Photos by Shivendu Mittal

When the admins of Gurgaon Foodie group are invited by Farzi café for a preview of their new menu, of course we are excited. After all, this restaurant was the popular choice of the “Restaurant of the Year” of the Gurgaon Foodie community. So at the appointed hour, we are all there at Farzi café, ready to be surprised by the food molecules and liquid nitrogen. Thankfully what follows is some clear winner dishes without any smoke.

We start with their signature Amuse bouche, Mishti Doi shots and then onto tasting some interesting new cocktails like Apple Foamintini, Chuski Margarita, Sunta bunta and an interestingly named Daru wale fruits, but the star was the food.

                Amuse Bouche - Mishti Doi shots

            Chuski Margarita                         Daru wale fruits

We are vowed by the first dish, which easily is the highlight. Smoked patthar ke kebab are cooked to a crispy melt in mouth perfection, ably paired with Wasabi walnut chutney. This is followed by a delicious Mutton champ with a sticky sauce.

            Smoked Patthar Kebab                                Mutton Champ

Smoked bacon and pyaaz ki kachori, aloo rassa reduction and its vegetarian counterpart Rajasthani Pyaaz Ki Kachori, Masala Kathal, Aloo Rassa Reduction have crispy tapas bite sized kachoris that delight with their unusual fillings and sauce.

                       Smoked bacon & pyaaz kachori

The next two starters have Farzi café demonstrating its mastery over vegetarian cuisine. Though I have never been a fan of soya, the Tandoori Soy Chops here, stuffed with a cheese nut fudge are amazing. Palak Paneer Quesadillas, Water Chestnut and Cucumber Salsa with crispy thin paratha topping is a dish that also works.

               Tandoori Soy Chops                         Palak Paneer Quesadillas

Summer vegetables kofta ‘croquettes’ with a banarasi pukhtaan curry, roasted cashew nuts are crisp with an addictive sauce. Makai methi tikki burger with pickled cucumber, pepper ketchup is competent but is overshadowed by the other more innovative dishes.

            Summer vegetables kofta                       Makai methi tikki burger

In the mains, dum chicken burritos, stuffed with rice, refried rajma beans, cilantro and guacamole salad just does not work. The taste is lacking any surprise, and is too heavy with the rich sauce. Kashmiri rista ‘meat ball sub’ with philly walnut chutney is a great idea but somehow lacking balance.

              Dum chicken burritos                       Kashmiri rista ‘meat ball sub’

On the other hand Mutton irachi pepper fry with malabari parantha is a treat. Slow cooked baby lamb shanks, desi ghee nahari, golden onion or nalli nahari is finger sticking delicious.

           Mutton irachi pepper fry                       Slow cooked baby lamb shanks

In between courses, we are served with a palate-cleanser lollipops stuck atop branches of a tree. The last dish we have is Spagetti aglio olio e cocco, a take on Aglio olio by tossing it with a coconut milk based sauce with curry leaves and tomatoes, an odd combination but one which works very well.

               Palate cleanser                                 Spagetti aglio olio e cocco

In desserts, summer fruits cream, dry nut chikki, butter-scotch bubbles is served with an impressive presentation, but the taste is ordinary. On the other hand, mango ‘four’play, an interesting play on words, is also a dish with a great play on textures and flavours of mango. 

               Summer fruits cream                             Mango ‘FOUR’PLAY

Farzi café’s new menu shows that the reason why this restaurant has been successful in getting repeat business is the great taste of their food. The new menu showcases the fact that Farzi café is still capable of dishing out some great new ideas in food. And this time without too much use of smoke or other “modern” techniques.

Please note: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant to taste their food, and no bill was presented to the author. While the author assures you of objectivity, the review may be influenced by the personalized attention the author got.

Ratings (Out of 5)

Food: 4.0 | Ambience: 4.0 | Service: 4.0 | Value: 4.5 | Overall: 4.0

Meal for two: Rs.3000 | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel chair friendly: Yes

Address: 7-8, Ground Floor, Cyber Hub, DLF Cyber City, Gurgaon Tel: +91 8800690418/9, 0124 4922273