Where: Smoke House Deli, Hauz Khas Village

Cuisines: European, Italian

Cost: 2000 for two

I had recently won the #ElleExperience Contest and I was pampered to bits as its winner. Lunch at Smoke House Deli was part of the package and luckily, I had my camera with me. So, I thought I'd write a review on the blog!

It was a pretty hot afternoon and I browsed the menu for a refreshing cooler. You can choose from  a good variety of coffee. shakes and mocktails. I ordered a cucumber, basil, lavender lemonade because it sounded interesting. It was as pretty as a lemonade can get. Long chunks of cucumber floated along with beautiful orchid and basil leaves. However, it tasted pretty much like an ordinary sweet lemonade. 

Next came Hash Brown with jalapenos and two cheese melt. As the name suggests, the hash browns were topped with cheddar, mozzarella and jalapenos- simple and sinful. I love food on wooden platters for no particular reason. The super-crispy hash browns were delectably gooey inside and the toppings just made it better. They tasted perfect without any seasoning or condiments. Although, the chef had drizzled some pesto on the side. The Curried Cottage Cheese skewers were beautifully put together with zucchini and bell papers, and grilled to perfection. The tangy barbeque marination had crisped up because of the grilling and had the right amount of smokiness. I hogged like, 4 whole skewers, one after the other- just couldn't get enough of the silky texture of the cottage cheese. The crunchy veggies were so juicy and went well with every bite of cottage cheese I took.

We then ordered a Mushroom and Olive Pizza- yes, I order pizza everywhere I go, don't judge me like that! So, the base of the pizza was so crispy that I had to be really careful while chewing it. It was the authentic Italian crust- super thin and crisp like a cookie. Olives, mushroom, cheese for toppings- what's not to like? The star component of the pizza, however, was definitely the crust.

Coming to my favourite part of the meal- we had a Hot Chocolate Fondant for dessert. It was so delicate that it jiggled (and quite seductively so) even as we moved it around the table to have a closer look. One minute we were gazing lovingly at the hot chocolate oozing out, the next minute we were wiping of the plate  with all available cutlery and wishing there was some more. That scoop of vanilla ice cream must be feeling super unimportant (see, it's not even in focus in the picture) but it did its job well. 

The decor is of the place is kept minimal making extensive use of serene whites. The bar and dining area are separate. Quirky quotes on the wall, antique wrought-iron chairs and plenty of natural light from the huge glass windows make for a pleasant ambiance. It is the kind of place that has the sophistication and quiet you need for a business meeting and also the not-so-serious vibe you look for a meal with friends. The service is quick and the staff is very polite. Oh, also, when you ask for regular water, they serve you chilled water infused with flavours of mint and orange slices- which is very thoughtful, I think. Definitely worth visiting, I had an amazing time and a satisfactory meal.