It is raining cats and dogs. And so when we enter Dank on this particularly wet afternoon, emerging from the cover of a giant umbrella, courtesy a kindly security guard — we are delighted to find a bowl of thukpa awaiting us. The veggie broth is clear and warm, much like a comforting embrace on a chilly day. And essentials like deep green leaves of spinach, bokchoy, Shillong wild mushrooms, noodles and a chicken dumpling topped with a spicy Timur pepper Nepali chutney lend both flavour and texture and we slurp to the very bottom.
Saag stories
This Tibetan-inspired thukpa is available on request as part of the new winter menu at the restobar. Culinary consultant Saby Gorai, who makes frequent trips from Delhi to edit and upgrade the offerings, tells us to expect about 50 percent of new dishes, with “more seasonal saags” (think Malabar spinach, methi and local keerais) and “heartier meat preparations” to go with the weather. For instance, he shares, “In summer, we had a chicken meatball which was light and fresh but for winter, we’re doing Bacon-wrapped prawns and for the local palate, a wholesome Mutton Pepper Fry.”
Green day
We sample the latter with flakey parottas and find ourselves mopping up every last bit of the masala. Also, notable on this new line-up of offerings are the delightful names, set to match the cross-country wanderings of Mr Dank aka the caricature moose ambassador of the establishment. The Sparkling Lake, for example, transports us to a lagoon of creamy chickpea hummus served with spice-dusted pita while the Green Jungle Pie (one of our favourites) is a platter of golden phyllo pouches filled with spinach and feta, laid amidst dramatic swirls of the housemade spinach aioli.
Vegan pie
While on the subject of green, this might be a fun footnote for folks looking forward to a healthier new year. Expect a number of vegan options from chef Saby, who incidentally quit dairy all the way back in 2006. We taste the Fornarina Pizza — with a flavourscape of tomatoes, hand-cut Salem chillies, rosemary, garlic and sea salt — and are surprised that the absence of cheese literally needs to be pointed out, for us to realise that it isn’t, in fact, on our slice. We also have our eye on the Soya Chaap 65, a fun twist on Delhi’s popular street food — but decide to save it for next time, as dessert awaits. This one is eggless but does have dairy. And it is love at first bite. It’s a three milk cake that is light and moist, paired with freshly cut strawberries to cut into those sweet notes with just a hint of tartness.
Meal for two INR 1,800.