ROOH New Delhi's Navratra menu is a play on classic flavours with modern and innovative techniques. Here's TSL Review!
Nestled in Mehrauli's posh locality, Ambawatta with a stunning rooftop overlooking the Qutub Minar, Rooh is a haven for those who appreciate fine dining with a progressive spin. Expanding on the brand's global presence and its address in San Fransico, ROOH Delhi offers a cosmopolitan experience that is intrinsically Indian yet decidedly international.
This Navratra ROOH's artfully created menu, Sattva takes guests on a gastronomical journey as chef Nihari seamlessly translates traditional Navratra ingredients like Sabudana, Kuttu, Aloo, Pumpkin and Singhara into modern food. Fusing together authentic flavours and innovative techniques, for local diners, the menu will evoke the memory of something certainly familiar yet a surprise to the palate.
Sattva - the Navratri special menu (available from 22-30 March) is a set five-course meal price at INR 2150 ++. Adapting the ethos of the restaurant to the festivities, the menu is unlike most others. Steering clear from the classic dishes like Sabudana Vada, Dahi wale arbi, Mango Lassi, Sabudana papad, Kuttu Ki Poori, Singhare Ki Roti, Samak Ke Chawal and the likes, the menu is refreshing and gives these dishes a fresh twist.
On the menu, you will find dishes like Beetroot & Apple Gazpacho cold soup
Sabudana Roastie with Sweet potato mousse, Khajoor & apricot kebab
grapes jam, Kuttu chilla with dal murdabadi espuma, zeera aloo terrine served with
pumpkin rasa, zeera bhog rice and singhara parotta. To end can dig into the mango lassi & rose sweet lassi cylinder.
We started the meal with the Beetroot & Apple Gazpacho cold soup. The sweetness of the apple was sharply contrasted with the sourness of the beetroot, making it not only whole and light but also healthy. The consistency of the soup was spot on and it was smooth on the palate. Bring out the beauty of the dish was the maroon colour of the soup that was contracted with the yellow and purple flowers and spherically cut apple balls.
Next, the Sabudana Roastie with Sweet potato mousse was a favourite. With flavours similar to chaat, the treatment of these classics with modern innovations was beyond delightful. Adding a bit of theatrics was the dry ice snow. Upon taking a spoonful the creamy texture of the mousse was complimented by the iciness of the snow and the Roastie. The sweetness was delivered from the mousse and saltiness from the roastie. Topped with crunchy noodle-like topping it was truly a soulful bowl.
Moving onto something sweeter to tingling the palate was the Khajoor & apricot kebab
grapes jam. Yeah, we too were a little taken aback at the thought of a fruit and date kebab but the flavours were interesting, to say the least.
Then came the mains which were similar to the traditional Navratri food but with a spin. The Kuttu chilla was stuffed with aloo and served with dal murdabadi espuma (that was puree and as smooth as silk), the brown colour of the kuttu chilla was brought to life with the bright yellow dal. And upon digging in, I couldn't stop eating. By this time I really did think I was full, but the beauty was that the meal so far had small portion sizes and was light, hence helping me do justice to the menu with my tiny appetite.
Finally came the zeera aloo terrine served with pumpkin rasa, zeera bhog rice and singhara parotta. And this was definitely a piece of art – at first sight, it looked like a mille-feuille pastry with stark layers and tops with small red disks on top to add colour. The waiter then poured over the orange pumpkin rasa which transformed the look of the dish. A spoon full of the dish felt soft, flavourful, and indulgent (like cream but not cream) and also had the perfect amount of saltiness. But the surprise for us truly was how a Navratri menu without the use of onion and garlic could feel like a feast! And.... with a menu like that I'd definitely not bat an eyelid to fast.
The winner for me was the mango lassi & rose sweet lassi cylinder. Mesmerizing to look at and a melt-in-your-mouth experience with strong flavours of the season's special fruit - Mango. The 3/4 th of the icy cylinder was white in colour and the remaining in yellow, the cigar resembling dessert was placed over a pale yellow custard-like mango lassi and topped with nuts, gold leaf, rose gel and edible flower. Creamy, sweet, icy, nutty and palatable what more could one want from a dessert?
TSL's Verdict:
A refreshing twist to Navratra food and we love that the Sattva menu is inventive rather than traditional.
Beautiful to look at without compromising on the taste. The flavours sing through each of the courses in harmony.
Brilliant portion size to avoid wastage and an ambience that is truly enchanting.
Where: ROOH, New Delhi, Mehrauli
When: 22-30 March 2023
Timings: Lunch and dinner