The Chanakya is a known address among Delhiites with an affinity for bling. While the high-end boutique stores with their shiny collection draw the crowd, the reason why many decide to stay back for a bit longer than they had initially planned comes forth once you take the spiral staircase going down to MKT—a sprawling dining space at par with the best standalone restaurants in the capital. 

Ambience

One would think being located in a mall does not set the place up as a perfect spot for diners searching for a cosy experience, but MKT saves itself from the trap with its warm and chic decor. The first thing that strikes you about the place is how, despite its vastness, no element or space feels extra. While MKT has been conceptualised as a food court, it never sticks out with its beautifully lit and sleek open kitchens, dim lighting, and gorgeous bar that takes up a prime position as soon as you enter. Adding a touch of fun to all the elegant brown and golden tones are the long handwritten menus hung up on the walls that sets up the mood for the meal. While MKT is a perfectly spread out for hosting big groups, there are enough quiet corners perfect for solo diners as well.

The Food

If you value choice and don't mind switching from one cuisine to another, then MKT's menu is going to excite you with all that it offers. From authentic Italian to the nostalgic flavours of North Indian favourites, the menu puts the world on your plate. While you can find your comfort foods, no matter what it is, on the comprehensive menu, MKT's newly conceived dishes are worth making an exception for.

The best part is that you can depend on the kind and attentive staff to bring you the best selection, and so we did exactly that. We kickstarted the culinary journey around the world with salmon carpaccio, featuring nahm jim sauce, jicama, cucumber, red jalapeno, bubu arare, and herbed oil. While it may sound like too much, the differently elements came together like a perfectly choreographed medley. While the salmon scored full marks with its freshness, its rich flavour was beautifully balanced by nahm jim sauce's subtle spice and bubu arare's crunch.

Next on our table was prawns marinated in chili bean sauce and stuffed in a deep-fried taro dough. Now, this is what you order if you are craving dim sum and something crunchy at the same time. Stuffed in a taro dough and deep-fried, the shell is ASMR-level crispy and yet melts-in-the-mouth after the initial bite. While the prawns marinated in chilli bean sauce add enough flavour to the bite, you can also dip it in chilli oil to make it spicier.

If you are in the mood for something Indian, the sea bass ghee roast takes the prize. Even better than the perfectly cooked and flaky sea bass was the refreshing and zesty mango chutney on the side.

For the main course, we decided to opt for flavours reminiscent of the Mediterranean coast with prawns gigli. A nuanced composition, the dish included perfectly cooked prawns and al dente pasta in a saffron garlic cream sauce, garnished with parmesan slivers and basil oil. However, if you are in the mood to experiment, you can confidently opt for the moilee paniyaram, which fuses the robust and strong, earthy flavour of parmesan with the simplicity of a popular South Indian snack, paniyarams.

While MKT deserves all superlatives for getting fusion right, the team ensures you don't miss out on classics. One such dish among the mains from the Indian menu that emerges as the winner is the tandoori malai lamb chops served with a side of kacha aloo. The chops scored high points for its bone-to-meat ratio, which was spot on, and the aromatic marinate that was added to right measure so as to not conceal the meat's natural fatty flavour. For a worthy full-stop to this delicious meal, we were presented with the rich-looking loaded chocolate treat, which included a dark chocolate sphere filled with whipped ganache and ice cream topped on a bed of flourless brownies. Since each element boasted different texture and level of sweetness, the chocolate-heavy dessert didn't even once feel "too much," at least till after we were done polishing the plate.

In A Nutshell

What we loved about the space: The wooden and gold tones set the mood for a cosy lunch/dinner. The space is perfect for hosting big groups.

Must-haves from the new menu: Moilee Paniyaram, malai tandoor lamb chops and salmon carpaccio

Cost for two: Approx. INR 3,000 (without alcohol)

Address: Lower Ground Floor, The Chanakya Mall, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi