Hot Pot China - Perungudi [Chennai]

We managed to spot this one accidentally – it’s just near the Perungudi signal (close to Hi-Style) and reasonably close to our home.  For non-Chennaites, Perungudi is located in South Chennai. And with my love for Chinese cuisine, we decided to try this one out at the earliest opportunity, which was this week. Hot Pot China (HPC) has a blink-and-you-miss-it kind of entrance. But once you enter, one realises that the place is not as small as the entrance looks like. It has a rather swanky decor for a place that has been in business since the last 2 weeks! However, it is evident that the place is new and has room for further improvement before it goes full swing. But that is probably the good part – since they are so new in business, they are ready to learn fast.

We decided to try a little bit of everything but as the food came in, we realised out mistake – the quantity was mammoth! A unique feature that I noticed about this place is that HPC allows you to order half portions of everything apart from the dim sums. In fact, our waiter was decent enough to suggest us that half portion of the “Konjee Crispy Lamb” (starters) shall suffice for both of us. And having said that, let me say that this is one area were HPC leaves even good brands behind – extremely prompt service. The waiters are decent, attentive and eager to please. Thus, what may be a trifle lacking in the food or decor etc, is more than made up for in the behaviour. I can go so far ahead as to comment that the service here is one of the best that we have received in the various restaurants that we have dined in over India. 

Now for the food. We ordered “Chicken Wontons” and “Konjee Crispy Lamb” for starters. The wontons were crisp and the lamb was delicious. And true to what the waiter had suggested – half portions of both was enough for both of us! For the main course, we decided to order 3 half portions – one from each section so that we could give most of it a try.  We ordered “Corn Fried Rice”, “Sea Food Fried Rice” and “Chicken Hakka Noodles”; with “Sliced Fish in Butter Garlic Sauce” and “Prawns in Oyster Sauce” as side dishes. If there is another thing that I have to say apart from the food being good – the food was too much. With ordering half portions of each, we ended up wasting most of it (still feel bad about that!) because we soon realised that 1 plate of the rice/noodles will more than suffice for 2 people – and that comes from foodies like us! The fish was good and did not smell – something I had thought could happen only in Kobe Sizzlers. The food isn’t too spicy – just the authentic Chinese way. The only thing that we did not enjoy in the whole experience is that the noodles were a bit undercooked and thus lacked proper taste.

The prices are what are unbelievable. The Veg starters range from Rs. 54/- for half plate to Rs. 125/- for a full plate. The Non Veg starters begin at Rs. 100/- for half a plate and go up to Rs. 225/- for a full plate. The Rice varieties vary between Rs. 70/- to Rs. 135/- (half to full) for the Veg section and Rs. 80/- to Rs. 185/- (half to full) for the Non veg section. For the side dishes, the Veg section prices are Rs. 75/- to Rs. 150/- (half to full) and Rs. 110/- to Rs. 265/- (half to full) for the Non Veg section. But then, when one plate is enough for two – who is complaining?

OUR RATINGS:

Ambience: 3.5/5

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 5/5

Price: 4.5/5

Overall: 4/5

OUR TAKE:

We loved both the side dishes in the main course and would recommend any of them.

We usually limit our posts till this bit, but since this is such a new place, we have a few suggestions for them:

(1)    Once the restaurant starts running in full swing, HPC is grossly understaffed.

(2)    The tables definitely need to improve.

(3)    The menu card is huge which makes navigating a cumbersome task. Also, it shall be difficult to maintain.

(4)    Should start a home delivery section – almost all restaurants have this.

(5)    The entrance must be a little more lit up/spottable so as to attract more attention.

(6)    Good place; deserves proper marketing strategies to make it popular.

Kobe Sizzlers - Express Avenue Mall [Chennai]

I have been wanting to visit this place for some time now and it was only last weekend that we could manage to do it. Kobe Sizzlers is located on the 3^rd floor, just off the Food Court in the Express Avenue Mall. However, once you enter the restaurant, you leave behind the din of the Food Court. Inside, the atmosphere is calm, relaxed and laid back. We were soon showed to our table.

One thing that I wasn’t too happy to notice is that apart from the place, the behaviour of the waiters too is laid back. Initially while showing us our table, the waiter himself seemed confused as to which of the empty table shall he take us to! Well...that does not speak too good of him! Once we were seated, we informed the waiter of an empty bottle that was lying on the table – obviously abandoned by some previous diner. The waiter coolly replied, “It’s not yours? It does not belong to us also”. I had to categorically ask him to remove the bottle from our table.

Then came the food. We had ordered for “Chicken Satellite” (Boneless chicken in mushroom sauce, cheese and fresh cream) and Fish Sizzlers (in Garlic Sauce), both of which came with boiled veggies and mashed potatoes/French fries. The food made up for almost everything. Both the dishes were yummy and the mushroom sauce over the mashed potatoes did wonderful things to your olfactory senses as well as your taste buds! However, we would have liked it if the chicken was a little tender and succulent. The fish was one of the best parts. Being a Bengali and from Calcutta/Kolkata, I am used to fresh water fishes and as such do not have much of an appetite for the sea fishes because of their strong smell. But this one gave me no such problems. In fact, it was mouth wateringly delectable. Completely full with the food, we did not try out anything else, but the two dishes that we had, are both very commendable.

Prices at this place are a little on the higher side, but then since one dish comprises as a whole meal, I am willing to overlook that. The vegetable sizzlers range anywhere between Rs. 270/- to Rs. 320/- while the non vegetarian ones start around Rs. 290/- and can go up to Rs. 430/- in the sea food sizzler section. Most soft drinks are within Rs. 100/- while the desserts are between Rs. 100/- and Rs. 130/- for one serving.

OUR RATINGS:

Ambience: 4/5

Food: 4/5

Service: 3/5 (I am being generous because the food was served real fast)

Price: 3.75/5

Overall: 4/5

 OUR TAKE:

Try both the Chicken and Fish Sizzlers. If not, stick to the “Chicken Satellite” and order mashed potatoes with it instead of the fresh fries. It goes wonderfully with the cheese and mushroom sauce.

We would have enjoyed it more if the service would have been better.

Zaitoon - Adyar [Chennai]

One of the reasons why this restaurant holds a dear place in my heart (apart from the food lol!) is because I first visited it exactly one month after our wedding. It was our quick rendezvous amongst the maddening schedules. Two things struck me as I entered this place – One, that it is among the very few places where the actual restaurant seating place takes you down through the stairs. And secondly, the stark difference in temperature – as you enter one can literally “feel” the heat of the grill, but as you go down the stairs, the AC works its magic!

Try out the “Golden fried Prawns” at this place – they are one of the best in Chennai. We have ordered various dishes on various occasions, but here, I shall talk about only those that remain a memory with me – for good or for bad! The “Shawarma Plate” (wrap of goat, chicken, or a mixture of some of them) for instance is a hot favourite order and it’s readily available. The other starters may take some time to be served. Another thing to try out here would be the “Grilled Chicken and Kuboos (Lebanese bread)” which is served with three types of mayonnaise and is absolutely delectable! However, my personal experience suggests that one should stick to the Mughlai and definitely to the non vegetarian diets if you want this place to cast its culinary spell over you. In fact there was this one occasion when I was in for a pleasant surprise when I ordered for “Butter Naan” and “Chicken Bharta”. I mean, Chicken Bharta is supposed to be made from shredded chicken right? Zaitoon does it the other way. You will have chunks of chicken right in midst of the shredded ones which I would say was a pleasant delight for my taste buds.

However, I do not have much pleasant things to say about the vegetarian section. We once ordered for “Paneer Butter Masala” which took forever to come and when it did... well! The paneer wasn’t as soft as we would have expected it to be and the gravy tasted like a dip of spices in tomato ketchup. Also, the “Masala Kulcha” is way too oily and doesn’t appeal much to the taste buds.  It would be more advisable to stick to the other bread varieties like the phulkas, naans, tandoori rotis etc. I have learnt my lesson. Maybe, the vegetarian section didn’t appeal to me but you are welcome to form your own opinions. But one thing I must admit – for people who dig into non vegetarian food, it is paradise!

Pricing – The starters range from Rs. 50/- to Rs. 400/- while the main course can range from Rs. 90/- to Rs 130/- for the vegetarian section and Rs. 130/- to Rs. 300/- for the non vegetarian section. All in all, a complete meal for two can be enjoyed within Rs. 600/- comfortably.

OUR RATINGS:

Ambience: 3.5/5

Food: 4/5 for Non veg and 3/5 for vegetarian

Service: 3.5/5

Price: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

OUR TAKE:

“Shawarma plate”, “Golden fried Prawns” and the “Chicken Bharta” are the must-haves.  Dig into the Arabian food for its enormous variety – a rarity in Chennai.

Sholo Ana Bangali - Prince Anwar Shah Road [Calcutta/Kolkata]

Authentic Bengali food at unbelievable prices. That might sound very like an advertisement but trust me that what “Sholo Ana Bangali” is all about! I had discovered this place while I was a student and this time when we visited Calcutta, my husband and I decided to try out this place once again. It’s a 1 minute walk from the South City Mall. If I remembered it as good, it had turned out to be better.  For one, the place has extended (yet it still remains very small, hardly accommodating about 10-12 tables in all). There were beautiful lanterns hanging and the entire place has received a redo.

We ordered Luchi(poori), Paneer er Kofta and Jhuri Aaloo bhaja. I can use only one word to describe the experience – bliss! The luchis were soft and fluffy, the paneer was succulent (something that even the very best of restaurants sometimes fail at) and the jhuri aaloo bhaja was crispy! Then came the Sadaa Bhaat (Plain Rice), Kosha Mangsho (Chicken curry) and Barishal er Sorshe Ilish (Hilsa in mustard sauce). The way the food tastes, I have only one worry – proper marketing technique employed and this place will soon give Bhojohori Manna or 6 Ballygunge Place a run for their money! Had a fulfilling Bengali meal after a really long time. We ended our lunch with Maalpua (Indian sweet pancake) and Aam Doi (a dessert made out of mango and yogurt).

However, not all is so goody-goody at this place. Two things that stand out in stark contrast to the great food and the homely ambience are the unavailability of certain dishes and the unprofessional attitude of the waiters. At first we were pretty disappointed with the fact that "Mangsher Chop" wasn’t available although it was mentioned in the menu. Nor was Aalu’r Dom available, which one would have thought to be a pretty common side dish to be ordered with the luchis. We had to reframe our choices, but once the food came; it bowled you over! The second thing that deserves mention is also something which needs to be improved. The waiters are very polite but thoroughly unprofessional. One of them tried to fit in the frame every time we clicked a photograph and I had to actually suggest him to move out of the way. However, what I found disappointing is that the bill is put before you on the table even before you are done with the finger bowl! Now that is definitely something that leaves room for improvement. However, I assume these are teething problems that should resolve themselves with time.

Now for the prices. Sit tight or you may fall off the chair. Literally. 1 plate had 4 luchis and came for a price of Rs. 25/plate while the aaloo bhaja (which sufficed for 2) was priced at Rs. 10/- for a plate. The Ilish maach was Rs. 100/- and you can see the size for yourself. The chicken was Rs. 80/plate for 4 huge pieces. The Maalpua and the Aam Doi were priced at Rs 50 each and I thought that the latter was a bit over priced, given the quantity. But then, when something tastes so heavenly, who is complaining?  We finished gobbling all that plus some soft drinks and managed to pay Rs. 500/- for a meal of two including the tips!

All in all, a place you should definitely visit if you crave Bengali food.

OUR RATINGS:

Ambience: 3.5/5

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

Price: 4.5/5

Overall: 4.5/5

OUR TAKE:

What we found interesting that this place is frequented by college students and families alike. I was rather amused when a Non Bengali guy coaxed his Bengali friend to try out the awesome “Mochar Ghonto” which he vouched was “the best in Kolkata”. A complete must visit.

The Promenade - Beach Road [Pondicherry/Puducherry]

It’s been close to a month that we visited Pondicherry and this one has been a long time due now. We had put up at this hotel called “The Promenade” and the below mentioned reviews are of the hotel’s different sections. The Promenade boasts of three different food sections – Blueline (the 24 hours restaurant), Lighthouse (The barbeque and grill rooftop restaurant that offers a stunning view of the ocean) and Risque (The lounge bar that also offers an exclusive blend of coffee).

RISQUE: By far, the best of the three. The service is quick, the waiters are polite and your complaints/suggestions are tended to. In fact, we were so impressed with the food here that we skipped lunch for a quick snack while returning back to Chennai. I shall not be quoting about the prices of the beverages (they are same as elsewhere in bars) but the food was simply mind blowing. “Chilli chicken” was so awesome that we actually ordered for a second helping! I liked the “Prawn Balls” too. But what I loved is that when we suggested that the prawn balls were a little bland for our taste, the cook actually took extra care to make it a little spicy for us the very next day! Prices for food products range anywhere between Rs. 250 to Rs. 500 but the quantity is so much that you can almost have a full fledged meal on that!

OUR RATINGS:

Ambience: 4/5

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Price: 3.5/5

Overall: 4/5

BLUELINE: Will not comment much on it as did not have anything here apart from the buffet breakfast. One thing I liked: Extra ordinary variety of breads and muffins. One thing I disliked: the so called “fresh fruits” were stale!

LIGHTHOUSE: To sum it up – you pay for the ambience! This rooftop restaurant will make you say only one word as you enter – wow! But then the bad part is that you better be there latest by 8 pm or else the tables are all occupied. Even if you reserve earlier on, the maximum limit is 8:15 pm beyond which your reservation stands cancelled. The wine collection  here is good and they have a huge list of available beverages! If you want typical Indian food, you shall be disappointed. We ordered for “Jamaican Jerk Chicken” and “Lamb and Wheat Kebabs”.  The chicken was very average to taste, nothing extra ordinary. You shall enjoy the kebabs if you like your food to be very spicy. I did not enjoy them much though my husband liked it a lot. All meals are above Rs 500/- Some of them are combo meals that come with a bowl of rice. And pray like hell that it doesn’t rain because then you pay for the ambience but don’t get to enjoy it! Overall, it is not too good value for money if you ignore the ambience factor.

OUR RATINGS:

Ambience: 4.5/5

Food: 3/5 (Due to the rain, we had to cancel our order for the Main course. The rating is on the basis of the above mentioned dishes only)

Service: 2.5/5

Price: 2.5/5

Overall: 3/5

OUR TAKE:
 Stick to the bar (Risque) and definitely try out the Chilli Chicken. Do not miss the buffet breakfast at the Blueline.

Sangeetha's Desi Mane - City Centre/Express Avenue [Chennai]

We would call this chain of restaurants as “the ultimate place to have sumptuous vegetarian food in Chennai”. And that comes from two hard core non vegetarian food lovers! In fact when I got married and shifted to Chennai, Desi Mane (pronounced as Desi Maaney) was one of the first places we went to. And to say that the food delighted me would really be an understatement! The negative aspect of this place is the long queue that you may have to sometimes put up with because of the demand of this place, but then, the quality of the food more than makes up for it!

Desi Mane is a food lover’s heaven.  One thing that I noticed unique about this place is that all their dosa recipes are cooked in olive oil. However, it’s the North Indian food segment that attracts me so much. Though we ordered for a “Bread Basket” the other day to get a feel of it; I would strictly ask you not to order it unless there are at least 3-4 people around. The bread basket is just a platter with 4 breads of your own choice – Naan, Tawa Roti, Masala Kulcha, Missi Roti are some of the varieties.  Another thing to never try if you are alone is the “Kebab Platter” – the quantity is so much that one plate suffices for 3 people. Most dishes are good but it’s the north Indian ones that attract most orders. “Pindi Chholey” and “Daal Makhni” are two favourites and both sell like hot cakes.  A unique feature that I found in this chain of restaurants is that South Indian dishes (esp the dosa category) are all cooked in Olive Oil. However, I shall not be able to give you an update of that as we are yet to try it. The juices are very good and what’s great about it is that it is made right in front of you in a counter that is visible from almost all the tables. So, there is no room for doubt about the freshness.

The bread basket costs around Rs. 200 and each individual bread is priced somewhere around Rs. 45, but then, if one naan is enough for a lunch/dinner, who is complaining? The rice categories are priced around Rs. 130/per plate while the side dishes vary between Rs. 135 to Rs. 185 for a plate. All in all, a wonderful place to visit as a vegetarian.

OUR RATINGS:

Ambience: 3.5/5 (Superb ambience, deserves a 4.5 but I unfortunately had to deduct because the last time we visited Desi Mane at City Centre, we happened to spot a tiny roach on the chair!)

Food: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Price: 3.5/5

Overall: 4/5

OUR TAKE: If you don’t try the Daal Makhni here, you are seriously missing something. Try the Malai Kofta if you are specifically fond of it (I personally found it too sweet!) 

Take time to read the table mat.. it is interesting! ;)