From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, May 22: Delhiites looking for authentic cuisine amid local vibes from the Northeast have finally got a choice with the Meghalaya-themed café and community space O’Shillong being launched here on Friday with streams of people from the region already making a beeline for it.
The café’s home-inspired Dukan Ja (diner) floor comes with a feeling of classic coziness, no matter what the season. The café’s ground floor is marked by a hill-station styled Tyndur (bakery) that nods to all baked goods representing traditions around tea-time back in Meghalaya.
The four-storied café in a posh locality in Safdarjung has a high concentration of people from the region. The café also comes with a well-thought-out O’Shillong Studio and Co-Work that will provide a conducive atmosphere to creative professionals and artists from the region. Cha Dukan (cafe) at the terrace offers a close-up view of the Safdarjung neighbourhood stories.
The opening was headlined by Shillong’s rockstar Lil Mama Tips (Tipriti Kharbangar). Garo band Skubo Project played a great supporting act in the celebrations, giving the guests a diverse Meghalayan flavour of music.
The Shillong star also launched the café’s studio with an interesting chat on The Riniki Podcast. Rinki, a poetess, emphasised the importance of using her voice to advance environmental causes, with a special mention about her forest campaign in her Malki neighbourhood. She declared her happiness at the launch of O’Shillong.
“So happy to be part of the culture and community of O’Shillong, where the taste, traditions and tales of Shillong, our beautiful abode, find a home in the big city!” she said.
“We are a community where our people can engage, contribute and represent Meghalaya with pride and professionalism,” another partner of the café said.
The rest of the evening was filled with conversations and food that was carefully curated to focus on root dishes, which are also on the regular menu of the café. Among the many dishes served and savoured were pork cooked in black sesame, Ja stem (yellow rice), Pork Kappa, chicken curry, Pukhlein, Tungrymbai and Tungtap.
All foods are indigenous and organic ingredients, traditions and diversity of Meghalaya’s food world. O’Shillong aims to bring all of Meghalaya’s magic to Delhi’s attention in the heart of Safdarjung – the city’s hippest, young hangout, Rinki said.
