The Green Mantis

Launching an all-vegetarian pan Asian place in Khan Market, quite the step. But this new place is clearly going to give Burma Burma some tough competition. Chef Honey Mishra has created an extensive vegetarian menu that has each dish better than the previous. Dig into into some fresh chickpea tempeh that is filling and flavourful, enjoy some crackling Malaysian Okra (stuffed with onion sambal) for appetisers, and if you’re in the mood for something light, go for the tingmo (Tibetan steamed bread) with datshi, a Bhutanese dish, more like a runny sauce made of chili, cheese, and butter. I could’ve never imagined a Nasi Goreng to taste this good without the meat, but you almost don’t miss the meat, given the perfect aromatic and smoky flavour of the dish. The dumplings, too, are innovative, going beyond the same old edamame (everyone’s new go-to bean). The pumpkin pot sticker dim sums, with curried pumpkin and cream cheese, takes the cake. For dessert, indulge in the Hotteok — a Korean pancake stuffed with brown sugar and cinnamon, which comes with a side of vanilla ice cream and some apple jam. 

Call 9999969713 for reservations

My Love Triangle

Pizza on your doorstep, literally. The idea behind My Love Triangle is to avoid killing the pizza on the commute, which, let’s face it, happens more often than we’d like. MLT’s pizza delivery vans are equipped with mobile ovens, in which gourmet pizzas are prepared, on the go. Once a customer places an order, food is prepared inside the delivery van while driving to the address, so that the food arrives at the customer’s doorstep within no time of leaving the oven. From ripe San Marzano tomatoes and Parma ham imported from Emiliana Romana to soft mozzarella, aged parmesan, and the freshest, crispiest herbs and leaves, MLT wants pizza lovers to enjoy everything gourmet. They also have some interesting antipasti, garlic bread, handcrafted beverages curated by mixologist Yangdup Lama using locally sourced real ingredients, and an assortment of light desserts. All this, fresh, at your doorstep. It could be a great Friday night idea with close ones.

Cafe Tesu, Saket

Café Tesu at Essex Farms is a Delhi favourite, and now they have opened up in DLF Avenue, Saket, exactly at that spot where you want to drop after you shop. With an interesting mix of cuisines — Asian, Italian, Continental — the menu is a healthy concoction of small bites and full meals. If you’re looking to eat a good lunch before heading for your shopping spree, their thin crust pizzas, both vegetarian and non vegetarian, are crispy, loaded with veggies and meat, with sauces that melt in your mouth. For small plates, the chicken and chives dumpling is my pick — not too spicy, lots of chicken, and worth snacking on. End the meal with a Turkish coffee, brewed in the traditional manner with a hint of cardamom, or one of their special tea blends. Dessert lovers can indulge in the burnt basque cheesecake with raspberry compote. Café Tesu is a great sit-down-and-chat-over-good-food place for the weekends.

Mamagoto’s limited edition cocktail menu

For the ‘Friyay’ lovers, Mamagoto has launched Shanghai Nights, a limited edition cocktail menu, to celebrate a glorious era of Shanghai with some Asian citrus notes, smoky feels, and more. They have a smoky whisky cocktail, Le Shanghai, which is the perfect sipping drink to start with. I tried the Miss 1984, with gin and lavender syrup, the right amount of heaviness with some floral flavour. These cocktails pair best with some dim sums, but snacking on prawn crackers will also do the job.

Available at: Mamagoto (DLF Mall of India, Noida, Select CityWalk, Ambience Mall, Gurugram, Khan Market, CyberHub, Gurugram, DLF Promenade, Vasant Kunj)

 Available till: September 30

Colocal

An artisanal chocolate brand that features a bean to bar chocolate factory along with a café, Colocal provides an immersive experience to chocolate lovers who want to have their cake and eat it too. Their campfire hot chocolate is my favourite — it comes with all the fuss, a marshmallow, and some thick, milky chocolate. Their cacao is sourced from the southern states of India, and the café has a very earthy, French feel, and is the kind of space one can spend a nice, breezy evening at, indulging in premium chocolate as well as some basic savoury fare, like sourdough pizzas, bruschetta, etc. The highlight of the café, however, is their chocolate menu — they even have a cacao sangria, and some chocolate soufflé worth trying out. Colocal is one of the coolest places in the capital currently to hang out. 

Address: Colocal Chocolate Factory and Café, Dhan mill compound, 100 Feet Rd, Chhatarpur, New Delhi, Delhi 110074

Contact- 9310524620

Mr & Mitts Bakery

Not exactly a new launch, but another must-try, nonetheless. Mitali Sahani previously spearheaded Bombaykery, and I remember trying out their baked goodies at food festivals in Delhi. Sahani now has Mr and Mitts Bakery, a delivery set up making some unique dessert options. Her SoDos — sourdough donuts — are wildly popular, and with good reason. These small sized donuts oozing with Nutella or some good old custard are a highlight, while her choux buns, tarts, and the Nutella sea salt cookies make it hard to pick just one indulgence. Priced very well for its customisation, Mr & Mitts is where you can order your next weekend binge from.

Website to order: mrandmittsbakery.com