Rahul's Post

The Nukkad Files: Gaming, Nostalgia, and the Art of the Neighbourhood Hangout There's something deliciously ironic about walking into the newest Nukkad Cafe in Greater Kailash II's M Block Market and being greeted by the familiar bleeps and bloops of a Mario video game. Here I am, a man who has spent decades chronicling the evolution of Delhi's dining scene, suddenly transported back to the days when the height of entertainment technology was a chunky Nintendo console and the greatest cocktail was whatever your uncle mixed from his bar cart. But perhaps that's exactly the point. Nukkad Cafe & Bar has just opened its fourth outlet, and if their previous three locations have taught us anything, it's that nostalgia, when done right, can be a remarkably potent ingredient. The new GK II space doesn't merely serve food and drinks; it serves memories, carefully plated and garnished with just the right amount of kitsch. The interiors are an unabashed love letter to the 1990s gaming culture. Murals depicting classic video game characters line the walls, and yes, there's actually a working Mario game installed right at the bar. It's the sort of detail that could easily veer into gimmicky territory, but somehow manages to feel genuine instead. Perhaps it's because the 90s weren't that long ago for most of us, and the cultural references feel lived-in rather than researched. The Liquid Chronicles Let's talk about what's in the glass, shall we? The Matka L.I.I.T. is Nukkad's signature offering, and it's exactly what you'd expect from a place that takes its nostalgia seriously. The drink arrives in an earthen matka, because of course it does, but the execution is sound. The Long Island Iced Tea inside is properly balanced, with none of that cloying sweetness that often plagues the cocktail at lesser establishments. The Banta cocktails are where things get interesting. Banta, for the uninitiated, is that fizzy, slightly salty drink that was the Coca-Cola of pre-liberalization India. Turning it into a cocktail base is either genius or madness, and I'm pleased to report it leans heavily toward the former.

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This post was published on 29th August, 2025 by Rahul on his Instagram handle "@rahulprabhakar (Rahul Prabhakar)". Rahul has total 65.1K followers on Instagram and has a total of 2.3K post. Rahul receives an average engagement rate of % per post on Instagram. This post has received 47 comments which are greater than the average comments that Rahul gets. Overall the engagement rate for this post was than the average for the profile.