The Imperial is a genteel gem in Lutyens' Delhi. With its pillared verandahs, manicured lawns, iconic art collection, and a storied past, it exudes quiet luxury. But amid this calm refinement, The Spice Route, its "Ethnic Asian" cuisine restaurant, stands out as an eclectic ode to the region's art and heritage.
A narrow doorway leads you to an explosion of colours, elaborate murals handpainted by artisans from Kerala, Thai artefacts, and antique pillars.
"Spice Route transcends being just a dining spot; it's a destination in its own right—a sensory delight for all who enter," said Louis Sailer, Senior Executive Vice President of The Imperial.
Designed by Rajeev Sethi based on the principles of feng shui, the restaurant's interiors famously took seven years to complete. With nine sections signifying different phases of life, it is one of Delhi's most iconic eateries.
Until recently, The Spice Route's menu tilted heavily towards Thai, but with the appointment of Indonesian Chef de Cuisine Mustian Gadang, there's far more variety with dishes culled from countries along the ancient trade route from East Asia through Java to India.
On the day that we visited, Chef Mustian was at his best. We started our tasting preview with Raw Sliced Yellow Tail with white radish and cucumber, seven spice and tauco dressing (a paste made from preserved fermented yellow soybeans). Yellow Fin Tuna and Avocado Tartare followed this. The fish was fresh, mildly flavoured, and perfectly paired with the crushed avocado, seaweed cracker, ginger, and soy mayo.
I am a great fan of Thai mango salad, and I loved Chef Mustian's version with green and ripe mangoes, charred green beans, cashews, and a candied ginger vinaigrette to bring it all together. The flavours were fresh with the crunch of cashews and perfect for summer.
The smoked duck and cucumber salad was another win with crunchy green beans, melon, sprouts and scallions dressed in light hoisin sauce.
Chef Mustian is quite the magician in extracting flavours from each ingredient and maintaining the authenticity of the dishes. As we were informed, the chef makes his vegetarian bacon and tempeh in-house from scratch, and we were lucky to sample a little of both.
Among the other small plates that we tried was crispy pulled jackfruit cooked in a yellow vegetable curry and flavoured with fried basil. While I am familiar with various jackfruit preparations, this version was a pleasant addition. Don't miss the Hand Folded Thai Spring Rolls with a chicken and shrimp filling served with XO sauce and the gujiya-like Peranakan Chicken Curry puffs. Also called "karipap," these make for a perfect teatime snack.
For the mains, I chose a chunky slab of Gindara Miso Cod, which was succulent, fleshy and wrapped in the umami flavours of Miso.
While there were many options, like the Maamisam Saalna, a mutton curry, and a South Indian Malabar curry, I couldn't resist the Ginger Garlic Glazed Pork Ribs. The slow-cooked Belgian pork ribs flavoured with chilli and scallions and served with a spicy sesame sauce were outstanding. If you are in the mood for some Southeast Asian desserts, try the rose-baked yoghurt or Dadar Gulung, sweet Indonesian coconut pancakes.
Address: The Imperial, Janpath Lane, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Delhi 110001
Website: https://theimperialindia.com/