SHOBORI GANGULI traversed the coastal world, from Gujarat and Mumbai to Kerala, from Sri Lanka to Bali, at the recently launched resto-bar Silly resting against the majestic backdrop of the Qutub Minar amid the verdant forests of Mehrauli
Literally from the bylanes of Mumbai, Silly recently debuted in the heart of Delhi at the Crescent, against a magnificent backdrop of the Qutub Minar and the lush green cover of the Mehrauli forests around it.
This resto-bar’s inception in Mumbai is a story in itself. It had an audacious inauguration in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. At a time when the entire F&B industry was reeling under the Covid tsunami, a young man decided to walk right into it to take it by its horns. The brainchild of a creative 24-year-old entrepreneur Karan Nohria, Silly soon became a neighbourhood hangout at Khar for the locals in Mumbai and is today a bustling and popular joint, especially for the young.
Nohria then decided to push his own limits and travelled to Delhi to launch a far more spacious version of the Mumbai outlet in the upmarket Mehrauli area. This two-tiered resto-bar’s semicircular design offers a panoramic view of the iconic Qutub with the experience on the terrace truly exhilarating.
Designed by Pantone Collective, the lower floor has rough textures with oxblood accents on the ground. The upper tier features a wave floor pattern with soft latte tiles. The Terrace Bar is draped in tropical colours from a terracotta and yellow palette.
The interiors have lots of greens strategically placed for quiet and privacy at each table with some gorgeous natural light streaming in from the large windows running along the entire length of the dining area.
Silly’s menu has been hand-crafted by Corporate Chef Gaurav Gidwani and Head Chef Tej Wardhan Saini who have orchestrated a culinary symphony that blends local street food and gourmet international cuisine with great ease. From Mumbai’s street food like the Koliwada Shrimp (Spicy deep fried shrimp popcorns) to Balinese Shrimp Curry, you can literally travel around the food globe.
I decided to traverse the coastal world from Gujarat to Mumbai to Kerala, further down to Sri Lanka and Bali, the last two being my all time favourite holiday getaways.
The Avant Garde Dhokla had Silly’s signature twist, the traditional Gujarati Dhokla layered with cream cheese served with a spicy Jalapeno relish. Truly innovative. Next to arrive on my table was the spicy Koliwada Shrimp, as explained earlier. Alongside came a platter of Kadipatta Fried Kerala Fish, crunchy and crisply fried fish topped with crisp fried kadipatta (curry leaves) and black peppercorns.
What took the cake for me however was the Brown Butter Garlic prawns, cooked in brown butter and whole garlic in jalapeno brine, scattered with jalapenos and cherry tomatoes, deliciously browned to perfection and served with charred lemon. The dish had the perfect lemony, garlicy, spicy jalapeno kick.
To get a taste of the Meditteranean, I dipped into the Awesome Threesome Hummus (Plain, Pickled, and Beiruty) served with Pita and Falafel. Then followed the Thai style Ubud Chicken Satay served with a spicy chilly mayo.
For the mains I settled for the Sri Lankan Chicken Curry served with ghee rice. Although there was a hint of sweetness in the dish, it was evenly balanced out by the spiced Lankan coconut curry tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Since I wanted to end my journey in Bali, I tried the Balinese Prawn curry, cooked in homemade curry paste, tempered with delicate flavours, herbs and candlenuts. This curry must be tried by South East Asia’s iconic sticky rice.
I washed down the delicious spread with two signature Silly cocktails. Maestro mixologist Latesh Kotian is indeed an alchemist who, as per the resto-bar’s own admission, “has conjured a spellbinding elixir of libations that are as tempting to the eyes as they are to the senses.” The tequila based Sante was a Silly style of classic Picante with a spicy lemon aroma, the woody kafirlime leaf floating on top gently wafting into one’s senses, the pickled spicy jalapenos dancing to perfection with agave nectar, the glass rim dusted with their in-house kafirlime salt, all blended to create magic.
I was then served the Cuban Punch, a Cuban style cocktail with a blending of gold and dark rum, in-house soaked apricot brandy, pineapple juice with a dash of sparkling wine reduction. I would rate the Sante higher.
The staff was extremely warm and cordial, particularly Assistant Manager Deepak Sharma and mixologist Sumit Joshi. All in all Silly has convinced me to revisit the unique experience sometime soon.
