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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.

Experience Food, The Army Way At 38 Barracks

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Aditi Malhotra

Who could imagine that an accidental meeting with an army man in a train journey could become a turning point in Ankul Agarwal’s life and become an inspiration behind a theme restaurant. This is what exactly happened when owner of the Restaurant 38 Barracks, Ankur met a stranger, in this case an army colonel, on a train journey to Shimla. During the course of the journey, Ankur learnt many facets of an army man’s life and this how the idea of 38 Barracks was germinated. Ankur was so moved by the colonel’s story that he wanted to give a tribute to army men, 38 Barracks, as a restaurant based on the lives of army men is Ankur’s realization of that tribute.

38 Barracks truly reflects the spirit of an Army Man’s life in its every corner, in fact special corners like Locker Room, Drawing Room, Balcony have been marked in the restaurant, nooks and corners, walls and shelves are adorned with mementoes and memorable of army battalions. From medals, to old telephone, monochrome photographs and guns and rifles, every single aspect of the décor speaks loudly about the theme. Unlike other thematic restaurants where a few elements reflect the theme, 38 Barracks have gone all the way in maintaining the essence of the theme. And not just the décor, but also their menu is carefully curated with items that have been popular with major battalions of the world.

I was recently invited by Vickrham from Foodmaniacs..Born to Eat (do check out their blog for all food and lifestyle updates), for an exclusive bloggers table introducing new items in the food menu, which are designed by Michelin Recommended Chef Gautam Chaudhary.

Gautam himself took us through the culinary journey of developing those dishes and the inspiration behind. Now coming to food, it was as awesome as the entire place.

Amuse Bouche: It was a watermelon based pallet cleanser, which was cooled through a bowl filled with liquid nitrogen, one of those things that come under molecular gastronomy. Along with watermelon, there was feta cheese, lettuce leaves and balsamic vinegar balls, which looked like caviar. It was perfect to its name, amusing and tasteful. The cold fumes coming from the bowl of nitrogen was making it look really interesting and worth capturing on the camera. Check out my video on Instagram, and do show some love by following me 🙂

48^th Battalion (Mocktail): It was also a watermelon-based mocktail, with some apple juice; sprite, green chilies and sour mix thrown in. It indeed was a very refreshing drink and I liked it.

Paneer Tikka Barrels: This was one of the most amazing Paneer Tikka’s that I have eaten in recent times. The shape of the Paneer Tikka was like a barrel and It was stuffed with dry fruits. I loved this part, because normally paneer tikka’s are only coated with the masala on the top but after one bite, they sometimes taste bland, but this barrel with its surprise filling inside is a sure shot winner in this category.

Gosht Ke Galauti: These were really mouth melting; the meat was so tender and delectable. These kebabs were served with Ulta Tawa Paranthas and Green Mint Chutney.

Chicken Duet Tikka: Two different versions of chicken tikka, which are glazed in clay oven, are a heavenly delight for tikka lovers. This should be a definite try on your list, highly recommended.

Malaysian Military Chicken Satay: These are Malaysian marinade chicken satays served with peanut chutney. Mild in taste, these make a perfect choice if you want something super tasty and yet less spicy. Just go for it.

Soya Rahra: This will be a delight for soya lovers and vegetarians in general. A very well marinated soya chaap with a thick soya keema gravy, awesomely spiced, made this dish a wonderful one indeed. I personally liked it a lot.

Clash of Clans: A super awesome combo of two entirely different versions of fish. One part has the very English Fish N Chips while the other has Ajwaini Mahi Tikka but both of them equally awesome. Though the Ajwaini Tikka was little spicy, but the solution is to dig one bit of Ajwaini Tikka followed by the very crisp bite of Fish N Chips.. yumm is the word..

Big Barrack Chicken Burger: This was a father of all burgers, huge in size, delightful to look at and awesome to taste. Loaded with chicken and veggies, with sauces dripping, this messy affair is something you will remember for a long time. Must try.

Chicken Sweet Corn Soup: A bowl of chicken sweet corn soup= happy me. This soup has been an all time favourite for me, and I wasn’t disappointed having it here at 38 Barracks as well.

Corn Tarts: A new addition in the menu, they should surely make it to your must try list, as they were really nice. The filling was good; the tarts were baked to perfection as well.

Chocolate Walnut Brownie: Chocolate is the other name of heaven for me, and by now if you follow my posts you would know that. One I am a big chocolate fan and second I am baker myself and hence very critical about bakery items and desserts. But this brownie was just right, perfectly done, gooey and fudgy, loaded with walnuts and topped with some vanilla ice-cream, and my mouth waters while writing this, so you know what I mean, it was delicious.

Baked Rasgulla Pie: A very innovative creation by chef Gautam, this was a true fusion dessert and I am sure it will be loved by one and all.. ok ok..exceptions are always there.. but by and large people will love it, at least I did and I recommend too.

This place also has an amazing range of Hukka flavors and will be a paradise for hukka lovers. They have flavours, which are very unique, and no other place in India has them so far, for example there was a Rice Pudding Flavored Hukka, which was really different and didn’t hurt the throat at all.

38 Barracks should definitely be your next food over stop and I am sure you will love it.

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.

All Good About This Dirty Apron- Good Food & Good Music

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Aditi Malhotra

Brainchild of Engineer turned pianist and a self taught baker, Arjun Gupta, Dirty Apron claims to be city’s first Eurasian Restaurant. Arjun who feels strongly about both food and music has designed the place in such a way that both his passions are met with great results, so you get awesome food along with awesome music.

Dirty Apron is a part of The Piano Man and is hosted in the same building as Jazz Club and Cake Away. Recently they invited us to a bloggers table to review their specially designed food menu. They have come up with these amazing thin crust wood fired oven pizzas, which come loaded with exotic toppings and great smoky flavour. I loved the ambience of this place; it is the calmer and cozier part of the Piano Man.

Canopies with different toppings were served as a amuse bouche. I tried the one with mushrooms topping and it tasted really good.

As for drinks we opted for Pot, which is vodka-based cocktail infused with elderflower syrup and orange peel oil bubbles. It was nice and tangy. I also tried the Red Wine Sangria and that was good too.

There was Orange Sunrise for those who didn’t drink alcohol, it had a nice orangey taste and a wonderful presentation, and the big pieces of orange really added a lot of freshness in the taste of the drink and also helped it look better.

There was Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Soup and Green Apple & Vermouth Cold Soup. Both the soups were strikingly different in their taste, texture and even presentation, but both were wonderful to taste. I am not fond of apples basically but the green apple soup was just amazing, it had a very distinct taste and I have never had anything like this before. I loved it.

Ahh and now coming to one of the most amazing salads I have ever had, it was a platter of salad, with small portions of 3 different types of salads. There was Beetroot, Orange & Feta Salad, Raw Papaya Salad + Green Mango and Grilled Peaches + Blue Berry + Goat Cheese Arugula. I loved the Raw Papaya Salad, it was nice and tangy, something on the lines of Kimchi Salad, yet very different. The second best was the Beetroot Salad, crunchy and amazing. You must try this platter for sure.

The main course had assortment of Pizzas and I tried Wild Mushroom & Asian Pesto Pizza, Bulgogi Chicken Pizza, and the Pepperoni Pizza and I have to say that if you ever crave pizzas, this is the place for you. The crust was so thin and perfectly done and all the toppings were great. I personally loved the Bulgogi pizza, which had tender pieces of chicken and caramelized onions. Bulgogi is a recipe of Korean origin and was initially prepared with beef, and then later on adaptations of chicken and other meats were also done. My second favorite was the wild mushroom and Asian pesto pizza; in spite of being a hardcore non-vegetarian, I loved this one. Crisp, and crunchy, loaded with veggies, it was awesome and a must try for everyone.

A pan flavored palate cleanser was also served and it was refreshing.

Blueberry Cheese Cake and Kaffir Lime Scented Creame Brulee were served for desserts. I personally am a big critic of cheese cakes and I think that no one makes better than me, because I have been left disappointed at most of the places, but thankfully, this place was different. The blueberry cheesecake was just perfect. It felt homemade to me and that’s the reason I polished off the whole slice all by myself. The creame brulee with the hint of lime was perfect too, in fact the hint of lime made it taste a little different than the regular creame brulee and I found the change welcoming.

Overall had a very pleasant experience at Dirty Apron and I highly recommend all food lovers to visit this place.

Peshawari Food Festival @ Kama, Radisson Blu, Kaushambi

Posted on August 25, 2016August 29, 2016 by Aditi Malhotra

Crownit, a social app that allows users cash-back on restraunts, spas and other offers, recently hosted a bloggers table at the ongoing Peshawari Food Festival at Kama, Radisson Blu, Kaushambi. For a foodie like me, food festivals are an opportunity to try authentic cuisines within the comfort of my city. This was my first time at Radisson Kaushambi and there I learnt that they keep doing these food festivals quite often and bring the tastes of different regions for their clients. The current food festival focuses on delicacies of Peshawar and continues till the 4^th of September.

The experience began with a combination of a welcome drink and a snack bite. It was Buttermilk along with Anjeer and Potato Cutlet topped with Prune Sauce. The buttermilk was good and so was the cutlet, but I found the sauce a little too sweet for my liking, I would have preferred mint chutney to it.

For drinks we were served Florina, which was a refreshing mixed fruit mocktail. The presentation of starters was amazing; we were served Suleyamani Murg ke Kebab, Peshawari Paneer Tikka, Tandoori Phool and Peshawari Raan. Out of all the things served I loved the Raan; I haven’t ever eaten meat so tender. In fact mutton is something I usually don’t eat outside, I am basically a chicken person, but oh my ghosh, this mutton was mind blowing. You simply have to try it out to believe. The next best was the Tandoori Phool, which were florets of cauliflower marinated in tandoori masala and roasted to perfection. The Paneer Tikka and Chicken were good too, but the raan and tandoori phool were clear winners.

Soups were brought in post the starters; there was Paaye Ka Shorba and Chana Pudina Ka Shorba. I opted for Paye Ka Shorba, though I have never really tried it and was a little apprehensive too, but I thought of giving it a shot. Paaye Ka Shorba aur Kharode Ka Shorba as its popularly called is made by boiling animal bones in water with a little bit of vinegar. The valuable nutrients are literally leached out of the bone marrow. After two to 48 hours of simmering, the liquid is retained and the bones discarded.

Cartilage found in animal joint areas such as chicken feet, beef or lamb knuckles, trachea and ribs, hooves and skin, tend to yield the most nutritious broth. It contains cartilage (gelatine), bone marrow, amino acids and minerals. The end ingredient is a broth that contains all the valuable nutrients that are found in animal bones.

I couldn’t really accustom to the taste, I found it little oily, sticky and salty. It’s a kind of taste that one needs to develop over a period of time and may be cant appreciate in first instance. My mother who happened to accompany me tried the Chana Pudina Ka Shorba and highly recommended it.

The main course comprised of Dumpukht Murgh, Meat Kofta Curry, Paneer Handi Korma, Subz Gulbahar, Peshawari Choley, Yakhani Biryani, Maash Pulao, Qatlama and Khamiri Naan. Except the Peshawari Choley, which I missed by chance I tried everything and also I opted for normal roti in place of Khamiri Naan (never really liked them). The Dumpukht Murgh had a thick gravy and was delectable, but again for a change I loved the Meat Kofta Curry more. Though the koftas were little too big and also a little dry, but the gravy was awesome. Paneer Handi Korma and Subz Gulbahar will surely make a vegetarian very happy, even I liked them being a hardcore non-vegetarian. The Maash Pulao was a type of vegetarian pulao made with lots of green sprouts, a healthy option but surely not for me, especially when the aroma of Yakhni Biryani was pulling me towards it. The Yakhni Biryani served with Raita and Salan was just yumm, this is a must try and I am sure you will love it as much as I did. The most surprising dish was the Qatlama and I am sure no one can wildly guess with the name what it can be. Qatlama was like a desi version of pizza and is very popular in the Peshawar region. It was basically the khamiri naan, topped with vegetables and melted cheese just like a normal pizza and it tasted as awesome.

Desserts are the last part of any course and sometimes it’s really true that best things are saved for last. Badam Nariyal Ki Kulfi and Sheer Korma were the real delights. The badam kulfi with hint of nariyal in it was really awesome, and I loved the faluda, which was coloured orange with the use of saffron. The combination of white kulfi on the bed of orange faluda was not only tempting to the eyes but a feast to the taste buds as well. Sheer Korma was no less, it was like the traditional meethi sevaiyan loaded with dry fruits and was very very tasty.

Special mention for Chef Vishal Nigam and Chef Devi Lal who prepared these delicacies not just with expertise but also with lot of affection, passion and love.

Overall my experience at Kama was worth every moment spent there and I am feeling bad that I missed out on visiting the place earlier, but better late than never. I look forward to many more culinary experiences at Kama in time to come.

Do visit the Peshawari Food Festival at Kama, Radisson Blu, Kaushambi

From 18^th August to 4^th September

Chaayos Opens Its Doors at GK2 M Block Market..!!

Posted on August 23, 2016August 23, 2016 by Aditi Malhotra

Chaayos recently opened its doors at M-Block GK 2 Market and also launched a 7 star new menu. This menu comprised of special teas, both hot and cold, some mouth melting savories and teacakes. I was invited for a review with my other foodie friends and I am grateful to my friend and a co-blogger Radhika for that, do follow her page on facebook

We began our tasting session with ‘Desi Sab Kuch Chai’. It was a very typical masala chai infused with spices like Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger, and Basil etc. A perfect companion for those rainy evenings or winter mornings. ‘Assorted Pakoras’ were served along with the chai and it made the perfect combination. The onion pakoras are just worth it, you will want more and more of them, they were so addictive. Its definitely a must try dish on the menu. Along with it we were served ‘Bun Maska’ and ‘Egg Bun’. I tried the Egg Bun and really liked it. It was soft and delectable. The taste was mild, as the egg was not loaded with too many spices; it was just perfect, and as soft and mild as the bun itself.

Next up was a specialty tea, it was a lot of fun, because we weren’t told about the tea, we had to taste it and identify the ingredients. So after the first sip itself, I could gather that it was a honey lemon tea with a dash of ginger. It was amazing, and it had a very refreshing aroma, perfect for a sore throat or just to soothe it. From all the teas that I tasted, this one was my personal favorite. It came the ‘Loaded Chicken Cheese Max’. This one is a lethal combination, trust me. Don’t think much just go for it and I am sure you will love them both. There was a Paneer version too, but I gave it a skip, who wants to eat paneer when you can have chicken 🙂

And now it was time for their very famous ‘Kulad Chai’, which was served in actual kulads. I am not very fond of teas otherwise, but the aroma of this tea made me go for it and I am glad I did. Its awesome. Those fond of tea, will love this preparation.

The next tea that I tried was one of the most unique teas I have ever tried. It was the ‘Aam Papad Tea’. As the name suggests, it felt as if I was drinking a liquid form of Aam Papad. It had exactly the same taste, and aam papad is something I relish occasionally with the fear of having a sore throat. But just the way guys on TV promote Mango Drinks saying that the mango season never really gets over, you can similarly relish the taste of aam papad with this tea without any apprehensions. I loved it. From the savories, next we tried was the ‘Butter Chicken Wrap’ and ‘Kadhai Paneer Wrap’, I must say that the filling in both the wraps was very different, It was really loaded and every bite of it was heavenly. I wont really reveal what all it had; all I can say is that you must try it.

Last but not the least, was the ‘Thandi Chai’. They have about 3-4 flavors available in the same, what I tried was the Saunf flavor. After trying all the savories and filling myself up, this saunf flavoured thandi chai seemed just perfect. I quite liked it and I am looking forward to try the other flavours on my next visit there.

For dessert, there was ‘Bananaa Cake’ and ‘Lemon Cake’. The cakes were nice, but a little too dense for my liking. I know I know, I am little nasty when it comes to reviewing desserts, but what to do, I am a baker myself so I end up highlighting the negatives first. But nevertheless, the cakes weren’t bad at all.

I had a lot of fun with my foodie friends and now its your turn..You must surely plan a visit to your nearest Chaayos and more specially this newly opened one in M Block GK 2 Market and enjoy a tea of your preference with some amazing food. I just love the warmth and vibrancy this place exudes, its so comfortable that you almost feel as if sitting at home with a cup of tea and some pakoras.. bliss!

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.

Tag: Food Reviewer

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