Throw a stone in Gurgaon and it is most likely to land on some new restaurant or cocktail bar. The speed at which new eateries and watering holes are coming up in the capital’s neighbourhood boggles the mind, but most seem to get lost once another bigger, better and these days – more ‘Gram worthy’ – place opens up. The ones that remain are the ones that truly manage to stand out for being authentic to their story and by giving an elevated dining experience to the customer.
These thoughts swirling in our mind, we enter Maya at 787 – the new culinary chapter unfolding in Gurgaon. The location feels questionable. It is situated bang in the middle of Apparel House, known more for hosting corporate events and exhibitions rather than enriching dining experiences. However, we prefer judging a book by its content than its cover and so, we decide to wait before we make up our minds.
Understated elegance
Even from outside, one can make out how spacious the eatery is. The cane ceiling lamps bathe the 7,000 sq ft dining destination in warm yellow light. The 80-seater restaurant’s wine-red walls and ceilings are accentuated by gold detailing. There’s an understated elegance and warmth that shines through in its ornate ceiling lamps and wood and forest green furniture.
Founders Kanika Dang and Kashish Dang wanted to open a place which would combine the elements of Indian cuisine and Spanish tapas and for that, they brought in Chef Pradeep Koli who comes with 25 years of experience, to conceptualise the menu.
Flavours that fit
Given that the restaurant is named Maya, the Sanskrit word for illusion, the menu hints at hidden complexities through the combined communal cultures of India and Spain. Chef Koli confirms the same. “We are not calling this a fusion of Indian and Spanish cuisines. The idea is not to force the ingredients or techniques together, but to introduce subtle touches of Spanish cuisine in order to enhance the flavours,” he says. He goes on to explain how the two cultures are quite similar in the way in they like to sit together as a community to enjoy the food. “I think my way of cooking is ingredient-driven and I try to use them to maximise the flavours,” he says.
We are keen to try some of the dishes and the chef suggests we start from the Paprika Hemp Chaat. And what a start it is! The Chef, who hails from Uttarakhand, says he loves using hemp in his dishes and here, he makes a hemp seed papdi and tops it with shallow-fried potato, three types of chutneys and masalas, paprika, candied chillies and pomegranate jelly to create a one-bite appetizer. The perfectly balanced snack is sweet, savoury, soft and crunchy and whets our appetite for more. As we wait, we sip on our non-alcoholic Spiced Mango Fizz and Jalapeno Guava Mule, the former a lip-smacking and refreshing mango-flavoured drink while the latter is a take on the classic Moscow Mule and is served chilled, with a spicy kick.
The dish that follows next does full justice to the wait. The Pescado Con Papadam puts a flaky pan-seared fish atop a crispy papad combined with a black garlic aioli, olive and mint chutney. The tapas-style fish dish is near perfect in its execution, and we savour the sharp tang of the chutney with the softness of the fish. The dish that follows is the first one that the chef conceptualised when he was creating the menu.
The Summer Pearl Gazpacho is a cold soup with delicate chenna pearls coated with sugar syrup and dressed with curry leaf oil, sherry vinegar and fermented chillies served with chilled gazpacho and taftan bread. While the gazpacho on its own is zesty and vibrant, the sugar coated chenna pearls are a tad too sweet, and overpower the dish. The Bitter Chicken Tapas that follows is probably the most innovative dish we have had so far. The chef uses duck-fat braised tandoori chicken with potatoes and spices for a deep-fried tandoori chicken leg which is all about textures. Served with methi sauce (the ‘bitter’ in the ‘bitter chicken tapas’) and chilli garlic mayonnaise, it ticks all the boxes on our palate.
The main courses take it up a notch higher. The Laal Maas Miga consists of a thyme-scented Miga (traditional Spanish bread crumbs mixed with meats and fats) - the chef has used olive oil here – served with Rajasthani laal maas and scrambled eggs. Mix and match the combinations any way you want, but either way, what you get is a hearty mouthful with the heat from the laal maas and the umaminess from the Miga.
In the Pahadi Fish Curry, again an ode to the hills, the chef uses jakhiya seeds and jeera to flavour the gravy for the tender white fish. Served with Himalayan rice, the fish has a delightful crunch from the tadka of jakhia seeds and fieriness from the homemade Chamba Chukh, homemade green chilli pickle. No wonder, the chef says that this is one of their most popular dishes.
From the desserts, our pick is the Spanish Orange Cake with Mishti Doi. The delicate Valencian orange cake with mishti doi espuma finished with orange zest and roasted pistachios is fragrant with star anise and cinnamon, making us think of all-things Christmas. Well, the festival is just around the corner. Just the excuse we need to visit Maya at 787 once again.
Address: Apparel House, Sector 44, Udyog Vihar, Gurugram
Timings: 12 noon to 11 pm
Meal for two: Rs 3,000 plus taxes