Familiarity is comfort when it comes to this new edition of Chor Bizarre at Bikaner House. It has kept food simple, balanced, mild and uncomplicated, the kind that you crave for and would not mind repeating but would not perhaps find in a crowd of excess. By Rinku Ghosh
I remember in my first days as a migrant to the city, Chor Bizarre was the only diner that dared to unabashedly roll out Kashmiri food along with perennial north Indian favourites and include regional cuisine in its rulebook. Apart from the five-star lexicon that is. Since then it has collected original recipes from across the country and presented them for the urban palate by keeping a balance that belies its suffix (“bizarre”). Then came the food revolution, the multi-cuisine experiments that made Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese and lebanese a rage. Till we ultimately got comfortable with our own food, albeit in a global platter and bite-sized elegance. With the buzz of fusion, technique, plating and contemporary idioms, Chor Bizarre seemed to be content with its island existence at Hotel Broadway on Aruna Asaf Ali Road. Serving core Indian food that is cooked slow and according to tradition. Till it decided to open its doors in central Delhi at the refurbished Bikaner House, signalling a culture revival of sorts.
And truth be told, familiarity is comfort when it comes to this new outlet which has kept food simple, balanced, mild and uncomplicated, the kind that you crave for and would not mind repeating but would not perhaps find in a crowd of excess. Added to it is the colonial decor, which plays on the knick-knack and odd-ends eclecticism of a chor bazaar. So no two chairs are alike here. And the 46-cover spread, across two rooms, has intricate tarkashi or wood inlaid tables and a queen-sized four poster bed that has been covered with stained glass panels at the top and converted into a private table of six. These are the visual throwbacks of Chor Bizarre’s brand signature.
The trouble with long-standing familiarity and loyalty is that you pretty much expect status quo. But the day’s chef Karan Bansal does manage to play to your tastebuds without using any new-fangled technique or forced innovation. And even if some are staples, he’s done some clever twist of relish to make you want to pick them up. like the papad platter and dahi batata, the latter holding good with a mouthful of curd bursting from a turgid snack that doesn’t give away messy. The young chef lets us in on the trick that keeps it together — he keeps the base layer of the flour balls slightly heavy, layering it with crunchy and granular sev to hold the moisture of the spiced curd which is filled in just before a serving. But two vegetarian snacks must be mentioned for that lip-smacking kick. One is the Palak Patta Chaat, crispy spinach leaves lightly dusted with chickpea flour and deep fried. The leafy goodness and bite are rounded off with the usual yoghurt-tamarind seasoning. The winner though has to be the Khumb Ki Galawat, minced mushroom medallions with herbs that are pan-roasted, a new addition to the menu. It’s just ginger, garlic and spices but the melt-in-the-mouth fullness and explosion of flavours show what a mushroom can become with an absorptive saturation. It doesn’t make you miss the original meat version. And that’s quite something. For chef Bansal, preparation is an exercise in patience, reducing 2 kg of mushroom to 400 gm just by evaporating the water. The yam patties with figs and whole spices sweeten the flavour range.
But why would carnivores bother to delve deep into vegetarian platters when there is quite a bit to be devoured on the other sideIJ The char-grilled garlic prawns are a must-have, lemony and done to a perfect consistency and texture, not too rubbery or soggy but luscious and turgid. Of course, when it comes to kebabs, there’s no going past the regular tikkas and botis that are done with just the right degree of spices and porosity with no great flourish. But with these things, customers generally like the uncomplicated flavours. The prawn koliwada is a new addition to the Chor Bizarre menu with dollops of tomato chutney. And frankly, it is the relish and garnish that work here rather than the batter-fried delicacy.
The main menu keeps it extremely familiar with the Chicken Tikka Masala, its trademarkdal and a mix of paranthas (the ulte tawa variant could be a tad softer). But when at Chor Bizarre, go for its USP, the wazwan experience. The chef is offering a mini Tarami (platter meant to be shared by four originally but individualised here) that begins with a whiff of appetising aromas with the lid being lifted off. There’s the haaq (spinach) and naadru (lotus stem stew) , the latter particularly delicate and subtle. But it is the Tabak Maas, that flakes off easily from the ribs, and the Gosht Aloo Bukhara Korma or mutton in plum gravy that are the clear winners. The sweet and tangy plums give a zest to the gravy which goes very well with the spicy mutton and gives a wholesomeness that is not gooeylicious but rather full-bodied. That’s the thing about the Tarami, the flavours are balanced and rich but none of the dishes betrays sameness. Rather each maitains its integrity and distinctness. Be it the rogan josh with heat from plain spices or the gushtaba (minced meatballs slow-cooked in curd and spices), they are perfect examples of how a traditional cooking medium like mustard oil can lend differing flavours to the food with a rounded finish. Both keep it authentic within the limits of bite-sized acceptability. You can top a meal off with the paan kulfi with rose faluda, a tad to sweet if you ask us. Just go for the semolina Kashmiri phirni for keeping the memory of the flavours alive instead of drowning it.
The new restaurant is being managed by old hands Pratik Sinha, general manager, Hotel Broadway, and by corporate chef Rajiv Malhotra. They have researched for four months to add new dishes to complement and enhance the original menu while understanding the changing Delhi palate. When you are looking for good old Indian, the way you know and understand it, on a busy day, this is the place to be. And on winter nights, you could do with its old world, oaked warmth.