06 August,2010 07:29 AM IST | | Kumar Saurav
The memoirs of one of the Capital's oldest adda, United Coffee House, gets a contemporary tweak at Sequel by United, one of the latest additions to Defence Colony
Decades back, when the now swank, peppy and luxuriously conducting eateries were busy scratching their heads to decide what culinary experiences should they serve to the food-addict Dilliwallas, United Coffee House had already created a niche for itself. Sixty five years later, the owners of the legendary joint have come up with Sequel, which they claim will carry forward the legacy. Does it stand a chance? Read on to find out.
The ambience is contemporary but needs improvement
Questions answered
Whenever I visit Defence Colony to try a new eatery, I wonder where's the space left in this upmarket area to raise a new building. This time, I found the answer. I'll tell you how. Sequel does not boast of a landmark building as its address so by mistake I landed up in several eateries which I had reviewed earlier. Most of the buildings with two or three floors that were earlier occupied by a single label now house different eateries on different floors, which made me realise that all is not well with all the eateries in this food hub of the Capital. But it appears that Sequel, which too has three floors, will not meet the same fate because it has everything needed to surprise its patrons.
Naughty sips
Their liqueur menu amuses with cocktail preparations like Angles Hips, Sticky Lips and Slippery Nipples. While we loved the wicked names, we doubt if a father who's dinning here with his daughter would love it too because after all Sequel also targets families. Apart from cosmopolitan, caprioska, long island iced tea and other traditional cocktails, their liqueur racks are packed with all the labels, which a 'high-spirited' man would want to order. What adds to the richness of the collection is the liqueur variants from France, Italy, Japan, Canada, Australia and Spain.
Beyond global fare
The menu appears wise because it allows you to choose tangs of different shores like European, Western and Mediterranean and yes, Indian too. Even Sri Lankan fare finds space here. If you love cheese, try cheese
boppers, small shots of hot liquid cheese. Nothing beats it. If you want to get a hang of the complete menu, try the appetiser platter (veg and non-veg). Else, try prawn, chicken, crab and lamb preparations. All of them make for a perfect chakhna. Graduate to the main course with poultry, sea food, tenderloin, lamb and pork preparations. Go global with pasta, bruschetta and pizza. Thankfully, the menu doesn't ignore vegetarians. From paneer 65, makai malai seekh and paratdaar kebab to masaledar khumbi and firdausi bharwan aloo and samose ki tigri, the place has it all. I ended the meal with their jumbo gulab jamun, which is the same size as a lawn tennis ball, and it didn't disappoint either.
What goes wrong?
No doubt, the eatery takes you away from the clutter and noise of the street but the ambience fails to match up to its cousins in the same street. It's mediocre because floors appear like the compartments of a train where tables have been arranged like compartments. Also, they don't have the facility of takeaway and home delivery, which is a severe setback to any food outlet.
Now running
All Day Snacking: As a part of monsoon promotion, the eatery is currently running this festival where you can try mutton samosas, cheese balls, open sandwiches, creole fish fingers, Tex mex egg rolls served with avocado cream and salsa, cheese chilli tartlets, homemade thin crust pan pizzas or the trademark UCH Hot Dog.
Timings: 1 pm till midnight
Meal for two: Rs 500 plus taxes
Sequel By United
Food: From various shores
Service: Good
Ambience: Okay
At: 35, Defence Colony Market, Defence Colony
Timings: Noon to midnight
Ring: 9650596117
Meal for two: Rs 1,200 plus taxes
