Sachin Ka Dhaba - OMR [Chennai]

The first word that comes to your mind as you enter “Sachin ka Dhaba” is – average. And the word sticks with you throughout your gastronomic journey. True to its name, the atmosphere is as informal and as at-home as is possible for a dhaba. As we seated ourselves, what struck us first was the decor. The ceiling is covered with lanterns that hang down and “khatiyas” (beds) comfortably rolled up. However, the AC just beside the lanterns somehow spoils the attempt at an authentic dhaba look.

Though Chinese was available on the menu, we decided to stick to specific Indian food.  For starters we had “Chicken Kebabs” and “Crumb Fried Prawns”. Though I would definitely ask you to try out the prawns, the chicken kebabs were a little too dry for my taste. For the main course, we stuck to “Daal makhni”, “Butter Chicken” and “Naan”. It was wholesome in the way only a dhaba meal can be. Ordered “Kulfi” for dessert, but I was disappointed. Being a dhaba, I naturally had expectation that they would serve it the traditional way with kulfi being cut out of the coups and served with a sweet sauce over the “faalooda”.  It was the normal kulfi that we get in the shops and ice cream stalls.

However, Sachin ka Dhaba deserves a mention for one very specific reason – it is consistently average. Nothing shall be so good that it shall make you scream with delight. But on the other hand, nothing shall be so bad that you wish you weren’t shelling out the money at all. And that bring me to the money matters. To say that this place is cheap will be an understatement! The veg starters range from Rs. 50 to 150 and the non veg starters range from Rs. 100 to 200 with the sea food platter bordering around Rs. 150. The main course borders around Rs. 100 for Veg and Rs. 150 for Non Veg. The breads are priced somewhere around Rs. 35 to 40 each.

In a nutshell, Sachin ka Dhaba is a place I would visit if I am sure that my money is being well spent. Or maybe even if I am taking someone out for the first time and want to be sure that the food does not cause a fiasco.

OUR RATINGS:

Ambience: 3.5/5

Food: 3.5/5

Service: 3.5/5

Price: 4/5

Overall: 3.5/5

OUR TAKE:

Low on budget, unsure about the quality of food served at other places or if you simply dig into the “Punjabi tadka” in your khana – this is the place for you.

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.

Crispy On - Kandanchavadi [Chennai]

This one does not happen to be a part of our exclusive weekend dates. In fact, far from it. Crispy On is our weekly eat-out joint, whenever we go shopping for groceries. So, while I can almost recite the menu by heart, we can categorically advice you on what to eat and what is best left avoided.
Yesterday, while back from shopping, we were at Crispy On once again. Now, so familiar with the place; that I am sure that the waiter will know just what to serve even if we didn’t say a thing! Anyways, Crispy On is your new KFC in the block – minus the price if I may add. The best thing to order over here any day would be “Chicken Strips Combo” priced quite reasonably at Rs. 159 for six strips and Rs. 239 for 12 strips.  The Combo gives you the delightful combination of chicken strips with French fries, one large coke and awesome mayonnaise. But if you are not very hungry perhaps, then you could order a plate of “Chicken Nuggets” – equally yummy! For the very hungry kinds or for people looking for a quick or early dinner, one can avail the “Chicken Piece”. Priced at a super reasonable price of Rs. 49 only, the size of the material (picture following the article) itself convinces you that the money was well worth.  The only fiascos we have ever had with this place is when we ordered “Chicken Popcorn”. For a regular KFC lover, that is a big let down and a strict no-no!
For the soft drinks section, not much is available. Apart from the normal Pepsi and Limca, Crispy On offers you “Mint Lime” and “Fresh Lime”. The milkshakes on the other hand are something that one would pine for, especially in the Chennai heat. The chocolate milkshake, all resplendent and sitting pretty with a scoop of your favourite ice cream flavour on top, deserves a special mention.
Crispy On also serves basic varieties (Veg, Egg and Chicken) of burger, rice and chow mien. However, the love of chicken itself has been too great for us and we refuse to be lured away from it! All in all, it’s easily accessible, it serves yummy food and it’s easy on the pocket. What more can one ask for?



OUR RATINGS:
Ambience: 2.5/5
Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Price: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5



OUR TAKE: Stick to the Chicken, especially the Strips or Nuggets or the Piece. Avoid the Chicken Popcorn at all costs.

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.