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For a couple of years now many South Delhi residents , yours truly included, have caught a quick passing glimpse, whilst using the Lodhi Road flyover, of the decrepit Lodhi Hotel being pulled down and in its place a couple of grey nondescript matchbox structures going up. Then I heard that the Aman-the uber chic luxe hotel chain - was making its first city venture in New Delhi with a super luxury hotel and slowly one could see the exterior of these buildings getting the Aman treatment- traditional stone jaali screens – screening off the terraces and corridors and adding a touch of mystery in the minds of the curious passerby.
It was the curiosity and the whispers on the Delhi dinner circuit that drew me to the Aman last Sunday- the occasion being the 141st wine event of the Delhi Wine Club. In its own path breaking style, the Club schedules its events at the swankiest of the Capital's restaurants with a wine list which would do any international wine club dinner gathering proud.
It’s been barely three months since the Aman opened and through the good offices of Gautam Gulati the CFO and the current Project Head and Kavita Faella, the Chief Sommelier of the Aman group, the Delhi Wine Club was able to schedule a Sunday lunch in this metropolitan lap of luxury, with the wines being made available by Aman Dhall of Brindco- even though the club paid all taxes like customs duty, excise duty etc.
A Tapas wine lunch at their Wine Cellar and Tapas Lounge – but there was a catch; no more than 34 as we were to be seated on bar stools around their Tapas bar and there would be no place for the late deciders. As it turned out there was no scope for a hands-up at the last minute from members- in fact the event was sold out a couple of hours after the event mail from President Subhash had gone online with only scanty details!
The drive up to the Aman portico does not give you much indication of what lies around the corner – an impressive welcome with massive stone lions. Once through the now mandatory metal detector, one’s senses are assailed by peace and quiet, long airy corridors and not a soul in sight – a welcome change from the heat and mayhem on the roads outside. With a clever touch to ensuring privacy of in-house guests, a corridor off the main entrance leads to the restaurants block where on three levels, the chefs of the Aman ply their trade.
The wine event was in the Tapas Lounge, one level down, and through clever use of large windows overlooking water bodies and plenty of glass one didn’t get that basement feel. One has to pass through the Lodhi - the formal Catalonian dining outlet –which I presume is only open for dinner as there was no one there at 1pm, or it was probably too early on a Sunday afternoon for the chic set of Delhi to venture out!
Once down the staircase, at the far end is the Wine Cellar – a stand-up bar where one can have an amazing variety of wines at not so amazing prices by the glass-this is where the afternoon kicked off with an aperitif of Fino de Jerez Sherry by Lustau- a dry sherry that made an excellent companion for the ham, chicken and mushroom croquettes doing the rounds. Sherry has this generally very fuddy duddy imperial hangover tag to it and probably because the average sherry is off - dry it’s probably not too popular. This golden Lustau sherry however was dry and rich and yet very adaptable to being an aperitif with almonds and olives at hand.
Barely a handful of restaurants in Delhi serve a decent Gazpacho but I was really impressed by the texture and consistency of the Gazpacho that we were served along with our sherry – bursting with garden fresh tomato flavor, it went straight to the top of my list.
The main showpiece of the room is the Tapas bar – a very typical Spanish layout with diners perched on stools at a bar –only here there are two rows with a service alley in between where the chefs prepare your salads whilst you lick your lips in anticipation. Coming to think of it, it’s an excellent layout for a wine event, it offers compact seating , you have the sommelier in the centre of everyone’s attention whenever necessary, and Kavita made full use of it to guide us very knowledgeably through the wines for the afternoon.
Spanish food, and more so Tapas, is still something of a novelty in New Delhi –the Park did make a spluttering start with a Spanish restaurant a long time back and the name of Sevilla at the Claridges promised something new but then delivered a safer package of Mediterranean food. So all credit to the Aman for not only embarking on a largely uncharted Spanish journey but also creating an ambience of a Spanish tapas bar –minimalist décor with plenty of glass and dark timber.
Tapas -it’s a great concept –plenty of small tasting dishes to order along with your favourite tipple, variety being the name of the game. The plates have just enough for a bite for two –the advantage is that if you don’t like something, there’s nothing left to waste and there’s no stopping you ordering seconds on something you like . So at the end of the day a flight of tapas is what you won't regret ordering.
So while the chefs were preparing the Orange Olive and Ham salad ,we munched on toasted baguette with a tomato tapenade and sipped the Planeta La Segreta Bianco 2007 - a blend of Chardonnay, Fiano, Grecanico, Sauvignon and Viognier –an oaky blend with reasonable acidity.
We then switched to reds and paired a Bodegas Vega Pintia 2004 from the Toro region, owned by the world famous Vega Sicilia, with the Garlic prawns and something very typical of Spanish tapas –the ubiquitous patatas bravas which is one of the most demanded tapa in any Spanish bar. The crispy potato cubes were great, though the sauce lacked the spiciness and vigour to complement an otherwise young purple colored wine, which I think would improve its structure and complexity with the passage of time .
Having got the palate ticklers out of the way, it was time for Tuscany to shine, with the Super Tuscan,Gaja Ca'Marcanda Promis 2006– a fruity bouquet of Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah with an unmistakably elegant mouth feel - here was something with body and it tackled the rustic chicken skewers and grilled vegetables perfectly . This one had quite a few diners asking for refills which were easily forthcoming with the layout enabling slick service both from the front and and rear of the diner –something not always possible at a long table. Aman has obviously taken some major leaps up the learning curve with well trained and experienced staff who were usually just a raised eyebrow away.
And then to the star of the afternoon –the Castelgiocondo Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Brunello di Montalcino 2004 – a fully developed and integrated wine with a nose of tobacco and a mouth of moderate tannins . The finish was long and beautifully smooth- a great wine to be paired with red meats, as we did – the chorizo tortilla which would have been outstanding had the chorizo not been so difficult to find.
Whilst dunking my churros in a mug of hot chocolate and reflecting that given the food inside me , the chatter of well wined diners competing with the lounge music playing ,the atmosphere was one where for a moment you were transported to a noisy tapas bar on the Ramblas in Barcelona .
The Aman have a winner on their hands and if their top quality Tapas in the Lounge is anything to go by then expect very high standards of culinary excellence at their other Catalonian fine dining outlet , the Lodhi .And good news for wine lovers as the Aman have taken the initiative to position their Chief Somellier Kavita in New Delhi and we look forward to many more such high quality events masterminded by her at the Aman.
Arun Batra
Arun Batra is a Delhi based management consultant, a food and wine enthusiast and a long time member of the Delhi Wine Club
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