ZOOEY – This trendy eatery in Defence colony uplifts the experience of both, indoor and outdoor dining, with themed interiors, cool vibes, curated drinks and culinary art, boasting of recipes from the global platter.
Not every evening is about exotic cuisines and specially curated cocktails but any evening can be turned into one at Zooey because life is about having fun, right? Zooey rightly translates into ‘Life’ in Greek and the restaurant does live up to its name by giving out all the right vibes. Not even an year old, and Zooey is already making its way to becoming Defence colony’s neighborhood’s go-to for all casual get-togethers and fun parties. It is spread across two floors including indoor as well as outdoor, and its overall dining setup sends out a very relaxed and laid back vibe about it. The arches, mirror reflections and fluidic forms make it eclectic and elevated spatial experience is the winner here. The décor is as Instagrammable as it gets.
Under the stars, with the view of the metro trains zooming in and out of the Lajpat Nagar metro station on one side, cool music and ambiance on the other, and casual conversations filled with awesome food and drinks on the table, made for a wonderful evening at Zooey.
First Impressions of Zooey
Zooey- the culinary bar is centrally located and easy to pin down if you are in and around Moolchand-Lajpat Nagar-Defence Colony area in Delhi. Once you are there, look for the parking space. We found enough on a Wednesday evening. I would say a metro ride would also be very convenient because Lajpat Nagar metro station is at a stone throw away distance. The lady-in-waiting checked for our reservations and ushered us towards the lift. The roof top dining section is located on the fifth floor. The open ambiance had a warm and welcoming appeal and it clicked the moment I walked in. But before grabbing a comfy couch, I went around to explore the 4th floor for its indoor settings. The contemporary moody setting, as part of the black and gold theme lent an uncommon élan to the space. The private spaces with protruding arches added a punch to the whole game. The undertones of warm lights made it high on visuals for sure. However, for the pleasant evening, Hubby and I wanted to sit on the terrace and we returned to the fifth floor.
Once we had settled in our seats, the staff approached us with the menu. Zooey has an elaborate menu but they also had a special menu for the food tastings, with an emphasis on the specialties. We got the latter. Some of the chef special dishes got my eyes immediately. It was evident that a lot of thinking has gone in the designing of the food menu. Along with pan-Asian and charcoal grilled options, I was happy to see Japanese too. Even the cocktail menu promised a lot of fun. (I know you may be thinking what does a non-drinker know about the alcoholic drinks). A lot of creativity goes into it and mixing is nothing less than an art. And you must know that Mr. Yangdup Lama, one of India’s finest mixologists is behind the cocktail menu at Zooey. I can definitely vouch for the mocktails.
The enlarged spaces i.e. visual expansion created on the ends of the terrace with the help of mirrors deserve a special mention. When you notice unique classy and extraordinary touches to Zooey’s interiors, you can’t be without asking about the designer. I was told that Mr. Abhigyan Neogi, a celebrated F&B architect and designer is man who brings so much aplomb to this place. Last but not the least, the couches were very comfortable and made us feel at home. It shows that the founder is observant and particular about every little thing that matters. Zooey is the passion project of Vishnu Midha, and I must compliment him for coming up with a dining hotspot that combines elegant and contemporary modern interiors with superlative culinary offerings.
All that I ate at Zooey
Zooey has an elaborate menu which includes pides, Sushi, dimsums, salads, bread basket, grilled choices, kebabs delicacies, bibimbap, pasta and risotto. Further, they have antipasti, tapas, mezze and appetizers from the coast of the Mediterranean sea. Then there are soups, artesian pasta, wood fired pizza, chef’s signature pasta and risotto. And the culinary treat does not end here because you will be spoiled for choices with charcoal grilled meat, chef’s signature plates, Chinese from the wok choices, quite many options in Japanese, main course and desserts. In the times when we are travelling more and more, the demand for delicious range of food and drinks choices is a top priority for food connoisseurs. Zooey shines here.
I can bet that the vegetarians will not be disappointed here. We started with the crispy fried tofus and in no time, were convinced that the best ingredients are used for making of the dishes. The tofu was fresh, soft and absolutely melt-in-the mouth kinds. I had some amazing tofu during my visit to Bangkok in Thailand last year and this one tasted similar. Sushi is always a favorite and I never miss a chance to explore the vegetarian options. They served two kinds, spicy avocado maki and one with tempered asparagus with sauce and wasabi. Both tasted super yum. The smooth mouth fills tasted like explosion of flavors with wasabi and sauce. The crispy asparagus and crunch on the outside gave a whole new twist to the sushi. For the rice lovers, it will be perfect to beat your blues on any day of the week.
You may wonder what the dishes’ names denote on the menu or if they have a vegetarian/vegan option, so feel free to ask the friendly staff. I took their help a couple of times and they were promptly responsive.
We were really curious about Chef special parcels and were happy to order Mushroom parcel. It was different for sure and it tickled our taste buds. It takes time in its preparation but is worth the wait. The outer layer was crispy and will remind you of layered patty, which can be relished at anytime of the day. The mixture in the inside was the main catch. It had mushroom, potatoes, cream, veggies and together it came bursting with flavors. We polished it off in no time with fruits mocktails.
After taking some break, we also ordered water chestnut dimsums (on recommendation) and Charcoal grill North Atlantic Salmon. The dimsums were work of art and tasted exotic. The Charcoal grill salmon was nicely done and had that broiled cooked feel about it. And last but not the least, you must-must have Petite Antoine. We totally loved it. The sugar was just right and it was definitely one of the best Belgian chocolate pastry, hazelnut, cornflakes and cream combination that I have eaten. It was served with ice cream and meringue. It not only looks tempting on the plate but tastes even better when you dig in it. I had to call for the desert chef to compliment her for this perfect sweet dish.
Must-visit! Why?
- The food is interesting, beautifully presented and the portion sizes are good at Zooey.
- Great culinary art at display.
- The music on the rooftop is not very loud, so one can have their private conversations. At no time we felt disturbed with the music, or other guests around us.
- The ambiance is classy with state-of-the-art décor.
- A friendly staff!
I would highly recommend Zooey for the perfect date night as well as a get-together with friends over drinks!
