Cafe CakeBee - Luring in time and again!

Cafe CakeBee is another recent cafe which has cropped up in town. Located in a quaint location in a small suburb in Alwarpet, it rings the right noises. The space is quite massive with very nice open seating arrangements in the lower tier on top of a closed air conditioning surrounding at the top. You are also greeted to some lovely looking desserts and bakery products displayed as you enter.

We were here on a weekday evening and just had a couple of stuff. We started our foray with a starter in the form of New way Mac n cheese. These were fried nugget balls comprising inset a swirled up layer of mac n cheese and coming alongside a raunchy tomato dip.

For the mains, tried their Primavera pizza which was aced artistically. It had the cheese, the veggies, the sauces and the crust. All of them intermingled with each other delightfully giving the tongue a soul satisfying taste.

To round up with desserts, we had the brownie with salted caramel ice cream. It was gooey, chocolaty, fudgy, crumby, saucy, salty, icy and all that. It was wonderful to polish this one off.

On the whole it was a satisfying experience. The service was neat and tidy. The rates were little on the upper side. Overall, though Cafe CakeBee passed the test resolutely and if you're the kind looking for a cozy cafe associated with good food, this outlet can definitely be checked out.

P.S : I have been visiting this place time and again and have thoroughly enjoyed some of their crafty creations which I am specially describing below based on my experience.

Saffron Cream Sauce with splash of vodka pasta:
This was done up immaculately and simply watered along the mouth. Swish, swash, swirl - this pasta possessed the firepower to induce the taste buds to have a glorified gala.

Pistachio basil pesto pasta with pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes:
Relished slurping this one up. Deliciously creamy and a hard hitting flavour of pesto to give the requisite smack.

Mezze Platter:
A good old fashioned Mezze platter comprising all the essential Mediterranean goodies to sizzle up a feist!.

New York Cheese Cake with Sorbet Ice cream:
Simply devoured this mouth watering melting new york cheese cake with soft slushy marmalade mellow orange sorbet. Ended up being a dream combination and the mouth just floored delicately with excitement.

The Farm - Fresh & Cream

The Farm is like the ideal getaway spot away from the hush and bush of the city side to just soak in the sun and cozy along a laid back easy peasy meal. We were here unfortunately not at the right time in the sense we arrived just after their breakfast window got closed and there was a still good one hour to get sorted before the lunch touchdown were to start. However we weren't in the mood for too much food and hence settled down with a few desserts and beverages for company.

The place as such is in the interior of a divide and you would find plenty of greenery in the adjoining areas. The dining space is under a huge thatched roof and infuses comfort and lazy dining in every way. They make all their products farm fresh and in house. There is a lovely green house passage also which you can witness and the ambiance as such is minimal with not too many stuff stacked up. Miniature vehicles are found at the entrance just as an added attraction.

So we ordered for 3 of their cakes viz a banofee pie, lemon tart and a ricotta cheese cake. The banofee as well as the lemon based one was wonderful with the flavours flowing in resolutely. The added spread of fresh cream to touch up for the soft lemon cake was a total win. The cheese cake though disappointed a fair bit. It was raw with the taste not coming along and also the base crust was a little too hard for the liking. For drinks, we tried the cold chocolate and the hot chocolate both of which were well delivered. And as a breakfast option, we had a shot at the strawberries & cream which was a smacker of every sort. I absolutely loved the dulcy cream which accompanied the freshly made strawberries and this was kinda addictive that we had extra orders of the same.

It's a little hard to rate a place not having consumed their signature food offerings. As we were leaving, they were just about to start on the making the breads and I have a strong feeling the pizza's are going to be very good. Would definitely like to come back here to have a crack at them as well as other continental offerings.

The service wasn't the greatest. I wouldn't want to judge too much as the time which we entered, the place was technically closed. The rates seem quite reasonable. Most of our desserts were priced in the 200 range and seemed worth the money.

The Farm seems to be a wonderful getaway spot for a lazed out weekend afternoon with sumptuous food for company over which you can spend a good worthwhile time of a couple of hours.

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.

Asia Kitchen stirs up a Chinese Buffet!

There isn't much to fault with Asia's kitchen by Mainland China. The ambiance is chinese centric with a powerful presence of red and black colors, lovely little woodwork with chinese script inscribed at places. There are also beautiful portraits showcasing Chinese culture in all it's splendour. The lighting is mildly dim and just perfectly apt for a dine in restaurant of this kind. Being situated as part of a hotel, you also have the advantage of having a shot or two of cocktails. Apart from this the seating arrangement is very comfortable with a number of 6 seaters placed exclusively for families and the open kitchen with the smelling aroma adds a beautiful buzz to the surrounding.

We were here on a weekday afternoon and I had a swish at the lunch buffet priced at 565 bucks. The options were plenty in number and it felt pretty reasonable consuming high quality chinese food for this rate. The soup which was a 8 treasure Island one was more in line with the sweet corn one but with much more veggies to the fray.

The starters which were served directly on the table was my most favourite of the lot. The veg spring rolls were wonderful to eat with the sweet chilli sauce, potato kafir lime which were loosely fine thin french fries based with a dash of lime was delightful. But what took the cake was the crispy vegetable chilli plum which had such a delectable confluence of a tangy taste with a bit of sweetness infused to the mix. Equally jaw dropping were the basil dumplings which I thoroughly enjoyed which had a beautiful veg stuffing inside those soft and juicy greenish momo's.

The main course section was kind of decent. They had a veg hakka noodles which was nicely flavoured and a usual veg fried rice which was more run of the mill stuff. The sides had a nice variety with the broccoli corn water chestnut in chilli garlic sauce and the vegetable dumpling chilli soya sauce. On the less spicier side there was stir fried chinese greens.

The desserts were a good way to end the meal. There was darsaan, hot chocolate rolls, cake, mousse, fresh fruits and ice cream. The darsaan had a nice sweet tinge to it. The rolls were cute and stuffed with chocolate sauce. The cake and mousse was par for the course and in ice cream they had 3 different flavours - vanilla, butterscotch and strawberry.

On the whole, it was a pretty good meal and very much worth for the price. The service was quick and they did a good job in refilling the plates. They were always available at our beck and call. Other facilities like parking is not an issue as they have valet facility.

Overall, a good place for trying out Chinese cuisine. The buffet especially is a very good choice for those looking to hog a lot without striking a hole in the pocket.

Cafe Glitterati - Right in the middle of a mall!

Cafe Glitterati is a lovely little cafe located on the ground floor of the Express Avenue Mall. What is different here is that they have made it up from an open space by adding glitter in the form of it's decor comprising of soft cushioned red and gold embossed sofa settings which are very comfortable and a stack of tray containing some of their signature dessert creations.

It gives a very favourable vibe and appeal and feels like an idyllic outlet to gulp down beverages, munch a bunch of short eats and cuddle up exotic dessert delicacies. The menu is a very simple one pager consisting of all the items. They do not have non veg and all of the stuff are veg with egg added to the mix especially on the dessert frontage.

I was called for an invite to give a verdict about the place. I must say it was a very nice engaging experience. I immensely enjoyed most of the things which I consumed. The strawberry shake was a delightful thirst quencher having the right amount of milk and froth. The momo was a rather surprising twist in a cafe such as this but I enjoyed gobbling this down with the spinach and spicy chutney which proved such able foil. On the pasta side had a crack at both the red sauce Arabbiatta as well as the white sauce based Primavera verdi e crema and they were well delivered. The toppings were sufficient with the sauce being thick and the construction overall was good. The red saucy however felt a wee bit better, the white sauce lacked a little bit on flavour. The stand out however on the savoury side was the delightful quesadillas. They were soft in texture containing an aromatic mix of items largely of kidney beans and veggies beautifully pureed and it just felt so wonderful in the mouth and bang on right on all areas.

On the dessert draw, the waffles felt passable but it was more of the routine stuff and I didn't find anything different. It did taste decent though. However the cakes in the form of belgian chocolate truffle and the salted white caramel were absolutely ravishing. It was simply superb softly pruning the layerings one by one and putting them onto your tongue. The french based pastry was equally good.

Looking at it on a holistic picture, Cafe Glitterati appeased me and I found the experience quite nice. The service duration seemed ideal and it felt right on most counts. I wouldn't comment on the rates as it was over an invite but yes I would like to mention that for the quality of stuff on offer, it seems justifiable. If you're in and around Express Avenue and looking to chill over for a bit, Cafe Glitterati seems to be a perfect destination to head to.

English Tea Room - Depicting the Victorian Era!

There is an airy chiaroscuro about 'The English Tea Room. It blends the old world charm with the new age quirkiness in a seamless manner to give itself a very vivacious look. I just loved the way they depicted the victorian style era by adding newness along the way not diluting the spirit of the vintage in any way. The rustic and urban are married here beautifully and merged to co exist appealingly. The pastel shades and the predominant teal green colour palette add to the dimensions of this well thought out intricately weaved interiors.

The decor comprising of cane chair seating arrangement gives it a very easy laid back and soothing atmosphere. It looks like a place where you can lose yourself over an Enid Blyton classic amidst aromatic tea and crumpets for company. The gallery set up gives it an artsy feel and more or less gives the impression of a set up espousing nonchalance.

It is located on Kasturi Rangan Road in Poes Garden, Alwarpet in a complex in the 2nd floor and as it's bang on the main road wouldn't cause too much concern in searching up the venue. There is sufficient parking space available for the cars and plenty of side space for stationing the 2 wheelers.

We were here on a dinner invite to try some of their signature offerings. The menu is in the story book style with blots of colour and scattered with interesting options. Attached is a brief summary on the items tried on the night.

Starters : We had a crack at the corn and cheese balls as well as the cheesy nachos. The former were small in size comprising of a pasty mix. A chilli mayonnaise dip would have done more justice as opposed to the salsa sauce which were served. The nachos true to it's moniker of cheesy was in fact insanely cheesy. The tortilla chips were well spread out with a gregarious coating of cheese with a hint of spice and it was enjoyable to slurp this up.

Mains : The mushroom onion pita pocket was our first tryst in this section. They were presented in a conch shell shaped avatar filled to the brim with cheese and inset spread of mushrooms and caramelised onions. The cheese was a little overpowering here subsiding the presence of the main mushrooms. Potato wedges as side were chunky and good substitute. Next on line were the herbed rice with grilled cottage cheese. This was lovely with couple of big sized juicy chunks of panneer doing the golden trick. The smoky barbecue sauce was finger licking good and gave great company to the esculent flavoured herbed rice. Then marching forward arrived the Alfredo penne pasta comprising a bunch of veggies. Though it was delightfully creamy, it lacked salt, felt bland and lacked flavours. A very sub standard pasta at best at the max.

Mocktails : The pina colada was the best of the lot. The frothy layer with the pineapple taste and subtle hinge of coconut worked well in combination. The cherry mojito was immensely refreshing and the rose lemonade with it's purifying essence was fairly decent and the ice lemon tea was more of the mundane run off the mill stuff.

Tea : Tea being prima facie the defacto in the scheme of things, we didn't want to miss out without tasting at least one of their signature creations. We had the saffron khawa green tea, a kashmiri based with spices, almonds, rose petals and a touch of saffron. It had a wonderful aroma around it and the olfactory got quite a punch devouring this luxurious tea.

Desserts : First had a shot at the carrot cake which was like a sandwich with cream cheese layered in the middle. It was soft and fluffy but the carrot taste wasn't too prevalent. Then up waa our final finale in the form of sticky toffee pudding. This one was a scrumptious feast with the rich toffee sauce oozing over a caky layer and a magnanimous coating of custard on top. This brown n yellow dessert surely helped give the finishing flurry in marvellous fashion.

The service was one front where things appeared patchy. It seemed lost and confused and the basic necessities such as re filling of water, clearing plates weren't taken care of appropriately. The pricing appears competitive and in tune with the environment at play.

On a holistic view, The English Tea Room scores more points than it missed. Some areas of amelioration will enable it to 'up the ante' a bit more. It's a lovely no frills place ideal to spend a relaxed and comfortable dosage of your time. It is more than just a cafe and a pretty chilled out space to infuse the insouciance over a wide spread of vittle.