Dilli 32, The leela Hotel-Karkardooma
'★★' We came out of the movie (Deadpool) @ 11:00 PM & were miserably hungry. We were craving for north India food. Unfortunately, all the restaurants were open till 11:15-11:30. So finally, we narrowed down our search on this restaurant as this was open till 11:45 PM. We called them and they asked us to come ASAP. We entered the hotel which was lovely, has to be as its a well know five-star hotel 'The Leela'. We were assisted to the restaurant as it was on the third floor.
It was the outdoor north Indian restaurant on a windy night. The ambience was based on Punjab Dhaba/Punjabi village theme with truck structure tucked on one side. Punjabi parande hanging and a chuski thela in the corner. It looked nice but nothing innovative as we have seen a similar theme in a lot of restaurants before. We got the menu and were assisted by Mr. Aman. The hunger and chilly wind was killing us so we didn't waste time in ordering and also we were already late comers. We ordered butter paneer masala, dal makhani, chicken curry, varieties of bread and a banta.
'Butter Paneer Masala'
As the name convey butter paneer MASALA, but it fails to impress as it was lacking in its masala and taste. The quantity of the gravy was less as compared to the paneer chunks. We were three people but none of us got a generous portion. It was so bland and flavourless that we had to ask the server to get chat masala & salt separately.
'Dal Makhani'
We were praying that the dal makhani should be tantalizing but it was just average but better than paneer. It was definitely not cooked to perfection. The spices were not completely infused in the dal and the name MAKHANI means to be buttery & creamy but it was not up to the mark.
'Chicken Curry'
At first sight, chicken curry didn't appeared pleasing because of its colour. As you can see above image, it was a little brownish rather than a reddish orange gravy. Coming to the flavour of this dish, it somehow managed to satisfy our taste buds. The gravy was light & smooth in texture but could have been a little more peppery. The chicken pieces were soft, tender & juicy. It was cooked properly but the pieces were small. The quantity was less and could satisfy the hunger of one. We ordered almost all varieties of bread that include butter naan, kaccha parantha, pudina parantha & tandoori roti. The best part was that the breads were hot, fresh, light & full of butter. It was not at all rubbery or chewy.
Ultimately: The Leela -Dilli 32 was a bummer. Being in a 5-star property and serving this below par food is objectionable. The decor definitely needs a facelift. The staff was very welcoming and our server Mr Aman was friendly and attentive. He suggested us for ordering banta which was refreshing and had a hint of asafoetida, which I quite liked. Proper seasoning of the dish could have made Dilli 32 a notch higher.
Cost for two: 2500 INR. | ⌚ 7 PM to 11:45 PM | ☏ 011 33106486
My Rating: 2/5 *
Facebook: https://goo.gl/edmjX8
Directions: Leela Ambience convention Hotel
*Disclaimer: MTG have not received any favour/sponsorship from the restaurant. Rating is based on Value for money & Taste
