Expect the unexpected

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Expect the unexpected

Friday, 19 July 2019 | Ayushi Sharma

Expect the unexpected

Lord of the Drinks at Gardens Galleria might make you laugh at its little glitches but the place ensures that you go back satisfied, says Ayushi Sharma

Picture this. A wave of Edison bulbs and golden lights, layered across the ceiling, form an arch, which creates a vibe of a jazzy pub. The amalgamation of a legion of shades of blue on the walls, paired with black and white-stripped wallpapers, the place does look like a fun one to hop into. As I entered The Lord of The Drinks, Noida, the aura was relaxed and the crowd was still filtering in slowly.

The place offers a menu of contemporary Indian, European and Oriental cuisine. The manager suggested that I should start with some Cheese pao bhaji and at the mere mention of the dairy product, my expectations spiralled to level 100. Yes, I wanted to go for it because I absolutely love it. But then disappointment was in store. The dish was served with a small ricotta vada, plated with fried chillies and masala onions. But no matter how hard I looked (or in this case, tasted) there was no ‘cheese’ to be found in the so-called ‘cheese pao bhaji.’ Upon inquiry, they claimed that it was there. Maybe it was but if that was so the quantity was meagre, almost akin to a drop of water in the ocean.

While ordering the next dish, the graph of my expectations was already on the brink of a precipice. So I stuck to the safe option of Bruschetta bars, but decided to stir things up with the category by ordering Parmesan and Rocket. The basic bruschetta mainly involves rubbing raw garlic on grilled bread and a topping of chopped tomatoes with basil. But the one that I had was imaginative — a bruschetta topped with some rocket walnuts. ‘Expect the unexpected’ was description that crossed my mind. The bar, served with ricotta, parmesan cheese, rocket walnuts and a few drops of olive oil, left a strong, creamy texture in my mouth.

After munching on the bars, the graph undoubtedly surged. It was the turn for a pizza. I ordered their special one — Lord of Verdure. It was a combination of a number of toppings with a super crunchy base. Do you have an answer to this one — how many toppings on a pizza would be too many even if you like all of them individually? Clueless, right? It surely left me feeling the same. The toppings included grilled mix of aubergines and zucchini, roasted bell peppers, caramelised onions and tomatoes. It was like a celebration of different flavours which burst together in my mouth and created one organic whole that was scrumptious.

To accompany the dishes, I ordered a cocktail — Orange Cosmo. With a base of vodka and orange juice, it was blended with the triple sec, an orange-flavoured liqueur made from the dried peels of bitter and sweet oranges. Even though the drink’s base and flavour could have perfectly accompanied the pizza, it was too diluted because there was an excess of ice which made it indistinguishable from chilled water. The manager took not more than a minute to replace the drink with an untitled cocktail, however, “specially curated” by the mixologist for me. With the Bowen whisky and lime juice as its base, it tasted of strawberry and kaffir lime. The well-blended ingredients in the drink did compensate for the earlier disappointment.

Hopping on to the next dish, I ordered nachos, which actually turned out to be cheese ones. The anomaly made me dissolve into a fit of giggles. Not writing and specifying cheese in the menu before nachos while doing so with the pao bhaji, which did not even have a hint was the trigger. Of course, the drink too had started taking its effect and made me a bit light-headed. The tortilla chips came in a blue and white-stripped plate, overloaded with creamy melted cheese and topped with sour cream and olives. It was the best combination that one could have asked for. The initial cheese craving was finally fulfilled.

The manager then asked me to pick some desserts to end the meal. However, I was so satiated that I decided to give them a miss. Even though desserts, I believe, are the best of a meal, I did not fear missing out on anything as I was satisfied with most if not all the delicacies served. 

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