Tasteful is the word that best describes the dining experience at Dal Chini, a new restaurant in Pimple Saudagar, writes Renu Dhole

Sometimes, when you set out on an experience, it so happens that even before you’ve launched fully into it you know that it’s going to turn out all good. That’s what happened to us when we went to Dal Chini this week. Maybe it was the cosy coolness you enter upon opening the door — inside is a dainty den complete with bright, jewel coloured cushions and pretty lamps against a décor of dark brown... so in tune with the colour and texture of the eponymous spice, cinnamon. This was a world cut off from the harsh summer day pouring on the concrete expanse of Pimple Saudagar outside. Or maybe it was the music, so retro in its appeal, or the lighting, so mellow in its glow. Dal Chini turned out to be quite a mood setting.

Our table, charmingly tucked into a niche of leather-and-wood, took us further into our retreat. The food, we knew by now, would only be an embellishment to this experience.

The recently launched restaurant has all the crisp freshness of appeal you’d expect from it. All the details have been well-furnished. In fact, right from the mocktails, to the food, to the ambiance — the finishing touches impressed us the most. Be it the curtain of red chillies hanging near the entrance, the welcome drink served in tequila glasses spiked with the zing of dalchini, the mocktails that won us with their visual appeal, the starters that arrived creatively garnished, or the dessert, which looked as delicious as it tasted — the place definitely had its aesthetics worked to perfection.

The menu, however, is still in its basic form — the chefs are still testing the ground, working with various experimentations in the kitchen, sending out samples to judge the clientèle’s reactions, adding on to the menu card slowly but steadily. That’s the reason why we chose to ditch the menu altogether and ask the chefs to present us their recommendations. The cuisines comprise of Indian and Chinese, we were told. “And the Chinese dishes are not just add-ons to the main list of items. We have separate chefs for Indian and Chinese food. There’s also a bit of Thai we offer. And we’re building on the menu everyday,” general manager Ashwin Shetty, informed us. Chocolate Desire and Blush in mocktails, Multani Mushroom Kebab in starters, and Dal Makhani in maincourse are the must-haves, the chefs told us.

And the specialties, all of them, hit one right note after the other. Chocolate Desire was awesomely sinful with its blend of chocolate, cream and coffee, while Blush teased the tongue with its sweet ’n sour pinkness. Multani Mushroom liberally stuffed with cheese melted in the mouth. Roasted Chicken Hong Kong Style and Chicken Chatpata (wonderfully done up with red and yellow bellpapers) pleased the palate and the eyes. Grilled Paneer in Peanut Sauce was soft and crisp and made better by the coarse peanuts paste smeared on it. Dal Makhani, slow cooked in tandoor, left us wanting nothing else with our rotis. We were satiated, entirely.

It was only on the GM’s insistence that we agreed to try out the dessert. The moment Almond Temptation appeared on our table, our fears of a heavy sweet treat bogging us down melted away. The blend of almond liqueur, cream and almond toppings was so wonderfully light, we wondered if it settled down in the stomach at all or just floated on the tongue and lingered on.

We savoured the taste of this fine dining experience. Elevate, their lounge upstairs, should also be a great night spot to chill out in, from what we could make of it in the day. Though the distance might look like a dampener to some of you — it’s in Rainbow Plaza, opposite Hotel Asterix in Pimple Saudagar — we recommend you try this place out.

The cosy seating area at the restaurant