Plum by Bent Chair has been making waves for the unique concept of combining retail with food. And on both counts, it does not disappoint, says Saimi Sattar

I  could hear the laughter much before I reached the place. And it seemed to be drifting out wave upon frequent wave. It was a Sunday afternoon and I was standing outside Plum by Bent Chair, Aerocity, which I had been hearing about frequently in the past few months. Described variously as the most “Instagrammable restaurant” and “one where you can buy everything that you see including the furniture,” it was indeed a surprise that no one had spoken about the happy, infectious vibe that seems to pervade the place. And if one was to mistakenly think that it was a place for the young to hang out at, I could see several tables where three generations of a family were happily congregating over what seemed to be an extended lunch.

Now, coming back to what the restaurant has been making waves for. A joint effort by restaurateur Priyank Sukhija along with partner Natasha Jain (the lady behind Bent Chair), it started with a unique concept of combining retail with eating out. So while you eat, if you happen to admire anything from the comfortable furniture that you are sitting on or the plates that you are served in or even the lamps that light up the place or any of the paintings, vases or wall décor and wish to cart them back home, all you have to do is order. Not surprisingly, the idea has caught the fancy of Delhiites.

The place is a splash of colour with an abundance of bright pinks and magentas, vivid greens, happy yellows, exuberant purples and more. They feature as paint on the walls, upholstery on the furniture and the various accessories that dot the place. Kitsch is the word that can describe the ambience but then, that cannot fully convey the smorgasbord that it offers.

Whether a restaurant works or not boils down to not just the way it looks but the way its food tastes. Here too, it does not disappoint. Mostly. We had a range of dimsums starting with Fern Verdure, which had mock duck meat. Its filling, which was combined with fresh corn, carrots, garlic flakes and spicy chilli Plum oil, made me look forward to what was to follow. While you could taste each element separately, at the same time, they came together beautifully as a whole, which made for a dish that was satisfying and at the same time left me craving for more.

The Crystal Dumplings, which had a filling of chestnuts, carrots and mushroom, were elevated by the taste of sea salt that stood out for the crunch of its vegetables. The spices were not overpowering and the flavours that came through were clean and those of various vegetables.

We also had the Hanging Globe Vegetation Bao and I can say, without much of a doubt, that it was the best that I have tasted, ever. The covering was soft, so much so that the only equivalent I could think of as I bit into it was that of a cloud. The insides, stuffed with fresh tofu and spinach, were delicately flavoured with five spices. My mouth watered at its very thought even a few days after I ate it.

Next up was Flying Cupid, which is listed as ‘Plum-azing’ or rather the must-have at the restaurant. This consists of turnip cut into cubes and flavoured with Cantonese spice pepper, scallions and golden garlic. I guess, my version of the vegetable got the better of me and while I did eat it, I would not really order it if I go back to the place.

We also ordered the Planter Broccoli Bird Eye, which Chef Sagar Bajaj told us, was made by reducing milk that gave it a slightly sweet taste. The tempura broccoli was crunchy and the bird-eye chilli gave it a slight heat. The chef told us that as compared to Mumbai, where they opened the first outlet, the chilli quotient was 30 per cent higher as Delhi loves it hot.

Another favourite among the clientele is the Dried Chilli chicken, where the meat is rubbed with Szechuan  pepper-infused oil and kept overnight before being cooked. Served with finely-chopped red chilli, which is de-seeded, boiled and then lightly tossed in a wok to give it a crunch, the dish is a hot favourite even though it is poles apart from the image that the mind conjures up when we say “chilli chicken.”

We ended the meal with Plum tropical fruit citrus cheesecake, which was again a surprise, served as it was with a cocktail of diced apple and pomegranate. A fresh end to a soul-satisfying meal.