Cricket and food are perhaps two things that can always unite the people in India. I remember when tea lovers came together to defend the scathing attack on masala chai by an American blogger, and also whenever a foreigner calls Indian food unpalatable! Well, we are very protective of our cuisines and food culture, and let’s be honest, it deserves all the love. And so does cricket. I cannot forget India’s world cup matches when streets are literally empty and people are simply glued to their TV sets, be it at home, outside stores or at restaurants, bars and eateries that make sure to screen the match. That is exactly where food and cricket come together, and with each passing year the confluence is only getting deeper and better. Restaurants are launching special offers and menus around the cricket season, and the trend has only begun.
With the IPL season currently on, there is a lot of excitement among cricket lovers and Monkey Bar Delhi is only making it better. The glass-domed restaurant in South Delhi is celebrating cricket frenzy nation’s passion, and has come up with a new IPL-themed menu that features all-rounder dishes representing every IPL team. Isn’t that amazing? I would say it is the perfect way to sample the best of regional delicacies from across India.
Monkey Bar Pavilion 2.0 promises you the thrills and excitement and a chance to witness all the action with the best seats in the house, a special menu and some absolutely refreshing drinks, to give all you cricket buffs an electrifying atmosphere to watch all the matches. The food menu is a thoughtfully crafted one – featuring limited-edition dishes inspired by each team’s state. From Kolkata’s fishy treats to Mumabi’s Koliwada prawns and Hyderabad’s haleem, one look at the menu is enough to make you drool, and make you crave a bite of each dish no matter if you have the appetite or not.
So, as we sat ourselves comfortably right under the glass dome, with the perfect sunlight on a Saturday afternoon, we were visibly confused as to what we should pick and what to leave, considering we have an average appetite! Thankfully, the staff helped us navigate the menu, and suggested we start with the best one on the menu, as per our taste. Being a kebab-loving North Indian, we started off with a supergiant of the Lucknowi tandoor - Tunde Ke Munde. The classic Tunde kabab, folded between phulka tacos and spiced with coriander sour cream, mint chutney, jalapenos and dates, was a wholesome affair that set the standards high already. We moved on to Delhi’s Taco Time Out, which had succulent braised mutton with mouth-watering korma sauce stuffed inside the taco.
Image: Monkey Bar Delhi
Next on the table was crumbed achari fish from Punjab, that was well-paired with chilli tapioca chips and charred tomato sauce. A perfect balance of flavours! We moved on to Mumbai’s MVP Koliwada, where the popular Koliwada prawns were served in a noodle basket and topped with horseradish and garlic aioli. What took my heart and taste buds on a ride was, however, Bengaluru’s Gassi Kebab. The chicken kebabs served over a bed of Gassi curry, and paired with mini saffron parathas had just the right balance of coconut and spices. We sealed our deal with Hyderabad’s Sunrisers haleem – lentils, chicken, cashews and fried onions, what’s there to not love about it?
What we would have loved to try but the appetite denied included Chennai’s masala podu, Gujarat’s dabeli and Rajasthan’s dahi pithore. There was Kolkata’s doi bora as well which seemed quite interesting – with chicken vadas topped with curd. To wash it all down you can have pitchers of chilled cocktails, as the restaurant offers great deals on drinks and loads of chilled beer too.
Now, isn’t this a great way to celebrate cricket, as well as India’s regional dishes as well? The Monkey Bar Pavilion 2.0 menu offers dishes not only from our home cities of Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, New Delhi, and Chennai but also a selection of delicious small plates from Hyderabad, Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and Lucknow so every fan can enjoy their favourite dish while they cheer for their favourite team.
The new menu kicked on from March 26 and will be on till May 29, 2022 for an incredible cricket season. If you prefer to stay home and watch the matches – Monkey Bar offers delivery through various platforms right to your doorstep as well.
Where: Monkey Bar Delhi, Plot No 11, Pocket C 6& 7, Local Shopping Complex, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.