an old venue, a historic venue and it's called, Rooh! A destination that has already made a mark on foreign shores, comes home to India, where the food is inspired from. Chef Sujan and Chef Priyam are scions already but that doesn't stop them from reinventing food in a way where it will enthral all your senses. Call it a set menu, a journey, a revelation, it's all that and more and then you add a serene ambience in a century-old haveli overlooking the Qutab Minar with muted lights, alabaster walls, cosy alcoves and dramatic chandeliers and you have yourself an evening of wondrous discovery.
The 10-course menu will leave you deeply satisfied at the same time questioning everything you thought you knew about fine cuisine. We had the pleasure of experiencing both the vegetarian and non-vegetarian set menus because the venue is kind enough to accommodate whatever the guest desires and the 2 hours of the experience were unforgettable.
Start at the bar, the cocktails are as unique as the food, fat washed whiskies, kale and gin, there is so much going on and yet time stands still. The food menu is dynamic and tends to change with the produce the chef's deem perfect for that day or that week and ingredients are carefully handpicked from across the world.
Our menu for the evening started with a course called Sense, an explosion of flavours with cured gooseberry paired with passion fruit followed by Textures of Yoghurt, smooth, creamy, crisp, all in one bite. Then came the Rooh version of a Gol Gappa, it is inexplicable and can only be understood once you experience it, we asked for another serving! After 2 cold courses our palate was prepped for a change, the Pork Vindaloo over a Kreme Doughnut was planned perfectly, the spice, the dense texture of the doughnut, a true marvel. Since the texture is part of the playfulness that is this menu, the Liquid Egg Bhurji with house-made pao took us back to our school mornings with just one bite, what's amusing is how the dish looks and how it tastes, that pans out till the very end. Then came the delicate display of seasonal Melon dressed with a Rasam that flowed down the throat like a salve. Since the chefs are as attuned with their local environment as they are with global trends, the Mehrauli Goat Curd with Fermented Parantha was the ideal break the palate needed after the rich spiciness of rasam.
The following three courses were the crescendo of the menu, the Scallop with podi and rice hollandaise, treated ever so delicately so as to retain all the pleasure that a perfectly seared scallop ought to be, the Duck Shami on a parmesan biscuit because who doesn't love a good galouti and the Seabass with an Allepey curry, so reminiscent of every fantastic South Indian meal you may have eaten.
The meal climaxes with stellar desserts that are sheer delights. The Mango Yolk is simply mind-boggling, what looks like an egg yolk with a piece of eggshell precariously leaning over it, none of it is anything to do with an egg and more than anything, it is the texture of the egg white that's a marvel. And finally the Besan Barfi with Valrhona chocolate, fashioned like an Opera pastry but every bit the besan barfi we are all too familiar with. Every course is paired with a spirit, from wines to a very fine tawny port, that you will only find here. We can't wait to go back for another experience of International Indian, a whole new concept that Delhi has been hungry for and now that hunger is satisfied.
The new change is nestled in an old venue, a historic venue and it's called, Rooh! A destination that has already made a mark on foreign shores, comes home to India, where the food is inspired from. Chef Sujan and Chef Priyam are scions already but that doesn't stop them from reinventing food in a way where it will enthral all your senses. Call it a set menu, a journey, a revelation, it's all that and more and then you add a serene ambience in a century-old haveli overlooking the Qutab Minar with muted lights, alabaster walls, cosy alcoves and dramatic chandeliers and you have yourself an evening of wondrous discovery.
The 10-course menu will leave you deeply satisfied at the same time questioning everything you thought you knew about fine cuisine. We had the pleasure of experiencing both the vegetarian and non-vegetarian set menus because the venue is kind enough to accommodate whatever the guest desires and the 2 hours of the experience were unforgettable.
Start at the bar, the cocktails are as unique as the food, fat washed whiskies, kale and gin, there is so much going on and yet time stands still. The food menu is dynamic and tends to change with the produce the chef's deem perfect for that day or that week and ingredients are carefully handpicked from across the world.
Our menu for the evening started with a course called Sense, an explosion of flavours with cured gooseberry paired with passion fruit followed by Textures of Yoghurt, smooth, creamy, crisp, all in one bite. Then came the Rooh version of a Gol Gappa, it is inexplicable and can only be understood once you experience it, we asked for another serving! After 2 cold courses our palate was prepped for a change, the Pork Vindaloo over a Kreme Doughnut was planned perfectly, the spice, the dense texture of the doughnut, a true marvel. Since the texture is part of the playfulness that is this menu, the Liquid Egg Bhurji with house-made pao took us back to our school mornings with just one bite, what's amusing is how the dish looks and how it tastes, that pans out till the very end. Then came the delicate display of seasonal Melon dressed with a Rasam that flowed down the throat like a salve. Since the chefs are as attuned with their local environment as they are with global trends, the Mehrauli Goat Curd with Fermented Parantha was the ideal break the palate needed after the rich spiciness of rasam.
The following three courses were the crescendo of the menu, the Scallop with podi and rice hollandaise, treated ever so delicately so as to retain all the pleasure that a perfectly seared scallop ought to be, the Duck Shami on a parmesan biscuit because who doesn't love a good galouti and the Seabass with an Allepey curry, so reminiscent of every fantastic South Indian meal you may have eaten.
The meal climaxes with stellar desserts that are sheer delights. The Mango Yolk is simply mind-boggling, what looks like an egg yolk with a piece of eggshell precariously leaning over it, none of it is anything to do with an egg and more than anything, it is the texture of the egg white that's a marvel. And finally the Besan Barfi with Valrhona chocolate, fashioned like an Opera pastry but every bit the besan barfi we are all too familiar with. Every course is paired with a spirit, from wines to a very fine tawny port, that you will only find here. We can't wait to go back for another experience of International Indian, a whole new concept that Delhi has been hungry for and now that hunger is satisfied.