The Progressive Indian Menu @ Cafe Terminus 1, Ambiance Mall, Vasant Kunj

It’s very rare to find the concept of a traveling café in Delhi NCR.Bringing together food from a multi-cultural background and presenting them without creating a hash of things is difficult enough. Terminus One in Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj addresses those issues to a tee. With different types of seating, this quirky café serves up some eclectic food. The madness percolates down to the decor as well as funny quotations adorn the wall along with some out of the box menu covers or for that matter the screen that shows you the proceedings in the kitchen. Their new progressive Indian menu has some tried and tested recipes along with some spin offs on the classics by Executive Chef Ashish Singh

The start is fantastic. A Bread basket reminiscent of Café Delhi Heights (Terminus One is owned by the same parent company) along with tubes of flavoured butter. A spicy Thai curry mousse also accompanies the Bread Basket. We start off with Mutton Trotter Soup. Pieces of meat balls which get covered with dehydrated mushrooms, pistachoes and other dry fruits and topped off by a generous creamy earthy broth. On rehydration, there is an explosion of flavours from the components of the soup with sweet, salty and umami flavours hitting your tongue.

Quench your thirst with Mango Mint Milkshake or the Tomato surprise this summer. Light and refreshing taste with the creamy sweetness of the mango will set you up for a gargantuan meal. While the tomato creates a complex interplay of tastes.

The next dish is a meal in itself. Priced at INR 355, the Maftoul Salad is a humongous creation. Enough to fill the belly of one average adult male, the salad impresses with its freshness and the taste of hummus sprinkled all over it.

The Clotted Curd Croquette (INR 295) is light on flavours and on the belly whilst the Railway Cutlet (INR 275) is a tribute to IRCTC’s breakfast cutlet. For 20 somethings out there zapping across destinations in their flights, it’s a throwback to their childhood. It was the times when trains took a day to reach your destination. The Crispy Vegetarian Cutlet may not impress so much on taste but the memories it draws out are truly nostalgic. Served with the steamed vegetables, this just might be the dish that many people might come back for.

A Ultimate Beef Burger just might be the ultimate reply to all you carnivore cravings. Loaded with a thick juicy buff patty along with a dash of cheese, some pickled vegetables and some regular ones, this burger challenges their flagship Juicy Lucy Burger. Requiring a super human effort to demolish the whole of it, the juices drip out smearing your fingers and face. This is one burger that deserves a mention of Man v/s Food. Another of their bacon delicacies is the Bacon Quesadila. Loaded with bacon and khimchi salad, this dish explodes on your palate with a multitude of flavours from meaty to sour.

A peekaboo into their Progressive Indian Menu. We try out the Panchratan Subzi and The Mutton Kosha. The Panchratan Subzi is the pinnacle of Indian vegetarian cooking with the five components combining in a perfect harmony. The dry vegetable preparation along with the toasted channa rounded off in a malabari parantha and a hint of hung curd, there is a marvellous interplay of flavours on your palate. The Kosha Mangsho is an ode to the Bengalis. Slow cooked mutton in a thick gravy along with pieces of potato. The starch of the potato has a loving relationship with the protein of the meat. It is something that you might find in a Bengali household on a Sunday lunch. But it’s the proximity to authenticity that impresses the most.

The Grilled Sole (INR 595) is a delectably crafted piece of fish laid on a bed of fried eggplant pakoras and a covering of cumin seeds and peanuts while the Shittakae and Roma Risotto retains a chalky consistency so difficult to get right.

Some candid desserts to take care of your sugary cravings. These sugary delights will satisfy all your sinful desires. The first of them is Khurchan Mille Feuille (INR 195), a combination of classics both from India and France. This lightly flavoured dessert envelops your palate with a sweet, creamy texture. The next in line is the Mahalabiya (INR 175), a spin off on the classic Arabic Dessert. A sticky pudding complemented by a thin Filo Pastry and delightfully sweet gulkand on top.

Terminus One impresses with some authentic dishes from around the globe along with some mouth-watering desserts.