Swirl - Indulging the Buffet Bite!

It was our third consecutive long drive road trip in as many weeks and this time we headed over to Welcome Hotel Kences which is a part of the ITC group. We sat in the lawn for a couple of drinks and were welcomed by the blow of the breeze coming right from the sea side located just across the side. It was a sight to behold and the sea breeze made it a soothing experience.

After our tryst near by the sea with drinks for company, we decided it was time to eat and headed over to their restaurant called Swirl. The last two weeks were greeted with Ala carte options which were not so resounding. This time we preferred to go the Buffet way hoping that they'll be laying out quite a lavish spread.
                                          
The setup of the ambiance was pretty nice from the outset. The outside environment greeted with a nice rich look of a small water area surrounded with plants aplenty. On the inside it appeared cozy and comfortable with plenty of seating space and the items of the buffet placed at a central space.

Normally Sunday buffets in places such as this tend to usually have a massive spread with a magnanimous serving of broadened cuisines. That however was sorely missing. The spread seemed pretty pedestrian. Things you normally associate such as a Live counter wasn't witnessed. Options of Italian, Mexican or Mediterranean were hardly available. Neither were there South Indian tiffin fare such as Dosa, Idli etc or the Indian chaat variety of pani puri, pav bhaji etc. We thought there would be something special served to the table but that wasn't the case. The kitchen area was used only for the Indian bread variety to order for and nothing else.

Though the spread was limited which was quite unexpected but however whatever that was available and tried had nothing really much to complain about. There were couple of starters in the form of a panneer 65 and corn fritters. The panneer chunks were flavorful with a dash of spices added in and the corn was crunchy. There was one pasta item with mushrooms along with a moussaka which was decent and so were the noodles. On the main course, the panneer gravy was signature and so were their Black Dal which added as able folly to the Roti and Naan consumed.

They had a drinks counter placed right at the entrance serving butter milk, mint nannari and rose litchi. Had a small shot at them all and each of them had brownie points going for them. The salad counter however was pretty plain. They had 4 varieties of ice cream in the form of vanilla, chocolate, butter scotch and mango. Filled my dessert plate with one of each and ended up finishing the meal on a high.

The service side was helpful and greeting. However they seemed a little lacked out on manpower as many a time the used plates were taken away only after we had reloaded the new ones and had to ask them many a time to clear it. The pricing at roughly about 2k bucks inclusive of taxes per person seemed on par with other buffets of similar properties.

On the whole, it was a reasonable experience. They should definitely stack up their buffet with plenty more options available. Well one could always argue as what's the point by loading up dishes all of which would be hard to be consumed by the customer. But the point is not just that as having an extensive spread gives way to more variety. The one's visiting such places are spread across all age groups and hence more options can make it more enticing and appeasing. Also gives way for a more laidback and sombre time where one could at his peril be spoonfed with options to pick and choose.

Melting Pot - Magnanimous Sunday Buffet!

The Sunday brunch at Melting Pot, Intercontinental can be considered hands down one of the best buffets I've ever encountered. It virtually had everything you could think of and much more. They had literally laid out a feast for the food craving denizen in all it's splendour. Consuming this kind of a spread also requires some carefully worked out strategy as there is just so much on the table and you're completely spoilt for choice.

I wouldn't go in to the specifics of each of the items as it would end up being a thesis but instead will highlight a brief on some of the stand out stellar stars of the day. One counter which caught our attention happened to be the 'Mediterranean' where they had stacked it up with various hummus dips ranging from the usual plain one to a beetroot based to a spinach slurp to a cream cheese layered to so many more and all of em which I had a shot tasted absolutely jaw dropping. Even the pita breads were of different kinds and they did full justice to the region of Mediterranean by bringing out the best of each of the nations. Also it was beautifully presented with some nice diagrams showcasing a culinary trail.

Another area where they lorded big time was on the continental front. This was a sumptuous feast of epic proportions. I tasted perhaps the best ravioli I've ever had and it was not just one version but a couple of varieties with cheese floating along like a marmalade and the pockety pieces of pasta floating on a deck of cheese sauce both of the red and white variety with cream and herbs infused was just simply out of the world. On the baked section, the Lasagne was a total stunner. Softish squares in a prancing red sauce was simply sinister (pun intended). The Mac'n'cheese pasta was enveloped with cheese flowing from all sides like an avalanche and even the most hard core cheese lover would be taken by surprise with the way it was melting along with gay abandon.

The Indian side of things was no less. From exotic curries delivered in sterling style be it the panneer makhni, black dal, malai kofta and much more. And we had the roti's, naans and biryani to back them up really well. The Pan Asian section too did justice with a potpourri of stuff worth all it's weight to make you go gaga.

The dessert front ignites the cheshire cat instinct making you smirk with merryfull excitement. An entire tray was laid out with exquisite delectation, with which just a mere glance would make you all sugary eyed. The mounded up toothsome delicacies is sure to make the mouth all mushy with ghee and tongue wag with glee abandon. From ice cream cones to cookies to sweet pulps to cupcakes to lollipops to cotton candies to pastries to many more variegated sweetened avatars, this stall right royally packed a punch for the sweet craving aficionado.

It was a sunny afternoon raided with all kinds of food to make the heart quench with satisfaction. I seldom have seen such a lavish spread where items kept overflowing like a volcano. It was a marvellous feast of epic proportions. This is a kind of brunch that I have never experienced before. It was one thing packing the brunch with stuff aplenty but the other and more important thing which they nailed was getting it right on virtually everything that was put forth which happened to be truly laudable giving this place a huge huge win.

The service was more of self serve being the buffet kind but they were more than willing to aid us whenever required extending their hands on all occasions we needed them. The pricing is not mentioned as it was over an invite. I must say that even though it may seemingly be high, the kind of takeaway that you get will not be a debar in spending for this celebration fit for a king.

The whole experience was one of a kind by being very engaging and pleasant. The place is pretty far off from the city but if you're the one looking forward to chillax a Sunday afternoon away from the hustle and bustle of the city and wanting to spend a laid back relaxed day with fantabulous food for company amidst the scenic ambiance of this gigantic waterside property, you just cannot think or even dream of a place better than the Melting Pot, Intercontinental.

Waterside - All day dining!

The Waterside is the 24 hour all day dining restaurant as part of Feathers, Radha Hotel located in Manapakkam. The outlet serves both Ala carte and Buffet and we as a bunch of foodies were invited to have a shot at the Sunday Brunch.

The place appeals instantly with it's wonderfully carved out woodwork which gives a very pleasant and soothing feel. The lighting is abundantly bright and the showpieces stacked across ignites a magnum presence and showcases itself to be a royal and ritzy affair. It's also well spread out with a large dining space and the musical duo belting out classics only adds further to the rendezvous. The water front at the passerby area adds to the surrounding environment.

Coming to the spread on offer, it traverses the length and breadth of divergent cuisines from across the globe bringing to the table an extensive and elaborate multi cuisine deal. They played the game safe by ensuring that something or other is available amongst North Indian, South Indian, Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Greek, Arabian, Middle eastern cuisine etc. The positive was it didn't seem like just making up the numbers and there was really a generous fare prevalent to please everyone's palette and appetite.

Listing every item in store would end up meaning to write a dossier and hence I would like to mention some of the key dishes pointing to the affirmative and a bit of the let downs which perhaps requires a tinge of amelioration. I must confess to immensely taking a liking to the Mexican Fajita rolls which were delivered beautifully and packed a punch with the right dosage of Mexican ingredients. The pita breads and the hummus dip along with other condiments too was a huge win. The Pizza's which were part of the live counter also hit the brownie points by being done up really well with the mix of exotic toppings on a thin crust base. The red sauce spaghetti pasta was amazingly flavourful and creamy and the continental based Mousakka also won the accolades by having the right content in taste and stuffings and satisfying expectations. In the starter section, the panneer tikka was top notch being served on a pan with plenty of juicy pieces which were super succulent and extremely delicious. The Arancini veg balls too were well presented with a dash of red marinara sauce sprayed along judiciously. The dessert draw was a complete masterpiece with virtually every item on the shelf being of high quality. The red velvet cake as well as the chocolate opera and the pista based chocolate pudding were delectable. There were also a reasonable mix of Indian sweets too to entice for the sweet cravers.

On the flip side, the opening encounter viz tomato and vegetable soup was a bit pedestrian. It was too watery in content and loaded with a bunch of veggies and the tomato in the name was just the flavour added and nothing more. It wasn't a great start to be frank but the things which followed more than made up for it. The starters were generally good but the jalapeno cheese balls could have definitely been a touch better if served with some kind of dip preferably of the chilli mayo kind. One other disappointment was largely on the North Indian curries which really didn't seem appeasing both on looks and taste. One surely expected more on this front considering the oeuvre was quite larger compared to other cuisines in the fray. And on the Italian side though the White sauce pasta looked tantalisingly classy and creamy, the taste was a bit sour lacking on the salt content and lack of flavours.

Overall however the good side of things far exceeded the negatives making it pleasing dine out at the end of the day. Despite disappointments, some items stood out shoulders above the rest forging us to go repeat on the same. The service was amiable and hospitable. At all points of time they were by our side and easily accessible and acceding to our requests. As the event was over an invite, pricing goes out of the question. However this is a solid buffet spread for the price which you wouldn't be cribbing too much upon.

Taking the large picture into equation, it ended up being a good little brunch meal ticking most of the boxes which you would usually expect. Most bases are well covered and some additional care on certain nitty gritties will only elevate the experience in dining out at the Waterside in Feathers Hotel.

Bazar @ GRT - An absolutely riveting encounter!

The all day dining restaurant at GRT has received a tremendous facelift and has been rechristened by the name 'Bazaar'. From the moniker it can be easily gauged that the theme must be in relation to the local influx of culture and folklore. But it's much more than just that. A significant amount of homework has been done studying into the potpourri of diversity of the bazaar streamline across India, middle east and the Turkish region.

The ambiance amazes and how. They have captured many intricate details and brought about the rusticity in a very arty form. There is a lot of kitsch associated but you don't feel it to be overdone one bit and only ends up being suave and sophisticated. The usual buffet restaurant's at the star hotels tend to be one dimensional with bright lights and opulent interiors. But Bazaar, GRT bucks the trend by creating a niche trend of it's own which is beautifully appealing and appealingly beautiful.

Some particular anecdotes worth mentioning include incorporating elements from the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. The 5 different kaleidoscope tile pattern have been imported from Cairo. And adding India to the fray, wooden casks have been used for the ceilings just like how it tends to be in a market. The walls were inscribed with items from the field belonging to the GRT group. The decor overall seemed very impressive with a swirl of colours of different proportions making up the surroundings.

The spread on offer was replete with an oeuvre of delectation spanning across various cuisines predominantly oeiental, Indian and continental. They had various sorts of add ons and specific counters for salads, desserts, chaats and an area to dish up one of their specialities namely the 'superbowl' which is apparently a nutrient filled diet rich food constituent made in the ad lib style. Another interesting thing was on the largesse main course section, they separated the stands and there was one exclusively for vegetarian and another for non vegetarian. Along with all these, we also got a crack at some of their special fusion based ala carte cuisine.

It would end up being a dossier if I had to list each of the items and give a description. Briefly to put it in place, the Moroccan soup was mildly spicy containing plenty of ingredients and felt flavourful. The pizza was an absolute delicacy with a string of exotic veggies over a thin crust layer suffused with a tantalising layer of cheese. The sandwiches and burger somehow seemed a little too plain for the liking. The dosa however presented in an immaculate fashion in the form of newspapers were wonderful to consume along with 3 varieties of chutneys and an esculently tasting sambhar. The Panneer Tikka starter was super succulent and packed a punch. The other one's on the day were pretty good too. The superbowl concept however seemed a bit too far fetched. It was massively advertised but felt more like a new age wine in an old bottle. Wouldn't really term it as unique as I have tried similar stuff having different naming convenient elsewhere.

The main course section had a lovely varied spread and most of the things which I had a shot at seemed pleasant to taste. It was of immense proportion and there were options galore. I loved most of the Indian and Continental stock whatever I got to taste. A whirlpool of chaats were another great add on to the mix. We also got to have shots at various mocktail creations. The strawberry banana shake served in a tall glass was lovely. A chocolate shake with pieces of orange peels on them tasted a little odd. The other drinks and Mojito though were immensely refreshing. The dessert draw had quite a feast on offer with a melange of Indian and western sweets and pastries. The service was hospitable and rates are par for the course.

Adumbrating on the whole, it was a fascinating experience visiting Bazaar with it's all encompassing extravaganza and attention to detail on all fronts totally bowling us over. Highly recommended choice for those looking for a grand upscale one of a kind fine dining escapade.

Square - A lavish wholesome brunch!

The 'Square' at Novotel will rake in as perhaps one of the most wholesome brunches I've ever been subject to. It had everything in it's arsenal to appease the taste buds and truly made for an enthralling experience. The spread was replete touching upon a medley of variegated cuisine to ensure a sumptuous feast. The food kept erupting like a lava and kept flowing in abundance. Such was the array on display that you would be virtually spoilt for choice because there was just too much to choose from and you have to take calculated risks in order to have the best of everything.

Quantity accounts for nothing if it doesn't match up with quality and this was where they were streets ahead with most of the stuff being bang on target. There were just a few solitary items which needed improvement but the majority of the coarse made the tongues tingle and crave for more. They covered good ground on all bases and it was apparent from the taste on display.

There were many specialty counters ranging from drinks, chaat, soup and dosa. The drinks section was based on the ad lib concept where you get to make your own drink with help and suggestions thrown in by the bartender to make it exactly the way you want. The chaats had your usual pani puri, dahi puri, pav bhaji etc. They had Laksa soup (A malay version) where you get to pick the type of noodles and veggies which get cooked along and I immensely enjoyed this soup which had a stong tinge of coconut cream to it. They had a plethora of dosa options on the house which were served in an inimitable manner.

The Live Counters account for just a miniscule percentage of the whole course as there were host of other options consisting of an extravagant main course spread, a pastiche of desserts, an eclectic mix of eggs, pancakes and waffles, bunch of starters, assorted salads and so much more in store. They also had fruit juices of different flavors stored in cute test tubes colorfully co-ordinated on the table to get us all set for the big picture.

Another high point of the meal was on the presentation angle. It just made our foray all the more memorable. The attention to detail paid on all fronts really deserves the plaudits. It really showed well and clear the efforts behind the scenes to orchestrate this exquisite show.

The service was top notch and they made sure the customer goes back having the pleasure of dining here. They were amiable, friendly and ever ready to take in any sort of feedback. There was hardly anything to pinpoint as even the minor blips were addressed with care and caution. As we were on an invite, I would have to refrain from commenting on the prices. But I must say for the magnanimous and lavish spread on offer, this brunch would be worth every single penny.

The location maybe a constraint as the place is located at a considerable distance from the heart of the city. But come to think of it, if you're looking for a getaway spot away from the hustle and bustle of the city and have a calm, laidback meal at your own leisure with even a dip in the pool as part of the package and to boot listen to some old school blues and jazz music you really can't complain. In essence a lovely option for brunch to satisfy your desideratum.