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Tasteful Thursdays.. Bagiche Ki Sabziyan recipe by Chef Sartaj from Pride Plaza, Aerocity

Posted on September 22, 2016September 22, 2016 by Aditi Malhotra

Bagiche ki sabziyan (2 portion recipe)

Shared by Chef Sartaj who is an expert in Indian and Mughlai Cuisine, I myself tasted this beautiful recipe by him during my visit to Pride Plaza Hotel, Aerocity. I can vouch for it, its simply yumm. You can read my entire review here and enjoy this wonderful recipe by Chef Sartaj.

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Ingredients

Brinjal: 100gm
Lady Finger: 100gm
Cauliflower: 100gm
Red Pepper: 100 gm
Green Capsicum: 100 gm
Yellow Pepper: 100 gm
Chopped Green Chilly: 10 gm
Chopped Ginger: 10gm
Chopped Garlic: 10gm
Chopped Coriander: 10gm
Dice tomato: 50gm
Brown onion paste: 100gm
Lemon Juice :10 ml
Boiled Cashew paste: 50 gm
Beaten curd: 60gm
Cumin Seeds: 2gm
Vegetable Oil: 100ml
Turmeric Powder: 5gm
Red Chilli Powder: 10gm
Cumin Powder: 5gm
Coriander Powder: 10gm
Raw Mangoo Powder: 5gm
Salt: to taste
Julienne ginger/Coriander leaves : for the garnish

Method

Wash all the vegetables, and cut them in finger shape separately.
Fry Brinjal, Lady Finger and Cauliflower separately.
Take a pan, pour oil and heat it. Then put brown onion paste into the heated oil.
Thereafter put turmeric, coriander and red chilli powder.
Saute for 2 minutes.
Now add beated curd into the mixture.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Add cashewnut paste.
Then cook on low heat until the oil comes on top and is visible.
The gravy is ready now.
Take a fry pan, pour a tablespoon of oil, and add garlic, ginger and chilly to it.
Add capsicum and bell peppers with diced tomato.
Toss it and put all the fried vegetables.
After that pour the gravy in same mixtures.
Then dry all vegetables together.
Lastly, put cumin powder, raw mangoo powder and lemon juice for taste.
Now the vegetable is ready to serve with hot chapatti.
Garnish the dish with ginger julienne and coriander leafs on top.

Nawabi Andaaz at Pride Plaza Hotel, Aerocity

Posted on September 18, 2016 by Aditi Malhotra

Nawabi Delicacies to relish, with some thumri in the background, comfortable ambience and company of great foodie friends is what comprised my day at Pride Plaza Hotel recently. Hosted by Pride Plaza and my dear friend Vickrham from Foodmaniacs, this was surely a day to remember.
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Amouse Bouche, which had watermelon and some cream on top of a refreshing drink, was not just great to look and good to taste, but also was done in a personalized way making it way too special. My name was written with chocolate and it made one of the warmest welcomes I have received.

This was followed by yet another welcome drink and also champagne was opened marking the beginning of a great culinary experience.

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For starters we were served a Vegetarian Kebab Platter first. The kebab platter included Rajma Ke Galouti, Kele Ke Gular Kebab, Makai Moti Ki Seekh, Mawa Mawe Ke Kebab and Hara Dalcha Kabab. I Loved the succulent Rajma Ke Galouti, they almost tasted like the non-vegetarian galouti kebabs and very very flavorsome. The second best were the Mawa Kebabs, really soft and mouth melting with mild flavors. The Kele Ke Gular Kebab and Hara Dalcha Kebab were good too, I didn’t like the Makai Moti Ki Seekh as much, but all in all it was a wonderful platter considering the fact I am a hardcore non-vegetarian.

The next up was Non Veg Kebab Platter, this included Galouti Kebab, Nukhti Kebab, Murg Ke Parchey, Murg Shami Kebab and Mahi Gilafi Seekh. Out of this platter I loved Nukhti Kebab and Murg Ke Parchey the most. The Nukhti Kebabs were pieces of mutton roasted to perfection and spiced with a thick masala. I could really be satisfied with one complete dish of nukhti kebabs with some roomali roti, aah bliss! I am craving for them as I write. The Murg Ke Parchey was also just amazing. Surprisingly the Rajma Ke Galouti tasted better than the original galouti, though I don’t mean that they were bad. They were good, but still the vegetarian version was softer and more tasteful. Murg Shami didn’t go too well with me; they weren’t as soft and tasty as I expected them to be. Mahi Gilafi Seekh was just about OK.

Coming to main course, it was an elaborate spread and comprised of some beautifully selected and curated dishes by Chef Sartaj Quereshi along with Exceutive Chef Shailendra Singh especially for this Nawabi Andaaz Food Festival. There was Moong Ghosht, Keema Kaleji, Murg Bemisal, Murg Koh-E-Awadh, Paneer Lavanglata, Bagiche Ki Sabziyan, Guncha-E-Keema Mutter, Moong Mughlai, Kofti Dum Biryani and Narangi Pulao. The entire spread was as awesome as their names and once again the surprise part was the vegetarian dishes being so great. Normally in Lucknawi Cuisines or Hyderabadi Cuisines we don’t expect the vegetarian to be so good, but commendable job but Chef Sartaj, that his vegetarian rocked as much as his non veg dishes. I will try and get the Chef to share one of his recipes for all my readers out there, soon.

The star dish was however the Moong Gosht. The moong dal itself never tasted so rich and creamy to me, we always associate creaminess and richness to Dal Makhani, but what a wonderful way to present this dal in this rich avatar and tender pieces of spiced mutton added another layer to the whole experience. This dish is definitely a must try and one should not miss it at any cost. Keema Kaleji and Murg Bemisal too were outstanding. A special mention for Bagiche Ki Sabziyan and Paneer Lavanglata, these are not to be missed as well, whether you are a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian, you will simply love them.

Coming to the dessert, I can really challenge that you would have never eaten such a lethal combination of some many desserts in one go. This mother of a dessert had Kesari Gulab Ki Phirni, topped by Palak Ka Halwa, yet again topped by Gulukand aur Cheney Ki Jugalbandi (a sort of rasmalai), topped by Ilaichi Gulab Jamun and Dhudhi Ka Halwa. Just one word to describe it- Mindblowing! Somehow mine looked also very cute and resembled a small Ganesha.

I had a tremendous foodie experience and I really urge my readers to give it a shot, this place is definitely worth a visit. We also took a complete round of the property and its amazing, I am so wanting to visit their other restaurants and also may be a comfortable stay in one of their rooms.I thank Foodmaniacs and Pride Plaza Hotel for inviting me for this culinary delight, look forward to visit them again sometime soon. Fond memories with friends and great foodie experience is what I got after visiting this place!

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Lebanese Delights at Zerruco Kitchen & Bar

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Aditi Malhotra

Zerruco at The Ashok Hotel,Chanajyapuri held a Lebanese food festival from the 7th sep to 14th sep and I have to say that by far it was the best Lebanese food I have eaten ever.

The impression that I carried about Lebanese food, and assumed the regular dishes to be served were all met with a surprise. There was nothing regular about the place. The dishes were 100% authentic and the menu featured the typical Lebanese dishes and not the regulars like Shwarmas and Harissa Chicken that we normally relate Lebanese food to. In fact their menu doesn’t comprise of these things at all. So don’t be shocked that walking in at this Lebanese joint and not getting a Shwarma.

The ambience of the place is another highlight, it has a very spacious sitting place with a well stocked bar. The decor is simple and attractive. They have an equally spacious sitting in the open also and it makes a perfect place for a relaxed chilled out time with family and friends.

The head chef is a young man by the name of Harsh Pathania and is very knowledgeable and competent.

We left ourselves in the hands of expert and he starter us with two salads, Syrian Salad with Lemon, Mint and Garlic and Tabbouleh Salad. Both the salads were amazing, but I personally found the Tabbouleh Salad better, not because the other was any less in taste, but because this one was little unusual. Both the salads were very satisfying overall.

For drinks, my dad who was accompanying me settled for a cocktail called Gentleman, which was a whisky based cocktail with Lemon Grass, Angostura and Maple Syrup, and I had Ronella, a mocktail with Apple, Orange, Cranberry and Fresh Fruit. Both the drinks were great.

The chef recommended the Signature Mezze Platter next, a chef’s special.

And was it special? You bet it was really really special.

The platter consisted of six different dips and an assortment of delicious kebabs which had chicken seekhs,mutton seekh,chicken tikka,fish tikka and prawns all beautifully done in a tandoor.

The high point of the platter was that each of the above kebabs was distinct in their flavours.

Each of the marinade was specially done for each item.

This was really one mouthwatering stuff, Kudos to the chef.

And to be honest if you have one platter between two you don’t really need anything else.

A very very satisfying platter.All the kebabs were juicy and succulent and each held its own intrinsic flavour.

Then we were treated to their Halloumi Pizza which was quite interesting in presentation but didn’t quite sit well with me. The design of the pizza didn’t let the filling to be spread across equally and it was only in the center of the pizza, so with most bites I could only taste the bread and not the filling. And also may be the lingering taste of kebabs was still there.

Hummus Bill Dajaj was served next, which was basically homemade hummus topped with sautéed chicken and pine nuts. I loved the presentation of this dish as much as the taste. The hummus was perfect and tasted quite well with the chicken, pine nuts added the extra crunch to the whole dish.

Thereafter we were served the main course consisting of Chicken Ablama a Lebanese curry chicken, which was again really very good. You rarely find gravies in the Lebanese cuisine but this was an exception and a really good one at that.

The other dish served was Dajajb Falora, a vegetarian curry which again was amazingly good. These both dishes were served with Vermicelli Rice and I have to say that this was one hell of a meal. So filling and so tasteful.

Last but in no way the least their desserts, they were simply awesome.

Baklava a sweet patty filled with nuts was out of this world as we’re the Malabia and Ummali.

Malabia is a dessert in which boiled milk is flavored with rose water and cardamom, thickened and then baked in a water bath. It was delicious. Ummali is also a milk based dessert where in a puff pastry is dipped in thick milk.

All in all a tremendous gastronomic experience.

Visit once and I am quite sure you will go back for more and specially when they are now coming up with Mashrabiya Nights where in you can relish the Lebanese Delicacies with Sizzling Belly, Tanura & Durbuka Dance under one roof.

Do not forget they have a well stocked bar and some interesting cocktails. I am thankful to Sourabh Chandna, the owner of the place for inviting me for this scrumptious meal.

Now its time for you to explore, so get up and going to Zerruco.

Asli Drama Toh Ab Shuru Hoga with DRAMA, the upside down bar and restaurant

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Aditi Malhotra

Life mein tragedy, comedy, romance aur DRAMA, sab kuch zaruri hai, tabhi toh life mast rehti hai..so bring some more DRAMA to your life with the newbie in town, DRAMA, the upside down bar. This place defines quirkiness like no other. From the ambience to food, everything is dramatic as the name suggests and also upside down décor is the highlight of the place. So don’t rub your eyes or adjust your glasses when you see books kept upside down, or those lamps that hang downside from the ceiling. Once you have entered DRAMA, DRAMA is what you will get in everything. I was recently invited to a private screening organized by Vickrham from FoodManiacs..Born to Eat(if you are a food lover, do join the group on facebook) and its always a pleasant experience meeting like minded foodie friends.

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Spread over 3 floors, Drama is a perfect hangout place with family and friends. It’s vibrant, quirky and full of life.

For the starters we were served Insalata Crumble, which was chicken mince salad prepared with basil pepper dressing and feta. It was nice, crumbly and a very different kind of salad. I really liked it.

Next up was the Chin Chin Chicken, Drama’s own version of the very popular chilly chicken, but this one is served on a bed of 1oo chillies, totally mouth drooling.

Agneepath Murgi, basically chicken satays that come on a coal engine shaped serving platter, is definitely a must try. They taste as good as they look.

Faadu Fish Fire, a chilly fish with hint of sweetness with sweet chilli soy was the next item served in an upside down umbrella. Masachos were Naachos presented with the signature DRAMA touch, masala kachumbar salsa and rajma, it was also served an upside down umbrella.

Twitter Tangadi, is something that will catch the attention of your eyes more than the taste. Taste wise it’s a regular chicken leg piece roasted with Indian spices, but what makes it different is its colour of marinade, which is the Twitter Blue colour and you will surely love holding that blue tangadi in your hands. Order for the sake of fun if nothing else.

Then there was Baba Dhanoush, Lebanese Pita Bread Platter, and Paneer Tikka that came in a cage, both of them tasted well. The presentation of the food is really commendable, the looks of the food items and the way they are presented is so attractive that one can’t resist eating. Followed this was the Bun Faad Paneer, a unique kind of a burger which can be teared open and indulged in with some chilli garlic cottage cheese eggs.

Drinks too showcased a lot of quirk in their names and presentation, we tried Chatpati Chameli, a vodka based cocktail with tamrind flavours. Then there was Cilantaro and Orange Margarita and Shiela ki Jawani, which was vodka with orange liqueur and cranberry juice. Mocktails had some amazing variety as well, Pan Mojito was one of the highlight drinks, orange passion was comforting and refreshing.

After so much of dramebaazi in starters and drinks, I had set my expectations really high for the main course, but it turned out to be a little disappointing. We ordered Chowka Paneer Patiala, Nai Dilli Meat Curry and Taehri Chicken Boti. The Paneer Patiala was good, creamy thick gravy that was tasteful. The Chicken Boti and Meat Curry, both lacked taste, they were just about ok, but nothing exceptional. I am sure our feedback will be taken constructively and things will be better the next time around.

In Desserts, we tried Berry Ananas Roshogulla, I loved the presentation of the dish and it tasted yumm too.

Nonetheless this place is definitely a must visit and I congratulate Swaraj Singhi and his team for putting in so much creativity in this place, its truly remarkable. I wish them all the luck and urge all my readers to go and visit Drama for sure and you will love it.

Soul Satisfying South Indian Food at Tirupati Vrindavan

Posted on August 21, 2016August 24, 2016 by Aditi Malhotra

South Indian food is something that I can enjoy only once in a blue moon because I don’t find that authentic taste at much of the places. But this newly opened place Tirupati Vrindavan has changed my perception completely. It not only serves amazing South-Indian food but also has a very peaceful and cool ambience, very apt to its name that is derived from two religious and spiritual places, Tirupati for Lord Tirupati and Vrindavan for Lord Krishna. It’s a place away from the usual hustle bustle, loud music or a fancy set-up that we normally see in the restaurants these days. This place focuses on the quality of its food and believes in ‘keep it simple silly’ funda. I was invited there by Dish Guide, who have this amazing app called Foodie, which helps you locate best dishes in your neighbourhood, do check it out.

At the onset, we were served a welcome drink of Butter Milk, and I really have to say that it was the best buttermilk I ever had. It wasn’t anything like the regular buttermilk; this one had a nice ‘tadka’ of sarson, kari patta and jeera. It was very refreshing and I just loved every bit of it.

The buttermilk was followed by an amazing ‘Rasam Shot’, I am calling it a shot because we got ourselves served in short steel glasses instead of the whole portion, but I suggest that you try and have the entire portion, its simply worth it. In fact I regret not ordering the full portion. It is one of the best things they have in their menu. It was served along with crispy papads.

For starters we tried their special Fried Idly, Masala Idly, Dahi Vada and Medu Vada, which were served with an assortment of chutneys and hot sambhar. All three dishes were good, but I personally loved Fried Idly the most. It was crispy on the outside and yet retained the softness that a normal idly has. I didn’t even care for the sambhar, it was just great in itself. I loved the sprinkle of gunpowder masala over the idly which gave it an enhanced taste. The second best dish that I liked was the Dahi Vada. The dahi was perfectly sweetened, not over sweet, but just perfect and the vadai were mouth meltingly delicious.The masala idly was also good, as it was an idly tossed in brown onions and tomatoes masala. The medu vada was good, but nothing exceptional. For drinks I tried their Aam Pana, and you must definitely try it out, it was really good.

We were a group of 5 people and hence wanted to make the most of our visit to this lovely place, hence we decided to order more number of dishes and share amongst us so that we get to try more variety.

For the main course, we settled for Masala Dosa, Mysore Masala Dosa, Curd Rice and Lemon Rice. Both the dosas were amazing, crispy and loaded with masala potatoes in the center.

The curd rice, I guess was prepared in a little hurry and was missing the tadka, it was nice, but I think by now I was expecting more out of every dish and thus it was a little disappointing. The lemon rice was just perfect and I relished every bite of it.

The afternoon of this great culinary experience was brought to an end with their special filter coffee. It was raining outside and I guess there is nothing better than a cup of hot coffee on a rainy afternoon.

For those who love South Indian food, this is the place you must visit and those who don’t like South India food, I suggest you please visit this place and I am sure you will start loving this cuisine.

I also happened to meet the owner of the place, Shubham and he came across as a very warm and friendly person and I think it’s his persona that is reflected through the restaurant that he has made.

I really urge all my readers to give this place a sure shot try and you will love it.

Relishing Parsi Flavours at Soda Bottle Opener Wala

Posted on August 14, 2016 by Aditi Malhotra

Navroz is the name of the Iranian New Year, which is celebrated in the month of August by all Iranians. This Navroz, Soda Bottle Opener Wala, the very famous Iranian/Parsi Café came up with introducing the special Navroz Thali in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions.

This was my first time at trying out the Parsi cuisine and hence I was all excited to do so. I opted for the non-veg Navroz thali. I must say that the thali looked very very tempting, the way it was presented. The thali consisted of Jardaloo Chicken, Mutton Pulav, Masala Ni Dal, Rotli, Chicken Cutlet, Salad Shirazi, Kachumbar, and Brinjal Pickle.

I started with the mutton pulav and loved it instantly. A very tender and spiced mutton was sandwiched between two layers of rice and when you dig in from top to botton, you have a mouthful of balanced and perfect taste, the mildness of rice and a delectable spiced mutton.

I tried the Jardaloo Chicken with roti next, I cant say that I loved this chicken instantly, as the gravy tasted very different compared to what gravies we North Indians are used to, but a couple of bites more and it started to grow on me.

The Masala Ni Dal was the only thing in the thali that I didn’t like, may be because I still didn’t develop the full taste for Parsi Cuisine. I loved the Shirazi Salad and Kachumbar Salad as well, but the most suprising thing was the Brinjal Pickle, I simply loved it. I otherwise dislike Brinjal, but this pickle was an exception. There was a cutlet too, which had filed eggs and chicken stuffed in it, or at least it tasted like that to me. 🙂

I also tried Eggs Kejriwal, a signature dish from the menu and have to say that these eggs kejriwal were simply mind blowing. Eggs on a toast with cheese and ham inside, they were a mouth melting experience.

Next was the Chicken Cutlet Pav and like some dishes in the thali, this one also was very particular in taste. The cutlet was nowhere like the regular cutlets that we eat, it was nice but not something that I would jump for.

For drinks there was quite a variety to choose from, like Masala Pepsi, Mrs. Soda Bottle Openerwala Cold Coffee, Raspberry Soda, Shikanji Bin, Fresh Lime Soda and Iranian Tea & Coffee. I settled for Shikanji Bin and yet again it was very different as compared to the regular shikanji that we get. It was little fruity and pulp of fruit was coming in mouth with every sip. It was nice and refreshing.

For desserts there were Raspberry & White Chocolate Panacotta and Sev, both the dishes were nice, but I preferred the raspberry & white chocolate panacotta to sev. The panacotta had a slight sour punch over the top because of the raspberry sauce, but as you went down, the sweetness of chocolate could be felt.

The ambience of the place is very warm and friendly. It feels like as if you are sitting in your home, with some nice old Bollywood songs in the background like Manu Bhai Motor Chali Pom Pom Pom.. Or may be it feels as if you are enjoying some Mumbai cuisine sitting next to the Gateway of India as the whole place has a lot of Mumbai feel.

Overall had a great experience relishing the Parsi cuisine with some foodie friends and I look forward to visiting the place again with my family. I am sure you too would drop in at Soda Bottle Openerwala and enjoy a nice Parsi meal with your family and friends.

Sunday Brunch @Blooms, Eros Hotel

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Aditi Malhotra

Sunday is always the most sought after day of the week, one either wants to relax completely or go out and have some fun, but doing something special is indeed a part of Sunday. Out of all the things one may plan whether to stay at home or go out, food is I guess the biggest discussion point and with me its no different. Last Sunday I was fortunate to have been invited for reviewing the Sunday Brunch at Blooms, Eros Hotel, Nehru Place and I really can’t explain in words what fun it was. Blooms organizes Sunday brunches every weekend, but the last Sunday of every month is the most special one, as its always done centered around a theme. When I visited, the theme was Monsoon Magic, the weather was just perfect to justify the theme and yes the ambience and the food, both were magical.

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The magic began right at the entrance as I eyed the lavish spread of desserts. It was difficult to resist the temptation of not beginning the brunch with desserts, but nevertheless, I started at them for a long time and captured them in my camera at least.

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The ambience of blooms is very comfortable and relaxing and they have both indoor and outdoor seating. Some special elements were added in the decoration to compliment the monsoon theme. There were umbrellas, paper boats and even the staff was wearing raincoats. It all looked very very cute and interesting.

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The menu was elaborate; there was a lavish buffet spread inside along with a lot of live counters that were placed outdoors. Just taking a stroll around and looking at all that yummy food made me hungry, and I can feel the hunger pangs even now as I write this review.

LIVE STATIONS:

Thela

There was a thela that served assorted pakodas, now monsoons are almost incomplete without pakodas and hence it was a sure shot hit amongst the guests An assortment of pakodas were served, paneer, aaloo pyaaz bhajiya, achari green chilli and others. Then there were a variety of Samosas on the thela, Potato & Cashew filled traditional Indian samosa, Chicken Patti samosa, Keema mutter samosa with mint & saunth chutney.

Chole tikki, sizzling stew of Dry peas with spiced potato was also served with tamarind chutney and selection of toppings.

Also I just loved the way the Pakodas were served from an upside down umbrella, it just looked so interesting.

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Bhutta Corner

Charcoal grilled corn was served with lemon, salt, green chilli & spicy masala.

There was also the steamed buttered corn with spicy masala.

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Rain forest Grill

Selection of meats and vegetables with spices mix from the RAINFOREST region of America, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela

Lamb chops, Chicken breasts, Red snapper, Salmo, Seabass, Prawns, Button Mushrooms, Potatoes, Peppers, Asparagus, Zucchini, and more, one had ample choice of staples to try out these rain forest flavors.

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Momos

Traditional South Asian dumplings with choice of vegetarian & non- vegetarian fillings were served with spicy sauces & dips and they were simply amazing.

London Fish & chips

Batter fried fish was served with homemade wafers and it was a true delight, the fish was very very delicately fried and light in taste, the handmade chips were the highlight of the dish.

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Asian hawker counter

Then there was this counter, which served the Pan Asian delicacies and just passing by the counter, the aromas made by tummy rumble with hunger pangs.

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Main Course

This buffet lay out all that you could think of, with wide variety of dishes in India, Continental and Chinese, you just couldn’t ask for more.

Desserts

Desserts Spread was mouth drooling and had a perfect mix of both western and Indian desserts. I tried quite a few of them and especially loved the raspberry eclair and chocolate mango mousse.

The live bar counter knocked out some amazing drinks and also there was a live band to keep the mood upbeat at all times.

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The Sunday Brunch by Blooms, Eros Hotel is definitely not to be missed, so do plan your weekend accordingly and also watch out for their next theme on the last Sunday of August. I had a lot of fun and I am sure you too will enjoy!

Your Neighbourhood Bar Opens in East of Kailash-BarShala

Posted on August 3, 2016August 3, 2016 by Aditi Malhotra

‘In Wine There Is Wisdom, In Beer There Is Freedom, In Water There Is Bacteria’. One cannot agree more with Benjamin Franklin.

But what to do when you are broke like a joke? When it’s that time of the month and the salary cheque looks far-flung? When you want to be a high troller without riding on the luxury roller? What about manhandling those man talks and being in a place, which reeks of nostalgia and smells of home? All in all, the perfect place to finish up a boozy evening in style!

Here comes your panacea for all drinking ills- The BarShala!

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BarShala is India’s fastest growing chain of “friendly neighbourhood drinking resto-bars” in India positioned on the basic premise-“peeney waalon ka paradise” (a paradise for people who enjoy a good drink). Founded by the team at Indospirit, headed by Mr. Sameer Mahandru, the aim is to create the bar-next-door for the entire country.

The Mission – Piyo or Peene Do

Whether it is hanging out with your friends after office hours, or discussing the next game of cricket over a chilled beer, BarShala is the perfect joint for you. The menu is uniquely crafted with Hinglish names of dishes adding quirkiness and making things breezy!(literally).BarShala, as small and powerful as the name suggests, the sting in the tail is having to choose between numerous flavours of rum mixes, Indigenous beers or Vodkas at unbeatable prices. The bar currently lacks the presence of any sorts of cocktails and cocktails in the menu. They as of now have all straight liquor. There’s a character in the décor too, with winks of Indian kitschy graphic and jazzy mosaics. Attracting regulars and interested new faces, the atmosphere is relaxed and intimate.

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BarShala has been brought to life by a passionate team of individuals with extensive experience in the F&B industry. The young and energetic team at BarShala has promised to go the extra mile to ensure that one has a crazy time with friends and create some amazing memories. Having opened up their first two outlets in Janakpuri, Karkardooma and lining up the unveiling of East of Kailash, the bar is getting higher every day. The only dream is to see Delhities in BarShala- blurring the line between weekdays and weekends-Rammed and raucous.

I recently visited the East of Kailash outlet and it definitely lives upto its name, its just a hangout place where you can go only for drinks and nothing else. It is a BarShala in true sense. However quirky the names of menu items be, the food is very very basic. Don’t expect too many high fundas, or exotic cuisine here. You will get just the routine snacks, more like ready to eat options in both vegetarian and non vegetarian, but the liquor prices are so cheap that you cannot complain. I tried the Mutton Seekh, Fish Fingers and Chicken Salad, which were just about OK.

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Also its most apt for youngsters and men interested in drinking, if you are looking at spending some cosy time with your girl friend, this isn’t the place. Neither its apt for families.

The staff definitely needs to be more trained and attentive and hospitality is something they need to work upon.

BarShala is managed by the INDOSPIRIT Group.The INDOSPIRIT Group of companies is a leading bottler, importer, distributor and retailer of alcoholic beverages in North India. The group was founded in 2007, and now has a turnover of 300 Crores.

Terrific 25-New Menu Launch at Aanch

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Aditi Malhotra

Aanch, a chic and urban restaurant in Rajouri Garden has been successfully running since 5 years. Bringing innovation to menu and food presentation ideas is the need of any restaurant today to constantly keep surprising their customers and retain their interest. Aanch is also all set to do the same, as they planning to launch 25 new dishes in their menu. We were recently invited for a preview table of this Terrific 25 menu and honoured with this privilege of tasting everything before it opens for general public from August onwards.

The place is located at the top floor of shoppers stop mall, and is an extensive spread with a huge terrace and outside expanse where in private parties and weddings are held.

Drinks:

Coming to the menu, we were first served the new mocktails on the menu, the regular mocktails done with an India twist to them. The first one was Tulsi and Melon Fantasy. It was refreshing but the flavour of basil was a little overpowering, and if that is taken control of, it definitely a perfect summer drink.

Next was the Veggie Virgin Marry, which was a desi twist to the popular Virgin Mary, but here there was no use of tobasco to make it spicy, it was instead made spicy by using red chillies, also there were cut pieces of capsicum in the drink which made it spicy and crunchy at the same time. I am a virgin mary lover and thus I preferred this Veggie Virgin Mary and loved it. It was slightly on the spicier end, but yet it was amazing. I also loved the presentation of the drink very much.

I also tried the Virgin Orange Caprioska and Very Berry Slush, both of them were good too, but the berry slush was mind blowing, it was best of the lot and I highly recommend the same.

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Starters: To clear the palette, water melon cubes with cheese was the first thing to be served and it was refreshing.

Soups- Mushroom Cappuccino and Chicken Tom Yum, both of them were amazing, though I preferred the creamy mushroom soup over the chicken one. Mushroom soup was served with a mushroom toast which was good and the fried chicken roll that came with tom yum soup was just amazing.

Mahabali Paneer Tikka- a spicy version of the regular paneer tikka, this one was truly awesome. I also loved the presentation of the same.

Roti pe Boti-This was an out of the menu dish, that the chef created especially for us bloggers to taste and I fell in love with it instantly. It was a soft and tender galauti kebab placed on a very khasta mathi with a dollop of green chutney. The combination was amazing, the galauti kebabs just melted in the mouth and I can go back for this dish anytime. In fact I would really urge them to include this as a part of their regular menu.

Shahi Be Mahi- This was a very tender Fish Malai Tikka, and it was one of the best starters of the entire evening. The fish just melted in the mouth, was mildly spiced and too delicious. This one is a must try.

Gabbar Ke Sholey- It was an innovative and interesting way to present bread rolls stuffed with cottage cheese, they seemed like small hand grenades that looked amazing and tasted good too.

Lemon Grass Mushrooms- Oh these went on to become my personal favourites. The spices were perfect and the most amazing part was a mild cottage cheese filling between two mushrooms. I haven’t eaten anything like this before. It was really awesome. Also the presentation on a small rolling cart was very very cute.

Galouti Golgappe- These were the golgappas filled with a small piece of galouti topped with some green chutney, onions and pomegranate seeds. The concept was good but the golgappas need to be a little more juicy, they were dry.

Tawa Ka Burrah and Chooza Murg were next, both the dishes were regular, the mutton burrah was tasty, juicy and tender and I loved the way it was presented. Chooza Murg was like Tandoori Chicken, and was perfect.

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Banana Chik and Mango Chicken were presented next, they both came in sweet looking hand carts. The Banana Chick tasted more like a Thai steamed chicken which I didn’t like much. The Mango Chicken had a tangy fruity taste with a hint of Chinese flavour and it was good.

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It seemed like a marathon of starters, as they were just not ending, and trust me it takes a lot to taste and try 25 items on the menu, but they were all so exciting that even though the tummy space was reducing, we just could not give up.

Chilly Chicken Pao and Veg Cheese Quesadilla were next in line. The chilly chicken pao was spicy and nice and so were the quesadillas.

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After trying so many delectable starters, there was hardly any space left for the main course, but being a blogger one has to try and write about it, sometimes its not easy you see. But yes I did. The first thing on the menu was Haleem, followed by Balti Murg, Murg Makhanwala, Creamy Gosht, Dal Makhani and Paneer Pasanda. All the dishes were perfectly done, minus the murg makhanwala, as I found it a little too sweet. The creamy gosht could have been a little better too and I am sure the management will take our feedback constructively.

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There was Cheesy Baked Pasta and Chicken Spatchcock too, but they seemed a little out of place with the more emphasised Indian menu. They were good no doubts, but certainly didn’t gel with the entire palate.

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Finally the meal came to an end and the dessert was served, It was Coconut Cigars with Vanilla Ice-Cream. The Coconut Cigars were crisp and tasted excellent dipped in Vanilla Ice-Cream. The presentation was great and it looked like a few birds sitting in a pool of ice cream.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience. We also met the owner Mr Bhuvnesh Bhalla and his wife who paid attention to every feedback we had to offer and they came across as very warm and hospitable people. Also met Chef Ashish Massey who is the man behind this amazing culinary experience and is a great person. Last but not the least this privileged of experiencing a new menu before it gets launched for general public was bestowed upon due to my friend and an excellent PR person Neha Bahl from Qube Communication and had a pleasant experience meeting other blogger friends too. The menu gets launched for public August onwards, please do give it a try and you will be pleasantly surprised with the small twists and innovations.

Tag: Delhi Foodie

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