O Diva
I know Diva more and
before anyone else we were newly married and together finding our way about
living in a joint family. It was a family lunch at Mezze Luna probably the
first venture of Ritu Dalmia in the early
90’s then Diva at GK2, Diva Café at GK1, Diva Spice, Diva at the Italian Cultural
Centre… we had been to all of them. Wife has
always loved it, Daughter’s favorite….her eyes light up, and it’s her
got to place for good food (she likes Pan Asian and Italian Food)
As TS Eliot in The
Love Song of Alfred J Prufock says I have measured my life in spoonful’s of
Coffee . I would say, I have measured my life in visits to Diva and its café’s.
In many ways, she introduced us to Italian food through her restaurants, her persona
and her shows on TV. There were many other Italian food exponents in Delhi….
Nat of Flavors… Italianos and Village Shoppe in Gurgaon (oldtimers would
recall).
We had many a fine
dine and café meals on occasions and just like that as it’s in my neck of the
woods. Once while having lunch, Ritu Dalmia dropped by at our table and asked
little Ananya (daughter) all of 12 or so, what have you ordered, Roasted
Pumpkin Raviolli , very impressed and took photos with her. True connoisseur of
my food she said.
Two, recent visits,
one with brother Sanjiv, another a chance meeting with dear daughter Ananya.
First brother Sanjiv,
after imbibing a few Titos’s vodkas at home we went to the trendiest
neighborhood bar, Yangdup Lama’s Side Car, packed in an Old Fashioned Cocktail
each and another Old Fashioned each at Depot 48…. (more of these bar stories later).
We were now ready for
the Dinner. We had a reservation we were given the best table… corner by the
upper floor window. We were introduced to an old hand our waiter Pandeyji of
nearly two decades of fame and service. He took over and got a us great red wine,
out of the expensive bottle into a decanter to breathe and served meticulously,
a small portion of pasta cooked with blue cheese, nicely done, New Zealand lamb
chops, didn’t care much for them, aaah the Pork chops, just divine and highly
recommended…..quite a lot to drink a little woozy. But still remember the Tiramisu
portion and were we all set after a great dinner attentive service, good
recommendations. Ah yes, the next table
was a celebrating anniversary couple with a young builder husband and selfie
obsessed sari clad wife… she took more photos of the evening than all the
shutterbugs at Katrina -Vicky after
wedding show to the press, yes and the husband took more phone calls than Arnab
Goswami, in a talk show. Yet again a great experience left me feeling like the
proverbial Pavlovian dog craving for more.
Second, after being reintroduced
to Pandey ji and picking up Tiramisu for my daughter another time from him , I
requested my daughter to hang out and do her UPSC preparation and study over a
coffee at Diva sometimes instead of her permanent address Starbucks a few shops
away. And lo behold, a couple of days later I pop in to meet her impromptu and
she was at Diva, having a coffee and in waiting for a Raviolli lunch and then
we decided to have an exotic desert… plated magnificently… though they claimed
they made their own ice cream. I very much doubt it. In all a great surprise
lunch, though I had eaten some and joined in. In a Pandey ji brought us back to Diva after the hiatus of
the Pandemic. Go to Diva, now they cater at home and with DIY kits too from
Casa Diva, who sends me constant updates.
#italianfood #divacafe
#restaurantsreview #cafelife #tiramisu #machiatto #lambchops #porkchops #raviolli
