Perched beside curved glass windows, we spoke with Nitin Lochab, general manager, operations, Aroon Food Services Pvt Ltd — the company which built the restaurant. “This is a discarded rail coach that we obtained as part of a government tender. The idea was to convert waste to wonder. The biggest challenge was to lift this coach from Patel Nagar and bring it here which involved lifting with three to four cranes. It took us five months to give it a new lease of life.

We removed the small fans, berths, and folding tables and adorned the interiors with intricate tile work on the walls, floor coverings and leather upholstery. The greenery around the restaurant along with ample parking space adds to its benefit.” Additionally, Sachin Rana, director, Aroon food services pvt Ltd said, “Visitors can enjoy a unique dining experience, reminiscent of train travel, and take memorable selfies outside. The restaurant will be open all seven days of the week, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.”

This restaurant is one of the four envisioned by the Delhi division of the Northern Railway to be converted into train-themed dine-ins to promote waste to wealth generation concept of the railways, announced last year. The first such restaurant opened at the New Delhi Railway Station early this year while spaces were designated for the other three at Anand Vihar, Old Delhi and Chanakyapuri.

Food on track

While the menu serves soups, starters, and main courses as well as beverages that one can find in the pantry of any rail journey, its highlight is dishes named after trains. To begin with, the Shaan-e-Punjab Tikka (`425) named after Shan-e-Punjab Express, which runs between Amritsar and New Delhi, served us the quintessential flavours of Punjab with its soft boneless chicken cooked in a tandoor that had been marinated with spices and mustard oil.