Eateries, bazaars, monuments and people give
the city a unique character. While most of these iconic entities are supposed
to be at least a century old; there are very few places that in little time
become the fabric of the city. They adapt to the personality and becoming a
synonym to the city comes organically to them- one such gem of Delhi is The Big
Chill.
A
brainchild of Aseem Grover and Fawzia Ahmed,
it was the year 2000 when the gates opened to their first outlet in Kailash
Colony. Many came to know about this place especially when the crowd of South
Delhi started swearing by it. The actual boom came when it entered into the
proximity of Khan Market. With praises spread all over from word of mouth, it
was actually this very outlet which saw people pouring-in in huge numbers. The
location added to its popularity and in no time it became the most loved and in
fact the most instgrammed café too.
People were going gaga- from pastas to thick
shakes, from cakes to pies; the concept just clicked. A retro themed ambience,
brightest of colours and walls glorified with posters of yesteryear’s classic
movies and song records- this was a cosy place to have a delightful meal. Many
also said that it reminded them of the café from the legendary series
F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
In the midst of all the dingy bars that
served the same food, this became the place for people who actually liked to
spend money on a satisfying meal. But what was the reason for this glory?
To
start with- food; they never compromised on the taste- rustic and flavoursome, their
dishes made people realise what actually foodgasm is. No matter how many
outlets they opened, they never deviated themselves from serving king size
portions. Every time and I want to particularly stress on this point, every
time the portion size was the same as before. Next is their menu, not only the
dishes but the menu itself is such smartly designed, it feels like opening a
food treasure book. No matter how jam packed the place is, the staff is always
calm-composed yet super quick on their feet.
Imagine the chaos in the restaurant and the
level of popularity because of which they next came up with an absolute beauty
The Big Chill Cakery. By this time the café was already feeding foodies at DLF
Promenade, Vasant Kunj and DLF Place, Saket. The cakery was an ode to
desserts, ice creams, bakes & more. Designed like a French patisserie, this
place is actually a paradise. You pass by this and it just pulls you. Your mind
will keep saying just go and dig your teeth into something sweet. Sit at any of
their outlets and you will see the reactions of the happy eaters- people will be
feeling guilty about screwing up their diets and half of them take at least 15
minutes to decide as to what to order. Yes, they just go bonkers over the
options! Each cake beautifully finished and teasing you from that counter to
just dig in.
I can
probably write a thesis on this, but the idea is to express gratitude to this
entity for giving us so many happy meals and for others to learn from them how
to keep going rock solid without compromising on the portion size and of course,
taste. And now with all that hooting, we welcome The Big Chill Café to DLF Mall
of India, Noida. Take my word for this, it is their most beautiful outlet till
date. As we entered I was so overwhelmed by its charm. The taste here too
remains untouched, as pure as it was, made with honesty and love for the
ingredients used.
We all love this place and they are
definitely here to stay. So go foodies, start that guilt trip, binge on, forget
about your diets and satisfy your soul with the most comforting food ever.
I have to go now…….the wait is over, just
got my table!
Authored By : Ritika Dhawan
Compiled By : Vickrham (vicky)