While the restaurants in the vicinity are liberally opting for fusion and playing with flavours, Chatter House is one place that likes to stick to the basics. By Jigyasu Joshi
Amid all the fast-food joints at Epicuria in Nehru Place, Chatter House with its classy English décor stands out from the rest. As soon as we entered, the not-very-bright light and James Blunt’s You’re beautiful made for a welcoming and soothing ambience. On the right side, the fuss-ball table was occupied by visitors. The restaurant is l-shaped, one that allows it to host a classy bar on the side. Irish bricks and British army quotes gave it the English pub feel.
After settling in, things turned Indian as we were served keema pao, lamb dumplings, blue cheese naan with dal makhani shots, galouti and dahi kebabs. The lamb mince in the keema pao was cooked in a sharp spice mix that was evened out with just the right amount of green peas. The lamb tasted just fine with the butter toasted pao. The dumplings were a near perfect combination of sauces and chillies with a juicy filling of lamb. Cooked in tomato and chipotle sauce, the dumplings were finished with feta and smoked chillies. Served hot, the dumplings were a burst of flavours and complemented a bottle of Irish stout.
The chef also played around with the plain naan and dal makhani. The mini naans were stuffed with blue cheese and pineapple chutney served with dal makhni shots. The naans tasted unique as the sweetness of the blue cheese and the tartness of pineapple chutney worked well with the creamy consistency of the dal. Next on our table were vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions of galouti kebab. The vegetarian version used rajma or kidney beans. Very delicate to cook, kidney bean kebabs are so soft that most of the times their shape is ruined by the time it is served. Chatter’s kebabs stayed perfectly in shape but tasted so-so. On the other hand, the non-vegetarian version worked well on the flavour quotient, melted in the mouth while the flavours of pepper, cumin seed and fennel seeds came out light on the taste buds.
last but definitely not the least were the dahi kebabs. While some restaurants cook the kebab by mixing cottage cheese, here it didplayed a mastery of skill. Deep-frying a curd kebab is tough in the sense that if not done properly, the curd breaks out from the crust. Here it was coated in a paste of fine- grained cornflour. The curd filling was mixed with chili flakes which gave it an extra kick.
For the main course, we were served Toastadas, a classic Margarita and herb-marinated pizza and asparagus and green peas lasagna. In a bid to serve something different, the chef’s take on tortilla chips was worth every bite. The toastadas were a crunchy tortilla topped with kidney beans , pepper, salsa, cheese, and sour cream, each complementing the other. The thin crust pizzas were prepared in a wood- fired oven while the classic cheese version was simple yet had a freshness, topped as it was with cheery tomato and fresh basil. The herb-marinated pizza was topped with baby corn, bell peppers, mushrooms and cheese. The crispy base and the toppings made the pizza a treat and best in the main course. The lasagna, however, was average as the pea paste in the layers and cheese tuned a tad messy.
After a filling main course, we were served gulab jamun cheesecake, the best fusion dessert it could come up with. Imagine the softness of cheese cake giving way to the gulab jamun inside. No confusion at all.