Nostalgia Revisited at Eden's Harrisons

The Eden at Harrison's is a perennial favorite and rekindles a lot of good old memories. Years back when Chennai didn't have a siege of restaurant's as how it is today, this was one good place for fine dining attracting numerous customers. Even now despite other options and the apparent competition, Eden still has it's legion of fans. Take my word it is one good restaurant to take your family and friends and it's highly unlikely that you will end up being disappointed.

This outlet is situated on the 3rd floor in Harrison's hotel located on the way towards Chetpet main road. It is well lit and bright and the tree top artifact on the roof gives it a nice touch. The decor is nice and cozy comprising of Ivory colored cushions and virtually everything about the place has remained the same since it's inception dating back to the 90's.

The menu is a very simple 2 pager and it has been virtually the same for a decade with nothing new added along the way. You might wonder that they haven't evolved but the fact is they know what they are good at and play the A game to the 'T'. Knowing well their strengths perhaps they never found the need to venture into newer territories and here it's about playing their cards close to the chest and they do a good job at it.

Though the spread here is continental, tandoori and a skosh of South Indian, it is on the continental where they count the shots. This is perhaps one of the first places I have tasted Lasagne and baked dishes. I loved it then and I continue to enjoy their lipsmacking baked to perfection dishes even now. Another area where they walk the talk is on the appetizers. Just love whatever they have to offer here whether its the corn on toast, Bharwan paneer, veg cutlets, tangy aloo and many more. Their north indian stuff is also pretty good but somehow I have had better stuff elsewhere and in relative terms with the continental i feel they fall way short. The bit of south Indian is just to add the numbers. Never really tried much of them. They also have a separate single dessert page with sundaes, shakes and ice cream and their most popular item here is 'When was the last time i checked my waist' which is a dessert suffused with chocolate in abundance.

The rates have been hiked up over the years but well within the norm keeping the inflation factor. You wouldn't really complain much especially after gorging some of their delicacies. The service is really quick and the food will come to your table faster than you expect. Valet parking is very much available as it's situated inside a hotel.

Eden holds good on most grounds and has kept it's charm intact over the years. Restaurant's may come and go but this Eden restaurant at Harrison's will always hold a dear place in the heart.

Cheesy Juicy Burgers opens at Perungudi

I have heard quite a bit about Cheesy juicy burgers from friends who have claimed that their burgers are economical and great VFM for the size of burgers offered. I have not been fortunate to have sampled them in their older outlets at ECR and Adyar. But, having open an outlet close to my office vicinity, I was waiting to jump the gun and try it out at the soonest and check for myself if all the brouhaha about the place holds good.

This outlet is located bang opposite in between of RMZ-1 and the SP infocity campus. The strategic locale does play to its advantage as there are a truckload of employees working round this area and this burger chain comes as a welcome change to try out something different from the usual and limited options which this surrounding has to offer.

It was a friday afternoon and almost 2 when I was on the lookout for a place to eat when it struck me that it was the ideal time to check CJB out. And having a few ticket vouchers helped as they agree to take in both this and Sodexo passes. The joint is small and has just 4 tables. It has an open entrance and inside the walls are covered with bricked wallpapers and you also find some artifacts hanging on the walls. The seating is very simple containing plastic chairs. There isn't anything really worth mentioning about ambiance but on a relative perspective it scores on the neatness quotient considering the scalor in and around.

The menu is a one page thick bound pamphlet listing the veg and non veg burgers along with the sides. The options on veg are not too bad and apart from roughly 7-8 normal varieties they also have a couple in the special section - one with corn and the other having Mushroom. The ones sans 'special' do not come with cheese and you are required to pay 15 bucks extra for a slice. As I was in the hungry mood I decided to go in for the the Special Mushroom burger which was supposedly coming with a double patty layer. As expected the burger was giant sized and I found it difficult to juggle up with one hand in the process making use of both hands to hold the big brown bun and stuff it into my mouth. The burger was meaty and tall and it was difficult to wallow the entire length in one go thus making it messy. I must confess it's fun to get messy when eating burger because its supposed to be like that. The mushrooms were hidden inside the patty and there were a few onions to go with it. The patty made of aloo was well marinated and had a nice crust to it. The size was big but the filling could have been a wee bit better. Though it was overall pretty good, I felt it lacked the juiciness and the zing of eating a big sized burger was somewhat amiss. However I must say that it is way better than some of the ones offered at other places. Also them being new, it may take a bit of time to get into the groove. One thing however which was disappointing was the lack of french fries served with the burger. Nowdays it's almost taken for granted and more so since I had their special high end burger I did expect a small portion to have along with my burger and sadly I didn't get any.

The service was quick with my burger arriving in a whisker. But personally felt the prices to be on the higher side. The normal veg burgers are all priced at 100 plus and you need to shell out extra on the cheese too making it come upwards to the 150 barrier and the special ones usurp the pricing much further. Most employees working in these giant campuses are given passes of approx 50 bucks to spend on a day and this place seems too far fetched and more so since it's placed in an office dominated area, it relegates itself to a place where people will visit only on a special occasion rather than as a usual lunch/dinner spot. Some balance on the pricing factor should definitely help.

I am not sure how regularly I will be coming here but I will visit whenever feasible to try the other varieties of burgers and sides before coming to a well drawn out conclusion.

Cleo's Grill&Cafe

Indra Nagar is witnessing a sudden splurge of restaurant's in its suburbs and Cleo's Grill & Cafe happens to be one of the newbies in town. It is located in the 4th avenue and might be a little difficult to locate but shouldn't be much of a concern if you have done your homework with maps.

The name Cleo's derives itself from the popular character of Cleopatra and this restaurant specializes predominantly in grilled based food. There is an interesting twist to it as the management felt there isn't any real good grill food chain in the city prompting them to start one of their own.

The place is small but nicely compartmentalized into different enclosures and the ambiance gives a gloomy effect with a dim lit feel. The decor is very comfortable and the hanging lights across each table gives it a nice touch.

We were invited as a big group to try some of their offerings and were offered a set menu which comprised loads of stuff. The non vegetarians especially had much to relish with starters of all kinds in abundance. Listed below is my take on the vegetarian side of things. We started our sojourn in the form of welcome drinks and there were a couple of them - Crazy frog and the Pomogingy fizz. The former was refreshing and icy and made of a mix of Blue curacao and mango whereas the latter was punchy and mildly spicy in a combination of Bovonto and Pomogranate. After the drinks, it was time for soup which was a Grilled Bell pepper soup. It was appeasing especially with the subtle smoky flavor with a dash of cream and cheese. Then we were served a crunchy noodle salad which was akin to an Indian chaat based dish with the requisite spices getting us prepared for the bigger palate in store. Next it was time to target the starters and for veg we had 2 paneer based and a solitary mushroom. The cleos grilled paneer appeared first which was a charcoal based square of paneer smeared with a tangy tomato paste and went along jocularly well with their Orangish chilli mayo. It was a little on the spicier side but nevertheless really well made. The other cottage cheese one - Fiery paneer kabab was more along the traditional paneer tikka kind you get at most places and tasted decent. It had a slightly burnt feel to it and came with mint based mayo sauce. Contrary to the term fiery, the former paneer sans the fieriness felt spicier than the latter. The Cheese stuffed mushroon were in the form of cutlets with big button sized mushrooms within the layer and a coating of cheese on the sides. It was passable and not something to really rave about. I must make a mention of their mayo sauces for accompaniments which were thick and different from the usual add-ons and they played a key role in elevating and complementing the eating of the starters. After that was time for the main course - Indian bread, zafrani rice with Paneer tikka masala and Dal Makhani for company. We got to taste a special type of naan which was laced with herbs and spices which tasted wonderful. Also got myself a slice of Olive and Garlic Naan and the fact that it was well made and fluffy was well visible. The Paneer Tikka masala had succulent pieces of cottage cheese which were cooked in a tomato based gravy and the Dal Makhani was fair enough albeit a far way off from some of the better black dal's I have had. Didn't have the wherewithal to try the zafrani rice but from the spoonful I tasted, it had a nice aroma and flavoring to it. We also were given Bovonto with Ice cream which served as the perfect foil for having this kind of food. We rounded off with desserts - Chocolate mousse & Mango cheesecake in a glass and a Nutella Banana Pancake. The choco mousse was soggy and it was a delight to cream it across and put into your mouth. The mango cheesecake was soft and tasty and the Pancake was okayish. Also as a final dash we got a skosh of Gajar Halwa with ice cream which tasted a little different and not really suiting my taste buds.

Overall it was a very decent experience with most of the items bordering from the good to very good and some areas needing a bit of an improvement. Considering the relatively smaller spread of vegetarian items, it was surely more than passable. A non vegetarian eater should be able to give a better verdict considering the options galore.

The service was amiable. They catered into all our requests in a friendly manner, but however felt they could have been a wee bit quicker in bringing some of the items. The rates seem marginal and competitive. Being located in a quite street, there is ample space for bike and car parking.

At the end of it all, it was quite a satisfactory affair.

Hoppipola comes to town

Hoppipola is all set and ready to take the Chennai pub scene by storm. After already making a splash with it's ventures in Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore, the radar of this happy go lucky pub has extended it's footing towards Chennai and thankfully so. This resto pub is located in the basement of Spring Hotel, Nungambakkam and the initial feel well and truly indicates it having the shiz factor going for it.

The place appeals instantly and the interiors are tastefully done. It is bright, colorful and vibrant as opposed to the eerie darkness usually associated with a pub. It is much more than just that and trebles up as a great place to eat, drink and play. Zest and zeal is inherent and the tons of fun events make this place really happening and uber cool.

It was just the 4th day of its launch when we as a big group were invited to check this place out on a friday evening. It's very much in its nascent stage but witnessing the activity and atmosphere prevalent, there's no doubt that it has already been lapped up by chennai vaasis and the bar has been raised.

We got to sample a plethora of food and drinks and most of them won the brownie points. The non vegetarians especially were raving about some of the stuff served, veg wasn't too bad either ranging from average to good with some being top notch. The pizza's though lacked a bit of bite but the cheesy macaroni was baked to perfection having a smooth texture and tasted kick ass. The hummus were bloody brilliant and kind of addictive. Kudos also to the presentation. Also they had very many interesting sauces coming along with the starters, some were punchy and had a lovely twang to it. And for dessert we were served a ravishing baked cake with banana engraved on top and we were literally fighting with one another to grab a bite of the pastry. The drinks were in variety and abundance and it was fun gulping down the different drinks they had in store. Some of us also indulged in frolic playing some of their interesting games.

The service was exceptional. The bar tenders keep the place extremely lively and entertaining. The choice of music is great keeping the tempo and pep going on incessantly. The rates seem par for the course and surely within limits. Valet parking also works in full swing. Despite being new in the market, most bases have been covered which speaks a lot.

Nungambakkam rightfully stakes claim to being the area invested with the best restaurant's in town and with the arrival of this lounge bar, it's position has been elevated a notch further. There is something for everyone here and rest assured you will have an awesome time experiencing Hoppipola.
Will i come again - Hell Yeah.

South Indian Fusion @ Madras Kafe

Madras Cafe has it's moments . It's a decent place to stop over for a quick bite of south Indian tiffin tossed up in a fusion avatar. It is predominantly the usual south cuisine customised to give it a twist. You have snacks in the form of cheese fingers, potato wedges, assorted platters etc in the ayal naattu (outside land) section and in the namma ooru (home land) part you have your vadais and bhajjis.

The place specialises on dosa's with a truckload of varieties and you also have your usual idli, chappathi, poori and also idiappam, appam, Chole batoora et al. They also have something called Barotizza, an indianised version of pizza with toppings on a chappathi base and also kothu barottas and barotta rolls. Also there is an area called Hall of sandwiches with many stuffed cheese based ones. Also there are variety rices and beverages and smoothies and shakes for finishers.

We had a mix of tiffin items such as podi dosai, onion uthappam, paneer tikka masala dosai, fried podi idli ,kaara cheesy varuval and a filter kaapi and masala chaaya to round off. The fries were oozing with cheese on the top, however the bottom part was left orphaned. The tanginess was missing a bit. The podi dosai was also ok but however it was just podi smeared without oil in it which was a bit of a let down. The paneer tikka masala was perhaps the best we ate here with the triangular dosa having abundant pieces of paneer masala and also it went well with the chutneys and sambar. The onion uthappam was strictly ok and nothing to regale about. The podi idly which took oh so long to be brought to the table was worth the wait and was well deep fried and had a lovely punch to it with podi in magnanimous quantity enveloped all over the idli's.

The place is neat but isn't something that will work big on the ambiance front. The big poster drawing of Madras with the Mylapore backdrop and the Marena beach tries giving it an authentic flavor. The Hindi music playing in the background however sticks out sorely taking the charm away.

The prices are pretty reasonable and par for the course. All the items we had set us back by 500 bucks and a bit which wouldn't really make you slouch. The service at times had it's issues with water not being refilled promptly and also time taken to bring the stuff which was much longer than expected. Also the lack of tissue papers in the tables were irritating. And the disappointment of not having many things from the menu adds to the woes.

The Madaras Kafe has its shares of hits and misses. It surely isn't a bad place to head out for some tasty south indian food being a tad different than the usual.

Chamiers Cafe - Elegance Personified!

Chamiers cafe is this elegant European based cafe. It has a very rich and grand look to it and makes it an ideal place to spend some laid back leisure time. It has such a feel good factor going for it which will surely lure you to visit this cafe again.

Floral wall paints with anticrafts hanging along make it aesthetic. The caned chairs and cushiony settings makes it feel very cozy and comfortable. And the light music at the back end soothes you. The dim lamp lights gives it a classy touch and the tulle decorated on the roof makes it elevated with opulence. And to boot the upholstery and vintage window settings make this outlet really stylish.

They have a lot of wonderful stuff to gorge upon. The pastries are wonderful and just a mere glance at them will make your lips smirk with excitement. They've also got loads of other things such as coffee's, shakes and ice teas, nibbles and starters, salads, pasta's, sandwiches and pizza's and a hell lot more.

My recent visit was more to pass off some free time and indulge in some yak yakking with my friend. We just ordered a solitary pastry - the threobama 6 layered mousse cake which was massive in size and jaw dropping to look at. And the taste matched the looks to the 'T' by being as gob smacking as possible. It was a delight pruning the creamy layer off it and shoving it inside the mouth. It was quite heavenly to say the least. The pastry rack had so many amazing desserts that will make your mouth drool like a waterfall.

The service is pretty quick and amiable by nature. The cafe screams upmarket in every front and expectantly the rates too are a bit on the higher side. But you wouldn't slouch too much considering the positive factor's at hand.

If you're the one looking for a perfect blend of a cafe and conversation experience, you need to look no further. I surely haven't had enough of Chamiers cafe and already contemplating my next visit :).

Thattu Vadai Settu Kadai - Taste of Salem

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.

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.

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.

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 :).