The word Khi Khi means ‘to giggle’ in Hindi-Punjabi. And that is how Tarun Sibal, co-founder of Khi Khi hopes his new bar will make guests feel.
At Delhi’s newest watering hole, each drink has a storyline: Dilli 6brings together thandai liqueur, mango shaved ice and tequila while A Gimlet Full of Flowers , Maybe the Whole Garden, is a take on the floral gin-cocktails. It comes not just with a bouquet of floral notes in the drink but is also served with a tray filled with fresh flowers.
We start with a clean and refreshing The Clarified Punch made with three types of rum — Bacardi Carta Blanca, aged Bacardi Curato (four-year-old) and Bacardi Echo (eight-year-old) — and a hint of guava. The gimlet is delightfully sweet yet not overpoweringly so, subtly floral and reminds you of all the sherbets of Delhi. Offering a spicy flavour profile is Yes Chef, a cocktail where Sibal wants to represent the hard-working kitchen team. The refreshing Chakotara, a drink named after the Himalayan pomelo, with mezcal and sugarcane is a show-stealer . Sweet, sour, with notes of lime and served with fresh pomelo, it lingers on your palate for long and works perfectly for the dry May heat.
Indian flavours with international touch
At Khi Khi, Sibal insists the food is gourmet casual and the menu is a mix of small, medium and large plates. .
Like all good Delhi meals, our dinner starts with chaat. The Maalun Aloo Chaat, is served with pearls of coriander and tamarind chutney, caviar of yoghurt and a crispy maalun potato (a German way of cooking potatoes). The Prawn Stuffed Chicken Wings coated in momo-chutney, another classic Delhi flavour, hits the spot — the sauce is robust, the wings crispy and the prawn inside, soft.
“Delhi is a taste-forward market,” says Sibal, “and you need to give your guests everything in the first bite itself.” Whatever we taste demonstrates this ideology — whether it is complex dishes like Salem Spice Pork Belly, inspired by the garam masala of Salem, or the Tandoori Spiced Lobster, where the lobster comes smeared with bisque mayo and topped with fish roe, or the simple Cream and Onion Chicken Malai Tikka, which is an ode to Delhi’s favourite street food with a homemade masala that features Lays cream and onion chips among other things.
“It is my honest attempt to make the familiar food more exciting and the non-familiar more approachable for diners,” says Sibal as we talk about the range of flavours on the menu. He has brought regional influences to the menu — Crab Pongal, KHI KHI Haleem, Chicken Ghee Roast, Thalipeeth Cracker and Chicken Kharada with bhakhri are some atypical items for a Delhi menu.
Local desserts with global adaptation
It is rare to see a bar with such an elaborate dessert menu. But Sibal knows Delhi loves its sweets and wanted to present signature Indian sweets in a gourmet avatar. We order the Pista Lauj Bombolini expecting a traditional Indian barfi but are greeted with a doughnutty pastry filled with pistachio cream, covered with pistachio dust and adorned with a gold leaf. The Pineapple Badam Halwa is served with katlama crumble and pays tribute to the halwa-katlama that travelled to Delhi from across the border during Partition and is not as heavy as you expect it to be. But it is the Fruit cream roll, Sibal’s take on the cream roll and fruit cream so many of us grew up eating, that we predict will win maximum hearts. For nothing makes your heart giggle like nostalgia and at Khi Khi it comes with a generous helping of deliciousness.
F-02, first floor, 61, Basant Lok Market, Vasant Vihar (above PVR); 1 pm to 1 am
Price for two: INR 2500 + taxes
