Monsoon By Cafe Lota - The Age of Indian Food Has Arrived

In this blog post, I cover Monsoon By Cafe Lota, a contemporary Indian restaurant in Aerocity Delhi, which is inspired by the season of joy.


What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about the monsoon? A long spell of rain and with it a fresh breeze of air? Just like monsoon provides a welcome respite from the scorching summer heat, Monsoon By Cafe Lota tries to capture that same feeling of joy and elation through the creative use of locally sourced ingredients to produce a unique fusion of Indian flavors.


Brought by the same ol' team that gave us the Roots - Cafe In The Park (2010), Cafe Lota (2013), and Triveni Terrace Cafe (2015), Monsoon is a continuation of the Melting Pot Food Company's exploration of India's abundant cuisines and indigenous ingredients.

The brainchild of entrepreneurs, Rajesh Ojha, Ashish Arora, and Iona Joshua Sinha, Monsoon is not your run-of-the-mill dining option.

The credit for curating an exemplary Modern Indian menu by reinterpreting local ingredients goes to the very talented chef extraordinaire Udit Maheshwari who I had the pleasure of meeting at Monsoon.

Udit is an alumnus of Le Cordon Bleu London and he specializes in French cuisine. What I found particularly interesting about Udit is that his menu is an experimental take on Indian food, prepared with precision from carefully chosen, local ingredients.


From Prawn Pepper Stir Fry which uses black and green peppercorns, curry leaves, and caramelized onions to Goat Rib Broth which uses Kashmiri Haak and crispy Lotus Stem, every dish is a piece of art - unique, flavorful, aesthetically plated, and most importantly, light on the palate, bringing to the fore Udit's non-conformist Indian style of cooking.

You'll love the Tamarind Fish, a dish that has Tilapia fish coated in a tamarind and oyster glaze served on tempered spinach with a moilee sauce. The subtle use of tempered chana dal (gram lentil), lal mirch (red chili), coconut milk, and turmeric provides the perfect desi flavors this dish needs.


Room for more? Try the Choriz Pulao. Organic quinoa cooked with Goan chorizo sausage made of pork, roasted bell peppers, and Persian Zereshk berries. Served with a sunny side up egg and spicy, gluten-free tomato ketchup.


End your gastronomical journey at Monsoon on a sweet note with the Chocolate Torte. A cold-set dessert made of organic dark chocolate studded with mango leather (aam papad) and served with a raw mango coulis on a crispy pearl millet base (bajra cookie).


Udit's creativity with food is not just outstanding, his take on the Modern Indian cuisine checks all boxes as far as taste and aesthetics are concerned.


His work inside the kitchen is equally complemented by Mixologist's Magandeep Singh artistry behind the bar. Magandeep does a remarkable job of churning out one spectacular drink after the other, in the process, enhancing the level of your overall dining experience.


Don't leave Monsoon before trying out the Mango and Green Chili Sangria. Made with Borsao white wine, shaken with mangoes, jaggery syrup, green chilies, and mint. Another recommendation is the Asafetida Sour, made with Asafetida, Orange, Pineapple, Popcorn, and Yuzu (Japanese citrus lemon).


The dimly lit ambiance of Monsoon will be soothing to your eyes and senses. Spanning across 1200 square feet, the restaurant offers 45 covers, ideal to host your loved ones for an extremely personalized dining experience.


With Monsoon, it surely feels like the age of Indian food has arrived.

Monsoon Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato 

Comments

  1. Just reading about the menu and what and how it's served is making me hop out and reach aerocity, I am surely visiting them soon. Detailed review.
    :-Ujjwal Mishra mywordsmywisdom

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    1. Thank you Ujjwal for the wonderful feedback. Glad I could be of some help!

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  2. Wow. Amazing review. The pictures are so good! Would love to visit this place!

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    1. Thanks buddy. You must visit Monsoon sometime ... am pretty sure you'll love it there.

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  3. Wao, such amazing cuisine to try from, the pictures are a gastronomical paradise, loved reading your experience. Hope to check this one out

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    1. So happy to hear from you. Also good to know that you liked my review of the Monsoon By Cafe Lota.

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  4. Wow sounds like a place I'd love to visit. Especially for the choris pulav. Will put it on my Delhi - places to visit list.

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    1. It's definitely a must visit restaurant if you're in Aerocity!

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  5. Wow nice content.very useful. Thank u for sharing

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    1. Thank you for stopping by! Appreciate your feedback. Please leave your name next time.

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  6. looks delicious btw photography skills are awesome too

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  7. I have heard a lot about cafe lota lota lately and this article again have pushed me to make a plan and visit to taste the savouries. Would love to visit and try! Thank you for such informative article.

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  8. This place looks good to hangout with friends. I like the presentation of drinks and dishes.

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    1. It certainly has a feel good factor; I'd strongly recommend you visit them once :)

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  9. Wow each dish is so beautifully plated! I have tried the original Cafe Lota but not this new place. I must check it out soon.
    Noor Anand Chawla

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    1. Yes, you must, Noor. Let me know in case you need any help with the reservation.

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  10. The menu brings out the foodie in me. I wish I were in Delhi now. Then I would have straight headed at Monsoon by Cafe Lota this evening.

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    1. Oh, where are you now? I thought you were based in Delhi. Are you traveling?

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  11. I love the combination of the two words in the name of the restaurant, how the amalgamation of English (cafe) has been done with Indian (lota)

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    1. That's a good catch, Mandira. Wondering why I didn't think about it?

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  12. Wow, the theme looks really good. And the food also looks so yummy. I will check out this place really soon.

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    1. So happy to hear this, Purnima. Let me know your feedback too!

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  13. Your words are wonderful, and the photos too! My gut makes me want to reach that restaurant ASAP! Good job! I'm really digging the pictures.

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    1. Thank you for your kindness. I am a writer first ... I complement my writing with great photography skills. A lethal combination like this can rarely go wrong!

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  14. Wow, this looks like a place to be added on must visit list. I loved the pics as well . I will surely try the choris pulav. Thanks for sharing

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  15. Amazing and beautiful post. The dimly lit ambiance looks so luxurious and spacious. The presentation of the food is so tempting and delicious. This destination looks good for hangouts.

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  16. Ok! So I need to pay a visit to this place asap now (whenever I am in Delhi next). Cafe lota in pragati maidan has been one of my favs for a long time, and an extension from them is a must visit for me.

    PS. you got some incredible art of story telling from ur captures.

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    1. Thanks Prakhar. Storytelling is so much more powerful with visuals. I believe people relate more to your experience if you show them amazing pictures.

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  17. You have amazing photography skills. Your views are expressed with photos so clearly. And the place looks mesmerizing through your clicks

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  18. The images look so damn tempting. Would surely try to visit this cafe over the weekend, thank you for sharing this amazing bit!

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  19. I mean looking at these food makes me crave to hop on this place super soon...I need to visit this place asap...Thanks for sharing the review..!

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