Machan coffee shop is a forever destination in Delhi

Delhi is known as an eater’s delight for no mean reason. It has dishes and restaurants that are signatures and institutions, loved and respected by the good old Delhiites. MEENAKSHI RAO revisits one such undying institution in its newest avatar

It was in 1991 that I landed a job in Delhi and shifted from Lucknow. Eating out in Lucknow was a limited affair, with even birthdays and anniversaries being organised at home much through chholey bhaturey samose parties. Yes, they had their own charm and warmth as opposed to doing a cosmetic hotel thingie which now has become a norm.

But those were good old days through the 60s and 70s, when Lucknow did not have signature hotels or restaurants with pedigree or exclusivity. So when I walked into Machan in Delhi’s Taj Mansingh hotel, or should I say, was taken to Machan as a rookie in Delhi’s dining scene, I was struck by two things – the warmth of the place and its livedin-ness, if I may say so.

That, and of course, Bull’s Eye which introduced me to chocolate as no other dessert ever could. That was 1991. And now in 2021, three decades later, Machan still means Bull’s Eye for me and nothing less for dessert. With Kona coffee, of course and if it’s not lunch time the other signature snack that has for over four decades of its inception stood tall on the plate – the Periyar Club Sandwich.

Over the years, restaurants, hotels, bakers and others have copied or tried to replicate Bull’s Eye in different avatars and names, but there is nothing to compare this super soft chocolate and ice-cream delight that Machan offers. If at all, the taste, the texture, the softness of its being has only matured. Really, like always and yet like never before!

Time was when the Bull’s Eye used to be the highlight of a special meal-out in Delhi. The delicious warm, gooey, rich chocolate ending to a wonderful meal was to die for. Cut to 2021, and the ‘new’ Machan. We were in for a delightful surprise: Bull’s Eye better than ever! (Didn’t imagine that was possible).

The reasons one is talking about Bull’s Eye are two – one, that I can’t ever stop talking about it, and two, is to tell you how a signature dish and a signature restaurant glides over time and change to remain the same yet different, old and yet new.

The pandemic came in handy for Taj Mansingh to take time out to re-orient the iconic Machan without tinkering with its basic structure but carefully enhancing it. To call Machan a coffee shop of a five-star hotel would be nibbling away the sheen of a legend. It has been more of a Delhi icon, an culinary institution, dabbling in game stories and eats.

The redone Machan looks spic. It also looks more airy and spacious, with the buffet and its trappings gone for good. Ala carte is good for comfort, table indulgence and also for conversations with the food coming in un-intrusively.

The wall paper, or should one call it wall paint, sets the theme, that of jungles and royal tigers. Of course, searching for these awesome big cats hiding behind delicately painted shrubs by an artist who knows his job, and then suddenly finding them staring you down from an arm’s length, gives you a sense of alarm and joy in equal measure. Add to that the sustainable jungle furniture with cane being the core of tables and chairs, Machan is here to tell you grandmother stories in cozy and cushy environs.

The menu, too, is not overcrowded with dhaba kind of quickies but it does dote on carefully constructed local and global cuisine inspired by forests of the world.

For me, Machan has been the go-to place for celebrations, chit-chats or just a friends’ getaway from office. The staff has been as sweet as Bull’s Eye and as attentive as its current executive chef Arun Sundararaj. Arun takes pain to explain how hard the team has worked in cooking up a menu that can match the Machan’s fabled international dining expectations.

It just not defines the game cuisine of India as a defining part of the city’s culinary landscape but also gives it a splash of worldwise gastronomy while being careful enough to weave itself into the fabric of Delhi’s daily life.

For those with that extra sweet tooth, don’t miss the special Creme Brulee with an indulgent Bailey’s Irish Cream infusion. It’s the creamiest, melt-in-the-mouth brulee I have ever eaten.

It is, of course, politically incorrect to start with dessert but that’s what Bull’s Eye does to you, takes you away from from the mains.

I am not much of a salad and soup person but the chicken soup that Chef Sundarajan served up was fabulously flavourful and super comforting for the winter day we were dining at Machan.

Talking about flavours, the vegetable east Asian clear soup with deep green specks of broccoli rubbing cheeks with a blushing red bell pepper, is amazingly aromatic of oils I couldn’t spot and lemon grass I could barely catch. The chillies and galagal that hit the throat in absentia made the day for me.

The salad looked way too green for my liking but was surprisingly delicious. The avocado tucked into the artistically plated green, added texture and taste. The gentle scent of carefully used herbs completed the plating.

The sea bass was piquant – must for both for fish-lovers as well as those who like to experiment. The beautiful, delicately cooked flaky white fish was accompanied by veggies and sauce and an unexpected bit of warm ghee on the side! I was hesitant – clarified butter on a Continental dish? But tried it and, hey, it tasted absolutely divine! Its name, too, drew me into the menu heads – The Ocean Turns Purple, it said, giving pride of place on the side to the purple potato sitting on a warm salad of wild mushrooms.

The cornfed side of chicken came in the most natural chicken flavours I have ever delved into but it was the Maori’s Love for Lamb that, well, took my goat away! This lamb chop with root vegetable puree, tomato and leek confit may be a tad heavy but only on the pocket.

The Pug, a mushroom and cheese chipotle, artistry maximum and taste divine. It melted on the tongue with a burst of gentle flavours as one marvelled at the powdered pub mark that brought the eye back to the emerging tiger on the wall paper peering at me, almost seeking a pat on the tongue so to say for this innovatively designed dish.

One must admit that the re-imagined Machan is destination that will grow back into popular mindset once the pandemic recedes but even now the kitty parties are back and the ladies don’t mind the ala carte restriction.

Not that the officials manning this table-topper of Delhi have ignored the pandemic time hygiene or, for that matter, the axe that should always be on carbon footprints.

Everything single-plastic is gone for good and sustainability brings to the table organic tissue wrappers for the cutlery and soaked napkins instead of cloth ones which used to add to the décor and colour of the table.

Not just the stunning cane tree canopies and the terracotta animal masks created by local artists, but sustainability peeps through contemporary lanterns, raised platform and banquette seating for a relaxed dining experience.

Tables have a terrarium plant that beats indoor and outdoor pollution. The chef proudly tells you that a significant majority of the materials used have been sourced locally and created by artisans and craftsmen from neighbouring States.

To keep the bug at a safe distance as you bite into the chicken legs, a Swedish air purification system is in place to control pandemic anxiety and PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 levels as per WHO guidelines.

The heightened safety and hygiene protocol combined with the magic of Tajness will definitely strike you as comfort food as you can sit back and enjoy the warmth of service which a balance of attentiveness with unobtrusiveness in a heady mix that matches the lemon drop cocktail that they bring for you on special request in remembrance of their other signature facility, Rick’s the bar – if, that is, if you can emerge from Between the Sheets to enjoy the Forest Martini and the Guava Mary along with Jungle Pirate.

All these cocktails, let me insist, are unique, gently and yet heady with a flavour and texture that makes them sit pretty with pretty much that you are eating.

By the way, all doors lead to Machan Mahua Story wherein blended whisky kind of gets muddled in the strong company of gin and lemonade.

And as you head home, with a sobering but flavourful blend of Coorgi coffee, you wonder how Machan will be 30 years from now – same and equally relevant as it was on that sunny day in 1978 when it opened doors to a different kind of hospitality that has grown like Jack’s beanstalk.