Tag: NCR Food Blogger

Dockyard- Restaurant Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Naval life has always held my keen interest but somehow I have never been able to experience the same closely. As a child also the big ships, the coal engines, the big metal pipes and propellers have intrigued me a lot and even now when I watch such movies I wish I could for once see a ship closely enough, not just for traveling and luxury, but the working of a ship.

That may or may not happen, but visiting a restaurant which is based on the naval theme is something that I could achieve and hence Dockyard was on my list since long. Recently I got a chance of visiting this amazing place, that not only has interesting ambience and interiors but also serves lip smacking food and some amazing variety of cocktails and mocktails. It also houses a microbrewery and hence serves fresh beers as well.

The ambience is bold and has a very rustic appeal to it. Big dockyard type lights, the raw looking furniture and a huge screen behind the bar that stands out completely.

For drinks I tried Melon Vs Ginger and then Wild Herb Guava, both of them were nice and refreshing. I personally loved the Guava one more, Nashila Nariyal which a friend of mine ordered attracted me because of its sheer presentation and a sip of same ensured its great taste as well. When it comes to mocktails I judge a place lot of times by its ability to pull of a great Mojito because sometimes simple things aren’t done perfectly, but at Dockyard the Mojito was awesome. Calling Hey You and Pan Bahar were some other cocktails that were amazing. Though I found the Pan Bahar a bit strong, it was appreciated by a lot of people.

 

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Chakhna Sampler to go with drinks is a must have.

Lebanese Delight, a two way humus served with Pita Bread, this was a good beginning into the food world.

Veg Bruschetta, Afgani Paneer Tikka and Vada Pav Sliders were amazing. The Bruschetta had different toppings and I loved the corn topping the most. Paneer Tikka was soft and a mouth melting experience. The Vada Pav Sliders looked so drool worthy that I could not ignore them, they tasted equally well.

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Next I tried Methi Malai Murg Tikka, presented on a skewer, it looked awesome and the taste was delectable. Korean Barbecued Chicken and Wasabi Prawns are a must try, they were both each better than the other.

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Mandarin Chicken Pizza was really nice, crispy thin crust with amazing chicken topping. Chicken Satay and Naram Garam were also served, the Chicken Satay was tender and juicy, normally I find the satays to be quite dry, thankfully this was different. Naram Garam was a deep fried sphere with soft and creamy filling inside. It was really yummy.

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Coming to desserts I tried Crispy Fried Ice-Cream and Tiramisu. The Fried Ice Cream was a pure delight and I loved it, Tiramisu has always been my favourite and indulging in this one was as amazing.

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My overall experience at Dockyard was very fulfilling and I highly recommend it. You must visit it soon.

Dockyard Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Lohri Lunch at Zodiac, Fortune Select Hotel, Gurgaon

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Zodiac at the Fortune Select Hotel, Gurgaon hosted a grand Lohri Lunch with a lavish buffet spread out for us to indulge in.
A word about the property, it a small but elegant and beautiful hotel exuding great ambience. As one enters the Hotel Lobby, the Zodiac is situated just across the lobby. Zodiac is billed as a fine dining restaurant and it fully justifies the same.
It is very elegantly furnished and the decor is simple but very appealing.
They had laid out a lavish spread of vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes from across cuisines and a wide range of desserts and mocktails.
The veg Margarita Pizza was perfectly done, the thin crisply done crust and delicious topping.
A really appeasing preparation was the Gol Gappas which were really very crisp with two varities of water to accompany regular n the other sweet. Absolutely mouthwatering.
To go alongside was the Dahi Tikki Chat again very thin and crisply made tikkis.

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The Grilled Fish in Lemon Butter Sauce was another delightful creation. The fish was perfectly done in the lemon butter sauce a very subtle taste indeed.
The Hyderadi Gosht Biryani was a perfect blend of tender mutton cooked in some wonderful spices which lent it a great aroma and superb flavour. A real wholesome meal in itself.
The Paneer Tikka had the right marination and was tender and delicious.
Paneer lababdar was very well made with a real creamy and sumptuous gravy.
Dal Tadke Wali and Dal Fortune need a special mention as each was simply delicious. The Soups and Mocktails served were simply awesome.

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To accompany there was very wide spread of superb salads and they were super awesome. Fresh, crunchy and very refreshing.

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Last but not the least there was a lavish spread of mouth watering desserts, each a winner on its own, to name a few Ras Malai, Kulfi Falooda, Mississippi Brownie and the Mud Cake which was amazing.

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All in all a wonderful spread of delicious food easy on the palate. Zodiac truly is wonderful place to visit.
The staff is extremely polite and provide a very efficient service. The place is really worth a visit over n over again.

Zodiac - Fortune Select Excalibur Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Savoured Authentic Indian Food at Chawla’s 2

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Enjoying authentic Indian/Mughlai food is always a delight, and recently we had one such enjoyable evening at Chawla’s 2 savouring some Indian delicacies from their menu.

Chawla’s 2 is an extremely popular chain of restaurants having about 8 outlets in Delhi NCR and is expanding its presence with more outlets in the pipeline.

The ambience is like a mix of fine dining and casual dining restaurant, perfect for cosy family outings or even a chilled out evening with friends.

To begin with we ordered Murg Lehsuni Tikka, and Murg Malai Tikka, though they looked identical, but thankfully tasted evidently different. The Lehsuni Tikka had a very prominent garlic flavour which I loved, the Malai Tikka on the other hand was very soft and tender with a creamy texture.

For the main course we relished Bhuna Meat and Dal Makhani. The Bhuna Meat was exceptionally tasty, very well prepared and perfectly spiced. This should definitely be a must try. Dal Makhani is a favourite for my son, and he has become an expert in recommending best Dal Makhani across Delhi NCR. He rated this Dal Makhani a generous 8/10. It was creamy and flavoursome.

We really enjoyed our awesome dinner at Chawla’s 2 and I am sure if you have not tried yet, you should. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Chawla's 2 Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Zizo- Best Mediterranean Cuisine Comes to Noida Now..!

Posted on by Ikreate Passions

ZIZO, Its as classic as it sounds! Just a brief about Zizo , its an award winning Lebanese restaurant (2015 and 2016) Delhi and Gurgaon, and now they have extended their venture to DLF Mall of India, Noida. The ambience is superb and they have an amazingly hospitable staff.

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Chef Danny was on the floor himself, explaining the dishes and how he has added the Indian taste to the them making it more comfortable for the TG, which in a way is funny, but definitely yummy at the same time 🙂

We tried a variety of food from Zizo and I can say the food at this place is really nice and should definitely be tried.

Batata Hara to begin with is one of the dish that I strongly recommend, crispy potatoes with perfect spices, not too hot, but mildly spiced.

Falafel Basket which had crispy cutlets served with pickled veggies, salad and tahini sauce is also something I vouch for. It was delectable.


Next were the Cheesy Cigars, and though I found it to be too cheesy for my liking, those who drool on cheese, this one if surely for them. Oodles of cheese rolled in crispy cigars this is one dish for cheese lovers.

The Veg Mezze Platter consisted of 3 different types of dips served with pita bread, and all the dips were great to taste. The one called Lebaneh Beltoum was in particular the best, it had a tangy flavour with garlic in it and tasted really well. The Trio-Hummus was also totally worth it and one must try it for sure.


Zaatar Man’oushe, a flat bread pizza topped with herbs mixed with olive oil and cucumber on its top was crispy and different. It looked like a pizza for sure, but tasted quite different.

Fattoush Salad, was another dish that one can try, nothing too elaborate about this one, it was a simple salad but tasted quite good.

Coming to desserts, they truly were the highlight of the day. Lady’s Arm was a very different kind of dessert, crispy rolled pastry with custard filling, I really loved it, it was delicious.

Baked Cheese Cake was another dessert that one cant afford to miss, 3 layers of cheese topped with crushed pistachios, served with sugar syrup made it a visual and a tasty delight to relish.

Here is a big thank you to the Zizo team for serving us such delectable food, really look forward to visit them soon, and you too must visit ZiZo for a lovely Mediterranean cuisine.

Review Credit: Shikhar Arora

Zizo Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

18+ Cafe- food, drinks, sheesha and more.. have you grown up yet..?

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Quirkiness, youthfulness, vibrancy and lively energy are the words that come to my mind when I think of describing 18+Cafe. The place literally feels really alive and is apt for youngsters. Quirky posters and work of art covers the walls on both sides and I had a fun time reading all of those funny posters, don’t be surprised if you find me copying those quotes as my Facebook status 😉

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This place is a multi-cuisine and hence makes it a very friendly choice for the youth who likes to eat a variety of things. There are Pizzas, Burgers, Pastas, Chinese food and Indian as well. I have heard their breakfast tray is also very popular, I went here for dinner and hence had to miss it, but next time around I am surely gonna try it.

Now coming to the food that I had, for starters we ordered, Chilly Paneer and Chilly Chicken, I know it sounds weird to order both veg and non-veg variety of the same dish, but what to do, my son wanted to have paneer and I chicken and hence ordered both. We also ordered the Classic Chicken Dimsums.

The Chilly Paneer was really nice, though I just got to try one piece of it and the rest was polished off by my boy, I can say that its very rare that its made to so much perfection. It was neither too spicy nor too sweet or bland, the paneer pieces were really soft and assured the freshness of ingredients used, the overall taste was awesome.

Same was the case with Chilly Chicken as well, only I wished the chicken was slightly more tender, but otherwise the sauces were perfect and it was juicy enough.

The Chicken Dimsums were truly a delight, we thoroughly enjoyed gulping them down quickly.

For the mains we ordered, Chicken Hakka Noodles and Chicken in Hot Garlic Sauce. The noodles were yummy and I could have really eaten them without the gravy as well. The Chicken in Hot Garlic tasted nice, but I found the gravy to be too runny, it could definitely have been a little thick, but then thats about it. Otherwise the overall meal was great.

They have a wide range of cocktails and mocktails to choose from, and also varied flavours of sheesha, but as I visited the place on a cold wintery night I gave drinks a miss and hookah is something I don’t prefer, but for those who wanna indulge in a wholesome experience of lively ambience, great food & drinks and hookah, this is the place for you. Enjoy 🙂

18+ Cafe & Lounge Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Twigly- An Awesome Food Delivery Joint

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

In this era of busyness, sometimes cooking food takes a miss and home delivery and take aways come as a big rescue for us. Recently on my way back from Gurgaon after a business meeting, I thought of ordering food from a near by joint and then brought it home. This delivery only place was called Twigly. Now first things first, as soon as I reached home, which was almost after 1.5 hours after grabbing my delivery packet, I opened the packet to check how messy it would have become after the rumbling and tumbling in the car, but to my surprise, all the packets were in their place, still perfectly and neatly packed. My first impression of this perfect packaging scored very high.

I had ordered a Piri Piri Chicken Sandwich, A Chicken Arrabbiata Pasta, Twigly Fiery Grilled Chicken & A Blueberry Brain Freezer.

As I opened the individual packets of each of the things, I must admit again that the packaging was superlative. It was so neat, clean and packed with all required things one can think of, sauces, cutlery, tissues, spices, everything.

The sandwich looked extremely tempting and I could not hold my temptation and immediately dogged into it. A multigrain bread was used and normally I find these breads too thick and dry but the bread inspite of being thick was really soft and delicious. The filling of veggies and piri piri chicken was awesome, crunchy veggies and tender chicken, it was a perfect combination. I just loved it.

The Twigly Fiery Chicken was mind blowing, served with Pita Bread, Hummus and Pickled Beetroot, this made for a wholesome dish and is highly recommended. The chicken was perfectly grilled and spiced and tasted awesome with soft pita bread.

By now I am sure you already know that the food from this place is simply awesome, and hence the Pasta too was exactly as per my expectation, delectable. The sauces were perfect and thankfully inspite of the time and distance it didn’t dry out at all.

The blueberry shake is a must try and you should not be missing it.

As for me I am very sure that I am ordering from this place sooner than you think, as they also have an outlet in Kalkaji which is near to my home, so what are you waiting for, dial in and enjoy a hearty meal.

Twigly Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Parsi Food Festival at Made In India Restaurant by Radisson Blu, Noida

Posted on by Sunil Malhotra

A Parsi Food Festival is going on at the Made in India restaurant of Radisson Blu Hotel, Noida and a special bloggers meet was organised for the launch of the same.

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The menu for this ten day long culinary festival has been specially curated by Master Chef Kaizad Patel, with some of the most authentic and traditional signature dishes from the Parsi kitchen, including a great mix of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian delights, like Bhujeli Kaleji, Kid Gosht and Chapat, amongst many others mouth-watering delicacies. Parsi food has its roots in Persian and Gujarati cuisines and much of the food is a meat-lover’s dream come true.

Commenting on the Parsi cuisine and the special menu for the Parsi Food Festival, Master Chef Kaizad Patel said, “Parsi cuisine is a mélange of different flavors and has an eclectic mix of hot and sweet, sour and spice. This delectable cuisine is deeply influenced by various parts of the country that the community has travelled to and its soul lies in the ingredients used to make the mouth-watering delicacies. We are delighted to bring back the traditional recipes and recreate the authentic flavors at the Parsi Food Festival at the Made In India restaurant in Radisson Blu MBD Hotel Noida”.

Chef Kaizad Patel held a Parsi cuisine Masterclass also at the event, where he shared his experiences and also the recipes for mouth watering Parsi Dishes. Chicken Farcha made in a tomato based gravy with special Parsi masalas and the ever popular Patra nu Paneer or Paneer cooked in Banana leaves were the highlights.

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Being brought up in a Parsi Caterers family, Chef Kaizad says he always knew someday he would always take up this family business. He have always had a different approach on views and always wanted to exceed expectations. This has been his drive and what keeps him going.

Upon completing catering college, He joined the Ratan Tata Institute, Mumbai, as he wanted to broaden his horizon on Parsi food. He came across interesting people who shared their views on Parsi food. After completing almost a year; He joined the Oberoi Hotel’s, Mumbai and worked his way up the hierarchy. After his 3 ½ year employment with the Oberoi Hotel’s, he decided to go and study further in Culinary Arts. He joined the Scottsdale Culinary Institute, which is affiliated with “ Le Cordon Bleu”. He joined the Ritz Carlton, San Francisco as an intern and upon completing his internship, he was hired and trained by the Ritz Carlton values, which changed his life, truly.

On his return to India he decided to take over his family business as he felt the need to revamp the image of the business without changing the core values of the community and the business, which were instilled into him. He always looks at a glass full and not the other way around. He has just begun his journey as a Caterer (for the last 10 years) and has a long way to go…..

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After the masterclass, the journey of exploring Parsi Cuisine started with Murghi Na Farcha, really crisp outer with succulent chicken within, this was an absolute winner.

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The next on the menu was Bhujeli Kaleji absolutely soft and delicious. The Makai Cheese Na Pattice, a cutlet made from cheese and corn was an absolute delight as was the Kera nu Cutlets, made from banana.Both very crisp and absolutely delicious.
The main course consisted of Tarapori Prawn Patio, shrimps in a gravy.
Salli Jardaloo Murghi was another delightful chicken creation garnished with crisp n thin slices of Jardaloo.
Then there was Wafer per Eedu, an egg dish made with wafers, coriander and green chilles fried till golden brown and it turned out to be a really delicious dish.
To accompany this was the ever so delicious Patra nu Paneer an absolute delightful dish.

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Then there was the Bhindi Sambhariya, crisp thin Bhindi deep fried and made with special Parsi sambhar spice.
The almost mashed brinjals in a light gravy was another mouth watering dish.
The above were accompanied with some crisp breads.
There was also the Vegetable Pulao Dal for the rice eaters.
The food all in all was good but slightly on the sweeter side to my liking.
For dessert there was the Chapat with Parsi Peg Ice Cream which was really out of this world. Then there was the Lagan nu Custard another winner.

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All in all a very satisfying experience and strongly recommended. Really worth a visit. To indulge in an eclectic mix of hot and sweet, nice and spice, which sums up the Parsi cuisine, make sure you head to ‘Made In India’ restaurant, the home grown name popular for being the pioneers of traditional cuisines and reviving cultural heritage through the medium of culinary art.

What: Parsi Food Festival

Where: Made in India, Radisson Blu Hotel, Noida

When: 14th-23rd October

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Made In India - Radisson Blu Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato