Restaurant review | Dhilli in Delhi, ‘an ode to the culinary capital of India’

Dhilli at The Oberoi in Delhi offers— a chance to try the best of the city’s staggeringly wide gamut of food under one roof

It’s one thing to dig into a plate of dahi bhalla while standing at a busy street corner in Chandni Chowk; that’s an exercise a Dilliwala or anyone who’s lived in the city long enough is all too acquainted with. But to sit in the elegant confines of a fine dining establishment, break into a yogurt-pomegranate bark, scoop some dahi bhalla ice cream with it, along with a few boondi sev for crunch, and surprise your mouth with the very familiar taste presented in the most unfamiliar of ways... now that is something even ardent food connoisseurs are treated to only on the rarest of occasions.

That is exactly what the newly launched Dhilli at The Oberoi in Delhi offers— a chance to try the best of the city’s staggeringly wide gamut of food under one roof, each presented with masterful tweaks and flairs to surprise even the most experienced of palates. Helmed by Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia MBE, who returns to India after over a decade of his first restaurant Ziya at The Oberoi Mumbai, Dhilli presents a thoughtfully curated taste of the capital, albeit with certain delightful surprises.

“Dhilli for me is meant to be an ode to the culinary capital of India,” Chef Vineet tells me. “Delhi has always been the seat of power, but when you dig deep into its food history, you realise that it also translates into the culinary seat of power in India. There is so much more to Delhi than just chole bhature and butter chicken. It has a Jain influence, there are immigrants from East Pakistan who live in CR Park and celebrate Durga Puja with Indo-Chinese and Bengali street cuisine... I was eager to highlight this diversity, rich history and deep roots of the city’s many cuisines through Dhilli.”

After scouting the streets of the city for local favourites, the chef condensed his top picks into Dhilli’s menu, grouping them under six neighbourhoods that encompass everything from the vibrant culinary heritage of Old Delhi to the Punjabi flair of Rajouri Garden, with a detour to CR Park for Bengali fish staples, to the meaty delights of Nizamuddin, and more. Even so, the menu may feel extensive to navigate, hence for convenience, you can opt for the ‘Taste of Dhilli’ that brings the best from each neighbourhood with a six-course tasting menu. Whatever you pick, you’ll be assured of Chef Vineet’s unique twist to every dish.

After scouting the streets of the city for local favourites, the chef condensed his top picks into Dhilli’s menu

Staying true to the flavours, he has generously experimented with the techniques and textures, thus presenting the dishes with a nuanced reinterpretation. The Chatak Chenna Chaat from Chandni Chowk that I began this review with, for instance, comes with a yogurt parfait and a dahi bhalla flavoured ice cream, while the Butter Chicken Gujiya parcels the city’s most beloved dish in crispy pastry, served on a bed of dhaba tamatari drizzled with herb chutney. Rajouri Garden’s comfort vegetarian food, khichdi and mushrooms, receives a makeover as tender Wild Mushroom Khichdi Seekh, presented with a dusting of powdered porcini and a delectable duo of dal makhani sauce and tadka makhani. While Jama Masjid’s popular lamb preparations are reimagined as Pista Crusted Lamb Chops that truly exemplify a melt-in-the-mouth experience, which in turn is heightened by a pista coriander chutney and sheermal.

Many of the dishes that made the cut also have an associated element of nostalgia for the Mumbai-born Punjabi-British chef, who as a child spent many a summer break with his grandparents in Delhi. “Many of these recollections are not even related to food. For instance, I remember seeing the golden amaltas in full bloom while strolling down Lutyens’ Delhi, of being showered by their beautiful bright petals,” he reminisces. “The amaltas flower embroidery on the Dhilli serviettes is a tribute to those memories, so is the amaltas tea on the menu.”

The food is obviously the focus, the star attraction at Dhilli, and the understated interiors of the place only add to that

Chef Vineet recalls satiating his sweet tooth with nankhatais that were a regular fixture during tea-time, and which now feature in the menu as petite fours. The quintessential Delhi lunch of basic rajma chawal too has received a facelift here—as a rice tikki served on a bed of rajma with a chura of papad and flavoured achari oil drizzled on top. “I would always enjoy this dish with papad, and as much as I was not into spicy things, I’d still have a little aam ka achaar with saunf on the side. So, I’ve tried to capture a lot of my childhood memories in many of the dishes on the menu,” he says.

The food is obviously the focus, the star attraction here, and the understated interiors of Dhilli only add to that, with design elements inspired from the city and Lutyens himself, such as his famous spider-back chairs, stone floors, coiffured ceiling with skylights, luxurious Indian textiles and a dash of yellow tone — reminiscent again of the golden shower of the amaltas. As personal as this venture may seem for Chef Vineet, who at the start of this year was bestowed with an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), Dhilli also feels comfortingly close to home, or the essence of it at least for Delhiites, while for outsiders, it is a true taste of the magnificent culinary cornucopia that is Delhi.