Winter evenings are about good food, great drinks and a cozy ambience. You look for places that have their menu catered to the beautiful season that winter is. Warm cocktails, soul-soothing broths and some hot, melt in the mouth dessert – that is what we all look for when we choose a place to hang out. And Ivoryy at Malviya Nagar Road fits the bill perfectly and more. This ‘cocktail garden’ boasts of an extensive food and drinks menu, amazing ambience and music that matches the Mediterranean mood of the place. We went there to try out their newly curated winter menu and were left mesmerised by the food and the attention to details.
Comfortably seated in the corner of the open terrace, the weather was starting to get chilly when we arrived for the dinner. Beautiful and serene white décor and the calming music, under the beautiful winter sky had already set our expectations high. The starters, that consisted of Burmese chilli potatoes and Chengdu style roasted cumin lamb were the perfect start to an unforgettable dining experience. The potatoes were tossed with a flavourful sauce, with the peanuts giving the dish an exotic flavour and the tender lamb was perfectly cooked.
The winter special cocktail menu at Ivoryy is wholesome, with options in wine, rum, brandy and several other spirits. We tried their mulled wine and hot buttered rum, both of which were like a warm hug in the cold evening. With a hint of orange and dates, the mulled wine was the perfect drink to take us through the evening. The hot buttered rum kept us company throughout the meal, with spices that warmed our soul and calmed our senses. The next course was what we called the dish of the day – the veg and non-veg varieties of the Turkish flatbread Pide. The lamb bisque pide and the cream di fungi pide, both came with hummus and sour cream dips, with fresh spring onions. The filling was delicious – with the pulled lamb pide being the absolute show-stealer.
The next course was the Nepali speciality jhol momo. Having had the dish in multiple places, we were curious to see just how much of a standout this delicacy will be. Safe to say, the momo delivered and how! The broth was comforting, with a rustic nutty aftertaste. The momo itself was soft, delicate and melted right in our mouths. A hint of red chilli chutney added that extra zing to the dish. After having all of the wonderful cocktails and lip-smacking food, we were happily surprised that we still had space for dessert. And trust us when we say, having the dessert was the perfect closure to the great evening meal. Kanafeh Jaffar is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert, with a spun fine vermicelli pastry, filled with cheese and topped with pistachios and rose petals. It was freshly baked for us and every bite into the dessert gave us the feeling of luxury. The salty cheese filling gave the perfect balance to the dessert, making us glad that we stuck to our rule of always saving space for dessert.
The dinner at Ivoryy was an experience. The lamb pide and the kanafeh jaffar stood out and the hot buttered rum was as close to the perfect winter cocktail as can be. If you want to enjoy a cozy evening and eat a meal that satisfies you, go try out the new winter menu at the place and thank us later!