Hauz Khas Village- For foodies

My encounter with Hauz Khas Village first came about while pursuing my Masters in JNU in the mid-eighties to check out "scenery" and pure hunger . Descending upon Hauz Khas Village in our ramshackled motorbikes and completely famished looking for some food we found it had an unusual flavour compared to the more earthy villages we were used to like like Munirka and Mehrauli. The entrance to the village had long lines of smart cars warned us that it would be exhorbitant. Someone had quite aptly described it ""Hauz Khas Village preferred mode of locomotion is designer bullock cart, raising designer dust, causing designer dislocation of spine on encountering designer pothole!! Today its one of New Delhi's most fabulous patches of greenery with a nice walkaway around a lake and some impressive monuments of of the second city of Delhi ( Siri) and Sayyid/Lodi period dot the region.Adjacent to the crowded lanes of the village another world thrives. Some very docile spotted deer roamed around quite abundantly in this lung of South Delhi being blessed with good vegetation and water bodies is a haven for the winged and feathered species ! The Island on the lake looks like a good breeding spot for waterbirds. .............The lake which has basically rain and drain fed gets "cleaned" of the algae by local swimmers who have to push the muck to the corners with their hands and lung power and a bit of help from water fountains. Happens only in India...!!

Food in Hauz khas village is the biggest draw now.......Even though famous eatery Bistro is taking painfully long to open a friend is opening a new Kashmiri/North Indian Restaurant just opposite it. The Living Room Cafe & Kitchen is truly one of Delhi's most affordable Mediterranean joints with good music and booze on weekends while Gun Powder is the most recent addition for good old Peninsular Indian Non Vegetarian food. Naivedyam going strong for years with excellent south Indian Vegetarian fare. Park Balluchi with its Frontier non veg food under its foliage  . Looks like Hauz Khas Village is going to be one of Delhi better known foodie hangouts. Caution .those used to Five star facilities and cleanliness and valet parking ...this is not the place!