On Food and Travel

Cafe Noir: Never Again

2012-01-19T01:57:00.000-08:00

Some people have been raving about the desserts at this place, so I guess it wasn't surprising that I found myself here. What was surprising though was that we left without eating anything.

It was a Sunday evening and the place was packed. They gave us a table on the side which was fine but they refused to give us a third chair. When the third member of our party arrived, they gave us a high bar stool which made it akward for conversation and, more importantly, made it nearly impossible for the person sitting on the bar stool to eat. I could understand of all this. They didn't have any chairs or other tables which was fine.

When a regular table opened up, I asked the waiter if it would be OK for us to shift there and he agreed. The owner then swooped on me telling me off for having the gall to demand a decent table. He was rude, condescending and refused to give us the empty table.

There are a lot of things that I am willing to do for good dessert, but I draw the line at that sort of behaviour. Burrp! reviews seem to suggest that Cafe Noir also serves a healthy dose of racial discrimination. I don't know if the owner's behaviour was racially motivated, but it was definitely unacceptable. I, for one, will not be going back there.

Have you guys been here? Did you meet with similar treatment? Or have you had a different experience? Hit the comment boards.

The Biere Club, Bangalore

2012-01-15T21:42:00.000-08:00

I wanted to try a new joint in B'lore this time and Lin took me to The Biere Club on Lavelle Road. Its one of these new fancy microbeweries that seem to have taken over the city. The massive wall painting on one side apes the one at Mondy's in Bombay.

Look familiar?

The menu took me a little by surprise. Is it now normal to pay Rs.350 for a mug of beer? Everyone around me seemed to be doing it with gusto. Reluctantly, I decided to try it out and ordered one of their wheat brews. It had a sweet-orangey flavour to it which I thought was pretty interesting.

Lin ordered the Cilantro Chicken Drumsticks and I ordered the Char grilled Vegetable Shwarma. The spices came together in the former and it was an explosion of flavour in your mouth. I really liked it. However, they seemed to have exhausted all their salt and spices in the previous dish. The shwarma was TERRIBLE. No salt, no spice, even the vegetables seemed listless. We couldn't even finish it.

Cilantro Chicken Drumsticks

The Awful Vegetable Shwarma

Most of the desserts on the menu were not present that day, so my sweet tooth remained unsatisfied.

As I sat in The Briere Club what struck me was how this establishment and its patrons epitomized new Bangalore: uber wealthy, uber yuppie and totally characterless. I was aimlessly wandering around the city when it struck me that the people in the city increasingly look the same. The same sort of clothes, the same sort of hair, the same designer bags & shoes, the same snooty, hoity-toity air.

And it got me wondering: What happened to old Bangalore?? Where are the hippies? The musicians? The grubby book lovers? The bargain hunters on Commercial Street? The kids who spend all their time at India Coffee House because its the only place they can afford? The people who eat with equal gusto at the Darshinis and Sunny's? When did we become a city that is excited about sales at Zara's? When did the city begin to replicate South Delhi? Surely, I can't be THAT old?

Are you a fellow old-Bangalorean, suddenly lost in the city? Contact me. Maybe we can resist the "Attack of the Yuppies"

Send in the Clones!

P.S: Thanks Lin for accompanying me

The Cupcake Company, Chennai

2012-01-08T22:38:00.000-08:00

The Cupcake Company

Sugar, sugar, sugar: Sometimes its all I can think about. And as part of my sugar jaunt I visited The Cupcake Company. The place is quite pretty with muted interiors and the white flowers were a nice touch. It's primarily a take away place with just one table.

The Death by Chocolate was a huge hit with us. The cupcake was soft and moist, the texture great and the chocolate wasn't excessive. I also had a bite of Nia's red velvet which I quite liked. It was no Hummingbird Bakery but it would do.

Death by Chocolate

The Plain Jane was decent enough. Nothing I would order again but I had no complaints about the texture and taste.

Plain Jane

And then the downslide started. The Cookie and Cream, the Sticky Date and the Tiramisu. Each dry, crumbly and way below average. I don't think they made any effort with these cupcakes at all. Sticking cream and dusting a few coffee flakes on top of a dry, unappetizing cupcake does not a Tiramisu make and definitely does not justify the 130 rupees (yes, you read it right Rs. 130) they charge.

Tiramisu??

Cookies and Cream

The overarching feeling as we left The Cupcake Company was one of being ripped off. The cupcakes were largely mediocre and the price charged exorbitant. I also dock huge points from The Cupcake Company for using disposable cutlery. Each cupacke came in a plastic box-type thing and plastic spoons were being used aplenty. Hello? The environment?

Having said that, I think despite its mediocrity The Cupcake Company will do well. For two reasons: a) There is a huge demand for nice dessert and there are very few places in Chennai that cater to that segment. I haven't come across any other shop in Chennai that serves half decent cupcakes. If you know of one, contact me ASAP and b) Because the proprietors of The Cupcake Company have created that perfect kitschy, artsy, bourgeoisie air that upper middle class India loves.

To give credit where credit is due, their cheesecake was fabulous and hands down the best I have had so far in Chennai. Someday when I am feeling indulgent, I will be back for that.

Cheesecake

Pricing: Rs. 90-130 per cupcake

Location: 187 St Marys Road, Alwarpet , Chennai

Landmark: Next to The Raintree Hotel

Thanks to Nia, Nammu, Gaythri and Shweta for accompanying me.

L to R: Gayathri, Shweta, Nia and Nammu

PS: Love my blog? Disagree with me? Want me to review a specific establishment? Comment here or email me!

The Rogue Elephant, Bangalore

2012-01-03T04:20:00.001-08:00

While young and fashionable Bangalore was out partying the weekend away, I decided to take my beleaguered self restaurant hopping. There were definite hits and definite misses, but in keeping with tradition I am going to start with a place I liked.

The Rogue Elephant has been on my hit list for years now and I finally managed to visit this charming little establishment by Ulsoor Lake. The place has a cute doll-house charm to it. Given the mostly fabulous Bangalore weather, the open air touch is wonderful. The other thing I really liked about Rogue Elephant is the small and simple menu. Two short pages from appetizers to dessert and drinks. Too many new restaurants are churning page after page of complicated, incomprehensible menus. The clean menu was refreshing and we quickly made our choices.

I decided to try my luck with Susanna, a pesto pasta. The sauce was quite good, unfortunately there was too much of it. The pasta was smothered in the sauce which prevented it from being truly good. The penne was well done and the choice of veggies was good. Either specifically ask them to go easy on the sauce or avoid this dish.

Susanna

Pooja ordered the Herb Roast Chicken. The lemon-butter-garlic sauce this came in was yummy! The herb seasoning was very subtle and well done. The accompanying mashed potatoes and veggies were also wonderful. This dish gets a huge thumbs up for me. Definite comfort food.

Herb Roast Chicken

For dessert we chose to go with a classic: Apple Pie and Ice Cream. The pie was warm, the apple just right and the crust soft. There are definitely better pies out there but this one is definitely worth your money.

Apple Pie

They have a really cute and clean loo. The restaurant is attached to an artsy-ethnicy store. The sort of place where I could spend money that I don't have. After browsing for a few minutes, I quickly beat a retreat before my materialistic urges took over.

Overall, I recommend the Rogue Elephant. The food is decent and the prices affordable. It's also a cosy date spot.

And hey, Happy New Year. I hope you have a fantabulous year. I'm fervently hoping I do ;)

Pricing: Rs. 350 per person. Preview the menu here.

Location: No 119, Annaswamy Mudaliar Rd, Ambara Complex, Ulsoor Lake, Aga Abbas Ali Road, Ulsoor, Bangalore

Goa Diaries: Arambol

2011-12-11T23:22:00.000-08:00

It was a Bhatia birthday last week and using that as an excuse we decided to visit the birthday girl in Goa.

Happy Birthday Pooj!

Arambol beach is in North Goa, and an hour's drive from the airport. The view is postcard pretty, the crowd is largely Israeli and Russian and the vibe is very laid back. Thankfully, the beach is not yet over-commercialized and both crowds & prices remain manageable. There are no fancy resorts or hotels and you will have to stay in a minimalist beach shack. The lack of internet and phone connectivity made this a true vacation.

Arambol at sunset

Arambol Beach

I embraced the life of beach bum with much enthusiasm. I donned electric blue kaftans and bright red sunglasses, lazed by the beach all day and even got crazy hair braids.

Me in my beach bum avatar

Unsurprisingly, we spent a lot of time indulging our stomachs. The food at Armabol is uniformly average. Nothing mindblowing, nothing too bad either.

Don't be fooled by the pictures, the food was just average

The one stand out was Fellinis and the food here was fabulous. Wonderful wood-fire pizzas, great ingredients and some mouth-watering cheese had us dining here everyday. I highly recommend the pizzas and pastas. The desserts are a little bit of a let down but even I am willing to forgive that. The German bakery across the street is pretty decent.

Must visit: Fellini's
Thanks to CNN for the picture

Arambol also has a number of shops stocking an assortment of clothes, accessories, musical instruments and anything else you may need. Interestingly, a lot of the shops have Russian signage.

Street Stalls

Be sure to take a walk down by the beach at night when the sea and the many restaurants with their candle lights offer a gorgeous view.

Arambol by night: The picture doesn't do it justice

I had a fantabulous time in Arambol. I rode the waves, played frisbee, watched dolphins, star gazed, watched sunsets and just enjoyed my vacation. I partook in nothing more taxing than reading a book. If this appeals to you, then Arambol is your place.

Frisbee

A huge shout out to Bhaps, Nammu, Mattu, Delvan, Fred and Mal, without whom this trip wouldn't have been as much fun.

L to R: Fred, Mal, Bhaps, Me, Nammu and Mattu
And Delvan in the back

As always, I cannot over-emphasize the importance of long bathing suits for men. The sight of ungainly, middle-aged men frolicking in their tight undies is disturbing, to say the least.

P.S: If you are in Arambol on a Saturday night, be sure to catch DJ Rani at Sporting Heroes (Its open till 4 am!)

Vintage Bank

2011-09-28T23:25:00.000-07:00

Wine & Cheese: 4.5
Food: 3.25
Service: 4.5
Ambiance: 4.5
Overall: 4.5

The blog is becoming a little fancy these days and in keeping with that tone, I paid a visit to the wine and cheese bar in the newly opened Hilton. The theme of Vintage Bank is elegant, old-world luxury and the decor amply reflects that. Lush, cushioned chairs, wooden ceilings and a heavy air of opulence dominate this place.

They have a wide selection of wines and if you are undecided on which ones to order, I suggest you ask their super helpful sommeliers or take the wine flight option (At Rs. 1000, I think the wine flight is a great VFM option). The wine flight option comes with three wines and a selection of cheeses. I chose the red wine option while YJ and Nipsy picked the white wine. I started off with a light and sweet Beaujolais, transitioned into a medium bodied and smoother Riscal and ended with a dry Terrazas. Of the three my favourite was the Beaujolais. The red wine was complemented with some hard cheeses: Provolone, Emmental and Manchego.

The white wine flight kicked off with the light and fruity Sauvignon Blanc, transitioned to the more mineral and refreshing Gavi and ended with the dry and sophisticated Pinot Grigio.

Personally, I preferred the cheese pairing in this selection (Bree, Borsalino and Camembert) . The lively, herb-infused Borsalino was my favourite. Both red and white wine flights start light and fruity, move on to a medium body with more mineral notes, and ends on a more sombre and dry note. Those preferring a drier start and sweeter finish might want to reverse the order of tasting. Outside of the wine flight option, most wines are served by the bottle.

So much cheese

Of course, we had to try the food there too. The sauteed prawns was unanimously elected as the favourite. The fresh, tender prawns had a wonderful texture and were cooked in a well-spiced, red sauce.

Sauteed Prawns

The grilled provolone was a fine choice too. It was interesting to contrast the flavours of the raw and the grilled provolone. It was a little cumbersome to handle though. The mezze platter was only so-so. The smoky flavour of the babaganoush was the highlight of the dish and YJ loved the addition of the green chilli.

Mezze Platter

The desserts were a bit of a let down. The creme brulee tasted a lot like lemon meringue and the overwhelming citrus taste is all I remember of it. The curd-cheese flan tasted more like cheesecake and the refreshing raspberry sorbet didn't do much to salvage the dish.

Creme Brulee

Curd Cheese Flan with Raspeberry Sorbet

They did have this lovely pear jam that we all drooled over. It was fresh and rooomba good.

Service was excellent and a huge shoutout to Ashlin for being such a great host.

Vintage Bank is unique in the Chennai food scene. The place is classy, the concept different and the wine & cheese is fabulous. If you feel like an indulgent evening or if you are looking for a special date place head here.

As Nipsy likes to say, 'Wine and Cheese is a love story'. And this one ended happily ever after.

Pricing: Rs. 2000 per person (if you don't take the wine flight option)

Location: The Hilton, J.N. Salai, Ekkaduthangal, Chennai (Click here for the Google Maps direction)

Phone: 22255555

Thanks to YJ and Nipsy for accompanying me and sharing their considerable knowledge on wine and cheese.

L to R: YJ, Ashlin, Nipsy

Hole in the Wall Cafe, Bangalore

2011-09-15T01:49:00.000-07:00

Food: 2.75
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3.5
Overall: 3
Verdict: Only if you live close by.

Family weddings and the GRE forced me to lie low for the past few weeks but I'm back! I was in Bangalore last week and visited Hole in the Wall Cafe. The place is small and cute. I was a huge fan of the tissue paper testimonials that adorn one wall. They prove that the cafe is visited by some very artistically talented people and some clearly drunk ones (not that the two are mutually exclusive).

Tissue Testimonials

I reluctantly tore my eyes from the tissue art to the menu in front of me. They have a good breakfast menu but they also have a sandwich menu which is produced on request. The lime-ginger juice was refreshing and light but none of the other drinks were particularly good. The milkshakes were too thin, tasted milky and were all too forgettable.

Undaunted we waited for our massive food order to arrive. The Club sandwich was a winner: big, tasty and filling. This is the sort of food I like.

Club Sandwich

The 'Elvis' sandwich was interesting. Grilled peanut better and banana. If you want something spicy, don't go for this but if you have a sweet tooth and want to try something different, I would highly recommend this.

The grilled cheese and the mushroom sandwich were both let downs. Average and blah, don't waste time or money on these ones.

Mushroom Sandwich

The Sunday Morning consisted of eggs layered with cheese, mushrooms and veggies. It was cheesy, filling and some great comfort food. But is it good dining? I am not entirely sure. Appealing as drowning eggs, meat and veggies in cheese is, anyone could do it.

Sunday Morning

The pancakes and waffles were good. Thick and warm (I think both could have been a little warmer, but, oh well).

Waffles

Pancakes

The much touted French Toast was so-so. The one at Egg Factory is infinitely better.

French Toast

In a final moment of gluttony, I ordered the Complete 'Veggie' Affair: omlette topped with cheese, jalapenos and mushrooms. While proudly displayed burrp! testimonials hailed this omlette, I thought that this fell short of the mark (much like most other things at this place). There was nothing wrong with it but nothing great either. Most people could have whipped up something similar.

Hole in the Wall is fun, cute and has character. The food on the other hand is largely average but in all fairness its also quite cheap. If you live in the neighbourhood, then you may consider paying this a visit. But is it worth going all the way there for? No. I would advise you sample the much better food at Cafe Terra (a 3 minute walk from Hole in the Wall). Cafe Terra offers the same small, cute establishment ambiance and will leave your taste buds more satiated. Their loo stinks, avoid it.

Pricing: Rs.100 per perosn
Phone: 080 40949490
Location: # 61, 1st 'A' Main, S.T. Bed, Koramangala 4th Block, Bangalore (Behind Hotel Maharaja)
View their menu here.

As always, thanks to the pretty peeps for accompanying me.

L to R: Aats, Woogul, Rao and Vat

Mylai Sri Karpagambal Mess, Chennai

2011-08-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

Walk into this place and you will immediately be accosted by a pantheon of well adorned gods and goddesses staring sternly at you. Every single space on the wall sports life sized pictures of the almighty. Now I know that this mess is right behind the temple and all but I found the decor a little disconcerting.

Quickly I decided to pay my allegiance to the gastronomical gods and placed a rather large breakfast order.

Look at all those pictures!

The Special Vadai (Rs.18) was wonderful. Piping hot served with a no-nonsense sambar and chutney and oh so tasty. I especially loved the crunchy exterior. We ended up having 5 of these!

Special Vadai

As great as the vadai was, my favourite dish had to be the pongal (Rs.35). It literally melted in my mouth. This pongal-sambar combo is my current favourite breakfast item in Madras.

Pongal

I am not a huge fan of idlis (Rs.9), but the ones here were pretty good.

We also tried the Poori Masala (Rs.20) which I would recommend you avoid. The Poori was oily and its texture was like papad. The aloo-masala was nothing special. There are way better things to be had here.

Poori Masala

To indulge our sweet tooth we ordered the Cashew Cake (Rs.25) and the Badam Halwa (Rs.50). Both were OK, neither worth ordering again.

Cashew Cake

Badam Halwa

The filter coffee was strong, rich and served in a steel tumbler/davra: good South Indian coffee.

Karpagambal Mess is not pretentious or fancy. The ambiance is a little intimidating but not as dingy as some people would lead you to believe (I've eaten at much, much dingier places). But everything from the agrharam style decor to the plantain-leaf plates screams Madras. If you want to taste the flavour of the city, have a bite here.

Pricing: Rs. 35-75 per person
Location: 20, East mada street, Mylapore , Chennai
(Click here for the Google Maps directions)

Thanks to Jayanth and Shweta for accompanying me on a weekend morning.

Fruit Shop on Greams Road, Chennai

2011-08-17T23:24:00.000-07:00

For the umpteenth time, I am trying to eat healthy (they do say 37th time is a charm, right?). As part of this venture, I'm going to take you to Fruit Shop on Greams Road. Contrary to it's name, the shop is not (just) on Greams Road. If you have spent any amount of time in the city you must have noticed the bright yellow boards dotting various locations across the city. This review is largely based on my experiences at the Beasant Nagar branch.

The shop itself is a bit bizarre: slightly run down and filled with black & white portraits of little known American celebrities. The purpose of this decor has always eluded me. But I can only tackle one befuddling problem at a time and I quickly concerned myself with their overcrowded menu. There is a mind boggling variety of fruity concoctions to choose from.

In the milkshake section, a personal favourite is the Custard Apple Shake. Rich, creamy and and bound to satisfy your sugar fix. The Sheik Shake is based on dates. While I ordered this with much trepidation, it turned out to be pretty decent. It's definitely not my favourite drink but is worth a try.

I also quite like the Old Boy, a strawberry and mango concoction. The primary taste is mango's with just a sliver of strawberry thrown in. The shake is super heavy and will fill you up considerably.

In the juice section try the Mom's Recipe. This is light, refreshing and surprisingly tasty tomato juice. I never thought I'd say this but it ranks among my favourites here.

Mom's Recipe

The Indian Cocktail is an explosion of six fruits. The overarching taste is of papaya's but you can also discern sweet lime, orange and just a wee bit of pineapple and strawberry. The mystery sixth ingredient we are yet to fathom.

If you are in the mood for a healthy snack or a very light dinner, then I recommend their fresh fruit salad.

Fresh Fruit Salad

Try their sinuous strawberries and cream if you are feeling decadent. I assure you, you won't be disappointed.

Strawberries and Cream
(Thanks to FooDee for the pic)

I spotted the next table digging into this yummy, but unhealthy, looking falooda. In deference to my expanding waistline I stopped myself from ordering this one, but you should try it and let me know whether its any good.

Falooda

Fruit Shop is one of those places that everyone loves. I think their biggest strength is that they use healthy, fresh, high quality ingredients. Thats why I keep coming back.

Pricing: Rs. 35-100 per person. Click to view the menu.

Location: They have branches in Beasant Nagar, Anna Nagar, Kilpauk, Greams Road, Spencer Plaza and even Dubai (opposite Lamcy Plaza).

Jelly Belly, Chennai: Stay Away

2011-08-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to pay this place a visit due to its proximity, the fact that it serves desserts (duh!) and because I can actually shake my belly like a bowlful of jelly. Bad jokes aside, Jelly Belly has been on my 'list' and last night I finally got around to it.

We walked in and were immediately taken in by the desserts on display. We soon discovered that they have no menu. Your only source of information is the chef/waiter. I found that highly disconcerting. How much effort does it take to take a piece of paper, write down what you are serving and the prices and paste it in a prominent part of the restaurant.

After grilling the waiter for a good ten minutes, we placed our orders. The strawberry souffle, choco-brownie souffle and cheesecake all tasted similar. The texture was synthetic & mousse-like and the dessert started with an after-taste. Of the three, the choco-brownie souffle was definitely the best but that's not saying much.

Strawberry Souffle

Choco-Brownie Souffle

The cheesecake tasted like milk. Really. To be fair, the crust was pretty good but the cake itself was wrong. If I had to pick out the worst dessert of the night (and trust me, that was a tough contest) I would choose this. Deeptha recommends their strawberry cheesecake but I doubt if I shall be trying that any time soon.

Cheesecake

We also ordered the apple pie. This was the best dessert of the night and the only one we managed to finish. The pie was dry, the apple pieces too chunky and hard but overall it was OK. I wouldn't recommend it but if you do find yourself forced to eat here, the apple pie might be your best bet.

Apple Pie

Just as we were about to leave, we discovered that they also serve salads and sandwiches. Since they don't possess a menu we only discovered this courtesy some stellar questioning by Bhaps. Bhaps and I decided to stay back and give this place one more chance. We ordered the chilli-cheese toast. This consisted of toasted bread with a three inch layer of cheese in it and some spring onions. Needless to say, it was terrible. At Rs.120, it was a complete rip off.

Chilli Cheese Toast

To be fair to Jelly Belly, their interiors are cute. I especially liked their cute napkin holders. If only they had put as much effort into their food and a menu.

If it isn't clear already, my advise would be to STAY AWAY from this place. If you want to indulge your sweet tooth there are much better places to do it at (stop by Sri Krishna Sweets which is right next door). Only a severe lack of judgment, or the presence of Brad Pitt, will see me at this place again.

Pricing: Rs. 100 per person
Location: E-37, 2nd avenue, Beasant Nagar, Chennai (Click here to find it on Google Maps)
Landmark: Below Eden, Beasant Nagar
Phone: 24460777

L to R: Sharanya, Koths, Bhaps

El Tablao, Bangalore

2011-08-02T00:07:00.000-07:00

The blog turned two over the weekend (Woohoo!!) and I wanted to go somewhere fun to celebrate the occasion. After much thought and deliberation we decided to pay a visit to the new tapas bar in town. There aren't too many of these in the country (No, Zara's doesn't count) and I must admit I was a tad excited. The restaurant is spacious and decorated with tonnes of paintings ranging from the gorgeous to the outright weird.

An exquisite piece of tile art that we particularly liked

However, we can admire art for only so long and mortifying noises from our tummies reminded us of the main reason we were there. In the meat section, we ordered the Alitas de Pollo a la Brasa con Chilli (No. 20 on the menu) which was a big hit. Chicken wings tossed in a lemon and chilli sauce: this had the right amount of tangy-sweetness to it. The accompanying garlic mayo was super and complemented the wings perfectly.

Alitas de Pollo a la Brasa con Chilli

The Borcheta de Pollo um Pimicentos y Cebolla (No. 21) was distinctly Indian: the spices, the texture, even the look (upon first glance we were convinced it was paneer skewers). Don't get me wrong, it tasted good but just left us wishing we had ordered something more exotic than chicken tikka.

Borcheta de Pollo um Pimicentos y Cebolla

On the veggie side, we ordered the Tosta de Pan con Berenjenas (No. 37): Bread topped with a spice aubergine sauce, olives and generous servings of cheese. The distinct taste of spicy aubergine was quite unlike anything I've had before and I definitely recommend this dish.

Tosta de Pan con Berenjenas

We also ordered the Paella de Verduras (No. 35): a small veggie paella. This Valencian rice dish was filled with veggies and spices with strong overtones of saffron. It reminded me a little of khichdi and evoked a similar warm and wholesome feeling. The much vaunted soccarat (toasted rice at the bottom of the pan) was missing though. If you want to have paella for your main course, then you need to order 40 mins in advance.

Paella de Verduras

Since we were too hungry to wait that long, we decided to give the Mexican menu a shot and ordered the Fajitas, Quesadillas and the Nacho Grande. The former two were pretty similar (yes, the veggies in the fajitas were straight out of the oven and the quesadillas had a loooot of cheese but other than that,the wraps and the stuffing, was pretty similar). I recommend the qusadillas over the fajitas. The accompanying sour cream was yummy.

Quesadillas

Fajitas

The Nachos were very good but it definitely doesn't fill the tummy. And relatively speaking, it was overpriced.

Nacho Grande

Stuffed, but unwilling to leave without dessert we decided to split one: the baked apple with cinnamon and sangria compote and served with ice cream. To say that we devoured it would be an understatement. Yes, it was that good and yes, we are that piggy.

20 seconds later

Somewhere along the way, we also ordered some great sangria: fruity, light and the perfect complement to all that Spanish/Mexican fare.

Service was quick and non-intrusive. The loo was clean and even had hand lotion to boot (always a plus in my books).

El Tablao is a great find. If you want to have a relaxed meal with your friends and catch up over some interesting fare, then head here. Whether El Tablao will survive the rat race that is the Bangalore dining scene remains to be seen but here's to hoping it does.

Pricing: Rs. 300-400 per person. You can view the menu here.

Location: Lotus, 612/1, 80 Feet Road, 4th Block, Koramangala , Bangalore (Click here to get the Google Map location)
Landmark: Near Sony World Signal
Phone: 41410124, 9902336811

Before I sign off, I have a couple of shout outs
1) DV is documenting her Amdavad food adventures at http://theamdavadifoodie.blogspot.com/ . Show her some love
2) PoshVine is a new dining facility that offers you substantial discounts at restaurants in B'lore. If you want to sign up, use the referral code PVBLGR07. You get some free moolah.
3) As always, 'Pimp my blog!'

Thanks to Ats, Rao, Woogul and Vat for coming along (and for increasing the prettiness quotient on the blog ;) ). Special thanks to Woogul for recommending the place.

Kaapi in Chennai

2011-07-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

This article first appeared at:

http://blah.burrp.com/food-dining-eating-out-restaurants/food/chennai-coffee-shops/10719

How has the birthplace of filter coffee adapted to this cafe culture? This week, I take a look at some of Madras’s cafes: the things that set them apart and the things that don’t.

Gone are the days when cafes were just about the caffeine. Today, you need to get the ambiance right, have a whole host of delectable baked goodies, serve good lunch and dinner options in addition to dishing up that perfect glass of coffee.

Café Zha

From the name to the décor, everything about this café is a tad different. A welcome break from the European-theme cafes dominating the coffee scene, this one stays true to its Tamil roots. It’s located inside a traditional Tamil house with a typically adorned archway. Tables, couches and chairs are casually arranged around the foyer and living room. Inside are themed rooms where you can watch a movie, rent Playstation or just curl up with a book. My favourite room is the massive snake and ladder room.

The menu continues with the traditional theme and you can choose from bonda-bajji, adhirsam and vazhapoo vadai. I recommend the Madras magi – regular Maggi in asambar-esque sauce. The adhirsam with banana is something your sweet tooth will definitely appreciate. This place serves only snacks and portions are sufficient. This well-kept secret is tucked away behind the telephone exchange in Adyar.

Ups: Food with a difference, affordable

Downs: Can get crowded, certain items on the menu disappoint

Pricing: Rs. 100-120 per person

Eco Café

If you are looking for a quiet place to spend the day at, then Eco Café will do the trick. The white walls and the surrounding greenery all add to its charm. Above the Anokhi store on Chamiers Road, this place is perfect for spending an afternoon with a book (there is even a charming little bookstore downstairs) or even getting some work done. Service is slow but if all you are looking for is a relaxed, unhurried cuppa then this shouldn’t bother you too much.

The food at this place is pretty decent, especially their breakfast menu. Their mains, like some of the Mexican ones, pass muster too. Their baked goodies, especially the cakes are delectable. Shockingly, their drinks (both hot and cold) are sloppy and not deserving of the price on the menu. Also, portions tend to be on the smaller side and prices on the higher. While the breakfast is reasonably priced, I wouldn’t advise Eco Café for any other meal. Best to bring a book and nibble on a few snacks.

Ups: Ambiance, breakfast/baked goods

Downs: Price, quantity

Pricing: Rs. 200-220 per person

Amethyst

No round up of the city’s cafes is complete without mentioning this landmark. Made popular by Chetan Bhagat, Gautam Menon and its beautiful gardens, Amethyst is a much-loved hangout. The old Amethyst was situated in a gorgeous, colonial bungalow and was particularly charming at night. Sadly, it has moved locations to Royapettah (near that massive EA mall). While the establishment has maintained the outdoorsy, relaxed feel, it’s just not the same.

Then again maybe it’s unfair to compare it to the old one. By itself, the new Amethyst is a charming, outdoor café with lots of privacy. Their Mexican Chilli Toast is pretty popular and so are their some of their cakes. My favourite is the apple cinnamon cake. Nevertheless, the food is largely average and is not improved by the bad service. It takes ages to catch the waiter’s eye and even longer for him to deign to come to your table. If hunger pangs are consuming you, give this place a miss.

Despite this, people still visit Amethyst because it has an indefinable charm. It’s a great place to hang out with friends, catch up on your reading and even a fun date place. Hang around here long enough and you could spot a celebrity or two.

Ups: Ambiance, desserts

Downs: Terrible service, steep rates

Pricing: Rs. 200 per person

Mocha Mojo

This is one of the few places in the city to have hookahs. So the top floor is invariably occupied by high school crowd. The café downstairs is usually empty on weekdays. Plus, they have free WiFi and you can laze around for hours without being disturbed.

They have a more extensive food menu than any of the other cafes. All-day breakfast and their mouthwatering desserts are set. I highly recommend the Oreo Milkshake and the Ultimate Hot Chocolate. Unlike other cafes on the list, this one actually serves great coffee. They have coffee from all over the world but I particularly like the Ethiopian version. It has a rich taste, full body and is sure to give the much-needed caffeine kick to the rest of your day.

The ambiance is quirky with modern designs and is slightly reminiscent of the Austin Powers set. The seating is dominated by wide, comfortable couches and squishy cushions. Service is non-intrusive and relaxed.

Ups: Food, ambiance

Downs: High school crowd on the weekends

Pricing: Rs. 150-250 per person

Crust, Chennai

2011-07-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

Chennai seems to specialize in hiding its restaurants: so many of them are tiny, tucked away and hard to find. And one such hidden place is Crust. I stumbled across it when I first came to Chennai and was lost in the middle of nowhere (or so it seemed at the time).

Crust is a cute little bakery on a by lane of Abhirampuram Main Road. Walk in and the store impresses. Delectable baked goods, real cheese and a variety of breads. In the baked goods/dessert section, Crust impresses. I endorse the chocolate fudge brownie. The brownie has a nice consistency and I loved the walnuts in between.

Chocolate Fudge Brownie

The Baked Almond Youghurt is very, very good. This was similar to a cheesecake but not as heavy and without the crust. Having never had baked yoghurt before, I don't have anything else to compare this to but objectively it was pretty darn good. Be warned, that this is extremely heavy and will leave you feeling super full.

Baked Almond Yoghurt

I am also a huge fan of their Apple Strudel. Crumbly, soft and filled with the yummy goodness of caramelized apples. Enough said.

However, their main courses can prove very disappointing. I had the Veg. Panini which was OK but not something I would order again. It tasted bland and was loaded with lettuce. There wasn't even some cheese to redeem it.

The Pizzette had no taste. It wasn't even bland, it just tasted like nothing. I knew I was eating it because I was going through the motions but I could have been eating paper for all the taste it had. Eeugh! I had the lasagne once and that was pretty decent.

Pizzette

The seating at the front is cute and can seat upto 10 people. But you can also ask them to seat you at the back. I think that has better ambiance, its usually empty so it affords a lot of privacy. All seating is outdoors.

Outdoor Seating
Notice the dish rag on one of the chairs?

The saddest thing about Crust is the underlying air of neglect. When I went there 3 months ago, they had a single person running the bakery, cooking the food and waiting the tables. You can imagine how that turned out. The food wasn't bad but it took forever to arrive and the poor guy was very frazzled. When I went there this Sunday, very few of the baked goods were actually there. Only half of the display section was full.

Crust has great potential and some truly good desserts. I really wish someone would work on it and fulfill that potential. For now I am going to advise you to go there only for the desserts and pray that they are having a good day.

Thanks to Renee, Nathu and Anisha for accompanying me on various jaunts to this place. And a big shout out to Mattu for the Google Maps suggestion (See the Location Link below).

Pricing: Rs. 150 - 200 per person
Location: 18 Bimanna garden road, R.A. Puram (Click here to get the Google Map Directions)
Landmark: Behind kirtilal Kalidas Jewellers
Phone: 24670298

Donut House, Chennai

2011-06-28T01:52:00.000-07:00

This week I decided to venture a little out of the comfort zone. We trekked all the way to Egmore to visit the recently opened Donut House. Bright yellow dominates the decor and gives a warm, chirpy feel to the whole place. The live kitchen is a nice touch.

Quickly we got down to business and ordered a bunch of donuts. The donuts have an obvious chocolate bias. The Coffee Roasted Almonds was a hit. The donut was sophisticated with a hint of coffee, a sprinkling of almonds and a nice dose of dark chocolate.

Coffee Roasted Almonds

The Alien is all about the chocolate. Liberal layers of dark chocolate topped with white chocolate dusting. I took a gluttonous bite and the chocolate stuffing came oozing out. Yumm! That said, I do wish the dark chocolate had been richer. Would have made it perfect.

Alien

The Oreo was a bit of a letdown. It was good but it didn't knock my socks off, the way I expected it to.

Oreo Dream

My favourite donut was the Italian Spices. This savoury donut was incredibly good. Lots of cheese topped with some not-too-spicy spices and herbs complemented the inherently sweet dough perfectly. I preferred this to all the chocolate donuts and given my incorrigible sweet tooth, that's saying something. I highly recommend that you try this.

Italian Spices

The donuts were all warm and soft. The dough was not oversweet and tasted good. Thankfully, it wasn't all about the toppings.

They also serve sandwiches, coffee and some drinks (of the non-alcoholic variety).

They also have a kiosk at EA. Deciding to see if this one was as good, I hopped over to the stall later that day. The Peanut Dark Chocolate had a lovely flavour and strong peanut butter overtones.

However, the variety at the EA kiosk is limited and the donuts not as fresh. If you can manage the time, I recommend that you hop across to the main branch.

Donut House brings some much needed variety to the quick eats scene in Chennai. I see myself visiting this place soon and am fervently hoping that they produce some delicious Bavarian custard filled donuts.

Donut House delivers to select localities.

Thanks to Nathu for coming all the way on a boiling Saturday afternoon.

Nathu

Pricing: Glazed donuts cost Rs.42 and others cost Rs. 46.

Location: Wellingdon Estate, Ethiraj Salai, Egmore , Chennai

Landmark: Opposite Ethiraj College

Phone: 42656426

Shiraz Cafe, Chennai

2011-06-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

Enthralled am I by Vikram Seth,

To speak in rhyme is my current fate.

This post is going to be in verse,

Apologies if this makes you curse.

Enough of this, let us begin.

For this week's review, we tried some Iranian cuisine (?)

Drive down Eee Cee aaR,

And you shall spot, many restaurants claiming to serve food from lands afar.

Of Persian heritage is the Cafe Shiraz,

The setting is pretty and the crowds sparse.

The fruit slush which greeted us is exactly what we need (ed),

Cold, soothing and especially fascinating was the Chia Seed.

To whet our appetites they gave us some fried veggies and paneer skewer(s),

Far from Iranian, the food seemed to be from lands near.

They also served hummus, which was good,

But all through I kept wondering, where is the promised Iranian food?!

For the main course they had a decent spread,

Looking at us, they must have figured we are well fed.

There was much rice, and an eggplant dish,

Something that looked liked dal. On a spinach bed they served some fish.

For those who want a meatier feast,

There was lamb and beef.

While I found it hard to discern authentic Persian food,

I had someone from the fair land in my hood.

I hear that in Iran,

Food is flavoured with much saffron and sweet anars from Sistan.

While some dishes are similar,

The food isn't as Indian-ny as they made it appear.

As accompaniments they served us panir/fresh white cheese,

And the raitha-esque Masto-Khair, Both of which did please.

Then there was something sweet,

With great gusto, the Bastani-e Za'farāni (Persian ice cream) did we eat.

Rosewater and some clotted cream did set it apart,

But it must be sandwiched in crispy waffles, to truly perfect the art.

We washed this down with some lemony tea and freshly baked cake,

Stuffed, we were rendered immobile in it's wake.

Despite its questionable authenticity, I am going to say,

Make your reservations, go for the Sunday buffet.

Kick back, relax have a good meal,

Revel in the hospitality, enjoy the pervading lazy feel.

It's well worth the money, not too heavy on the pocket,

The whole package is one of the better ones in the market.

As always, I say 'Thank You'!

For coming along, you are a great crew.

L to R
Kenny, Kimia. Hayley, Nammu,Nathu, Bhaps and Mattu

Pricing: Rs. 500 per person
Location: Inside Cholamandalam Artist's Village, Injambakkam, East Coast Road.

Phone: 9840572126

The Soup and Salad Cafe: Don't be fooled by the name

2011-06-16T04:32:00.000-07:00

Trying to balance my blogging needs and impending obesity, I decided to check out the healthy sounding Soup and Salad Cafe this week. The ambiance at this place rates really high. Cute interiors with some witty signage. They have books, a foosball table, board games, wi-fi connectivity and a TV. All that remained to be seen was whether the food matched up to the promise.

After ordering a staggering amount of food, we secretly reveled in the boy band music that was playing in the background (Seriously, Quit Playing Games with my Heart!).

The Chips Ahoy (potato, onions, and potato chips doused in mint sauce) receives a thumbs down from me. Even the overdose of potatoes couldn't compensate for the bland taste, excessive onions and dressing. Another salad that suffered from too much onions was the spicy paneer. It consisted of five pieces of paneer and raw onions. Terrible, terrible.

Spicy Paneer Salad

The Famous Kaamatein High Salad tasted great but it wasn't actually a salad. With rajma dal, crunchy peanuts, potatoes and liberal dressing it tasted more like a westernized chat than anything else. Yes, it was tasty but it wasn't what we signed up for. And this is true of most of the salads that day. The Mexican Salad was filled with crunchy nachos, buttered mushrooms and some peppers. It tasted nothing like a salad should but more like a Mexican snack. Admittedly, a Mexican snack that we liked.

The Nicoise was more like a salad though this too was plagued by the chef's onion obsession. So many raw onions! The South West Grilled Chicken was definitely the best of the salads but then again the dressing was excessive. In all fairness to the Soup and Salad Cafe, overdose of dressing seems to a common affliction with most salad places. And no, that doesn't make it right.

Nicoise

In the soup section, we tried the 'Popeye goes to Itay' and Minestrone soup. The former is a creamy spinach soup with some pasta. It was passable but nothing great. It lacked the wholesome goodness that recommends most soups. The Minestrone was pretty decent: warm and full of veggies. It's not the best in the city but it will do.

Popeye goes to Italy

The best thing about the place was the wraps. It was light, slightly spicy wrap with nicely grilled panner/chicken in it. Possibly the healthiest thing we had that night.

Paneer Wrap

Of course, the same couldn't be said of the Mornay Pasta which was melted cheese with some penne and olives thrown in. I couldn't put more than a spoon in my mouth. So much cheese and just cheese. While it may satisfy some, this is definitely not good pasta in my books.

Mornay

For dessert, we ordered almost everything they had on the menu. Keeping in line with the rest of the meal, the desserts were a let down too. Most of the desserts were dry and tasted synthetic. The Mocha Truffle Cake in particular had an unpleasant after taste. Stay away from the desserts here but if you must order something, then the Chocolate Mousse Cake is your best bet.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Blueberry Cheesecake

Death by Chocolate

While Soup and Salad cafe has the ambiance all sorted out, they really need to concentrate on their food. The salads were terrible and the ones that we did like had no resemblance to salads at all. If you want a nice snack, this is not a bad place to head towards but if you go by the name you are going to be mighty disappointed.

Service is OK, portions sufficient and the loo clean. Prices are pretty reasonable.

This review stands for the Adyar branch only.

Pricing: Rs. 120 per person

Location: 30, Kasthurbha Nagar, 1st Cross street, Adyar , Chennai

Landmark: End Of the lane adjacent to Ramkay TVS

Phone: 42114504, 9551777000

A big shout out to my peeps who braved the rain, flooded roads and Chennai auto drivers to join me on this review.

L to R: Renee, Bhaps, Nammu, Nathu

Ecstasy, Chennai

2011-06-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me, knows I am a dessert person. Which is why it's surprising that it's taken me nearly a year to try out Ecstasy. The place is calm, quiet and a welcome break from the madness that is Sathyam Cinemas. The minimalist, white decor puts the focus of the entire place on the dessert bar which is exactly where we want it to be.

Ecstasy ascribes to the designer food philosophy and the desserts are all dressed up. Vibrant colours, cute designs and edible accessories: if nothing else, the food looks fabulous. I'm always wary of things that look too good and approached the desserts with caution. The good news is that most of them taste as nice as they look.

The Duja is a basil, lemon and chocolate concoction on a hard dark chocolate base. It was surprisingly good. The texture was mousse-y and the flavours light. While Italian Mama thought there was a little too much basil in it, I thought it was perfect. It's a tricky dessert and could go terribly wrong but I think Ecstasy's version managed to walk on the right side of the line.

Duja

Le Chocolatier was a chocolate rose served with chocolate ice cream. The dish was very very rich with a dark chocolate layer at the very bottom. Sure to satisfy all you chocoholics.

Le Chocolatier

The Hazelnut was a huge disappointment. Aside from the tiny layer of hazelnut in the centre, the dessert didn't stay true to it's name. Despite all the sugar, it didn't really taste of anything. Bleh! Even the texture was a little jarring. I recommend that you stay away from this one.

The Hazelnut

I am a huge fan of the Liquorice-Raspberry tart. There is a just an undertone of Liquorice in the sour-sweet tart and the two unusual companions blend well together.

Liquorice-Raspberry Tart

The blueberry cheesecake here is a winner. The tiny cheesecake is a served in massive bowl with a jelly stick sort of thing. It has a lovely cracker crust and delectable cream cheese filling. Definitely my favourite cheesecake in Chennai.
The Flak, a rich caramel-chocolate mousse on a Ferrero Rocher crust, is decadent. Every bite tastes rich caramel goodness. It's a little too rich though and is the sort of dessert that will have you bursting out of your pants.

Blueberry Cheesecake

Praline Pops

Dark Essence

The service at Ecstasy is good. They don't bother you and let you stay on for as long as you want. The place is largely empty (much to my surprise) and is a great place to unwind and relax. It could also be a great date place.

If you are in the city, feeling a little decadent and want to indulge your sweet tooth, this place is a must visit.

Pricing: Rs.100-150 (per person)
Location: Inside the Sathyam Cinemas compound. Just outside the theatre itself.
Phone: 43920444

Tuscana on Chamiers, Chennai

2011-06-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

If you live in South Chennai, then the biggest hurdle to dining out is the fact that most nice restaurants are located on the other side of town. The thought of hailing an auto, fighting with the auto driver, traveling all that way and then doing that all over again has often proved too daunting a task. So when we heard that Tuscana has opened closer home, Nat and I immediately set out to investigate.

The new Tuscana is HUGE. One of my major complaints with Tuscana Pizzeria was that it was so cramped. This one is set over a two floor bungalow with ample privacy. I was happy to note that the striking red Vespa, or its twin, had made the journey all the way across town.

To start with, I highly recommend the minestrone: warm, filling and full of veggies. But if you don't want soup, and given the weather understandably so, I recommend the refreshing Insalata Caprese.

The options for entrees are vast. The pizza menu remains the same. For the veggies I recommend the Patata e Broccoli. Yes, that's right the broccoli pizza. Lovely yellow cheddar cheese topped with a host of veggies. It is my personal favourite. The meat lovers should try the Roma: marinara sauce, ham and ooodles of cheese.

But what I like better at the new Tuscana is the very many pastas and main course dishes. I highly recommend the Pasta del Rosso. The sundried tomatoes had a wonderful flavour and the sauce was garlicky and slightly spicy which I liked. Nat is a huge fan of the Spaghetti Bolognaise though she thought it was a tad too meaty this time around.

The Mushroom Ravioli was near perfect. The flavour and texture of the mushrooms was wonderful. The pasta packets were very well done and had just the right spices in it. Like most raviolis this was slightly bland. The Scallopine di Pollo (sauted chicken breast escalopes served in a chunky tomato sauce with a strong hit of cheese) and Veal Scallopine (veal in a white wine sauce served with mushrooms) were fine choices too.

The best way to end a wonderful, filling Italian meal? Tiramisu, of course (Did you know that Tiramisu translates to 'pick me up' in Italian). I really think that the Tiramisu at the new Tuscana is better than the old one. This one was creamier, richer and with just the right hint of coffee.

But I've always salivated over the Tiramisu at Tuscana, so that's not really news. I decided to be a little adventurous and tried the Calzone al Ciocolato (sweetened, chocolate stuffed pizza). Between the time I placed the order and the arrival of the dessert, I grew increasingly apprehensive. After all I have had some disastrous brushes with the stuffed sweet dishes in the past (remember the Kashmiri Naan episode or my encounter with ice cream pizza??). Thankfully, being adventurous paid off. This pizza stuffed with chocolate, raspberries and mascarpone cream was great and reminiscent of a super stuffed crepe.

We also tried the warm chocolate cake with a melting chocolate centre. It was good but not great. Definitely seen better versions of this. My advice: avoid this, have the Tiramisu or the stuffed chocolate pizza.

Service is good and portions sufficient. The loo at Tuscana is huge and very clean. (They also have lovely smelling hand lotion).

All that said, a meal here is going to hit the pockets a little hard. A meal for two with appetizers, main course and dessert will cost you Rs. 2000. Go there if you are feeling indulgent.

Location: No. 89, Chamiers Road, Alwarpet, Chennai Landmark: Diagonally opp. Park Sheraton IN GATE

Phone: 45000008

Pricing: Rs. 1000 per person

In Seoul, Chennai

2011-05-26T01:53:00.000-07:00

I have been in Chennai for nearly 10 months now (Wow!) and I just realized that I haven't yet blogged about one of my favourite restaurants in the city. The last thing I was expecting in thayir-saadam eating, Saravana- Bhavan-loving Madras was a stellar Korean restaurant. But that's exactly what I found at In Seoul.

Unassuming, without any signs and carelessly placed on top of a supermarket, the place has a distinct 'don't-bother-us' attitude. But once you walk into the restaurant you know its the real deal. Before you get to the daunting task of figuring out what you want, let me tell you about one of the best bits of In Seoul: their complimentary starters. There is always 5-6 different small dishes (banchan) on your table. This can vary from some terrible seaweed-esque thing to a yummy yam dish and some mean kimchee. When I took Nympho there, she drooled over the squid banchan they had. If you are veggie, make sure you ask them to take away the non-veg ones.

For the veggies, I highly recommend the Soondubuchigae: steaming bean curd stew with veggies served in a stone pot. This comes with a small serving of steam cooked rice. As unlikely as it seems, this tofu soup is a favourite of mine.

My other favourite is the bibimbap (apparently, this is Korean for mixed meal). This consists of servings of rice, egg, veggies (and beef, if you want the non-veg version) and a spicy sauce. Ask the waiter to mix it for you based on your spice preference. The one adjective that comes to mind when I think of this dish is wholesome (and not in a yucky brussel sprouts way).

I also like the soupy noodles at In Seoul. I once had the japchae (glass noodles) and wasn't a huge fan. The sticky gooey texture of the noodles and the slightly sweet, bland flavour just didn't sit well with me. If you are a meat lover, there are plenty of options for you. Their beef bulgogi is very popular. They also have an extensive sea-food menu. Have a glass of soju to round up the experience.

In Seoul is also a great place for people watching. From the drunk Korean who has turned purple by the end of the meal to the table of uncomfortable looking Indians who are morosely contemplating the contents of their meal: In Seoul never disappoints. If you do visit this place, there is a one in five chance that you will spot me. Come over, say Hi!

If you are a Korean food novice, then the menu will appear practically indecipherable. The best course is to ask the waiter for his suggestions.

Portions at In Seoul are generous. Their service is generally OK but can be slightly rude at times. Their loo is barely passable and I would advise you against using it.

As much as I love this place, I know that it may not be everyone's cup of tea. But if you love food and want to try something different, you should definitely make it here.

Pricing: Rs. 350-500 per person
Location: 530 (S149 & 150), TTK Road, Alwarpet, Chennai (Above the More supermarket)
Phone: 43009521, 24353377

Saltwater Cafe, Bombay: Terrible Service

2011-05-15T05:35:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make my last meal in Bombay an indulgent one. After much discussion we decided to try Saltwater Cafe in Bandra. The first thing that struck us was the service. They kept us waiting (even though we had reserved a table), and left us in limbo for over fifteen minutes. Bored and tired, we jumped at the first vacant table and claimed it as our own and then began the long process of catching the waiter's eye. If you haven't already figured it out, terrible service will emerge as a recurrent theme in this review.

We placed the order for food and drinks. The drinks order took ages to arrive and it was all mixed up. The waiter was not entirely sure what we ordered or what he was serving. None of the drinks were spectacular, though Sassy's Melon Sangria was a fine choice.

The food arrived in bits and parts. Kocch's food arrived halfway through our meal (Maybe it was the chef's punishment for ordering a sandwich). On the bright side, the food was pretty good. A special mention to the impeccably done Lasagna. Sassy's steak was well done. The pastas were decent but neither blew my mind.

Being firm believers in the 'there-is-always-room-for-dessert' theory, we couldn't leave without indulging our sweet tooths. The baked cheesecake was 'melt-in-your-mouth' delicious.

The (flour less?) chocolate cake that we made much fun of turned out to be wonderful and surprisingly, not too heavy.

The tiramisu was so-so and my least favourite of the desserts.

Portions are sufficient, service terrible and prices steep. While the food is pretty decent, this place definitely needs to pull its socks up. Bombay has no dearth of great restaurants and standing out requires more than a snooty attitude (I hope).

The loo at the Saltwater Cafe is cute and clean.

Pricing: Rs. 1000 per person

Location: Rose Minar Annexe, 87, Chapel Road, Next to Mount Carmel Church, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra West, Mumbai

Candies, Bombay

2011-05-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

Bombay is a great city which has many, many things to offer but Candies has the one thing that is nearly non-existent in Bombay: SPACE. I climbed past the ground floor and was transported out of clustered, claustrophobic Bombay to a sprawling 5(?) storeyed, colonial mansion. Candies has various levels: sky garden, the forest, the room of lamps and some others that I cannot remember. Tables are scattered all over the place and in true Bombay style, every nook and cranny is utilized. Unlike most other Bombay establishments however, there is walking space between the tables. While the cramped cafe style of Leo's and Mondy's has its own charm, it was nice to sit at a table without being privy to the conversation at the 4 adjacent ones. The eclectic tile art work, the tributes to Michael Jackson and the lush green trees all around add to the casual charm of the place.

Ambiance aside, the food is largely pre-cooked and its a takeaway/ fast food sort of place. The food is average: not too bad not memorable either. It's greasy food that is definitely not good for your weight. But that has never been a deterrent and this time proved no different. I raided the salad bar and Nympho ordered the chicken fry both of which were OK.

The dessert at Candies is way better than its food. We tried a variety of the tiny desserts and I heartily recommend the jelly slice and the chocolate tart.

As wonderful as the ambiance is, the wait at the place is tortuous. It's self service and the lines are serpentine. It took us nearly half an hour to get our order and Nympho claims that this is the fastest service she has seen. They now have a counter on the fourth floor which is less crowded and infinitely quicker. Definitely try that.

The prices at Candies are very reasonable and quantities generous. Candies also attracts a lot of teenagers and can feel like a high school hang out at times. We walked out of there feeling old and very, very full.

I think you would be hard pressed to find another place like this in Bombay.

This review stands only for the Candies at Pali Hill and not for the other branches.

Pricing: Rs. 200 for a meal
Location: Mac Ronells, 5AA Pali Hill, St. Andrews Road, Near Learners Academy, Pali Hill, Bandra West, Mumbai

Landmark: Near Near D'Monte Park

Phone: 26424124, 26422324, 26432425, 26430728

Theobroma: The reason I want to shift to Bombay

2011-04-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

I was in Bombay over the weekend and adored it. The bright lights, the crowds, the chaos, the mad activity and not to forget the never ending number of good restaurants here: I was, and remain, hooked.

I walked into Theobroma and it was instant love. Warm wooden flooring, soft lighting and the indescribable scent of freshly baked goods create a cosy, casual ambiance. The place is a little cramped but given the astronomical property prices in South Bombay, you would be hard pressed to find a place that isn't. All around are wonderful looking baked goodies and desserts. Ready to put Theobroma to the taste test, we quickly placed our orders.

I ordered the millionaire brownie. This combination of chocolate chip brownie layered with buttery caramel and dark chocolate is sinful, to say the least. It perfects the dark, rich flavour of chocolate with just the appropriate amount of relief so that all that chocolate doesn't completely overwhelm you. This one's a definite winner (as the ringing of the sales machine indicates). If you want the pure, unadulterated taste of chocolate then the overload brownie should be your choice.

They have a wide array of desserts and I did my best to try as many as I could. Pri went with the Mango and Passion fruit cheesecake. The mango was definitely on the sour-er side, but it hit the right spot with us and we wolfed it down quickly.

I forced Ganje to order the Vodka and Green Chilly Mousse. The subtle flavour of vodka and the kick of green chilly at the very end (right when it goes down your throat) was quite interesting. While we liked it, it may not be everyone's cup of tea. Tread with caution when you order this and know that it could go either way.

Their baked cheesecake was decent but I must admit I was a little disappointed. It wasn't as great as I thought it would be. Pali Village Cafe and Saltwater Cafe both dished up better versions.

We also had the cold coffee and hot chocolate here. Both were good but neither was special.

They also have a number of savoury items but I was so distracted by all that sugar that I didn't get around to tasting them. I did however pack an astonishingly large number of brownies and cookies to pig out on in Chennai. Completely inadvisable and unhealthy it might be, but it is worth every chocolate-y bite. If you see me walking around with an impish grin for the next few days, you know why.

They have a bigger Bandra branch but I think the Colaba one is more charming. Even though we spent long hours at the Colaba branch, it is mostly a takeaway/quick bite scene. A few entertaining South Bombay-ites graced the establishment when we were there. Many thanks to 'check-ME-out' and 'the Aishas' who provided much entertainment. Theobroma has a clean little loo.

If you are in Bombay, definitely pay this place one(several) visit(s). You won't regret it.

P.S: Theobroma has a national brownie delivery service. Hint! Hint!

Location: Shop 24, Cusrow Baug, Colaba Causeway, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Colaba, Mumbai
Landmark: Opposite Central Bank of India
Phone: 22873778, 22886464, 22830101

My Top 5 'things-to-do' in London

2011-04-11T23:34:00.000-07:00

In true guidebook style, here's the list (in no particular order):

5) Ice Skating at Somerset House: In a moment of total lunacy I signed up for ice skating. Not only did I suffer intense physical pain and public humiliation, I paid good money for it. I also had to face the ignominy of watching perfectly formed men and women gracefully gliding around the rink. Seriously, who are these people!!

But you know what? It was insanely fun. Falling on my backside, bringing down some others in the process and clinging desperately to the wooden balustrade turned out to be a great way to ring in the new year. In addition, should Laughing Boy, Cheesy Girl or the Pimp ever assume public office, I will have some very incriminating pictures to blackmail them with ;)

The ice looks pretty doesn't it?
Wait till you fall on it

4) Visit Spitalfields Market: The last thing I thought I would do in England was go to a flea market. After all this was the land of Harrods, Bond Street and all things fashionable and pricey. This little market ended up having way more character than all those shops put together. There is a universal pleasure to be derived from a good bargain. You can pick up vintage Beatles records, quirky t-shirts, beautiful jewelery and even some great furniture.

Unfortunately, budgetary constraints meant that I merely browsed through all the wares, picked up some coffee and headed to the nearby Brick Lane.

3) Watch an EPL match: Growing up, I learnt a lot about England. Children's literature was, and I believe still is, dominated by the English. Enid Blyton, P.G. Wodehous and Agatha Christie always portrayed the English as a reserved, polite and incredibly restrained people. Clearly, none of these authors witnessed a live football match.

60 year old grandmothers cursing a storm, precocious 8 year olds trashing England's most famous footballer and delusional men trying to communicate with the players through wild hand gestures: the atmosphere was electric. A great match and some lovely post-match burgers rounded up a wonderful evening. Spending 2 hours with a horde of mercurial football fans will surely show you a whole new side to England.

Yes, we were part of this mad crowd

2) Take a walk through the Greenwich Gardens: On a last minute impulse, I decided to visit Greenwich and it reaffirmed my faith in impulse decisions. I was completely blown away by the gorgeous gardens in the middle of winter. I took a long relaxing walk around these magnificent gardens and this remains one of my fondest memories of the trip. Definitely better than the more famous Hyde and Kensington Parks. Greenwich also contains the Queen's House, it's creepy spiral staircase, a surprisingly enjoyable maritime museum and the Painted Hall.

The reason I initially wanted to visit Greenwich was because of the Metro station's name: Cutty Sark on Maritime Greenwich. My fascination with English names is boundless. I made a torturous 65 minute train journey so that I could have the satisfaction of having visited Harrow on the Hill. Sigh!

1) Visit St. Paul's Cathedral: I know this is super cliche-d and a guidebook favourite but there's a reason. Christopher Wren's labour-of-love is indescribable. This striking marble dome against the grey-concrete skyline of London is especially beautiful at night. Take a few steps back and view this monument from the nearby bridge. I plonked myself on the bridge and spent a good fifteen minutes impeding pedestrian traffic, just to take the view in.

St. Paul's during the Blitz

It's not just a pretty package: there's a beautiful chapel inside. Huff and puff up the stairs and you can visit the famous Whispering Gallery and take in the views from the outer balconies. The Gallery view was a little bit of a letdown. Not as great as I thought it would be. At nearly 12 pounds, entering St. Paul's is fairly expensive

If you are in London for a quick visit, I highly recommend the Sandeman's walking tour: Cheap, fun and rooomba informative.

I had a ridiculously fun time in London and I am sincerely hoping that there are going to be many more follow up visits. Even a job maybe? If you hear of any opening for a food and travel writer in London: email me ASAP.

A HUGE shout out to KK, Shan, A-ditty, Badri, Suchi, Mahesh, Anita, Kavita and Geeta. Thanks for everything. Muah!

Haven't read my earlier England posts?? Click here

Koshy's: Go, despite the average food

2011-04-05T22:59:00.000-07:00

I was in Bangalore over the weekend to: a) watch the EPIC match with the family; and b) pay my respects to Bangalore's restaurants. In an event nearly as momentous as India's victory, Rat finally condescended to meet with me. We decided to hit Koshy's for breakfast. Walk down St. Marks and you will spot this Bangalore institution at the Church Street-St.Marks Road junction.

We ordered the Mushroom Toast, Bacon Omlette and the Smilies. I also made the mistake of ordering the Chocolate Shake (Rs.53). This consisted of brown powder mixed with watery milk. After having a sip and then having another one (because surely it couldn't have been that bad), Rats and I left the milkshake(?) alone. The accompanying photo will show you exactly why I am whining so much about this. We later ordered Iced Teas which were the of the general Lipton variety.

BEFORE

AFTER (Eeeeugh!)

While the Mushroom Toast I ordered was fine, it was nothing spectacular. I fancy that I could have dished up something similar at home (If you don't already know, I cook these days). The bacon omlette was good. The Smilies is nice, timepass food (as are most other fried potato snacks).

Mushroom Toast

Bacon Omlette

Smilies :)

Nympho is a huge fan of the chicken liver at this place. The one thing you should never order at Koshy's is the French Toast (sweet) which was like bread soaked in sweet milk, with eggs on top. (Barf!) It makes my list of 'Most vile dishes I have eaten'

Koshy's makes a mean prawn curry which is generous in portions and reasonable in pricing. I also hear their appams are good though I have never made it early enough on a Sunday morning to verify this.

I've been to Koshy's many many times and the food has consistently bordered on average with occasional moments of brilliance or deep despair. Despite its average fare and the array of better restaurants on offer, I find myself revisiting Koshy's. Why? Because it has the one thing that so many many restaurants today lack: Character.
Walk in and you will see a random assortment of individuals: middle aged men getting a beer just like they have every week for decades, grimy students in clothes that haven't been washed in this decade, old grandpas and grandmas, the list goes on. You could strike up random conversations or receive unsolicited advice about the book you are reading from a woman who looks eerily like Helena Bonhom Carter. I love this sketch. It beautifully captures the essence of Koshy's (What do you think?)

Thanks to Google Images and Jai Iyer

Koshy's is one of those rare places where I am going to suggest that you don't go by my (or any other reviewer's) opinion. Go and find out for yourself. You will either love the old-world, laid back atmosphere that it exemplifies or dismiss it as a pretentious place which is not worth the price. There are enough supporters for both points of view but I must admit I firmly belong in the former. There is something familiar, almost comforting about Koshy's (even its average food).

Make sure you go to the older, more battered portion of Koshy's, not the new one with plush decors. I just don't think that has the same magic.

P.S: They don't open till 9 a.m. Once, Nympho and I stayed up all night in gluttonous excitement and got there bright and early only to find closed doors. We then spent the next two hours walking up and down a deserted St.Marks/Brigade Road with other suspect Bangalore elements. (Good times!)

Pricing: Rs. 200 per person
Location: 39 St. Marks Road, St. Marks Road, Bangalore

Phone: 22213793, 22915840

Fusion 9: My new Chennai haunt?

2011-03-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

Despite being scarred by the events of the previous night, I was determined to find a new good eat-out in Chennai and my efforts paid off. Fusion 9 is a new restaurant in town and we trekked here to see whether it was worth the fuss. Dim lighting, an island bar and music playing at an appropriate volume (unlike Zara's which believes in blasting the ears off its patrons) give Fusion 9 a lazy lounge feel.

They have a vast and varied menu with East Asian, Continental, Lebanese and Indian options. They also have a separate dessert menu (and that can only mean good things). For starters we had the lemongrass and corn cutlets (I forget the fancy name that the menu gave them) and spice paneer tikkas. The cutlets were very average. Lemongrass has a distinct flavour which can't be mixed with just anything. The flavours were all wrong and the dish had a weird aftertaste. I quite liked the paneer. It was soft and the spicy sauce complemented it. Though not everyone in the party was a fan.

This was quickly followed by the main course (and our rumbling tummies were very grateful for that). In search of good Thai food in Chennai, I picked an all time favourite: Thai Green Curry. The Green Curry was wonderful with just the right amount of coconut milk, veggies and spices. It got all the flavours right and was a tad on the spicier side. The rice it was served with wasn't great but the Curry was so good that I didn't care.

Edward ordered the Lebanese Pizza, a dish that I had never tried before. This turned out to be a stuffed pizza dominated by cheese and oil soaked herbs. The dish was pretty decent and though I'm not a huge fan, if you are looking to try something different, then you may want to go for this.

Banker Madame went in for a more traditional pizza with cheese, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and a lovely thin crust. I really liked this pizza.

Dr. V and the White Mark ordered the Tenderloin and Veg. Shwarma and had only great things to say about both. A special mention to the potatoes with the Tenderloin: artfully presented and tasted great. All the mains were priced around Rs. 400. Portions are quite large.

We had our minds, and stomachs, set on dessert and placed our orders after much deliberation. All the desserts that we ordered: the mascarpone apple tart, the cheesecake, the tiramisu: were wonderful and hit our sweet spot. But the best of the lot was the chocolate walnut fudge sundae. Chocolate, whipped cream, walnut fudge, brownie and crumbly, chocolate filled biscuits came together in a decadent, melting mess. Each dessert cost Rs. 200 or thereabouts.

The service was very average and needed constant reminders to get our drinks. They have a super clean and very nicely done loo.

Fusion 9 is great place to have a long dinner with your friends: enjoy a few drinks (they have a vast and reasonably priced drinks menu) and some great food. I definitely intend to visit this place regularly.

Pricing: Rs. 600 per person (without drinks)

Location: 2nd Floor, Aruna Centre, 145 Sterling Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai

Phone: 42664299

P.S: I apologize for the bad photos, my cam is still in Bombay. If anyone is coming from Bombay to Chennai or B'lore, pleeease bring my cam with you??

Texas Fiesta (Not!)

2011-03-26T23:52:00.000-07:00

Trying Mexican food has always been a bit of a risk: it could go either spectacularly well or disastrously wrong. Deciding to take the risk, we landed up at Texas Fiesta. The decor dominated by cowboy hats, mounted cow heads and a foosball table. It reminded me a little of Millers 46 (and I was hoping that the food would be just as good). The seating is comfortable and the slightly dimmed lights add a nice touch.

Excited by the sheer amount of greasy food on offer, we ordered the Nachos with Fiesta Land dip and the Potato Wedges. The nachos lacked the essential crispy crunchiness and felt like they had been kept out for too long. The taste was very average and even generous addition of cheese failed to redeem the nachos. The potato wedges were OK (how can you go wrong with fried potatoes) but the cream dip it was served with was terrible. It lacked all semblance of flavour (even salt was completely missing) and we left the dip untouched. (At times it felt like the universe was punishing us for untold sins by stuffing us with large quantities of incredibly unhealthy and completely tasteless food)

Very wary after this we decided to just try one Veg Burrito. The Burrito was OK. The wrap tasted a lot like rumali roti and the rice, beans and salad inside were decently done. However, the dish did nothing to change our earlier wariness. We decide to cut our losses and quickly headed out. The bill came to Rs. 600 which I thought was quite expensive. Quantities at Texas Fiesta are fairly generous.

Maybe we ordered the wrong things, maybe its particularly bad for veggies, maybe we caught the chef on a bad day: who knows? But I do know that I won't be paying Texas Fiesta another visit any time soon (and quite frankly, neither should you).

Pricing: Rs. 400 per person

Location: 17/2, Shaffee Mohammed Rd, Off Khader Nawaz Khan Rd., Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai

Landmark: Near Apollo Children's Hospital

Phone: 43087882

ID

2011-03-23T23:48:00.000-07:00

Nothing invigorates the Chama clan quite like a wedding and impending nuptials saw various members arriving in Chennai. After animated discussions, mock-serious arguments and the passage of much time (2.5 hours tbe exact) we zeroed in on the culinary offerings of ID.

ID stands for Idly-Dosa and is located on the first floor of Sathyam Cinemas. The decor is dominated by black and white and the stainless steel cutlery complements the stark decor. The no nonsense attitude is carried onto their tiny little menu which quickly details their offerings. They offer a variety of south Indian snacks from the ubiquitous idli to more exotic items like adai and ulithiyal. (And of course, an array of chatnis)

As a starter or snack you should try the kirai vadai. This flat, spicy modification of a traditional vadai is sure to whet your appetite.

Though almost everything at ID is good, I recommend that you give idli and dosa the ditch when here. One of my regular orders at ID is the appam (Hoppers made with rice batter and some coconut milk). You can choose to have appam with milk, vegetable stew (my personal choice) or ulithiyal (a spicy side dish which has distinct overtones of tamarind).

Another favourite of mine is adai and more specifically the aviyal it is served with. Similar to dosa, adai is a thicker crepe made from a mixed-dal batter. The best part however, is the avial. A vegetable dish with a yoghurt and coconut base. ID's versions is mouth watering. The pesarratu, with upma stuffed inside is also a good choice.

Their sweets section is a little limited but don't leave without trying the kasi halwa. This pumpkin based sweet is soaked in ghee, butter and all things good. Not for the calorie conscious, this is sure to send you in raptures of sugar induced delight. Their kesari is pretty decent but I insist that you try the kasi halwa.

Wash it all down with a glass of spiced buttermilk.

The service at ID leaves much to be desired. They take forever to take your order and procuring a glass of water can often be a difficult task.

ID is one of my favourite South Indian restaurants in Chennai. It is infinitely better than the over-rated and over-priced Murugan Idli (clearly, I am not a fan). Sometimes, it is the best part about watching a movie in Sathyam Cinemas.

P.S: This post is dedicated to Thatha. We miss you so very much.

Pricing: Rs. 80-100 per person
Location: Sathyam cinemas, 1s floor, Royapettah, Chennai
Phone: 43920346

Gallipoli Bazaar, London

2011-03-20T21:55:00.000-07:00

This article was published in the Hindu's Sunday Magazine on 19 March, 2011 :)

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/Food/article1546199.ece

Deciding to explore the gastronomical offerings of North London, I dragged the crew to Angel and Upper Street. While a number of small, cute restaurants dot this area, Gallipoli beckoned us the minute we set our sights on it. Everything about this place — the hookahs, the dim lighting, the glassy mystical Alladin-esque lamps and the Mafioso handsome waiters navigating through the cramped space — screams Oriental. Even the carvings on the table tops fit the ambience and I loved the attention to detail. While we abandoned the outdoor seating in view of the incredible cold that evening, it should offer you a wonderful view of a bustling London in milder climate.

Veggie options

Their menu is vast and even had a considerable vegetarian section. (Keep in mind that the vegetarian variety cannot compare to that in India). Though they did have a few lovely sounding starters, we decided to head straight to the mains. In the vegetarian section we ordered Vegetable Couscous (£8.55) and Special Vegetarian Mousakka (£8.65). Initially, the barren blandness of the couscous left me a little disappointed but I soon realised that it's a dish that grows on you. Bland as the couscous is, the well-cooked veggies and sweet-sour raisins oddly complement it. The dish left me feeling warm and full. Even though the couscous managed to salvage itself, I preferred the Special Vegetarian Mousakka. This bake of aubergines, potatoes and mushrooms in red sauce was served with warm pita bread. Almost like a lasagne without layers, this dish served with a tangy sauce and a discernible undertone of cheese was a big hit with us. The other veggie dish that sounded really good was the Imam Bayildi (stuffed and fried brinjals). If any of you do end up trying it, let me know how it was.

In the non-veg section we ordered the Kafta (£8.60), grilled, herbed minced lamb with rice and salad. The meat was succulent and flavourful. The herbs gave it a distinct flavour that I quite liked.

The real star of the meal was the set meal for two (£10.95). This consisted of a cold mezze platter that included lamb guzvec, meatballs, falafel, hummus, yoghurt dips, borek, bakla and many other exotic sounding things. With warm pita bread on the side, this makes for a wonderful, filling spread that will satisfy even the most finicky connoisseurs, I daresay. The hummus deserves a special mention. Though easy to make, hummus is quite difficult to get just right but Gallipoli managed to do that very well. The Dolma (stuffed vegetables wrapped in grape leaf) was also exceedingly good. The vegetables inside were cooked nicely and the grape leaf added a special flavour to the dish. In keeping with my (and all Tamilians, I believe) love for anything curd-based, I devoured the yoghurt dips appreciatively. The veggies need not despair. They have a similar platter with dessert to cater to the non-meat eaters. At nearly £17, it is a little pricey though.

There is a wide seafood, grills and tajine selection too (Originally from Morocco, Tajine dishes are cooked in a clay pot that helps cook meat/veggies slowly at low temperatures).

Sweet tooth

Desserts largely consisted of the regular chocolate and ice cream-based offerings. If you do want to indulge your sweet tooth, and quite frankly who doesn't, I suggest you try the Baklava. This layered Greek pastry filled with honey and nuts is sure to hit your sweet spot. They have a decent wine menu and even serve some Turkish beer (Efes).

The servings at Gallipoli are good enough to leave you feeling full but not so large as to make you burst out of your pants. Service was efficient. The seating is a little cramped but somehow fits the general theme of the restaurant. They also have Gallipoli Cafe in the vicinity.

Quick Look

Ups: Good food, generous servings and efficient service.

Downs: Cramped seating, pricing (if you are on a moderate budget).

Bottom Line: Gallipoli serves fairly authentic Turkish fare in a mystic, Oriental atmosphere. I would definitely recommend going here and enjoying a lazy meal or two.

Pricing: £15-20

Location: 107 Upper Street, London, N1 1QN (Near Angel Tube Station)

TLR Cafe, Delhi

2011-03-15T23:45:00.000-07:00

I found myself in Delhi last weekend, and most surprisingly fell in love with the city. Between some typically touristy gawking, pigging out on Delhi street food and a whirlwind trip to Agra (Wah, Taj!) and Fatehpur Sikri (visit Now!), I managed to squeeze in time for an indulgent dinner at The Living Room Cafe.

Walk in and the place screams bohemian. A band on the ground floor and a manic looking artist on the first floor reiterated my first impression. The menu was pretty decent and had a good variety in both the vegetarian and non vegetarian section. TLR cafe largely serves continental food. Waiting to see if the food lived up to its ecclectic ambiance we quickly placed our orders.

The service at this place is terrible. Constantly there when we were not ready to order and promptly disappearing when we were. It took them forever to get our orders and some dishes arrived nearly half hour after the others.

Southern Madam ordered the lasagne and that was a mighty fine choice. This dish made with sheets of flat pasta, cheese and minced lamb was done perfectly. The bolognaise sauce and incredibly tender meat deserve a special mention. This raised our hopes for the rest of the meal. Unfortunately, the chef proved to be slightly erratic.

I ordered the basil pesto which was just OK. The pesto sauce was creamy with a nice flavour and brocolli and leeks, sparse as they were, provided a nice crunchiness to the dish. There were way too many basil leaves for my liking and not enough veggies. The dish wasn't bad but it wasn't great either.

Banker Madam and Edward ordered the Munshi Munch and the Aubergene Parmigiana. The Munshi Munch was pasta in chili red sauce. Despite the presence of sun dried tomatoes (one of my all time fav ingredients), I am going to give this dish a thumbs down. No pasta should be this spicy and the spicy flavour wasn't complemented by the rest of the dish. The entire dish was somehow out of sorts.

The Aubergene Parmigiana was very well done. The aubergine had a lovely smoky, grilled touch. The cheese and subtle tomato sauce complemented it quite well. The dish was, however, served with toasted bread as opposed to garlic bread which doesn't speak very well. This may sound snooty but it was a snooty sort of place.

If you know me (and by now, I am kind of hoping that you do), you know that none of my meals are complete without dessert. I ordered the creme brulee which was a bit underwhelming. Neither the caramel nor the custard made me go 'Wow!'. The hot choclate souffle oozing with molten chocolate and ice cream looked sinfully decadent. I made a mental note to try it the next time.

Quantites at TLR are good. If you go there, be prepared to loosen your purse strings. Prices here are quite steep and dining here is a bit of an indulgence (especially if you are in the business of alleviating poverty).

TLR has a nice artsy feel to it. It hosts a number of music and other events. TLR is more a place to be seen at than eat at. If you know what to order (and after my review, you should: the lasagne!) and aren't expecting good service then this is a fairly good option. TLR is also a great date place.

Pricing: A meal for two will cost you close to Rs. 2000. Please note that they add VAT of 12.5% for food and 20% for alcohol on your bill.

Location: No.31, Hauz Khas Village, Hauz Khas, Delhi

Landmark: Near Cotton Curio

Phone: 46080544, 46080533

P.S: All photos have been flicked off the net as my beloved cam is holed up in Bombay.

P.P.S: Kau, I am really really sorry. Please don't be mad.

Christmas Cake in Chennai

2011-02-13T23:02:00.000-08:00

This article was published in the Hindu (Retail Plus) on December 19, 2010: http://www.hindu.com/rp/2010/12/19/stories/2010121950070200.htm

The Christmas season is rolling around yet again, snowballing us with an overdose of Christmas decorations, gifts and general merriment. It is also that time of the year when the Christmas cake is prominently displayed in all bakeries across town, from the local Iyengar bakery down the road to sophisticated cake shops in plush hotels. Deciding that it was time to separate the plums from the raisins, I took upon myself the task of figuring out the best Christmas cakes in town. Weighed down by this chore, and massive amounts of cake, I recruited the help of a few friends. We purchased plum cakes from a few bakeries across town to sample the variety on offer.

La Chocolate Patisserie (Rs.300/500gms): The presentation of this cake (with colourful, and over-the-top, icing) will definitely appeal to the little kid in most people. This cake had good, tart plums which hit just the right spot. The nuts that they used were blended perfectly and added to the texture of the cake. However, the cake could have been richer and added more spice. The icing was a tad too sweet.

Sandy's Chocolate Laboratory(Rs.414/500gms): Sandy's interpretation of the Christmas cake was by far the most interesting. Served with a lovely mascarpone sauce, this light cake had a wonderful spicy aftertaste (which is unusual for most cakes). The cake wasn't as rich and I'm not sure whether the sauce, as lovely as it was, was the perfect complement but somehow it all came together and worked well. This was my personal favourite but if you are looking for a traditional cake, then you should give this the miss. If you want to try something different, then head right over.

Cake Walk(Rs.275/500 gms.): This one is for those with an extreme sweet tooth. This tasted more like fruit cake and was a little too sweet for my liking. It lacked the subtle spice flavour that sets apart great plum cakes. But the texture was great and the cake was nice and rich.

French Loaf (Rs. 249/500gms): Dark, soft and sinuous: this is how God intended plum cake to be. Everything from the smell to the taste was spot on in this one. The cake was dense, rich and not overpoweringly sweet. The distinct taste of spice and alcohol was my favourite bit. If you are looking for good, traditional plum cake that brings back warm memories and makes you feel good inside, then head towards French Loaf.

Of course, all this cake consumption was definitely bad news for my waistline and weight loss efforts.

Have a very merry Christmas and see you next year!

Sandy's is on 42303852; call La Chocolate Pattiserie on 42148183, Cake Walk on 24917022 and French Loaf on 45000779.

talktoretailplus@yahoo.com

SHRUTI VISWANATHAN

Burmese Noodles in Georgetown

2011-02-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

This article was published in the Hindu (Retail Plus) on December 5, 2010. http://www.hindu.com/rp/2010/12/05/stories/2010120550070200.htm

Just when I think I know all of Chennai's secrets, the city springs up another one and delights me all over again. I recently learnt of the existence of Burmese street food in Chennai. Deciding that it was time to sample the same, a few friends and I ventured into Chennai's underbelly. Led by a veteran foodie, we marched into the seedy lanes behind the Madras High Court.

As you walk into 2nd Line Beach Road it is impossible to miss the numerous food carts surrounded by hordes of people standing and wolfing down noodle-based dishes. We walked to the very end, right in front of Indian Bank, to visit what our host indicated was his favourite noodle cart.

Our stomachs indicated noisily that it was time to get eating and we were more than eager to comply. To begin with, we ordered the Atho. These consist of boiled noodles cooked with spices, shredded cabbage and onions. To give the dish a crunchy feel, pejio or otta vadai - a perforated, fried pappad type condiment is added to the noodles. The noodles were soggier than what I expected and a little bland but tasted good.

However, to truly relish the noodles have it with the soup. There is a steaming vat of soup from which you can serve yourself. Submerge the noodles in this hot, plantain stem soup and enjoy, very like a Khow Suey. While the soup is traditionally flavoured with dried fish, the vendors here have modified it to account for local tastes. They also serve fried noodles, simply referred to as Fry. The boiled white noodles or Moinju are fried with egg batter and spices. Shredded cabbage and other veggies are later added. It is spicier than the Atho. Again, try this with the plantain-stem soup.

The other interesting dish to try here consists of pani-puri type eggs. Boiled eggs are topped with fried onions, a little oil, salt and pepper. The eggs are to be eaten in a single gulp, quite like golgappas. It's definitely a novel way of having an otherwise common dish. The quantities are quite generous. Thankfully, the vendors give you the option of ordering a half portion.

Having satisfied the monsters in my tummy, I turned to ask the obvious question: How did traditional Burmese noodles find their way to street carts in faraway Madras? The answer takes us to pre-independent times. Many Tamils were settled in Burma then and slowly emigrated back here after Independence and the military coup of 1962(much to my surprise I discovered that my great grandparents made this journey too).

The street cart vendors say they are descendants of these Indian-Burmese who brought with them such culinary delights. Some of the vendors have been around for nearly 30 years while others have been in business only for a couple of years.

The next time you are in Georgetown and have a craving for the singular joy that only greasy street food can provide, I suggest you head down to 2nd Line Beach Road and sample some Atho. Those who are excessively worried about hygiene should give this the miss. The area is crowded and it may be best if you go here in a group.

The vendors are extremely friendly and will do their best to modify the dish to suit your personal preference. While you are here, also take a moment to admire the gorgeous view afforded by the lit-up High Court. It is quite breathtaking.

talktoretailplus@yahoo.com

SHRUTI VISWANATHAN

Kryptos by Willi

2011-02-08T20:28:00.000-08:00

The idea of a Greek restaurant in Chennai has been the cause of much excitement in my life (says a lot about my life, doesn't it?) and I have frequented this place quite a bit. True to its name, Kryptos (the hidden one) is tucked away in a basement on Khader Nawaz Khan Road. The ambiance is cozy and the warm not-so-bright lighting complements the mood of the place. I like the understated decor.

For starters, I recommend you try the Warm Meze dishes. Cheese lovers will like the Tiropitakia: a small phylo pastry filled with different types of cheese (Rs. 280). While I am generally wary of pumpkin based dishes, the Kalitsounia (Rs. 300) (pastries with a filling of ricotta cheese and pumpkin) was surprisingly good. It had the right sweet-sour mix. My favourite however is the Eliotes (Rs.250)an olive filled phylo pastry. The salty, tangy flavour was spot on and quite unlike any of the other starters. All of these are served with aubergine crisps (like the tamil 'varuvals') and tzatziki dip.

In the main course you can choose from Gyros, Souvlakis and many other traditional Greek dishes whose spelling I shall not butcher. If you are looking for something uncomplicated and filling, then the Gyros (Rs.450-520) are the way to go. These sandwich wraps (the mispronunciation of which led to the American hero sandwiches) filled with meat/veggies, fries, a little salad and generous helpings of tzatziki sauce are a good lunch option. Caveat: they can get messy.

However, when I do make the trip to Kryptos I prefer to order something more indulgent. Grumpu had the Grilled Haloumi Skewers (Rs.580) last time and quite enjoyed it. The sweet peppers stuffed with rice, pine nut and spices (or as they like to call it, the Domates Piperies) has a distinct tangy-tomato flavour and is one of my favourites. I love brinjals and consequently, love the Imam Bayildi (Rs. 450)(slow cooked aubergines with oil, spices and other good things). If you are looking for something healthy (and given my burgeoning waistline, I should be :( ) try the Spanakopitta (Rs.520) : phylo pastry filled with spinach and with barely a hint of oil. They also have a Cold Mezze (Rs.450) buffet in the evenings which is a good value for money option.

Quantities at Kryptos are fairly good and should leave you satisfied. However, don't leave quite yet. My favourite dish here has to be the Baklava (Rs.180). I never leave without ordering this sweet, nut and syrup filled pastry and neither should you. The Kryptos version avoids the sticky-sweetness and dripping-syrup to which so many other baklavas fall prey and for this I am very thankful.

Kryptos definitely livens up the Chennai eating scene. Between you and me, I prefer Kryptos to its much adored cousin: Tuscana. However, quite like most good things in life, it is a tad on the expensive side. So be prepared to loosen those purse strings.

Pricing: Rs. 1200 - 1400 for a meal for two

Website: http://www.kryptosbywilli.com/

Location: No.24, Khadar Nawaz Road , Nungambakkam, Chennai

Sweet London

2011-01-30T07:47:00.000-08:00

This article was published in the Hindu's Sunday Magazine : http://www.thehindu.com/arts/magazine/article1129903.ece :)

London is a city for walkers. As someone who, in a moment of folly, ended up taking an incredibly expensive cab ride I was doubly appreciative of this fact. The tube is efficient and fast too but quite a few of the tourist haunts are close to each other and walking gives you a greater opportunity to experience this incredible city. If you are like me, and I am hoping you are, then all that walking will invariably lead to a sudden, intense sugar craving. Fear not, London caters to the needs of the gluttonous and has various sweet shops and cute little bakeries everywhere. Here's a sneak peek into some of my favourites.

The Humming Bird Bakery (Portobello Road, Notting Hill):

This area sky rocketed to fame with the eponymous Hugh Grant-Julia Roberts movie and you can see why the director chose this quaint little local market with its coloured walls and antique shops as the backdrop. Intense hunger pangs and a recommendation from a charming old lady drove us here. Upon entering we were assailed by the smell of freshly baked goodies. The heady aroma, the lovely looking cupcakes and the massive queue added to our frenzied state of anticipation. The cupcakes were divine. They had a nice, rich texture and melted in the mouth. The icing on the cake, quite literally, was the frosting: Delicious and bound to give you a sugar rush. A cupcake here will set you back by £3.

Shruti's Pick: Red Velvet Cupcake.

The Wafflemeister (Portobello Road, Notting Hill):

Right next to the Humming Bird Bakery is the Wafflemeister. The sight of these warm, delectably topped waffles drew us like bees to a honey pot. The Wafflemeister serves soft, freshly baked waffles but the best part is their topping. You can choose from chocolate, marshmallows, strawberries, oreos and many other sinful sounding add-ons. These waffles are the perfect snack for the cold, crisp weather in which England specialises. Expect to shell out another £3 here.

Shruti's Pick: Waffles with whipped cream, milk and dark chocolate.

Ben's Cookies (Oxford Street):

This was my personal favourite. The fact that it was able to draw the manic crowds out of the innumerable shops on Oxford Street (on sale day, no less!) raised our suspicions and we paid it a brief visit. We decided to brave the biting cold and wait for a fresh batch of cookies and what a great decision that was. The triple chocolate chunk is true to its name and the three types of chocolates are enough to send the biggest chocolate aficionado into a rhapsody. My favourites, however, were the milk chocolate and dark chocolate chunk. The secret behind these divine cookies lies in the fact that they have huge chunks of melted chocolate embedded in them. Soft, chewy and massive (and massive on the Shruti scale is quite an achievement) – Do NOT miss out on these. They have branches all over England. If you do make it there, please bring me back a box. Each cookie should cost 80 pence or thereabouts.

Shruti's pick: Double chocolate chunk cookie.

The Belgian Food Company (Oxford Street): This outlet is another haven for tired shoppers on a cold English evening. While the variety of toppings here doesn't compare with that at Wafflemeister, what they make, they make very well. I devoured the waffle topped with scoops of chocolate ice cream and a sprinkling of chocolate sauce on top. Yummm! The warm waffle and the cold ice cream make a great combination (An Indian version of the gulab jamun-ice cream combo?). A waffle with toppings should be around £3.

Caveat: You will have to elbow your way through the massive crowds and quality is not always consistent.

Shruti's Pick: Waffle with chocolate ice cream

Covent Garden Eateries (Covent Garden): While I am generally a firm believer in the ‘food-over-ambience' school of thought, this is one place where I think the ambience is worth the average fare. There are a number of snack outlets located in the middle of the Covent Garden square and I suggest that you get a cup of coffee or a light snack here. The biggest USP is the eclectic atmosphere of Covent Garden. Cute little stores, performing musicians, stand-up acts... this place is bustling with talent. We were witness to an immensely good hopping violin quartet. (We even managed to catch a Bollywood tune or two). The Christmas decorations and the general festive air made it all the more special. We tried the waffle and cherry cheesecake. In all honesty, I have had better grub. However, I still recommend that you grab a bite here and enjoy the uniquely London air that Covent Garden exemplifies.

Shruti's pick: Steaming hot coffee

Sunny's

2011-01-20T21:33:00.000-08:00

I am going to take a break from the London posts and write a good old Bangalore restaurant review.

Sunny's is arguably Bangalore's most famous restaurant. And on most days, it lives up to this reputation. Another of those Old Bangalore restaurants (read: The Only Place), Sunny's livened up the eating scene on Vittal Mallya Road way before UB City got there. The menu here is vast and covers a variety of continental fare.

Due to the mammoth portions here and my insatiable love for dessert, I rarely order starters. But if you want something to tease your appetite, then I recommend the mushroom barley soup. It's light, refreshing and perfect for a chilly Bangalore evening. I have also had the crostini with tomato and roast peppers which is OK but nothing spectacular. Their complementary bread and garlic butter is also pretty decent.

The pastas at Sunny's are pretty darn good and my all time favourite is the black pepper fettucine with wild mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes (vegetarian). Lovely cream sauce, well done penne and the sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms add some great flavour to the dish. A special mention to the mushrooms at Sunny's which have a special flavour and texture that I adore. Warning: the cream sauce is very heavy. The angel hair pasta with basil and chunky tomatoes is pretty good too. Woogul had the almond crusted fish fillet last time and we quite enjoyed it. There is an undertone of lemon throughout (even the mashed potatoes are distinctly citrussy), the cream sauce is great and though the dish is a little bland, it worked for us.

Aats ordered the chicken breast with sun dried tomatoes, white whine and cream. The sauce was almost identical to the one in the fish fillet. The dish was nicely done and satisfied our palettes.

Now as great as it can be, Sunny's can also serve some very average fair. I decided to break from tradition and order the penne with pesto and it turned out to be a terrible decision. The sauce had too much basil in it. And ended up tasting like penne in some sort of basil-mint chatni.

But I am willing to forgive Sunny's almost anything (even their occassionally atrocious service) for their superlative desserts alone. While the food at Sunny's is good, it is the desserts that really blow you away. It's cheesecake is amongst the best I have ever had: Cheesy, creamy and a a crumbly, 'lighter-than-air' crust.

My other favourite sweet eat here is the Paris Brest: A flaky pastry filled with nuts and topped with praline cream (Did you know that this pastry is named after the Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle race?).

I highly recommend that you try this. The Crillon chocolate cake and Tiramisu are also worthy contenders.

The service at Sunny's is whimsical, at best. On days, they can be perfectly nice and there are days when they think they are better than you. There are also numerous reports of racist behaviour at this place and while I have never witnessed that, I have been at the receiving end of some atrocious waiters. I personally think the food is worth the erratic service but the thought of the snooty waiters has been a deterrent on many occasions. The ambiance here is fairly nice and I suggest that you try the lit-up outdoor seating when the weather permits.

Sunny's is a little heavy on the pocket but perfect if you feel like splurging a little. Just don't count on the service.

Pricing: Around 1200 for a meal for two (without drinks)

Location: 34, Embassy Diamante, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore

An English Winter: To do and not to do

2011-01-16T23:45:00.000-08:00

In this post I am going to talk about Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon. Both places represent great pieces of English history. The former houses a wonderful 11th century castle (11th century! The timeline of monuments in England never ceases to surprises me)with a haunting (quite literally) past and the latter is the birthplace of the greatest contributor to the English language: the omnipresent William Shakespeare. These two places of history have been managed in two diametrically opposite ways, exemplifying the best and worst ways to run historical sites.

Lets start with the worst: Warwick castle. A magnificent 11th century stone fortress, whose very structure inspires much awe.

Unfortunately, this has been taken over by a 21st century entertainment-management company; the much loved Madam Tussauds. The castle is overrun by magic shows, fake-medieval-music which would be more at home in a bad production of Don Quixote, atrocious floats, wax statues, an incredible number of girls dressed in pink (since when did pink become the only colour in which little girls were clothed) and other modern 'entertainment' monstrosities. I am sure the previous occupants are rotating in their graves seeing the degeneration of this glorious castle. Many learned magazines have placed Warwick Castle at the top of their destinations-to-visit-in-England list. If you have/are a bunch of sugar high-stir crazy kids, then this would be the perfect holiday . The over-priced shooting games, the magic show and Princess Arabella's tower are sure to fascinate. Since we belonged to neither category, this turned out to be a huge letdown. This highly commercialized venture destroyed the mystic atmosphere created by the castle itself. It is a little difficult to envision great battles and charging knights with soap-opera music blaring from not-so-discreet speakers and signs imploring you to part with a few pounds to go through an inflatable and well cushioned slide.

Ironically, Warwick Castle has a wonderful gift shop. They seem to have tied up with a pretty good arts-and-crafts shop which produces some wonderful keepsakes. Buckling to my consumerist needs I bought some of these (The Queen doesn't cook) and beat a hasty retreat.

Entry into Warwick Castle is incredibly expensive: 16 pounds for adults and 10 for children.

Stratford-upon-Avon: Just down the river Avon (and one short ride in the reliable Chiltern Railways) is the town where on a crisp, chilly, spring morning little William Shakespeare came bawling into the world. The house where he was born has been lovingly (and very competitively. Read the fascinating history of the caretaker who wouldn't leave) preserved by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

The tour through the house is informative and in good taste. Everything has been maintained as best as possible and there are some very well-read guides (Dressed in traditional garb) who will explain in greater detail the life of Shakespeare. They are willing to answer any inane questions (and we had many) that you may have. The house, and the tour, offers an insight into not only Shakespeare's life but also life in England at the time. The tour is well worth the 8 pounds (and this is an annual pass) they charge and even if you are not a Shakespeare fan it will leave you satisfied. They have a nice gift shop (cannot compare to the one at Warwick) which had a great offer on Bill Bryson's biography of Shakespeare. Like most modern travelers, and any reader with good taste actually, I adore Bryson and his works. If you haven't yet read any of his books, I strongly recommend you do.

Getting back to Shakespeare and Stratford-upon-Avon, there are lots of other attractions here like Anne Hathways cottage. We decided to skip the rest of things and headed for a walk down a (frozen) River Avon.

Quite, incredibly cold and full of the small town natural beauty that is unique to England, this was one peaceful walk. After (foolishly) missing our train, we decided to visit Shakespeare's grave. The graveyard was pitch dark, with no one else around and incredibly creepy, Feeling like we were in the beginning of a bad horror movie (and realizing that Shakespeare's grave was shut) we hastened back to the city square. Bright lights, polluting cars and punk kids smoking suspicious substances assured us that we were back in the living world that we love.

Somewhere in the middle, we managed to catch a quick bite at a cute little tea shop called Mistress Quickly's.

I highly recommend the omlettes and the Chicken and Mushroom Pie.

The astonishingly good looking and very helpful head-waiter is another reason to patronize this establishment.

Entry to Shakespeare's birthplace: 8-10 pounds (annual pass)

P.S: Thanks to Google Images for pictures of the castle. My camera died and Cheesy girl still has not bothered to send the photos across.

An English Winter: Cambridge (Part I)

2011-01-08T00:24:00.000-08:00

If you have been wondering about the absence of posts (and my general well being), fear not. I was holidaying and have tonnes to write about.

I seem destined to travel westwards at the height of winter and keeping with this tradition (Actually, taking it a tiny bit further), I visited England during the coldest winter in living memory. Armed with a copy of the Lonely Planet, intense optimism and a jacket that was made for someone three times my size, I descended upon London. If you were/are a reading sort of kid (And no, Twilight doesn’t count. No number of screaming women and sales success can convince me that that is acceptable literature. For any age group.), then England must have made an appearance in most, if not all, your books. Enid Blyton also gave me my first glimpse of a non-rasam-and-curd-rice world. The Five Find-Outers (not to be confused with the pesky Famous Five) always found time to have the most exotic tea - buttered scones, clotted cream, cakes, puddings and other wondrous sounding things – in the middle of all their crime busting shenanigans. These teas and the possibility of meeting magic people were what most of my childhood fantasies revolved around.

Anyways, getting back to the point: I made it to England. And while I spent most of my time enjoying the sights and sounds of London, I am going to talk about that in another post. On this one, I am going to take you to Cambridge. Laughing Boy, Cheesy Girl, The Pimp and I visited this university town on cold winter morning. We took the bus to the centre of Cambridge and promptly fell in love. These old, old buildings took our breath away (The ‘new’ buildings were constructed in 1840. And the oldest building here was built in 1464. 1464!). Another structure that caught our attention was the Grasshopper Clock (see picture. Some of you may remember it from the movie Paa).

While Cambridge is a walker’s paradise, I would highly recommend that you take a boat over the River Cam (8-10 pounds). The boatsmen or punters (i.e., a very good looking, young student) take you around in the boat and explain the history of these buildings. And the origin of some very interesting phrases. Did you know that the term ‘daylight robbery’ came about because they taxed windows and the sunlight that filtered through. The view is marred by some misplaced hunks of brick and concrete (Lasdun Building, I think it was called). Once you are off the boat, walk into one of the colleges and take the atmosphere of the place in.

If you are there during the summer, which they assure me is gorgeous, you could even catch a play in the college gardens. There were posters and ads for all sorts of activities (suspect and otherwise) all over the place.

And if you are hungry while you are there, then there is only one place that I recommend: The Copper Kettle. We chanced upon this while looking for another restaurant and thanked our lucky stars. The place is warm, filled with people and great smelling food. This place has a wide menu that even includes some Turkish offerings. But that day we set our sights on the all day breakfast (5 pounds). For the meat eaters I recommend the Full English breakfast: bacon, sausages, tomatoes, eggs and toast. Need I say more? Incredibly good, filling and totally worth the money. They also have a veggie version of the breakfast.

But if you are veggie, try the A-la Turca Platter (6 pounds). This comes with one warm and very large baguette, feta and cheddar cheese, olives, boiled eggs, tomatoes and cucumbers. The quantities of cheese that they give you are very very generous. (The layers of holiday fat I have accumulated are testament to that). The feta cheese was very fresh and tasted lovely. I also recommend that you have some marmalade. While I am not a huge fan of the preservative parade, this is one that I liked very much. The ambiance at the Copper Kettle is good with some oriental lamps and kettles doing the rounds. Service is quick and efficient and they allow you to linger too. They also have a clean, well maintained loo.

While I am not a huge fan of the preservative parade, this is one that I liked very much. The ambiance at the Copper Kettle is good with some oriental lamps and kettles doing the rounds. Service is quick and efficient and they allow you to linger. They also have a clean, well maintained loo.

If you are in England and are looking for a relaxed day looking at pretty, historic buildings, walking lots and eating even more then head towards Cambridge. Cambridge has that youthful, optimistic vibe that most university towns have. Smart, successful, beautiful kids who think the world is their oyster. Ah! The follies of youth. When you are as old and as wise as me, you will know better. This little expedition has however convinced me to study in Cambridge. So if Cambridge is handing out scholarships to broke, Indian bloggers who like to eat lots, contact me immediately!

I have so much to write and talk about that I am going to be updating the blog pretty often. Stay glued!

P.S: As a result of an impulse shopping expedition with Cheesy Girl I am now the proud owner of impossibly high purple boot-type heels. Not that it is of any consequence to this blog. But I just wanted to share. :)

Cream Centre, R.A. Puram

2010-12-09T21:59:00.000-08:00

The Wee One was in town and the cause of much excitement. Deciding that it was time to celebrate, ‘the family’ decided to venture beyond Saravana Bhavan and headed towards Cream Centre. Johnny and I got there at 6:45 to beat the queue and promptly found ourselves at the fag end of a large one (6:45!!). They have a cute little waiting area with a play area for kids and wooden seats for the rest. They also have a tattoo artist who seems to be a big hit. By the time the rest of the crew arrived, we were seated.

After wading through the vast menu we placed our orders. The Cheese Nachos arrived first and were consumed at lightning pace. The nachos were submerged in a bed of cheese and topped with capsicum. I think tomatoes would have added a nice flavour. Despite the extravagant amounts of cheese, this wasn’t one of my favourites (Vini loved it though). The Onion Rings get great marks on presentation and quantity but a little salt would have made it taste great too. The Patties were my fav starter. The fried cutlets were served with a spicy chole which was yumm!!

In the Indian section we ordered the aloo and methi paratha and both were surprisingly good. The flavour of methi was not overpowering and the accompanying dal was a big hit with me. We also ordered the massive puri channa. Be warned that this dish is very oily. They serve this with generous quantities of spicy channa which I loved.

On the continental side, we ordered the Spicy Italian Pizza. This has a crisp, thin crust and loads of cheese. Herbs and sundried tomatoes complement all that cheese and I quite like this dish. We also ordered the Penne Arabiatta. This classic dish was nicely made but was nothing extraordinary. The pasta had a strong garlicky flavour and some found it a little too spicy. Frankly, I think their Indian fare is better and you would be better off sticking to that.

To end the meal, we ordered the Sizzling Brownie. Cream Centre’s version is a fitting successor to the one at NSS (Want to know more about that? Click here). Hot chocolate sauce poured on a rich dark brownie topped with ice cream & nuts. Drools. Be warned that this dish is super hot and could burn your tongue (Exhibit A: Me). I wish they would add a little more ice cream though.

The ambiance at Cream Centre is pretty decent (if you discount the loud families and the louder kids). The special effort taken to preserve an existing tree was much appreciated and added a special charm. The service was a little slow but that could also be due to the fact that the place was bursting at the seams. The quantities here are fairly generous. Troubling Sister 1 did some celebrity spotting and we all shamelessly gawked. Cream Centre has one tiny little loo and there was a large queue outside it. They really need to do something about that.

I liked Cream Centre, specifically the Indian food here. It isn’t overly expensive or pretentious and I intend to revisit soon.

Pricing: Rs.250-300 per person

Location: No 55, Second Main Road, R.A.Puram, Chennai Landmark: Near Park Sheraton

Phone: 42815777

In other news, read this: http://www.hindu.com/rp/2010/12/05/stories/2010120550070200.htm

Dewberry's

2010-11-17T03:23:00.000-08:00

To celebrate Banker Madam's old age (and propelled by the good reviews that this place has received) a bunch of us descended on Dewberry's. The restaurant is located in the backyard of a bungalow in Mylapore. The outdoor seating is pretty and the lights at night add a nice touch.

We decided to skip the starters and head straight to the main course. The service at the place was a big disappointment. It was incredibly slow and the waiters were a little clueless. Dishes got mixed up and there was much confusion. Some of the items arrived so late that others were almost done with theirs.

The basil was not at all discernible in the tomato and basil pasta. It was very peppery and the sauce was just OK. The Pasta Garden jalapenos was another let down. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. The pasta needed more salt and the flavour was very forgettable. While there was a hint of spices in the sauce, a little more definitely needs to be added.

The Chicken Siciliata continued the trend. The chef seems to have been a little too free with the pepper that night. The sauce was bland, low on salt and I strongly recommend that you give this a big miss.

The two dishes that we did like were the double cheese lasagne and the Paneer Brazilia Sizzler. The sheets of cheese and veggies in the lasagne appeased our taste buds and the sizzler had a nice spicy flavour (thankfully, salt and pepper were added in the right proportions). Neither dish was mindblowingly good but they were pretty decent.

The crepes at Dewberry's are definitely its saving grace. 'High on Hawaii' was fruity crepe topped with honey and syrup. The presentation was great and the accompanying fresh fruits were a big bonus. The Valentino crepes were my personal favourite. They had a lovely apple-Cinnamon stuffing with a thick layer of strawberry youghurt on top. The crepes were nicely cooked and avoided being oversweet.

A special mention to the Chilly Twist drink here. The drink consists of green chilly on ice and is sure to add a zing! to your meal. Some might find it a little too spicy but it is definitely something to be tried at least once.

The loo here is OK but I think that a restaurant of this kind should definitely do better than just OK.

My problem with Dewberry's was not that the food was bad but that it was very average and forgettable. Yes, there were notable exceptions and some of it was good. However, for the prices that it charges, the food needs to be consistently good. I definitely don't want to spend Rs.500 in the hope that this might be the chef's (and my) lucky day.

The crepes at Dewberry's will probably lure me back (and the fact that it has garnered good reviews from many others) but till then it rates as just average in my books.

Pricing: Rs. 400 per person

Location: #6/29, Rajasekaren St, adjacent to Van Huesen Showroom Mylapore, Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai, Mylapore, Chennai. Phone: 28473439

The Pasta Bar Veneto: T.Nagar

2010-11-08T22:45:00.000-08:00

This place recently opened its doors on Burkitt Road in T.Nagar and the eager foodies that we are, we thought we would explore it. Big thanks to Ashwin and Khulali for responding to my last minute distress call.

The first thing that struck me about the place is the decor: Simple, elegant and understated. (Thankfully absent are the red and gold which seem to have caught the fancy of too many restaurants) White walls, comfortable seating and French windows dominate the place. The French windows open out to a lovely uncovered, entertainment area in the middle where bands can perform. The band that was playing the day we visited was top-notch and definitely enhanced the dining experience. You can also enjoy some hookahs with the music. They even promise stand up comedians in the future.

Well, we were ready to see if the Pasta Bar would live up to the expectations and ordered a host of things. The vegetarians may want to start off with the Bruschetta di Pomodora. The tomatoes seasoned with garlic and olive oil give a light, fresh start to the meal. If you are a fan of mushrooms then the Bruschetta di Fungi is a good choice. I recommend that the non vegetarians order the Lamb Polpette. The light flavour of herbs, spices and cheese complemented the tender meat perfectly and this was one of our favourite dishes. The chicken version of this also available and was pretty decent too. We also tried the Sesame Chicken which consisted of crumb fried chicken strips with a sesame flavour. While the sesame flavour was unique, the chicken was a little chewy.

In the main course, we ordered the double sauced Primavera Meditranae which tries to blend the goodness of the cheesy and the tomatoey sauce. The flavour of the dish was definitely different. It may not be to everyone’s liking but it is worth trying once. This pasta is also rather heavy. The Lasagne di Pollo was good and I loved the fact that the flavour of the cheese didn’t overpower the dish. The taste of the minced chicken and the herbs was distinctive. Our favourite entree was the Stuffed Chicken. The chicken, bell pepper, basils and mushrooms were lovely and the entire dish was excellently grilled. If you are a chicken person, then I recommend this dish wholeheartedly. There are a host of pastas, risottos, raviolis and other dishes to order from.

Marching on to our favourite part of the meal: the dessert. We started off with the Tiramisu. It was light, spongy and creamy. However, it needed a little more of the coffee kick and therefore fell short of being amazing. The mango cheesecake is best avoided. The cheese was sour, the mango flavour was ordinary and the entire dish had a very stale feel to it. The true star of the meal was the Mississippi MudPie. Rich, gooey chocolate with a crumbly walnut-chocolate base managed to convert even the sceptics amongst us (Read: Ashwin). If you do go to the Pasta Bar, do not leave without tasting this MudPie.

Be warned that the service at the Pasta Bar is not great. It’s a little lazy and slow and I am still waiting for my Mojito to arrive (any second now!). The seating also appears to be a little cramped. The quantities at the Pasta Bar are fairly generous and should suffice for most.

The Pasta Bar is perfect for a lazy, relaxed meal (maybe even a romantic one) where you can enjoy some great music. If the Pasta Bar lives upto its promises, then Chennai’s latest ‘it’ place may have arrived.

An edited version of this review (with pictures) can be found in the November issue of TAXI.

Location: Opposite Smokin’ Joes, Burkitte Road, T. Nagar Chennai.

Pricing: Rs.250-350 (per person)

The Secret Garden Cafe

2010-10-24T22:23:00.001-07:00

Aptly named, the Secret Garden Cafe (In fact, so secret is its location that it took me three attempts to actually find it) is in a by lane off Cunningham Road and located inside a massive old Bangalore house. The cafe is housed in the balcony of this bungalow. Needless to say, the decor is wonderful. Old style wooden furniture dominates this quaint little cafe and gorgeous wind chimes add to the atmosphere. The blackboard menu and open kitchen are a nice touch. The place is quite small though and can seat only around twenty people. A special mention to their loo which is super clean and oh! so pretty. Pretty yellow tiles and ancient wooden mirrors stand out in the bathroom and I love that so much attention has gone into every little detail.

The menu here is has a fair, though not extensive, selection. Apart from the regular continental fare, they also have some Mexican and Israeli dishes. The Chicken Diablo (Rs. 280) had lots and lots of meat (much to A's delight). It was served with some veggies. While the quantity was good and the meat tender, the sauce was a little disappointing. It was bland and a little salt less.

If you like spice, you may want to avoid this dish. Ghatotkatch ordered the Home Made Fettucine (Rs. 200): a lovely pasta with sundried tomatoes and herbs.

This was a dry pasta and like most dry pastas it was a little bland. Despite that, I quite liked the flavour of this dish. It was also refreshing to see a pasta dish not drowned in sauce. The Mezze Platter (Rs.180) was pretty good. Pita bread stuffed with a spicy, and slightly Indian, filling. It was served along with an eggplant sauce which was wonderful. Be wary though as this is an acquired taste and those who don't like brinjal may not appreciate it much. The hummus dip served with this was amongst the best I've had in Bangalore and complemented the pita bread perfectly. The minced lamb lasagna which contains tender lamb meat amidst sheets (and sheets) of cheese is also a hot favourite.

Quantities at the Secret Garden Cafe are filling, but not extravagant.

They have quite a few dessert selections too and being the sweet lovers that we are, we decided to try that too. The honey cake with Brazilian nut was boring. It tasted OK but definitely not something to order again. It could have been picked up from any of the gazillion bakeries dotting Bangalore's streets and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

The passionfruit cheesecake was the pick of the desserts. Though the combination sounds a bit suspect, it came together wonderfully. This is definitely receives my seal of approval.

All in all, Secret Garden Cafe is the ideal place to have a lazy lunch and soak in the atmosphere. It is also a great date place (especially if the weather Gods decide to smile on you). The service is good but not super prompt, but its not the sort of place where you want it to be either. The ladies who run the restaurant are charming and willing to indulge in conversation. The food is largely good but a few dishes may not meet the mark.

A word of warning: The place shuts really early (7:00ish, I think) and is closed on Sundays, so plan accordingly.

This review is also available at: http://discoverbangalore.com/restreview43.htm

Pricing: Rs. 400 per person.

Location:

7/1 Edwards Rd ( cul de sac at the very end of Edwards Road), Off Queens Road,Cunningham Road, Bangalore
Landmark: Near Near Back entrance of Prestige Center Point
Phone: 41131365