A unique ‘fusion’ of Continental and Indian in GK 2

A unique ‘fusion’ of Continental and Indian in GK 2 

Restaurant review: Fusion Lounge 

The latest throbbing party address in GK-II's M block market is Fusion Lounge which in the day transforms into a cosy little restaurant where you can host your small group with ease and tuck into a sumptuous fare. Spread out over three floors with covers for 82, the ground floor houses the bar while the first floor offers couches huddled together for more intimate gatherings, and the lower ground floor creates an ambience ideal for private parties.

Don't be surprised if the man waiting your table is writing your order down on his tablet, for at Fusion most things are automated and personalised. The moment you order your drinks, the bartender manning another tablet receives the message, and starts working on the order. In similar symphony goes music, if you are not pleased with the music playing from the DJ console and on the big screen, you have the option to change it from your personal tablet that's provided to you at your table.

Decor: The ground floor, the heart of the restaurant complete with a swanky bar is wooded with seating in wooden benches, making it look like the deck of a ship. Upstairs is cozier with sink-in couches and low center tables, while the lower ground floor is darker, and a tad dingy, which you might not prefer unless you are a biggish group.

Food: Of course, the 'fusion' element is manifest in the restaurant menu which offers multi-cuisine at its widest best with a bias for popular Indian favourites. Barring South-East Asian, everything else is offered to you on a platter from Mexican, Italian, American, Lebanese, to Mediterranean, and not to mention Indian. But the fusion twist to the recipes is the novel element here, for instance, an Indian tikka would be baked with a dollop of cheese or the filling of a fajita would have Indian spices to substitute the Mexican ones.

Appetizer: You have the usual Murg Malai Kebabs, Tandoori Jhinga, and Mutton Seekh Kebabs, aside from a handful of in-house specialties such as 'Spiced Buttered Prawns' and 'Three Cs', which we tried. It wouldn't be inappropriate to say that both the dishes have been invested with a fair bit of innovative thinking. The spiced buttered prawns, for instance, were tender and crunchy and finely marinated in Creole spice before sauteing in butter, while Three Cs was an interesting chicken preparation with chicken breast smeared in chilli paste and baked with cheese, and served on a glass noodle base. The only discrepancy with the dish was it did not deliver on the 'bite-size' promise, but was succulent all the same.

Main course: You can order the choicest of pasta, falafel rolls, or take a pick from Indian favourites like mutton rogan josh, and chicken butter masala to name a few. Vegetarians can obviously sample the vegetarian equivalent of all these dishes. Chef recommended we try out a portion of country style chicken steak and grilled chicken fajita wrap. Must concede executive chef Anil Negi's years of toil in the Taj kitchen came through in the way he plated his dishes, and even deconstructed them. An Indian food lover with a passion for Continental cooking, Chef Negi impressed with the otherwise mundane country style chicken steak dish. The steak was a circular cut and so was the mashed potato caked over with mayonnaise, which went very well with the pungent white mustard dip and sauteed greens like broccoli, lettuce, olives, baby corn and cherry tomatoes.

A must-try here is the grilled chicken fajita wrap for the simple reason that it is a 'deconstructed' fajita wrap where the marinated grilled chicken strips used as stuffing are served separately along with three Mexican dips, with the corn tortillas folded up like 'paranthas'. The idea is to allow interaction with your food, where you can make your own fajita wrap the way you wish to with your desired proportion of stuffing and sauce layering. We absolutely loved the pungent tomato and red pepper dip served with the dish.

It is of some note that all the pizza bases and pita breads are made in-house, save for the very soft tortillas which are imported.

Dessert: Warm walnut brownie and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream with a twig of mint on top, served with a dash of chocolate sauce is the ultimate comfort food, never mind the season. At Fusion, this is a runaway favourite as most guests like to round up their dinner with it, and we turned out to be no different. Much recommended by the restaurant manager we did not regret ordering this tried-and-perfected dessert one bit. Your other sweet options include Tiramisu, cheesecakes and chocolate mousse. And each dessert stands out in their presentation, which makes them everything but run-of-the-mill.

Service: The waiting time between dishes can be long if you are over at peak business hours, but the staff otherwise is friendly and responsive.

Rating: 7.5/10

Venue: Fusion Lounge, M-52, M-Block Market, Greater Kailash II, New Delhi
Meal for two: INR 2000 (with alcohol and taxes)
Timings: 12 noon to 1a
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