DesiFun | Desi Roots

Aren’t you just tired of eating all the fast food crap? Atleast I know, I am! Its not a lie when I say that restaurants come and go on a daily basis. Only a few of them make place in our hearts, this one’s being surely amongst them. Let me introduce you to my newest find & undoubtedly favorite place at the moment “Desi Roots”. The moment you step inside the cafe, you feel like you’ve entered a different era, much like you’ve travelled back in time.

Surrounded by brick walls and art pieces like this juke box and many more, the place is surely going to leave you wanting for more! The decor is so beautiful that you’ll feel like capturing each corner of the restaurant. I was so fascinated by the sewing machine table, the hand pump table, the big iron trunk full of Champak, Tinkle and Chacha Chaudhary, the Wall of locks & many such things (Ahh! I can go on and on).

Moreover, they have 3 sections in the restaurant with a gorgeous bar, each being entirely different from the other with a same DESI feel to it! The whole setting of the restaurant is quite colorful & quirky with a subtle raw vibe to it.

The ambience of the restaurant fuelled up my expectations for the food. The menu was also a piece of perfection, just like the food, interesting, short and different for different times of the day (now that’s cool, isn’t it?). You might get confused after reading their innovative names on the menu but their oh-so-welcoming staff is right there to help you (super brownie points for the most courteous staff I’ve come across).

They served us a welcome starter named “Parpu vada on coconut & mint chutney, fried lentils and curry leaves” which was a bite into what turned out to be a delightful experience.

We asked the chef to send over his absolute favorites for the starters while we ordered ourselves their signature “Desi by Roots” mocktail and a “Kiwi Cooler”. The Chef surprised us with three mouthwatering dishes : Warm samosa deconstruct with aam papad chutney, Veg Biryani croquettes with salan aioli and Chipotle Chicken Tikka with avocado raita.

This was followed by a small combo of main course in which we had: Amritsari Nannini with Butter Chicken & Amritsari Nannini with Kadhai Paneer. The presentation took me by surprise, everything tasted as good as it looked.

After all that overeating (and burps!), there was still one thing which I really wanted to taste because of the special name attached to it “Jamaluddin ki kheer from Badal Beg Masjid, Old Delhi” . And I can’t stress on the fact that you just can’t miss this delicacy, just can’t!

While leaving the restaurant, the staff handed me a lock, to put it on the wall of locks with a wish, and I can go and open it with my key whenever the wish comes true (I’m going to open it when my blog completes a year)!

The menu, the decor and the food is utterly original and very innovative. Each dish satisfied my taste buds asking for more! Also, it is located away from all the chaos, at the backside of the mall in Saket.

Price point: INR 1200 for two people (approx.)

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Photography: Ramit Aggarwal, Amrita Chugh

Top: Zingrin | Earrings : Gioielli by Parneet Thukral | Trousers: thrifted from Bangkok

Let me know in the comments below or on  Instagram, Facebook and Twitter about your Desi experience.