Reinventing Indian cuisine is probably one of the toughest jobs for a Chef in India. But when it is Chef Arun Sundararaj at the Taj Mahal Hotel New Delhi, you can expect some wonders. On occasion of the tenth anniversary of their Indian speciality restaurant Varq, Chef Sundararaj did exactly the same. He changed the look and texture of a quintessential North Indian dish, Murg Methi Malai Tilka and made it something worth remembering. As shown in the Insta-worthy picture below, he used a Chicken souffle with exactly the right amount of flavours along with a touille on top.

What all did we try out at Varq?

Well, they say that openers should be solid, but Chef Sundararaj’s opening salvo is more Sehwag than Akash Chopra, more Dhawan than Vijay. It literally grabs you by the collar, sit up and take notice. A tiny crispy appam along with some prawns cooked in a Malayali style along with a Upma shaped like a Sushi and filled with Achaar. He follows it up with a delicately made Fish Tikka with the basting juices in a dropper and a Patthar Ke Kebab which is smoked right before being served out.

The mains are a story in itself as he serves me a rendition of a lamb shank along with lamb pies for me. The use of a continental and Indian flavour in the same plate had me floored but there are some other ones that deserve a special mention too. A Duck cooked in a typical South Indian style, a Khichda with some Ghee and Green Chili pickle and the Chettinad Prawns with Red Rice.

Desserts at Varq

Although the mains were a showcase of the meats, the dessert menu will definitely add quite a few smiles on your face. Be it the Varqi Jalebi, the Khubaani ka Meetha, the trio of Kulfi or the Orange and Quinoa ki Kheer, the flavours are something that will have you licking your fingers.

Do try out the new menu at Varq and let us know about it in the comments below.