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A cartload of delight

I liked the name. À la cart, I was told, was the new offering from Chilli Seasonss, a restaurant that I am very fond of. Chilli Seasonss used to be located in the Lodhi Colony market but is now in Defence Colony. And it has started a new concept of good food being sold from carts. Hence the name – À la cart.

It was certainly an innovative concept. I am a great follower of street food and have always wondered why we don’t promote and expand our street food. On the contrary, efforts are on to stifle the rich street food culture of Delhi. That’s why, when Suddha Kukreja, one of the partners of Chilli Seasonss, told me that they had started selling Pan-Asian food from carts, I was interested.

The first of the carts is next to the Kent’s sandwich corner in the Def Col Market. It’s shaped like a boat, and is attractive to look at. It sells – at very reasonable prices, I may add – satays, wraps and pita pickets. The cart starts selling only at 5 pm, and I had landed up there around noon. So to save me another trip, Manav Sharma, another partner of Chilli Seasonss, very kindly served me the fare at the restaurant itself. The food, anyway, is cooked at the Chilli Seasonss kitchen.

When the scheme expands – with more carts in different parts of the National Capital Region – the owners plan to open a centralised kitchen. I asked for a Vietnamese grilled chicken on skewers (Rs.65 for four pieces), a basil leaf chicken pita (small for Rs.65) and a Thai corn cake (Rs.70). The grilled chicken was excellent. The pieces, nicely tender, had been well marinated with pepper and garlic and a soy sauce. What I enjoyed even more was the pita bread with the basil leaf chicken. The chicken – with baby corn and other veggies – was wonderfully fragrant, and had been cooked with basil and kaffir lime.

The Thai corn cake (consisting of two well-endowed pieces) was later eaten by two friends – one loved it, and the other said she was not greatly impressed. I was too full by then to try it out.

Actually, this is a concept that should really take off. The food is excellent, and so are the prices. The pita pocket, for instance, was a filling dish of a big chunk of bread stuffed with juicy chicken. The large helping – with two huge chunks – is for Rs.105.

So in effect you can have a full meal for a little over Rs.100. The menu also includes Thai chicken satay (Rs.65 for four pieces) and vegetable satay of broccoli, mushroom and tofu (Rs.60 for four pieces) and a Vietnamese grilled chicken wrap for Rs.90. The pita pockets come with a stuffing of chicken satay (Rs.65 for small, Rs.105 for large), vegetable satay and basil leaf vegetables (Rs.60 for small and Rs.100 for large).

À la cart now plans to start carts for hotdogs. Right now, the partners are busy tasting different kinds of sausages. I must say I look forward to that. I am all for bringing the world to the streets.

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