Tag: Foodie

The Masala Trail Experience at Ansal Plaza

After a successful restaurant at CP followed by presence in the food court of DLF Mall of India, Noida, and a couple of other places, The Masala Trail by Osama Jalali found its foothold in the revamped mall of Ansal Plaza. Having tried food at both CP restaurant and Mall of India, I was fully aware of the speciality regional food that it offers and also certain what to order and what not to orders.

This time I started my culinary experience by ordering Amritsari Paneer Tikka, Mumbai Ka Ragda Pattice and the tried and tested Tower Chaat. The Paneer Tikka was nicely done, and I liked it. I ordered Ragda Pattice because I have been missing Mumbai food, though nothing can ever match that local taste, but this Ragda Pattice was quite nice. The spices were perfect, it was tasteful and delicious. The Tower Chaat undoubtedly one of the best dishes on the menu. We also ordered Spring Rolls, but I found them too oily so gave a skip. You can try the Vada Pao though, its nice.

Another regional food that I had been looking forward to try since long was the Bihari Litti Chokha, so I thought why not give it a try. To be honest, I found the taste of mustard too overpowering for my personal liking, though I loved the Chokha, but those who have the taste for mustard, admired it a lot. So if you don’t have an issue with the mustard taste, go ahead and try this one. Recommendations came in very strongly by my friends.

One of my friends ordered the Banana Poori, for me it was a dish probably I won’t have ever ordered myself, but I would have certainly missed something good if I didn’t. Thank god for my friend, she ordered, I tried and loved it. The Banana Pooris, with a hint of sweetness were so soft and good, that I did not even feel like trying the sabzi along with it, the poori in itself was more than sufficient.

A fantastic and must try dish that I discovered this time was the Triple Sack Rice, I mean it was a winner dish for that lunch. Three layers of goodness, crispy noodles, manchurian gravy topped with fried rice, it was a delightful dish and I personally recommend trying it for sure. Hakka Noodles were good too.

We also tried the Mumbai Tawa Pulao, which again was nicely done, but after having this Triple Sack Rice, nothing else could hold my attention.

For desserts, we tried one of their best, the Matka Kulfi, and also the Haji Ali Fruit Cream, which too was nice.

Overall I can once again say, that if one wants to try different regional food, Masala Trail is definitely the place where you can satiate your different cravings under one roof.

The Masala Trail Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Not Just Paranthas… Seriously.. its not just about paranthas…!!

We Indians remain Indians at heart no matter where we live or what we do, and some places just reflect this emotion perfectly. And especially when it comes to food, we end up choosing Indian cuisine over and over again even after exploring and relishing other cuisines off and on. I mean who can do without a butter chicken and paranthas, no amount of sushis, pastas, burgers and noodles take place of our very own food, and trust me Not Just Paranthas is just about that. The place is Indian all through, its so Indian, that they don’t have forks and they encourage using hands to eat food, I mean you can be your nasty self here, the same person who relishes dal chawal with hands at home, can relish tearing away paranthas with hands and dip them in curd and slurp them away!

I have been to this place long ago and was quite a regular then, as my office was very near to it, but then as I left my office and moved on, I somehow did not go to this place also since years and just recently after approx 3-4 years I went again and was so happy that they have held on to their quality of food well, its still as good as it was.

In fact the ambience is much more refined now and they also have live music performances which add more to the charm. So you will surely enjoy some retro bollywood music as you relish the food.

Now coming to food, we ordered Cheezy Chooza and NJP Special Mutton Seekh as non-veg starters and Dahi Ke Kebab and Galoti Kebab with Varki Parantha for veg starters. Must say that all four dishes were awesome. The Cheezy Chooza is for sure a dish that you must try. A beautifully done chicken tikka loaded or rather wrapped in cheese, it was delicious. Mutton Seekh was nice and tender. Dahi Ke Kebab is again a delicacy you must try here, they weren’t the usual type, in fact they were very different and really nice. Though they were slightly sweetish in taste, I liked them for their difference. The Rajma Galotis were nice too.

These starters really were very heavy and we were already feeling so full, but how can one not have a parantha when at NOT JUST PARANTHAS 🙂

So we ordered a Chur Chur Chicken Do Pyaza Parantha and Mughlai Pocket Parantha along with some Dal Makhani. Uff, the Chur Chur Chicken Parantha was mind glowingly delicious, you cannot ignore it and if you are a Punjabi, you will love it even more because its drizzled with the makhani gravy on top. Simply yummylicious.

The Pocket Parantha was very different in comparison yet equally delicious and one can try a lot of variety as per taste and choice. Actually thats with every kind of parantha, the menu is so elaborate that at times it leaves you confused. One of the easier ways is to leave yourself in the hands of their ever hospitable staff and they will guide you to the best of their dishes. Don’t forget to enjoy some Kullad Lassi and Chaach along with your paranthas, they are almost mandatory 😉

Coming to the star dish of the evening, it was the dessert, the Meetha Parantha, its heavenly, its delicious, its outstanding. You cannot cannot miss this one. Ask the staff for their special meetha parantha and they will serve you just right.

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting this place again and now look forward to being a regular again, and for a family like mine who craves Indian food and good music, this is just the place to be.

 

 

Not Just Paranthas Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Cafe Southall, The Raw and Real Foodie Experience

Cafe Southall tucked away in the Tolstoy Lane, Janpath is just the place you need to unwind, with your family or friends. Its a lounge cum cafe with a  very rustic and raw appeal and is yet extremely comforting and premium. Its an idle place for your sunny afternoon lunches or some vibrant and energetic evenings. They have live music events pretty often and offer some lip smacking North Indian, Continental, Italian and Asian food. One of the highlights of the place is that it is huge and spacious. The seating is very comfortable and a big bar is adequate enough to handle any kind of rush.

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I headed out here with a few friends on a Sunny Sunday afternoon and it was just perfect. We began by ordering Chicken Caesar Salad, Murg Malai Tikka, Pesto Fish Tikka and Corn & Fennel Tikki. Highlighting the best things first, the Pesto Fish Tikka was superb, thick pesto marinated coated over cubes of fish, grilled to perfection, this dish is surely a must have, I am sure you will enjoy it. Murg Malai Tikka for me is a staple, I have to kinda order it wherever I get it as I just love the creaminess of it and even here it was done fantastically. Very soft and tender chicken pieces with oodles of cream, loved it. I was a little apprehensive about the Corn & Fennel Tikki as I don’t like fennel’s taste as such, but surprisingly in this corn and fennel tikki, fennel’s taste wasn’t overpowering and the tikki was nice, corny and crispy. Chicken Caesar Salad was just about normal, it could have been a little more juicy and flavoursome.

Next we tried Multani Paneer Tikka, which was very soft and nice, it has a very mild taste and very easy on tongue. Andhra Style Prawns were something my friends praised a lot, but somehow I didn’t feel like eating prawns that day so gave it a miss. Amritsari Fish Tikka, was another delightful dish that we all enjoyed, fried fish in a crispy batter served with chutney, this was an amazing one and must be tried for sure, you will find it little different from how it is served at other places, at least I did. Chicken Dimsums that we tried were juicy and extremely well prepared. We were still hungry for some more tikkas, so we ordered a non-veg platter to satiate our greed 😉 and it was a beautiful platter indeed. Fish Tikka, Chicken Tikka, Malai Tikka and Seekh Kebab.. all in one platter, who would not want to have this one, sheer bliss for non-vegetarians!

Rajma Galauti Ke Sliders were the next dish that we tried as our first step towards the main course and it was really nice, especially the rajma galauti, I however found my bun a little stretchy but my friends begged to differ as theirs were all soft, so may be I was the chosen one, but nevertheless this is one dish that you must try, it was really good.

Before I talk about the main course, let me tell you something about the drinks, well I tried three different mocktails and all of them were simply wonderful. Strawberry Orange Slush, Pomegranate Mint Cooler and Green Apple and Chilli and I cant say one was better than the other, because all of them were equally good.

The main course included Butter Chicken, Dal Makhani, Rogan Josh, Methi Malai Mushroom and Kadhai Paneer. Every single dish was totally upto expectations, but for me the winner was the Rogan Josh. It was one of the most perfect Rogan Josh I have eaten in recent times. This is definitely a must try for all mutton lovers.

Bringing our culinary extravaganza to an end, we had Blueberry Cheese Cake and Hot Chocolate Sundae, both of which were amazing, especially the cheese cake.

Overall the experience was fantastic and we had a lot of fun enjoying good food and awesome drinks. Its surely a place one must visit. Enjoy!
Cafe Southall Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

HOLI-Day at Plaza Premium Lounge

Dipped in hues of love and happiness, we are all geared up for the vibrant festival of Holi. With the onset of every year, the season of festivals starts in India. As we welcome the most pleasant season of spring, India gears up for the fun filled festival of Holi. Plaza Premium Lounge introduces a Special Menu on the joyous occasion of Holi. It’s bigger, better and brighter! Step into our lounges with your friends & family and enjoy the festival of colors even when you are on the go and relish some amazing drinks and a delectable range of dishes at the buffet.

What is Holi without the lip-smacking Thandai! Plaza Premium Lounge is all set to treat its guests with the handpicked flavours of Thandai by our Executive Chef, Ankit Mangla and refresh themselves by feasting on dishes such as Dahi Bhalla Chaat, Shahi Tukda, Masala Chana, Dum Biryani, Carrot Cake and Nariyal Kheer.

Plaza Premium Lounge will host the Holi Special Menu on 13th March 2017 exclusively at the domestic departure lounges.

We undertsand the needs of our guests and travellers. Be it Christmas or Holi or any other festival, we always strive to bring something new and impressive for them. Our guests can have their share of the joyous Holi festival even while travelling”, said Mr. Ankit Mangla, Executicve Chef, Plaza Premium Lounge.

So eat, drink and make merry this Holi and head to Plaza Premium Lounge to indulge in a wonderful feasting time.

What: Holi Special Menu

Where: Plaza Premium Lounge at Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad Airports

When: 13th March 2017

Price: Lounge access starts at Rs.1200 plus taxes

 

*This promotion is limited to select lounges across Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad Airports.

About Plaza Premium Lounge

Plaza Premium Lounge, the world’s largest independent airport lounge network, gives travelers a haven away from the hustle and bustle of the airport, a home away from home, by providing a space with top-notch services and facilities for travelers departing, transiting and arriving at major international airports including Abu Dhabi, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, London Heathrow, New Delhi, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei, Toronto and Vancouver.

 

Comfortable seating, enticing food and beverage selection, showers with amenities, private resting suites, VIP rooms, recharging stations, Wi-Fi, computer workstations are but a few of the services offered to enhance the airport experience.

 

Zaffran- Restaurant Review

Tucked in Star Mall, Sector 30, Gurgaon, is this restaurant called Zaffran. Zaffran, is a kind of saffron found in Kashmir, and the restaurant projects itself for Authentic North Indian Cuisine.
To say the truth, couldn’t agree more with them.


We ordered the following dishes and there is a special reason why I am not describing each dish separately, read on and you will know it..
For Starters

Vegetarian
Kalyani Paneer Tikka
Khumb Nawabi
Dahi ke Kebab
Tandoori Broccoli &

Non Vegetarian
Murgh Malai Tikka
Murgh Chilli Milli
Jhumta Kukkad
Raunaq e Seekh

For Main Course

Paneer Lababdar
Dal Makhni
Chicken Boti Masala
Rarra Meat


If I were to sum up the presentation, the taste and the service I would in one word say everything was AWESOME!!!! and this is the reason I didn’t describe each dish. Everything was so perfect that its beyond words, you just need to experience it.

Their claim to serving authentic North Indian Cuisine is 100% validated.

Truly speaking each and every dish served was a masterpiece on its own with the right mix of spices, tender meat and superb presentation in a quite ambience which can also boast of ever smiling and courteous staff.

The one standout dish that needs a special mention is the Jhumta Kukkad,marinated in rum, which had a very distinctive taste of the marination and cooked to perfection.


A real must if you want to savour some authentic North Indian Delicacies at its best. Sweeten your taste buds with a dose of Gulab Jamuns and you will be sorted even more.


The right place to spend a quite evening with your family and friends and relish some extremely good authentic food.
Zaffran Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Dilli BC- Keeps your taste buds lingering for long..!!

Very few times, we come across places where the food is so perfect, that one cant help licking the fingers off. One such place is this tiny tiny take away/delivery outlet Dilli BC tucked away in the Malviya Nagar Market, right next to Aurobindo College. Though its primarily a take away and delivery outlet, but if you are a small group of friends who don’t mind standing across a table and indulge in some great food while you converse, then they are perfect in that regards too.

So on a windy afternoon, I with a bunch of friends decided to stop by this place and grab a quick lunch, but lest we knew that it will turn out to be an extravagant indulgence in food and conversations.

Our culinary journey began by tasting one of the best dishes they have to offer, the Bhatti Chicken, followed by Anari Chicken Tikka. Both these dishes are a must try and not to be missed at all. The Bhatti Chicken, coated with a secret black masala and perfectly roasted is a delight. Its so juicy and nice that you can’t stop at just one piece. Chicken Anari Tikka on the other hand was very different, with a sense of tanginess, but extremely tasty. Loved it.

Next we tried Chicken Lehsuni Tikka and Chicken Seekh Kebab, and both of them though regular but were amazing.

Up next we tried the Stuffed Tangri Kebab and Chicken Nawabi, both them very unusual and tasteful. The Stuffed Tangri was a double treat, tandoori chicken leg with minced chicken stuffing, simply outstanding. Chicken Nawabi topped with gooey cheese was another delightful preparation, the flavours of cheese with roasted tikka tasted really nice.

We were all bunch of hardcore non-vegetarians with just one exceptional friend who was a pure vegetarian, but he proved to be the most important person in our group, we realised this once he placed his orders and we tasted the vegetarian dishes. The Vegetarian items were a level above the non-vegetarian ones, each and every thing we tasted was simply mind-blowing.

Paneer Anari Tikka, Kali Mirch Paneer Tikka, Achari Soya Chaap, Dahi Ke Sholey, pick any item and I am sure you will love it. I mean we all loved it so much so that our tasting became a full-fledged meal, where in we again ordered the entire set of vegetarian starters for ourselves and our veg friend still got the least portion 🙂

Coming to main course, Dilli BC again proved a notch above the rest. The Butter Chicken was of superlative quality, much better than the well known so called leaders of Butter Chicken in Delhi and so was the Dal Makhani, a perfect 10/10. Chicken Rara and Rogan BC (Mutton) were another flavoursome dishes to savour. Try these awesome delicacies with their assorted breads and don’t forget to order a mirchi parantha, its not to be missed.

Now let me tell you about one of the highlight dishes from our entire meal, it was the Tandoori Chicken Roll, a roll not just made of tandoori chicken but also rolled in a tandoori roti and served with a rocking smokey dip, this is definitely a must try and I am sure you will become a fan.

After having this hearty lunch at Dilli BC, I am very sure that this is gonna be on my speed dial to order food whenever I am taking a break from cooking or feeling lazy or simply craving their food. Also happened to bump into Apurv Kansal who owns the place, and must say his suggestions, his hospitality and insightful plus light hearted conversations added a lot of value to the overall experience.

What are you waiting for, pick up your phone and dial now, they serve currently from 3 outlets, GK2, Malviya Nagar and Dwarka, go ahead, have a feast!

Dilli BC Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

A Grill Company- Thrills of Molecular Gastronomy and Live Grills!

So Noida gets a new baby who will serve live grills and thrill the customers with some molecular gastronomy, yes I am talking about the recently opened A Grill Company and that too at one of the hottest destinations within Noida, that is the Logix City Centre Mall that also houses 15 screen theatre by PVR and one of the biggest IMAX screens.

Coming back to A Grill Company, the ambience is a well balanced one and gives you both a casual lounge like feel and also the fine dining experience.

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Each table has the live grill fitted in it and that makes the experience even more over whelming. While our meats and veggies were getting roasted on the grill, the molecular gastronomy kept us amazed. A trolly with a dedicated person was wheeled in and it felt completely gimmicky, the play of nitrogen turned things into different textures and it was  fun watching it. Now coming to the tastes, this trolly first of all served Nitrogen Nachos Chaat and Bhalla Papdi with Yogurt Spheres and both the items were nice, though the Nachos chaat did not have nachos in the real sense, it had more like Bingo chips taste, but overall it was good.

Next up was the Nitrogen Bar, and it served Golgappas with Pani Test Tubes, which were nice, though I liked only the Khatta wala Pani and not the sweeter ones. Then we tried the Deconstructed Dahi Vada Sundae, this was one of the most amazing things, first of all it no where looked like dahi vadas, it really looked like an ice-cream sundae, secondly the taste was superb, I really liked it.

From the grill section, I liked Neelgiri Korma Chicken, Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings, Mirchi Amawat Ki Gobhi & Pepper Fry Soya Chaap the most. The chicken was really tender and grilled to perfection. The gobhi was a real delight, the flavours were so amazing and well coated, that it tasted amazing.

The main course had an elaborate spread consisting of soup, salads, chicken, mutton and fish dishes along with a great vegetarian selection and desserts too. Also it had quite a mix of regional dishes. I settled for some Junglee Mutton and also tried the Dal Makhani, along with a Rajasthani speciality, Dal and Bati. The food was good, especially the mutton and dal makhani. Also tried a bit of Biryani and I liked that too.

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In desserts, I had Chocolate Pastry, Chocolate Coffee Mousse and Berry & Custard, though the desserts were good, but I feel this is one section which has a scope for improvement.

But overall, given the fact that such Lavish Dinner Buffet costs only Rs 795++, I think its totally worth it. As they haven’t got the liquor license yet, we enjoyed flavoured bantas and refreshing mocktails.

Otherwise the buffet details are

Lunches are 580 ++ ( Veg) and 680 ++ ( Non Veg)
Dinner is 695 ++ Veg and 795 ++ Non Veg
A Grill Company Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Boheme Bar & Grill- Food Review

Well, this place was like a pleasant discovery for me, situated right behind the Select City Walk, somehow I never did go behind the mall and was ignorant about the fact that this street was really hustling and bustling with people and lined with quite a few places to eat and drink. Walking a little further in the street, I spotted this place and thought of giving it a try, as being a food blogger one is always curious to explore new places.

Image Courtesy-SP Singh

To begin with we ordered, Bruschetta, Chicken Tikka Frontier and Tawa Meat along with Mojito and Kit Kat Shake to drink. The Bruschetta was nice and crispy, and I loved every bit of the Chicken Tikka Frontier, though it was on the spicier side, but it was delicious. The Tawa Meat was another highlight, such tender pieces of mutton in thick tawa gravy, for me I could have eaten only this with a roomali roti and it would have become a complete meal.

Next we tried Italian Meat Balls, Peri Peri Chicken Pizza, Chicken Malai Tikka and Ala Arrabbiata Pasta. The Meat Balls were good, but still had a very peculiar taste that I could not pick and which wasn’t as per my taste buds. The Peri Peri Chicken Pizza is a must try, hand rolled pizza crust with amazing topping of peri peri chicken and veggies, it was a delightful creation to savour. The Chicken Malai Tikka was great in taste, creamy and succulent, this was another winner dish. The Pasta was perfectly done and I loved it.

For the main course we tried the Spicy Cottage Cheese Creole, which was outstanding. I have never eaten cottage cheese in such creamy yet flavourful white sauce, it was really different and awesome to taste. Grilled Fish in Lemon Butter Sauce was the other main course dish we ordered and this didn’t disappoint either. The fish was nicely done in buttery light sauce with hint of garlic.

I overall had a great foodie experience at this newly discovered place and I am very sure of visiting it pretty soon. The food is great, the ambience cosy and comfortable and what more can one ask for. Try out for yourself!
Boheme Bar & Grill Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Mesmerised at Dezert Fox..!!

I recently visited Dezert Fox, which is a upmarket dessert parlour. They currently have about 3 outlets in South Delhi and are looking at expanding their reach to the other parts of the city. Now being a baker, I know that it takes much more than ingredients when it comes to preparing desserts, it takes a lot of patience, love and passion and one look at the display at Desert Fox and you will know exactly what I mean.

Every dessert was a work of art, I mean the desserts at this place are so gorgeous looking that you would actually end up staring them for a long time and would not even want to eat it, but just keep looking. I was completely mesmerised!

They have awesome play of both colours and flavours in their desserts and after tasting a few of them I can easily say that the desserts don’t only look good, but taste amazing as well.

Here is a glimpse of what I experienced.. I am not explaining all the flavours and tastes here, because this truly is one place which you should visit and experience on your own..till then here is a visual delight…!!

My recommendations for must haves:

The Cheese Cake

Lime Banana Manjari & Raspberry Rose Chocolates

Caramel Cara Eclair

Matcha Chio

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

A delightful gastronomic experience @Gastronomica Kitchen & Bar

Culinary journeys across places always interests me and when something turns up near to home, its even wonderful. I recently headed out to this amazing place Gastronomica Kitchen & Bar tucked away in the ever hustling bustling GK 1, M Block Market.

The place has a very vibrant appeal to it and yet is cozy and warm. The staff is extremely hospitable and completely aware of their own brand, their recommendations and knowledge impresses you.

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To begin with we ordered, Quinoa Bhel, Ratatouille Cigars, Mascarpone Chicken and A+A+A Pizza. The Quinoa Bhel was outstanding, Quinoa which has risen sharply in recent years is considered a very healthy and wheat-free alternative, which is a great resource of protein, fibre and iron. But the moment we thing of healthy things, we assume that the taste will be compromised, but this treatment of Quinoa where in for not even one moment you realise that you are eating something different, the way the Bhel taste was infused using Quinoa was remarkable. I simply loved it and for me it was one of the best dishes of the evening.

Ratatouille Cigars were good too, but may be because the Quinoa Bhel still had a lingering taste, I could not appreciate them much and went on to munch some more bhel. The A+A+A Pizza was really nice, very unusual topping of green apples, apples and pineapple, this one will surely delight your taste buds.

The Mascarpone Chicken was another highlight of the evening, I simply could not resist this wonderful dish. Loaded with cream and cheese, this was an orgasmic experience, it just melts in your mouth. Worth drooling over and over again, don’t miss it.

Moving on, we tried Wasabi Fish Cake, Chicken Sliders, Bagels and Pizza Pazza. I am not a Wasabi fan and hence did not like the fish cakes much, as I find the wasabi flavour too strong.

The Chicken Sliders were good, juicy and tender chicken cutlets in small soft buns served with potatoes, it made for a wholesome dish.

Pizza Pazza was again a delightful pizza with chicken topping, thin crust and well done. Bagels though on a sweeter side, because they had a filling of apples, were nice and unusual.

Coming to the main course, we ordered Cottage Cheese Steak and Chicken Milanese. The cottage cheese steak was just about ok, nothing too great but nothing bad either. Chicken Milanese, a spaghetti with two big chunks of chicken in a red sauce was bit spicy but delectable. I simply loved indulging in it and surely makes for an impressive main course.

Beetroot’s Halwa and An Evening in Jaipur comprised of our desserts for the evening. The beetroot halwa was good, but something that needs a taste development, might not be likeable in one go. An evening in Jaipur were basically Malpuas dipped in a sugary syrup, they were crisp and nice, but too sweet for my liking.

They have a wide and a very unusual selection of drinks and cocktails especially. Very presentable and different flavours infused together always make for a surprise. Recommended- Charcoal Martini, Paan Mojito, Bubblegum, and Tiramisu Margarita.

 

Overall I had a very pleasant experience at Gastronomica and I really look forward to a visit again. The ambience, the food, the drinks, everything was great.

Gastronomica Kitchen & Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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