I am a big fan of Murukku Sandwich and have never missed out on a chance to gorge the decorated delicacy which gives such a crunchy taste when you bite on those crispy small murukkus smeared with the requisite spices and dollops of cheese. And when I read a review in the paper's that there is a settu kadai from Salem serving a South Indian equivalent of the same, was quite eager to check what they have in store.
Thattu Vadai Settu Kadai is a small kiosk run by a busy young lady and is situated outside a supermarket in Gopalapuram. You also have few more kiosks offering different kind of stuff in the same surrounding.
The concept here is set based chaats and they have different varieties of sets - plain, onion, tomato, mango, garlic etc and I went for the combo comprising of all of the ones mentioned. Here the Thattai's replace the murukkus and the ingredients spread are to suit the south indian taste buds. It also happens to be a more healthier version. I enjoyed my Mix chaat or rather 'settu' which was nicely flavored and crunchy and even quite appealing to look at. They have 2 tubed versions of sauces which adds a nice touch to the texture - a red chilli based one and a yellowish mustard onion like paste.
The prices are very meager and there are quite a few set options which you would want to try. Also looks like a few more of these traditional stuff are going to be added to the menu. If you happen to pass by this place, do not forget to have a bite at this uniquely invigorating offering from the heart of Salem.
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Spoonbill - Global cuisine on a plate!
Spoonbill is unique and one of a kind restaurant serving specialty street food from across the globe. It has a very interesting menu with importance given to the country and the popular dish of the nation's choice. You also see hordes of enticing pictures of street food splashed across the restaurant. It has a lively buzz to it with music always playing around and is brightly lit and orangish. You also find logo's of the rare bird with the long beak called Spoonbill which incidentally is also the name of the restaurant. Not sure exactly of the connection the bird has with street food.
It also has an open kitchen setting and you can see the cooks constantly on their toes adhering to the orders placed of food from across the globe. It is based on the self service concept where you pay before you eat and this being more of the fast food types is a good system to follow. Even the drinks in the form of canned juices and iced tea's are kept in a fridge where you can pick whatever you feel like and get them billed. They also give you a small disc like machine which vibrates as soon as your order is ready.
Keeping in line with the tradition of street food, it gets prepared very soon. On this occasion decided to go European with a twist of local Indian flavor and hence ordered corn and peas Empanada and Ragada Pattice. The Empanada was stuffed judiciously with cheese and interspersed were pieces of corn and peas. Make no mistake this really tastes awesome and they give you 3 big pieces of this patty. The ragada pattice too was nice and spicy. Probably not the most authentic but definitely on the taste side it did win honors.
On the price part they are a wee bit on the expensive side but again considering the location and stuff they serve isn't too much of a misnomer. The food arrives in doubly quick time as already harped earlier. The decor with low wooden chairs with small cushions is comfortable and kind of apt for gorging on fast food based items.
They have a plethora of items in store and you will mostly always have something new to try on your next visit. The food seldom disappoints and mostly always lives up to the mark. The happy hours concept is kind of a bonus and also their sunday breakfast is a win. It always attracts a sizable crowd and continues doing so. The innovation and inventiveness goes a large way in making Spoonbill classify as a top bracketed dine out option and rightfully so.
It also has an open kitchen setting and you can see the cooks constantly on their toes adhering to the orders placed of food from across the globe. It is based on the self service concept where you pay before you eat and this being more of the fast food types is a good system to follow. Even the drinks in the form of canned juices and iced tea's are kept in a fridge where you can pick whatever you feel like and get them billed. They also give you a small disc like machine which vibrates as soon as your order is ready.
Keeping in line with the tradition of street food, it gets prepared very soon. On this occasion decided to go European with a twist of local Indian flavor and hence ordered corn and peas Empanada and Ragada Pattice. The Empanada was stuffed judiciously with cheese and interspersed were pieces of corn and peas. Make no mistake this really tastes awesome and they give you 3 big pieces of this patty. The ragada pattice too was nice and spicy. Probably not the most authentic but definitely on the taste side it did win honors.
On the price part they are a wee bit on the expensive side but again considering the location and stuff they serve isn't too much of a misnomer. The food arrives in doubly quick time as already harped earlier. The decor with low wooden chairs with small cushions is comfortable and kind of apt for gorging on fast food based items.
They have a plethora of items in store and you will mostly always have something new to try on your next visit. The food seldom disappoints and mostly always lives up to the mark. The happy hours concept is kind of a bonus and also their sunday breakfast is a win. It always attracts a sizable crowd and continues doing so. The innovation and inventiveness goes a large way in making Spoonbill classify as a top bracketed dine out option and rightfully so.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Sky Lit at Rajputana!
Rajputana instantly strikes with its skyrocketing ambiance and that rightfully takes centerstage. It's a wondrous sight to witness the sky lights to the outside in a very well done up elevated roof top restaurant. There are lovely cottage like settings for couples and small families and the dim lights with old school mild bollywood music playing across adds to the decor. It has a lot going for it on the class side but it's on the food that they need to do some giddying up to make the experience wholesome and complete.
The restaurant is located in Koyambedu near the bustling CMBT bus stand and is conveniently located on the top floor of JP hotel. They are open only for dinner and have both Buffet and Ala carte. It was an 'On the House' meal and we got our hands at the former which in actuality is priced at Rs 750 for veg and 850 for non veg. The food was quite a mixed bag with a few items being top notch but the majority of the food turned out being disappointing.
Chose the veg option and started out with a mocktail which was spicy and just didn't taste right. Next was the black gram soup which was passable with the ingredients being soaked right at the bottom. We had 3 starters in the form of a paneer, corn and gobi and the rating scale for them went from good to decent to bad. The paneer was the hands out winner in this section, being soft, chunky and presentable. The gobi at the other end of the spectrum was such a dampener not being grilled properly and was rather tasteless. On the main course we were served Indian Bread, Pulao, Biryani and 3 main course dishes. Really not much to complain on the nans and rice but it was on the gravies where they have lots of catching up to do. The dal was delicious but the veg makhanwala left a lot to be desired and the Kadai paneer which is supposed to be spicy had a rather funny taste and was flavorless. In effect was forced to have majority of the meal with the Black Dal for company. On the dessert section we had phirni, lassi and kulfi. Whilst the former two were no doubt nice it was the kulfi which won the day. It just had the perfect feel and texture to it and it was a delight gobbling them up. Also was a pretty good way to end a rather ordinary meal overall.
This one's a sit down buffet and one factor which was bothering was the time taken to serve the food which was taking for ever.
Whatever encomiums one showers on the ambiance, the food needs to match up because whether you like it or not its what you eat which is key and gives maximum weightage when visiting a restaurant. They have a lot of ground to cover up here and hope they take the necessary precautions to ensure the best in food and service supporting the already prevelant top draw ambiance.
The restaurant is located in Koyambedu near the bustling CMBT bus stand and is conveniently located on the top floor of JP hotel. They are open only for dinner and have both Buffet and Ala carte. It was an 'On the House' meal and we got our hands at the former which in actuality is priced at Rs 750 for veg and 850 for non veg. The food was quite a mixed bag with a few items being top notch but the majority of the food turned out being disappointing.
Chose the veg option and started out with a mocktail which was spicy and just didn't taste right. Next was the black gram soup which was passable with the ingredients being soaked right at the bottom. We had 3 starters in the form of a paneer, corn and gobi and the rating scale for them went from good to decent to bad. The paneer was the hands out winner in this section, being soft, chunky and presentable. The gobi at the other end of the spectrum was such a dampener not being grilled properly and was rather tasteless. On the main course we were served Indian Bread, Pulao, Biryani and 3 main course dishes. Really not much to complain on the nans and rice but it was on the gravies where they have lots of catching up to do. The dal was delicious but the veg makhanwala left a lot to be desired and the Kadai paneer which is supposed to be spicy had a rather funny taste and was flavorless. In effect was forced to have majority of the meal with the Black Dal for company. On the dessert section we had phirni, lassi and kulfi. Whilst the former two were no doubt nice it was the kulfi which won the day. It just had the perfect feel and texture to it and it was a delight gobbling them up. Also was a pretty good way to end a rather ordinary meal overall.
This one's a sit down buffet and one factor which was bothering was the time taken to serve the food which was taking for ever.
Whatever encomiums one showers on the ambiance, the food needs to match up because whether you like it or not its what you eat which is key and gives maximum weightage when visiting a restaurant. They have a lot of ground to cover up here and hope they take the necessary precautions to ensure the best in food and service supporting the already prevelant top draw ambiance.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Elegance at Ecstasy
Ecstasy has been long associated with sathyam cinemas and has always been perceived to be expensive and out of reach for those wanting to gobble a simple pastry. But true to it's class, it is designed to excellence and lives upto its potential as one really elegant chic looking cafe submerged with exotic pastries. Simply the look of them will make you all buttoned up smiling like a cheshire cat.
Unfortunately went here after a heavy meal and so couldn't do real justice. Had a Tiramisu double coffee mousse kinda pastry which was buttery smooth in texture and delicious. Am sure going here again to check out some of their vibrant and colorful stuff.
Yes you have to shell out heavily but it's not something to cringe as the value you get out of them make it justifiable. You cannot deny the fact that it has got some sort of luxurious aroma enveloped around it.
Pictures sometimes speak more than words and hence let me do the needful by splashing them across for you to start feeling jealous :).
Unfortunately went here after a heavy meal and so couldn't do real justice. Had a Tiramisu double coffee mousse kinda pastry which was buttery smooth in texture and delicious. Am sure going here again to check out some of their vibrant and colorful stuff.
Yes you have to shell out heavily but it's not something to cringe as the value you get out of them make it justifiable. You cannot deny the fact that it has got some sort of luxurious aroma enveloped around it.
Pictures sometimes speak more than words and hence let me do the needful by splashing them across for you to start feeling jealous :).
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Malargal Ketten - If flowers could sing!
I have been incessantly looping on Malargal Kaetten from OK Kanmani ever since I laid my ears to it. It has the vintage stamp of ARR written all over and seems like a throwback to the glory days of the past.
Childhood memories are rekindled and you go on a trip down memory lane as portions of this song are reminiscent of Ennai Solli Ennai Cholla (Thenali), Suttum Vizhi Suddar (Kandukondein Kandukondein), Uyirum Neeye (Pavithra), Needhaan En Desiya Geetham (Paarthale Paravasam), Malargale Malargale (Love Birds) and more such evergreen compositions.
The mellifluous voice with backdrop of the Tambura followed by the subtle slithering in of the kanjeera, the 4 phrases of Malargal Kettaen (00:57 to 01:08) sung in 4 different ways, the introduction of the swara portion, the fulminant of the broken flute play in the 1st interlude, the violins gushing up in grand fashion along with the flute playing merrily alongside during the 2nd interlude, the downward chromatic movements all make the composition truly memorable.
Also the way both the Ma's (4th note from Sa) and both Ni's (4th note from Ma) are handled deserve the plaudits and not one ounce does it feel out of place. It can always be debated whether its based on Behag, Hameer Kalyani, Khamas or something else but for now lets just enjoy the beauty of the composition which is simply magnificent.
The magic of yesteryear is engulfed all over and the combo of Rahman and Chitra create absolute bliss. It almost feels like a relic and musical vignette from yore. Highly infectious and an aural treat !!
Songs such as this are hard to come by in today's times and thus let me catch hold of this dearly as long as it lasts. Maybe this is how flowers sound if they could sing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fndcB3s5n9s
Childhood memories are rekindled and you go on a trip down memory lane as portions of this song are reminiscent of Ennai Solli Ennai Cholla (Thenali), Suttum Vizhi Suddar (Kandukondein Kandukondein), Uyirum Neeye (Pavithra), Needhaan En Desiya Geetham (Paarthale Paravasam), Malargale Malargale (Love Birds) and more such evergreen compositions.
The mellifluous voice with backdrop of the Tambura followed by the subtle slithering in of the kanjeera, the 4 phrases of Malargal Kettaen (00:57 to 01:08) sung in 4 different ways, the introduction of the swara portion, the fulminant of the broken flute play in the 1st interlude, the violins gushing up in grand fashion along with the flute playing merrily alongside during the 2nd interlude, the downward chromatic movements all make the composition truly memorable.
Also the way both the Ma's (4th note from Sa) and both Ni's (4th note from Ma) are handled deserve the plaudits and not one ounce does it feel out of place. It can always be debated whether its based on Behag, Hameer Kalyani, Khamas or something else but for now lets just enjoy the beauty of the composition which is simply magnificent.
The magic of yesteryear is engulfed all over and the combo of Rahman and Chitra create absolute bliss. It almost feels like a relic and musical vignette from yore. Highly infectious and an aural treat !!
Songs such as this are hard to come by in today's times and thus let me catch hold of this dearly as long as it lasts. Maybe this is how flowers sound if they could sing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fndcB3s5n9s
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Mainland China - The taste of South East Asia
We decided to do Chinese for dinner and the first option which came in mind was Mainland China and pronto decided to head there. It is located on a small by lane perpendicular to Cenotaph Road and it's impossible to miss as the restaurant is huge and in your face. Valet parking is very convenient and never an issue.
Large doors and big sized statues embrace you on entering Mainland China and as you step in you sense the feel of China through the smell , look , wardrobe and mild music playing along. The ambiance feels quite and peaceful much in tune with the chinese culture. You would find Red and black being the predominant colors and you would find a lot of them at this place on the chairs , walls hanging articles etc.
Now coming to the food started off with the Peppery Lemon soup. It was light and flavored heavily with pepper and a tinge of lime with veggies floating along like mushroom , brocoli , carrot , cabbage etc. It was burning spicy but still felt it to be decent enough and set the tone for the larger picture.The starter which we had was the Mushroom Chilli garlic which was flavorful and nice on the mouth , the fungi were extremely soft and almost chewable kind and there were few other assorted veggies added which went along well. For main course had the golden garlic fried rice along with stir fried vegetables. Found the rice to be bit plain and not up to the mark , the strong garlic flavor also wasn't prevelant. The side however was nice with an amalgam of veggies in a black gravy.Ended the dinner sojourn by having one of their mock tail oreo crushed with mint which I really liked. The cookies were grated very thinly and had a nice lingering taste along with the chocolate shake.
The service is top notch and the waiters really know well about the items in store. The time taken to bring in the food also was fast barring the main course which took a little longer still nothing to complain about. The rates simply put are expensive. It's a granted fact that you have to shell out excessively if you were to dine here.
Chinese is not my most favorite cuisine and I tend to get the feel that most chinese food in different restaurants across the city tend to taste roughly the same. But with Mainland China you are guaranteed of consistency and a good eating experience which makes this quite a favorite for many. It's definitely one of the prime chinese outlets in the city and will always continue to be so.
Large doors and big sized statues embrace you on entering Mainland China and as you step in you sense the feel of China through the smell , look , wardrobe and mild music playing along. The ambiance feels quite and peaceful much in tune with the chinese culture. You would find Red and black being the predominant colors and you would find a lot of them at this place on the chairs , walls hanging articles etc.
Now coming to the food started off with the Peppery Lemon soup. It was light and flavored heavily with pepper and a tinge of lime with veggies floating along like mushroom , brocoli , carrot , cabbage etc. It was burning spicy but still felt it to be decent enough and set the tone for the larger picture.The starter which we had was the Mushroom Chilli garlic which was flavorful and nice on the mouth , the fungi were extremely soft and almost chewable kind and there were few other assorted veggies added which went along well. For main course had the golden garlic fried rice along with stir fried vegetables. Found the rice to be bit plain and not up to the mark , the strong garlic flavor also wasn't prevelant. The side however was nice with an amalgam of veggies in a black gravy.Ended the dinner sojourn by having one of their mock tail oreo crushed with mint which I really liked. The cookies were grated very thinly and had a nice lingering taste along with the chocolate shake.
The service is top notch and the waiters really know well about the items in store. The time taken to bring in the food also was fast barring the main course which took a little longer still nothing to complain about. The rates simply put are expensive. It's a granted fact that you have to shell out excessively if you were to dine here.
Chinese is not my most favorite cuisine and I tend to get the feel that most chinese food in different restaurants across the city tend to taste roughly the same. But with Mainland China you are guaranteed of consistency and a good eating experience which makes this quite a favorite for many. It's definitely one of the prime chinese outlets in the city and will always continue to be so.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Maplai - the taste of Down south!
Maplai has been on my radar for sometime now and finally headed there on a weekday dinner to satisfy my appetite.
Good first signs with valet parking being available and it looked vibrant at least from the outside with colored lights glowing in a pattern.
It feels a small place and seems like they haven't spaced out the tables very well. Its polarised into different spacing with a couple of tables in each of the divided space. In a way its good because you feel away from a crowd and feels a place safe to have a peaceful meal. On the other hand it looks like they can accommodate very few people at a time and they will be hard pressed if people come in big numbers.
Enough of jabbering, coming to the numero part - the food. The menu seems to be quite interesting with quite a few innovative options. It's not a place for the vegetarian but if you like your eggs you are saved quite a bit. They have various variants of this oval shaped delicacy.
For starters , we ordered for a Chettinadu Bashed Potato which was brown in color and smeared with a fine powdery mix and spread across with karuga pilai and mayonnaise to accommodate. It was crunchy , delicious and perfect foil for starter material. Great start I should say.The other starter was Muttai Kalki which was smudged and soggily floating around and felt like having a caramel custard sans the taste. It was quite diiferent and found it palatable though nothing special about this one.
For main course ordered Egg Appam and Paneer Nilgiri. The Aapam's were nicely done up with the bullseye right in the center and well cooked. The paneer gravy was done up with mint and was tea green in colour. The curry was fair enough with the paneer in judicious quantity being deep fried and soft and chunky.
And ended the dinner sojourn with a thirst quencher in the form of a Bovonto Icecream Soda. Seemed a speciality dish of theirs , it was nothing but Bovonto mixed with Vanilla ice cream giving a flavorful feel and felt it apt after having this kind of a meal.
The real winner however about this place is the pricing. When every other restaurant charges the roof nowadays , you would be surprised to find quite a number of items at double digit rates for a place with a neat and clean enough ambiance such as this. It was pretty much a surprise I must admit.
If you love poultry or even if you are just an eggetarian , it's certainly a decent place to hog some good food and it just doesn't pinch your pocket much. Maaplai is surely worth trying !.
Good first signs with valet parking being available and it looked vibrant at least from the outside with colored lights glowing in a pattern.
It feels a small place and seems like they haven't spaced out the tables very well. Its polarised into different spacing with a couple of tables in each of the divided space. In a way its good because you feel away from a crowd and feels a place safe to have a peaceful meal. On the other hand it looks like they can accommodate very few people at a time and they will be hard pressed if people come in big numbers.
Enough of jabbering, coming to the numero part - the food. The menu seems to be quite interesting with quite a few innovative options. It's not a place for the vegetarian but if you like your eggs you are saved quite a bit. They have various variants of this oval shaped delicacy.
For starters , we ordered for a Chettinadu Bashed Potato which was brown in color and smeared with a fine powdery mix and spread across with karuga pilai and mayonnaise to accommodate. It was crunchy , delicious and perfect foil for starter material. Great start I should say.The other starter was Muttai Kalki which was smudged and soggily floating around and felt like having a caramel custard sans the taste. It was quite diiferent and found it palatable though nothing special about this one.
For main course ordered Egg Appam and Paneer Nilgiri. The Aapam's were nicely done up with the bullseye right in the center and well cooked. The paneer gravy was done up with mint and was tea green in colour. The curry was fair enough with the paneer in judicious quantity being deep fried and soft and chunky.
And ended the dinner sojourn with a thirst quencher in the form of a Bovonto Icecream Soda. Seemed a speciality dish of theirs , it was nothing but Bovonto mixed with Vanilla ice cream giving a flavorful feel and felt it apt after having this kind of a meal.
The real winner however about this place is the pricing. When every other restaurant charges the roof nowadays , you would be surprised to find quite a number of items at double digit rates for a place with a neat and clean enough ambiance such as this. It was pretty much a surprise I must admit.
If you love poultry or even if you are just an eggetarian , it's certainly a decent place to hog some good food and it just doesn't pinch your pocket much. Maaplai is surely worth trying !.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Hola, by the beach side!
Woke up on a Monday morning to find a surprise mail from Zomato inviting me for their year end celebrations at this restaurant named 'Hola'. The excitement turned into disappointment as my wavering mind started to think that surely such a restaurant doesn't exist in Chennai only to find out how wrong I was. It was very much in Namma Ooru and somewhat even closer to home. Coming to know that it was a roof top restaurant and looking at the scenic beauty in the pictures made me palpably excited and that very moment I decided that come what may , I am surely not going to let go of this opportunity :).
The cornerstone of this restaurant is the ambiance which wins hands down. Strategically located close to the beach , this is an ideal place to have a peaceful , laidback lunch/dinner amidst the gentle zephyr blowing across serenely. It is located in a 2 storied building called Malgaadi adjacent to the age old Dhabba Express and looks like the only real upscale restaurant in that area especially since its surrounded by a cluster of smaller restaurants closer to the beach.
On the food side , they primarily focus on Italian and Mexican. On this starry evening managed to lay my hands and mouth on the following :
Drink - Curry Leaves Mojito
Starter - Italian Cheese Baked Nachos
Main Course - 4 summers Pizza , 4 cheese Pasta
Dessert - Chilled Cheese Cake
The Mojito was decent however the big sized curry leaves were quite a dampener disturbing the flow in relishing the drink.The Italian Cheese Baked Nachos were copious in quantity but wasn't as luxuriating and decorated as I expected. The tortilla chips were kind of dry and the spread of the topping was not judicious with some of the pieces being alienated with nothing on them. As condiment they had the Cheese\Salsa\Cream sauce and Kidney beans to toss up but being the lazy kind would have ideally liked them to have been already prevalent in the standalone dish. The Main course was the best on the day with both the 4 summers Pizza and 4 cheese Pasta living close to expectation. The Pizza was thin crust spruced up with Mushroom , Brocolli , Zucchini , Bell Peppers etc and gave a nice crunchy feel. The four cheese pasta again like the Pizza were loaded with similar ingredients and gave an aromatic lingering taste. The Cheese cake was a complete hoodwink , it wasn't one by any stretch of the imagination and was just a normal pastry which tasted decent.
Overall the food was a mixed bag with the Main course taking the prize and the others occupying a distant subaltern position. Must be said that they still have quite a lot of ground to cover. The rates seem to be extremely exorbitant which almost relegates it to being a restaurant apt to be visited only on a special occasion. The service was amiable and would expect the same irrespective of this being an invite only event.
I would like to Thank Team Zomato for taking the efforts and arranging this Eatles meetup. It surely was a memorable evening visiting this new resplendent restaurant, confabulating in food talk with like minded foodies and receiving all those wonderful presents.
Truly, an experience to remember!.
The cornerstone of this restaurant is the ambiance which wins hands down. Strategically located close to the beach , this is an ideal place to have a peaceful , laidback lunch/dinner amidst the gentle zephyr blowing across serenely. It is located in a 2 storied building called Malgaadi adjacent to the age old Dhabba Express and looks like the only real upscale restaurant in that area especially since its surrounded by a cluster of smaller restaurants closer to the beach.
On the food side , they primarily focus on Italian and Mexican. On this starry evening managed to lay my hands and mouth on the following :
Drink - Curry Leaves Mojito
Starter - Italian Cheese Baked Nachos
Main Course - 4 summers Pizza , 4 cheese Pasta
Dessert - Chilled Cheese Cake
The Mojito was decent however the big sized curry leaves were quite a dampener disturbing the flow in relishing the drink.The Italian Cheese Baked Nachos were copious in quantity but wasn't as luxuriating and decorated as I expected. The tortilla chips were kind of dry and the spread of the topping was not judicious with some of the pieces being alienated with nothing on them. As condiment they had the Cheese\Salsa\Cream sauce and Kidney beans to toss up but being the lazy kind would have ideally liked them to have been already prevalent in the standalone dish. The Main course was the best on the day with both the 4 summers Pizza and 4 cheese Pasta living close to expectation. The Pizza was thin crust spruced up with Mushroom , Brocolli , Zucchini , Bell Peppers etc and gave a nice crunchy feel. The four cheese pasta again like the Pizza were loaded with similar ingredients and gave an aromatic lingering taste. The Cheese cake was a complete hoodwink , it wasn't one by any stretch of the imagination and was just a normal pastry which tasted decent.
Overall the food was a mixed bag with the Main course taking the prize and the others occupying a distant subaltern position. Must be said that they still have quite a lot of ground to cover. The rates seem to be extremely exorbitant which almost relegates it to being a restaurant apt to be visited only on a special occasion. The service was amiable and would expect the same irrespective of this being an invite only event.
I would like to Thank Team Zomato for taking the efforts and arranging this Eatles meetup. It surely was a memorable evening visiting this new resplendent restaurant, confabulating in food talk with like minded foodies and receiving all those wonderful presents.
Truly, an experience to remember!.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Old is Gold - Maneka, Palmgrove
They say Old is Gold and God only knows how many years this restaurant has been in existence. It still continues to get a sizeable crowd every now and then. You get an old world charm here. It feels so 90s, nothing about the place has changed but taste of food remains the same.
The ambiance is plain jane but perhaps that's what makes it appealing. Unlike the new age restaurants which harps on colored lighting and radiant designs , this one still uses the traditional good old tube lighting. Even the waiters are clad in full white.
They really don't feel the need to ape any of their contemporaries. They know well their strengths and play to the cards. It doesn't try to be fancy by any stretch of the imagination and prides itself in its old age methods.
The food here is a delight and their Thali's seem to be the most preferred. I mostly tend to have the Palmgrove Special Thali which comprises of a Naan/Roti , Paneer Butter Masala , Dal Tadka (Really enjoy their Dal!), Chole, Pulav, Plain Rice, Rasam, Raita, Curd rice, soup and to boot Gulab Jamun and an Ice cream sundae. Its quite a wholesome meal, only grouse is they could make it unlimited. The other meals are also nice and if you like spicy you should try the Andhra Special meals which comes with Podi and Gongura Chutney which is unbeatable. Their tiffin items also muster up some weight.
The service is usually pretty fast. The rates have gotten high over the years, but still wouldn't consider it being too expensive. Would always perenially be a good choice restaurant especially for the family audience.
The ambiance is plain jane but perhaps that's what makes it appealing. Unlike the new age restaurants which harps on colored lighting and radiant designs , this one still uses the traditional good old tube lighting. Even the waiters are clad in full white.
They really don't feel the need to ape any of their contemporaries. They know well their strengths and play to the cards. It doesn't try to be fancy by any stretch of the imagination and prides itself in its old age methods.
The food here is a delight and their Thali's seem to be the most preferred. I mostly tend to have the Palmgrove Special Thali which comprises of a Naan/Roti , Paneer Butter Masala , Dal Tadka (Really enjoy their Dal!), Chole, Pulav, Plain Rice, Rasam, Raita, Curd rice, soup and to boot Gulab Jamun and an Ice cream sundae. Its quite a wholesome meal, only grouse is they could make it unlimited. The other meals are also nice and if you like spicy you should try the Andhra Special meals which comes with Podi and Gongura Chutney which is unbeatable. Their tiffin items also muster up some weight.
The service is usually pretty fast. The rates have gotten high over the years, but still wouldn't consider it being too expensive. Would always perenially be a good choice restaurant especially for the family audience.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Above Sea Level @Raintree, St Mary's Road
Its the ambiance which blows you away. Surely stakes claim for being one of the best outdoor restaurant's in the city. The panoramic view is just wondrous and has to be witnessed to be believed. Its a place to experience the beauty of the night sky over a quiet dinner.
The food is primarily of North Indian and Sea food and you would be hard done if you're vegetarian. However at Above Sea Level its more about being there and enjoying the zephyr billow across your face than about the food and drinks you have.
I went plain sailing on this occasion and just had a mocktail, a baked nachos for a starter and a grilled panneer dish for main course. The mocktail was a concoction of apple , orange and lemon and pretty nice on the mouth. The Nachos was strictly ok, i found the juiciness and creaminess to be missing and also expected it to be more wholesome and evenly spread out but it didn't turn out that way with some being abundantly layered with cheese , jalapeno and toppings and some being just plain dry tortilla chips with nothing on them. The grilled paneer was a skewer type also containing brocolis in between the chunks of cottage cheese with some salad and potato wedges for company. Both the panneer and brocolli were well cooked but however felt the zing was missing.
It really wasn't a night where I was in the mood to go full out on the food. Quite interested to try out some of their North Indian Bread and Curries on another visit perhaps. The rates are obviously expensive burning quite a fire hole on your credit card. Felt the service to be slow taking enormous amount of time to bring in the food.
But whatever said of the minuses , this is a place to enjoy the scenery and sereneness engulfing you. A perfect place for a candlelit dinner , special occasion or even just to enjoy a relaxed soothing dinner away from the vicissitude of life. You should experience Above Sea Level atleast once!.
The food is primarily of North Indian and Sea food and you would be hard done if you're vegetarian. However at Above Sea Level its more about being there and enjoying the zephyr billow across your face than about the food and drinks you have.
I went plain sailing on this occasion and just had a mocktail, a baked nachos for a starter and a grilled panneer dish for main course. The mocktail was a concoction of apple , orange and lemon and pretty nice on the mouth. The Nachos was strictly ok, i found the juiciness and creaminess to be missing and also expected it to be more wholesome and evenly spread out but it didn't turn out that way with some being abundantly layered with cheese , jalapeno and toppings and some being just plain dry tortilla chips with nothing on them. The grilled paneer was a skewer type also containing brocolis in between the chunks of cottage cheese with some salad and potato wedges for company. Both the panneer and brocolli were well cooked but however felt the zing was missing.
It really wasn't a night where I was in the mood to go full out on the food. Quite interested to try out some of their North Indian Bread and Curries on another visit perhaps. The rates are obviously expensive burning quite a fire hole on your credit card. Felt the service to be slow taking enormous amount of time to bring in the food.
But whatever said of the minuses , this is a place to enjoy the scenery and sereneness engulfing you. A perfect place for a candlelit dinner , special occasion or even just to enjoy a relaxed soothing dinner away from the vicissitude of life. You should experience Above Sea Level atleast once!.
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