[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Nestled in an area known for its luxury cars, stealthy gym memberships better known as Greater Kailash 2, New Delhi comes Zingo Star, an American food enthusiast cafe (with touches of Italian favourites). While their neighbour is a staple Dominoes outlet, the blackboard outside the entrance screams of all things yummy: chicken wings, beer and burgers.
My date? My Dad AKA R B Siddhanti, all of 66, but is 30 at heart. He loves American food as much as he did on his trips abroad, and is a better judge of food in general.
THE FEEL
First of all, it’s not a fine dining restaurant that you could take your family to.
But a place to “hang” as Head Chef Shashank put it. I guess his customers would obviously live close to the area and are younger, usually between 18-30. I barely make the mark but OK.
AMBIENCE
The first impression was nice: it’s pretty spacious…well not Gurgaon spacious but not cramped or anything. Wooden decors, colourful bar stools, street art splattered on the walls caught our eye. What was missing were the retro posters, the cool toys from yesteryears that add a wee bit of character. But an open kitchen kind of diverted my attention.
The kitchen cabinets are full of glassware: recycled milk bottles for fresh shakes and mason jars to serve fresh juices/smoothies was really clever and refreshing.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”2055″ alignment=”center” border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]The wait staff was really sweet, something that can never go unnoticed. Turn off: it was a Friday afternoon but there were no customers when we entered. An empty café is a plus when you want to catch up on a book, or work, but should have some patrons, no?
Moving on.
THE FOOD
So we decided to order a few staples as well as a few recommendations from the Chef.
APPETISERS
Although we started with a Caesar Salad when we ordered a Seasonal Salad (an honest mistake that I didn’t correct) and side of chicken wings, the response was a mix. The Caesar Salad was crunchy and leafy but low on quantity, croutons and dressing. Chicken Wings, (their USP), dipped in honey barbecue sauce were really good. So much so that I preferred getting my hands in, and chucking the fork and knife away (they should get bibs for those who come in and order 12 pieces or more). I chose the medium hot sauce but if you live for spice, try out their chipotle sauce as per the Head Chef’s recommendation.
ENTRÉE
Next up, were BBQ Sliders, pretty staple and yummy; good dressing too. And they came with a twist: to make it more Indian and bring in “street style food”, they use PAV slices for their sliders, which made it pretty easy to eat.
The thing that needs to be improved are the FRIES. I don’t know if you have noticed, but that’s mostly the first thing you go for, at least I do. Even if I am on a date, or when I say I’m NOT hungry, it’s just an impulse: you grab a stick. You know. You don’t think too much of it. Except when you’re made to compare.
Firstly they were not fries: they were close to wedges. An American, fast-food café should ideally have cracker fries. My father recently told me why I can eat a medium fries at Mc Donald’s without offering even one. It’s got 9 ingredients and is cooked in 7 oils to it that makes it so addictive and yummy and unhealthy! So my genuine feedback is that if they get their fries right; they’ll attain glory.
The sliders done with, the Chef decided we needed to sample a thin-crust pizza. I forget the name; I think it was Don Flamenco served with The Mighty Mushroom Poutine. The pizza looked great, it was made with fresh ingredients. My Dad pointed out that not just the crust, but even the base is crunchy. I don’t know how I felt about that so I continued to chew on my slice: a mouthful of chicken paprika, tomatoes and good cheese. The poutine was OK.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”2058″ alignment=”center” border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]Final Word: It’s a great place to chill, the Head Chef as well as the team are very friendly, very accommodating and seem to be in a place where they want to make their customers happy.
If you’re looking to eat healthy, their sliders and pizzas may just cut the mark since they also use olive/canola oil. But if you’re gonna go heavy on the wings, then indulge away.
About the café
Zingo Star has been launched recently by Sohrab Sitaram and Raghav Kapoor who own properties like The Chatterhouse, Shalom and Tabularasa in Delhi.
Here is a link to Zomato to tell you if it fits your budget.
Love,[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
