'Varq' (meaning edible gold or silver foil used as a garnish in Indian cooking) at the Taj Mansingh is one of the newer additions to the Indian capital's culinary landscape and has replaced Haveli - the Anjoli Ela Menon adorned traditional Mughlai restaurant at Taj Mansingh which was an old favourite with yours truly.
A few friends recommended I check out Varq and on a chilly night last month thats precisely what I did. In these times of fusion food, I was not sure of what exactly to expect in master chef Hemant Oberoi's newest offering but with great enthusiasm nonetheless I made my dinner reservation.
The decor is minimalist, sophisticated albeit a bit dark (the Anjolie Ela menon works have been refurbished and continue to occupy pride of place). We were escorted to our table by the smiling Maitre'D and presented with the wine list and food menu.
I ordered the Louis Latour Ardeche Chardonnay 2010 (a wine recommended by the chef himself as a suitable pairing with the Varq cuisine). Yellowish in colour with a green tinge, the Ardeche has a lovely toasty bouquet : a smooth finish with crisp acidity. In my opinion, Indian food is best paired with white wines and that too precisely of this texture. At INR 2400 it is one of the more affordable options and complements the food beautifully.
The first appetizer to arrive was the Ganderi Kebab. It is a novel dish in that it is minced chicken with spices fried on a sugarcane stick and served in a shot glass with aam chur (dried mango powder). Innovative and delectable. I was tempted to order another round but refrained in favour of trying out more variety. Next to arrive were the Kebabs with Haleem (slow cooked minced meat cooked with lentils and spices). I was happy to note the traditional recipe has not been tampered with and the lentil-meat mixture and consistency was just perfect. Our final appetizer was the Mustard Prawns. Three large prawns seated on a bed of rice were a visual treat. This Bengali delicacy was prepared with the ideal mix of poppy and mustard seeds garnished with edamame beans. The excellent food thus far was giving me the sinking feeling that I should have fasted for a day or two before coming here !
Wanting to do full justice to the much renowned desserts, we ordered only one main course to share - murg sirka pyaaz with an assortment of breads like tandoori roti, missi roti and methi paratha. While the chicken preparation was good, if I have to choose a least favourite dish from the evening it would be this one. The breads were all excellent and the missi roti stood out.
Now onto my favourite part of the dinner. One look at the dessert trolley and I knew we had to go the whole hog. We ordered a portion each of the tille wali kulfi (good but not extraordinary), apple kheer (creative and tasty) and the house special - The Dome. The last is a signature creation of Varq and is a whole lot of chocolate served with a dash of flaming liqueur and topped with Bailey's flavoured rabri. Heavenly !
The service at Varq is discreet and sincere. The emphasis is clearly on the presentation of dishes. The delectable fare is stylishly crafted and presented in the most appealing manner. Chef Oberoi's culinary offerings using exotic ingredients will tantalize Indian and foreign taste buds alike. The food is in no way bland and the spice quotient is just right to be able to appreciate the tenderness of meat over strong condiments.
Varq is a beautiful restaurant on all counts and I would go back at the next instant. It is not exactly affordable fare (starters at approx INR 900 each) but considering this is fine dining, you are paying less than what some establishments charge in the same name. Be sure to save yourself a date with Varq to celebrate your next big occasion and you won't regret it.
Nice round-up of your experience.You describe in detail, hence i'd have liked to read about more dishes here. I feel these avant-garde desi restaurants should be offering a good range of Indian wines under Rs.1500 per bottle at menu-price ,instead of pushing more foreign wines. Unless they feel that the latter does not measure to their cuisine. More likely that they want to make money on the pricier bottles.
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