In recent times, whenever people, particularly NRIs like myself, or ISKCON devotees (who might just be more NRI than the actual NRIs) go to India, the first thing that inevitably comes up in the follow up post trip is OMG THE CULTURE HAS BECOME SO MATERIALISTIC. “People are so into malls! It’s like a culture or something. They have money to SPEND in these malls! These malls are so insanely expensive! You can get anything in India at the mall.” And all of these statements would be true.
While I initially resisted the mall mostly because it took away from my own orientalist tropes of what MY India should look like, I’ve come to value mall culture immensely. {Side Note: There are actual sales at these malls. On quality clothing. So that Salwar Kurta you bought for 1300 at Lajpat Nagar has fallen apart, well guess what? The branded Biba one from Pantaloons that I paid 1100 for? I can get the stitching reinforced and the size altered, free of charge.) It’s mildly therapeutic and somewhat comforting to roam an air conditioned building that was created to mimic similar structures at home. It’s also a constant reminder of how consumerism is spreading beyond Western countries. In either case, I’m not so sure I’d want to jump to a conclusion about what’s “good” for Indians and what’s not. And while I COMPLETELY acknowledge the growing gap of inequality and the lack of access to a lot of people who can’t “live the high life” and who are aspiring to just be able to buy “branded maal at the mall”, I don’t disagree with malls popping up all over India. I think at some point, perhaps in a utopian future, perhaps in reality, malls will be instrumental in narrowing the divide of accessibility. Between all the bhais who come in and pose outside of Big Chill and all the girls who are getting better wages working inside the mall, malls are opening up doors of opportunity. I just hope that what I’ve noticed is reflective of reality. And I pray someone can quickly educate “high-class Indians” that treating people, especially service workers without empathy, gratitude and respect just because they’re not on your level, is on so many levels, disgusting.
RANT OVER.
These three malls come together to form one giant complex and while the food options seem immense and oftentimes expensive, these are my go-tos:
1. Donuts (there are two companies, Krispy Kreme and Mad Over Donuts, I’ll cover these in detail in a separate post but right now, my money is on a Krispy Kreme NY Cheesecake Donut).
2. Upstairs, at the FoodTalk food court, lies your most inexpensive, tasty option if you’re hungry. Try the Onion Tomato Chili Utthapam or the Pav Bhaji at Not Just Dosa by Annaswamy. Either of those, or both, if you’re extremely hungry are extremely clean, meatless options that are worth your money and time. Other options up here are just too oily/too masalay. There’s some sort of Chinese restaurant but it failed the manchurian test and the paneer chilli test, so it’s useless to me.
Highlights: Onion Tomato Chili Utthapam (VEGAN, if made with oil), Pav Bhaji.
3. Sattvik. If you’re a strict vegetarian, like my parents and you’re on a budget, like me, this is the place for you to CELEBRATE. Never have I spent 3 grand on dal, rice, two subjis and some tandoor rotis. Nothing was coated in gold. Never did I imagine myself do something like that but…it happened. The only thing I’ll argue is worth the money is the incredible kulfi. Exquisitely arranged rose ice cream wrapped in Kesar Pista. Yah, that’s happening again.
Highlights: The Kulfi.
4. Big Chill. If you’ve been to Delhi but somehow NOT been to Big Chill and have meanwhile endlessly ranted to your friends about how there’s no good Italian food…you need to get on this Big Chill thing. With locations in GK-1, Khan Market, Vasant Kunj and Saket, I’ve never had anything I didn’t like. Including a baked potato. You know how easy it is to screw up a baked potato in India? Not at Big Chill. The salads are small but worth it. The pizzas are small too and it depends on you if they’re worth it. I’d say the prices are comparable to how much you’d spend on a meal like that in America. Some pasta has eggs but servers are willing to accommodate, just tell them ahead of time.
Highlights: Chocolate Truffle Cake (eggless and beyond amazing), Pesto Pasta thing, Spicy Pasta thing, Four Seasons Pizza, Greek Salad, Iced Tea (freaking amazing)
5. Mamagoto. So here’s the thing about Indo-Chinese food/Chinese food in India. There are VERY few places that are completely vegetarian and you can never really know for sure whether veg is mixed in with the nonveg unless you’re like best friends with the chef or something. But it’s so damn good. Like addictive status good. Mamagoto makes AMAZING meatless hakka noodles and chili paneer and red curry. When I came back with my mom, before we ordered, she asked if they cooked things separately and the refreshingly honest server told us that it was near impossible for any Chinese restaurant to cook things separately because there was typically one wok and so many orders and people love to lie because who doesn’t want business. Jan. 28, 2013, the day my dreams were crushed. I recommend this place for folks who are ok with potential mixture of their ingredient and blind faith in the potentially conniving server who will assure you that your dish is completely vegetarian.
Highlights: Hakka Noodles, the Singapore Noodle thing, Chilli Paneer, Manchurian, Thai Curries
Those are my revelations thus far.
Bosmopolitan 