Situated in the heart of Mehrauli, overlooking Qutub Minar on one side and the lush, green ridge area on the other, MisoSexy calls itself the ‘sexiest bar’ in town. The claim is bold, but with a view as magnificent, we are ready to sit down and listen. One of two of restaurateur Priyank Sukhija’s recent passion projects, MisoSexy opened its doors for the gourmands of Delhi in December last year, a few weeks before the latest variant of covid 19, omicron eclipsed the dining scene of the capital, yet again. But the curiosity around MisoSexy is just getting heated. Right next to MisoSexy is the much-muted Bougie, both the new properties share the same lavish terrace, which is gaining traction for an even bigger and better view of the Qutub Minar, and the sunset. Equally noteworthy on the terrace is the open bar, made with white marble that illuminates as the sun goes down.
The terrace is ideal for a rager, but for a quieter sit-down meal you may prefer the area downstairs. Done up by Bentchair, the exquisite glasswork across the restaurant, the modish tables, the glamorous bar decked in hues of gold, makes an opulent, yet tasteful statement.
The Food: What To Try, What To Miss
We started off with the dimsums (no doubt), on our table was a portion of cream cheese mushroom, the Schezwan chicken chilli oil and steamed fish in vine leaf. All deftly done and delicious, the mushroom dumplings are ideal for fans of cream cheese, it is rich and sturdy. The dumplings pop out with melted cheese, but that is not what cream cheese is known for, it is known to bring the creamy, umami flavour to your food, the soft and delectable mushrooms make for a perfect pair. For those, who fancy something hot should definitely try the Schezwan dumplings, and if you want something new and unheard of, go for steamed fish in vine leaf, they do not look like dimsums, have a ‘curry-like’ scent and even remind you of the many steamed Indian fish delicacies that come wrapped in effervescent laves. Different and delightful.
Next in line were the sushis, we recommend Crazy Sake, who love some crunch and drama, for the fans of classics, you can always rely on the tuna sushi.
Then, we tried the Hoisin Chicken Bao. The big violet coloured dumplings came with hot and sweet sauce and burnt garlic crisps, the casing of the bao was pillowy soft and the fillings generously sweet and spicy. A very wholesome starter.
The most interesting item on the menu has to be the charcoaled prawn tempura. On plate they look like a gothic art piece, prawns encased in a very crispy, pitch-black charcoal tempura make promise a scrumptious experience.
Then we called for the perfectly done Penang-Style Flat Noodles. Following the noodles was a portion of chicken Katsu Curry, which comprised crispy fried chicken coated with panko breadcrumbs, jasmine rice and a mild and soul-satisfying soy-based gravy.
The Hakkaido scallops in Chefs curry, is a treat for fans of Thai curry, the slivered almonds on top is an excellent touch to the curry which actually boasted of many more surprises, read on to know.
It would be a crime to not talk about the selection of cocktails by mixologist Ranveer Kumar, from whiskey, gin to wine. The handcrafted cocktails will make sure your day is 'buzzing' with all this exquisite and fun.
The Chef’s Take
We caught up with Chef Saurav Bhatnagar, the man helming the culinary affairs at the MisoSexy. He spoke about his journey as a chef in India, abroad, coming back to India and more.
“I started my career from Sheraton, then I moved to Taj, I honed my skills at Wasabi Morimoto under expert chefs. Then I moved to Carnival Cruise Lines, then I have also worked at the Cyprus, so my career has been a mixed bag and every day I am so grateful to all the opportunities, it taught me to improvise. Like at Cyprus, I would cook Asian but the way the Greek would like it. And today’s progressive cuisine that you see everywhere nowadays, involves a lot of thought, attention to detail, you cannot be lazy in your research. People are all so well-travelled, they know their food,” remarked chef Bhatnagar, about the warped understanding of ‘progressive’ ‘modern’ and ‘fusion’ food.
“When I came back to India, I started out with the Bentchair, so if you go the Plum, the focus is on progressive Asian, the truffle oil et al. Now at MisoSexy, we are the same family, but I said kuch naya karte hai (let's do something new) So, our focus is definitely Pan- Asian, but influences are drawn from all over the world. Think truffle oil, kadi patta, turnip cakes”, he tried explaining his vision at the ‘Pan- Asian’ fare at Miso Sexy.
When asked about his favourite dishes in the menu, he spoke about the lengthy discussions that have gone in deciding the menu.
“I like everything but then I am also not the one to get complacent. For example, everybody has prawn tempura, but in how many places will you have charcoal prawn tempura. The Scallops curry which may remind you of typical Thai curry does not make use of lemongrass, it is the kadi patta. It serves two purposes, the scent of course is distinct in itself, and it also brings a new flavour profile to the curry. So, it was Kadi Patta, Madras Curry Powder and Coconut cooked together for 45 minutes that proved to be a game-changer here. We have a short menu now, because we don’t want run-off the mill dishes, we will come up with eighteen new dishes soon.
Are you planning to visit MisoSexy soon? Do let us know your thoughts.