Unlike the other restaurants in the vicinity, Capsule lures you with quirky decor, good food and even better drinks. By Jigyasu Joshi
Spread across three floors, Capsule is a newbie in a now not-so-happening Hauz Khas Village. While the first two floors are segmented into quirky pods themed on Marvel comics, DC comics, Snapchat, Spider-man, only-for-smoking capsules and several others, the third level is the bar and the rocky gravel floor terrace. Unlike the other restaurants in the vicinity, which have over the top rock music almost slicing the ear drums, the music at Capsules was not as loud. Also, the quirky caricatures on the walls make it quite a place for youngsters.
Going for the drinks that the place serves, the menu took us back to our childhood days. The name of cocktails were inherited from the famous 90s cartoon shows. And not just the names but also the taste of the drinks was captivating. From the bar menu, we asked for the signature cocktails. The two signature drinks on our table were Tom and Jerry and Dexter. Our absolute favourite shows too. Tom and Jerry was a rose and ginger mojito- mix of two completely distinct flavours. While the initial tad sweet taste of rose soothed the tongue, the last taste of ginger played for a much longer time on the taste buds. Also, the garnish of rose petals gave the drink a good aroma. The second drink, Dexter, however, was little out of balance. The rosemary infused gin with sparkling lemonade lacked sweetness at first. We asked for a remake but again it didn't come good. All in all, the drink simply tasted like ice chilled lemonade with gin.
Going over to the starters, we ordered Cocktail Dip, Chutney filled Croquettes and shredded chicken stuffed mushrooms. The cocktail dip was cigar rolls with the filling of sweet American corn and cheese served with Thousand Island sauce. The cheese was stuffing was appropriate and didn't unnecessarily fell out while eating. The thousand island sauce - mix of olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, paprika, mustard and Worcestershire sauce - made the starter all the more appetising. Next on our plates was Chutney filled Croquettes. Small pieces of raw mango and mashed potatoes mixed with sour mango chutney were coated by crunchy bread crumbs served with mayo. The coating of the crumbs was quite thick but that did not mess with the taste of the stuffing. Apart from the mashed potatoes and mango slices, the tad sourness of the chutney made the dish for a good starter which could be accompanied well with drinks. lastly, the chicken stuffed mushrooms were one the best from all. The shredded chicken was stuffed in the mushroom cups, topped melted cheese. The chicken, well marinated in light spices, was bit greasy. The slight greasiness of the chicken and cheese made the bites even more scrumptious.
For the main course we ordered a Punjabi style chicken curry and a lamb Bolognaise. The chicken in the main course was tender and the curry had high taste of Indian spices. The chicken was prepared to perfection and was not at all chewy. The dish had soaked all the flavours of the gravy, thus accomplishing the main goal of the recipe. The lamb dish was one of the best bolognaise we had in a long time. The aroma of the spices of the semi-gravy lamb with garlic breads on the side was a definite winner.
Finally, for the desserts, we were served the red velvet ice-cream sandwich. The dessert was not too creamy. It had a perfect sweetness. As for the texture, it was soft, fresh and served with a lot of sauce. So again, the combination was brilliant and the dish left its flavor lingering in our palate for a while.