Ministry of Beer in Gurugram’s Sec 29 is a perfect amalgamation of ambience, food, drinks and music, says Angela Paljor
Had a rough day and need a place to simply relax with a couple of beers and good musicIJ Dance to your heart’s content and unwind with your family around youIJ Then head to the Ministry of Beer in Gurugram, which is an ensemble of fluid spaces, held together by warehouse-style pipes as part of its steampunk design, a varied choice of drinks and specialised food platters with distinctive lounges, counters and specialist chefs. So you will find your fit regardless.
We were clearly drawn to the brewery, which is still in the experimental stage. But next month, they will be brewing fresh beer as per The Reinheitsgebot (beer purity regulations under the German law). And a German brewer is on way to ensure a capital experience.
Passing through the massive brewery, we entered the lounge that can seat 500 at a time. Since we visited the place on a Tuesday night, which is the slowest day of the week, people were scarce. With an open bar and a jamming area, the place had a raw yet contemporary surrounds. Keeping the interior minimalistic, the lights change as the DJ and live jamming take over. Walking out of the main luxury pub area is the courtyard with its own open bar and a stage for live concerts. For families and large gatherings, there are exclusive private dining rooms (PDRs).
luckily for us, they had just started with their draught beer and the night was in the last stages of sound checks. The two of us sat in the middle of the courtyard with a light music in the background and a perfect weather. Quite a relief from the tiring journey and the bad traffic.
We started off with Hoegaarden white beer, known for the aroma of its orange peel, coriander and herbs. Pouring the beer is like letting the sun fall into your glass – light yellow and naturally murky. And the soft foam adds a cloudy finish. Then there’s the soft taste, light and slightly sweet and sour with subtle citrus notes. We started with Bhatti ka murgh, a classic dish of Punjab. But the dal chutney served along with it was a Rajasthani take. Both the appetiser and the dip tasted as if they were made for each other. The sweetness of tangy chutney and the bite of the chicken that had been marinated overnight in malt vinegar and finished with our home-made spices left us pleasantly surprised. Fusion or cross-influences do not often work seamlessly but this one had the desired effect.
Talking about the variety of choices in the menu, chef Meet Malhotra pointed out how he tried to fuse the best of elements and ingredients in a gastronomic jugalbandi of sorts. “There are few very basic tikkas which Delhiites love but can be presented in a very creative style with well-thought out dips. For example, we have a basic Chicken 65 sausage strips which are served with kokum mayo. Kokum gives a very peculiar souring flavour to the mayo which cuts down the sharpness of chicken 65. We also have some very unique appetisers like the wasabi paapdi chaat – the chaat has various elements like baked kesari pannacotta, spinach and wasabi-coated wafers. The pannacotta ensures the right creaminess to the chaat and takes it to the very next level.”
Personally, I loved the crispy spinach leaves coated with gram flour and topped with sev and chutneys. They melted in the mouth, leaving the after taste of the sev. Thekesari pannacotta flavoured with cardamom powder and saffron just enhanced the experience, not making us miss the streetfood variant. “The base of thekesari pannacotta is set in moulds overnight at 5-8 degrees. They are ready to be de-moulded the next day and are topped with saunth chutney. Paapdis are home-made, which is then mixed with onions, tomatoes and coriander and wasabi paste,” Chef Meet shared.
By this time, we had already emptied our glasses and were ready for something new. It was time for Stella Artois – the sophisticated Belgian beer that has a well-balanced flavour. It was pleasantly bitter yet with a refreshing finish, making it extremely versatile and a great pairing with Pathar ka gosht with its pimento olives and bacon chips on top. When I tasted the kebab with bacon chips and olives at once, there was a burst of flavours with a spicy note in the end.
While Stella Artois remained our companion for the night, mention must be made of the lemon Garlic Pepper Chicken. The chicken was perfectly roasted and could be gently cut by the knife. A bite heightened the sensations of our tastebuds as it was complemented by a sauce that is prepared with a lot of attention, time and heart. The process involves roasting the bones and then making a stock by boiling for the next 12 hours. The stock is then stored to clear out all the fat. It is then further boiled and reduced for about six hours.
MOB’s menu is a smorgasbord of influences, serving everything from Filter Shorba, sushis with an Indian tweak, Mobbed Caesar salad, Gunpowder Crispy lamb and cajun-spiked Indian dishes. They know the core grammar for the fusion flavours to score with the Indian palate. They get most of it right in the end. So we would recommend it as a hangout which has dollops of feel-good and a pulse of things.