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By NEETA LAL
What drew me instantly to Ping’s Cafe Orient in Lodhi Colony market was its signboard – Healthy Asian Street Food. A fan of both `street food’ as well as all things `healthy’, I bit the bait instantly and entered the chic restaurant that channels a modern street vibe. Street lights and bottle crates create a playful and lively ambience in this 30-seater brasserie.
Launched by boutique hospitality firm Pass Code Hospitality – helmed by foodpreneur Rakshay Dhariwal – the group has won many accolades for its inventive take on Asian cuisine, friendly service and pocket-friendly prices. Ever since its launch in 2012, the brand’s five outposts in Delhi : award-winning cocktail bar PCO, modern European bistro & private members club ATM,Ping’s Cafe Orient, Italian-style martini bar PDA and regional Indian restaurant Jamun – have shaken up Delhi’s foodscape in a good way.
Ping’s menu offers fresh and authentic South East Asian street food in a way it is meant to be prepared— with fresh ingredients, freshly-ground spices and aromatic herbs.Delicacies from Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysiajostle for space with those from Singapore, Thailand, Korea, Burma, Japan and the Philippines. Low-calorie, vegan and gluten-free options add to the smorgasbord.
Even the fried food, like the Korean chicken wings, for instance is made in heart-healthy oils such as canola, Chef Suraj Kumar tells me as I sip and savor their signature beverage Singapore Sling. “The idea is to make the food as flavorful and healthy as possible without compromising on taste,” he explained.
Indeed, there’s much to delight even the most pernickety dinerhere. We begin with the Fiery Tom Yum soup that recreated quintessentially Thai flavors with fresh prawns, lemongrass, galangal and kefir lime leaves. Dimsums – delicately flavored, translucent parcels – were bursting with the umami of prawns. spicy chicken, water chestnut and mushrooms. However, the Thai glass noodles salad was a big letdown with its bland tasteand deficient seasoning.
The mains brought to our table Chicken Teriyaki Bao served with pickled cucumbers; a stellar Chicken Drunken Noodles redolent of garlic and a pronounced umami flavor as well as Nasi Goreng Chicken served with prawn crackers.
Tipples are central to the PCH experience. At Ping’s too, South East Asian twists on classic cocktails such as The Miso Mary, the Ma Collins and the Singapore Sling are a delight to savor. An array of healthy mocktails sans sugar using tender coconut water, and on-site pressed juices add to the healthful experience. There is also a small Vietnamese-style beer garden to unwind on a long, communal table with special deals on beer.
Fed to bursting, we still couldn’t say no to the coconut and jaggery ice cream which yoked the flavors of both ingredients in a creamy confection that we just couldn’t get enough of.
Neeta Lal is an international-awards nominated New Delhi-based Editor and journalist, formerly Senior Editor with The Times of India, who has travelled to 73 countries in search of good stories on food, art, culture, travel and lifestyle.
