LISTEN TO THE ECHOES - REVIEW - ECHOES, HUDSON LANE

ECHOES, HUDSON LANE

Not many places make their mark in the Food and Beverage service scene in Delhi like Echoes has done. The second outlet of the famous cafe that started out in Satyaniketan with a concept that no other restaurant came up with, Echoes has been serving up good food along with smiles for over an year now. But this one in Hudson Lane is relatively new and had a lot to live up to.

The idea and concept behind Echoes in Satyaniketan was boggling minds left, right and center at first. Nobody understood how and why would a restaurant employee Specially Abled staff members to wait on tables. It was unique, never been done before, and Echoes nailed it. It made your experience even more special by serving up smiles. The servers would always be happy to help you and you couldn't help but share their happiness. IT WAS MADNESS. I WAS SMILING THROUGHOUT!

THE AMBIENCE

The expectations set by the outlet in Satyaniketan were hard to match when I stepped inside the elevator leading up to Echoes on the second floor of the building. But as soon as you stepped outside the elevators, a chandelier up above your head lets you know it's going to be a pretty experience. And by pretty I mean you'd love to take the girl of your dreams there and try and show Echoes what real beauty is but it's hard to judge which is prettier.

There are plenty of antique pieces spread all around the place. The walls are covered with framed photos of weddings and families and family weddings and wedding-families. There are old-timey sofas and couches along with lamps to match. The setting is perfect for a calm meal that you'll remember for the service you get, if not the taste itself.

There is plenty of room inside Echoes, the floor you enter at is big in itself and they have a floor up above as well which has more tables and a table overlooking Hudson Lane as well. I'm definitely going up there the next time I visit!

THE FOOD

What I'm about to write next may be completely irrelevant in the next couple of months because the restaurant is just starting out and may have a few kinks at the time I went there. But the food there is pretty... average. I was amazed by the sheer number of items they had on the menu. The choice was vast! The menu ranges from East to West covering Chinese, Continental, Indian and Specials as well.

I did decide to order off the signature dishes menu, which were marked off as "Very Important". Now, I'm no lexical or language expert, but I think if a thing is Very Important, it must be ordered. 

YOU KNOW WHAT, HOLD ON A MOMENT, HOLD YOUR HORSES RIGHT THERE, I'M NOT TO BE BLAMED FOR THE ORDER. My friend placed the order for the Amsterdam Fries, Fiery Chicken, Tandoori Momos and I ordered the Oreo-fee Shake and the Sizzling Brownie. Because 5 dishes are enough to fill two Punjabis. Unfortunately, we were wrong. There were a little ups and downs with every individual item.

The Oreo-fee Shake was perfection. There was enough oreo to make it thick and a kick of coffee to wake you up. Probably the best thing we ordered that day.

Amsterdam Fries had your usual french fries, onion rings and a serving of mayonnaise, cheese and sour cream. The fries lost their crunch and dried out real quick. We couldn't finish the fries. Such a disappointment when fries are the first thing to get over with any other meal.

Next came a platter of chicken topped with chillies and what seemed like a schezwan based sauce. Then our server lit it on fire. LEGIT FIRE. A good gimmick for when people as you how was the Fiery Chicken, you can reply "It was lit yo. Literally" (Badum-tss). The chicken was boneless and was cooked well. It was the sauce on top that overpowered it after a while.

How can you go wrong with Tandoori Momos? This modern-day-classic has been reinvented, rennovated, reincarnated and repeated so many times at so many restaurants that it's hard to not compare it to the best ones you've had before. I compared it to the ones you get at Hunger Strike in Amar Colony. The ones at Echoes were massive, no doubt, the chicken was smooth and loaded, no doubt. But the covering of the dumpling fell apart to easily. The ratio was too messed up. And the orange ones tasted like they were coated with O'Yes. Some assessment is required!

Finally, the second dish that I ordered came in, the Sizzling Brownie, the smell, the sight, the sound of the sizzle was enough to make us drool. The hot chocolate syrup sizzled and bubbled away and the ice-cream dripped from over the thick brownie on to the hot base. Damn. DAMN. I was blown away at the texural contrast. Brilliant.

THE VERDICT

Now, I'm not one to judge Echoes solely on the basis of the two dishes that dissapointed me while 2 amazed me and 1 was good enough. But the ambience and the concept make up for the little kinks in the machine that is Echoes. The place is lovely and I would love to visit again!