'Jab we went' to the iconic Khan Chacha, Khan Market

What do a group of senior corporate executives, 5 college students, 4 ladies out for the day and a couple doing up their home interiors have in common? Quite simply, 'Khan Chacha', the famous little food joint at Khan Market, New Delhi.It was a full house with all the above mentioned people ( and many more) when we dropped-in for a quick bite a few days back.We were hot, tired and hungry- we had been looking for lights and other misc fittings for our home at the adjoing Lok Nayak Bhavan and it had been a long morning.Happily , I can tell you that as a 'first' the entire experience was was a very pleasant one.With rugged interiors, the delicious aroma of great kebabs cooking, followed by a satisfying, well priced meal in just over Rs 500, it was exactly the kind of visit that leaves one wanting more.

Unmistakably 'Khan Chacha' A little background check and I learnt that Khan Market which was established in 1951 and named in honour of Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan (brother of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan), has been ranked as the costliest retail location in India. In 2010, it was rated as the world's 21st most expensive retail high street by real estate firm Cushman and Wakefield and is consistently ranked as one of the costliest high-end streets.So one might actually wonder if all the restaurants here were priced steeply. Happily, the inimitable Khan Chacha wasn't.

The revamped eatery now has rough hewn tables, chairs and a glass encased open kitchen and can accomodate up to 40 people at a time. But considering the long queues that this eatery has seen in the past, a second floor is now being planned.As far as two key ingredients-taste and value for money go, it puts in a huge effort.With a recently introduced 'Aloo roll', the vegetarians get an interesting option adding to the number of customers already coming in by the scores.In the non-vegetarian section, two new entries, the 'fish tikka roll' and 'shaami kebab' make the overall choices that much more delightful. The procedure for getting your hands on your meal at this very popular self service restaurant is fairly simple.You go up and place your order at a window and an order number appears on a screen above the kitchen hatch when it is ready. Simply collect and tuck right in!

The quick, efficient and hardworking team The comprehensive and economical menu

Spoilt for choice Our Chicken Haryali Rolls- A meal for two in just over Rs 500 With well known personalities from all walks of life walking in randomly, this little restaurant has received an unbelievable amount of media coverage. One look at the walls and one sees it- bright, beautiful and very informative. The very visible media splash

Standing at the most recognisable location Goes without saying, I had to have a keepsake of my first visit here so this is it.

On the Delhi Food trail and a Food Bus on Christmas Day

The holidays are all about food, fun and laughter and I'm a firm believer in all these. So while we went out for a traditional Christmas dinner and dance at our club on Christmas eve, we decided to mark Christmas on  a different note  and headed  out on a guided Food Tour in the Delhi Food Bus.         

Organised by a group of enthusiastic people called 'Seek Sherpa', it promised to be one of a kind culinary experience through Delhi's underbelly and since we are currently in the process of rediscovering Delhi after moving back to India after over two decades, it was something that we found ourselves looking forward to.

An overview- A day full of food, fun and more food

After boarding the bus with about 25 other food enthusiasts, and being introduced to our 'Sherpas', Dhruv and Sukhmani,we  settled down comfortably and decide to enjoy every moment of that trip. Be it the food quiz that proved to be very informative, or the food 'Antakshari' that the two teams played, it was really the little touches that prepped us for the culinary delights that were to follow.

Our first stop was at 'Hunger Strike' in Lajpat Nagar where we shared large plate of the most delicious Tandoori Momos I've ever eaten. Correction, that would have to read, the most delicious momos I've ever eaten, for I'd never eaten 'Tandoori' ones earlier. Accompanied by a green chutney, a red chilli paste and mayonnaise, it was a real palate tickler.Add to it, a whole lot of spice and we soon looked around for the nearest drink of water and when I found one, enjoyed the momos even more!

Moving on and happily looking forward to the next course, we found ourselves heading to the Moolchand flyover and soon disembarked and walked towards Sanjay Chur Chur Naan, a little stall complete with a series of Tandoors and the delightful fragrance of hot breads and rotis wafting through the air.

We learnt that a 'chur chur' naan is rather different from a regular naan and soon got a plate of two of those naans, accompanied by a glass of 'chaach'. Must admit, they looked rather large, so we are relieved to know that it was to be shared between two people.

That was when I happened to look back and saw a couple of men mixing the dough for the naans.While Im not squeamish, lets just say that that particular sight was unappealing to the extent of putting both Avi and myself off that course- entirely! 

Luckily we still had two more stops to go and knew that some delicious Kebabs were to follow so in retrospect, we really hadn't missed much. And must say that the Barra Kababs at Rajindar Ka Dhaba more than made up for it. Juicy, spicy and succulent, they were really enjoyable and I learnt something of particular interest. Apparently, these kababs are marinated in papaya and left overnight- hence the real soft and juicy texture after they are cooked in the Tandoor.

A plate of 'Barra Kababs' at Rajindar Ka Dhaba was a hot favourite for many

Our Sherpa Dhruv, explains the finer points of some really fine food

But how could  it be possible to have a Christmas Day event without a delicious Christmas pudding? Which is exactly what we got at our last stop at 'Social' in Defence Colony.For a start, Social itself was a new experience for us as we hadn't been to one of these before. We loved the buzz, enthusiasm and fun at the outlet as did many of the others on our food bus tour. On that day, there was a very special offer- A beer for Rs 16 and its easy to guess what most people chose to drink.

I'm different and for me Christmas pudding has to be accompanied by a hot beverage.After having ordered my Cappuccino I sat down o wait for it and was absolutely delighted with what I got. A look at the photograph just below, will be enough to tell you that on the trip, the Seek Sherpa  guides had clearly saved the best for the last.

Saving the best for the last- A super Christmas pudding and a Cappuccino at Social, Delhi

So there you have it in a nutshell- A delightful concept called the Food Tour on a Delhi Food Bus.We had a really great day out and are already looking to going out on a few more of these organised tours- the best way to make the most of the Delhi winter..