The Indian concept of "jugaad" (improvisation) is slowly making its way into eateries and here's one that replicates an automobile garage, complete with all the odds and ends one would find in such a place.
"India is all about jugaad. So, we 'stole' things from a garage and framed our cafe," he jokingly commented on the thematic ambiance of the place," Jugaad Cafe and Bar owner Aryan Singh told IANS.
Towards this, unconventional designing has been resorted to, be it the use of truck headlights to light up spaces or chandeliers made out of cycle tyres; be it the tables made out of scrap or the washbasin created out of a scooter tyre; from glasses fashioned out of used beer bottles to table tops made up of wrenches, nuts and screws.
All this comes together into a refined, highbrow garage that at times seems unbelievable.
The 'jugaadu menu' includes signature items like kurkure bhutta, crispy chilly chana, poori snacker, sushi paneer, macaroni pancakes - all of which invite you to try them all.
Poori snacker can be described as a desi poori with a topping of Afghani chicken tossed in Indian spices, while kurkure bhutta is a corn served with a crumble of a snack that goes excellently with drinks.
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Talking of drinks, if you are bored of same old mixologies, Jugaad offers some crazy blends.
Among cocktails, there's sharaabi nariyal, a blend of coconut water, barcadi and strawberry; risky whiskey, a mixture of scotch, cointreau, lime juice and cranberry juice and baba ji ki booti - a fusion of thandai and vodka.
Apart from this, there's also the regular continental fare on offer as the eatery aims to cater to a range of guests.
"Our eating house is a mixture of established eateries in the area to attract people of all ages as we serve tasteful food matching the standards of Moets and provide great ambiance like Social," Aryan Singh said of the establishment, located in south Delhi's hip Defence Colony market.
He said he has lived abroad but never experienced the innovative fixes that he has witnessed here in India.
And, given that the hugely popular IPL is under way, Jugaad has large screens bringing alive the matches on all its three floors together with offers like a free drink for every 'jugaadu' shot or a wicket.
"We at Jugaad have great offers for our patrons who would love to be a part of the IPL," Aryan Singh said.
FAQs:
Where: 10, ground floor, Defence Colony main market.
Time: 12 noon - 12 midnight
Meal for two: Rs.1,200 plus taxes (excluding alcohol)
(The writer's visit was the invitation of Jugaad Bar & Cafe. Mudita Girotra can be contacted at mudita.g@ians.in)