Delhiites have an on-going relationship with pasta. While there have been a few places serving the “real deal”, they are far and few. As Chef Sambhavi Joshi says, “serving pasta al dente, the way it’s meant to was unimaginable and would in all probability be sent back.” But over time, the city’s palate has grown more sophisticated, craving experiences that go beyond just good food. Enter CASA Pasta Bar, Delhi’s first-ever pasta and jazz bar. Tucked away in the yet-to-be-discovered corners of Hauz Khas, this newly opened gem promises to redefine how we enjoy our favourite comfort food, pairing it with the soulful sounds of live jazz.
Chef Sambhavi Joshi’s culinary journey began at Le Cordon Bleu, London. Once back home, she worked in some of the most prestigious kitchens in India, including The Table in Mumbai and the multiple-award winning Le Cirque in New Delhi. But her tryst with pasta was not planned. Often at loggerheads with teammates Chef Sambhavi ended up working in the only department that got a separate room – pasta. This is what unknowingly led her to discover her love for pasta making.
The first thing you feel when you walk into Casa is warmth. That cozy, relaxed, I-could-drink-a-glass-of-wine-and-unwind kind of feeling. Tealights on the tables, soft jazz in the background and the hand-on chef moving gracefully between the open kitchen and the tables. The decor is minimal with focus on a single hero wall filled with pasta-inspired décor – from old wooden pasta-shaping tools to black and white portraits of people set against the light sand-coloured wall.
Before CASA, there was Casarecche. “In India we have a bread supplier, a vegetable supplier, a microgreen supplier, and an ice supplier. We literally have a supplier for everything but nobody in India does pasta supply. And I love making pasta. So that’s how I started Casarecche,” she explains while talking about the direct-to-consumer artisanal pasta brand. They make 80 types of pastas and have over 150 clients. What started as a hobby eventually turned into a business and she started feeling like it was time for the next step.
The plan was always to open a restaurant but not anytime soon. But that changed during her honeymoon. It was a simple conversation that led Chef Sambhavi and her lawyer husband Nisshant Laroia to chalk out the blueprint of CASA Pasta Bar.
In a world of multi-cuisine restaurants eager to please everyone, the menu at CASA Pasta Bar focuses on one thing! There is an impressive line-up of shapes and sauces on offer. A beautiful rattan box of all the different pasta shapes and their names is placed on the table along with the menu.
No matter what you choose to order, you will get the perfect bite and chew that will transport you to Italy. Kudos to Chef Sambhavi for not over complicating things and letting the key ingredient shine. Our favourites were the Casatini Rose which is a fat chewy noodle served with a velvety Nduja sausage sauce, and the Gigli Truffle made with cremini and porcini mushrooms and packed with the flavour of fresh winter truffles.
Even though we said it was all about the pasta, the antipasto of wild mushroom arancini and the basil stuffed burrata were the perfect opening acts. They even make tiny, single-serve Neapolitan style pizzas called Pizzettes perfect for when you don’t feel like sharing. The fermented hot honey and pepperoni was a deadly combo and we will definitely be going back for more.
If you’re a big foodgrammer, make sure to order the Casamisu, and keep your phone ready as the chef arrives at your table with a giant dish of tiramisu and scoops out a piece for you.
If I had to describe it, each bowl of pasta was not only beautifully plated and presented, but it was full of heart. And after all, isn’t that what food is all about? Food is family, food is home and that is what Casa was all about.
While their menu has some delicious freshly brewed iced tea and interesting flavours of kombucha, their wine list is yet to be inaugurated. Their plans of live jazz music along with a wine and beer menu are in the cards for the very near future.
The miniature glass jars of chilli flakes and oregano that come with a teeny tiny spoon. Chef Sambhavi and Nisshant had the most fun sourcing these adorable little additions to the table! Unlike many purists they believe “if you want chilli, go for it. We are nobody to tell you how you should eat.”
Address: First Floor, G-9, Hauz Khas Market, Kharera, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, Delhi 110016
Call: +91 96541 32477
