Prankster

"What's in a name?", so said Shakespeare but visit 'Prankster' and you'll realise Shakespeare being proven wrong every step of the way !!

With it's impressive design elements, funky light installations, stellar food, chartbuster numbers and trip back in time, it's sure to steal your heart.

Climb up a flight of stairs but wait, the entry is not from the main doors. Walk down the narrow corridor and there through the back door you’ll be taken 'back to school again' when you were young, wild and carefree...yes the proverbial "good 'ol days" !!

To your left, be greeted by the most welcoming 'Library' ever, adorning a chandelier created out of open books, table lamps created with books piled on top of each other, wall lined with shelves filled with bestsellers and ohh yesss...in this library, you can make as much noise as you wish.

To your right is a never before seen concept of making one’s own cocktails at the 'Mixology Laboratory'. Who can imagine a wash basin right next to a high stool to be used if so desired, a wall full of beakers and bunsen burners of all shapes and sizes, a blackboard full of chemistry formulae at an eatery, but Prankster has it all !!

Next to the library is an Eclectic Bar with the lockers serving as shelves to stock the choicest of alcohol. Bang opposite to the bar is their full of life 'Canteen', having a rustic tree trunk hanging from the ceiling to serve as a long table and across this canteen is a 'Not-so-Quiet Classroom' where we were seated. There were big metallic breweries on one side and kitchen windows on the other.

The last section of the restaurant is an innovative 'Amphitheatre' with three rows at different height each having sliding tables where one can chill with friends over a drink and some yummy comfort snacks. (How I wished to climb up to the last row to grab a seat.)

There are two open balconies as well and inspite of having no AC, both were fully packed. The first balcony is the 'Parking Area' with an actual Mahindra jeep converted into a sit out, a line up of good old Lambretta scooters converted into comfortable seats with backrests and a pull down table if so required between two scooters and an actual, fully functional food truck cooking Chinese food.
The second balcony, behind the mixology lab, has a 'Hostel Room' with bunk beds where those of us who were in hostel can relive some of our best memories.

We were told, there's a panvadi (pan and cigarette seller) under an artificial tree and the far corner has a dimly lit “Lovers Point” as well.

Be prepared to give your diet a big time toss if you are planning to visit this place !!
Firstly, cause it'll be hard to choose what to order and what to skip and secondly, just impossible not to lick the plate clean every time their spectacularly unique dishes arrive at table.
Imagine the best of street food, the everyday routine food, the food from your college canteen, your soul food, being given an inexplicable, un-imaginable twist yet retaining the 'maa ke haath ke swaad' jaisa swaad lingering on your taste buds even long after you've finished the dish...that's Chef Harangad Singh’s creative skills, put in nutshell.

For the main course, again on chef's recommendation we ordered Dal Makhani with Sour Cream mousse, Ghutwa Palak with Cumin Vadi, Hanged and Pulled Real Butter Chicken with Makhan Mousse, Juhu Chowpaty Tawa Pulao, Vegetable Raita, Salad and an assortment of breads.

The dal was cooked overnight, had smokey flavour, velvety texture and the sour cream touch just added to the taste. Quite impressive. We all loved it !!

The Ghutwa Palak With Cumin Vaddi was coarsely grounded yet very smooth. Made the typical punjabi way it had a homely touch that couldn't be missed. Square pipes of fresh cumin vadi were spiking up from the mound of ghutwa palak ! A visual delight !! The tongue twister was hidden in the crumble of Vaddi that was not immediately obvious to the eyes.

The Juhu Chowpaty Tawa Pulao, was mildly spiced and delicately flavoured. Loaded with chopped veggies, it was so light and tasted so good that I'd recommend it to all the non-rice eaters to at-least try once.

The non-veggies just loved their "Real Butter Chicken"

Despite having no room for desserts, we couldn't stop ourselves from ordering one and left it on chef's special choice but sorry to say...dessert was a big let down !! They are planning to put it on their menu and I'd say...please don't !! Visually it was quite a sight though !!

All in all, I'd say, there are so many reasons to go back to Prankster. Quirky ambience coupled with innovative yet amazingly delicious food, plastic pricing and a feel that'll appeal to all age groups...one must go there if only to relive the good old days of pranks and fun of campus life !!

Our evening began with a round of beer tasting...premium, apple, wheat, mango, roasted !! Not a single beer person among us and we ended up ordering a full pitcher of Mango beer. After trying their in-house Mango Beer, we turned back to our usual bottle of wine, chivas, classic LIIT, a tamarind flavoured cocktail served in a copper glass and a kokum-coconut flavoured cocktail. Drinks were average. However, I loved their sangria popsicle.

Chef calls his cuisine as ‘Progressive Nostalgic,’ allowing him to fuse several ordinary day-to-day dishes with modern techniques and twist. In his creative kitchen lab he has incubated some sensational out-of-the-box food options you would never hear anywhere.

The speciality appetisers we ordered, on chef's recommendation were :

Dahi Bhalla Ice-Cream: The tangy chaat which actually was a dahi bhalla ice cream nitro frozen (bhalla mixed with curd and then made into a sweet ice cream), was served on a bed of baked crisp roomali roti strips, pomegranate & puffed rice and garnished with dehydrated imli chutney and a -20 degree nitro papdi !! Yes you heard that right ! You have to taste it to believe it !! The best part about the dish was, the crunchy elements didn’t get soggy till the end and the curd remained chilled till the last bite.

Choley kulche doughnut with Gajar Achaar mousse and tari dip: An inside out version of Choley kulche as a Doughnut. Puffed, gooey and stuffed with Indi-spiced Choley to go along with unusual carrot pickle mouse and tari dip, this was an eye-poppingly offbeat and superbly delicious delicacy. Served in Ma-ke-hath platter, simply a Wowwwww dish. Disappears in no time!! Surprise...surprise.. they were fried, yet we didn't feel a milli-drop of oil either on our fingers or on our tongue.

Pao Bhaji Zinker Burger: It was served inside a hollow Rubik’s cube, on top of which was sprinkled spicy maharashtrian garlic and peanut chutney and a small chilli. As we lifted the cube, a vada pao look alike burger was revealed albeit the crisp tikki was made of bhaji and was on spicier side. The taste made us reminisce about the good 'ol chowpatty days, when beach was clean and picnicking at Juhu-chowpatty was a Sunday routine.

Veg & Non-veg Fattirs: For the uninitiated ones, fattir is basically a flaky pizza from Morocco. The chicken tikka fattir had flakes in layers like patty & tasted nice with the cheese & topping of juicy & luscious chicken and the veg fattir had just the right amount of cheese and veg toppings!! Unlike the regular doughy pizzas, this flaky puff pastry pizza was crunchy, munchy and crackled in the mouth as one proceeded towards edges.

Next was Bhatti Ka Murgh which was nicely marinated & roasted perfectly with flavours & seasonings. Served on a charcoal beneath to heat the murgh, it was pretty juicy & loved by all the non-veggies in the group!

Bolacha Seekh Kebab: In a row were arranged four dynamites on a wooden deck connected to +, - ends of battery and were served with mint sauce. As one pulled the end of dynamite, mouth melting seekh rolled with puff pastry and micro greens just exploded in the mouth, bursting into the most flavourful seekh ever!!

I missed the amuse bouche and a palette cleanser before and after the appetisers though.

The gastro-delight of the starters left us asking for more and literally lured us towards the main course, even though our tummy was screaming — “I’m Full!!” Let me warn you...the mystery and mischief didn't end at starters. There was more in store...

For the main course, again on chef's recommendation we ordered Dal Makhani with Sour Cream mousse, Ghutwa Palak with Cumin Vadi, Hanged and Pulled Real Butter Chicken with Makhan Mousse, Juhu Chowpatty Tawa Pulao, Vegetable Raita, Salad and an assortment of breads.

The Dal was cooked overnight, had smokey flavour, velvety texture and the sour cream touch just added to the taste. Quite impressive. We all loved it!!

The Ghutwa Palak With Cumin Vaddi was coarsely grounded yet very smooth. Made the typical punjabi way it had a homely touch that couldn't be missed. Square pipes of fresh cumin vadi were spiking up from the mound of ghutwa palak! A visual delight!! The tongue twister was hidden in the crumble of vaddi that was not immediately obvious to the eyes.

The Juhu Chowpatty Tawa Pulao, was mildly spiced and delicately flavoured. Loaded with chopped veggies, it was so light and tasted so good that I'd recommend it to all the non-rice eaters to at-least try once.

The non-veggies just loved their "Real Butter Chicken"!

Despite having no room for desserts, we couldn't stop ourselves from ordering one and left it on chef's special choice but sorry to say...dessert was a big let down!! They are planning to put it on their menu but I'd recommend...please don't!! Visually it was quite a sight though!!

All in all, I'd say, there are so many reasons to go back to Prankster. Quirky ambience coupled with innovative yet amazingly delicious food, plastic pricing and a feel that'll appeal to all age groups — one must go there if only to relive the good old days of pranks and fun of campus life!!

Prankster, Sector 29, Gurgaon
Visited on: July 9, 2018