[Rating:2/5]
I had heard good things about this ‘new’ place called Gunpowder in Hauz Khas village and had wanted to go there for a while. Teaming up with Angad and PC, we made the trek to Hauz Khas village last night. Hauz Khas village itself is quite a quaint place and I must confess, I hadn’t been there before. Most shops were closed when we got there, however, the street still looked quite alluring what with alleyways, mysterious gates and tunnels randomly scattered all over the place. The shadows only added to the nocturnal attraction of the structures.
I really was looking forward to visiting Gunpowder, as from what I’d heard there was a professional duo handling the restaurant from non-hospitality backgrounds. That always strikes the right chord in me, as it sounds like something all of us can aspire to – realize dreams that aren’t connected to ones profession.
Reaching Gunpowder in Hauz Khas Village is itself a labor of love. We saw quite a few people wandering around the high street looking vaguely confused, besides ourselves, who we later encountered at Gunpowder. One of them was Pamela Timms, a fellow food blogger. There’s this shortcut to the lake, on following which you begin to see signs saying ‘Gunpowder – The Peninsular Kitchen’. Follow them and you should be okay. It was quite thrilling really, almost like going on a treasure hunt. We ended up at a solitary doorway containing naught but stairs. After climbing for 3 or 4 hours (or was it floors) you end up with a breathtaking view of the lake. I didn’t know one existed here. Shameful. Really must learn more about Delhi.
Gunpowder can seat about 30 people with 12 outside and 18 inside (air conditioned). Smoking is permitted outside and not inside. The inside also features a glimpse into their kitchen. The staff do not understand English very well, though they’re very friendly and do their best to deliver good service, but don’t manage to make good their intentions.
We were met by this lovely, cheerful lady who immediately raised expectations a couple of notches. The fragrance from the food others were eating outside made us want to ask for a bite. I nearly did. We didn’t have reservations and had to sit outside, the availability of which needed to be confirmed too. On a Tuesday night, I thought that spoke volumes about their food. I couldn’t have been more wrong, as you will see shortly.
They have a changing menu, which is jotted down on a ruled notebook and fairly greasy and rumpled from changing hands ever so often. I loved it! We ordered an Iddiki Pork Curry (300), Toddy Shop Meen (fish) curry (300), a Mutton Curry (260?), Fried Fish (300), Malabar Paratha (45 each), Dosa (50 each) and Rice (65). We would have ordered more, but then three guys can only eat so much. Angad was particularly famished due to a series of bad food review experiences that day. By the way, if anyone thinks reviewing food is a cushy job, let me know and we’ll go together one of these days.
The food was served quite fast, as the curries were probably pre-cooked and they only needed to dole it out into serving bowls. The Toddy Shop Meen Curry was excellent and I’d go back for the same any day! Absolutely brilliant stuff it was.
That’s where the nice part ends and the rest of the food begins, which unfortunately was one of the worst I have tasted.
The spices were wildly unbalanced to extent of being demented. If the pork and mutton curries were people, they would probably have been serial killers or psychotic stalkers or something along those lines. Both dishes were hotter than Hades, with no flavours coming through. A fiery nature by itself is alright, provided the rest of the spices are balanced and complement the chilli. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single point of redemption for both the dishes. The spices were way out of proportion, too much chilli, the cuts of meat were substandard and mostly consisting of bones. I couldn’t tell I was eating pork until I encountered the fat. How bad is that?
The fried fish smelled *very* bad. Now, many people can’t stand the fishy smell of some fish. I’m not one of them. Can’t be, not with the kind of mother I have, who loves sea fish. I used to breathe in the air deep whenever we would enter Bombay by train, where they had these huge racks of fish being dried in the sun. What I’m trying to say here is, I *love* the smell of fish. This wasn’t the fishy smell of fish. It was the fishy smell of old fish, fish that has been left out a little too long. Even ignoring that, it wasn’t fried properly, so most of the spices were left raw. It broke my heart to do that to a fish, but we had to leave it after a couple of bites.
The dosas were the thick variety, more like uttappams really- quite well suited to the type of food we were eating. Both, the dosas and the Malabar parathas seemed to have been pre-made and kept heated.
Finally, I asked for some gunpowder. It too was something out of a horror movie. I’ve tasted the stuff from Andhra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu – different varieties from each region, but this wasn’t something I could remotely relate to mullagapudi or gunpowder. The texture was right, but the spices were horribly out of balance as in the other dishes – the chilli was all out of proportion. I’d say they shortened the process by using a curry powder base, but then I could be wrong. And oh, they charged us 50 bucks for one tablespoon of the stuff with another tablespoon of oil. While asking for the gunpowder, we also had the misfortune of encountering this fairly arrogant gent whose demeanour could have been far more polite and welcoming.
Finally, we noticed people drinking wine inside and beer outside. It was fairly hot and we could have done with a cold beer. When we asked for the bar menu or facilities however, we were told that alcohol wasn’t served or allowed. Perhaps it’s the colour of the skin that matters, as both parties comprised lily white folks. Again, I could be wrong, but no one took the trouble of explaining things to me, so I’m only left with my own perceptions.
All in all, Gunpowder has prices that rival fully equipped, larger restaurants with far better amenities with much better food, has food that I wouldn’t ever go back for and serves food that isn’t freshly prepared and is re-heated on demand – much like a dhaba on the highway. Much like the dhaba again, its bills do not reflect any sales tax number and do not have its name printed or stamped on. They also levy a service charge without any discernable quality of service.
Should you go to Gunpowder and is it value for money? I wouldn’t advise you to, but then it’s a free country.
- Sid
Edit 9th August 2009: Quite interesting how Gunpowder’s FB Fan Page reacts to negative criticism. It appears making racial comments and personal attacks are quite alright for this set of people. If the press is treated this way, I *strongly* advise you not to complain about the food if you do decide to go there. Might not be the best thing to do considering you’re perched on the 3rd floor. Here’s the Mail Today review by Angad Sodhi (click to view large image) that caused all the furore. The subsequent snapping, biting at heels and all of that (click to view large image) is quite surprising given its inappropriate and probably illegal nature.
One well informed fan even suggests Punjabis restrict themselves to running transport companies and highway dhabas.
I recall Angad mentioning that he wouldn’t like to mention that people were in fact drinking at the restaurant and that the bills didn’t adhere to legal norms as it may have caused them trouble, which he didn’t want. As you can see from the fan-boy reactions, he was thoroughly insulted for his (probably misplaced) consideration.
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Nice review…..I can understand how chillies can kill a dish. Misconception that all food from down south are hot and spicy. You have to learn how to balance the chilli with opposite flavours in cooking!
Very well said Ashish! I also believe in giving restaurants a second chance. Well……after all I run one myself!!
@All: Thanks. Gunpowder has enormous potential… just a little fine tuning of the food and kitchen would be a big step in the right direction.
Well put Sid, I agree the place has tremendous potential, which is what makes the lack of professionalism all the more disappointing! And I do love the hype and protectiveness surrounding this place.. I just feel that they really need to step things up a few notches to expect the prices that they do, or else they will not be able do go the distance. They’ll just die out when the hype does.
Sid……..I think you and I must have been eating in different restaurants that night! Everyone at our table loved Gunpowder – in a few short weeks Kiran and Satish have managed to create a relaxed kitchen supper vibe with, in our unanimous (Indian and Expat) opinion, some of the best food in town. The stunning view of the lake is almost the least impressive thing about the place! I’m no expert on the intricacies of Keralan/Andhra food but I’d travel a long way for that Sweet and Sour Pumpkin. This is exactly the kind of restaurant Delhi needs: food with guts, soul, and a strong belief in the regional flavours of India, cooked by people who are passionate about it. We’re all sick of fake fine dining and boring franchises. If there are a few glitches (cooling being the main issue) it’s because they have been slightly rushed into opening full time by overwhelming demand. Compare and contrast the lack of clamour at that ghastly new Carluccio’s franchise – ten clueless waiters for every punter and 900 Rs for a few lettuce leaves. Give me hearty, homestyle cooking with generous, knowledgeable hosts every time. We should cheer when people have the guts, and energy, to share food they believe in.
Oh and the ‘lily-white’ jibe is just plain offensive – on a par with the Punjabi truckstop stuff! We took the trouble to phone ahead and ask if they had a license/BYOB policy.
@Pamela: Sure sounds like that doesn’t it? If your food was half as good as the Toddy Shop Meen Curry we had, I’m sure you must have been a very happy and satisfied diner. I know I loved the curry and even wiped up the remains from the bowl.
Not sure if you read the first half of my review, but I *love* the concept at Gunpowder – no doubt about that – the ambience, the people, type of food – everything. I’m not sure therefore, what is the reason behind the bulk of your comment.
Having said that, I do wish fans (like yourself) wouldn’t be so blind in their deification of such efforts, so as to deny others their experiences. The cuts of meat were bad in my dish – your portions may have been good. The gunpowder didn’t taste like anything *I* consider close to gunpowder – you may feel free to disagree. The service left something to be desired – you may have received excellent service. We were told alcohol is not served or allowed – you were informed differently. In my experience the food did not achieve a balance in spices – yours may have (discounting the fact that I have more exposure to Indian food and spices than you)… and so on.
I suggest re-reading the piece above and trying to realize that there isn’t any mal-intent here. It’s plain vanilla reporting of an individuals experience and an opinion on the subject. Obviously, many opinions may exist on the same subject.
BTW: BYOB or not, you need a license to serve liquor, one that I didn’t see displayed, though I may be mistaken. Great food or not, you still need to adhere to legal norms in issuing bills to customers and you do need a sales tax number… or would you like to argue that too?
Hmm.. it’s usually weapons of mass destruction that cause so many disputes, not gunpowder! lol. But seriously, it does sound like Sid and I ate at a completely different place. Something I find hard to understand. Surely someone in there is doing some kind of quality check? Because for two tables on the same night to have such a different experience is just something bizzare..
@Pamela: “This is exactly the kind of restaurant Delhi needs: food with guts, soul, and a strong belief in the regional flavours of India, cooked by people who are passionate about it.” —–SPOT ON!!
But if a place that is all about the food (and only about the food) is letting some dishes go disastrously wrong, then what is it that a customer is really going there for? A view of the lake? At that time of night you can’t even see that.
And coming to the food– the Idduki pork and the fried fish we were served. I don’t claim to be an expert on food from the south, but I know something isn’t right when every piece of meat I try to cut into is actually just bone or fat! The fish smelled stale (could have something to do with it being a tuesday and them not being able to procure fresh meat in the market, but if you’re putting something on the menu you have to make sure it is worth serving!) and the masalas had not properly cooked.. and the masalas were just on the outside. Any normal guest, reviewer or not, would have a problem with such things.
Big no-no for me was the food showing up in thirty seconds, which meant it wasn’t freshly cooked, or it was someone else’s order that they had cancelled at the last minute… but that is something I can still live with.
No denying that the intentions are great, or that it is refreshing to see someone go off the beaten and boring fancy, fine-dining route. But if you’ve built the hype, you have to deliver. For the day their friends and all the people who’re passionately supporting them, get past the novelty and the fact that their friend owns the place, they’re not going to come in and pay their rent!
The biggest reason that both Sid and I are so disappointed (at least I can be sure of this for myself) is because everyone had raved so much about this place that the levels of expectation were soaring. I remember walking into the place and thinking ‘this is one place I am going to be a regular at!’ But when we were served some below par food, that just brought reality crashing in so fast! Before that I didn’t even feel that I was sitting out in the heat with no air conditioning.
Teething problems or not, as a reviewer you’d be lying if you tell people who believe your every word that a place is great, only because you see a lot of potential there, should they pull up their socks a bit. What if someone takes your enthusiastic review, goes to the place and has a below average experience like we did? What if they can never pull up their socks and get some consistancy in their service?
And finally, how will the restaurant ever get better and to its full potential (because Gunpower does have a lot of potential of going the distance and not fizzling out when things get to hot, like it might if they continue the way they are!) if no one tells them when thing are not right… protecting them fanatically, like a lot of people are doing at the moment, will not help them in the long run! Again, their friends are not going to pay their rent for them when things start getting bad!
They need to make sure everything that reaches a table is of the same quality as the toddy shop meen curry!
WOW….SID-i just checked the blog after a month…i am quite excited to go check out gunpowder myself now!!Will definitely take few friends along.
@kishi: Please do… and let me know how it went.
well i have heard so much about the place and is planing to go there this weekend as beliveit or not last time i had gr8 avial was when my friends new bride came and joined him in chicago and some how i have not been able to find a decent south ndian place in delhi( yes yes i am ignorent fool who can hardly find his way acroos all the new chick joints coming up) so iam hoping that by this time after sid’s blog these guys must have pulled their act togaher @pamela thanks for BYOB advice thogh i hardlu know of any place in delhi which allows that, and if this one does and now serves gr8 food its a dream um true.
@sin: Yes, I believe it may be possible we had a one off experience and are planning to re-visit. About the BYOB, I would advise you not to because (a) it is possible they are now aware of the highly illegal nature of that service, however hospitable it may seem and may not allow it and (b) since it is illegal, you may not wish to do it.
Having said that, once they sort out the issue of consistent customer experiences, nothing will stop them!
@ Pamela : Food with guts etc is fine. But that is about Pamela’s idea of what India needs. Not gunpowder’s food. I know a bit about South Indian food , having live in Hyderabad and Bangalore, and the Gunpowder food is not a patch on the “Peninsular” food-whatever that means.This is just a pretender food. Quaintness and good intentions are no apologies for bad quality.
As a aside-some may say this is a personal comment- that most of the supporters are expats and North Indian PYTs -friends of Kiran and Satish who are very well networked in the journo/expat community. as well as rock fans of Delhi. One cant expect these people to know what authentic kerala /andhra style food is all about.
Amd another personal comment- I know Kiran and Satish and both of them are to use a word” lotus eaters” . Running a restaurant is hard work.. Satish and Kiran have no experience of running a restaurant, nor any interest in food .
So uneven standards and quality are simply a sign of lazyness. Too many parties, hangovers and bong hits do not go very well with waking up at 5 to buy fresh produce …
Since we’d read this review (well – let’s agree it is not such a positive one that people will go running to the powder shop), it was always a debate whether we land up at Gunpowder or choose a “standard but safe” option. But we dared. And I think we did right. All this debate had done some good in terms of grounding our expectations. So we were somewhat cautious in ensuring that we could ring the owner when we’re lost in the lake. And of course – the stairs to eternity.
All in all, I think it is a place worth the visit al least once – for the variety. The location is different, the access is different, the menu card is interesting, and finally the food – yes it is different for sure ! The dessert was plain old vanilla ice-cream with apricot sauce! An amazing concept. So if you’re on this page and wondering, I’d say go – you’ve been warned enough and that is all you need.
Thanks to Sid for ensuring that his review preserves the “interesting” and “different” aspect of Gunpowder.
Thanks for this review, Sid. It’s been too long since I’ve seen a non-gush review of Gunpowder, and can only wish I had seen this before I checked it out on one of my these days brief and intermittent trips to the capital.
Yes, as many have said, kudos to the concept. But quality-wise, not much to write home about. The portions are measly for the spices. Many of my friends and I cook Andhra, Coorgi and other “South Indian” recipes at home, so I can quite imagine the markup… which would be fine if finesse, balance of flavours, and decent service were part of the deal. Especially given the portions are quite modest.
We even had order mixups to contend with. And on this, my first visit and my friends’ third, the food arrived entirely too fast to have been freshly cooked. My friends confirmed this was the case last time too The dosai were burnt, not a good sign at all. Someone told us no finger bowls were offered, against policy, then we saw them served at another table and one friend who’d earlier visited for a colleague’s birthday lunch, insisted that he’d had them offered then. So we insisted and got the finger bowls, and the utensils were evidently for no other purpose (a saucer with matching depression for the bowl). The denial of hot water seems really lazy! Only explanation: saves the washing up… but why should such basic logistical issues not be ironed out even a month into the restaurant’s opening?
By the way, we actually did NOT order the Toddy Shop Meen Curry because all three friends claimed it had been utterly disgusting fish the time they were there before… so out goes that bit of consolation too
Dear Pamela: I am sure that you must have enjoyed the pan pseudo version of Indian Hospitality and Food…..where to serve you an exotic Indian Cusine in an home style enviroment, BYOB (highly illegal) kind of thing, and then to charge you a bomb (quality and facilities be damned) – so that you feel good about the whole experience. Combine that with your friends cooking – and you have a real winner restaurant and an army of supporters. Wrong! I can cook pretty good, all my friends vouch for it, I’ll throw in the booze also, all at my place, then call it a restaurant and charge you. Bet you would not pay me a dime!!
Firstly, fully agree with Angad. When the novelty starts fading, the friends start waning, the expenses starts piling, then these so called die-hard supporters will die away. And they will no longer be generous with their compliments, more less with their genorisity with their wallets in bailing them out. You guys are doing Satish and Kiran more of a disservice by this blind patronage and support,,,..when they are so many obvious negative reviews. Please let them know their shortcomings. Don’t smother the criticism and tell them everything is hunky dory.
Secondly, pricing is related to the kind of ambience offered. Not Throw in a couple of tables, cover with checkered tablecloth, AC, and then charge a pricing that a sophisticated upmarket restaurant would offer complete with ambience, beautiful lighting, lovely linen and crockery…for a VFM dining experience. I am sure Sid, Angad, and other critic diners ….must have felt cheated…..considering the price they paid for such bad food and ambience…and not to forget the blatant discrimination.
Thirdly, try the State Bhavans (AP-most famous), Kerala, TN for authentic south indian food at one third the pricing, but three times better in taste. And no… you wont find any of your friends cooking there….but spare a kind thought for the cook (not chef!) who cooked it for you, and go into the kitchen, and compliment him! It will make his day and job lighter.
Cheers!
@Sakashy: I think that was a very good breakdown – thank you. And yes, I’ve heard some very good things about Andhra Bhawan and have a review by my folks on the blog. I’m looking forward to going there now that I’m on a serious food trip these days.
Whew! Just finished reading all the comments on “Gunpowder” My heart goes out to Kiran and Satish. My advice, being a restaurant owner myself is that it is one of the toughest jobs in the world and maintaining quality and consistency in the cooking can be a real bitch! I had to work for 18 hrs a day, for two years before I could take things easy. Even now I am constantly breathing down the necks of my cooks to make sure they take no shortcuts. Besides, being a popular boss does not work here. You have to stop looking for votes and maintain strict discipline and constant vigilance.Don’t be discouraged by the exodus of workers leaving . Very few can take the hardships of the kitchen and restaurant. I’ll quote the words of the famous Chef Anthony Bourdain, “You ask me when I am really sane what are the things you hate about the job, and I would say the long hours, the heat, the pressure, the burns, the physical labour. And you ask me when I am drunk what are the things I love the most about my job, and I would say the long hours, the heat, the pressure, the burns, the physical labour….”In short you have to work bloody hard and love it.
So Kiran and Satish would do well to take the criticism in the right spirit and bash on regardless!
saw your post before I started off for Gun Powder to get a sense of direction…back after 6 hours and read the post to find out what it had to say about the place i so loved..but disappointed that u guys obviously went on a “bad food” day..loved the lanes that led to the place, the tiny staircase that gave a feeling of visiting a mallu household for an Onam feast, the food and the view of the lake from the terrace…the only thing I did not like was the oily coffee..
P.S. Happy Onam Anisha and Divya!!!
@mansi: glad you enjoyed your time at Gunpowder. Yes, it is possible we went on a bad food day. We do plan to revisit at the next available opportunity!
I am definitely interested in visiting ” Gunpowder” but only after i hear reports of improved air-conditioning and fresher food!
Hey sid/angad/pamela: thanks for the lively debate on gunpowder – all else notwithstanding – it certainly has set this blog on fire. Visted Gunpowder last evening with a few friends. Hadn’t read this blog till then so went completely uninitiated and with no expectations. My take on Gunpowder:
1. its a happy college cafetaria ambience, laid back and friendly
2. the menu in a notebook was interesting
3. satish and kiran were happy owners – all other people seemed to be enjoying themselves.
4. the nepali boys who serve make up for lack of communicating skills with wide grins
5. they have just got a liquor license so three varieties were on offer – San Miguel, Tiger and Carlsburg
6. it was terribly sulty evening and the AC was unable to keep pace with the humidity – so while it was pleasant outside, it was rather sweaty inside
7. the beef chilly fry was delicious but really HOT. Wish they had gone a little easy of the chillies / peppers. the chilled beers helped ease the discomfort.
8. the friend karimeen was delightful – fresh, light, crisp with subtle flavours. took me back to my holiday in kerala.
9. the food did come quickly to have been made fresh – but we didnt mind it – the quality of meats was good.
10. We had fishcurry – 8/10, Chicken curry 5/10, Dry pork masala 7/10 and Mutton curry 7/10. (Basically, all the animals in their refrigerator).
11. The Kerala Paranthas were nice. I personally like the thick dosas as they go well with curries – esp the fish curry, but I wish they were a little less oily.
12. yes, there was a mixup of the orders at the table next to ours but it was handled without any fuss
13. the finger bowls were absent – didn’t see any going anywhere else as well
14. The sabudana kheer was very well handled – just the right amount of sugar and a perfect end to the spicy meal.
All in all a good experience. Food quality was good. Food prices were reasonable – could be a bit lower but given that it offers truly differentiated food, I’m ok with paying that little extra. Would be a lovely place in winters but they really need to do something about the air-conditioning in summers. The place outside would become quite impossible in hot weather.
Kiran and Satish make up for the lacunae with warmth. I am sure these reviews are being read by them and they are making the changes. Coming in from a non-hospitality background, it does take time to get the act right. Would wish them all the luck – they would need it.
@Anjali: That’s an excellent comment! Thank you. I received another mail a few hours back that mentioned Gunpowder serving beer and ‘alright’ food among other things, and was quite happy to hear that. Am looking forward to visiting again… when they decide to reduce the chillies or balance the flavors.
Then again, now that beer is available, the chilli will probably be tolerable.
I agree – Kiran is a lovely hostess and adds tremendous value to the ambiance.
What a rubbish review @ Sid. So much of the article was spent wasted on your boring and useless description of finding the place. You obviously don’t get out much…or are used to using stairs. Clearly a racist too!!! Next time BYOB and shut the fuck up!
@Sid Davies: Thanks for dropping by and sharing your views. Always a pleasure encountering Gunpowder’s refined clientele.
Woooo hoooo! I love a good food fight! NOT from Delhi, am from down south. Never eaten at this restaurant.
1. Food is a subjective thing. Always has been, always will be.
2. Booze is obviously no longer an issue. However, I don’t think that booze or lack thereof ever was the issue. Several people seem to have complained about consistency of the customer experience – and THAT seems to be the issue (some people being given finger bowls, others refused; some people drinking despite lack of license, others not receiving an explanation). Not cool, and something that needs to be addressed.
3. Restaurants are not allowed to have “bad” food days as long as customers are charged “good” prices. If the fish was stinky, I would have sent it back to the kitchen. Dosas are meant to be thick if they are made in the Tamil style; thin and crisp if in Udupi style. Depends what they are claiming…
4. A true anecdote regarding spice levels: on a recent visit to Thailand, I ate some of the most unpalatably pungent street food I had ever tasted in my life (I like and have a very high tolerance for chillies). No doubt of its authenticity; we were in a tiny stall that was packed with locals. The lady at the counter warned me “hot hot” but I brushed her off (I’m fromIndia, eat hot hot), then proceeded to weep my way through my lunch. My face was red, and I couldn’t talk. This experience was repeated a couple of times, whenever we chose to eat in market stalls or at smaller eateries where no one spoke English. A few weeks after we got back home to Bangalore, I read a review trashing my favorite local Thai restaurant because all the dishes were “too spicy”. The reviewers clearly didn’t have first-hand experience of Thai food, and admitted that they knew very little about it. My point? @ Sid: Dunno what else you ordered or how it was cooked when you ate it, but curries I have eaten in the Idukki district are bloody spicy… as you say, if they were people, they would be serial killers.
5. How does the restaurant react to negative criticism? That’s what’s important, not how their crazed fans react.
@Suman: Nice comment, thanks.
1. You’re right – consistency was a major issue.
2. Prices are way out of proportion to the ambience, service quality and outlet type.
3. I don’t like very spicy food personally, however, that has little to do with a review. I’ve eaten curries that made me squeak instead of talk for about 20 minutes, naga mircha pickle, naga mircha whole, those hot little Assamese red peppers very similar to piri piri, naga curries made using naga mircha and so on. Considering it’s the hottest pepper in the world, other chili hot dishes pale in comparison.
Having said that, flavors and spices in food must be balanced. Portions of meat must have more than fat and bones. I love fat, but may I have a little meat too? Service must be consistent across customer profiles, food well prepared and prices in proportion to ambiance. Period.
My sister brought back some Kaddu thing from Gunpowder yesterday – and for the first time (in a long time) – I could not finish it. I am not fussy about food – but there was way too much oil in the vegetable.
Sorry – that should read as,
“For the first time (in a long time) I could not finish something that had been put on my plate.”
Hey man,
This is totally weird. You guys posted an in-depth review, substantiated with pictures and your reading of the spices. The fanboy outpouring is just completely unwarranted. Don’t they realize that as professionals, you are putting your credibility on the line (drinks / spices) so you would be as factual as possible?
And its the response of someone who has truly no answer – to attack the messenger because the message cannot be attacked.
But then again, that’s the power of social media for you. The fan boys fight back. The discerning customer says, would I want to go to a restaurant that charges 260-300 bucks a meal and can’t even bother to print a proper menu – not to mention the spices? Maybe not me.
Not till the service comes of age.
Thanks!
I think lot of people passionately defending Gunpowder are know the owners, are impressed by their intent. And that’s fair, as you know that there are people behind a restaurant who would fix things if they are amiss. But going after reviewers isnt justified for that reason!
And ‘lily white’ phrase is certainly not in good taste, Sid…
@Siddhartha: Ref: ‘lily white’ – I agree it may seem to be in bad taste from a discriminative point of view. My intention was to highlight preferential treatment to groups of people that had a common factor and unfortunately, color happened to be that factor. Rather than being discriminative, I was trying to point it out.
How else would you describe the other tables? Predominantly Caucasian? WASP? Imported? Each one is equally discriminative, if you choose to look at it that way. 
Also, all the waiters were only hovering around those tables. Asking for water caused 2 lukewarm, dented, refilled, reused, bottles of old bisleri (or whatever brand) to be dumped on our table. Asking for gunpowder was acknowledged with a stare and a grunt as opposed to big grins and verbose responses to the tables in question. Asking for beer, we were told it’s not allowed, yet people at those tables were drinking.
BYOB at a commercial establishment is illegal.
Preferential treatment to selected groups at a public establishment is a no no.
Prices charged must be in line with service standards and ambiance.
Period.
Bad taste? Yes.
@ALL: Perhaps this would also be a good time to apologize to any and every one offended by the ‘lily white’ phrase. It wasn’t meant to be discriminative and was objective in nature. Please see comment above.
I was at Gunpowder on Tuesday 8th June 2010 at 10 pm, it was packed and waiting time was around 20 minutes.
The crowd was among the best literate crowd I have ever seen in Delhi at a single place, no PYTs or just Expats!!
I am a globetrotter kind of an adventure guy, sailed the ships to all corners of the globe, backpacked across India, from Andamans, to Maldives, Kovalam, backwaters, Hampi, Goa, Kutch, Jaiselmer Desert Safaries, Gulmarh Skiing, boating down at Varanasi, ………………….., lived in New York, Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh and dozen of Army Cantonments during my childhood with an Army Dad .
NOW, here is my take on BORING INDIANS, we are least adventourous, thats why we were conquered time and again.
Specially after Our Metalurgy was exploited by the Mongols & the GUNPOWDER was used well by the Europeans!!!
This place is about Adventure, guys. A simple place you get well made homestyle food, neat ambience, friendly hosts, and great rooftop view of Hauz Khas Lake to chat along.
Welldone folks!!!
We dont need Fancy Table linen, crockery, interiors,et al, DELHI is overstuffeded with such panzy places.
I remember my Shipping Days, we would haul up a basket of Live Crabs fom the fishing boats, boil them with species as per our Goan Cooks and sit down on the Ship Deck savouring them
Or my Camel Safari Days at Jaiselmer ‘s THAR Desert – stop in the middle at Dusk, gather twigs, start fire, cook and sleep under the stars.
Or the Food at my village in Panjab, cooked over Cowdung Cakes, earthern pits, and full grain rotis unlike DELHI’s Refined Flour Rotis.
Or the meals in Gulmarg’s Dhabas by the SKI Slopes rather than Fancy Highland Parks, a 3-Star Hotel.
Or cooking by the Tribal Beaches of Andamans, and a bunch of Tribals pass you by without raising a cry..
We need Adventure here in Delhi, no paper napkins, swipe your hand across those oily lips, man!!!
Talking of Oily Stuff, I hate KARIM’s Kormas, or White Maida/Flour Tandoori Rotis or Nans, they jam your Intestines in the Mornings, told Vir Sanghvi the same on release of the HT Food Guide.
DELHI has funny STANDARDS to judge Food, all PSEUDO Journalist type of Analysis, go deep inside your Mind and ask for simple Jungle age stuff.
We are spoilt by GOD’s Gifts of Nature and Luxuries of Silly Electrical Grinders, I need my spicies STONE GRINDED, wish Gunpowder Duo could get that going.
I am tired of HARD ROCK CAFE style of Electronic Music, want a place where we could listen to flutes, Drums, Violins, Pipes, Bellows, unplugged & unamplified, would suggest inviting such artists over to play here at Gunpowder.
Well about the meats, this is the 21st Century Folks, become a VEGAN, Meat is out, get real, CANCER, AIDs, and many more to cope all your Adulthood life, HORSES/Elephants have great SEX, STAMINA, STYLE, STRENGTH, eating Pure Grass & Leaves. TRY RAW FOODS or Black gram with Lime at Gunpowder.
This is the Best Place to be with anyone for a good meal, girlfriend or a foe.
Welldone Kiran & Satish.
Yes, Satish I ordered that weird combination as per you of Black Grams with Prontha, but loved my Recipe!!
See my review above
@Harmanjot: that’s less a review and more a wishlist, sir-ji! I agree Delhi needs to get more adventurous, but I’d prefer we started with the palates (sic, not plates!), then the restaurant offerings (and by that I mean menus, not ambience). A ‘machan’ ambience replicated in Delhi will not equal a jungle safari (see, for example, the Claridge’s Sevilla — did not quite transport me; Olive Beach — very pretty, love the look, not convinced it is a beach!).
So let’s not spoil our chances of adventure by demanding it at our doorsteps. Your camel safari cannot and should not be replicated in Delhi, because it will savour of fakeness in the capital though perfectly at home in the desert state. Let’s preserve those travel experiences for what they really are worth.
Oh, and sir, pray preserve your sense of adventure too. Let’s not flatten all of Delhi’s eating out scene into stone-ground ethnic unplugged vegan raw food wholegrain roti! There is a place for a Karim’s (their cooking tradition cannot use non-refined flour without being untrue to the genre; if they did so, the genre would be modern Indian — ie a change of genre). And the adventurous foodie wants all tastes and all genres from time to time, to choose from. Everything same-same is BORING< sir-ji!
I hate the noise of piped or amplified music myself, but I'd prefer it not shut down anytime soon. For one thing, it keeps the loud music lovers out of my preferred quieter spaces….
Last word on your review, if I may: never yet heard meat causes AIDS, who's the researcher? can i interview him? (I'm a health journalist) and a nicely smoky vegetarian roti cooked over cow-dung cakes or a crab grilled on the ship's hotplates are both equally carcinogenic, that research is already long out and endorsed and repeated many times over.
Oh well, rant over…I miss my quiet shipping days too, so will now shut up and pretend am going to sea!
Dear Harmanjeet ji,
I’m so happy you’ve had such an interesting life. Why not write an autobiography? Your observations on the sex life of elephants are fascinating – I must have my gardener keep the freshly mowed lawn cuttings and serve them to my husband. Do you have a recipe for grass-and-mangoleaf salad?
LOL… but i think your sarcasm will be lost on the trolls.. but i superlike your comment
Wow! I was looking to vent my anger after my 3 bad experiences with Gunpowder ( not related to food) , and I found this website.
Frankly the last tie i had food there with my wife. It was great. I Just ordered one mutton dish and parathas it was fine. Service is a little iffy. I have two problems- and this is not neccessarily Gunpowder but could be lots of places in India.
Actually I just found out fro this blog that the guys are from non-hospitality background and not sure if that is the reason.
But here is my grief:
1. Well after the wonderful time I had with my wife , I called my friend there. Unfortunately it was a Monday and not knowing we climbed 4 floors to get to the place only to find out that they were shut. Now my friend has some knee problems and all this was quite an ordeal. He requested for a FANTA to drink but it was closed they could not serve.
Now my problem was they could have been little open hearted and served a drink….you know a prospect climbed all the way to come to their place….anyone would have done it. HENCE I WAS SURPRISED.
2. Next time , I landed there on a busy Satuarday. I called my sister and brother in law and the same friend. I wanted them to experience this place with great views and food.
Unfortunately I had no clue of reservations and was willing to wait. Once I got there, the guy refused to seat us. He did not offer solutions, did not ask us to wait . In fact I had to coerce him into writing my number . So he called after 25 minutes and just about then our group decided to leave. At this point I called him back and apologized that my 2 year old daugther could not keep up with the wait and we decided to leave. At this point he lamented the fact that 3 other people just left. No empathy to my plight with my kid, No appreciation to all the effort I made to visit the restaurant. And no innovative solution and NO PLESANTARIES.
I had to go and have food at another shitty joint – SWAGAT in GK 2 —- and thats another story altogether.
3.And just today , again my friend made his 3rd attempt to come to Gunpowder. And as I joked with him that he is jinxed and can never get to Gunpowder so it happened. My friend got late, luckily we had not reserved hence no loss done to the guys at GP , however when I called at 2.55 he says the kitchen closes at 3.00 p.m. I said thats fine we will take takeaway. When I requested him if we can sit out and eat – even though we will order everything before and not expectt o be served . The guy refused. Now I went up to pick my food and even narrated my story to the owner- I guess thats who he was – a dark guy with pierced eyebrows. He tried to listen to my story and even inquire about it but not apologetic nor empathised.
At this point I was really furious. And I thot to myself. Here is a place, so nice, beautiful location, food is fine as well , but just has no concept of customer service.
Now the problem could be 2 fold:
1. Either those who work there are not communicative enough. They are unable to think off their feet and do not know how to please customers or resolve situations. But when I found the same trait in owner I figured where the problem is. And now when I read about him being from non-hospitality background I found my easy answer.
2. The second reason I guess people just do not have tools to offer solutions. What if the person is unable to offer a Coke to a thirsty customer coz the owner takes away the key to the fridge? What if the owner does not want his kitchen to be opened after a certain time to exercise control?
My point is whatever it is , there is a problem. And If Gunpowder needs happy customers it needs to do better with service and get happy, obliging and thinking people to work.
I have not seen such a DEAD restaurant where the ATITHI DEVO BHAV is completely missing.
Thank you so much for the review. A friend of mine referred to it, I thought I would like to google this place first and check it out for myself. Finally, read your review and I am convinced, that I do not wanna go out there!
You’re welcome Prateek. Gunpowder is one of the few places I wouldn’t like to step into again. Not because of the food, but because of their attitude.
Hi,
Thank you so much for the review Sid. A friend of mine told me about this place, but I thought I will ‘google’ this place first before landing myself in a soup. So, here I was, reading your blog and decided that I really dont want to go there for a meal. Thanks!
That is absolutely correct! I really believe that it is the service that counts even if there are other things wrong with a restro. I mean, why would you make an effort to step out, pay and eat at a place where they treat you like shit? There should be something like a customer experience law in this country!
I’ve been to Gunpowder several times over the past year and the food has been pretty consistent(ly good). The menu is no longer handwritten on a notebook and is printed like a regular menu, and the staff is quite friendly and attentive. I actually go there more for the food than the offbeat setting (which though pleasing would not be enough for me to keep going back).
I think you may have visited while it still had growing pains because i have never met anyone who has had a problem with the place before. It may be a good idea to give it a second shot.
That would have been the plan Tanya. Unfortunately, due to their service attitude I will probably not be stepping into Gunpowder again. Glad you like it though.
I visited Gunpowder after hearing great things from everyone.
We ordered Chicken Malabar Parotta and got a plate of broken up roti mixed with some curry. Was that how the chicken parotta was supposed to be?
Or Did they serve us something else by mistake?
I agree the food is not value for money and that they do not have the best cuts or right seasoning, but it is one of the places to get South Indian dishes you wont find on other menus.
Hi Sid. Your review was spot on.
The food lacks consistency which is unacceptable in a restaurant of any kind.
The expats are the preferred customers, no doubts about that. The food is too over priced for the quality. And yes the service is haphazard.
The fault i think, lies entirely in bad management of the place, which now runs mostly due to the owners connections and the hype of gunpowder.
When i first went there i found it to be different, vibrant and eclectic. But you cant really dine on that. After a while you have to give a damn about what’s on your plate and the food just screams of oil and overdose of masalas. Being someone who really feels the spirit in which the food is cooked, i was disappointed with Gunpowder.
It has its heart in the right place but good intentions can not run a good restaurant
When i first went there i found it to be different, vibrant and eclectic. But you cant really dine on that. – Well put.
it looks like you should just stick to vegetarian, north indian food man.
gunpowder is not for people who dont know their food.
i have been there and this article sounds like it has been written by a woman.
boy, i would hate to be friends with you