Rajdhani - Express Avenue Mall [Chennai]

The first time I saw this place, I didn’t want to enter because it was a Sunday and I was raring to have non veg food. The second time was because the queue outside was too long. The third time I took the chance and realised the wrong decisions I had taken the previous two times by not entering.

The first thing that shall strike you as you enter Rajdhani is its service. There are numerous customers and yet at every point, you feel as if you are the privileged one, receiving all the attention. The moment we entered, we were escorted to our table by a much smiling waiter who then brought in an ornate kettle with lukewarm water so that we could was our hands.  Next the plates were laid. What’s unique about this place is that it has no menu cards; or at least, not general menu cards for each table. The menu for the day is hand written on a small black board right at the entrance of the restaurant.

Anyhow, we waited as we were served. Oh what a pleasure it was! One felt like a Royal, with all that treatment. First came the plate, adorned with 5 types of subzee and 2 types of daal accompanied with salad, pickles, chutney and papad. Then came the rotis – 4 types in all. After the rotis, came the various options of rice (though we stuck to the better known “Khichdi”). And at the end came the sweets. And as if that wasn’t enough, every time before you could finish up a portion, you found a waiter standing by your side, ready to refill the plate.  The menu simply bowls you over – it’s that good. And yet, the waiters so humble, always with a smile and ever ready to help, it’s a pleasure eating here.

The rotis that we had were – Phulkas, Moong Daal Kachori, Pooran Poli and Palak Thottu.

The subzees – Aalu Baati, Turiya Tamatar, Gobhi Vatana, Batata Curry, Matki Masala.

The Daals – Spicy Daal Marwadi, Sweet Daal

The Rice – Steamed Rice, Khichdi, Curd Rice

The Desserts – Strawberry Halwa, Kala Jamun, Fruit Shri Khand

And at the end, we could hardly move, we ate so much!!

OUR RATINGS:

Ambience: 3.5/5

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Price: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

OUR TAKE:

A must visit for the sheer pleasure of being served and the process of serving if not anything else. But then, when has good food hurt someone? Don’t miss the Dahi Vada – That would be a shame!!

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.

Karaikudi - Velachery [Chennai]

If you want non vegetarian food cooked in the authentic Tamil style, Karaikudi is your answer. It is a typical Tamil restaurant – except that it serves non vegetarian food too. The moment we entered, the very authentic feeling greeted us. I, personally passed strict scrutiny (being clad in a jeans and T shirt!) and have reasons to believe that maybe my bindi and sindoor acted as my saviour!

The service was quick for some part, i.e., the food appeared very soon after we ordered – almost instantly. What struck me though was the very large variety of dosas that were available or rather, the non-existent varieties of roti/rice. So if you chose to order a variety of roti (like I did), you would be left with the basic option of parantha, chapatti or egg/chicken parantha. Or maybe plain rice. But it would rather be a wise decision to do what most others do – have the chicken with a plain dosa. And trust me; though I myself had apprehensions about it, the combination is absolutely yummy! We ordered plain dosa, parantha, chicken pepper curry, prawn 65 and our favourite fresh lime soda! The chicken tasted fabulous with both the parantha and the crispy plain dosa. However, while these three arrived in a matter of 5-6 minutes, it took a good 15 minutes for the prawns and the fresh lime soda to turn up. But the prawns were freshly cooked and smelled good. So good in fact, that we decided to overlook the delay in time. The fresh lime soda however disappointed me. The soda was too much, the sugar was barely palpable.

The place is serene and calm. The concept of spoons and forks however is seemingly unknown and it is assumed that you would prefer to eat using your hands. The waiters will not vie for your attention and you are expected to maintain the decorum while eating food – (Recall “Two States” by Chetan Bhagat).
The prices are reasonable but the quantity leaves a little more to be desired. The paranthas or the chapatis for instance, cost you Rs. 38 for two. The prawn was super reasonably priced at Rs. 140 while the various chicken varieties cost somewhere between Rs. 130 to Rs. 150 per plate. 

However, the place definitely leaves you satiated. A definite at-home feel, and good food makes you want to go back for more!

OUR RATINGS:

Ambience: 4/5

Food: 4/5

Service: 3.5/5

Price: 3.5/5

Overall: 3.75/5

OUR TAKE:

Visit only if you appreciate good South Indian non vegetarian food. Definitely try the Prawn 65.

White Pepper - Thiruvanmiyur [Chennai]

Today being Saturday was our standard day to eat out. We were in Thiruvanmiyur and decided to check out this restaurant “White Pepper”. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that we were taking a safe bet because the place had once been recommended by my husband’s colleague as a good Chinese joint. I however, wasn’t too sure; because my limited exposure to Chinese food in Chennai had left me in much regret. However, we decided to give it a try.

“Friendly” wouldn’t even begin to describe the ambience; “warmly welcoming” would be a more appropriate word. No sooner did we enter that two waiters came forth to us. Despite the place being half filled, they were generous to give us a table close to the television (Keeping in mind that the IPL Finals were being telecast). We placed an initial order of “Prawn Pepper Celery” and “Dragon Rolls (Chicken)” as starters with fresh lime soda and were pleasantly surprised to have been given “Wonton Fried Dim Sums” as a complementary. The Prawns were by far one of the best of what I have had till date and the celery brings in a special twang to your taste buds. The fresh lime soda happened to be just the right mix – a welcome change from most Chennai restaurants. The dim sums were awesome but that would be expected because White Pepper proclaims itself to be a Dim Sum delicacy specialist. For the main course we ordered “Dragon Prawns” and “Corn and Pepper Fried Rice”. Here too, we were in for a surprise - the quantity of a single plate could feed two people and still have some more left! The Dragon Prawns were good enough but a little on the sweeter side. But then, after you have had the “Prawn Pepper Celery”, I doubt if anything at all will measure up to it! The fried rice we ordered was a chance that we took, but as it turned out, it has been one of the better variations of rice that we have tasted in the recent times. For dinner, we took the waiter’s recommendation and ordered for a “Sizzling Brownie with ice cream”. As often happens with this dish, it is very difficult to mess up this one; but making it yummier than yummilious is not an easy task either. White Pepper managed to do just that.

Satiated, we came back home with a full stomach and a fuller heart. The concerned Indian, we were happy about the fact that the prices are pretty reasonable. For two people, the bill came up to approx Rs. 800/-. The non vegetarian starters range somewhere between Rs.90 and Rs. 160. The Sea food platter would cost you anything between Rs. 180 to Rs. 300 depending upon your choice of food.  All in all, a great place to try out Chinese.

OUR RATINGS:

Ambience: 3.5/5

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 3.5/5

Price: 4.5/5

Overall: 4/5

OUR ADVICE:


Stick to the Chinese and sea food platter. As a basic look of the menu card shall tell you, the Indian cuisine section is just fillers.