The South African-based chain, Barcelos, is here with its flame-grilled delicacies. Apart from its signature sauces and fried chicken, there is a good variety of vegetarian dishes to woo youngsters. By S Mallik
It is a tad difficult to locate Barcelos in the zig-zag alleys of the bustling Khan Market. Once we spot it, thanks to the large signboard at the entrance, a small, almost unnoticeable flight of stairs leads to the two-storey restaurant, every inch of it is decked up in wood. In one of the two wooden walls is sketched the silhouette of the city of Barcelos, while another wall traces the journey of the restaurant across the world. This South African restaurant has footprints in 17 countries with over 150 outlets and this is its first restaurant in India.
The brand Barcelos is known for its two signature items — grill fired chicken and its range of peri peri sauces. In case you are wondering what peri peri is, it is a kind of hot-spicy sauce which can accompany any food that you are having. We find out that Barcelos has four kinds of peri peri sauces which are neatly placed on each table, with different levels of hotness — tangy lemon, mild peri, veri peri and supa peri (in increasing level of hotness).
As refreshment we are served the electric blue fizz (layer of blue buracau syrup with a hint of ginger and filled to the rim with sprite) and flamingo (monin passion fruit, orange and pineapple juice and milk). We start with grilled chicken and choose the tangy lemon sauce to go with it. The chicken pieces are hard on the outside and moist in the inside, just like as it should be after being grilled, but the lemon sauce lacks the tanginess.
It is surprising to find a host of vegetarian dishes in the menu, given the fact that the international menu boasts of non-veg platters. “When we decided to open the first store in India, we had to keep in mind the food preferences of people here. We conducted a research for about seven to nine months and came up with an eclectic menu for vegetarians. Almost 40 per cent of the menu is pure vegetarian and we have also Indianised a few dishes,” says Rohit Malhotra, general manager.
We try the veg esptada, an assortment of stuffed mushrooms, marinated paneer with onions, served in a skewer hanging upside down. The veggies are nicely cooked and slightly grilled and they go best with the veri peri or supa peri (depending on the amount of hotness you can bear). One can also opt for stuffed potato with cottage cheese fillings and veg wrap (tortilla wrap filled with aaloo kebab, cheesy jalapeno mayo with salad and grilled veggies).
If you are a fish lover you can try their garlic fish with rice which is fish fillet cooked with garlic butter on a bed of spicy rice and accompanied with an assortment of grilled vegetables on the side. Barcelos also offers some fine desserts, although the choices are limited. One can try the tiramisu cake and the chocolate fondant (vanilla ice cream and chocolate cake with a warm chocolate ganache filling).
In comparison to the amount of food offered in a dish, the rates are quite reasonable. “Our target guests are youngsters and that is why we have not kept the prices too high. Everything that is available here will suit every pocket,” says Malhotra.