Tanmaya Das finds that the fare at Dhansoo cafe in Gurgaon has interesting twists and riveting representations

The majority of millennials enjoy spending countless hours in a cosy, teeny-tiny café. I had an excellent reason to test the new Dhansoo café in Gurgaon because I had been travelling since the morning to explore the city. I’m sure it will be the next big thing for foodies as the place offers a wide range of delicacies with a dhansoo touch. The café was the nicest pick, thanks to its lovely lighting, and décor of gorgeous flora murals that complemented the vibe immensely, while the umbrella-shaped lighting added a romantic touch to the space. The wine glasses were hanging upside down in the mocktail section and the calm romantic music playing in the background flattered me. I could see families and friends gathering around to spend a wonderful time on the weekend.

The place displayed a colourful array of Indian cuisine with intriguing names on the menu list. Despite the fact that the café was packed, I was able to secure a little table in the corner to escape the din. The exquisite décor of the café brought back memories of evenings that I used to spend with my friends. I decided to try a few Indian dishes to break my train of thought about those lovely moments spent at my hometown.

After a while, I was served with small Podi idli, along with refried kidney beans and smoked tomato chutney, I had a yearning for something spicy, and this dish satisfied that need. Podi idli presented with spicy tomato chutney gave a burning sensation, but the bland flavour of refried rajma balanced out the spicy taste.

Being an ardent non-vegetarian, I do have a fascination for chicken kebabs too. I vividly recalled my college days when we ate chicken kebabs for almost a month before getting sick of them. However, the next item on my list was to try Dhansoo corn seekh kebab, as the name suggested distinctiveness. The dish was presented with mint chutney and varqui paratha along with masala onion. As I took a bit of the seekh kebab with mint chutney, it tasted little savoury, appealing to my tastebuds to the fullest.

A delightful mocktail with detoxifying advantages of fresh kiwi and cucumber, along with jalapenos, mint springs, and coriander leaves was brought aside the corn seekh kebab. I sipped the drink carelessly, enjoying the combination of sweetness and tartness entirely throughout the meal.

Nonetheless, some of my South Indian acquaintances recommended that I must try chettinad paneer someday. While perusing the menu, I discovered Chettinad pulled chicken, which described the ingredients like a shredded chicken with idiyappam and gunpowder. It reminded me of my friend’s suggestion and I ordered the dish right away. As I took a bite, I opted not to eat any more since it was extremely spicy and hot, which I was not aware of beforehand.

Thankfully, Kaala jadoo came to the rescue and soothed my tastebuds immediately. The amazing combination of activated charcoal detox juice with sweet lime helped me to relax for a while with a chill sensation on my tongue.

The corporate chef Ashish offered Pallet clinger that came on the house gracefully. I loved how the drink was presented in two miniature bottles with a small leaf marked on each of them, which gave it a cute appearance on the table. My taste buds were sweetened to the core by the lovely pink strawberry syrup and I happily finished the entire drink.

Out of all dishes, my personal favourite was the British paneer butter masala (I always have a soft corner for paneer butter masala, honestly), which had a fantastic balanced flavour of all masalas. The creamy soft gravy had a sweet taste of tomato and butter, and the soft paneer was great and worth trying again.

Finally, Yaddon ki churri was served with kalakand and rabri was the last dish for the day. The sweetness of rabri appealed to me, the pleasant taste mesmerised my soul. As I went out of the cafe, more people came in, and the place got busy and lively in the evening. All of the customers were greeted with a humble nod from the employees. I could see the staff preoccupied while serving the best cuisine to their customers, making them contended. The courteous workers greeted me with a sincere smile and insisted on seeing me again as I was leaving, it was indeed a pleasant evening.