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Day: January 26, 2017

Sunday Brunch at Zerruco- Simply One of the Best..!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Sunday Brunches are luxury for me, the comfort of having so many dishes to choose from, an elaborate dessert spread and array of drinks is always attractive isnt it and when a Sunday Brunch is organised at a place one loves otherwise also, its a win win situation. Zerruco, a Lebanese Speciality Restaurant, has been my favourite ever since I went there for the first time. It has a great ambience and I truly haven’t eaten a better Lebanese food anywhere else. Its housed in the Ashoka Hotel, Chanakyapuri and is a fine dining place with spacious seating both indoors and outdoors.

This Sunday afternoon, I headed to Zerruco, as it was the first Brunch of the season for them. It was bright and sunny, but not in a hot way, but a warm way just the way a cold winter afternoon should be. The outdoor ambience where the spread was laid out looked immensely attractive. The spread had a mix of Lebanese and other Mediterranean dishes, including soups, salads, mains and desserts. Sangrias, and Margritas were available in lots of flavours to give high to this brunch.

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There was Pumpkin and Green Apple Soup and Asian Chicken Soup, the Pumpkin soup some how lacked authentic taste, the pumpkin flavour overpowered everything else, green apple could not be tasted at all. The Asian Chicken soup was perfectly done, I really loved sipping this warm soup.

The Salads selection was great, it was a delight to see so many colourful vegetables, and meats tossed in different sauces. Middle Eastern Tabbuleh with Red Quinoa, Beetroot & Goat Cheese Salad, Mexican Corn and Pepper Salad made the vegetarian part, whereas Ceasar Salad with Bacon and Anchovie, Smoked Chicken Salad with Pears and Endive and Coronation Chicken Salad was what the non veg selection comprised of.

Tabbuleh, Mexican Corn Salad were amazing, I loved both of these from the vegetarian ones. Caesar salad was good too but the best for me was the Smoked Chicken Salad with Pears and Endive. This one was the sure shot winner and is highly recommended. The spread of different sauces to binge on with Pita Bread was mouth watering.

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Chef’s Special Wood Fired Oven Cheese Pizza was awesome. It had a thin crispy crust and oodles of cheese.

There was a live grill section, from where I picked up a mixed non-veg platter and it had me completely bowled over. It was amazing. It had Chicken, Fish, Prawns and Mutton Seekh and each of the items was delectable.

The main course had a few selected European dishes especially curated by the executive chef Mukherjee. Aubergine Parmigiana, Florentine and Corn Cannolini, Mushroom Risotto, Roast Chicken Breast, Lamb Harrira and Fish Majboos were the dishes that not only looked beautiful but tasted good too. Special mention for the Roast Chicken Breast, Mushroom Risotto and Corn Cannolini, they were delicious.

I also tried some Chicken Linguine with mixed sauce from the live pasta station and it was yumm. The taste is still lingering on, it was so nice.

Apple Crumble Pie with Custard Sauce, Chocolate Brownie and Banofie Pie made for the dessert spread and each one of the tasted awesome. I have a weakness for desserts and this was a true sinful indulgence for me, but then who cares?

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I highly recommend not just the Sunday Brunch at Zerruco, but a visit to Zerruco for any meal, its totally worth it. But yes weekend is approaching and this Sunday Brunch should not be missed. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and here is a glimpse

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

Figmented Reality- Book Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A word about the author first, Zuko a.k.a. Siddarth Sabari is a blogger and writer based in Chennai, Born in Mumbai he spent his growing years schooling in Mumbai and later in Chennai.
He was diagnosed with Dyslexia at an early age and found it difficult to follow language, but despite his limitations and the support of his mother he passed out from Vellore Institute of Technology in the year 2013 as Mechanical Engineer specialising in Energy. He was awarded the First Indian Dyslexic Writer by the K.L.University,Vijaywada.
He worked for a couple of years in a Public Limited Company before joining his father’s business in Chennai.


Figmented Reality is a psychological book which forces the reader to analyse answers to certain fundamental questions in our lives.
The protagonist is a boy who at a very young age is sexually abused by an elderly woman. He is unable to get over the pleasure he derives from that one sexual encounter so much so that it engulfs him completely.
The encounter leads him to ways of self attaining methods of sexual pleasure.
As he grows up he is always on the look out for elderly women to satisfy himself but fails and in the process he offends women his age as the only thing he seeks from them is sex.
He is generally perceived as a pervert and avoided.
He goes deep into the dark world of drugs and constant state of wanting sex which he is unable to get.
Then enters Veena, a mother of two, and he falls for her head over heels to the point of obsession.
But his mind has so degenerated by this time that all lines between a figment of imagination and reality have blurred.
The author has really woven a brilliant narrative taking us through the dark dingy world of addiction and hallucinations.
The climax of the book is most unexpected and shocking.
A must read, I just enjoyed reading my copy, you go grab your copy now!!!!

Available on Amazon for Rs 150

My Rating 4/5

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

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