Kingdom of Dreams Review

Well, we’ve all been seeing the giant full page ads for the Kingdom of Dreams in leading newspapers. Last week my friend convinced me to visit the place, and after returning home I began writing this Kingdom of Dreams review. Well, here is what I thought about it:

We went to the Kingdom of Dreams on a Tuesday afternoon, when ticket prices were less than what they are on weekends or in the evenings. Tickets to Culture Gully (sort of like a smaller Dilli Haat) were priced at Rs.500 (Rs.100 entry charges and Rs.400 spending amount). We were given a small charge card which could be swiped at food and shopping stalls. Small kids can enter for free.

All in all, I’d say the place is overly hyped, and is basically running on a strong marketing strategy, as of now. With the kind of pricing they have, I don’t think the Kingdom of Dreams will have many return customers. I ended up feeling a bit cheated as I left, and my friends also considered it a once in a lifetime experience.

Review of Kingdom of Dreams

Size: This was the biggest disappointment. After seeing the ads, we were expecting to go through a huge air-conditioned complex, dotted with cultural stalls, and at least five buildings. Instead, the Culture Gully was smaller than a single Pragati Maidan state pavilion, and had very few stalls. Rather than a ‘Kingdom’, it should be called a small ‘Food Court’.

Décor: The décor was good, a few points better than the décor of the state pavilions at the Trade Fair held in Pragati Maidan each year. It made for good photographs. Anyone seeing photos of the grand decor, like I did on Facebook, would certainly be fooled into going there.

Food: I’d say the food was OK. It was tasty, but the portions were small, and did not offer value for money. I ordered a Keema Pao from the Maharashtra stall, a Mutton Biryani from the Hyderabad stall, and a Matka Kulfi from the Delhi stall. The matka kulfi left me with a ripped off feeling. There was a photo of a big double stick kulfi on the signboard, while I was served only a tablespoon of kulfi in a tiny matka, this too at a cost of Rs.105.

Shopping: There were beautifully decorated shops selling the same Janpath, Delhi Haat and FabMart stuff at hugely inflated prices. I bought a small bird toy showpiece costing Rs.120. Well, things are similarly priced at other Gurgaon malls, so why would Kingdom of Dreams be any different?

Entertainment: There were bhangra dancers, a kathakali dancer, north east tribal dancers and rajasthani dancers that performed at regular intervals. There was also a magician, a clown, a rajasthani puppet show and acrobat artists. They all performed well, and were a treat to see. However, some of them needed better quality costumes, especially the tumbling acrobats and the bhangra dancers, which the management should consider investing in. For example, the torn cushion used by the acrobats spoiled the posh look of the Kingdom of Dreams, and should be changed.

Pricing: This is the main reason why I think customers will not return. The entry charges at Kingdom of Dreams are high, and customers are forced to spend the entire Rs.400 (or Rs.600 on weekends) on the same day. We cannot use the remaining balance on another visit, like in a mall’s food court; hence no point in returning to spend the remaining money, if any.

Another thing, value added tax is added to the cost of the listed prices for food. This makes the money deducted from the card much more than expected, spoiling one’s calculations, and making one feel cheated. For example, matka kulfi was Rs.105 (Rs.90 listed + Rs.15 tax). Prices of all items were double its value, and even water was expensive. At least some items should have been reasonably priced, or discounted, to keep customer interest.

My final take: Kingdom of Dreams is a once in a lifetime visit, to maybe show off photos to your friends on Facebook. Being a marketing gimmick, there is not much to see or do once you enter. It is sort of a mix between a single Pragati Maidan state pavilion and a mini-Dilli Haat, with things costing double their value. You’ll get better snacks and drinks from Rs.10 onwards at a small restaurant in the nearby IFFCO Chowk Metro Station.

What do you think of my Kingdom of Dreams Review? Have you been to this place? What is your review of the place?

Moti Mahal Daryaganj - Restaurant Review

Last week, while I was searching for coins for my coin collection hobby in Daryaganj, I came across the legendary Moti Mahal Restaurant. This restaurant is located near Golcha Cinema on Netaji Subhash Chandra Marg in Daryaganj. It was established soon after India's Independence in 1947 and has been frequented by many political leaders of that time such as Jawaharlal Nehru.

The original owners of Moti Mahal Daryaganj are supposed to have introduced Peshawari tandoori cuisine to India, when they arrived during Partition with a group of tandoori cooks. This restaurant is also known to have invented 'Butter Chicken'. I have heard a lot about Moti Mahal Daryaganj from my father, so I thought I'd give it a try. Here is my review -

Moti Mahal Restaurant, Daryaganj

Food - 4/5 - The food was rich and lip smacking. Portions were medium sized and the cost was reasonable. We ordered for Chicken Nargesi, Punjabi Murg, 3 Nans and 3 Parathas and the bill came to about Rs.670.

Service - 3/5 - The waiters at Moti Mahal Daryaganj were dressed in peach pathani kurta pajamas and coffee waistcoats.Tables were set with salmon pink serviettes in the western style. The service was quick and the waiters were polite and non-intrusive.

Decor - 1/5 - Since we had arrived for an early lunch, the garden courtyard section was closed and we were seated in the inside AC section. This section has tables for more than 70 customers. The interior of the restaurant took us back to 1947. The pink painted walls and the glass lamps fitted with brash florescent bulbs gave the restaurant a dull look. I noticed pictures/symbols of all religions except Christianity on the sinking wall behind the reception area.

Ambiance - 3/5 - A stereo system was playing Hindi film songs such as 'Tujme Rab Dikhta He' from Shahrukh Khan starrer 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' softly. Customers were having quiet polite conversation and there was not much noise in the restaurant, which is great for having a good conversation.

Clientele - As I had visited the place for an early lunch on a Sunday, the restaurant was only just beginning to fill up. Most of the people seated were upper middle class folks in the age group of 50 years and older. The few young people at the restaurant were accompanying their parents.

I have visited other Moti Mahal Restaurants in Delhi and thought that these restaurants may be branches or franchisees of this restaurant. However, the menu offered by the waiter clearly mentioned that this restaurant had 'no branches'. If you are looking for amazing food at a reasonable price and are not bothered about what the restaurant looks like, then Moti Mahal Daryaganj is the place to dine.

Have you eaten out at Moti Mahal, Daryaganj? What was your experience like?

Samarkand Noida - Restaurant Review

I recently visited my brother who lives in Noida and he took me for lunch at Samarkand, a posh restaurant near his flat. This restaurant is located in Ganga Shopping Complex, at Sector 29 in Noida. Samarkand is fully air conditioned and is open from 11.00 am to 11.00 pm. The name of the restaurant sounded familiar, so I did a quick search on Google and learned that Samarkand is the name of a city in Uzbekistan. It is one of the oldest inhabitated cities of the world and is the same city from where Babar, the founder of the Mughal Empire in India hailed from. Well anyway, here is my review of this restaurant -

Samarkand, Noida - 6/10 - Samarkand is located on the first floor and has two separate seating areas, both of which are air conditioned. The first thing you notice about the restaurant is the glass windows carved with figures of royalty in romantic poses. The warmth of the rich red upholstery, polished wood interiors and mirrors all worked to emphasize a regal ambiance, which was somehow ruined by the appearance of modern table fans placed about at random. Samarkand specializes in Mughlai cuisine and also serves standard North Indian fare, Chinese food and Continental grub. The restaurant also has a bar and serves alcoholic drinks.


The clientèle at Samarkand is mostly senior male office executives who were grouped over tables discussing business over glasses of beer. Occasionally, one or two guys went out on to the balcony for a smoke. The place is quite clean and comfortable though a bit dark. The rates are quite moderate. An order of chilly paneer, aloo jeera, six rotis and 3 lime sodas came up to around Rs.670. The food is well cooked, fresh and not too oily or rich. The lime juice, though, is not mixed well. The first sip had a strong sourness that went right to my nose while the last slurp was just plain water.

The classical music being played is soft and soothing. When it comes to service, the waiters are not too intrusive and the food did not take long to be served. Portions are quite large and we packed up the remaining food to have for dinner at home. The food experience was good. However, I would not recommend eating out at Samarkhand with your family, as the loud men drinking at nearby tables may make them feel uncomfortable.

Have you eaten out at Samarkand Noida? What was your experience there?

Central Court Hotel Delhi - Nirulas Potpourri

Central Court Hotel, New Delhi - Nirulas Potpourri

Recently, I went for dinner with friends at the newly opened Nirulas Potpourri Restaurant in N-Block, Connaught Circus. It is situated on the 1st floor where the previous Safari, Kohinoor and Shangrila restaurant of Central Court Hotel once existed. The evening turned out to be a major trip down memory lane as I reminisced about the wonderful times I had spent there with my grandfather.

The Safari restaurant used to be decorated with large murals of horses and hunting trips while the other restaurants were dimly lit and mysterious. There were huge pillars and the staircase turned anti clockwise. We used to sit at a table at the stage in front and order ice cream or Campa Cola. My grandfather used to tell me stories of the good old days when Central Court Hotel was a residence for British officers.

Nirulas Potpourri is by contrast a newly renovated brightly lit modern restaurant. I noticed that some of the pictures at the other Nirulas Restaurant in Connaught Place have been transported here. The pillars and paintings of horses were gone. Arches separate the three old restaurants that have been merged together. The old winding staircase has been broken down and made to turn clockwise while the windows now offer a great view of Connaught Place. Lucky bamboo plants have been placed around in true Feng Shui style.

We ordered some Tandoori food - Rotis, Naans, Rogan Josh and some other dishes. The food was good but not as good as the food I had tasted in the old Central Court Hotel decades ago. The waiter at Nirulas Potpourri told me that after the old owner died, the place had been leased out to Nirulas. Nirulas has also changed hands. A Malaysian guy bought it from the original Indian owners. He is paying Rs. 850,000 per month as rent for the place.

“Life can either be accepted or changed. If it is not accepted, it must be changed. If it cannot be changed, then it must be accepted. "

Sometimes, I wish things never have to change. But they do and most of the time it is for the better. Have you ever visited places or eating joints that you frequented in the past ? How has the experience been?