Table for Four

Seated at this 'table for four', the distinguished Doon men – Deepak Narula, Nitan Kapoor, Ajay Shriram and Sunil Kant Munjal – discussed Delhi's dining legacy. That was 16 years ago... Here's the result: Table for Four, yours for the taking  

Text: Sathya Saran

For more than a month now, I have been an adventurer, exploring food, moving from one restaurant to another; sitting at tables in sunlit corners or in the heart of a busy eatery, surrounded by strangers revelling in the food and company.

Like Banquo’s ghost, I have invited myself to pull up a chair alongside four distinguished men, each a leader in his field, but present there only to taste, enjoy and evaluate the food for the pleasure it offers. No shoptalk, no rush; only a repast enjoyed for its own sake. They are not aware of my presence, but I am privy to their choice of dishes and their evaluation of the place and the food.

Four men, their links rooted in the DSOBS or to give it its full name, the Doon School Old Boys Society decided to nurture their friendship and their common love for food in an unusual way. They would meet at a restaurant of choice, and spend a leisurely lunch discussing everything under the sun, including the merits of the food on the table. A system was developed of grading the food. The lunch was to be hosted by each in turn. And a sacrosanct rule that was strictly followed was, if even one of the four was not able to attend, the lunch would be cancelled.

And so it was that Deepak Nirula, Nitan Kapoor, Ajay Shriram and Sunil Kant Munjal started on a food odyssey, both unique and memorable.

In their own words, (as there is no specific single byline), here is the modus operandi they devised: "With great deliberation, we log each restaurant that we visit. With the gravitas of professors checking answer papers and awarding marks, we accord ratings for all the dishes we consume. In many cases we even review the restrooms for their upkeep and hygiene."

The lunch date, which started as a way to help one of the four friends navigate a personal crisis, by spending some feel-good times laced with light-hearted banter with him, continued as a regular event for a span of 16 years, despite the fact that Deepak's demise left an empty chair at the table.

Their jottings, reviews, gradings, of this 16-year journey, initially written painstakingly by hand and later with the use of a keyboard would eventually become a privately published book. Fun facts, serious reviews, recipes, photographs and a bonus: evocative, happy illustrations… a veritable treat.

Launched at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2025, the book is now in the public space. And leafing through the pages is like joining this invisible feast, that blends the Capital city’s gourmet history with food facts and food terminology. It is a record that is in many ways nostalgic and personal, yet judicially impartial.

Thus I traversed through 72 of the city’s eateries, both historic and modern, the aromas from the Table for Four tempting me to stop and imagine the taste of a Dum Pukht Dal that the four ‘critics’ aver tastes exactly as it did when it was first served in 1978 to the well-heeled, or marvel at the idea of rose-studded Ispahan Laddus…. a gourmet sweet concoction from Saugat, the boutique sweet shop meant for the discerning palate with a purse to match.

I learnt recipes too, of dishes that had found particular favour with the gentlemen lunchers; and imbibed quaint facts: That the iconic 86-year-old Kwality restaurant chain that many of my generation have grown up visiting for celebrations and special occasions was started as a chips, eggs and sandwiches café, and handmade ice-cream was added as a suggestion to cater to the soldiers who needed to cool their throats after returning from late night dance parties.

Or how an adventurous Modi family daughter-in-law stepped out from behind the brocade curtain to start a pizza restaurant at a time when Delhi had hardly any, and grow it into a chain. These were stories that added their heft to my ‘dining’ experience.
 Long years ago, at designer Gudda’s (Rohit Bal) request, I had hosted a dinner at his Veda restaurant in the Palladium complex in Bombay. Gudda was passionate about food. I remember the pride with which he served finely curated Kashmiri meals at his place… but nonetheless Suvir Saran’s story on how the designer branched into gourmet food was an eye-opener.

I kept picking up little gems, as I went along. That kaju katli was a creation of Bikanerwala before it became a staple in every sweet shop across the country; or that puffed rice (the humble moori) was invented by a botanist in Minnesota in 1901.

Tiptoeing through the swank clubs of Delhi, I learnt that the Rogan Josh is the dish to go for at the Delhi Gymkhana Club. Other secrets included the Steak and Kidney Pie at the Ooty Club and so on.

Quite a virtual treat. And now, armed with my new-found knowledge, (with the tome tucked into my suitcase) I can’t wait to check things out for myself! Giving a new twist to the phrase: eat my heart out.

Delhi, here I come!