G. Kalyan Kumar
Before explicating the details of Delhi’s charming restaurant and bar-- Cafe Hawker and its dining attractions an anecdote on Delhi’s culinary credentials will be timely. Delhi is known as the food capital of India and is also hailed as one of the best street food cities.
Who can resist the flavors of chaat, chhole bhature, and butter chicken? Delhi’s famous street food delicacies also include Daulat ki Chaat, Nihaari, Moth Kachori, and Kesar Lassi. The capital city has iconic food trails like Parathe Wali Gali, which vends parathas of many varieties. Names like Sadar Bazar Chandni Chowk and Karol Bagh are world-famous, where staple street foods such as choley bhature, galauti kebabs, and fish pakodas are brewing memories and nostalgia.
A place to retreat with friends
What if all these famed dishes were offered with a slew of contemporary twists under a single roof lined with quirky interiors and friendly vibes? This sums up Cafe Hawkers: the busy restaurant owned by leading restaurant chain Gola Sizzlers.
The outlet is cozy, comfortable, colorful, funky, and lively. "Cafe Hawkers" has amalgamated the world’s best street food offerings beyond regional limitations and serves them with its philosophy of food as a journey of exploration. The place is fuss-free, simple, enjoyable, rejoicing, and indulgent. This is the outline of Cafe Hawkers, located in the L Block of iconic Connaught Place near the Odeon Cinema.
I spent nearly two hours in the Cafe Hawkers on November 1 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., relishing some of its trending dishes. I entered Cafe Hawkers with my updates and hype on its pocket-friendly menu and a relaxed Bohemian ambiance. I also found it a good outlet for youngsters and guys to hang out with mates and friends.
Comprehensive Menu
The catchy menu reinforces the hawker theme in many ways and packs in-demand snacks and food from Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. That is why I could see a bevy of expats too in the resto. The menu has all the diverse items to set your appetite on fire and pamper your taste buds with heavy doses of spicy flavors.
The exhaustive menu has many sections to help you choose suitable ones. There are appetizers, bowls, burgers, chicken wings, momos, lasagna, pizza, nachos, sandwiches, rice, and noodles, then desserts. In the drinks segment, you can choose mocktails, cocktails, and other alcoholic beverages. Hot garlic momos to Mexican pinwheels, the appetizers are wide-ranging. Among the pan-Indian trendsetters are Chicken Pizza, Shahi Paneer, Malabar Parotta, Chicken Thai Red Curry, and the in-demand dessert waffles too.
My picks at Cafe Hawkers included Kafir lime coolers as mocktails, then Chilli paneer as an appetizer, followed by a cocktail named Cosmopolitan. Then came the yummy chicken biriyani in the bowl part of what can be called the main course. I wound up my culinary journey with the fastidious dessert, brownies with ice cream. The crew led by Neeraj Rawat had been very courteous and hands-on, although the evening rush made it wish for more crew members to handle the pressure on the service team.
All your cravings for cooked lasagna, Tandoori chicken tikka, and butter chicken pizza are readily answered by Cafe Hawkers. Fudge brownies, brownie sundaes, and chocolate waffles as desserts impart the fancied tastes. For drinks, try delicious amaretto or beer. In beverages, a great chocolate shake, cold coffee, or hot chocolate can entice you.
Thoughtful, funky, quirky interiors
Cafe Hawkers has opted for an off-beat interior; it wants to entice the target demographic of youth. On the walls and elsewhere, you see a vintage touch for interiors. The fun elements in the interior include the quirky yet colorful furniture, wooden carts, tables, and cushions.
The funky walls flaunt many drawings; you will see burger vans, cotton candy carts, and French fries on wheels. There is also plenty of music and a live DJ playing for you on special occasions. There are nicely painted old-fashioned tables that set the mood to dine and talk to the friends seated around you.
Niche Concept
For a keen observer, the market formula of Cafe Hawkers is easy to comprehend. You have a diverse global menu and an ambiance exuding a carefree vibe with the affordability of items without sacrificing quality. The ambiance is cheerful, colorful, quirky, and packed with energy. The menu exhibits an immersive understanding of the tastes of millennial youngsters who are seeking a dining experience more than just munching yummy food. They are trying to find outlets that match their culinary aspirations with their lifestyles.
Diners looking beyond traditional cuisines with some diversity in culinary experiences have their imaginations fired by innovations at Cafe Hawkers. It is apparent in examples like Pesto chicken pizza reworked with the Italian classic, given some interesting contemporary twists that hike the taste value.
Going by the milling crowds in the evenings and weekends, the Cafe Hawkers team has reason to rejoice as its signature cuisines have struck a chord with the youngsters. I could see students, the young workforce, Net Flix crowd, and couples relaxing in the upbeat ambiance while enjoying the myriad offerings with friends and family members.
Cafe Hawker is traversing a unique, but niche market, offering authentic yet modern food experiences. It is bridging the gap between street flavors and modern food blending them in terms of reach and affordability.
The global concept of food hawkers charming foodies has been exotically polished in an easily accessible, cozy cafe format. It is time you enjoyed the Cafe Hawkers fare and made a verdict of your own.
