AN AMERICAN DINER IN SOUTH DELHI - The American Connection Diner

THE AMERICAN CONNECTION DINER, KALKAJI

The biggest flaw that Indians have is that they're never really satisfied with being Indian. It is always about replicating the west. People nowadays think that The Avengers are cool but they forget that Shaktiman will forever be their first "Fuq Fuq Fuq Fuq".

And this trend has bled into the food industry as well. The westernization of food outlets throughout Delhi has left old uncles and aunties in peril. With the OG American Diner in Indian Habitat Center, which was a bit too bland for my taste, Indians rejoiced the taste of America in exchange for their inherent spice-tolerant palate and their hard earned money. And it comes as no surprise that an American Diner opened up in Kalkaji as well.

The American Connection Diner is located in Kalkaji and it is right next to the famous Gol Chakkar Cafe which is, to everyone's surprise, next to the gol chakkar. It is a beautifully decorated place with vibrant colors to make for a pleasing experience. The bright red, yellow and blue is different from the earthy, groundbased colors of Indian cuisine. The furniture is bright and welcoming and their music is dope as well. Pleasant instrumentals, which can be mistaken for phone alarms, keep you company while you enjoy your meal.

The servers are dressed in cute little red aprons as if they were on Masterchef USA, but alas, they're serving the food that someone else made. But they're extremely friendly and only tell you that outside drinks are not allowed after you're finished with the meal. The American Connection Diner also has some nifty little board games that keep you engaged even after you're done with your food, including Jenga and Chess. Both games I'm unbeatable at. ALL HAIL THE KING.

THE FOOD

Coming to the food itself, their menu is focused on, as the name suggests, Gujarati cuisine (104 types of theplas are their USP). Jk bro. But in all seriousness, they do focus on some classic American Cuisine including Pizzas, Burgers, Fries, Grilled Chicken and some other generic starters like nachos.

My friend went ahead and ordered the Real Spicy BBQ Cheese Fries. Now, first of all, they serve it in a bowl. I'm down with that. I'm all about that bowl life. But second of all, THAT BOWL IS HOT. I burned my fingers while touching that stuff. But those fries are just heavenly. They're not soggy, not at all, but they're not crispy-hard either. They're just right. Somewhere in the middle where it is soft and gooey with all the cheese but they still hold their shape to be called fries and not mashed potatoes. The moment the fork hits the crust of the fry and it slips right in there, you remember Shaktiman and his "Fuq Fuq Fuq" indeed.

Next up, I ordered the classic Pepperoni Pizza which was my vision of American Food, given that I've seen Joey eat it a lot in Friends. But the classic New York style pizza is thin crust and the Chicago Style pizza is a deep dish one. This was the good old Hand Tossed Crust which was in the middle. But it was good too! Plenty of cheese, sauce but somewhat skimpy on the toppings. 

Finally, my friend ordered the next dish for me. I had the Grilled Chicken back in Thalassa in Goa where it was legit half a chicken served with fresh veggies and potato wedges. But here in The American Connection Diner, we ordered a quarter of a chicken. And they gave us two pieces of chicken. Now if their chickens were small aur unki height nahi badi then it's okay. But if they were normal chickens, two pieces do not mean a quarter chicken. Maybe this is why the Americans need Indians for math. The chicken was a disappointment. The flavour was very mild, despite the sauce being very hot, and the portion was way too small.

THE VERDICT

The American Connection Diner in Kalkaji is a beautiful place that one can visit time and again. Their food is brilliant, the ambience is beautiful and the service is fantastic. There are some kinks that they have to fix, but it is a good place nonetheless. 

Address: F1, 2nd Floor, Kalkaji Main Market, Kalkaji, New Delhi

Phone Numbers: 011 40391977, +91 8448287711