Not enticing enough
22 Dec 2012 10:15 PM GMT
It is already a well-established fact that Hauz Khas Village is now the new Khan Market for foodies in the Capital. Restaurants are springing up in the narrow alleys and the very Manali-like buildings like a dime a dozen. Walk into the village which is frequented by the self-proclaimed ‘arty’ crowd and you will find the lanes buzzing till very late in the night.
Which is exactly why I found it baffling that when I walked into The Food Mill, I found the restaurant to be completely empty — devoid of a single person save for the staff when everything around was full of people. More so, given that it is bang on the main road, not even tucked inside one of the narrow lanes like so many other restaurants. The explanation given to me was that it has newly opened and needs more marketing. But like we have seen in recent times, you don’t need PR or marketing for a restaurant to be successful anymore. Any regular will be able to name at least three restaurants in HKV itself which are doing fantastic business after good word-of-mouth publicity.
Where, then, is The Food Mill going wrong? The idea behind the restaurant apparently is that ‘the staff always tries to come up with fresh new recipes for breads and dishes’. Ah well! The dishes are the same old. The menu is a mish mash of Conntinental, Mediterranean, Lebanese and even a section for weight watchers. The décor (complete with a verendah like smoking section) looks more like a college canteen with colourful tables and chairs. If the attempt was to make it funky and grungy (with some iron chain like stuff hanging from the ceilings), the results clearly don’t show. But the service is quick and the waiters clearly know the menu well. So if you are lost you will get helpful suggestions. They don’t have an alcohol license yet but the mocktails are quite good. Most of the food I ordered though was unimpressive, nothing that you won’t find elsewhere. The Roast Chicken with white wine risotto though was well made. I would also pick the Supreme of chicken which was stuffed with cheese and served with mashed potato and grilled vegetables. Don’t miss out the Blueberry cheesecake though. It’s really good! But The Food Mill needs to figure out a way to attract customers. Not too many people would like being the only ones in a restaurant. Â
DETAIL
At: 2nd Floor, 30, Powerhouse Building, Hauz Khas Village
Timings: 11 AM TO 12:30 AM
Phone: 26522114
Meal for two: Rs 2,000 inclusive of taxes
Which is exactly why I found it baffling that when I walked into The Food Mill, I found the restaurant to be completely empty — devoid of a single person save for the staff when everything around was full of people. More so, given that it is bang on the main road, not even tucked inside one of the narrow lanes like so many other restaurants. The explanation given to me was that it has newly opened and needs more marketing. But like we have seen in recent times, you don’t need PR or marketing for a restaurant to be successful anymore. Any regular will be able to name at least three restaurants in HKV itself which are doing fantastic business after good word-of-mouth publicity.
Where, then, is The Food Mill going wrong? The idea behind the restaurant apparently is that ‘the staff always tries to come up with fresh new recipes for breads and dishes’. Ah well! The dishes are the same old. The menu is a mish mash of Conntinental, Mediterranean, Lebanese and even a section for weight watchers. The décor (complete with a verendah like smoking section) looks more like a college canteen with colourful tables and chairs. If the attempt was to make it funky and grungy (with some iron chain like stuff hanging from the ceilings), the results clearly don’t show. But the service is quick and the waiters clearly know the menu well. So if you are lost you will get helpful suggestions. They don’t have an alcohol license yet but the mocktails are quite good. Most of the food I ordered though was unimpressive, nothing that you won’t find elsewhere. The Roast Chicken with white wine risotto though was well made. I would also pick the Supreme of chicken which was stuffed with cheese and served with mashed potato and grilled vegetables. Don’t miss out the Blueberry cheesecake though. It’s really good! But The Food Mill needs to figure out a way to attract customers. Not too many people would like being the only ones in a restaurant. Â
DETAIL
At: 2nd Floor, 30, Powerhouse Building, Hauz Khas Village
Timings: 11 AM TO 12:30 AM
Phone: 26522114
Meal for two: Rs 2,000 inclusive of taxes
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