Letz Rock, the garden kitchen in Hitech City opened this year on Diwali. But our visit there was like a time-bending expedition into the abyss of waiting. As we stepped into this intriguing place on a calm afternoon, time seemed to adopt a leisurely pace — perhaps a bit too leisurely. The ambience, snug and cosy, might have been inviting if it hadn’t been for the lack of elbow room that made manoeuvring a delicate dance.
A table bereft of the most basic of essentials — no cutlery, no napkin. It was a throwback to the minimalist movement, except minimalism wasn’t exactly what we craved during our dining escapade. The culinary trail began with the starters — Chicken Croquets and Chicken Peri Peri Balls.
They were the prodigal sons of the kitchen, arriving fashionably late. The taste? Well, it was almost as if they’d taken the scenic route to acquire their flavour profile, albeit a tad longer than necessary. Our main course, the Parmesan Chicken with Spaghetti, was a dish lost in the corridors of time.
When it finally graced our presence, it held a certain mystery — was it the taste of patience or the culmination of a culinary marathon? The spaghetti was, let’s say, firm in its commitment to al dente, while the chicken seemed to yearn for a touch more seasoning to live up to its Parmesan pedigree.
In the interim, we delved into the Cream of Mushroom Soup. Creamy and earthy, it was a fleeting moment of respite in an otherwise time-bending experience. The dessert, Sizzling Brownie, attempted to sizzle its way into our hearts. It arrived with a lukewarm enthusiasm that left us yearning for that dramatic flair. As for the Cappuccino, it was an oasis of consistency, a beacon of hope in this journey that seemed suspended in time.
Letz Rock might need a timekeeper, someone to conduct the service. While our afternoon there felt like a moment frozen in time, there’s a subtle mystique in an experience that defies the conventional ticking of the clock. After all, time standing still isn’t always a bad thing; it just leaves you with more moments to ponder the nuances of life... and, in this case, the lingering taste of Chicken Croquets.
`600 upwards. At Hitech City. — Chokita Paul chokita@newindianexpress.com @PaulChokita