Its called the Big Chills in a lovely little market called Kailash Colony Market. Very different from the GK market. Climb up a flight of (steep!?) steps to reach an amazingly quaint little place that looks right out of a postcard. We were directed to the best spot in the restaurant (which, I suspect is because my friend is a regular who knew more about the menu than the steward himself!). Our table was near a window and a nice view of the market.
First, the ambiance : The place, like already mentioned, is quaint. It has an old world trattoria kind of charm, with green wrought iron lamp posts, and little tables and chairs. (I wouldn't say the chairs were the most comfortable ones, but that fact slips into oblivion when the food arrives!!). The restaurant also had a healthy amount of noise inside. The kind that one would associate with happy get-togethers among young groups. People chatting, laughing and ofcourse, eating! The checkered table linen added to the trattoria feel.
The food : I have to warn you - you better be very, very hungry......... or be prepared to shamelessly pack up more than half the meal to carry back with you. Because the portions are HUGE... and you will not want to leave behind anything. We did exactly that - we asked for the servers to pack whatever we couldn't polish off. And for a person with very clear restaurant etiquette, an act like that speaks volumes on the quality of the food.
I had ordered a fuselli with a tangy tomato sauce and inspite of the repeated warnings my friend gave herself, she went ahead and ordered a creamy pasta for herself. We were hungry, and we were getting hungrier by the minute. (Maybe the smells from the kitchen had something to do with it). The food arrived, and we were short of drooling into the table linen.The pasta had a nice, homely look. A big bowl almost to the brim with steaming pasta, generously sauced, and a no nonsense approach to the garnishing. Least hindrance to gobbling of the food, I say! Well we dug in, and the feeling can only be described as bliss! Did I care that the plate presentation was a tad untidy? Honestly, No!
We couldn't finish our pastas. But we were getting greedy, and blueberry cheesecake was what took our fancy. And I am glad it did! Crumbly base, lovely texture of the cheesecake, which did an amazing duet with the blueberry layer on top. I really couldn't stop closing my eyes while eating it.
The service : Quick boys, with an expression that cannot be identified. They were all over the place, rushing in and out, and the worst thing I can think about the service is that it gets difficult to identify your server - they all look alike! The niceties are there. You get escorted to your table, you are asked for your order pretty soon, you are even suggested dishes if you ask them. They obviously don't believe in the frills of classic restaurant service. But again, negligible factor when you start warming up to the place.
My take on the place? An ideal place for an afternoon out with an old friend. A fantastic place when you are hungry enough to eat big. Most of all, a nice place to feel young again. Average price for a meal for two very hungry people is around Rs.1500.
