Noche, the latest venture by Priyank Sukhija, seeks to offer Delhiites a date with Latin food — a cuisine that’s not as explored as many others in the city.
The modern-day day food business is a challenging landscape to traverse, at the very least. Food ventures, riddled with competitions all across, often resort to a wide variety of tactics to find success. However, often, this success is largely short-lived. In such a market, if you had to bet on one person who may get to making a rather niche genre of food work for a large clientele, Priyank Sukhija, the 40-something ace restaurateur with 15 brands under his firm, First Fiddle, would be your person.
After having started more than two decades ago as a 19-year-old with Lazeez Affaire in Delhi, Sukhija today owns 15 brands under First Fiddle — the latest of which is Noche (to be pronounced as no-che, I’m told) in the swanky One Style Mile at Delhi’s Bhikaji Cama Place.
Whether Noche would be as everlasting as Sukhija’s Lord of the Drinks — perhaps the most instantly-familiar name of his enviable F&B portfolio — is a debate for the years to come. Until then, though, there’s no denying that the destination has plenty of intrigue to begin with.
It all begins with the decor
Make no mistake, Noche certainly looks its part. There are plenty of walls, interludes and corners that make for a pretty frame. Given the emphasis on the ambience that Sukhija’s very first venture had too, it’s unsurprising that his latest carries a near-signature touch of finesse to how it looks.
What’s likeable, even for the upmarket swagger that this part of Delhi demands from any venture serious about making it, is that Noche doesn’t trade aesthetics and finesse for bling. Instead, there’s plenty of marble, and a smart use of bright hues — even in the seating upholsteries — to make it look like a neat, niche and lively place.
They say that the very first step towards luring in a diner is to present a first impression that they’d remember, and to that purpose, Noche hits all the right notes. In fact, the ambience and the finesse behind how the food is presented remained a highlight all through our visit, even for those accompanying me.
To that end, a clear consensus was that not only is Noche designed beautifully enough to look splendid in daylight — but also bear a sumptuous vibe of Delhi’s iconic joints at sundown and at night.
The food offers plenty of potential
The trick with serving a cuisine as niche as Latin American is that you’d already be catering to a very specific market. What may work for Noche is that there aren’t too many names of instant recognition and ubiquitous fame that today serve Latin American fare in Delhi.
In a number of ways, Noche does its bit, too. For instance, the Tomato and Manchego Empanadas are an absolute highlight — with a sublime, flaky pastry, accompanied by a decadent filling borne inside the pastry that’s evidently crafted with much care. For any fans of the fun, lively Latin cuisine, the empanadas are certainly a must-try.
The Paella De Legume with seasonal fresh vegetables also bears a robust body, with plenty of flavours. However, it could certainly do with more volume of vegetables — something that could actually make the dish a worthy recommendation for vegetarians. The Black Beans Avocado Guac Nachos with Amritsari Choley are an essential at a venture like Noche, but in our tryst, felt a tad off-balance due to a slightly heavy-handed salt serving.
While varying taste buds may still prefer the two above-mentioned dishes the way they were upon our visit, a slight tweak towards better balance will definitely do justice to the potential that Noche brings to the proverbial (and actual) table. The presentation of the food already offers plenty of focus on creating an experiential dining experience, and hitting the perfect notes will only be the icing on the cake.
Up to the mark?
As you leave the restaurant, Noche definitely feels like a place that you wouldn’t mind returning to — once it fine-tweaks the balance in the certain-to-be most-wanted dishes. Needless to say, you’d do well to scour its menu even more if you’ve had an affinity towards Latin American cuisine. What’s undeniable, though, is that Noche, with its ambience, presentation and the mise-en-scene, clearly holds the potential of being an upmarket dining destination that can very well be on your latest Delhi shortlist.
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5 (Max: 5 stars)
Food: 7/10 | Drinks: 7.5/10 | Service: 8.5/10 | Decor: 9/10 | Vibe: 9/10
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