Delectable Tapas, tasty Salsa, and the beats of Tango
Delectable Tapas, tasty Salsa, and the beats of Tango
Restaurant review: Cafe 2 2 Tango
The prospect of contemporary Latin American dining with a fair dose of Tapas in the heart of South Delhi is too tempting to resist, and not when the setting is the old world crafts village of Hauz Khas.
Like most eateries here jostling for space, to get to this one too you'll have to wind your way through a narrow staircase to the second floor, at the end of which is an unpretentious little setup that's probably just about as big as your sitting area. Don't let the size of the place keep you from going ahead with a meal here, for what follows is an unprecedented sensory trip into the annals of South American cooking.
A frugal setup comprising quaint wooden dining tables with a red lamp burning at the centre of each, a wall length shelf stacking wine glasses and pottery, a rectangular mirror on the opposite wall, and a planter in one corner, is all Cafe 2 2 Tango offers in terms of decor. But a whole lot more gastronomically. First thing first, even with a concise menu the glimpses into chef's creativity is quite unmistakable; the Tapas menu is exhaustive to the say the least, though only few options are available in sopa (Spanish for soup), and ensalada (Spanish for salad), succeeded by an exotic line-up of main plates, and only a couple of dense, sinful cakes for dessert. A gracious host, the lead server makes you comfortable selecting the Tapas by telling you what flavours to go for.
As we settled down to soak up the ambience with a glass, rather a glass jar, of lemon ice tea, our steward quickly brought us a portion each of nachos-n-salsa, quite the way a Kimchi salad is brought forth at an Oriental restaurant. But unlike the tomato sauce-soaked Kimchi salad, this one was laden with flavours, and formed a perfect basis to begin with the Tapas. A meat lover with a palate for pork can safely go with pork belly sliders cooked in pressure cooker. The dish looks like a mini burger with a thick slab of pork belly portion cooked with sweetened onion among other secret ingredients, and served with French fries and tomato sauce. Soft from the inside and crispy from the outside, you might end up calling for a second helping of this pork dish. Crispy fried beef is a brilliant rendition of the good old beef plated up with herbs and a dash of balsamic vinegar. And if all's not complete without some greens and chicken, order the Peri-Peri Chicken, which is an absolutely flavourful, soft chicken served with a zesty rocket and cherry tomato salad. Seafood lovers should not miss out the jumbo shrimp croquettes that are crunchy golden from the outside and satin soft when you bite into them.
You can be rest assured about the quality and freshness of the meat and
seafood here as they are all imported regularly from countries like
Brazil, Austria,
and Chile. As you will yourself be able to tell from the texture of the
meat. Vegetarians need not lose heart for the Tapas menu has an
interesting selection for them too. The Tapas was already filling enough
for us to give the main course a miss, but we still went ahead with the
pressure cooker lamb shank with creamy polenta and mushroom ragu. Just
as we were about to tuck into the classical dish, chef and owner
Bhuvnesh Khanna, a young man in his 30s brimming with enthusiasm, joined
us. Bhuvnesh was happy we went with his version of the lamb shank in
pressure cooker, which is a curious way of cooking for days in low flame
in the pressure cooker to loosen up the meat and make it tender. The
lamb delicacy was succulent from the word go, and the flavours subtle, thanks to the pairing with a bland polenta.
A chef from the age of 19 with his first job at Barista teaching him how to make a perfect cup of cappuccino, Bhuvnesh has come a long way from working in kitchens to an F&B manager in the States, to an entrepreneur in India. He has no regrets about leaving a job paying in dollars in a quest to create his own 'legacy' in the country he grew up in. "I just want to serve delicious food you have never had in your life at a humble price," says he. That explains why the menu is replaced with a new one every season, and each dish diversely different from the other. He personally works on the menu to make it more creative and tasteful, but also acknowledges the fact that it would be a leviathan task to get people to appreciate Latino cooking, the way they do Italian now. Nonetheless, chef is very excited about the soon to happen burger and beer pairing at the cafe, and introducing some interesting lobster dishes come winter.
Alcohol is not served here, but you can get your own bottle if you so wish, and the glasses among other paraphernalia would be supplied in-house for a cost. And if you plan to surprise someone with a lavish dinner, you can make a reservation for a 'chef's table' where the chef creates a seven course serving that's not on the menu exclusively for the occasion.
We rounded up our dinner with Dos Chocolates, a dark and white chocolate
mousse with very healthy portions of Baileys. The Baileys in the mousse
gives an instant buzz and makes you crave for more however full up to
the gills you are. We had some cappuccino to go with our dessert, and
not to mention a perfect cup of cappuccino, one in which the spoon
floats on the froth without the froth spilling out of the cup, and felt
extremely sated. Peppermint oil dark chocolate was immediately served to
us post coffee, again a chef creation, as the perfect end to a quirky,
crazy but very delicious evening in this homey little place.
Venue: Cafe 2 2 Tango, 13 B Second floor Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi
The prospect of contemporary Latin American dining with a fair dose of Tapas in the heart of South Delhi is too tempting to resist, and not when the setting is the old world crafts village of Hauz Khas.
Like most eateries here jostling for space, to get to this one too you'll have to wind your way through a narrow staircase to the second floor, at the end of which is an unpretentious little setup that's probably just about as big as your sitting area. Don't let the size of the place keep you from going ahead with a meal here, for what follows is an unprecedented sensory trip into the annals of South American cooking.
A frugal setup comprising quaint wooden dining tables with a red lamp burning at the centre of each, a wall length shelf stacking wine glasses and pottery, a rectangular mirror on the opposite wall, and a planter in one corner, is all Cafe 2 2 Tango offers in terms of decor. But a whole lot more gastronomically. First thing first, even with a concise menu the glimpses into chef's creativity is quite unmistakable; the Tapas menu is exhaustive to the say the least, though only few options are available in sopa (Spanish for soup), and ensalada (Spanish for salad), succeeded by an exotic line-up of main plates, and only a couple of dense, sinful cakes for dessert. A gracious host, the lead server makes you comfortable selecting the Tapas by telling you what flavours to go for.
As we settled down to soak up the ambience with a glass, rather a glass jar, of lemon ice tea, our steward quickly brought us a portion each of nachos-n-salsa, quite the way a Kimchi salad is brought forth at an Oriental restaurant. But unlike the tomato sauce-soaked Kimchi salad, this one was laden with flavours, and formed a perfect basis to begin with the Tapas. A meat lover with a palate for pork can safely go with pork belly sliders cooked in pressure cooker. The dish looks like a mini burger with a thick slab of pork belly portion cooked with sweetened onion among other secret ingredients, and served with French fries and tomato sauce. Soft from the inside and crispy from the outside, you might end up calling for a second helping of this pork dish. Crispy fried beef is a brilliant rendition of the good old beef plated up with herbs and a dash of balsamic vinegar. And if all's not complete without some greens and chicken, order the Peri-Peri Chicken, which is an absolutely flavourful, soft chicken served with a zesty rocket and cherry tomato salad. Seafood lovers should not miss out the jumbo shrimp croquettes that are crunchy golden from the outside and satin soft when you bite into them.
 |
A chef from the age of 19 with his first job at Barista teaching him how to make a perfect cup of cappuccino, Bhuvnesh has come a long way from working in kitchens to an F&B manager in the States, to an entrepreneur in India. He has no regrets about leaving a job paying in dollars in a quest to create his own 'legacy' in the country he grew up in. "I just want to serve delicious food you have never had in your life at a humble price," says he. That explains why the menu is replaced with a new one every season, and each dish diversely different from the other. He personally works on the menu to make it more creative and tasteful, but also acknowledges the fact that it would be a leviathan task to get people to appreciate Latino cooking, the way they do Italian now. Nonetheless, chef is very excited about the soon to happen burger and beer pairing at the cafe, and introducing some interesting lobster dishes come winter.
Alcohol is not served here, but you can get your own bottle if you so wish, and the glasses among other paraphernalia would be supplied in-house for a cost. And if you plan to surprise someone with a lavish dinner, you can make a reservation for a 'chef's table' where the chef creates a seven course serving that's not on the menu exclusively for the occasion.
 |
Venue: Cafe 2 2 Tango, 13 B Second floor Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi
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