ORIGINATOR OF TANDOORI MOMOS? - Review - QDs Restaurant

QDs RESTAURANT, LAJPAT NAGAR 2

Satyaniketan and GTB Nagar have really been the two markets where budget cafes and restaurants really flourish. QDs, a very well known student eatery, already has well established restaurants in the two aforementioned locations as well as one in Laxmi Nagar. The very successful franchise has now come to the hustle and bustle of Lajpat Nagar 2's Central Market. A prime location for any restaurant to flourish. However, as history suggests, the building they are in isn't very friendly. No other restaurant or cafe has stayed there for more than two years, the latest example being Starbucks that closed down prior to QDs being set up here. Maybe things end up better for QDs!

I have been to QDs Restaurant a number of times since its opening, mainly due to the fact that the place is close by. Also, the food is cheap and it is lipsmacking! I'm writing this review only after close retrospect of all visits.

THE AMBIENCE

QDs Restaurant is a breath of fresh air for any regular visitor of Central Market. A hip, cafe vibe along with vibrant and bright colors welcome you the place. The color red is a striking feature in the restaurant as you see streaks running across the place. The glass panes on one side of the restaurant help light up the place naturally. The seats are brilliantly comfortable and would make for a very long conversation once you are seated.

THE FOOD

QDs offers a variety of cuisines including Chinese, Mughlai, North Indian, South Indian, Continentl and Italian. I was glad to try most of it on my multiple visits. But the dishes I was the most interested in were the Tandoori Momos. QDs became famous when they started dishing out this North Indian take on oriental cuisine in their original outlets. Therefore I went on ahead to order the Tandoori Chicken Momos and the Afghani Chicken Momos.

Both sets of Momos were unlike any other momos I've had before, not due to their taste, but their texture and feel was different. They did not feel like momos at all and were more towards a quenelle of chicken mince. The taste, however, was lacking in both. They were desperately calling out for sauces and chutneys. But good thing that they keep Mint Chutney and Red Chilli Sauce in bottles at the tables!

The next course was the Chipotle Chicken Pizza and the Penne Alfredo. Both dishes with plenty of flavour running throughout their core. The dish of the day has to be the Pizza. With perfectly spiced chicken paired up with jalepenos! The Pasta drenched in cheesy alfredo sauce, paired with a toasted garlic bread.

Next up were my mother's choices, the Masala Paper Dosa and Ankita's Pao Bhaji, no, we did not steal it off of some random girl named Ankita. Both these classic Indian dishes were good. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing exceptional, but good. You can get the same taste anywhere else as well. BUT THAT BHAAJI WAS SMOOTH AS A BABY'S BOTTOM.

Finally, the dish we got every time we've been there was the Chicken Tikka Masala Platter. The CTM Platter includes Chicken Tikka Masala, Lachha Parantha, Dal Makhani, Rice and Raita. All things good! The perfect meal for any Indian dad!

THE VERDICT

QDs was once the go to place in Hudson and Satya along with BYD. Now that their agenda has become expanding to other markets, their food has changed as well. They cater to more than just broke college students. The outlet in Lajpat Nagar is easily comparable to Haldirams or Bikanervala but without self service. A brilliant place that one should definitely try.