Pamphilos has carefully curated selective European dishes and Indian grills. Shrabasti Mallik enjoys the fare
There is no dearth of places that Delhiites can opt for if they plan to a have a multi-cuisine meal. Restaurants are offering the best of almost every cuisine, with and without a twist. While some go ahead and serve authentic dishes, some experiment with either the spices, method of preparation or serve a fusion platter. Two-month old Pamphilos (meaning ‘friends of all’), on the other hand, believes in simplicity. They boast of being a multi-cuisine restaurant, true to the dishes they serve, but according to owner Sourav Deshwal, the place is also about experience.
located at the entrance of the N-Block market of GK-I, Pamphilos is a two-storey venture by Deshwal and Yasheel Anand Singh. We ensconced ourselves in a quiet corner overlooking the street bustling with shoppers and then Keep Me Cool distracted us with its uber-freshness. Nothing beats the Delhi heat better than a cool blend of watermelon and orange juice with some refreshingly and finely chopped mint leaves.
Chef Shashikant introduced himself bringing along a platter of Pamphilos summer salad, made with assorted bell peppers, chick peas, mixed greens, corns, onions, cherry tomatoes and basil with balsamic dressing. He offered to take us through a few dishes of the many cuisines that the place had to offer.
He sent us the Mexicano delight, veg quesadilla, a cheesy tortilla filled with nicely cooked basil, paprika and bell peppers tossed in mint. Fish lovers can try their Amritsari fish, which was coated with gram flour and yoghurt then fried till golden brown. The special spice that the chef sprinkled over the fried fish added to the flavour of the dish. “It’s a chef’s special mixture of spices,” he shared.
Although the restaurant keeps its dishes authentic, there are some which the chef tries to experiment with. Piping hot cheesy chicken momos, that followed next, was one of them. The chicken stuffing was mixed with grated cheese that had melted beautifully during the steaming process.
“We experiment to some extent. The guavamole Indian tacos will be a variation of the avocado-based Mexican dish, where we will use guavas. We also have the signature rolls which has raw papaya in it,” he pointed out.
The mustard grilled prawns were served next. While the prawns were perfectly grilled, the mustard paste that accompanied it lacked the hot, pungent flavour. The chef explained the reason, “Indian mustard paste has a sharp aroma but this paste is made of dijon mustard seeds which we import from England.” He also mentioned that special attention is paid to the consistency of spices.
“Our methods of cooking are traditional and we try to create dishes that are as close to the original as possible. Since we are a multi-cuisine restaurant, to prepare Indian cuisine we use local spices that are purchased from down South. For the continental part of the menu, we use imported products,” he added.
Next on the table was the Hungarian lamb goulash (lamb cooked overnight with peppers, tomato, paprika served with mashed potatoes). Although the gravy was rich in texture, the lamb was slightly undercooked. Vegetarians can satisfy their taste buds with the French ratatouille (cooked vegetable and stew accompanied with parsley buttered rice) and veg chelo kebab (seekh kebab and cottage cheese skewers served on a bed of buttered rice).
“Being from the hotel industry, we had a fair idea of the composition of the menu. We wanted to have simple dishes that people relish and have developed the taste over the past decade. We conducted trials of over 100 dishes with friends and family and shortlisted the dishes accordingly,” Deshwal said.
What took our heart away, however, was the peri peri grilled chicken. Juicy, fleshy chicken dipped in a paste of hot and spicy chili paste. It tantalised our tongue but left us wanting for more. The mashed potatoes and assorted vegetables that accompanied the chicken helped balance the hotness. The chef told us that the dish was a speciality of the restaurant.
If one craves for dessert and cannot seem to have enough, their choco brownie with ice cream will satisfy their cravings. The brownie was coated with a layer of honey and caramelised figs, which left a long aftertaste.
Pamphilos is already generating buzz through the word of mouth and the owners feel that it is the best kind of publicity. “The location puts us in the lap of the high flying upper class society of the Delhi market. We wanted to revive the market’s old world charm with the youngsters of Delhi who are expecting something more from a regular dine-in or a night out experience. We expect a mixed crowd between the age group of 25-40 years,” Singh wrapped up.