Good Food, Great Drive! Food Hopping in Delhi ft. Skoda Kushaq | Times Drive Special Feature

Hi there, I'm Manav Sinha. Now I know usually when you see me standing next to a car, we're just talking about the car. But today, we're going to talk about one more thing that I truly love, which is food. And I'm in mood for a good drive and good food. So for the good drive, I've got the Skoda Kushaq with me. And for the good food, I've brought along a very dear friend of mine, Yatharth. Thank you for joining in. Hi Manav, absolute pleasure. It's great to step out in Delhi during Diwali and bring in the winter. Yes, and believe it or not, Yatharth's actually been Out, travelling across the last one year, across the length and breadth of the country, hosting founders on Profit and Pallet. And today, he's going to help me out, find some of the best food around Delhi. Yeah, let's bring that experience handy for our own good. Yeah, looking forward. So, let's get things started. Let's hop into the car and head out to our first destination. So, we're out on the road. And the first thing, in typical Delhi fashion that we have encountered, is a lot of traffic. But But not a problem. We are seated in the Skoda Kushaq. We're driving the 1.5 TSI engine, which is a great engine to have. But before we talk about the car, I want to talk about the food. Yeah, we are headed to location number one. Where are we going? Why are we going? And what are we going to eat? This is what I want to ask you. So, let's start with where are we going? So, we are going to do a Delhi special in CP. Because whether we do it in Delhi or not, it doesn't matter. That's unfair, yes. So, we want to kick off from CP and I'm going to pick a place called Yeti, the Himalayan kitchen. Okay. Have you tried that by the way? No, I haven't. But I love the Himalayas. Anyone who likes to drive cars or love roads has to go to the Himalayas. So I'm happy we're starting off with a place that I've Yeti, in my opinion, is one of those places which has been able to crack the right formulas, the right recipes, the more authentic ways of curating those recipes. So, I am really hoping that we have a great treat waiting for us out there. I am very excited. Yeah, so am I. That's the sweet spot which I have said. That Delhi may be key to hit the right... spot of authentic, palatable recipes, I think that's what we might have in store for us. So we've come to a stop but I don't want to stop the conversation. I want to understand your journey so far, so can you tell me something about it? Yeah. With Profit & Palette, see that's currently what I'm completely caught up with and it's something that I absolutely love doing because that show has added so much of purpose to a lot of stakeholders because you can do anything on food. So essentially that was the idea that if you're hosting founders, if you're hosting business It's going to make everything better. Sound sensible. So that was the idea. Of course, a lot of what you guys are doing with Otto, I'm very excited to see that as well. And how you guys are doing. I think the things that you guys are doing with your formats, that's really good to see. Thank you so much. You're very sweet. You see, for me, I think it's the same with you as well. These are passion driven beats. We are here for our passion. We are here because we love doing what we do. And it's a double-edged sword, right? Because if you're doing something that you really enjoy, then you have to get it right every single time. So even today when we were planning to go on a Delhi food tour, I had to get a car that I enjoy driving. Because I'm traveling so much, I don't always get to, I do. you know, just drive simply to go have food and have time to myself. So when I'm getting seat time, I wanted it to be Done properly and that is why I chose the Skoda Kushaq today. I must say I've also really felt at my comfort, it's not felt like we've really hit any bumps. Of course the interiors feel very very classy. I know Skoda is known for class. I mean while we're thinking that our car is waiting for a treat, but this red signal, this red patch, I think it's only making us more hungry. We cannot wait. We'll see you at our first stop. So Manav, both looks exactly what I told you. You see the texture of these momos. I mean, it's very hard for you to kind of get closer to the authentic Nepalese texture. I mean, a little on the taste, we'll get to the taste later. But the texture of the momos, it's a platter essentially. These are pork momos, these are mutton momos, slightly pan fried. These are chicken momos. I'll serve you a chicken one. Thank you. I have to say, Remember how I mentioned that I love being in the Himalayas, they have managed to get that vibe spot on. Whenever I come here, I start with my hands because I am about to do it. The vibe is very good. Let's try the momos too. If you are doing a Delhi food tour, then you have to talk about the momos. The same consistency, the moisture that you expect from steamed momos. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Wow, they're genuinely very nice, they have an explosion of flavors that's happening right now. That's not an overreaction, I know what it feels like. You can go with the moisture because these are like dripping hot, and you can literally see the moisture dripping out of these. Those of you who are watching from Delhi will know how the ITO jam is. It's bumper to bumper, it can be quite exhausting as well. Thankfully, we came here fresh. The car was very good, we had a comfortable drive. It's Diwali season, it's getting a little cold, but it's still hot, so we enjoyed the ventilated seats as well. Something that doesn't come in the platter taste is this item, which is my personal favourite on the menu and it's highly recommended. These are called Jhol Momos, if I could give you a closer look. When I say Jhol, hang on, when I say Jhol... Jhol means gravy and it's this thing. I promise you they taste just as great as they look from the outside. I really can't wait to have one of it, have a bite of it. I don't know guys, for everyone out there, I'm going to I'm going to find out just how they taste like. Wow! So after that scrumptious meal, very fulfilling, very tasty. Now, it's time to head on over to another place. Yeah, yeah. And I'll tell you something, Vana. What is Delhi? Yeah, at its core, it's the capital, but it's in North India. Yeah. And the best thing about Delhi is that there is an intersection of a lot of cuisines. Yeah. Typically, not. We indulged in Nepalese, Tibetan, and more Himalayan cuisine. But the other part of North Indian cuisine obviously is the very hardcore desi Punjabi cuisine. Yeah, some tikka shikka. Yeah, and I also assumed here that might be something that might be on your palette. Yeah, after... After what we've just experienced, I am fully trusting you with it. That is exactly the contrary we need on our thalis. We put a pinch of North India, a pinch of Punjab in it. I think that's where we'll head next. Just a surprise for you. Alright, let's get in the car, let's get to it. So, where are we off to next? We're off to Punjab Grill, Manav. I think that's a very hip... I've heard a lot about it. So, I assumed and I figured that since we're in CP and in Delhi, our energy, our enthusiasm shouldn't be wasted in the traffic. Correct. You know, let's preserve all the energy and the appetite to kind of dive into the food. And... Speaking of fantastic things, I want to talk about this car. See, I'm the auto guy, right? There are some instances where you just appreciate the finer things in life. Like, this touchscreen infotainment system that you get to see in the new Skoda cars like the Kushaq, fantastic. You saw what the touch response was like, right? Right, absolutely. Wireless integration. Yeah, it was seamless. Seamless. No cabin wires, which is something that I don't like. Wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto. People don't realize Apple, Android, CarPlay, wireless, these are very underrated features, you know. Till the time you don't use them, you don't realise how much of a useful feature they are. One of the things, even as auto creators, what is it that you would probably tell an end consumer out there looking to buy a car, which they might not see on the brochure or on the ad, but he or she should be wary of. See what's happened these days is that we Like we buy our fast food items, we want all the information at our disposal while we are scanning the internet and we tend to make a selection basis that because this is precisely what you don't understand when you're reading a brochure, like how is the cabin put together, the brochure will tell you if it has A feature, B feature or C feature but how has everything been put together, what is the build quality of the cabin that you're seated in. For that you have to sit in the car, you have to test things out, get a feel of it. And I think this is where Škoda genuinely does really good work, you know. When you say European engineering, this is precisely what is meant. One of the things that people actually love. In the car community, it's the way a Skoda door sounds when you close it, it's got that thunk sound, if a car is really well put together, it really is a very good quality of life improvement, to be very honest, because you spend a lot of time being seated inside the car, experiencing all of these things, you know, when you're in the car, so internet is good. Well, it's not everything is what I would say. And while we continue talking about the long list of features that the Skoda Kusha comes with, the destination was just inside. Now before we sat down and ordered our food, we found something very interesting hiding in a corner in Punjab Grill. So, as soon as we came here, we decided to take the stairs up to this beautiful place. What a hidden gem you've helped us find today. No, I'll tell you honestly, one of the reasons I keep coming back to this place is because it always aspires to preserve the legacy of Delhi. So you would see by the look and feel of this particular space. The atmosphere is very good, this is the setup of Delhi Photo Company. This was the first photo studio in Janpath, established in 1937, even before the independence of India. And after independence, Delhi Photo Company was the place where the presidents and the ministers went to get their photo clicked. And this is preserving it. This is preserving it. It's a very, very, very beautiful place. They even have these wonderful setups over here, old cameras. So if you like going back in time, then obviously you'll love CP, which is where we're spending our day today. But that's all that we're going to do. But I'm saying this corner of CP, Punjab Grill is preserving it so well. So happy to see it. I really love their dresses. I love anything that has Janpath written on it. Yeah. So anything that is Janpath, we are in for it. So while we were busy looking at all the things the studio had to offer, but we had come to eat after all. So we got to it. So, as you can see, the food has come. We couldn't wait. We ordered some good stuff for ourselves. We know that the entire spread is here, is when we felt we should come in. Yeah, and there is one more thing coming, but we are starting things off. This, by the way, is kesar pista lassi. Could be a little too sweet for somebody's taste, but I think the whole point of items like these is you need to indulge. And really not count calories. Also, something like... A palak patta chaat, and don't be smitten or be carried away by the presentation of it. The taste will feel as authentic as a palak patta chaat would offer. Yeah. So let's start with this. Let's start with that. Let's dig in. So this is the first thing we're going to try today. And it's presented like a sushi, like a one-bite kind of a palak patta treatment. So it's supposed to... Yeah, we can have... In one go? Yeah. Okay. Mmm. The crunch, I think probably the mic would have also picked it up. The crunch, it was a loud crunch. That's the first chaat we ordered, what's the second one? This is the Tokri chaat. And again, one of the house specials. I think they've found the right nuance and the right mix. That you have to maintain the authenticity of the street food. And how to find and present it. That is exactly the combination that you see over here. Where it looks palatable and easy to manage. Looks fancy and of course, let's be the judge. Okay. Unique, it feels so fresh but now that you've had one you realize how heavy they are. This is actually yeah and both of them. It's very fulfilling yeah and I would say I don't know if it's a nuanced observation, but it's exactly the size of a mouthful. It's awful. It just really engulfs you completely with the explosion of taste that happens. Of course, we've got a variety of kebabs over here. It's a kebab platter. This is Murgh Chicken Tikka Kebab. This is Chicken Tikka. And I think this is achari. Lovely. And also I want to take a moment and talk about the lassi achari. Now that said that it's a little too sweet. I agree. Could be but if I had to sum it up it's that kind of lassi that you have when you fall asleep. Good to see you. So have it at your own risk because you will be very full. We've still got a drive to make by the way so save the sleep for the evening. I'm going to save that. Yeah and on the two staple gravy items that are supposed to be there on the on a North Indian restaurant table this is the dal makhani which is They call it the Punjab Grill Special Dal Makhani and that's the Paneer, which is also apparently called the Punjab Grill Special Paneer. So Punjab Grill Paneer bhi hai, Punjab Grill Dal bhi hai. Branding har jaga hai. Branding har jaga hai. So let's dig in. Let's dig in. I'm going to try the Paneer first. There's nothing like a well-made Paneer. Absolutely. The same goes with Dal Makhani. You judge a North Indian restaurant on how simple it is. And exotic their dal makhanis and butter chickens are, you know, that's one easy way to judge. Highlight on the table has to be this. Yeah, this is the secret element that we have right here. It comes like this. This is what we're talking about. This is a completely heavily stuffed kulcha, amritsari kulcha, but here's the surprise. Guess what the filling is. The filling over here is absolutely indulgent. Butter chicken. Yeah. I like the sound of that. I'm very proud of that. But you can't be having the kulcha without this wide butter spread. Yeah, yeah. There's the tomato chutney, very staple, very homemade. I feel very homemade. And of course, you've got the small portion of dal makhani to go with it as well. Manav, why don't you do the honors and let me know how you like it. I'll be very honest. I'll be very honest. I'm trying to figure out how to go about this. Do I take all of it and then, because I think it's gonna... Have butter chicken oozing out of it. Let's see. Let's find out. Oh, wow. Oh, look at that. I think both of them are. I mean, from the looks of it, it looks so, so fulfilling. So absolutely delicious. It's like it's like a bite of pizza in itself. Like a slice of pizza. You read my mind. That is exactly what I was thinking. It looks like perfectly stuffed. Okay. Yeah, it's really hot. Yeah, let's absolutely just try it. So Yadav, thank you for that wonderful meal. I am really happy. I am on cloud 9 right now. That lassi has and that butter chicken ambar sari kulcha has done its job. And what a wholesome meal we've had today. As you can see, while roaming around in CP. It's evening and you are... Nothing like it, guys. I mean, Manu, honestly, I mean, you know, you could be anywhere in the world, but nothing beats the charm of Delhi, CP, Diwali season, you know, winter coming in. And the Diwali lights, I mean, the market all lit up. Let me give you a little feel. It's a little cold in the air. Not that much. I mean, you can't tell me I'm not so tired, but I'm more than making up for it. Yeah. So there's a nippiness in the air and the sun has set. You can see the Diwali lights are lit up. And it's a wonderful ambience right now. It's just a wonderful time to be in Delhi, regardless of anything at all. So to bring this to a close, right? I mean, yes, there should be one more step. How should we end this day today? Yaar Manav, tumhari Skoda Kushaq me bahut jagah hogi, meri pet me bahut jagah nahi hai. Honestly bata raha hoon, but still, since we have to have the showstopper, I think I know just the spot and just the item. What is that party? What is that? Yeah, ideally we would have started the day with coffee, but since we couldn't, let's end the evening with a good cup of chai. What do you think? Kadak chai in Delhi ki sardi. Absolutely. Let's not waste any time. Let's get to it. Come on. This is our Durandar, Hamza and Alomar moment. Yeah, we should. It is. Nothing like a good chai to end the day, yaar. So, your thoughts having a special masala chai? I'm having good and soft. What am I? This is, I think this is the soft. Yeah. Now with this lovely chai in our hands and the weather outside to accompany us, we decided to mix the two and take it out for some final thoughts. I think if we are drinking tea, then outside Delhi, right here, next to Hello Delhi. Right. We started with Hello Delhi and now we should do a rap on Hello Delhi. So it's been a fantastic day. The tea is getting over, the day is ending, our story is ending. How was your day today? I'm a little hungry, but still. Still hungry? And lassi had me. Yeah, it was quite a day, quite a day. I mean it was absolutely... What was your highlight? I think we peaked really early with Yeti, loved the momos and the entire Indian cuisine. Punjab Grill again, I mean predictable but awesome and to end the day with a hot chai in Delhi, nothing like it. Fantastic. So you started the video by saying you're going to be able to do something different from Profit and Palate, do you think so you've done that? Oh yes, absolutely. I mean it's just refreshing at times to you know Get closer to items and things that you love so much. Food, of course, has been an integral part of what we do on Profit and Palate, hosting founders. But today, I think food was our hero and to get closer to food over a good drive in Skoda was, thank you. Yeah, no, no, thank you for joining in. You see, we always talk about the pleasure of driving and you guys can see on Times Drive, multiple times we've mentioned that the Skoda Kushaq is the benchmark of driving experience in its segment. But it's all about where you drive to as well. So thank you for giving us a destination to drive to. It's been genuinely fantastic. It's a pleasure. Hopefully we get to do this again. Absolutely, looking forward. I think Delhi's held up quite well. The more cooler it gets, I think we'll have more spots to explore. Yeah. So if there's anything you would like us to cover, let us know in the comments. As for now, this is us signing off with our chais in our hands. Thank you so much for watching. Thank you, guys. Cheers. Looking back at the fantastic day exploring some of Delhi's best food, well, we have to talk about the car that made the journey even more enjoyable, which was the Skoda Kushaq. A punchy 1.5-litre TSI engine and 7-speed DSG made driving around a pleasure, while features like the rear massage seat function added that extra bit of comfort if we need so. And with four wheel disc brakes, confidence was not a problem either. The striking illuminated front grille and the connected LED tail lights with the illuminated Skoda lettering, well, that also made us look good on the job. And I think that's what makes it such a well-rounded SUV. You can take it anywhere, it instills a lot of confidence, and in every situation, it never leaves you wanting for more. A good food journey needs a good car. And that is precisely what we had with the Škoda Kushaq. It is truly easy to love.