Spicy peanut butter noodles exist. That could be reason enough to rouse your interest, but there are other things that make little.BIG an important place on Gurgaon’s gourmet radar. When I walked in with a friend, I ran into a former acquaintance who was visiting with her two children–so there was a 40-something, a 30-something, one in their 20s, a teenager and one kid under 10. By the end of it, we all walked out with happy tummies, quality talk and toyhouse play–each got what they wanted. That’s the essence of little.BIG–a child-proof, child-friendly place where grown ups can have fun instead of having to choose between their peace of mind and a good dining experience. In this case, co-founders Aftab Sidhu, Aditi Datta and Raj Sanyal made good of that big gap.
The restaurant is divided into two sections. There's a big glass-walled play area replete with walk-in mazes, puzzles and toys where the little ones can keep happily busy as their families feast and watch over from the dining area right across the corridor, but that isn’t what defines the identity of LB. It’s the little things that make it big–everything from the colourful (and yet not childish) furniture and interior themes, the low washbasin, the padded undersides of the tables and absence of sharp edges, the fun unbreakable tableware, the playlist and art that encourages creativity among the young – the thoughtful, spacious design with natural elements and ample green is a winner.
The menu, carefully created and curated to suit different age groups, stands on par. The fresh produce, artisanal ingredients and fun presentation feel good especially for children. little.BIG has sweet and savoury bowls for the youngest guests under the age of 2. So no messy cereal needs to be carried by parents as they can create their own DIY bowls with chosen ingredients of grain, fruit, vegetable and spices, as well as texture – from pureed to semi-mashed, you can choose what works best for how old the child is. The older kids get to start their gourmet experience with a menu that includes Arancini, presented in a fun cross and knots game, or a mushroom & corn toast that comes in the shape of a smiling teddy bear.
We tried, among other things, the special Lucknowi spread laid out for the day with everything from the famous galouti kebabs in traditional clayware (melt-in-the-mouth), a mushroom cappuccino (better than your coffee), zucchini noodles (sparkling fresh), ssamjang pork belly with Asian slaw (the sesame beans a delight) and back to an effervescent phirni to put the spice at rest.
On the other side of the glass, the kids brimmed in equal contentment with clay in their hands and healthy food in their tummies.
Text Soumya Mukerji