The Winners bakery in Alwarpet has always been a trusted place of choice. They have a very good array of products and do an amazing job of whatever they dish out.
Their racks comprising of varieties of puffs, rolls, bun, sandwiches, cakes, pastries, tarts, breads etc are a sight to behold. Just a cursory glance at those layered rows will have your mouth smirk with excitement.
It is a pretty small outlet and not very convenient to have there itself. It's preferable to parcel your stuff and have at the comfort of your home. The rates are a little costlier than your usual bakery but it's well worth paying that buck extra as the quality you get is simply fantastic.
It's hard to pigeonhole and mention specifically as to what their top notch item is as most of the stuff they have on offer are top bracket draw. However personally I do have a little extra craving for their cheese n onion pie and never fail to grab a bite of that during my many visits here. The butter cream pastries in different flavors also happen to be awesome.
I've seldom been disappointed with Winners and I will keep coming here as and when I please. Easily one of the best bakeries in town.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Jupiter Express - Modeled on the Railways!
When I heard about this new restaurant 'Jupiter Express' modelled on the Indian railways, I was more than eager to check it out. Come to think of it, you do have cafe's pertaining to all kind of themes but a full fledged restaurant made to resemble a high end luxury train was something new and exciting. It is surely one of a kind at least in the city of Chennai.
Jupiter express is located in Gopalapuram and comes across as you take the passerby lane adjacent to Gangotree and is housed in a complex in between 'The Katti roll shop' and 'Bayleaf'. From the outset, there's no way you could imagine what you will encounter inset.
As you get upstairs to the first floor to the restaurant, you see a quirky door resembling that of a train compartment and also there is a booking counter by the side. Found it quite imaginative and attractive.
Once you enter you will be bowled by the set up. It is designed so beautifully that it gives you the feel of dining in a high styled upscale luxury coach. There is a lot of inventiveness in place with add-on's like platform, boggie, name plate of train, number and class of coach, seat and reservation list, replica of train windows, handle railing etc. There are also cartoons and wallpapers depicting passengers, luggages, porters, ticket collector, goods train and a host of other things bringing to light the cream of everything associated with the railways. It was quite exhilarating to witness all this and young kids am sure will really find favour with this train themed restaurant.
The seating is polarised into 3 fold. A massive table placed just outside where the train is situated and then a side enclosure which is your usual restaurant kind with elevated cushions and then there is the prominent coach bastion as you board the train which comprises the major portion and also is easily the most happening of the lot.
Coming to the food it is a full on vegetarian fare and they have plenty load of options spanning majorly North Indian and also quite a bit of Italian, Chinese and Continental added to the fray. The menu is very elaborate and keeps running into a number of pages. Even in a luxury train your options on food maybe limited but there is no shortage of choices here. Each of the items have a label attached to it and the categories are divided well with interesting taglines like soups are titled "The Opening Act", Salads come with the moniker of "The Insalate fix", Starters are termed as "Before the Ride" and the Main course is described as "The Masterpiece".
We decided to go Indian for the day and ordered a couple of starters viz Paneer Tikka and Veg Sheekh Kabab. The former was succulent and super soft and delicious. The latter had an a nice pasty mix to it. Didn't taste like the usual Sheekh Kabab's I've had but nevertheless was fairly nice. For main course we had Garlic Naan, Veg biryani, Peas Pulav and a couple of tandoor gravies in the form of a Paneer Makhani and Dal Makhani. The Indian bread was how it should be, both the rice items were decent enough but far away from anything remotely greatness. I liked the Paneer Makhani which had a nice twang to it but the Dal Makhani was a little watery and the quantity served especially was shocking.
We refrained from having desserts. Overall the food was pretty decent with not much to complain on the taste angle but the biggest blip was the pricing. Almost every single dish costs upwards towards the 300 range and with taxes and service charge to boot comes up to being extremely expensive. The service too was rather slow taking plenty amount of time to bring the food.
Since they have a pretty gargantuan spread, I will like to visit again to try more of their offerings. It does have it's moments and am pretty sure it will attract crowds in the days to come especially young children and teenagers. At this point of time however, it's too early to give a call and time will tell how Jupiter Exprezz will embark on it's journey.
Jupiter express is located in Gopalapuram and comes across as you take the passerby lane adjacent to Gangotree and is housed in a complex in between 'The Katti roll shop' and 'Bayleaf'. From the outset, there's no way you could imagine what you will encounter inset.
As you get upstairs to the first floor to the restaurant, you see a quirky door resembling that of a train compartment and also there is a booking counter by the side. Found it quite imaginative and attractive.
Once you enter you will be bowled by the set up. It is designed so beautifully that it gives you the feel of dining in a high styled upscale luxury coach. There is a lot of inventiveness in place with add-on's like platform, boggie, name plate of train, number and class of coach, seat and reservation list, replica of train windows, handle railing etc. There are also cartoons and wallpapers depicting passengers, luggages, porters, ticket collector, goods train and a host of other things bringing to light the cream of everything associated with the railways. It was quite exhilarating to witness all this and young kids am sure will really find favour with this train themed restaurant.
The seating is polarised into 3 fold. A massive table placed just outside where the train is situated and then a side enclosure which is your usual restaurant kind with elevated cushions and then there is the prominent coach bastion as you board the train which comprises the major portion and also is easily the most happening of the lot.
Coming to the food it is a full on vegetarian fare and they have plenty load of options spanning majorly North Indian and also quite a bit of Italian, Chinese and Continental added to the fray. The menu is very elaborate and keeps running into a number of pages. Even in a luxury train your options on food maybe limited but there is no shortage of choices here. Each of the items have a label attached to it and the categories are divided well with interesting taglines like soups are titled "The Opening Act", Salads come with the moniker of "The Insalate fix", Starters are termed as "Before the Ride" and the Main course is described as "The Masterpiece".
We decided to go Indian for the day and ordered a couple of starters viz Paneer Tikka and Veg Sheekh Kabab. The former was succulent and super soft and delicious. The latter had an a nice pasty mix to it. Didn't taste like the usual Sheekh Kabab's I've had but nevertheless was fairly nice. For main course we had Garlic Naan, Veg biryani, Peas Pulav and a couple of tandoor gravies in the form of a Paneer Makhani and Dal Makhani. The Indian bread was how it should be, both the rice items were decent enough but far away from anything remotely greatness. I liked the Paneer Makhani which had a nice twang to it but the Dal Makhani was a little watery and the quantity served especially was shocking.
We refrained from having desserts. Overall the food was pretty decent with not much to complain on the taste angle but the biggest blip was the pricing. Almost every single dish costs upwards towards the 300 range and with taxes and service charge to boot comes up to being extremely expensive. The service too was rather slow taking plenty amount of time to bring the food.
Since they have a pretty gargantuan spread, I will like to visit again to try more of their offerings. It does have it's moments and am pretty sure it will attract crowds in the days to come especially young children and teenagers. At this point of time however, it's too early to give a call and time will tell how Jupiter Exprezz will embark on it's journey.
Theme of the Sea - Port Cafe
Stopped over at this new cafe in 'Kodambakkam' titled 'The Port Cafe' for some light bites and desserts. The place is themed on the sea and so you have a graffiti of a huge ship and then you find a lot of related stuff such as boats, fish nets, life jackets, oil containers and a host of other stuff.
The place is enclosed into two parts - the open arena where you get to see all the sea based stuff and an inside portion which is pretty prosaic. Though it was evening time, we were forced to sit under the closed surrounding. Frankly this area of the cafe pales in comparison to the breezy open air surrounding.
As we had already consumed a heavy lunch, we just went with a starter in the form of a Corn cheese balls which were heart shaped and infused with a dollop of cheese interspersed over the corn. It tasted pretty nice however was a tad bit salty. Then had a crack of couple of their desserts viz the Brownie with Ice cream and an Adorable Devil. The former brownie was chunky and soft and went well with the accompanying vanilla ice-cream. The latter was a crepe covered over banana and ice-cream and coated with nuts and honey glaze. It surely wasn't adorable especially because the predominant crepe was very raw and took the taste away from the covered part which was rather nice. Somehow this dessert didn't stick well and was quite pedestrian.
The rates seem fairly reasonable and you wouldn't term any of the items to be outright expensive. The service was prompt and quick and nothing really to complain on this front.
It wasn't the best of days compounded more by not sitting at the place of preference and being unable to enjoy the breeze. Also it's too close to call and give a rating based on the very little food we tasted. But simply based on this particular outing would term this experience under the average category.
The place is enclosed into two parts - the open arena where you get to see all the sea based stuff and an inside portion which is pretty prosaic. Though it was evening time, we were forced to sit under the closed surrounding. Frankly this area of the cafe pales in comparison to the breezy open air surrounding.
As we had already consumed a heavy lunch, we just went with a starter in the form of a Corn cheese balls which were heart shaped and infused with a dollop of cheese interspersed over the corn. It tasted pretty nice however was a tad bit salty. Then had a crack of couple of their desserts viz the Brownie with Ice cream and an Adorable Devil. The former brownie was chunky and soft and went well with the accompanying vanilla ice-cream. The latter was a crepe covered over banana and ice-cream and coated with nuts and honey glaze. It surely wasn't adorable especially because the predominant crepe was very raw and took the taste away from the covered part which was rather nice. Somehow this dessert didn't stick well and was quite pedestrian.
The rates seem fairly reasonable and you wouldn't term any of the items to be outright expensive. The service was prompt and quick and nothing really to complain on this front.
It wasn't the best of days compounded more by not sitting at the place of preference and being unable to enjoy the breeze. Also it's too close to call and give a rating based on the very little food we tasted. But simply based on this particular outing would term this experience under the average category.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Parfait 3, Klpauk - More than a Bakery!
The Parfait 3 in Kilpauk is a decent little place and can be termed as much more than just a bakery. It doesn't reek of any high end ambiance nor classy decor. It's a pretty simple joint serving products you normally get in a cafe.
We were invited as a team of food bloggers to check some of their stuff out and were given items to choose from a set menu. Overall turned out to be quite a mixed bag. Penned down below is a high level summary of the items we got to taste.
Beverage: It was a mango mint smoothie and a good start to the proceedings. It had a nice punch to it and the dot of spice in combination with the mango flavoring was quite interesting.
Soup: This came in the form of a Mix veg cream soup. It was pure white in color with a frothy layer of cream and an amalgam of veggies. I like soups of this kind and a thumbs up here.
Salad: A green veg pineapple one. It was pretty ordinary and run of the mill. It just comprised of a few plain pieces of pineapple along with tomatoes and cabbages. A little bit of garnishing and dressing could have helped a bit.
Starters: Had 2 choices for veg - Brocolli Fritters and Paneer Cheese Balls. The former were golden deep fried and had a crunchy taste to it. It wasn't spectacular by any means but passed the test. The latter were brown cutlet balls infused with cheese and paneer which were fairly good. Expected a dip more than just ketchup but alas was left disappointed.
Main course: First we got a bite into their sandwich titled creamy bro cheese. They resembled the bun format and and sandwiched inside was a creamy layer of veggies melted with cheese. I kinda enjoyed it. Next we moved on to the Veg Creamy tomato pasta. It was penne made in a mixture of red and white sauce smattered with grated pieces of cheese and for me one of the highlights of the evening. It was juicy, creamy and tasty. Definitely one of the better pasta's I've had. Finally it was the turn of Butter rice with creamy veg. Nothing much to write home about here as it was just plain rice with hardly a taste of butter to go along with a creamy veg gravy and it can at best be termed average.
Desserts: This is their forte and stronghold and they showed they were the boss here. We were served a plethora of pastries via tarts, cakes and brownies. Nothing much to complain here. Most of them as expected excelled and were a win.
The service was a little slow and it was clearly visible that it wasn't easy to manage a big set of people with little staff. But they did their job pleasingly with a smile. Though this event was an 'on the house', the rates seem quite marginal. The outlet looks a little dated. A bit of color, vibrancy and quirkiness can go a long way in elevating the joint a wee bit.
Parfait 3 does have it's share of grouses. But looking at the larger perspective there surely are more positives than negatives. A nice outlet to indulge in some light bites and confabulation.
We were invited as a team of food bloggers to check some of their stuff out and were given items to choose from a set menu. Overall turned out to be quite a mixed bag. Penned down below is a high level summary of the items we got to taste.
Beverage: It was a mango mint smoothie and a good start to the proceedings. It had a nice punch to it and the dot of spice in combination with the mango flavoring was quite interesting.
Soup: This came in the form of a Mix veg cream soup. It was pure white in color with a frothy layer of cream and an amalgam of veggies. I like soups of this kind and a thumbs up here.
Salad: A green veg pineapple one. It was pretty ordinary and run of the mill. It just comprised of a few plain pieces of pineapple along with tomatoes and cabbages. A little bit of garnishing and dressing could have helped a bit.
Starters: Had 2 choices for veg - Brocolli Fritters and Paneer Cheese Balls. The former were golden deep fried and had a crunchy taste to it. It wasn't spectacular by any means but passed the test. The latter were brown cutlet balls infused with cheese and paneer which were fairly good. Expected a dip more than just ketchup but alas was left disappointed.
Main course: First we got a bite into their sandwich titled creamy bro cheese. They resembled the bun format and and sandwiched inside was a creamy layer of veggies melted with cheese. I kinda enjoyed it. Next we moved on to the Veg Creamy tomato pasta. It was penne made in a mixture of red and white sauce smattered with grated pieces of cheese and for me one of the highlights of the evening. It was juicy, creamy and tasty. Definitely one of the better pasta's I've had. Finally it was the turn of Butter rice with creamy veg. Nothing much to write home about here as it was just plain rice with hardly a taste of butter to go along with a creamy veg gravy and it can at best be termed average.
Desserts: This is their forte and stronghold and they showed they were the boss here. We were served a plethora of pastries via tarts, cakes and brownies. Nothing much to complain here. Most of them as expected excelled and were a win.
The service was a little slow and it was clearly visible that it wasn't easy to manage a big set of people with little staff. But they did their job pleasingly with a smile. Though this event was an 'on the house', the rates seem quite marginal. The outlet looks a little dated. A bit of color, vibrancy and quirkiness can go a long way in elevating the joint a wee bit.
Parfait 3 does have it's share of grouses. But looking at the larger perspective there surely are more positives than negatives. A nice outlet to indulge in some light bites and confabulation.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Perungudi gets lucky with Lucky Da Punjabi
I was happy seeing a Punjabi restaurant come to this neck of the woods in Perungudi which is the home of a truckload of office campuses submerged with a stack of employees. Though there is a lot of potential and opportunity for the restaurant market here, there are hardly very few good one's within this vicinity. Seeing a full fledged Punjabi eatery was definitely welcoming.
From the outset it looks a pretty small and low key. Only on entering did I realise I had underestimated it somewhat. They have really done up the place nicely within the limited space constraints. It's pretty funky with a melange of kitschy colors and antique stuff hanging around. Big wheels of cycles adorning the brick walls and miniature versions of olden day telephones/ bicycle/ rickshaws/ wine bottles etc give it a nice twang. An olden day cot and the roof resembling hay tries to give it the vintage effect of being in a typical punjabi village. It was pretty impressive seeing the way the place is done and I surely didn't fathom all this before stepping foot.
On the food side, they have good old authentic tasty Punjabi food. We ordered for Butter Naan, Masala Kulcha and a Cheese Paratha to go along with a Paneer Makhani and a Dal Makhani. The breads were well made and big and fluffy. The panneer gravy was creamy with succulent pieces of that evergreen delicacy that the North is so famous for. The Dal Makhani too was also lovely however felt it to be a tad watery.
The service was quick and we were served our food in a jiffy. Having a jar of green chutney and vinegar onions always helps and that was another add-on. The utensils used for serving the curries is neat and gives that traditional essence. The rates seem affordable, just felt however the pricing of Indian bread were slightly on the higher side but for the mains they seemed apt. It's a small place with just a few tables but is well maintained and clean.
Overall the food was great and I am looking forward to come here more often. I believe it's the same management that also oversees Pind and that makes me really excited to have a crack at their Panneer Tikka and many of their other stuff on my next visit(s). Lucky Da Punjabi is a sure win!.
From the outset it looks a pretty small and low key. Only on entering did I realise I had underestimated it somewhat. They have really done up the place nicely within the limited space constraints. It's pretty funky with a melange of kitschy colors and antique stuff hanging around. Big wheels of cycles adorning the brick walls and miniature versions of olden day telephones/ bicycle/ rickshaws/ wine bottles etc give it a nice twang. An olden day cot and the roof resembling hay tries to give it the vintage effect of being in a typical punjabi village. It was pretty impressive seeing the way the place is done and I surely didn't fathom all this before stepping foot.
On the food side, they have good old authentic tasty Punjabi food. We ordered for Butter Naan, Masala Kulcha and a Cheese Paratha to go along with a Paneer Makhani and a Dal Makhani. The breads were well made and big and fluffy. The panneer gravy was creamy with succulent pieces of that evergreen delicacy that the North is so famous for. The Dal Makhani too was also lovely however felt it to be a tad watery.
The service was quick and we were served our food in a jiffy. Having a jar of green chutney and vinegar onions always helps and that was another add-on. The utensils used for serving the curries is neat and gives that traditional essence. The rates seem affordable, just felt however the pricing of Indian bread were slightly on the higher side but for the mains they seemed apt. It's a small place with just a few tables but is well maintained and clean.
Overall the food was great and I am looking forward to come here more often. I believe it's the same management that also oversees Pind and that makes me really excited to have a crack at their Panneer Tikka and many of their other stuff on my next visit(s). Lucky Da Punjabi is a sure win!.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
True Blue Thai at Absolut Thai
Thai based restaurant's seem to be suddenly springing up in a major way and most of them seem to be located within striking distance of one another. 'Absolute Thai' is one of the recent offerings bringing to the plate authentic Thai cuisine. This one is mushroomed in the Cenotaph main road in a compound which also has a Sushi restaurant and a Baker's street about to be launched soon.
The ambiance here is fairly simple with nothing over the top. Lots of red, orange and gold adorn the place perhaps in tune with the culture of South east Asia which defines a sense of peace and quietitude and in line is the minimalistic music playing at the background. The letters of the Thailand language inscribed in the wooden interiors add a nice touch. The decor comprises of cushioned seats and though they are comfortable would be good if they can elevate the height for the back to rest a wee bit.
They have done away with the traditional bound menu format and here it comes in the form of a pamphlet spread on your table. The 2 sides of which the top side consists of the detailed menu comprising roughly 80 items and the bottom half gives a descriptive look of the signature dishes forming around 30 of those making your work easier in choosing the best of the lot.
Went here for a sunday night dinner and ordered the following stuff:
Tom Kha soup (Creamy coconut soup): It was absolutely lovely. It was liquidy with a dash of cream and assorted veggies floating along. Sufficient quantity and wonderful flavoring giving an enticing taste to the mouth. Seldom have had a better and different soup than this one.
Khoa Pod Tod Namprikpow (Baby corn tossed with roasted chilli paste and serviced in rice tartlets): This one was as crispy as it gets. The rice tartlets were used as holders for holding the baby corn. A bunch of pieces of corn fitted along nicely and were spruced up with the requisite spices giving a crunchy taste. A good starter on the veg section.
Phat Bami (Stir fried Egg Garlic Noodles): The noodles were decent and nicely stir fried. It was more of the usual stuff and you didn't get the feeling of tasting something exotic and unique. The test was passed but the score was in the borderline range.
Kaeng Kiew Wan (Thai Green Curry): It was my first tryst with the ever popular Thai green curry. Was suggested to try this and was told that it would be a good bet with the noodles. Don't know much about the history of the green and red curries but I expected it to be more thicker but it turned out to be pretty watery and soaked with a plethora of veggies. It was a little too spicy for the tongue but I kind of enjoyed the taste. It was a different experience.
They were also quite magnanimous to serve a lime ginger mocktail, betel leaves with several condiments to toss up and eat and also regular servings of lemon grass tea as complementary.
The service was amicable with the waiters wearing a smile on their face and willing to help us go about with our orders. It's not easy not knowing much of Thai cuisine and they were a great helping hand. The rates are simply put on the expensive side. It is a bit deceiving as the prices mentioned on the menu are sans 10% service charge, 5.6% sales tax and 2% VAT and your bill will end up coming higher than you envisage. Parking facilities are promptly available.
If you happen to be a vegetarian options are far and few in between. Surely not the best place to dine out if you happen to stick with just veg. It's early days yet for Absolute Thai and hoping that as time goes along they emerge to be a big time player in the Thai/Chinese food genre. Simply from my first visit here, would term it as a pretty satisfying dinner experience.
The ambiance here is fairly simple with nothing over the top. Lots of red, orange and gold adorn the place perhaps in tune with the culture of South east Asia which defines a sense of peace and quietitude and in line is the minimalistic music playing at the background. The letters of the Thailand language inscribed in the wooden interiors add a nice touch. The decor comprises of cushioned seats and though they are comfortable would be good if they can elevate the height for the back to rest a wee bit.
They have done away with the traditional bound menu format and here it comes in the form of a pamphlet spread on your table. The 2 sides of which the top side consists of the detailed menu comprising roughly 80 items and the bottom half gives a descriptive look of the signature dishes forming around 30 of those making your work easier in choosing the best of the lot.
Went here for a sunday night dinner and ordered the following stuff:
Tom Kha soup (Creamy coconut soup): It was absolutely lovely. It was liquidy with a dash of cream and assorted veggies floating along. Sufficient quantity and wonderful flavoring giving an enticing taste to the mouth. Seldom have had a better and different soup than this one.
Khoa Pod Tod Namprikpow (Baby corn tossed with roasted chilli paste and serviced in rice tartlets): This one was as crispy as it gets. The rice tartlets were used as holders for holding the baby corn. A bunch of pieces of corn fitted along nicely and were spruced up with the requisite spices giving a crunchy taste. A good starter on the veg section.
Phat Bami (Stir fried Egg Garlic Noodles): The noodles were decent and nicely stir fried. It was more of the usual stuff and you didn't get the feeling of tasting something exotic and unique. The test was passed but the score was in the borderline range.
Kaeng Kiew Wan (Thai Green Curry): It was my first tryst with the ever popular Thai green curry. Was suggested to try this and was told that it would be a good bet with the noodles. Don't know much about the history of the green and red curries but I expected it to be more thicker but it turned out to be pretty watery and soaked with a plethora of veggies. It was a little too spicy for the tongue but I kind of enjoyed the taste. It was a different experience.
They were also quite magnanimous to serve a lime ginger mocktail, betel leaves with several condiments to toss up and eat and also regular servings of lemon grass tea as complementary.
The service was amicable with the waiters wearing a smile on their face and willing to help us go about with our orders. It's not easy not knowing much of Thai cuisine and they were a great helping hand. The rates are simply put on the expensive side. It is a bit deceiving as the prices mentioned on the menu are sans 10% service charge, 5.6% sales tax and 2% VAT and your bill will end up coming higher than you envisage. Parking facilities are promptly available.
If you happen to be a vegetarian options are far and few in between. Surely not the best place to dine out if you happen to stick with just veg. It's early days yet for Absolute Thai and hoping that as time goes along they emerge to be a big time player in the Thai/Chinese food genre. Simply from my first visit here, would term it as a pretty satisfying dinner experience.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Padmashri Foods - A little hidden gem
Padmashri Foods is tucked in a small lane in CIT Colony, Mylapore. CIT colony has a see saw of lanes and it may be difficult to find the place but maps should definitely aid the process and make your work easier. It is located in the basement of an apartment. They specialise in a bunch of assorted short eats ranging from variants of cakes, short eats in the form of mini pizza's, puffs and sandwiches and a whole lot of cookies and home made chocolates.
It was a rainy evening and I was craving for some munchies when I remembered this place and decided to get some shorteats from here. Ordered the following stuff - 2 Mini veg Pizza's, veg puff, Swedish Tosca, Cashewnut Brownie, Banana Walnut Muffin, Mississippi Mudpie and an Irish Coffee cake and all of them together costed a shade under 200 bucks.
Make no mistake, all of them tasted really great and score high on the value for money factor. Special thumbs up especially to the Tosca and the mudpie which were ever so mouthwatering. Am personally delighted to have found this little hidden gem. I am surely frequenting this outlet more often to have a repeat of some of what I had and also to savour some of their other cravings they have on offer. Highly recommend for some enjoyable evening quick bites.
It was a rainy evening and I was craving for some munchies when I remembered this place and decided to get some shorteats from here. Ordered the following stuff - 2 Mini veg Pizza's, veg puff, Swedish Tosca, Cashewnut Brownie, Banana Walnut Muffin, Mississippi Mudpie and an Irish Coffee cake and all of them together costed a shade under 200 bucks.
Make no mistake, all of them tasted really great and score high on the value for money factor. Special thumbs up especially to the Tosca and the mudpie which were ever so mouthwatering. Am personally delighted to have found this little hidden gem. I am surely frequenting this outlet more often to have a repeat of some of what I had and also to savour some of their other cravings they have on offer. Highly recommend for some enjoyable evening quick bites.
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Absolute Barbecue - Get Set Go G(D)rilling!
I have been to Absolute Barbecue many a time in it's 1 year of operation in the city. But, I am going to place focus specifically on 2 of my visits - My first sojourn when AB's just started it out on Oct 2014 and my recent outing in Oct'15 as part of a team of bloggers for the 'Al Karamba' Caribbean festival where we were served some special offerings from the island nation.
After a being a thumping success in Bangalore & Hyderabad, the Chennai crowd has well and truly lapped up the brand of Absolute Barbecue's. It has been a runaway blockbuster hit and continues to attract the houseful board and if one has to attribute 2 reasons for its super success, one is the wide variety of food on offer and the second being the superlative service. AB's has always been a step up on the ladder and its clearly visible with all the extra efforts taken by them to enhance the customer experience.
T Nagar seems to be the preferred location for Barbecue restaurant's in the city and this one's located in GN Chetty road somewhat in the adjoining space between Accord Metropolitan and Residency. From the outset you just see a board and there is nothing spectacular about the building hosting this place but the real surprise is when you step into the 3rd floor to get inside the restaurant.
The place is cool,chic,stylish and really happening. The design is done up tastefully and feels like it can accommodate hordes of people. It is well lit up and glistens with an interesting palate of colors. Seems even quirkier seeing the waiters dressed up in bright yellow shirts normally and on festive occasions you witness a change according to the 'T'. There is loud old english music playing in the background giving a buzzing atmosphere overall.
To say that there are plentiful items in store to satiate your appetite is really an understatement. The spread is so gargantuan that even an ogre would not be able to do complete justice. In the veg buffet starter barbeque section there are usually versions of Grilled kababs, Panneer, Potato, Mushroom, American Cheesy Potato and Crispy corn. Behold these are just the items mentioned but apart from that they happen to be very magnanimous and also provide extra's such as Grilled Cauliflower , Barbeque / sliced Pineapple's and Barbeque Watermelon. The barbeque's are cooked to perfection and tempered with the right juice and punch giving a flavorful feel to the mouth. And for the Caribbean festival, they tweaked quite a bit of their signature starters to bring the flavors and taste of the West Indies.
If you thought this was all in the starter's part wait till you hear this. They have a unique concept called the 'Wish Grill' where you get to make and eat them ad-lib style. It is a 4 step process where you first get to pick your veggies or meat (Everything you name and more is there). Secondly you get to top your ingredients with rice or noodles and once this is done you get to check with the chef for the choice of sauces (You are allowed to taste sample's for your preference) and on top of the sauces (so many choices) you get to load them with condiments comprising of Chilli flakes, oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil etc. And voila you watch your taste wish get fulfilled. I really loved my wish grill which was nicely cooked and tender with the right blend and mix.
Once you are done with the Barbeque's and Wish Grill, you really wouldn't have the wherewithal to try anything else. However, the main course is in no way any lesser as you have a wide oeuvre here too. From the little I tasted found the AB's special Dal to be simmeringly delightful and the Paneer sheesh mahal with a coating of spinach inside oval shaped cottage cheese to be delectable. They also have a host of other gravies and curries to go along with their Veg Dum Biriyani, plain rice and Indian Bread. And you always have a soup which is decent and to boot some accompanying salads. Also you get a mocktail to choose from a span of several of which i chose the Black buck - a blackcurrent based drink on my first visit and a pineapple passion on my recent foray which came delightfully in a decorated real pineapple with a straw inserted at the side which tasted absolutely ravishing.
They also have a truckload of desserts with live counters of Indian sweets and a number of pastries to choose from. And on the ice-cream front they make you coldstone icecream of your choice of flavor and topping. It was really a sight watching them make it in front of you dashing them in the cold stoned rectangle and regardless to say i loved my ice-cream which was soft , mellow and meltilicious.
It turns out to be an absolute wow barbecue experience every time you come here. You have plethora of food erupting like a lava making you pack your stomach to the rafters. It feels as if you've had 3 meals in one go pampering and spoiling you like crazy. Go give your decadence a Hi-5. Such is the variety and quantity of food in store that if you start to explain each and every item it would very well end up being a dossier.
The waiters are very prompt and the chef is very sweet in personally coming and asking for feedback and taking suggestions of how to further give their best. It really feels like they value customer feedback seriously.
There is hardly a negative bone at AB's. Its heartwarming to see that they have continued to maintain their service and quality over the past year attracting more and more customers and building up a huge fan base. Here's wishing them well to assert their supremacy further as they head into their second year. Go Grilling!
P.S: Sharing below my second review to this place as and when it opened its doors in Velachery.
Absolute Barbecues entry to Chennai with their T-Nagar outlet hasn't been anything short of path breaking with record crowds thronging the outlet time and again like a deluge. It has seen phenomenal rise over the last 2 years and is one of the unprecedented success stories witnessed in the food scene of Chennai.
After regaling and enthralling the barbeque lovers, it was time to expand the radar and they have now opened their second outlet in the Taramani Link road en route to Velachery. Strategically this is a brilliant choice for location as the surrounding area is in close proximity to a glut of IT and business parks and a ginormous amount of folks work right round the corner. They have essentially placed themselves easily accessible to the Corporates and it's a given with AB's reputation already soaring high that this will be lapped up with open arms.
We were here on an invite on a Saturday evening and it was no surprise that it was completely packed to the rafters. There is an inherent buzz about the place and the atmosphere is electrifying. There is always some sort of action happening at AB's and the pulsating vibe here is pretty infectious. You will see the servers on their toes converging the area acceding to customers requests. The rumbling sound of the utensils, the constant chatter amongst groups of people, moving about in a helter skelter manner to refill your plate, the loud music playing at the background et al add to the experience of dining at AB's.
AB's is one restaurant which is designed to showcase your gluttony instincts to the fore. Their starters are a class apart tempered with the right texture and punch and it's hard not to gobble them up piece by piece and repeat the same again and again. You never really get bored of their grilled stuff and they also innovate by bringing newer things to the table adding to the excitement. In the veg category, you usually have your panneer, mushroom, babycorn, potatoes, pineapple etc. They also have special starters directly served and is amazing how willing they are to provide you with a largesse fest. On this occasion we got the delightfully soft beetroot cutlets and the honey pineapples pierced right in front of us from a giant sized pineapple fruit. The wish grill is another sphere which entices the customers as this is based on the ad-lib style of choosing your ingredients from a mass list and adding your sauces and sprucing up the masala to create something of your own.
These kind of grilled based restaurants work on the pareto analysis of roughly 80-20 portfolio with 80% occupying the barbeque starters and perhaps 20% making up the main course and desserts. However on quantity main course is pretty widespread standalone. But it's just that you won't be having the wherewithal to try your hand too much at these considering you're already detonated having stuffed yourself to the brim with the starters. From whatever little I tasted though, they seemed to be pretty good. The desserts section has a mix of western pastries and Indian sweets with ice cream to boot.
It's really hard to pinpoint issues at AB's because they happen to be so bloody good and they virtually ensure that all bases get covered. They have played it safe here and seem to follow the path of the former AB's in T Nagar to the 'T'. There isn't anything off the cuff or radically different and it makes sense because you don't try to fix something which is already running super smooth.
The service was exemplary as usual with the staff at your beck and call and taking all efforts to ensure we have a good time. Though our encounter was over an 'on the house', the pricing can be termed reasonable for the mind blowing feast on offer. Other factors like valet parking is rightfully available which is a plus one.
It's always a pleasure to dine in at Absolute Barbecues and our recent visit was no different. It was a fun evening of food and frolic. This new Absolute Barbecues at Velachery has already embarked on an earth shattering start and you have to be a brave man to bet against it soaking in record breaking crowds going forward.
After a being a thumping success in Bangalore & Hyderabad, the Chennai crowd has well and truly lapped up the brand of Absolute Barbecue's. It has been a runaway blockbuster hit and continues to attract the houseful board and if one has to attribute 2 reasons for its super success, one is the wide variety of food on offer and the second being the superlative service. AB's has always been a step up on the ladder and its clearly visible with all the extra efforts taken by them to enhance the customer experience.
T Nagar seems to be the preferred location for Barbecue restaurant's in the city and this one's located in GN Chetty road somewhat in the adjoining space between Accord Metropolitan and Residency. From the outset you just see a board and there is nothing spectacular about the building hosting this place but the real surprise is when you step into the 3rd floor to get inside the restaurant.
The place is cool,chic,stylish and really happening. The design is done up tastefully and feels like it can accommodate hordes of people. It is well lit up and glistens with an interesting palate of colors. Seems even quirkier seeing the waiters dressed up in bright yellow shirts normally and on festive occasions you witness a change according to the 'T'. There is loud old english music playing in the background giving a buzzing atmosphere overall.
To say that there are plentiful items in store to satiate your appetite is really an understatement. The spread is so gargantuan that even an ogre would not be able to do complete justice. In the veg buffet starter barbeque section there are usually versions of Grilled kababs, Panneer, Potato, Mushroom, American Cheesy Potato and Crispy corn. Behold these are just the items mentioned but apart from that they happen to be very magnanimous and also provide extra's such as Grilled Cauliflower , Barbeque / sliced Pineapple's and Barbeque Watermelon. The barbeque's are cooked to perfection and tempered with the right juice and punch giving a flavorful feel to the mouth. And for the Caribbean festival, they tweaked quite a bit of their signature starters to bring the flavors and taste of the West Indies.
If you thought this was all in the starter's part wait till you hear this. They have a unique concept called the 'Wish Grill' where you get to make and eat them ad-lib style. It is a 4 step process where you first get to pick your veggies or meat (Everything you name and more is there). Secondly you get to top your ingredients with rice or noodles and once this is done you get to check with the chef for the choice of sauces (You are allowed to taste sample's for your preference) and on top of the sauces (so many choices) you get to load them with condiments comprising of Chilli flakes, oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil etc. And voila you watch your taste wish get fulfilled. I really loved my wish grill which was nicely cooked and tender with the right blend and mix.
Once you are done with the Barbeque's and Wish Grill, you really wouldn't have the wherewithal to try anything else. However, the main course is in no way any lesser as you have a wide oeuvre here too. From the little I tasted found the AB's special Dal to be simmeringly delightful and the Paneer sheesh mahal with a coating of spinach inside oval shaped cottage cheese to be delectable. They also have a host of other gravies and curries to go along with their Veg Dum Biriyani, plain rice and Indian Bread. And you always have a soup which is decent and to boot some accompanying salads. Also you get a mocktail to choose from a span of several of which i chose the Black buck - a blackcurrent based drink on my first visit and a pineapple passion on my recent foray which came delightfully in a decorated real pineapple with a straw inserted at the side which tasted absolutely ravishing.
They also have a truckload of desserts with live counters of Indian sweets and a number of pastries to choose from. And on the ice-cream front they make you coldstone icecream of your choice of flavor and topping. It was really a sight watching them make it in front of you dashing them in the cold stoned rectangle and regardless to say i loved my ice-cream which was soft , mellow and meltilicious.
It turns out to be an absolute wow barbecue experience every time you come here. You have plethora of food erupting like a lava making you pack your stomach to the rafters. It feels as if you've had 3 meals in one go pampering and spoiling you like crazy. Go give your decadence a Hi-5. Such is the variety and quantity of food in store that if you start to explain each and every item it would very well end up being a dossier.
The waiters are very prompt and the chef is very sweet in personally coming and asking for feedback and taking suggestions of how to further give their best. It really feels like they value customer feedback seriously.
There is hardly a negative bone at AB's. Its heartwarming to see that they have continued to maintain their service and quality over the past year attracting more and more customers and building up a huge fan base. Here's wishing them well to assert their supremacy further as they head into their second year. Go Grilling!
P.S: Sharing below my second review to this place as and when it opened its doors in Velachery.
Absolute Barbecues entry to Chennai with their T-Nagar outlet hasn't been anything short of path breaking with record crowds thronging the outlet time and again like a deluge. It has seen phenomenal rise over the last 2 years and is one of the unprecedented success stories witnessed in the food scene of Chennai.
After regaling and enthralling the barbeque lovers, it was time to expand the radar and they have now opened their second outlet in the Taramani Link road en route to Velachery. Strategically this is a brilliant choice for location as the surrounding area is in close proximity to a glut of IT and business parks and a ginormous amount of folks work right round the corner. They have essentially placed themselves easily accessible to the Corporates and it's a given with AB's reputation already soaring high that this will be lapped up with open arms.
We were here on an invite on a Saturday evening and it was no surprise that it was completely packed to the rafters. There is an inherent buzz about the place and the atmosphere is electrifying. There is always some sort of action happening at AB's and the pulsating vibe here is pretty infectious. You will see the servers on their toes converging the area acceding to customers requests. The rumbling sound of the utensils, the constant chatter amongst groups of people, moving about in a helter skelter manner to refill your plate, the loud music playing at the background et al add to the experience of dining at AB's.
AB's is one restaurant which is designed to showcase your gluttony instincts to the fore. Their starters are a class apart tempered with the right texture and punch and it's hard not to gobble them up piece by piece and repeat the same again and again. You never really get bored of their grilled stuff and they also innovate by bringing newer things to the table adding to the excitement. In the veg category, you usually have your panneer, mushroom, babycorn, potatoes, pineapple etc. They also have special starters directly served and is amazing how willing they are to provide you with a largesse fest. On this occasion we got the delightfully soft beetroot cutlets and the honey pineapples pierced right in front of us from a giant sized pineapple fruit. The wish grill is another sphere which entices the customers as this is based on the ad-lib style of choosing your ingredients from a mass list and adding your sauces and sprucing up the masala to create something of your own.
These kind of grilled based restaurants work on the pareto analysis of roughly 80-20 portfolio with 80% occupying the barbeque starters and perhaps 20% making up the main course and desserts. However on quantity main course is pretty widespread standalone. But it's just that you won't be having the wherewithal to try your hand too much at these considering you're already detonated having stuffed yourself to the brim with the starters. From whatever little I tasted though, they seemed to be pretty good. The desserts section has a mix of western pastries and Indian sweets with ice cream to boot.
It's really hard to pinpoint issues at AB's because they happen to be so bloody good and they virtually ensure that all bases get covered. They have played it safe here and seem to follow the path of the former AB's in T Nagar to the 'T'. There isn't anything off the cuff or radically different and it makes sense because you don't try to fix something which is already running super smooth.
The service was exemplary as usual with the staff at your beck and call and taking all efforts to ensure we have a good time. Though our encounter was over an 'on the house', the pricing can be termed reasonable for the mind blowing feast on offer. Other factors like valet parking is rightfully available which is a plus one.
It's always a pleasure to dine in at Absolute Barbecues and our recent visit was no different. It was a fun evening of food and frolic. This new Absolute Barbecues at Velachery has already embarked on an earth shattering start and you have to be a brave man to bet against it soaking in record breaking crowds going forward.
Sports Cafe US101
US 101 is a chic sports pub located at the GLM Meridien hotel in T Nagar. It is designed on the theme of sports and you find a lot of material backing the same in the form of wall paintings of sportsmen, vintage collection of framed sporting memorabilia, scarfs of popular football teams hanging across, artifacts and portraits of sporting movies and quotes of motivations, pillow covers depicting a sporting avatar, boxing punching bag, T shirts of popular sportstars with their numbers disclosed and the bar side is enveloped with great sportsman in their respective field. It is sporty and invokes the sporty side in you.
The ambiance feels all dark and noisy with loud music playing at the background. The decor comprising of sofa seating feels comfortable and laidback. They have a number of television sets all playing you guessed it right sports channels. You can see the attention to focus on the 'sports theme' and in a large way they have succeeded in getting it right.
We were invited as part of a bloggers meet to check their new offerings. A set menu was handed with options of both vegetarian and non vegetarian on the foodie side of things. For drinks, we had a shot of some of the mocktails and must say they all tasted great. There were some like the Choco punch which stood out having a punchy chocolate taste over a strawberry puree. Even liked the Blue breeze which was a lovely thirst quencher in a concoction of red bull and blue curacao with a dash of lime juice and mint thrown in. Even the other ones which I mildly tasted were decent enough.
On the starter section, we were served the following:
Cheese balls - One of the highlights of the night with the balls being extremely soft loaded with gooey cheese and flakes which went perfectly well with the chilli mayo dip. Took repeat quite a few times.
Nachos - It was passable but wasn't great. A portion of it had all the toppings whereas some chips were alienated. It was decent enough but lacked the zing.
Chilli Jalapeno's - This too was pretty nice though a long way off from being mindblowing. Resembled the cheese balls in size and texture but felt short of it on the taste front.
Button Mushrooms - This won brownie points. Felt it went along jocularly well with the Balsamic browm butter sauce. The mushrooms were big in size and cooked to perfection. The second best starter following the cheese balls.
Main course followed with the items mentioned:
Burritos and Enchiladas - Both were ok and especially the accompaniment part was good however they were very hard to break and it didn't gel well with the final package.
Baked Eggplant - Very okayish with a layer of cheese on top and an overdose of tomatoes for decoration. Not bad at all but a distance away from anything to rave about.
Spinach and Feta cheese Pasta - This was quite a disappointment and was very bland in taste. Except for the lavish coating of cheese, the dish overall lacked bite.
Cottage cheese steak - Tasted much better than the other main course dishes. The cottage cheese as such was a bit raw but it went well with the tomato basil sauce. And with corn, spinach and baby potatoes to go as sides it was a win.
Overall the drinks and the food were a mixed bag. The choices available and the taste of drinks were excellent, the starters especially some of them were really good but the main course ended up being rather disappointing. The service was prompt and friendly. Only grouse was the extra time being taken for the main course which was just taking way too long. The prices seem apt for pubs of this genre in general and one wouldn't be complaining too much on this area.
There are drawbacks yes, but this is one chilled out cafe to hang out and have some fun amidst the music, sports, food and drinks.
The ambiance feels all dark and noisy with loud music playing at the background. The decor comprising of sofa seating feels comfortable and laidback. They have a number of television sets all playing you guessed it right sports channels. You can see the attention to focus on the 'sports theme' and in a large way they have succeeded in getting it right.
We were invited as part of a bloggers meet to check their new offerings. A set menu was handed with options of both vegetarian and non vegetarian on the foodie side of things. For drinks, we had a shot of some of the mocktails and must say they all tasted great. There were some like the Choco punch which stood out having a punchy chocolate taste over a strawberry puree. Even liked the Blue breeze which was a lovely thirst quencher in a concoction of red bull and blue curacao with a dash of lime juice and mint thrown in. Even the other ones which I mildly tasted were decent enough.
On the starter section, we were served the following:
Cheese balls - One of the highlights of the night with the balls being extremely soft loaded with gooey cheese and flakes which went perfectly well with the chilli mayo dip. Took repeat quite a few times.
Nachos - It was passable but wasn't great. A portion of it had all the toppings whereas some chips were alienated. It was decent enough but lacked the zing.
Chilli Jalapeno's - This too was pretty nice though a long way off from being mindblowing. Resembled the cheese balls in size and texture but felt short of it on the taste front.
Button Mushrooms - This won brownie points. Felt it went along jocularly well with the Balsamic browm butter sauce. The mushrooms were big in size and cooked to perfection. The second best starter following the cheese balls.
Main course followed with the items mentioned:
Burritos and Enchiladas - Both were ok and especially the accompaniment part was good however they were very hard to break and it didn't gel well with the final package.
Baked Eggplant - Very okayish with a layer of cheese on top and an overdose of tomatoes for decoration. Not bad at all but a distance away from anything to rave about.
Spinach and Feta cheese Pasta - This was quite a disappointment and was very bland in taste. Except for the lavish coating of cheese, the dish overall lacked bite.
Cottage cheese steak - Tasted much better than the other main course dishes. The cottage cheese as such was a bit raw but it went well with the tomato basil sauce. And with corn, spinach and baby potatoes to go as sides it was a win.
Overall the drinks and the food were a mixed bag. The choices available and the taste of drinks were excellent, the starters especially some of them were really good but the main course ended up being rather disappointing. The service was prompt and friendly. Only grouse was the extra time being taken for the main course which was just taking way too long. The prices seem apt for pubs of this genre in general and one wouldn't be complaining too much on this area.
There are drawbacks yes, but this is one chilled out cafe to hang out and have some fun amidst the music, sports, food and drinks.
Themed to Excellence Gusto Cafe!
Gusto cafe has class written all over it. It is designed to excellence and the architecture and aesthetics gone into developing the different themes speak volumes of the work undertaken. The interiors are tastefully done up and the color palette has been carefully selected in adherence to the themes on display. It could very well be categorized as Chennai's first Cinema based cafe.
You have the 'Whiplash theme' with lots of music driven related things such as radios, discs, vinyl's, drumrolls and a host of other stuff with a massive roof portrait of Bob Marley at the background. Then there is 'The Godfather theme' that gives a dark sober tinge with a poster of the eternal classic situated in a round table with the picture of the fire chimney also. The 'Gallery theme' is all sports related with elevated stands made to resemble a playground with artifacts of popular football clubs submerged around. There is cricket also thrown into the equation with an official scorecard of a particular match and a wall painting depicting the logo of the 2015 cricket world cup. There are also miniature and antique versions of helmets, footballs, cycles, the Olympic 5 ring replica etc perfectly in sync to showcase the sport bastion.
The main and biggest portion of the cafe highlights the Egyptian theme highlighting the Mommy theme with Pharaoh's, pyramids and cave paintings signifying an olden day touch. It's more of brown and gold here to be in tune with the desserts and Egyptian diaspora. On the parallel side you have a Texas fiesta in the form of a Cowboy theme depicting caricatures like Bull horns, cowboy hats, tall stools et al typical of the lifestyle of a Texan and bringing to light the movie Indiana Jones.
Further downside the cafe you get to encounter the romance theme with '500 days of Summer'. Appropriately in line with the theme, you find a lot more color and vibrance here with lanterns, tree wall with flowers in abundance and an aerial view of a spot overlooking a number of buildings but torn down by plenty of parking lots much akin to what is witnessed in the movie. And talking about romance how can one leave Romeo & Juliet out. This theme is for the eternal lovers having a vintage touch with a beautiful balcony setup, a rickety bicycle, hanging umbrellas etc. The brick walls with lamps and the mushrooming of greenery through plants adds warmth and gives a lovely old world charm in line with the lives and times of Romeo Juliet. You also see the place laden with big sized graffiti's adding to the cool and chic factor.
Talking about food, it offers what a usual cafe gives. You have starters, burgers, pizza's, pasta's, main course and your share of coffee's, shakes and desserts. We began our sojourn through the Potato cheese balls. They were nicely made, deep fried and came about 10 pieces with a reddish paprika dip. We also had another starter viz Veg Croquets. These were 3 in number more like a triangular shaped cutlet containing mostly potatoes and carrot and went well with the mint chilli dip. For mains had a veg burger which was well stuffed up and tasted more than decent. Also came with quite a handful number of fries to boot. We also attempted the Veg Grill Pizza which I really enjoyed. It was thin crust, cheesy and loaded with an assortment of exotic veggies and was wonderful. The size though could have been a wee bit bigger. They also had a unique omelette platter of cheese, mushroom, masala and chicken. Liked the former 3 which I had a bite and more importantly none of them tasted alike which was good. We were however not in the mood for desserts and hence refrained from having them. Though we tasted only a smidgeon of their spread, nothing really disappointed and everything bordered on the good and above. Definitely interested to try more of their stuff on subsequent visits.
The service was amiable with friendly smiling waiters ever ready to help us out. The food also was brought to the table in fairly quick time. The pricing seems apt and par for the course. For an upscale area like Nungambakkam, one wouldn't really term the rates as too expensive. One gripe however was not giving us regular water and forcing us onto having water bottles which I hope will be rectified soon. There is sufficient space available for parking and even without valet facility shouldn't be much of a hassle. The small lane of Jagannathan road has been witness to quite a number of restaurant's off late and with the emergence of Gusto Cafe, it's value has risen to an all time high.
Overall, Gusto cafe is a fantastic addition to the list of cafe's in Chennai. It sparkles with amazement and leaves you wondering on the amount of efforts gone in to orchestrate this brilliantly good looking cafe. It elevates the hegemony of Nungambakkam as the 'Numero uno supremo of the restaurant market' a further notch.
Gusto Cafe radiates with energy and exuberance. There is no doubt that it will be one of the go to places in days to come. An absolutely wonderful cafe to indulge in some food and confabulation. Go check this one out. It has 'WIN' written right royally around it.
You have the 'Whiplash theme' with lots of music driven related things such as radios, discs, vinyl's, drumrolls and a host of other stuff with a massive roof portrait of Bob Marley at the background. Then there is 'The Godfather theme' that gives a dark sober tinge with a poster of the eternal classic situated in a round table with the picture of the fire chimney also. The 'Gallery theme' is all sports related with elevated stands made to resemble a playground with artifacts of popular football clubs submerged around. There is cricket also thrown into the equation with an official scorecard of a particular match and a wall painting depicting the logo of the 2015 cricket world cup. There are also miniature and antique versions of helmets, footballs, cycles, the Olympic 5 ring replica etc perfectly in sync to showcase the sport bastion.
The main and biggest portion of the cafe highlights the Egyptian theme highlighting the Mommy theme with Pharaoh's, pyramids and cave paintings signifying an olden day touch. It's more of brown and gold here to be in tune with the desserts and Egyptian diaspora. On the parallel side you have a Texas fiesta in the form of a Cowboy theme depicting caricatures like Bull horns, cowboy hats, tall stools et al typical of the lifestyle of a Texan and bringing to light the movie Indiana Jones.
Further downside the cafe you get to encounter the romance theme with '500 days of Summer'. Appropriately in line with the theme, you find a lot more color and vibrance here with lanterns, tree wall with flowers in abundance and an aerial view of a spot overlooking a number of buildings but torn down by plenty of parking lots much akin to what is witnessed in the movie. And talking about romance how can one leave Romeo & Juliet out. This theme is for the eternal lovers having a vintage touch with a beautiful balcony setup, a rickety bicycle, hanging umbrellas etc. The brick walls with lamps and the mushrooming of greenery through plants adds warmth and gives a lovely old world charm in line with the lives and times of Romeo Juliet. You also see the place laden with big sized graffiti's adding to the cool and chic factor.
Talking about food, it offers what a usual cafe gives. You have starters, burgers, pizza's, pasta's, main course and your share of coffee's, shakes and desserts. We began our sojourn through the Potato cheese balls. They were nicely made, deep fried and came about 10 pieces with a reddish paprika dip. We also had another starter viz Veg Croquets. These were 3 in number more like a triangular shaped cutlet containing mostly potatoes and carrot and went well with the mint chilli dip. For mains had a veg burger which was well stuffed up and tasted more than decent. Also came with quite a handful number of fries to boot. We also attempted the Veg Grill Pizza which I really enjoyed. It was thin crust, cheesy and loaded with an assortment of exotic veggies and was wonderful. The size though could have been a wee bit bigger. They also had a unique omelette platter of cheese, mushroom, masala and chicken. Liked the former 3 which I had a bite and more importantly none of them tasted alike which was good. We were however not in the mood for desserts and hence refrained from having them. Though we tasted only a smidgeon of their spread, nothing really disappointed and everything bordered on the good and above. Definitely interested to try more of their stuff on subsequent visits.
The service was amiable with friendly smiling waiters ever ready to help us out. The food also was brought to the table in fairly quick time. The pricing seems apt and par for the course. For an upscale area like Nungambakkam, one wouldn't really term the rates as too expensive. One gripe however was not giving us regular water and forcing us onto having water bottles which I hope will be rectified soon. There is sufficient space available for parking and even without valet facility shouldn't be much of a hassle. The small lane of Jagannathan road has been witness to quite a number of restaurant's off late and with the emergence of Gusto Cafe, it's value has risen to an all time high.
Overall, Gusto cafe is a fantastic addition to the list of cafe's in Chennai. It sparkles with amazement and leaves you wondering on the amount of efforts gone in to orchestrate this brilliantly good looking cafe. It elevates the hegemony of Nungambakkam as the 'Numero uno supremo of the restaurant market' a further notch.
Gusto Cafe radiates with energy and exuberance. There is no doubt that it will be one of the go to places in days to come. An absolutely wonderful cafe to indulge in some food and confabulation. Go check this one out. It has 'WIN' written right royally around it.
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