In the Courtyard of new India

The understated elegance of the Marriott will make you choose it over other hotels in Gurgaon

In the Courtyard of new India

The understated elegance of the Marriott will make you choose it over other hotels in Gurgaon

Life, or something that resembles it now, has rendered the necessity to turn every journey a reason to take some time off. So when I decided to finally visit MoMo Caf ufffd -- don't judge it by its name -- at The Courtyard by Marriott all the way in Gurgaon, I decided to stay the night and make a weekend of gluttonous eating and sinful sleeping.

I reached at a decent hour by journalistic standards. But the wife, in her constant bid to outdo me, turned up three hours later, giving MoMo's all-day dining a whole new meaning. But before I get to that, it must be noted that the one reason why

people should choose to visit The Courtyard over most of the other hotels among the masses of malls in Gurgaon is because it is understated.

A pleasant break from the ornate hotels in Delhi, it is even more pleasant to find shades of black, beige and wood in Haryana, which according to someone who is ready to defend his stand till death, is the heart of all things tasteless. Anyway, back to the taste at hand -- the food at MoMo Caf ufffd. And the name. General Manager, and hearty Australian, Matthew Cooper tells it is derived from the phrase 'modern living modern dining', a place where guests can come for breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee and snacks at any hour. If I was in any mood to argue at the

seemingly wrong process of deducing an acronym, it was quickly changed by the lively and vibrant atmosphere made better by a colourful children's corner (who does not love marshmallows?)and an open kitchen.

Something for everyone
On Sundays, because the brunch has unlimited alcohol and there is something for everyone to eat in the family -- Indian, Italian, Sushi, Chinese and Thai, all sorts of cold cuts -- MoMo Caf ufffd understandably gets really crowded. On any other day too, it is well worth your money and time.

I stuck to Indian tikkas, which went well with my beer, but I saw many people appreciate the Sushi. The dessert counter is extremely popular but it is the live Churros counter that was getting the maximum attention. And with good reason! How can anything that is hot and fried, sprinkled with sugar and served with whipped cream and chocolate sauce taste anything but divine?

If you are in the mood for something more intimate, then you can visit Red Zen, a rather cosy Pan Asian restaurant situated in one corner of the first floor. Again, the interiors have the theme of black, stone greys and bronze and some of the tables are well-placed and afford a lot of privacy. The food here is very Indian, with a lot of oil and ketchup, but, for me, that is never a bad thing. I particularly liked the Peking duck, the dim sums which were more like momos, and the spicy, greasy noodles which I did not need any gravy to eat with. The Thai curries are also good but again, true to Indian gravy style, have so much coconut milk, these are heavy. Good thing that the wine I was drinking was excellent. There is Vietnamese food too but I was in no mood to try any. When I am, The Courtyard will make sure I journey to Gurgaon yet again.

At: The Courtyard by Marriott, plot no. 27b, sushant lok, gurgaonu00a0
Timings: all day
Ring: 4888444
Meal for two: Rs 1,500 + taxes