All die hard Delhites swear by their Choley Bhature. Most have their own favourite joints which they claim serve the very best. Over time many joints have become legends while others have languished. Those who are familiar with Delhi of late 50s and 60s will recall that Cannaught Place was the to go place for evening strolls and weekend leisurely window shopping. There were many restaurants and eating places for Punjabi food Kake da hotel, for Chinese Ginza, United Coffee House and Standard Restaurant for delicate tea and scones and robust Coffee, Embassy for Continental and North Indian dishes, Madras Hotel for Dosas and other South Indian delicacies, the list is indeed long.
There was one restaurant which stood out for their unique fare.It was indeed an oddity. It was a brand name more popular for Ice Creams than food. It had branches then, in several metros as well, which somehow have survived the vagaries of time. Kwality Restaurant set up shop in the Regal block of Cannaught Place many many moons ago and is still going strong. It is claimed that the Ghai Lambas were introduced to the Ice Cream Industry by a US Veterinary Surgeon and the rest is history. Kwality Ice Cream had such a great reputation that even parents would encourage their kids to partake them. It was through a great business insight that an allied food business was set up. A restaurant with a reputation of serving quality fare became an instant success .
Old Delhites would remember their trade mark Mutton Samosas were something to die for. The legendary Choley Baturas was unique. The choley had a typical North Indian flavour with just a tinge of sourness and pomegranate seeds. Raw onion circles were placed on top of the dish and the aroma it emanated was delectable. This was the traditional dish which many Punjabis missed after partition and the well to do and not so well to do flocked to Kwality for it by hundreds. Many would save during a whole month and make it to the restaurant on weekends.
It was a right of passage ritual.Those days were more unpretentious. The Hoi Polloi could still mix with the Boxwallahs. Delhi was seeking its roots anew. The sorrows of partition could be forgotten for a short while with a visit to the restaurant and choosing a meal of longed for Pindi Choley.
The restaurant still exists in Regal Building of Cannaught Place and is hugely patronized but somewhere down the line a string seems to have given way. It is no longer the same though somewhat the same.
