The rule to never judge a book by its cover does not apply at Diva Spiced. Here, the dishes look and taste exactly like they sound, without pretence, says Dhruvika Bhanot

Having been brought up in a home where my father has a staunch relationship with chicken and my mother with vegetarian food, light on heart and her conscience, I have never chosen sides. Moreover, it’s rather natural on my part to gorge on meals that don’t have an ounce of animal flesh in it. But Diva Spiced in Greater Kailash I had done little to spare my feelings and my vegetarian friend’s, who had incessantly done several rounds with the menu to find something that would be agreeable to both her hunger and morals.

The one plausible outcome of having toured various restaurants and cafés is that you become immune to the dishes that may sound bizarre. However, the rule to never judge a book by its cover falls short in its promise when it comes to this place. The dishes look exactly how they sound, no cover of pretence, even less to hide.

The menu, though well-thought of, was quite limited. As I skimmed through the items on the two-paged menu, I picked the dumplings, first, filled with Chinese greens, water chestnut, sesame and one with chicken, basil and ginger. The water chestnut dimsums, were the ideal comfort food. They were good enough, nothing less or more but got me into the thick of things.

The chicken dumplings scrambled several levels higher than the vegetarian ones, doughy skin and chewable, brought a blurry reminder of the ones I used to eat after school. Yet there was a wholesomeness despite the low spire quotient which worked and would make me order the dish again when I return.

We ordered two drinks — cucumber mojito and peach soda. The peach soda went down a bit stronger and was more of an accompanying mocktail, which you need after the food preceding it to be drowned. Definitely not something I would callously drink as I wait for my dishes to arrive. The cucumber mojito was a delight — fresh and perky.

One of the best dishes of the night, as good as it could get, was the Kadhi samosa. I have never had something like it before and for once, during the dinner, I had no qualms about the taste. The curry, the kadhi, treaded along the consistency of water but kept up with its sour underlying taste of yoghurt. The green chutney and pomegranates were an assured addition to maintain the authenticity of the dish. The samosa, drenched and consumed by the curry, tasted every bit like how it is supposed to taste. An item I would recommend for making two exceptionally variant items into an unusual yet amazing dish.

The next was ginger and soy steamed chicken with sesame beans and wok-tossed quinoa. The east Asian taste was ever-present. Of course, the chicken sat on oyster and light soy sauce. The quinoa was tossed with soy sauce, garlic and Chinese greens. However, for someone who slurps spicy ramen in one go, the chicken turned out to be bland. And if spicy food is not your favourite, then this deserves a try. Personally, I would steer clear of it if I come back.

We had the water chestnut dimsums repeated and along with that, we ordered the old-fashioned ‘chowmein.’ I will be reserved on the last dish because I don’t think there are many ways to make chowmein. It tasted just right. The absence of spiciness makes the place a go-to option for those who prefer mild food, of course, and expat.

What I did fancy about the restaurant is the tableware, minimalistic with profound sophistication. The dinner was a quiet affair on a Tuesday evening and it’s a place when you come after office to take a break from piling work. Its relaxed atmosphere can make one feel home. We ended our quick dinner with chocolate mousse with salted caramel and the matcha meringue. There is less that could go wrong with chocolate and I was happy with my instinct to order this dessert. It didn’t disappoint.

All in all, we relished its course, which is an unrestrained reflection of the market it is located in.