Whether you want bottled water or regular, is an option that all eateries offer. Diggin was no different. But here, I made a different choice. I opted for regular water. The waitress, dressed smartly in a white shirt and black trousers, smiled and poured me a glassful of water from a bottle. The water tasted different, it tasted fresher, mintier. A welcome flavor for the summer heat! In those bottles of regular water were mint leaves that gave the unique flavor. I knew that instant, this is a place that did things differently and for the better.
Located opposite to Gargi College, Diggin is an Italian restaurant. As I entered the place, the tasteful English decor was the first thing I noticed. Brightly done in white and a contrasting brick wall with tall windows and white curtains, it reminds me of a typical British pub. Italian food in a place with British interiors! I could hardly wait.
I was not surprised to find that the menu included a wide range of pastas and pizzas. After all, it’s an Italian restaurant. What really caught my attention and with it my appetite, was items like Risotto and Eggplant Parmigiana. A well compiled menu, indeed.
As I struggled to choose the right dish, chef Vishal Kochhar offered his expert advice, “Why don’t you start with Minestrone soup and follow it with Herb Chicken Bruschetta.”
As the soup arrived, the helpful chef explained how there are different version of this herb infused popular soup. “This soup perfectly complements the weather,” smiled. The heavy July torrent had given way to a cozy drizzle as I spooned the rich soup. The first note of the soup was comforting as I could feel the aroma of rosemary, basil, celery and thyme. It made me dream of Italian countryside.
Next came Herb Chicken Bruschetta! One look at it and all I could exclaim was, “Ahhhhhhhh!” One a white plate those biteful of bruschettas looked like warriors. On a brown base was a generous heap of chicken and herb topping and on it stood gallantly a piece of dried tomato. The symmetry with which they were placed and the colour play indicated it was created by the experts. I was bowled over by how they looked. And was bowled over twice when I tasted it. It tasted even better than it looked!
After that, the chef suggested we should try their Bacon stuffed Chicken leg. It was so perfectly soft that I could not help but get into the technicality of cooking. The patient chef had no other option but to satisfy my curiosity. “We braise the chicken long enough to get it to the right texture. It’s a long, time consuming process but it has a wonderful effect on the meat.” We could not agree more. It was succulent, juicy and zesty. The sauce that accompanied the Chicken leg was refreshing with a zing of sourness and fieriness.
The taste outrage made me hungrier. Risotto is a tricky dish as they say. Chef Vishal explained to us about the origin of Risotto and how he struggled to serve a dish that is as original as an Italian would love to try. But then, you have to localize your product to suit the weather and mood of the people. It was little overcooked but, for most of people, this is the perfect risotto one can have in Delhi. The crunchiness of the dish was lacking but it complemented perfectly to the English weather. It was delish.
The Spaghetti Bolognese was a dish that was recommended to us by many. So, we asked for a portion of it to be served as well. However, to my utter dismay, it was not something that I was expecting. With its rich lineage from Bologna in Italy, I expected this meat based sauce to be zingier than it was. Let me tell you that it was not bad but it was not my ‘pick of the day’ for sure. Given the critical technicalities involved in preparing this dish, I believe it still has room for improvement for this world famous Italian dish.
Honestly, I was done to death. I had no room to squeeze in my stomach. The small portions of those wonderful dishes prepared by the team at the Diggin gave me a wonderful culinary experience as well as feeding extravaganza. But then, all good things must end with a sweet note.
I never had a sweet tooth. Or, so I believed unless I tasted Coffee Crème Brulee. The bitter sweet taste just lingers on and I enjoyed it so much. I think this is the perfect dessert if you don’t have a sweet tooth. Just ample sweetness amidst a burst of coffee flavor! Oh, how much I loved it. The Chocolate Fondant was alright. Neither bad nor good, it’s just about right.
Yes, you got a price to pay. But I believe the overall cost benefit ratio of eating out at Diggin is positive. The price is reasonable when you see the quality of food, service and location. You won’t mind paying for a good meal if they live up to its value. I think they do. The only thing that may be a hindrance is lack of parking space.
(With inputs from Rupamudra Kataki)
The Mashed Potato 