When I got invited to this event, I was super excited. Being a South Delhi girl, Old Delhi feels like a new world all together. So much to see and so much to experience. I was told to take metro till Chawri Bazaar and then a rickshaw till the main police station. When I reached the Police Station, I was escorted till the Haveli on foot. We walked through narrow lanes for a few hundred metres and reached our destination.
As the gates opened of the Haveli, I was transported to a different world all together. Beautiful artifacts and an open courtyard (or traditionally known as an “aangan”). We were served Kanji as a welcome drink (it was quiet refreshing).
The hosts of the afternoon were Vidyun and Siddhant Goyal. Real siblings by relation, they were the perfect host for the afternoon. Vidyun told me, the haveli was bought by her father (Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Goel) 10 years back from a Jain Family. They started restoration process after 4 years, thinking it’ll get done in 6 months but it took them 6 years to restore the building. Currently there are 3 floors + terrace, in evenings on 2 floors live Kathak performance take place.
Before and after restoration
We were seated in the dinning area named “Lakhori”, named after the stone used to make the building.
Lakhori Stone
For starters we were served Cucumber Chat Canapes, Dahi Puri, Palak Patta Chaat, Kadak Roomali Masala and Gilouti Kebabs. My personal favorites were Palak Patta Chaat (crisp palak patta with right amount of dahi & chutney) and the Cucumber Chat Canapes (a bite into freshness).
What really stole my heart were the drinks served (OH MY GOD! Serious food coma). Each drink was unique and absolutely fabulous. I thought smoothies would be too heavy but glad I decided to taste them. They were a sip into heaven, fresh fruit and fluffy texture- an absolute must try. Kiwi Strawberry and Medi Grass stole my heart (yum.. yumm… yummm…). The names of the mocktails were quiet fancy, so I decided to order all (perks of being a blogger :p) and I am glad I did. I just could not stop drinking the mocktails, each and every mocktail served was so unique and different. Gali Khazanchi– Guava Juice with chunks of green chilly and mint, Banarasi Pan– Liquid Pan in a glass (though I would prefer a shot of it after my meal instead of the whole glass but it was absolutely delicious), Jahan Ara– Khus served with chunks of green chilly and last but not the least the Chai Biscuit. If you go to Lakhori and you do not try “Chai Biscuit”, then you would be definitely missing out on an epic drink. Imagine Oreo shake but instead of Oreo- a biscuit and instead of plain milk- Chai flavored milk. This drink left me in serious food coma.
For main course, we were served Aloo Gobhi Mutter Deconstructed, Kofata Dogala with baby breads. After eating the mains, I was quiet sure about one thing- alot of thought was put in planning the menu. Each dish was bang on and the flavors were dancing in my mouth. I was informed the owners are vegetarian (no wonder so much of innovation in the veg. menu and trust me when I say this- “Its a veggies paradise!”). I thought we are done with food but suddenly a plate of paranthas and petha sabji appears (OMG! I am full but I still cant stop eating the petha sabzi. It was deliciousss).
Non-vegetarians don’t cross mark this place, there is plenty for you to eat here too. From Mutton to chicken, other fellow foodies seemed to enjoy it equally.
Desserts- I am not a “sweet” person but the desserts they served looked so beautiful, I could not stop myself from digging my spoon into it. The trio of Beetroot, Paan and Dates Kheer. Omg!! It was the perfect end to the meal.
The kheer trio
We then went on a tour of the Haveli- from the hookah room to the bedroom to the terrace, each space was done with a lot of thought and taste. Absolutely loved my visit here and would be coming back soon for more “Chai Biscuit” (:p).
