I want to experience this restaurant because it is rated number two in Gurgaon by Zomato.com, India’s leading on-line restaurant guide. Yumz, situated in the Qutub Plaza market, has had many happy diners giving it their thumbs up. Eager to find out the reason behind the popularity, I enter the restaurant. The décor here is predominantly dim and red, redolent of the tandoori and Chinese eateries of the Delhi of yesteryears.
“I have always been a foodie,” says Sagar Sindhwani, the visibly proud owner of the restaurant. “I picked up dishes from my favourite restaurants in Karol Bagh, and decided to recreate all the food I love.” The living proof of this is the fact that this engineer-turned-restaurateur makes it a point to have at least one meal a day in his restaurant.
On his recommendation, I start with the tandoori non-veg platter (Rs. 200). The chicken tikka is wonderful, amongst the best that the NCR offers. Juicy succulent pieces of chicken are ably marinated, and have just the right amount of charring at the edges. The paneer tikka has chunks of fresh creamy paneer-—with its traditional orange food colour—and the soft taste that only the best quality of paneer can deliver. The mutton seekh kabab is a bit disappointing – it is a half-way-house, having neither the meaty, chunky mouth feel of a Punjabi seekh, nor the creamy texture of the Awadh version; and is a tad bit dry. The accompanying dal makhni is surprisingly light and tasty.
A gastronomic sixer is hit with the next dish―interestingly called magaz ke gole (Rs. 110). The dish is a unique and memorable experience. Chunks of goat’s brain are dipped in a batter of spiced besan, and deep fried to perfection. A bite into it delivers a crisp exterior with a melt-in-mouth filling that hits the spot; and a spontaneous sigh of pleasure escapes my mouth.
I now turn my attention to the much anticipated authentic, Karol-Bagh-style Punjabi Chinese fare, and order chicken hot garlic sauce (Rs. 190) with veg chilly garlic noodles (Rs. 120). The robust garlic chicken and the oily, spicy, tangy noodles—with lots of veggies and soya sauce—take me back to the multitude of food vans and small dhabas that used to serve up these treats. This is comfort food at its best.
Finally, I decide to try the intriguingly named bhains ki aankh (Rs. 100) – a dessert, helpfully translated as bull’s-eye in the menu. This is a curious combination of cream filled biscuits, vanilla ice-cream, chocolate sauce, and a brownie – shaped to look like a buffalo’s eye. The dish, though visually appealing, misses the bull’s eye. I can’t resist ending the meal with yet another bite of the noodles, and leave in good taste.
Yumz serves extra–ordinary food at delightful prices.
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