I was told the space was for four and was asked if I had any food allergies. Outside of this, I didn&rsquot know what to expect out of The HolyBelly. Nestled snug in the heart of Shahpur Jat, finding the place can be a challenge but one can always call them ahead and ask for direction. If you know Shahpur Jat, you also know about how cramped the locality is. It took me what seemed like forever to reach the doorstep. I was quite unsure whether I had reached the right location or I had just committed a breaking and entering for I pushed open the door to a tiny but oh-so-adorable space that was a far cry from any restaurant setting. I had entered somebody&rsquos hallway for all I know Clearly confused I looked around and saw a sign that said &lsquoKiss the Chef&rsquo&mdashokay, so I had finally made it to The HolyBelly.

Chef Aman emerged from a busy kitchen and showed me and my friend to a corner table with four chairs placed opposite each other. It took us few minutes to register the fact that what we had in front of us was it. This was not something one usually experiences when they eat out. The room&mdashmy eyes traced the walls, bookshelf that hung overhead, souvenirs from around the world, smart and cheeky signs in praise of the chef&mdasheverything in that tiny space was adorable. Chef Aman came back with water for us and introduced himself as our server for the evening. It was a Chef&rsquos Table alright (and the right way to do it). &ldquoSo you were serious when you said Table for Four&rdquo escaped me. Clearly sensing my disbelief, Chef cleared some things for me like how the space functions as their office during the day and an intimate table-for-two/four by evening, depending on requests for a Chef&rsquos Table. Further explanation taught me how The HolyBelly is a unique food boutique that brings you a menu that&rsquos customised as per your choice and occasion. Whether you want them taking care of food on your wedding, birthdays, private parties or just an intimate dinner for two, The HolyBelly offers a great culinary experience. Everything is so personal, from your mood to your choice of cuisine, you share them all with the team when you make the reservation. And the team takes care of the rest. The team&mdashChef Rishi, Chef Janeya and Chef Aman&mdashare experts at putting happiness on your plate.

I prepared myself for an evening with French and modern European cuisine, Chef Aman&rsquos speciality.

I guess it goes without saying that I haven&rsquot had a dining experience quite like this. The first course for the evening, a succession of appetisers&mdashfirst came a mille-feuille of goat&rsquos cheese, apple jelly and roasted beetroot&mdashjust so you know, the combination set off a tasty firework in my mouth. Was it tangy or sweet or savoury I had three of those and still waited for my brain to tell my mouth what it was. The next one&mdashaged lamb balls with brioche, mango and habanero sauce came and vanished in a matter of few minutes. Then came tiny bite-size preparation of charred vegetables, burnt grapes and red pepper aioli crostini&mdashit came, saw and conquered. Hands down, the best appetiser I have had so far. It was my first brush with burnt grapes and I quite liked it. The combination was perfect, the natural flavours of fruit and veggies with red pepper aioli was addictive. Chicken liver parfait with onion jam came next and was the last appetiser for the evening. If you don&rsquot mind eating chicken liver and are guilty of wanting to try the fancy foie gras someday, this appetiser might interest you. The burnt grapes experience remained in our minds for the remainder of the evening and just then it clicked in my head&mdashThe HolyBelly or pet puja It didn&rsquot amuse Chef Aman though.

The next course was a salad of mix lettuce, roasted red and yellow pepper, quinoa, broccoli, snow peas with a drizzle of red wine and cumin dressing. If only food could transfer us to places exotic, the salad sure would take anyone to a lovely French countryside. Till this point everything I had put in my mouth tasted fresh, nothing in the menu till now had anything to do with oil, overpowering presence of cheese, froth (like that&rsquos even something that should be on a plate) the real sweetness of fresh fruits and vegetables with a drizzle of wine here and a sprinkle of sea salt there made the items interesting. Risotto of cauliflower florets, corn puree with truffle oil and pistachio dust was an impressive vegetarian item that surely gave a stiff competition to its non-vegetarian rival chicken leg confit with vegetable ragout. Hunger had left us way back when we were busy swallowing the appetisers whole, but Chef Aman decided we needed to be fed more. And thus came, HolyBelly Earth bowl&mdashcoconut and galangal curry with steamed rice and sprinkling of pumpkin seeds. The sharp citrusy flavour of galangal and coconut was a perfect match and the dish came in an earthen bowl which, later Chef Aman explained, also was where these items were cooked. That explained the wonderful earthy flavour. My unique experience with food at The HolyBelly came to an end with the gorgeous and silky Valrhona chocolate ganache with sea salt, extra virgin olive oil and poached cherries. I never fancied dark chocolates imagine my surprise when it came with olive oil and sea salt. The sea salt acted as a balancing agent between the bitter chocolate and the oil. Needless to say, we wiped the plate clean.

Haven&rsquot tried The HolyBelly yet You are missing out on a lot of good food.

The Information
Location 139, Ground Floor, Shahpur Jat, New Delhi
Contact For reservation-919811088127 check here for more
Cost for two From @INR1,800