Indian Accent Restaurant Reviews – The Manor Hotel in New Delhi India

Indian Accent at The Manor, New Delhi, localises foreign ingredients and incorporates them into an Indian ensemble

SOMETHING about Yulia made me look at her again as I walked into Indian Accent at The Manor hotel last week. Was it that strangely appropriate Indian twang in her English that rang a bell considering she’s the manager of the hotel’s just-opened fine dining restaurant? Was it the interesting contrast between her striking ash blonde hair and the sedate, sherwani-style long coat? Then I saw her full name in the menu — Yulia Kisel Banerjee.

Aha! Suddenly the Indian accent made sense as I remembered where I’d seen her – participating wholeheartedly at our annual colourful Durga Puja celebrations as she’s married to a Bengali! What better person to epitomise the culinary-cultural bridge that Rohit Khattar’s Old World Hospitality has conceptualised with Indian Accent? She, in a way, is the key to executive chef Manish Malhotra’s pan pan-Indian cuisine: Indian but international and vice versa.

That key in mind, I delved into the degustation (tasting) menu to see exactly how Chef Manish planned to tempt the well-travelled taste-buds of not only the predominantly international clientele that is The Manor’s mainstay but also the cosmpolitan Indian. He’s of course, uniquely placed to attempt that, as his stint in London has not only given him an idea of how far he can go with the foreign palate, but also how much innovation the Indian palate can take before crying, “Bus!”

I couldn’t help but remember that around seven years ago, in this very hotel, the talented Vineet Bhatia tried to replicate the success of his London restaurant Zaika here with Mushq. It flopped. Indians when in India (even some of those who loved his food in London) simply couldn’t handle his western take on Indian cuisine. But, to take the Yulia metaphor, chef Manish has a more clever approach: Indianise foreign ingredients – the opposite of Bhatia’s line – and incorporate them into a modern desi ensemble.

So the semolina (sooji) phuchkas or paanipuris are authentic but stuffed with ‘masala’ couscous! And they’re accompanied by four eastern ‘waters’ besides the traditional jaljeera – pomegranate, tamarind, pineapple and yoghurt – with Belvedere shots as a sixth option for a spirited western kick. Similarly, his panko-crusted ‘bharwan mirch’ with goat’s cheese mousse and aam papad relish has melded a Japanese coating and French filling seamlessly into an essentially Indian spicy starter. And his take on a salmon maki is to invert the roll using a south Indian curd rice (thayar saadam) filling wrapped with the smoked fish!

The more I progressed through the menu – a steal at Rs 1900, with Rs 1,000 extra to include wine – the Yulia metaphor became more pronounced as choice foreign ingredients appeared in agreeable desi garb. A single scallop came in its distinct shell with a dab of balchao and a sprinkling of kokum, while the galangal aroma in Chef Manish’s deconstructed version of the Parsi patrani machhi smartly fused east-and-east.

As for his foie gras-stuffed melt-in-the-mouth galawati kebab with strawberry green chilli chutney, it was a satiating mix of excess-and-excess! Talking of extravagance, besides topping his mask nana with foie gras, Chef Manish has also made brilliant use of truffle-scented oil by putting a few drops on mushroom-stuffed kuliches, an embellishment I intend to try on the humble Bengali Maida piranha at home very soon!

If anything, his mix’n match of the flavours of India‘s wide geographical extremities, was even more interesting. While it could not equal the nautical miles encapsulated in the rise crusted red snapper moily paired with greens and pinenut poriyal, or the rosemary rubbed New Zealand lamb chops with wasabi raita, my personal favourite of the entire meal was a witty, veggie north-south marriage featuring a paper-thin, crispy dosai cone accompanied by masala morels and water chestnuts (singhara).

When it came to sweet something, however, Chef Manish obviously decided on the opposite tack: using time-tested and popular desi ingredients make western-style desserts. How else can I describe toffee chyawanprash cheesecake with flecks of gold leaf and badam milk (tasted better than I expected!), Old Monk rum-balls with Valrhona chocolate sauce (a great modern mix of nostalgic Indian and western ingredients) and comfortingly familiar yet new combination of Kinnaur apple and shakarpara crumble with vanillabean icecream.

Indiansing western ingredients has been a well-documented if often hamhanded success, from masala maggi and keema pizza to rajma burgers and more. I do hope Delhi is now mature enough to appreciate that Indian Accent delightful fare proves the value of keeping it subtle yet distinct. Like Yulia. Indian Accent Restaurant Reviews

INDIAN ACCENT RESTAURANT BAR AT THE MANOR, NEW DELHI

Old World Hospitality Private Limited (O.W.H.) has now leased The Manor, New Delhi. In Phase I, O.W.H. has refurbished the rooms and is launching a new restaurant Indian Accent.

The restaurant’s path-breaking contemporary Indian menu has been designed by Chef Manish Mehrotra, Old World Hospitality’s Executive Chef – Pan Asian Cuisine. Manish heads the kitchens of Oriental Octopus (New Delhi & Noida) and Tamarai (London). Manish’s creativity is showcased by the unique amalgamation of the freshest local produce combining home style nostalgic tastes with unusual ingredients from across the world. The result is a menu that we hope will excite the adventurous yet satisfy traditional palates.

This is Indian food for the twenty first century with a unique marriage of global ingredients and techniques with the flavours and traditions of India. Some of the dishes on the menu include Foie Gras Stuffed Galawat, Smoked Salmon Thayar Satham, Galangal Infused Patrani Mekong Basa, Tamarind Glazed Lamb Shank, Masala Morels Water Chestnut Paper Roast Dosai. Desserts range from Old Monk Rum Balls with Valrhona Chocolate Sauce, Cointreau Ki Chuski and Toffee Chyawanprash Cheese Cake with Badam Milk.
U.K’s celebrated wine consultant, Charles Metcalfe has developed a wine list to complement this cuisine. Charles believes that many of the best wine pairings with Indian food are found with white wines, often from New World wine countries. His five half glasses paired with Chef Manish’s tasting menu (11 dishes) are the pièce de résistance of Indian Accent and offer incredible value for money. The innovative cocktails are served stylishly by bartender Bharat Bhushan, who recently was declared the Best Bartender at the Finlandia 11th Cup and represented India in Finland.

Indian Accent has opted for that rare interior in today’s times – a comfortable, no nonsense dining room. Overlooking the cool verandah and the lush lawn, the restaurant has a private dining room and a bar with a stunning onyx counter. Two gigantic silver diya trees of life also provide an Indian Accent to the otherwise contemporary décor. With marigold and frangipani flowers as omnipresent leitmotifs, the restaurant welcomes you on a unique culinary journey.

You can enjoy a lazy breakfast or brunch, lunch, high tea, dinner and late night coffee and desserts at Indian Accent.

Speaking about the latest venture, Rohit Khattar, Managing Director, Old World Hospitality said, “With service that is friendly and efficient, The Manor with its chic design and beautiful luxury suites is a unique boutique hotel. With Indian Accent, we now have an exciting new restaurant, where we are looking forward to imaginatively push culinary boundaries”.

About The Manor – boutique hotel in delhi

The Manor is a unique luxury hotel set as a garden bungalow in Friends Colony. The hotel lays emphasis on quality and understated elegance. The chic yet classic design contrasts cool Italian mosaic flooring with warm, rich wood paneling in the public areas and houses some of the most comfortable rooms and suites in New Delhi. With the aim of taking stress out of travel in an unfamiliar territory, it was developed as a small country hotel in the 1950s and has turned into an oasis in the centre of the sprawling bustling capital. Till recently The Manor was operated by Aman Resorts before Old World Hospitality leased it.

About Old World Hospitality
Old World Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. (O.W.H.) operates the hospitality and cultural facilities at
Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi as well as at Epicentre, Gurgaon. O.W.H. also runs
2 hotels (Hotel Broadway and The Manor), a catering company (Events Etc.) and 16 restaurants in the N.C.R. In addition, it operates 3 restaurants in London – Chor Bizarre, Sitaaray and Tamarai.

Indian Accent – Restaurant Bar in South Delhi

Indian Accent the new Restaurant Bar launched in The Manor Hotel, in South Delhi.

Chef Manish & Charles Metcalfe’s latest endeavour is Indian Accent, the new restaurant at The Manor hotel in New Delhi, India. The overwhelming response from the press following its opening at the beginning of March has tempted Rohit Khattar of Old World Hospitality to kick off a search for the perfect location for an Indian Accent in London.

Here is Indian food like never before… when executed with supple and nimble mastery – magic happens and it is happening here. I find that course after course chef Mehrotra coaxes the most amazing flavours out of vegetables, cooks meats unerringly and pairs them with intuitive brilliance. And serves them with flair… Presiding over this marriage procession of food and wine is UK’s wine expert Charles Metcalfe… Rohit Khattar and his team are all set to raise the Bar here. By Rashmi Uday Singh, The Times Of India