A foodie's Guide on Novelty Tea House!

This is the first and oldest Novelty Tea House outlet having a rich history associated with it. They began operations in this small by lane of Sowcarpet way back in 1958 and have well and truly served delightful food over the years for more than a golden jubilee.

I was here in Sowcarpet for some dry fruit shopping and then for lunch decided to check in this place. Instantly I ordered the Pav Bhaji which was jaw droppingly riveting. This is an evergreen item on their attic and provide a whole layer of bhaji to go with your bhaji. It was a lovely masala mix submerged by a dollop of butter and it was such a joy consuming the softish bread buns with this juicy gravy.

Other than this, I ordered one of their recommended items Pure Ghee Aloo Tikki. This was done up really well with the tikkis being very crispy and smudged over with oodles of curd. The presence of curd didn't hinder the crispiness and it proved to be very tasty.

Ended the meal by ordering a cheese molagapodi onion dosa. This was again jaw dropping. The mix of the cheese and red powder with onions for that extra zest worked wonderfully well. To be frank the chutney and sambhar were just an add on and you could very well have the dosa standalone.

The prices are pretty reasonable and the service is quick. It may not be the most cleanest place around but if you're willing to get down and dirty with great food, Novelty should certainly tickle the taste tongues. Not often do I get a chance to come by this neck of the woods and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the fare on offer.

Old Review of Closed Mylapore Outlet - July 2014
Before even entering the restaurant , you are greeted with a Graffiti board in front of their gourmet store stating "Serving with Love since 1958". The brand Novelty Tea House i believe has been in existence for a good 50 + years catering to the needs of the localites in Mint Street , Sowcarpet and Purasalwalkam and the one opened in RK Salai , Mylapore is a new branch of theirs to perhaps target a bigger presence in the upmarket of Chennai.

For those not aware of their history from the name of the restaurant , you might be tricked into thinking that this place is a beverage place serving some mediterranean snacks or something along those lines. But in reality it is an authentic Indian Veg restaurant whipping up some delightful Indian food which will leave your tongues craving big time.

The restaurant is located in the same place which used to house Kabul before and the ambience is pretty decent albeit not great. Somehow you instantly get a Northie feel and flavour by looking at the waiters , crowd which predominantly seem to be comprising of Jains , Marwadi's etc and the brownish Dhabba kind of setting adorning the restaurant.

The menu was an intriguing mixture containing a wide variety of items to choose from North Indian , South Indian and Chaat. We started off our journey by ordering Papad Churri and one of their signature starters Palak Cheese Rolls. The former comprised of small broken pieces of Papad tossed up with the rightful masala ingredients to give a nice crispy feel to the mouth. It set the ball rolling and our tongues wagging. The latter was a bunch of small brownish breaded rolls stuffed inside with a creamy paste mixed of spinach and cheese and it was jaw dropping. It was something new that i had tasted and only wished they had served a special kind of cheese sauce to make the lusciousness a bit more invigorating.

We also tasted their Bhel puri which was large in quantity spruced up with all the requisite toppings to appetize the taste buds and the Cheese Masala Pav Bhaji was totally a winner where the Pav was laced with a tinge of masala coating and the Bhaji was decorated with a layer of cheese floating over signalling the enticement :). Also tried their Dosas which were thumbs up - the Cheese Molagapodi Dosa was simply put absolutely brilliant and the way the Masala , Podi and melted cheese were diced upon made it totally alluring and their Novelty special Dosa which was embellished with Green chutney and Masala Aloo on the one side and spicy red podi , onions etc on the other was a thumbs up. The Dosa's standalone were exceptional no doubt but they could do with some amelioration on the Chutney and Sambar which i found to be pretty watery and bland. Polished off dinner with Badam Kesar milk shake which was the perfect fillip to end to the meal. Loved the yellowish drink and the assortment of dry fruits inside the drink made it rivetting.

The rates seem to bit on the higher side but you feel justified since most of what you are served seem to fit the bill atleast on the mouth :). The decor is decent but it isn't a place where you can enjoy a quite meal as its very noisy. The serving of the food was pretty quick but we had to call and there seemed to be confusions as to who was taking the order. The minor quibbles apart , there are a lot of positives which far outweighs the negatives. Wish to dine here more often to taste some of their North Indian stuff and also the Lunchathon concept buffet where you get to choose what you want from about 50 items on the card. All in all , another fine Veg Restaurant to satisfy the always craving Chennaiites appetite.

Match Making - North Indian style (Ashta Koot Milan)

With regard to matching horoscopes for marriage purposes, moon plays the most pivotal role. There are many different types of matching methods which go under the scanner and the surprising part is that in traditional format of matching, it's the planet Moon and its Rasi which is given supreme importance. All you need to know are basically the Nakshatra (Star constellation) and it's Rasi (zodiac sign). There are 27 Nakshatra's beginning from Ashwini (1) and ending with Revathi (27) and there are 12 Rasi's starting from Aries (Mesha) and finishing with Pisces (Meena).

Mentioned below are the prominent test criteria's for match making. Most astrologers just do this star/rasi match and for that you don't really need to go and examine horoscopes with an astrologer as you can do the same yourself. However for advanced matching, definitely a recommended professional should be considered.

One more interesting thing to note is the basis of difference in the methodology of matching between North India and South India. In the North Indian scheme of things, 8 determinants (kootas) are taken into account and each of them are assigned weights ranging from 1 to 8. This will result in a total of 36 and if the overall score exceeds 18 or 50%, it can be safely assumed to be a decent match. In down South of India, usually no specific points are factored and they are generally matched on a scale of 10 basis points with some criteria's given far more importance than the others.

This particular post will highlight on the North Indian Ashta Koot Milan means of match making. The South Indian format will be made as a separate post. Listed below are the 8 koota's (tests) considered to assess the compatibility between the bride and the groom.

1) Varna:
Indication : Spiritual compatibility and ego level based on 4 classes
Nakshatra: Not necessary
Rasi: Essential
This is a Rasi based matching tool based on spiritual compatibility/personality and all you need to know is which rasi the prospective grooms and brides star fall into. The rasis are categorized into one of four types (Varnas) and based on that the matching is reckoned.

- If bride is Kshatriya - 1 point given if groom is either Kshatriya or Vipra, 0 for Vaishya and Shudra.
- If bride is Vaishya - 1 point given if groom is either of Vaishya, Vipra or Kshatriya. 0 for Shudra
- If bride is Shudra - 1 point given if groom is either of Shudra, Vipra, Kshatriya or Vaishya
- If bride is Vipra - 1 point given if groom is also Vipra. 0 for Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra

2) Vasya:
Indication : Power equation/influence over one another based on 5 groups
Nakshatra: Not necessary
Rasi: Essential
This is also a rasi based tool to establish the influence the couple has over one another. All one needs to know is which rasi the stars of the groom and bride fall into. The rasis are classified into five groups (Vasyas) and the matching is done accordingly.

- If bride is Chatushpada - 2 points given if groom is either Chatushpada or Keet, 1 for Jalchar, 0.5 for Manava and 0 for Vanchar
- If bride is Manava - 2 points if groom is also Manava, 0.5 for Chatushpada and 0 for Jalchar, Vanchar and Keet
- If bride is Jalchar - 2 points if groom is Jalchar, Vanchar or Keet, 1 for Chatushpada and 0 for Manava
- If bride is Vanchar - 2 points if groom is Vanchar or Jalchar, 0 for Chatushpada, Manava and Keet
- If bride is Keet - 2 points if groom is Keet, 1 point for Chatushpada, Jalchar and 0 for Manava ,Vanchar

3) Tara:
Indication : Health aspect and well being based on 9 groups
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
In this only the star constellations (Tara) is taken into account and this technique tests the health and well being of the couple based on a specific criteria. The 3rd, 5th and 7th Nakshatra from each of boy and girl is considered to be inauspicious. For this the Nakshatras are divided into 3 sets of 9 stars each. In effect taking 27 stars in totality, the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 12th (1+2=3), 14th (1+4=5), 16th (1+6=7), 21st (2+1-3), 23rd (2+3=5) and 25th (2+5=7) aren't considered to be good. Whichever Nakshatra is rising at birth that is taken as the Janma Nakshatra and counting proceeds in same manner for both bride and groom.

- Counting from bride and groom, if for both of them it does not fall in the set of 3,5,7 then 3 points
- Counting from bride and groom, if for one of them alone it falls in the set of 3,5,7 then 1.5 points
- Counting from bride and groom, if for both parties concerned the respective others Nakshatra falls in set of 3,5,7 then 0 points (This condition will be void as it's not practically possible for both bride and groom's star to appear 3,5,7 from each other)

There is a fundamental flaw in the third distinction and that situation can never arise as the group total comprises of an odd number (9). So effectively counting from one side if it is even, counting from other side it has to be odd and vice versa. The maximum scenarios of counting from bride and groom can be in ratio of 1/1, 2/9, 3/8, 4/7 and 5/6. If it is in the former two categories 1/1 or 2/9 then 3 points allotted because series of 3,5,7 is not touched for either of bride/groom whereas if it falls in the last three categories namely 3/8, 4/7 and 5/6, 1.5 points shall get allotted since 3,5,7 series will be touched from either of bride/groom counting even though the offset count will happen to be an even number.

4) Yoni:
Indication : Sexual inclination and physical compatibility based on 14 animal groups
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
This is the method that tests the sexual compatibility of the couple. All one needs to know is the stars of the groom and bride. The 27 stars are grouped into 14 categories of animals and the matching is done based on it.

- If both bride and groom are of same animal group, then maximum 4 points,
- If both bride and groom are of friendly animal group then 3 points
- If both bride and groom are of neutral animal group then 2 points
- If both bride and groom are of enemy group then 1 point
- If both bride and groom are of sworn enemy group then 0 points

5) Graha Maitri:
Indication : Mental compatibility, love and friendship based on 7 planet lord parameters
Nakshatra : Not necessary
Rasi : Essential
This determines the mental compatibility between the partners and for this the ruler ship planet of the rasis in question is taken into account and compared. The basis of friendship is ascertained from the rasis in which the grooms and brides star fall into.

 - If two lords are the same or they are friends, 5 points are given.
 - If one lord is friendly and the other is neutral, 4 points are given.
 - If both lords are neutral, 3 points are given.
 - If one lord is friendly but the other views it as an enemy, 1 point is given.
 - If one lord is neutral but the other views it as an enemy, 0.5 point is given.
 - If both lords consider each other as enemies, 0 points are given.

6) Gana:
Indication: Habits, behavior and temparament based on 3 Nakshatra groups
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
This method is for determining the temperament between the individuals. Here stars are categorized into 3 sections namely God, Human and Demon and are matched accordingly.

- If bride is Devata, then 6 points if groom is also Devata, 3 points for Manushya and 1 for Rakshasa
- If bride is Manushya, then 6 points if groom is also Manushya, 5 points for Devata and 3 points for Rakshasa
- If bride is Rakshasa, then 6 points if groom is also Rakshasa, 0 points for Devata and Manushya

7) Bhakoot:
Indication: Family welfare and prosperity based on 12 zodiac signs relationship
Nakshatra : Not necessary
Rasi : Essential
This is for knowing the family welfare and financial prosperity. The counting of rasis is done both from the brides rasi to the grooms rasi as well as from the grooms rasi to the brides rasi. The entire set of combinations that are possible are 1/1, 7/7, 2/12, 3/11, 4/10, 5/9, and 6/8. Based on the combination obtained scores are allocated.

- If the rasi count disposition from bride and groom results in 1/1, 7/7, 3/11 or 4/10 series it is auspicious and 7 points granted
- If the rasi count disposition from bride and groom results in 2/12, 5/9 or 6/8 series it is inauspicious and 0 points granted

8) Nadi:
Indication: Genetic compatibility and heredity based on 3 kinds of Nakshatra groups
Nakshatra : Essential
Rasi : Not necessary
This method computes the genetic compatibility and is given the most weightage of all. The Nakshatra constellations are divided into 3 types of Nadi symbolizing 3 basic qualities of Vapha (wind), Pita (bile) and Kapha (phlegm) to test the genetic compatibility. It is advised that the star of the groom and bride should not fall under the same Nadi.

- If bride star falls in Adi Nadi, 0 points if grooms star also is in Adi Nadi, 8 points if Madhya or Antya Nadi
- If bride star falls in Madhya Nadi, 0 points if grooms star also is in Madhya Nadi, 8 points if Adi or Antya Nadi
- If bride star falls in Antya Nadi, 0 points if grooms star also is in Antya Nadi, 8 points if Adi or Madhya Nadi

Masaledaar - Pleasing North Indian Cuisine!

Make no mistake, Masaledaar whips up really pleasant North Indian food. This is one of their recent outlets and is located in GN Chetty Road in T Nagar. The place is small but they have done a good job with the spacing arrangement.

There is not much to talk about the ambiance and it's all about the food. The menu is a simple green colour slider with limited options and not overflowing just to have stuff for the heck of it.

We started with a tomato soup which was fairly nice. The corn starter was quite good too. But what lorded the show was the absolutely amazing Chandani panneer tikka. Being a Paneer afficionado, I wanted to check this place after hearing how jaw dropping well they make this sinful delicacy. The first thing which caught my eyesight on the menu was this and it did really live up to expectation. The panneer pieces were buttery smooth with dollops of cheese being coated across generously. It was truly melt in the mouth stuff.

For main course, we had Indian bread and peas pulao with yellow Dal fry and a curry called Goldasta panneer. The Dal was really nicely made and the panneer curry was sumptuous as well. We ended our meal with a delicious scoop of paan ice cream and we also had lovely glass of chaas which kept us company during our meal.

The service was quick witted and we got the items at a fast clip. The rates are a huge plus point. For the taste and quantity served, this is a real big win.

In conclusion, if you're looking out for some good authentic North Indian cuisine without really burning your pockets, Masaledaar should definitely strike a bell.

Up North - Traversing across the allied regions of Punjab!

'Up North' brings forth a glorious portfolio of cuisine traversing across the upper tier of India to give the real and authentic taste of the traditional food from Punjab and allied regions. It was a wondrous experience as what you get to consume is hard core staple food as being eaten in the rustic villages cooked also in local style but amidst a serene rooftop atmosphere in a city down south such as Chennai. The whole concept is to feel the flavours of the North which is so rich yet diverse. You get the feeling of being transported to Amritsar and treating yourself to a typical heavy 'Dhaba' style meal in all it's true colours.

The menu here is a simple slider. It's a one pager comprising of all the dishes in many unique avatars. They have a truck load of varieties of Dal and they are tweaked and suited according to the requirement. Panneer, Aloo and few other options are also immense and come in various forms of potpourri.

I was here on an invite to savour a handpicked meal comprising some of the best of the best of Up North. I began with a refreshing ginger based mocktail which was ideal for this heat. Next up was the tomato dhaniya shorba. This was light and garnished with coriander and you could feel the essence of the flavour hitting on every spoon. It also beautifully set up things for the lavish feast to follow.

Then it was time for the starters which were simply spectacular. A veg platter was served comprising of multani panneer, malai panneer, peshawari subz kebab, bhutiyaa de kabab and bharmi aloo. Virtually each of them contested with one another for top stakes and I thoroughly enjoyed the royal aromatic taste lingering in the mouth. The multani panneer was a rectangular chunk with a red paste and so rich. The malai panneer melted waftly in the tongue. Peshawari kabab was super soft and minced with veggies. The bhutiyaa de kabab added a slight sweetness by being tangy and the bharmi aloo was a total show stealer with exotic english vegetables slathered generously on the layer of potato. It was such a delight gorging on all these starters.

When I felt the starters were top notch, the main course literally took my breath away. It was flowing like an avalanche and absolutely delectable in taste. The Bharmi Aloo kulcha was just stellar and in the curries almost every gravy stand alone took the cherry. I immensely enjoyed the Maa Ki dal which is slightly different from Dal Makhni made of kidney beans, rajma and black lentils. Seldom have I ever tasted such a lip smacking dal. The Aloo dum made in true blue punjabi style was another winner and so was the kadai panneer which was infused with just the right amount of spices to give the perfect punch. The Aloo Bhukhara kofta added the sweet touch and sarson ki saag brought about the regal flavours of spinach. The other roti's viz missi/makki roti, lachcha paratha etc were also well made and went jocularly well with all the fabulous gravies. The pan biryani also hit the bulls eye with each morsel being full of flavour and so yummy to have just as a stand alone dish.

And then it was the finale in the form of Nungu ice cream made in nitrogen style. This was a remarkable dessert presented in a cooling pan with pistachio soil, macaroons, banganaballi mangoes and frozen berries. It was a beautiful blend of sweetness and crunchiness and with the smoke of the chilling effect of Nitrogen looked very appealing. It was a surreal way to end the meal which only kept getting better and better till the final finish.

The service was spot on. I was amazed with the knowledge possessed by the waiter who seemed to know about the items from the menu in and out. That was very impressive and definitely aided in the eating experience. I must also mention about Chef Amandeep Singh who personally took time off and engaging me as I was uncovering a ravenous experience. He shared lots of interesting tit bits about the cuisines of the Northern Frontier which was very informative. The rates are not discussed as the visit was over an on the house. The ambiance gives a very calm, peaceful and languid feel. Overlooking the entire city with the winds blowing across and dishing on sumptuous creamy Punjabi food, you really can't expect for more.

Overall, it was a fascinating experience. I've always had a penchant for North Indian cuisine and after dining at 'Up North', the appreciation and love for Punjab, it's culture and food went up a further notch higher in my eyes. If you want to try true blue local authentic punjabi cuisine with all it's richness and heritage, 'Up North' is the best place to head to.

Kailash Parbat - Delectably Vegetarian!

Kailash Parbat can be easily considered as one of the front runner restaurant's in the all veg dining category. They literally serve a sumptuous feast which will guarantee wholesome satisfaction to the palette. The variegated feast dished out here well and truly depicts vegetarian food in an all encompassing avatar. You'll never feel hard done being a vegetarian when dining here because the variety on offer is so widespread and will ensure that both the salty side as well as the sweetened surface get well and truly satisfied. The food is pre dominantly North Indian and bordering mainly into the Chaat mix of things and apart from these they also serve a pastiche of continental and Italian cuisine. This is the second stand alone Kailash Parbat after the immensely successful and hugely crowd pleasing eternal favorite of the North Indian families located at Chetpet in Harrington road.

The Koturpuram branch is slightly smaller in size but instantly appealing. Just on entering the arena, you find the area converged with lot of cute little thingies which are eye catching and brightens up the whole atmosphere. Signboards depicting interesting messages, miniatures hanging on walls, quirky wall arts, colourful portraits, cool lighting etc define the place. It instantly ignites the feel good factor and a very positive vibe is created. The other highlights happen to be the decor which is really well played and no words of praise is enough on the plating and presentation which deserves showering of the highest magnitude.

We began our sojourn with the evergreen favourite viz chaat platter containing bhel puri, dahi vada, papdi chaat and corn canopes. Presented in an odd shaped 4 way placement just a glimpse of it will get the tongue craving and rightfully so. The Dahi vada seemed the odd man out in terms of the looks as all others had a lot of yellow on them with podi, papdi, bhel etc. All of them were equally ravishing in taste and didn't take much long to polish spoon for spoon of each of the items. Next up was the Cheese Pav Bhaji and my god this was like the road leading the path to heaven. The pav's were bulky in size but super soft and the bhaji with a gregarious slathering of cheese floating over was breathtaking in taste. There are pav bhaji's and then there is Kailash Parbat's version of Pav Bhaji's which are simply a class apart and it was proved with authority yet again. 

We tried being a little tongue in cheek and went off the radar by selecting the garlic bread fondue. This was a little let down with the bread being crusty as opposed to being cushiony which didn't go well with thr syrupy fondue. The fondue too was done with excess of flour over powering the cheese and this somehow didn't cut the cloth in the right proportion for any of us. The potato skins however saved the blushes by being a great snack going jocularly well with the lovely dip it came along. The Mushroom on toast was another winner on the day with the breads being spread along generously with smallish pieces of mushrooms with an intermingling of cheese and it was jaw dropping good in taste. And we also had a chaat in mexican style with the pani puri tacos with chipotle water. This was quite an experiment and personally I felt they did wonders on this count giving the perfect mexican ingredient feel with beans, tacos, chipotle and sauces to boot. The traditional pani puri lover may find it a little off but this one for a change though radical worked to my advantage.

Having tried Mexican, we had to take the Italian route too and hence selected the four season pizza. This was a pizza with the slices being topped individually with different toppings viz corn, olives, jalapeno and capsicum. The one constant factor however was the cheese element which was oozing and melting in between the ingredients. The cheese did feel a little too strong but if you are a lover of it, you'll have no complaints whatsoever. Continuing on the unchartered territory, we also had a shot at a Panneer shaslik sizzler. This didn't appease much with the rice lacking flavour and also the general punch of having a red hot steamed sizzler was missing.

In the drinks and mock tail sections, we had quite a number of them but what ruled the roost was the immensely refreshing masala chaas. It was contagious and just perfect for the heat. We without regret had extra servings of the same. The other drinks too be it the jaljeera, ice tea, chilli guava, pine nut cola all were well delivered and seemed apt to have along with delicious food in parallel.

And on the dessert draw, we went first up with the sizzling brownie which just fizzled, sizzled and mizzled in unison with the molten chocolate layer, vanilla ice cream and chunky brownie all working in perfect confluence giving us joy in bundles on the taste front. With the expectation already laid out, we went to an all together different course with the fruit pizza. This was another stunner with water melon slices made to resemble the base of the pizzas and on top of it were steps of fruits, custard, sweet sauce which made it all fruity, juicy and sweety. It was like a swirl of colour enveloping over one another.

The service was amiable and extremely hospitable. They acceded to all our requests and were more than helpful in giving us suggestions. Also we never really had a long waiting time in between the dishes served. The pricing may seemingly feel on the higher side but for the quality on offer, you wouldn't be cribbing too much especially after the richness galore that you would end up consuming. Overall, it was a very engaging fare with Kailash Parbat amply proving once again that they are the boss in their own den.

P.S : Sharing a brief review about their outlet in Chetpet below:
I have experienced samples of Kailash Parbat in different malls before but this really was the real deal!.

It was my first visit to a standalone Kailash Parbat outlet and the excitement was palpable. It is located in a 2 storied complex that also houses French Loaf and Le Chocolatier. Seems quite a foodie area with Subway and Ox&Tomato located exactly opposite. The place looks really small from the outset but on arriving you find it's a lot more spacious. The ambience is colorful , vibrant and bright with nice easy comfortable seatings

The menu had a concoction to choose from an array of items comprising of Bread , Pizzas , Chats , Starters , Oriental , European , Sizzlers , Sindhi and Desserts. We ordered a plethora of items ranging from Pani puri , Aloo Tikki , Pav Bhaji , Chole Batoora , Spinach and Cottage Cheese Pizza , Veg Augratin , Veg Grilled sizzler , Masala Chaas and Kesar Falooda.

The decoration of the Pani puri was nice being brought in a thin rectangular plate and the puri's were ballooned with an interesting mix and the 2 types of Pani to go with it set the tone. The Aloo tikki were cooked to perfection and was perfect foil to have along with the Ragada Pattice and pinkish onions. The Pav Bhaji was decent with the Bhaji being yum but appeared a bit smudged , generally prefer it to be a skosh soaky. Had the Chole Batoora platter with 4 different types of Batoora which was thumbs up however the quantity of the chole was quite exiguous to satisfy 4 giant pooris which required an extra chole order. The Spinach and Cottage Cheese Pizza Bonanza was simply fantabulous loaded with oodles of cheese and spinach lingering along on top of diamond shaped cottage cheese , the veg augratin was liquidy cooked on white sauce comprising a mix of veggies with cheese floating all over. The veg grilled sizzler was pretty normal encircled with fries and rice in between an amalgam of veggies such as Bell Pepper , Baby corn , Mushroom , Zuccini , Cauliflower , beans , brocolli etc. The finale was Masala Chaas which was so-so but the Kulfi Falooda was truly a delight squashing the noodly falooda over a dollop of Pista ice cream and torpedo of Kesar kulfi.

The food overall totally lived upto the expectations and it was a wonderful lunchathon. The good thing is there are still so many items left to try and from whatever was consumed is anything to go by a return visit does not seem way too off the cards.

The service was excellent with the food being served quickly and with aplomb. The price is very upmarket and if you are in the mood to get down and dirty be prepared to splurge the currency. But rest assured , you get your money's worth as what you get in return truly salivates the taste buds. Simply put another very good restaurant in the city for the veg lovers.

Taj Bhavan - Hardcore Indian cuisine down under!

Wigram street in Harris Park is inundated with everything Indian from restaurant's to groceries to accommodation avenues. It's the restaurant's dazzling with lot of color and glitter of the Indian kind that attracts the attention. There are plenty of eateries here with traditional Indian names catering to cuisine from up north. One such fine dining place is Taj Bhavan. Quite akin to most of the other hotels lined up on this stretch,this one resembles a house converted into a restaurant.

The ambiance is pretty plain jane with nothing really eye popping. The color palette largely adopts the Indian tri color whether it be the wall paintings, portraits or even the light bulbs which are ignited with saffron, white and green. The decor is simple with just plastic chairs of green and orange colors and the tables are all white again giving an imprint of freedom and India.

It was however the food which walked the talk. Considering from the outset there wasn't anything really appealing, the food was quite a delight and ended up being way beyond expectations. We started our foray with soup and a bunch of entrees. The tomato soup was absolutely lip smacking and the smell of cream was apparent in every mouth. It's been a long time since I tasted such fine quality tomato soup. The sweet corn soup too was good however well short of the brilliance of the former. We had two varieties of chats viz Dahi puri and Bhel puri. The Dahi puri was lovely. Though it wasn't decorated with curd and masala on the plate, the inside of the puri had the ammunition to set the tongue rolling with excitement. The bhel puri was passable. It was crunchy but somehow lacked the muster. We also had a ball galloping the Achari panneer tikka, corn cheese balls and Gobi 65. The panneer made in sizzler style was especially top notch.

On to the main course, we told for an assortment of Indian breads with the Dal Bhukara and Kali Mirch Panneer for company. Be it the Naan or Tandoori Roti or the Aloo/Gobi Parathas, they passed the test with flying colors. What really elevated it were the side dishes. The Kali Mirch panneer with a twang of sweetness and hint of pepper with succulent pieces of cottage cheese floating gracefully on the gravy was brilliant. The Dal Bhukara was a show stealer. Just didn't expect the black dal to be so good in a little known place. I found it to be better than most high end fine dining restaurant's back home.

We rounded our evening with Salt Lassi and Mango Lassi. The salt lassi was flavored with tinge of masala bits and seemed a good digester however found it to be a tad watery. The mango based one was a bit too sweet for the liking though it was pretty thick.

Overall the food turned out to be quite exceptional especially pinning down some of the stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed the tomato soup, Achari Panner Tikka, Dal Bhukara and the Panneer Kali Mirch. Nothing was bad and everything was bordering from the good to excellent. The service was a mixed bag. Items came to our table in a jiffy which is a good sign but it seemed time consuming in clearing the consumed food particles thus occupying too much space on the table. The rates seem fairly reasonable for the quality of food on offer.

This was our last tryst with restaurant hunting during our short stint in Sydney and we were glad to have chosen this place which really proved to be quite a fitting farewell to our foodie escapades over the last couple of weeks. Would definitely recommend Taj Bhavan for high quality North Indian cuisine.

Tandoori Place - Ah, melting North Indian culinary delight at Gold Coast!

We were on a stroll down the amazing stretch of 'Surfers Paradise' at Gold Coast looking for an Indian restaurant to feast ourselves to after our tryst with Western food in the few days gone by.

We bounced into 'The Tandoori Place', a pure Indian restaurant serving predominantly North Indian cuisine. We didn't have second thoughts barging into the restaurant.

There is a lovely charm about the place and it and has a royal feel to it with dim yellow lights, chandeliers and portraits depicting ancient India. There is also some lovely olden day hindi music playing on the television screen. The decor seems rich and the surrounding area gives it a vintage flavour.

We ordered the following:
Soup:
We went for the tried and tested good ol tomato soup and it turned out to be really good and far better than some of the tomato soups I've tried back home. Made on a thick tomato puree, it had all the amunition going for it to make it a winner.

Starters:
Here we had the Panneer Kabab and the Masala Papad. The kabab's were really well made with a pasty mix of panneer and aloo inside those soft rolls and went along jocularly well with the green chutney. The papads usually can't go too wrong and it didn't. The unique feature about it was on the presentation where they shaped it in the form of a cone with veggies stuffed to the brim.

Main Course: On the Indian bread side, wanted to try something different apart from the usual Naan's and went for the Panneeri Naan which were made with home made cottage cheese and spices. And I must say it was a delectable fest. The naans were fluffed up with abundant smudged pieces of panneer and turned out to be resounding. We also had the usual Plain Naan and Tandoori Roti and they went along expected lines. For sides we chose the Palak Panneer which again was a star dish being done up really well with a seasoned aroma of palak with whitened pieces of panneer inset. We also tried the Dal Makhanwala. It wasn't the authentic black dal types but nevertheless wonderful to taste.

Dessert: We finished our course with a salt Lassi which was a perfect foil to finish a very satisfactory meal. It had a perfect mix of requisite spices and was a great tongue twirler.

Overall the food was remarkable and a mile beyond expectation. Never expected to eat such good close to perfect North Indian food in a restaurant far away from home. The service was top notch and our food arrived on the table without any really waiting time. Cost seems to be a little on the higher side but can be excused considering the great food on offer.

Conclusion: There aren't too many Indian options in the extremely buzzing Surfer's Paradise. This one though is a little gem. If you're in and around this area and craving for good Indian food, this is indeed the right place for you.

Fully Local - Bollywood ish style!

Fully Local retains a local flavour with it's desiness in the form of it's interiors, wall art depicting quirky signboards and portraits, music belting out Bollywood hits and the color pallette engulfed with a kitchiness resembling a rustic Chandni Chowk kinda vibrant setup.

Fully Local is all to do with North Indian cuisine in a pretty authentic fashion. They have a simple big menu placard with all the items listed and their combo desi meals is a good bet in case you are looking for a full fledged tandoori meal. All their items are sans oil and made with ghee, cream and butter.

We were here on an invite and got to try a variety of their best offerings. First up were the Gol Gappa shots which is quite one of a kind here. They have tequilla like tubes filled to the brim with salted green water as well as the maroon sweet water with crisp puri's placed on them. You are supposed to u-turn the tube, pour it into those hard layered ballooned pieces containing a potato mix and have them. It is quite enthralling and one of a kind consuming the pani puri here. The Masala Papad is another nice appetiser with just the right mix of spices over fried papad. The Dahi papdi chaat was one of my real favourites. Everything about this one was right from the crispness to the flavouring and the ingredients.

Further on in the starters, the aloo tikki's were lip drooling with a smattering of hung curd and sprayed along with coriander/bhujjia for that little extra and presented in a quincunx arrangement. Panneer is one things which lords the show here. They make their own and with cream and butter. The authentic panneer which they served were mouth watering and so were the large chunks of amritsari panneer with a dressing of malai.

The main course was really rich with fully local panneer subji, miloni subji and Kali Dal along with a basket of breads. The panneer pieces were succulent and the gravy just of the right creaminess. The miloni subji had abundance of veggies made in a spinach puree. The black Dal seems to be one of the best with the simmering lentil aroma sweeping your senses. The rotis/naan/parathas were all were really well made and enjoyable to have with the side dishes. Their jeera rice is another good option to have with the curries.

For the ending, we got sweets in the form of jalebi and phirni. The jalebi was crispy but would have been better being a little hotter. The Phirni was decent but not the stuff to rave about. I also had a shot at masala chaas which was immensely refreshing and best way to finish proceedings. They even have a few lovely mocktail options to consume along with your meal.

The prices seem a little on the higher side when ordering individually but with the combo deals in place seems fairly marginal. The service was pretty rapid with the food coming to the table in a jiffy. The decor is simple and low scale. It works well within it's limitations. At the end, you cannot but overlook the cuteness of the sweetener being brought in a vintage cycle miniature and the cheque coming in a rickety iron box.

Conclusion: You get the feel of having an authentic North Indian meal dining at Fully Local. Highly recommended for a rich, wholesome and flavourful Punjabi cuisine.

Punjab Grill - Tantalising Tandoori!

Punjab Grill is a name to reckon with in the North Indian cuisine sector having it's footprint in most major cities of India. With the growing diaspora of up North eateries in Chennai, it was just a matter of time before the chain put it's foot forward into the city. The outlet here is located in the Phoenix Market City, Velachery having a separate spacious dining outlet all for itself.

Phoenix Mall has it's share of fine dining restaurant options and Punjab Grill surely is one of the crowning jewels if you're looking to indulge in a sumptuous North Indian fest. The place reeks of splendour and you can be assured of a rich, royal and regal experience. There is a certain grand feel about the place with the interiors glistening with bright lighting and the color palette done up pretty much with beaming orange and biege shades gives it a charming touch.

Punjabi cuisine is known to for it's creamy and sinful delicacies and Punjab Grill ensures the same in thumping style. We started our foray with the Kesar Pista Lassi and the 'Matta' which is a spiced up butter milk. Both were presented in a beautiful fashion being lined up in a holder with small glasses holding the traditional beverages. It was a perfect confluence with the kesar pista lassi having a sweet tinge to it and the Matta with herbs floating around and requisite masala giving it a salty twang. Going away from the traditional front, we had a twist in the form of a Paan Mocktail which was ravishing with heavy flavoring of Paan in an iced avatar. On the soupy side, we were served a Kumbh Pudina Shorba with a lovely essence of cardamom and Pudina with mushrooms as main ingredient.

The starters reigned supreme with the Veg Kurkure especially being the show stealer. Presented in an immaculate manner in a glass with a sweet chilli sauce at the bottom with the roll already dipped in, this one was a delight with cheese oozing out of the breaded portion and to boot variety of capsicums as condiments. The thorny crispy layer on the outside and the juicy cheesy texture on the inside proved a great combination complementing the taste buds. The Paneer Tikka Multani was another tandoor awaited with bated breath. They were buttery smooth in texture and were inviting to slice and dice the succulent piece of yellow chunk, dip them with sufficient green chutney and put them gently into your mouth. For vegetarians eating Punjabi food, getting the panneer right holds high importance and this one passed the test with flying colors. Another of the starters was the Dahi Kabab which was in the mode of a cutlet and had a creamy pasty mix inside it. It was pretty decent to taste but felt short of the former two starters.

On the main course, we had Indian breads in the form of Garlic Naan and Lacha Paratha which were well prepared. And to supplement them were the Panneer Lababdaar curry and the Punjabi Dal. The Panneer Lababdaar was extremely creamy and rich in taste although felt it could have been a wee bit on the spicier side. The Black Dal was breathtaking with the lentils simmering amidst an esculent aroma.

And to round it off was the assorted dessert platter consisting of Phirni, Chocolate Gulab Jamun and Litchi ki Tehri. The Phirni somehow didn't cut ice and felt a little off for my liking. The gulab jamun was pretty nice with chocolate squirting out of the big rotund dripping piece of Jamun. The Litchi ki Tehri was a Rabdi with juicy pieces of Litchi inset and was quite impressive. And in signature style, we finished a very satisfactory dinner with the Paan shot.

The service was warm and hospitable. They were ever ready to serve us to the best of their capacity and it felt really pleasing to dine here. As we were on an invite, it's hard to comment on the price point. But as a one liner would say it's par for the course for the culinary spread served.

On the whole, Punjab Grill really lived upto expectations and can definitely be recommended for an authentic true blue epicurean experience for the discerning Tandoori/Punjabi/North Indian cuisine loving cognoscente.

Bindaas Rasoi - A hidden wonder!

Bindaas Rasoi is a hidden wonder. The place is shrouded in a quite bye lane in the no man's land of Shollinganalur and is perched in a house which has been converted to a restaurant. The interiors are done up wonderfully well and the place glistens with shades of color. The chiaroscuro of the modern touch and vintage local flavor is underplayed beautifully. Some of us were apprehensive about travelling all the way to another breadth of the city but all our confusions were put to rest seeing the wondrous ambiance and laying our mouths onto the amazing food on display.

Our ravenous foray got underway with an Aam Paana served to us as a welcome drink. After that the business got underway with the expectant soups. We got to taste a mushroom version and a tomato shorba and both were delightful in their own way and thoroughly enjoyed by all of us. Next came the platter of starters consisting of a plethora of delicacies. Amongst them, the Multani panneer slices and the Dahi Kabab were truly delectable. The sheekh and hara bara kabab were the usual fare but the stuffed mushrooms and tandoori brocolli were good add-on's and elevated the starter fest served a notch higher.

For main course, we had a bucketful of Indian breads which were done up exceedingly well. Some were fluffy like how they should be and others were soluble and soft. The cheese naan especially nailed it in being absolutely rivetting and could just be had standalone as it was so yummylicious on taste. For the curries we went with a Paneer tikka lababdar where the pieces of panneer were succulent and nicely cooked in a reddish gravy and for Dal, we went a little different by going with the Paanwala Dal, the usual yellowish flavored dal with a tinge of paan which felt invigorating. As we felt the curries were a little less for the bread, as a last gap measure ordered for an Achari Aloo and boy this one rocked big time. It ticked the box on every angle - looks, feel and taste. For rice we had the Banarasi Pulao which had a greenish tinge to it as it was cooked with peas in abundance but it somehow didn't appease our taste buds. We had a bunch of desserts to end our sojourn of which I tasted just a tad and found them to be nice whether be it the Chocolate gulab jamun, Ras Malai, Gajar Halwa or Malai Phirni. In between our meals, we also had the Thandai and Banana coconutty Lassi both of which won the brownie points.

Overall, it was a delightful experience. The service was prompt and they were welcoming in adhering to our requests by even tweaking some of their stuff to bring in the best for us. As we were on an invite, pricing goes out of the window but on a cursory glance of the prices and considering the sumptuous delicacies offered and the shiz ambiance definitely feels reasonable.

This place deserves publicity and I wish the corporates situated within this vicinity look at this place with seriousness because it has all the requisite factors to impress. I am personally happy that I went all the way to experience the essence of Bindaas Rasoi. True to it's name, this place is Bindaas. Highly recommended!.

The North comes to South - Curry Town, Savera

I'm always up for it when an opportunity arises to try North Indian cuisine. And Curry Town well and truly brings the flavors of North India as it's culinary trail traverses across the North Indian frontiers to bring to the table a diverse spread of Mughlai, Lucknowi, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Rajasthani, Awadhi, Peshawari, Kabuli and Delhi based food.

The ambiance brings out the best of both worlds. The inside closed enclosure depicts olden day India and the architecture is designed in a way to showcase the history and culture of India. It feels like you're in a Mughal kingdom and has a vintage old world charm to it. The outside portion is the roof top area overlooking the vast space of the city. This part of it feels more zany and new age. However the set up at places brings out the old world flavour going back to the previous centuries. The menu too has pictures of old Indian monuments and age old traditional art forms. The waiters are all clad in creamy kurtas. And the miniatures and antiques bring out the folklore of India in all it's splendour. It feels rich, classy and vintage.

And the food did not disappoint. We started our palate with a couple of starters in the form of a Multani Panneer Tikka and an Aloo Tikki Benarasi. The former were lengthy pieces of cottage cheese infused with spice and herbs and glazed in tandoor. It was succulent and felt very nice on the month. The latter was simply wonderful. They were basically potato cutlets decorated with channa dal on top of it along with a dash of curd and the requisite spices. It tasted so soft and crispy. Loved having a bite of this delicacy. For the main course we ordered a bunch of Indian breads - Rumali Roti, Tandoori Roti and a stuffed Gobi Paratha. The roti's were well cooked and went well with the side dishes. And the main curries we had included a kofta based dish which was mildly sweet and tantalised the taste buds and Dal Makhani which had a nice aroma to it.but however lacked the creaminess and coloring a wee bit. And to finish our sojourn we shared a kesar pista kulfi. It felt a little hard to cut but was nevertheless creamy and flavorful.

The service was pretty adept and they took care of all our needs. They also were very willing to help us in choosing our order. The pricing is on the higher side but again not on the shockingly alarming category. You pay the price for the food and ambiance which seems within accepted purview. Parking isn't an issue as the restaurant is located as part of the star hotel Savera.

Overall it was a pleasurable experience and a delight dining at this peaceful and calm roof top restaurant. If you're looking for rich and authentic North Indian cuisine, Curry Town will surely tick the right boxes.

Sky Lit at Rajputana!

Rajputana instantly strikes with its skyrocketing ambiance and that rightfully takes centerstage. It's a wondrous sight to witness the sky lights to the outside in a very well done up elevated roof top restaurant. There are lovely cottage like settings for couples and small families and the dim lights with old school mild bollywood music playing across adds to the decor. It has a lot going for it on the class side but it's on the food that they need to do some giddying up to make the experience wholesome and complete.

The restaurant is located in Koyambedu near the bustling CMBT bus stand and is conveniently located on the top floor of JP hotel. They are open only for dinner and have both Buffet and Ala carte. It was an 'On the House' meal and we got our hands at the former which in actuality is priced at Rs 750 for veg and 850 for non veg. The food was quite a mixed bag with a few items being top notch but the majority of the food turned out being disappointing.

Chose the veg option and started out with a mocktail which was spicy and just didn't taste right. Next was the black gram soup which was passable with the ingredients being soaked right at the bottom. We had 3 starters in the form of a paneer, corn and gobi and the rating scale for them went from good to decent to bad. The paneer was the hands out winner in this section, being soft, chunky and presentable. The gobi at the other end of the spectrum was such a dampener not being grilled properly and was rather tasteless. On the main course we were served Indian Bread, Pulao, Biryani and 3 main course dishes. Really not much to complain on the nans and rice but it was on the gravies where they have lots of catching up to do. The dal was delicious but the veg makhanwala left a lot to be desired and the Kadai paneer which is supposed to be spicy had a rather funny taste and was flavorless. In effect was forced to have majority of the meal with the Black Dal for company. On the dessert section we had phirni, lassi and kulfi. Whilst the former two were no doubt nice it was the kulfi which won the day. It just had the perfect feel and texture to it and it was a delight gobbling them up. Also was a pretty good way to end a rather ordinary meal overall.

This one's a sit down buffet and one factor which was bothering was the time taken to serve the food which was taking for ever.
Whatever encomiums one showers on the ambiance, the food needs to match up because whether you like it or not its what you eat which is key and gives maximum weightage when visiting a restaurant. They have a lot of ground to cover up here and hope they take the necessary precautions to ensure the best in food and service supporting the already prevelant top draw ambiance.

An evening with Jalpaan!

After hearing all the rave reviews , a visit to Jalpaan was always on the cards. Having heard that they had opened their new outlet closer to home at Adyar , was all the more looking to seize the opportunity to dine at this place and finally the transition from 'Wishlist' to 'Been there list' was complete as I headed here for dinner on a Saturday evening.

It is located in Sardar Patel Road in the complex that also houses GRT Jewellers. It is on the 3rd floor and as you peekaboo from below , it looks like a pretty small place but on actually entering you find that it is very spacious and can accomodate quite a large bunch of customers. There is a lot of brownness converging the surroundings with Brown seats and surfaces. In between the walls are square lit yellow coverings and the roofs are smeared with an array of small bright lights sparkling over. It gives you that mild Punjabi feel and flavour.

The plates and glasses were covered with silver coating and the menu was in the form of a thick binded album book running across quite a few pages comprising mainly of Tandoori and Italian food. We started our foray with the Big Nachos which had large thin slices of the Tortilla chips garnished on the side with an amalgam of exotic veggies. It was deceptive in appearance as when you unveil the bottom portion of the chips you find a luxurious spread of Red kidney beans with cheese topping. It was very heavy and totally relishing. Wanted to try one of their chats and the Karara Palak chat looked interesting. It was like a Dahi Puri chaat with Fried spinach pieces replacing the Puris and sprinkled with the curd and the desired sweet and spices. It was different and kudos for the experimentation.

The next in line was the much awaited Paneer Tikka. In many restaurants , the taste of Paneer seems to have a big weightage in rating the overall portfolio of the cuisine and as an evergreen lover of this sinful delicacy my curiosity and temptation was pretty high. And it perfectly lived up to the billing by being superlative. Had the SARSONWALA PANEER which were marinated in yoghurt paste tossed up with herbs and spices. It was spongy soft and it was an experience slicing and dicing the yellow square and seeing it melt waftly in the mouth :)

For the main course had a Naan , Paneer Kulcha and Jalpaan Dal. The Indian Bread was fluffy and well made and their signature Dal Makhani was out of the world. The lentils were simmering over the delightful gravy giving the perfect feel to the taste buds. Easily one of the best Black Dals i have ever had. Also had a Boondi Raita for additional company which was decent with a slight tinge of masala. Rounded off dinner by having one of their mocktails "Pink Panther" flavoured with a dash of strawberry , pineapple , almond and hazelnut blended with cream and it was absolutely delightful and a perfect signal to end a very satisfying meal.

The pricing is par for the course and the service was pretty quick barring the regular refilling of water which could have been more prompt. The ambience is pretty neat but still a little way off from being exceptional. But the most important part the food is scrumptious and that's what holds the key. All in all looks like another epicurean success story. For me personally , another welcome addition to the list of good restaurants to dine out in the city thus further widening the radar :).