Escape from the idiot box

If you are one of those urban survivors who sits in front of the idiot box and munches take-away food for dinner. It is time you drove yourself to this restaurant in Chhattarpur

Escape from the idiot box

If you are one of those urban survivors who sits in front of the idiot box and munches take-away food for dinner. It is time you drove yourself to this restaurant in Chhattarpur

Among the many things I like about Mario Puzo's The Godfather, is how the American Italian crime family and their capo regimes are full of joviality at the dinner table even when they are scheming to make their enemies, 'sleep with the fishes'. This typical rustic merriment at a dinner table which the stressed 'permanently-in-front-of-the-television-diner' of urban Delhi gave up a long time ago.

But always keeping up my sleeve a margin for the unexpected, I knew such a dining experience would come my way out of the blue. It did last Friday. Marbella's in Tivoli Gardens, Chattarpur was such treat I savoured. An experience which takes you back into days when dinning was a satisfying ritual and not 'wham bam thank you chef'.u00a0

Old world charm
Marbella's is a 24hours 'Indian, Chinese, Italian and continental' restaurant nestled in a corner of the 10acre Tivoli Garden resort hotel at Chattarpur hills in Mehrauli. The 85-cover dinning area spills over into a pool which will make it a perfect dinning spot during the cooler months. The place is manned by a jovial man called Farid Khan and the executive chef is an old school chap called Rajbir Singh. Much of the food in the restaurant reflects Rajbir's tilt towards Indian cuisines, which no doubt is their USP. The man among other places was with the ITC Maurya group and most of the polishing comes from the formal courses chefs undergo from time to time in such big hotels. Deep down there I sensed he was a rustic who loved his food the traditional way. So the Mutton Seekh Kabab I had as a starter gave a subtle hint of ginger-garlic which complimented the smoky flavour but the man insisted it was healthy (meaning less spice). The steaming Chicken Tikka was juicy to bite into and so was the Tandoori Stuffed Mushroom. Though the Dahi Kebab was hard to decipher. Only grated cheese and yogurt or adding potato or bread too? I don't know what makes a great dahi kebab, so when my palate said 'no' I chose to stick to the faithful non-vegetarian ones.

Music and your whiskey
Vakeel Khan makes calculated entry after you are usually two pegs down, the starters have vanished from your plates and the maincourse is yet to arrive. The 'versatile' singer croons anything you throw at him, from popular Bollywood numbers to Mehdi Hassan's rare jewels, depending upon the crowd's disposition. The bar menu here is similar to the other's around the Capital. The accepted whiskies and vodkas, the little experimentation with the cocktails and a simple wine list. Vakeel Khan's voice makes up for that shortcoming.

Mix and match
I was served Keema Matter Labaddar for the main course with Roti. Do you remember those keema mattars you had with pipping hot rotis for dinner? The ones cooked with firewood when you went to meet your grandparents during winter holidays. Do I need to add more? They also had a buffet spread and I tried their Fish in Hot Garlic Sauce too. Add to that Mix Veg in Hot Garlic Sauce and you'll find the combination amusing. But we are a city which sustains itself on Indian and 'Chinese' food. The other patrons around seemed to relish the combination so who was I to complain. Finish your meal with the Moong Dal Ka Halwa. I'm a man who doesn't go beyond two spoons of dessert but I polished off the plate this time.

Au00a0good bargain
Marbella's is just 25- 35 minutes drive away from the areas most of us end up in when in South Delhi. The food is not pretentious and if the executive chef's words are to be believed won't add too many pounds to your waistline, thanks to his on going experiments with the spices. The live music is a treat which now only a few star -studded hotels offer regularly. And yes, the lone television set here keeps showing yoga gurus who are out to punish currupt government servants. Trust me, Vakil's singing is a better option while having your meal.u00a0

At: tivoli gardens, Chhattarpur hills
Timings: 24 hours
Ring: 26301111, 64691111
Meal For two: Rs 800 + taxes