Churros are strips of deep-fried pastry dusted with icing sugar or cinnamon. They are a popular snack in Spain, France, the Philippines, Portugal, and the south western United States. In Spain, where their roots lie, churros can be long and thick (or thin) and sometimes knotted. Dipped in champurrado, hot chocolate or café con leche (coffee), churros are generally eaten for breakfast. They are fried until they become crunchy and may be sprinkled with sugar. The surface of a churro is ridged due to the star-shaped nozzle of the churrera, a tube-like tool from where the dough is forced out. Prism-shaped churros may be straight, curled or spirally twisted. So, enough of preface and definitions. It’s time to try out the first churro place in Delhi, Chocolateria San Churro.
The Location
M – 1, Main Market, Greater Kailash (GK) 2, New Delhi – 110048
The Timings
11 AM to 11 PM
The Ambiance
San Churro is the first building you see when you enter M Block of Greater Kailash 2 market. It is a pretty-looking cafe spread over two floors. The upper floor, with large glass windows, overlooks the main street. You enjoy the relaxed ambiance as you watch the world race by. I like the fact that they have installed their big wok with the churro maker on the side as you enter. It’s quite exciting for kids and young-at-heart like us to see the churro being churned out fresh and served directly from the frying pan. The place feels airy and not cloistered. I was surprised to see many guys using it as their office for meetings and presentations. Although the service tends to be a trifle laid-back, we managed to strike a chord with our guy; so, the evening went quite well.
The Food
The first thing to try at San Churro would obviously be the churro. You can order for one, two or a group (3-12 churros) (₹175 – ₹550). These perfectly cooked, sugar dusted churros are served with two bowls of what has to be the yummiest of milk and dark chocolate on earth and you scrape your fingers on the bowl to savor every teeny-weeny bit. You know where I’m going, right? The churros are crisp and just awesome snacks to satiate the soul : D.
I ordered a Vegetable Sandwich in Multigrain Bread (₹215) that was served as a grilled baguette with cottage cheese, capsicum, and vegetables. It was quite ordinary and didn’t really stand out for me, although I couldn’t find anything to complain about it either.
The Veg Pasta (₹349) was made with broccoli, capsicum, tomatoes, and mushrooms in a mixed cheese and arrabiatta sauce. It was pretty decent (my waiter promised he would cook it himself to my liking and so it was), but at the end of the day it was like a home-cooked pleasant dish that lacked the restaurant flourish. Am I being too picky?
Next we ordered the berry bizcocho (₹250), which was described in the menu as rich chocolate cake topped with strawberries and lashings of chilled custard and melted chocolate. There was a very tempting picture of the dish as well. This was highly recommended by the staff, and so we were definitely going to try that. There were no two ways about it. Now, you must hear this. What I got was a glass of chilled custard with cut bananas and apple with a dash of chocolate on top. Hey, what happened to the rich chocolate cake? (oh there it is, why didn’t you use your magnifying glass?) and where are the strawberries? (as they were not available, so we gave you apple and banana instead). Who does this in today’s time and age? It seemed like a dish for someone really ill, and I was nearly there when I saw it!
The Churro Sundae (₹325) was the next on my plate. It includes three scoops of ice cream with churro bits, and wait… yes, you guessed it right – apple and banana (what happened to the promised berries??) and nuts (who puts peanuts in a sundae??). I really couldn’t believe this was happening to me. It was very very disappointing and way off the standards expected from an international chain.
The Cappuccino (₹120) was good but it was served tepid. I had to ask them to reheat it, which took 15 minutes. The Earl Grey Tea (₹100) was nice, though credit goes to the teabag. The Cold Coffee with Ice Cream (₹200) was smooth, lip-smacking, and sinful.
What did I think of the place? The churros were fun, the ambiance was great, but for the prices they charge, they better pull up their socks and at least deliver what they claim. They also need to really work on their savories to lift them up a notch. Would I go there again? Yes, for the churros and chai, and to give them another chance!
The Pricing
A meal for two, comprising churros, savories, desserts, and beverages, can set you back by ₹2000.