Surf Turf - Ambiance Plus Food Minus

This was our second back to back venture at a sea side restaurant across the side of ECR. After having experienced Bay6 just about a fortnight ago, we decided to try Surf Turf located at Kovalam. This is a restaurant elevated to a nice degree and beautifully overlooking the sea. It seems like an apt place to visit especially in this summer heat.

The ambiance is definitely a plus point going for this place. It gives a laidback feel and the breeze blowing across certainly adds a positive touch. The place is spacious with the center portion dealing with smirking up drinks and giving a buzzing atmosphere on the whole.

Beach side ambiance apart, the experience was pretty pedestrian on the food side. The vegetarian options were almost devoid and had absolutely nothing really noteworthy to order. There were just a couple of starters and every item took it's own sweet time to arrive at our table.

The Nachos were very plain and just run of the mill stuff. It was neither appetizing to look at nor really had anything interesting to hit the taste buds. The center portion was drizzled with melted cheese and chopped tomatoes. That was all there was to it and lacked the bite. Thankfully at least the nachos were crispy and not soggy avoiding it from being a complete whimper.

The cheesy fries also left a lot to be desired. It was again just plain fries with a tomato puree and layer of cheese sprayed over it. It didn't really go along well and it also made the fries appear drenched and not giving it the punch that it required. Certainly it could have been decorated much better and some spices and seasoning could have definitely helped.

The Cheese Garlic bread again was garden variety.  It seemed like a home made substitute of bread coated with cheese. It wasn't bad by any stretch but you surely expect better quality in a restaurant.

On the main course, tried the Malabar Parotta with the Paneer Butter Masala for company. There were just 2 side dishes available on the veg side and had no other option but to choose this. It was pretty decent overall in taste with just the only blip being the Panneer could have been a tad softer. 

Surf Turf is clearly a case of ambiance going all right but lacking on the foremost front which is food. One ultimately comes to a restaurant for having flavourful food and experiencing variety. This was sorely missing and they certainly need to up the ante by first enhancing the menu with surely a bit more vegetarian options and secondly working on the taste factor which goes without saying. As of it's current state, it purely looks like it's only the ambience which is keeping this place stay afloat.

Bay 6 - Decked up at the beach side!

It was an extremely hot summer afternoon when we decided to venture out towards the ECR side and eat some food at Bay 6. The ambiance instantly wins you over as you can witness the waves of the sea right at the onset as you're gorging across your food. It's very simple by design but they have captured the view of the sea in all it's glory. Though the weather outside was shining bright as ever, the zephyr blowing over kept us really soothed making it a calming influence. 

It is located in one of the many tiny streets that leads you up towards the ECR beach. This one is right at the end and it appears that it's a house which has been constructed into a restaurant and what they've crafted out comes across as just the most cozy place to welcome an insouciant lunch or dinner. A lot of brown adorns the place with a touch up of white to give it an appealing texture. 

The cuisine is a melange of continental, Italian and a skosh of North Indian. The major page filling up the menu happens to be small plates and that's what we mainly dug at during our encounter with this place. The Kabuli Panneer was a certain win. The minced mix of chole interspersed inside fresh rolled out chunks of panneer gave it a delectable taste. The Malai Brocolli & Pineapple was a decent fair. Brocolli florets and cut pieces of pineapple were dunked into cream cheese but somehow the cheesy bits weren't that evident. The button based stuffed mushrooms however had an enticing taste with the char grill taste flashing out. The best of the starters were however the Hara Bara Kabab which was nailed to perfection. The mix of carrot, peas and spinach came out jocularly well and were lip smacking for the taste buds. 

On the main course, we tried a pesto based penne pasta. This was kind of nice with the flavour of the green pesto ruling supreme but however it didn't feel like a spectacular dish overall. Just quite a little nice pasta but nothing really to rave about. Their signature Bay 6 pizza was quite a win. It looked amazingly alluring with a bunch of toppings that felt perfect for a summer afternoon. On the North Indian side just had a shot at the Paneer Butter Masala which was quite creamy and pleasing. Didn't have the stomach for a dessert and just settled in for a pineapple juice which was purely plain jane. The sugar element was somehow missing and this was a pass. 

The service was neat and quick. They were honest with their suggestions and open for feedback. The rates appear a tad bit on the higher side but on expected lines. 

Overall it was quite a delightful experience. On the food side some hit the bulls eye but a few were quite off the mark. The scenic spot makes it an attractive juncture for tourists with the location and atmosphere perhaps their biggest take away. Some minor work around on the food side can help elevating the experience a further notch.

Triple B - Boats, Bessy & Beach!

There are very few stand alone resto pubs in the city which is not affiliated with a star property and Boats Beach resto bar happens to be one of them. Boats has a lot going for it. It is located centrally with a view facing the ever popular Elliots beach. Though the area is converged with eateries and restaurant's aplenty, there is not a single place nearby offering drinks. There is a leeway staircase to enter and Boats is located in the first floor of the compound.

The place seems a bit small but the atmosphere is quite electric. It was packed on a weekday evening and definitely seems happening from the looks of things. There is a dim dark aura about the place with lots of black engraving the surrounding. The glass set up is kind of chic and ignites a peppy feel. The sofa seating is comfortable and gives itself a positive vibe. It feels like a place where a good set of people can congregate, loosen up their spirits and have loads of fun.

Ambiance and decor apart, it's the vittle (food+drinks) which is key in deciding the stakes of any outlet and Boats did a fine job at it. The starters were not only presented well but also tasted great. I took immense liking to the panneer tikka, mushroom tacos and the cheesy potato blocks. The panneer was super succulent just rightly charred and totally of the melt in the mouth kinds. I found the crispness of the mushrooms inside the tacos to be a win. The crispy potato blocks with cheese overflowing generously like a lava was sinister. The Nachos weren't bad, just that the downward portion of the chips felt a little alienated. The top part though was cheesy and consisting of all the usual mexican veggies that you'd expect. I just had a small crack at the spinach corn dragon bites and found them pretty good.

In the main course section, we got a giant sized burger called the "Green Grocer". I felt it to be decent but difficult to consume as it was too tall and hard to bite. They absolutely nailed the Alfredo veg pasta which was suffused with cheese and abundant flavours. A good pasta always does wonders. The Kung Pao Vegetable dish was pretty average. It lacked the desired punch.

Coming to the desserts and drinks part, the roasted peach and cream was lovely and so was the cream brulee which was like a soft moth of chocolate covering. The mocktails were of high standard and the outright standout was the Bessie Beach Masala - a mango based drink with a tinge of chilli sprinkled along just aiding as the perfect refreshing tonic. They also have hard liquor and it's fun eating the kind of stuff Boats serves along with a chilled long shot glass of beer.

Viewing it as a holistic picture, Boats painted a caricature which looked appealing on most fronts. The service was spot on with not too much time interval in between stuff. The presentation of the items were of the highest order. There is also vibrant feel good music being played along adding to the excitement. The rates are not being mentioned as the meet was over an invite.

Boats is surely a place that is pulsating and of a gregarious nature where you can certainly have a ball of a time with a widespread mix of dine and drink options.