Nukkad arrives in the capital in style and is doing everything to please its patrons. By Unnati Joshi
Just as the name suggests, the café is positioned in the corner of a narrow lane in SDA market. It provides an all-inclusive culinary tour of pretty much everything from American to Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Italian and all kinds of munchies you can think of. Mains are restricted simply because Nukkad, with its funk and neatness, is a hangout for the young. The neem tree with lanterns all over is a refreshing outdoor package.
We kicked off the evening with Paan Mojito, a combination of gulkand, supari, saunf, elaichi, mint and betel leaves, soda, topped with lemon chunks. Served in a brass water pot, the drink was thirst-quenching, refreshing and appetising at the same time. We then tried Rangeela, a blend of kaffir lime and passion fruit. Another great drink, also good for detoxifying your system.
Kurkuri Idli Chaat came next, a familiar starter. The idlis were nicely steamed up and fluffy with curd and pomegranate as a contrasting accompaniment. Made for an interesting innovation. Keema mutter samosa relied mostly on presentation. Served in small- sized cot, the kind you find driving around Gajraula, the samosas were scrumptious. The good part is these people have managed to retain the recall flavours of the good old aloo samosa.
Next on our table was crispy chilli gobhi. With the accurate amount of spiciness, this one was mouth-watering. We were then served Chicken 65, perfectly cooked chicken complemented with coconut, mustard and curry leaves. The spices may be strong for those not used to coastal Kerala fare but worked well for us.
We then tried Nukkad da chicken paratha, a replica of the popular roadside version (Moolchand to be precise) done up with finer mince. Next was another crowd favourite, Pasta Arrabiata, nothing spectacularly different. We followed it up with Nukkad special pizza, which was decent and not too cloyingly Indianised. But considering the fact that it was touted as “Nukkad special,” it wasn’t as awe-inspiring as what we expected it to be. That’s the whole point. Decor may be one thing but if you are adding city favourites, you’ve got to devise your own twist. This is one area that Nukkad needs to work on.
For mains we had Chicken Kadhai, where the little crunch of onion, capsicum and the succulent and juicy chicken pieces won us over. We rounded off with gulaab jamun and brownie with ice cream.
Nukkad’s USP is smart atmospherics. The food is respectable and well-prepared though the sauces and gravies are a little overpowering. A few dishes seem weaker than others. It needs to get its ladle in place.