Cooper's Grill & Bar, Sector 30, Gurgaon

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Because of the humongous distance of Noida, Gurgaon from most parts of Delhi (30-40 kms at least), the culinary delights of these places have long evaded the grasps of foodies like me. Although time and distance are the least of the bother for me when I’m craving for some particular item but convincing my friends to travel long distances, for trying something out of their comfort zone, that too on their solitary day off from work, has always proved to be a Mission Impossible for me.

But then there are places like Cooper’s, for which not much efforts are required to convince anyone as everyone is aware of the name and fame it has gathered within a short period of time. Also, a bar and an American diner which can easily double up as a sports bar on the match days, who can say no to such a place!!!

Nestled in the corner of the DLF star tower, Cooper’s Grill & Bar is quite easily accessible, being right on the NH-8. The first look of the place itself is enough to bring a smile on your face. They have a well maintained lawn in front of it with an option of having an alfresco meal there. The place is perfect for some peace and quiet time on a day when the weather is good. Interiors are no less impressive either. Designed on the lines of a traditional American diner, the place is huge and can easily house more than 70-80 persons at a time.

We were greeted by the owner, Mr. Siddharth, himself and under his able guidance, began our food journey. While the starters were being decided, we were served their complementary bread basket. The dish vanished off the table within minutes as the buns were really soft and flavorful and went great with the accompanying garlic butter dip.

For starters, we had roasted Peri-Peri Chicken Skewers, Grilled Fish Sticks, Vadapao Sliders, Chimmichuri Spiced Prawns, Veg Tacos, Four Cheese Pizza, and Sid’s Favorite All Meat Pizza.

Roasted Peri-Peri Chicken Skewers were tender chicken with zingy combination of flavors served along with a dip which further enhanced the flavors.

Grilled fish sticks were marinated in Chermoula which is a Moroccan herb sauce and has delicious spices like coriander, cumin and chillies which gave the soft fish a rich, herby, and spicy taste. A little less salt though, would’ve made the fish perfect.

Comprising of parsley and/or cilantro, garlic, vinegar, oil and red pepper flakes, Chimmichuri is a green sauce which is used in Argentinian cuisine to marinate grilled meats. It’s both hot and cool at the same time and when served with prawns, it led to a blast of bright color and flavor.

Sid’s Favorite All Meat Pizza was finished in 60 seconds flat. It is a delight for any meat lover with its heaps of toppings, an egg in the centre and a crust which is thin, crispy and fresh.

The Vadapao Sliders had 4 mini vadapaos and although the dish tasted good but somehow the essence felt amiss as it lacked the hot & spicy garlic chutney which makes the vadapao the dish it is.

But the superb coming together of the four cheeses; namely the buffalo, cheddar, danish blue and ricotta; in Four Cheese Pizza made it a sheer delight and was one hell of a way to make up for the miss of the sliders.

For main course, we had Taco vs. Basa, short ribs, pasta, burritos, risotto and a chicken burger.

Taco vs. Basa; a soft-steamed basa fish with lemon induced tanginess, topped with crushed spicy nachos served over a bed of rice; is something you cannot dare to miss at this place. It is like falling in love with each bite.

Cooked over 8 hours to make it juicier and let it imbibe the flavors, the short ribs went great with the accompanying sauce.

The pasta alfredo was made to the perfection and was so good that it almost made me lick the bowl clean.

The burritos faced a similar problem as the sliders as it lacked the spicy punch that is expected of the Mexican dishes.

Risotto was not only pretty to look at but was a sheer delight to the taste buds too. It was yet another impressive dish from their 24 yr old chef, Mr. Rattan.

Chicken burger in brioche bun was the dish of the day. A brioche bun is one which has double the egg and butter content in the dough which makes its crumb silky and tender enabling it to hold onto the juices much better.

Desserts are always the highlight of any meal and Cooper’s really proved their mettle in this department. For desserts we had the New York Cheesecake, House Brulee and the chocolate ganache.

The cheesecake was quite smooth and creamy, with a hint of tartness. The major highlight was the blueberry syrup topping and the right amount of crust at the bottom.

While the chocolate ganache were nothing short of spectacular either, my attention got fixated on the brulee only with its arrival on the table. This was my first time having a brulee and the sight of it itself got me all excited. With a rich custard base topped with a layer of hard caramel, I must say, it was exactly like how they show it in the Masterchef series. Absolutely loved it.