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By Root 2303 0

Many lean toward Taipan ( 011/2436-3030) at The Oberoi , where you can fill up on amazing dim sum (tiny dumplings filled with an assortment of tasty morsels, steamed, and served in bamboo baskets), best enjoyed at lunchtime with fantastic views over Delhi Golf Course. On par is the range of Oriental dishes served at the Shangri-La’s beautiful 19 Oriental Avenue ( 011/4119-1919), where you can savor close-to-perfect Thai, Japanese, and Chinese cuisine. Thai chicken soup (flavored with galangal and lemon grass), Cantonese-style steamed red snapper (green spring onions and top-notch soy sauce bring out the flavor), and silky-smooth teppanyaki tofu steak are just a handful of recommendations from a diverse menu. There’s also an exquisite sushi bar (arguably the finest in town). The Taj Mahal Hotel boasts the excellent House of Ming , which is gorgeously decorated and, thanks to a recent revolution in the kitchen, has emerged as a formidable culinary force focusing on Cantonese and Szechuan cooking; it now also offers delectable dim sum and seafood selections and has an enviable tea menu. But our current favorite is Hyatt Regency’s China Kitchen the restaurant that has become pretty much the talk of the town and understandably so—one bite of the fresh prawn dim sum and you know you’ve arrived! The setting is refined and the Peking duck reputed to be the best in the country with much drama attached to the way it is served; we sampled 25 different dishes and loved every one, so put your money here—it’s a sure win.

The Hyatt is also incidentally where you’ll find the best pizzas in town, at La Piazza ( 011/2679-1234). Chef Wladimiro Gadioli dishes out authentic Italian cuisine; an extensive wine list includes superb vintages from around the world, though the prices may have you gagging into your glass. Excellent, authentic Spanish and Catalan dishes are served in classy, beautiful surroundings (with a supersexy tapas bar downstairs) at Lodhi in the new Aman hotel . While it’s a big draw with Delhi’s young, fun-loving crowd, it’s also a great family venue. For a Spanish dish with a slightly locally twist, order the fish stew prepared with saffron, or the lamb paletilla, made with dried fruits.

Delhi’s only Brazillian churrascaria, located at Crowne Plaza (Site 2, Sector 29, Gurgaon; 0124/4530-0000; dinner only) is very good indeed. The sheer length and styling of the room at Wildfire , ending with flaming urns on large pebbles, makes for great ambience (make a reservation for a table by the window where the flaming urns are), but it’s the food that has meat-lovers coming back for more. After sampling their salad buffet, you’re meant to sit tight and experience the rodizio style of service—various meats are brought to the table on skewers and sliced straight on to your plate. Brazillian chefs believe in not letting your plate sit empty until you raise your hands and beg them to stop. Our only grouse was with the chair design—too high for the tables.

Finally, if you simply want to sit back and relax with a good bottle of wine and a buffet choice of pretty much anything from anywhere around the world, The Oberoi’s smart, contemporary Threesixtydegrees ( 011/2436-3030) is open all day and somehow almost always buzzing with businessmen.

Expensive

An irritating trend (at least for voyeurs) among the moneyed crowd is to eat at “members-only” restaurants. The most popular of these very hip joints is Oriental Octopus (Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Rd.; 011/2468-2222 or 011/5122-0000, ext. 2512), where you dine at curved, meandering tables shared by gorgeous designer-clad Delhiites—a million miles from the streets of Shahjahanabad. See if your concierge can arrange a reservation, or find a member and tag along. The food isn’t bad either—start with Singaporean steamed spring rolls, and move on to Malaysian black-pepper prawns tossed in garlic and crushed pepper. It also has an interesting bargain-priced buffet spread.

Even more irritating (for restaurateurs at any rate) has been the city’s clampdown on health and safety regulations,