Hindustan Times
Inside the Embassy
Robust food and company — and a peaceful, easy feeling — at a Delhi favourite
You know that feeling you get when everything seems well with the world and god is in his heaven?
That’s how I feel right now.
I’m writing this after a most satisfying meal at a Delhi institution: Embassy restaurant, Connaught Place
(inner circle, D block), a bastion of 1970s Punjabi food and hospitality (does anyone know Embassy’s history?).
Mmmmm.
Without further ado, let me explain our lunch menu: Dal ghosht (meat with lentils; that’s dal boss!); Saag ghosht (meat with spinach); Fish jalfrezi (how do I translate that?) and tandoori chicken.
This could have been better. We could have dropped the damned saag ghosht and had brain curry instead. But my friend Vijay Thapa, who is also HT’s Internet Editor, insisted on this semi-vegetarian mish-mash.
The tandoori rotis were soft and hot, the onions in vinegar tangy and the green coriander - yogurt chutney - all these are free accompaniments (there was also a cucumber pickle, which I did not try) - sharp.
Our bill: Rs 1,700.
This is my second trip to Embassy in two weeks. I was a regular in the 1990s when my office was a block away.
Today, Connaught Place was deserted and dusty. It’s October 2, Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. But Embassy was buzzing. At 2:15 pm, there wasn’t a table empty: Punjabi families, a Tibetan family, some Japanese, some Western tourists. It was a loud, happy and robust atmosphere, just like the food.
There was a big sign in the bar that firmly said: “Dry day”. The liquor bottles had been removed - I suspect to deter regulars who might pressurise the staff to serve them anyway.
Don’t expect fake smiles from the staff. They are attentive and efficient, but will not freely dish out smiles - maybe if you speak Punjabi they might. What they will give you freely is cold glasses of water. That’s a relief in these days of mineral water and room-temperature water.
Embassy also offers continental entrees like chicken stroganoff, fish fingers (and a mysterious steamed fish) but I’ve never tried them, and I don’t intend to, even the impressively named Bomb de Moscova, described as breast of chicken stuffed mushroom, omlette and butter.
On weekdays, expect to see the regulars: Small-time and big-time politicians (BJP opposition leader Arun Jaitley loves the place); executives; families, backpackers.
In these days of Mediterranean, Thai, Greek, Korean, Japanese and fusion food, Embassy is a peaceful, easy throwback to the Delhi of Punjabi restaurants and more Punjabi restaurants.
Try it.
(6 votes, average: 3.17 out of 5)
Loading ...Posted by Samar Halarnkar on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Filed under Food · Tagged Arun Jaitley, Bomb de Moscova, Connaught Place, Dal ghosht, dry day, Embassy restaurant, liquor bottles, Mahatma Gandhi, meat, Punjabi food, spinach
I am very happy that you liked the food at Embassy. It has been my favourite for a long time and I remember coming here with my father when I was a small child. Its Dal meat is extra ordinary. Embassy started somewhere in the late forties and has become a household name for many known Delhiites. Shankar Pillai, the legendary cartoonist used to get catering done from here at his house. So did Sagar Suri, the well known builder and elder brother of late Lalit Suri of the Lalit Hotel. Embassy has its regular clientelle. Local politicians gather jhere in the morning and so do many other regulars who used to sit in the Volga restraurant earlier. There was a time when former Delhi CM, Ch.Brehm Perkash, HKL Bhagat, Jag Parvesh Chandra, Brij Mohan, J.P.Goyal, Shiv Charan Gupta, MM Aggarwal and Ram Kumar all could be found here having their morning cup of Coffee. Arun Jaitley is a rare visitor but he and the Embassy owner, Mr Malhotra went to school (St.Xavier’s at ludlow Castle) together as did Deepak Bhagat, HKL Bhagat’s son. Embassy has another branch now, near IP College at Exchange Stores. It has a different menu but the food is as good as it is in CP. Embassy also has waiters who have been there for ages so regulars never have any complaint. The Gheis and Malhotras who own it have run it very well. Brgds.
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
October 3rd, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Pankaj, this is wonderful information. Thank you very much for sharing it!
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renuka Reply:
October 8th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Yoohoo, Pankaj, so comforting to read your recall. Hope you’re doing fine and so are all my sehkarmis at HT.
In my first job, as a little girl who subbed down the lane (at Target, the children’s magazine once published by the India Today group) my office was in CP too and Embassy’s Edwardian dishes (which Samar won’t touch) were culinary classics that I liked right from my schooldays. The other good place for anda-maida dishes was Kwality, also in CP, actually legendary for its Chhole-Bhature. And the Russian salad at old Bankura near the old Cottage Industries Emporium. So good.
Kwality used to make a nice ‘Fish Portugaise’ and ‘Chicken Maryland’ , which we had to eat to smoothen out our public kaanta-chhoori manners - and my aunt cunningly picked these nice restaurants in Connaught Place that had the goods but were so cosily Delhi and downhome that nobody cared if pre-teen/teen fingers dropped a knife or fork.
Hey, homesick for Delhi now, better disappear back into the ether this minute.Take care and bestest!
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
October 9th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
What are you eating in Bangkok?
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Just add a wonderful dessert to the above meal, the awesome Summer Pudding and you will never forget a meal at The Embassy!
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
October 3rd, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Next time.
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Hey changing tracks from managing a paper to reviewing restaurants ? There is this York’s. Another nice one down the corridor in the outer circle, K Block. Slightly heavy on the pocket !
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
October 3rd, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Will check it out.
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nandiniriyer Reply:
October 13th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
i had a friend who used to come from Pune and rush to York’s an hour before his flight (in the good old days it took 30 minutes to get to the airport from CP) and pack three plates of gyaki gyoza ? (momos) from York’s. Dont eat myself so i’ve no clue how good or bad they are.
I also tried out a place called Chopal in Noida last week which offers a choice of four thalis - north indian, south indian, continental and chinese (veg only). The food was surprisingly good and reminded me of the food at Embassy.
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
yaki gyoza. hmmm. must try
they also have an outlet near the DU north campus and also serve great punjabi food there.
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try the embassy in civil lines, its better we feel ambiance and food wise !!! their kababs r simply the best !
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
October 3rd, 2009 at 4:06 pm
will do
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Haven’t tried the Embassy at all, I feel like a sinner or not having done so after your piece. Will definitely do so this week. Meanwhile you should give a thought to Kake da Dhaba- outer circle. Swagath too is great, although a different genre.
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
October 5th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
I often visited Kake da Dhaba in the 1970s. It was wonderful, if grotty. I haven’t been there in years. Swagath I find overhyped. Bastardised, heavy Mangalorean food.
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renuka Reply:
October 8th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Who’s in withdrawal for pepper pomfret and prawn gassi with neer dosa at Mahesh, Trishna etc back in Bombay?
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There is an old Embassy restaurant on the Mall in Shimla too. It sports a similar logo and serves the best cakes. Wonder if the families are related? Vandana
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
No idea. Does anyone know?
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dear samar,
i would disagree, Embassy food is not what it used to be, i recently went there after ages, & to my disappointment found food to be way below par… even the butter chicken was bad…. kababs, tasteless & full of spices, i don’t know which place is worse “Punjabi by nature” or “Embassy”….
but i have to say that i recently had the best south Indian non veg meal at a small place in hauz khaz village called ” gunpowder”, try it.
i guess our memories at time clouds our judgment about food & we get carried away…. i would like embassy to be the embassy of old, but i guess it needs passion & judgment to be a great restaurant .
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Hmmm. Let’s disagree on this. I love Embassy food, of that I’m sure. Nothing to do with memories.
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hemant kapil Reply:
October 9th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
samar,
maybe i was too harsh on the Embassy when i recalled my last visit. maybe, i would try again with some close friends( true blue dilliwallas unlike me), & see if i am alone in my view. i have had some really good meals there in the past, but unfortunately my last visit was a downer. a mark of a great restaurant is how it corrects its falling.
would let you know…
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meal looks perfect,..i guess will go there with my sis,…:-) thnks a ton for the review,..
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
October 9th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
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About 10 years ago, its huge samosas used to be also famous. I being vegetarian have eaten its huge potato green peas samosa which used to be priced Rs.39.75. Its 9.75 pricing is also unique to Embassy. I will love to know others’ opinions about Embassy’s samosas.
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