My take on where I eat

Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Nasik, Neemrana, Pune, Shirdi, Sikar, Solapur...I travel, I eat, I write...

Saturday, November 26, 2011

China Gate (Bandra West)

Gateway to Oriental Paradise

If Red Box CafĂ© is a little flighty in its value proposition and focuses more on music than on food, China Gate is where Caravan Serai has got it spot on – this place is about classy Chinese food, and nothing else. A good way to start the meal is with the Chung King Fish, which is among the only starters served with the fish already dipped in a chef’s special sauce that adds to the taste. As for the main course, an excellent vegetarian option is the Pan-Fried Noodles offering, which has extremely thin, wiry and crispy noodles mixed with a perfectly conditioned cornucopia of spring onions, cucumbers, carrots and other seasonal vegetables. Among non-vegetarian dishes, the Chicken Pot Rice is among the best there is on offer, with scented rice interlaced with roasted chicken slices served rather attractively in a casserole-sized container. Be it rice or noodles, however, you cannot enjoy it fully without a good side dish, and China Gate is a place where you can comfortably experiment with this aspect and emerge wiser. A dish definitely worth trying, for instance, is the Squid in Black Bean, which goes excellently with the pan-fried noodle thanks to the optimally pungent sauce and fleshy chunks of seafood that you can just fork up along with the noodles. What compliments the delightful food is the service, with the stewards always ready to serve you the moment your plate is anywhere close to being empty (to the extent that you sometimes have to curb their enthusiasm and politely tell them that you will serve yourself). It is no surprise that China Gate is hailed among the best Chinese restaurants in the city – have a meal there and see for yourself!

Ambience                ★★
Service                    

Presentation            
★★

Taste                      ★



http://mumbai.burrp.com/listing/china-gate_waterfield-road_mumbai_restaurants/134110475__UR__reviews

Red Box Cafe (Bandra West)

A rather loud box!


Nowhere will you find as stark a contrast between early evening and lunch / dinner time as at the flagship bar and restaurant of the Caravan Serai chain. While early evening is when you can enjoy some peace and quiet on some rather ergonomic seats in the plush interiors and expect quick, attentive service, the peak hour is when it turns obnoxiously chaotic, with the music being much too loud for regular dinner table conversation, and service being a little laid back. There is nothing extraordinary about the food, which is largely of the run-of-the-mill continental variety. The pastas are nicely done, but contain nothing to distinguish themselves from the fare of any other continental restaurant. The desserts might, however, be an area where Red Box has been able to carve a niche, with chocolate mousse that exudes the optimally bittersweet flavour of rich, dark chocolate and the cheesecake that is as soft as it is tasty. It is recommended that you go to Red Box at around 5 in the evening and just snack on the desserts along with a few stiff drinks and some good conversation – the place will surely be etched indelibly in your memory.


Ambience                ★★
Service                    

Presentation            
★★

Taste                      ★



http://mumbai.burrp.com/find.html?q=Red%20Box%20Caf%C3%A9&n=Waterfield%20Road&s=OR

Bonobo (Bandra West)

The ideal spot for a dinner gathering

Situated in one of the most densely populated areas of the city, Bonobo often provides a breath of fresh air thanks not just to its open-air setting but also to a wonderfully ergonomic interior, with just the right amount of space among tables to celebrate both the individual and the society. It is an extremely suitable place for a mid-size gathering that intends to spend much of its time on cocktails and starters, with both of the aforementioned being quite unique. The signature cocktail here is the Sangria, a sweet and sour concoction of red wine and brandy laced with slices of fruit – best not consumed in its entirety till the fruit gets completely soaked in the wine and imparts a different taste to the complete package. The appetizers come in all shapes and sizes, from the crispy, golden fried potatoes to the delightfully soft, brown chicken wings best enjoyed with the accompanying onion rings. In case you have time (and room) left for the main course, the shrimp linguini is a must-try, with the oily and succulent pasta being the perfect foil to the brown-cooked shrimp slices. An important contributor to the overall excellence of Bonobo comes in the form of the highly cooperative stewards who are willing to adjust the music volume, the fan speed or even the restaurant’s refrigerating capabilities to satisfy your requirements, while at the same time gunning for more business in the form of incessant albeit polite offers to refill your glasses till you relent. Of course, with the ambience and the atmosphere created, you are probably not going to refuse in the first place at all!

Out of the Blue (Khar West)

Still at sea

It is not unusual to encounter Bollywood starlets at this popular multicuisine restaurant off Carter Road. It is, however, difficult to ascertain what makes this place so well-known among the many premium joints this side of town. One possibility is the ambience – the guitar-strumming soloist belting out popular western numbers is the perfect accompaniment to a continental meal, being just the right volume for the evening. The plush waiting area where you get to sit on couches and sometimes even enjoy your dessert after your meal could be another crowd-puller for its atmosphere exuding bonhomie. If nothing else, it could just be the range of the menu (Continental, Oriental and even North American) with its prices just as exotic. The actual food, to a large extent, lives up to the hoopla. While the chicken jalapeno starter with the toasted bread disappoints primarily due to the base bread being much too hard, the chicken cutlets in cheesy dip more than make up for that with some very soft white meat that goes perfectly with finger-licking cheese spread. For the main course, an interesting innovation worth trying is the Chicken Thai Curry Sizzler, a dish where you pour the traditional green curry over sizzling Thai rice along with boiled vegetables, chicken cooked in coconut milk and a dark brown, sweet and sour gravy primarily comprising onions. With quite a generous portion, this dish induces overeating by being just too delicious to put the cutlery down, even long after the sizzle has died down. Unfortunately, the stewards tend to spoil the party with their indolence, something that can possibly be attributed to a pecking order where tinsel-town luminaries get to be on top. While every dish is delayed, it is especially disappointing to see dishes that are asked to be replaced (thanks to being too hard, too cold or otherwise edible with difficulty) taking long enough for hungry patrons to cancel the order out of exasperation. With a little more active and mature force, however, Out of the Blue can surely rise from the sea, especially given its premium location and the quality of most food items served here.


Ambience                
Service                    

Presentation            

Taste                      ★



http://mumbai.burrp.com/listing/out-of-the-blue_khar-west_mumbai_restaurants/110135099__UR__reviews


Cafe Mearaj (Mahim West)

Where food itself is a mirage

That is correct. They do not serve you food cooked in oil – what they serve is just the oil with some food somewhere. Try out the omelette with pav for breakfast, and you’ll know the difference. The omelette drips with oil, and the real flavour is lost completely. Worse still, one feels oil even on the buns, making you wonder how exactly they warm the bread. Add to that complete ignoramuses masquerading as stewards – you can order what you like, only to be told 5 minutes later that your order is not available. Of course, the place is usually full at all times and is positioned largely as a joint for Mughlai lunches; it is recommended, however, that one does not stay to lunch given the quality of a what is rustled up for breakfast. 


Ambience                
Service                    

Presentation            

Taste                      ★



http://mumbai.burrp.com/listing/cafe-mearaj_mahim_mumbai_restaurants/12511359584

Gaylord (Churchgate)

Continental dreams


There is a distinct feeling of class that strikes you as soon as you enter Gaylord. From the tapestries on the walls (some of them replicas of medieval objets d’art) to the enormous chandelier right at the centre, each element contributes to your transportation to medieval Europe where delectable food and fine wines are the only other things you need for life to be perfect. That is where Gaylord brings out the best in itself, with some excellent Continental offerings that suit the Indian palate admirably. The chicken lollypop is a good starter, with a good crispy exterior and perfectly cooked chicken on the inside – extremely tasty but – as in the Continent – not the least bit spicy. Another marvelous dish here is the Spaghetti Bolognaise, where the minced chicken in black gravy constitutes the perfect complement to some fresh and soft pasta. While the chicken Caesar salad is a little bland by itself, it serves as a delightful accompaniment to everything else on the table. Gaylord may not have the brightest of stewards when it comes to understanding one’s orders, but the affable and knowledgeable chief steward more than makes up for the lack of depth in his team. And while it made be on the steeper side even among restaurants in upmarket Churchgate, one meal here and you know it is completely worth it.


Ambience                
Service                    
★★

Presentation            

Taste                      ★



http://mumbai.burrp.com/listing/gaylord-bakeshop_churchgate_mumbai_bakery-shops-cafes-restaurants/190116019__UR__reviews

Rajdhani (High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel)

Thali-ho!

Yet another of the Mumbai restaurant misnomers – Rajdhani, instead of serving Delhi food, serves authentic Rajasthani cuisine in the traditional thali. The thali offers you small introductory helpings of close to 10 different dishes, and you have full freedom to gorge some more on whatever you like. The two variants of fries, mostly besun-based, are quite tasty especially with the green chutney. It is then time to take a few small but hot chapatis, and try them out with paneer, potatoes or the iconic Rajasthani gatta, another besun-based dish that is largely bland in itself but tastes quite good in the curry format. The oesophagus-scalding khichdi, a soft mĂ©lange of rice and pulses with a generous smattering of ghee, is also worth a try, especially with the kadhi gravy that goes well with any form of rice. The ghee of course is far in moderation compared to what you usually get with anything in Rajasthan. Throughout the meal, the dahi vada, a dumpling in spiced curd, gives your system some variety as it cools you without taking away any of the flavour of the day. For dessert, shrikhand (a sticky milk-based paste) or kheer (sweet milk) just provides the perfect finale, and the Mysore paak variant only adds to it all. Unfortunately for Rajdhani, the excellent food is marred by extremely poor service. Whether it is due to understaffing or the fact that the thali is the only thing anyone ever eats here, you need to ask the steward far too many times for the same thing, and end up giving up the idea eventually. This is especially disappointing given the amount of colour service usually adds to the splendour of a Rajasthani thali anywhere else in India (and especially at the chokhi dhanis within Rajasthan itself), and the fact that the stewards are suitably decked up for the occasion as well. Also, the EDC terminal is often defective, leading to customer embarrassment when the payment card refuses to work and s/he is short of cash. It looks as though like the name itself, the idea of the essential constituents of a Rajasthani jeeman too have got a little befuddled at Rajdhani.


Ambience                
Service                    
★★
Presentation            

Taste                      ★



http://mumbai.burrp.com/listing/rajdhani-thali_lower-parel_mumbai_restaurants/1374538772__UR__

Aviraj (Solapur)

Garden State

Aviraj is among the larger Garden Restaurants (open air eateries) that you encounter on the Solapur-Pune highway. Like a number of other small-town restaurants, Aviraj clearly prides itself on its proximity to the agricultural heartland of Maharashtra, and accordingly has miniatures of farmers and other agricultural motifs around the main eating area, and three rather large baskets displaying bhakris (bread resembling rotis, albeit a little harder) of jowar, bajra and ragi respectively. The jowar bhakri, while a little coarser than the regular chapati, is a welcome change perhaps simply because of its different, slightly more natural, taste. That is, however, not to undermine the regular chapatis here in any way – Aviraj has some of the best bread you will find anywhere in Maharashtra. A good option to go with the delicious bread is the chicken handi – a curry that looks dreadfully oily when served but turns out to be fairly light on the system and quite tasty once you dig in. The portions are quite enormous, and the steward never fails to mention that half a portion is enough for three people. Talking of stewards, they are exceptionally chatty and usually quite helpful, not to mention apologetic if the food is delayed by even five minutes. A fitting accompaniment to the Arcadian getaway Aviraj represents.


Ambience                
Service                    ★★
Presentation            

Taste                      ★

Sangam (Solapur)

The real Maharashtra?

In India, to get the flavour of a state, you have to step outside the big cities, or so they say. As far as flavour in its most literal sense is concerned, Sangam in Solapur gives you what nothing in Mumbai or Pune can. Here is where you can feast on the largest batata vadas (fried potato dumplings that form an essential element of the iconic Mumbai vada pav) in Maharashtra. Being the size of tennis balls, these vadas are best enjoyed with the sweet and sour chutney that you get here. However, before you are left feeling tangy and spicy inside your mouth, take a bite of the delightful balushahi, once again a sweetmeat rare in Mumbai but quite popular in these parts. The soft, brown cuboidal piece is the perfect dessert for your meal. You can, of course, wash everything down with the sweetest coffee you will ever find in Maharashtra. Sangam then is where the sweet meets the spicy, and what better place for the twain to meet than your breakfast table?


Ambience                
Service                    
★★
Presentation            

Taste                      ★

Jai Bhavani (Maharashtra-Karnataka Border)

Don’t Forget the Incantation!

Jai Bhavani is the last dhaba (highway eatery) you encounter on the Karnataka side as you cross over into Maharashtra on the Hyderabad-Solapur Highway. The best thing about it is the fact that it is an all-nighter and there is no item that you do not get even if you enter the place at 2 a.m. You are also entertained by a B-Grade Hindi movie playing on television. The not-so-good thing, as expected in places like this, is the hygiene. Forget the stray dog that parks itself below your table and looks at you longingly for a morsel, or the ants that creep along the table. The most unexpected guest is an oversized chameleon that is seen populating the walls. As far as the food is concerned, it is quintessential dhaba fare – prepared with the truck-driver in mind. The chicken, while not completely inedible, is inordinately spicy and reminds you of the idea of chilli being the saviour of the poor. The tandoori rotis are a little too hard sometimes, but are above average keeping in mind the kind of restaurant we are talking about. Overall, Jai Bhavani is not just the name of the restaurant but what you should also chant when you put the food here into your mouth.


Ambience                
Service                    
★★
Presentation            

Taste                      ★

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Sai Dhananjay (Matunga West)

Stick to the basics!


Remember the adjacent restaurant where the steward at Rajput gets you soft drinks from? That was Sai Dhananjay we were talking about. This is a slightly larger version of Rajput, with 10 tables and a slightly more elaborate menu. Out here though, it is a good idea not to experiment too much, and just partake of the good value for money you get. The vegetable biryani is served in one tremendous portion, which is equally tasty though perhaps a little heavy on the system. Among the non-vegetarian dishes, butter chicken is a good option, and is best enjoyed with tandoori rotis. What one absolutely ought not to have are the Sai Dhananjay Specials – be it vegetable or chicken – you can’t be too sure what you are eating. The Sai Dhananjay Special Vegetable is a mixed vegetable dish where it is difficult to discern even one vegetable, and every bit of it tastes just the same. In the case of the Sai Dhananjay Special Chicken, the dish is made heavier with large onion and capsicum slices which are the same size as the chicken pieces and make the whole thing rather confusing to begin with. Clearly, at Sai Dhananjay, a good meal is when you enter the restaurant knowing exactly what you want to order.


Ambience                
Service                    
★★
Presentation            

Taste                      ★




Beijing (Kolkata)

Essential Chinatown


Beijing is one of the most popular restaurants in the Chinese quarter at Tangra in Kolkata, best known for being the city’s hotspot for Oriential cuisine. Beijing maintains the Chinese ambience with its rich tapestry, but like all its fellows at Tangra, separates seating into a family hall (air-conditioned, no alcohol served) and a bachelors’ room (no AC, but ample alcohol). The good thing is that this condition is relaxed during peak hours, unlike at some other places like Big Boss. At Beijing, the chicken and prawn starters are what you can have your whole meal on (in a way reminiscent of 5 Spice in Mumbai). Dry chilli chicken and garlic chicken are the two best preparations to try out, with any prawn starter to keep it company. For the main course, as in all other restaurants at Tangra, the thing to have is the delightfully smooth chowmein and the Chicken Manchurian with gravy. Thanks to its popularity in Bengal, fish is included on the menu but is just not worth it in the Chinese fashion out here and is best avoided. With not too much to differentiate though, Beijing today thrives purely on its legacy, and if the absence of vacant tables at a 50-odd-table restaurant is any indication, it is not a legacy that is going to be eroded any time soon.


Ambience                
Service                    
★★
Presentation            

Taste                      ★★



http://kolkata.burrp.com/listing/Beijing/185358524

Sabir's (Kolkata)

Islamic Dining


There is an old world charm at Sabir’s Hotel, located at the very beginning of Central Avenue (in other words, the beginning of the old city). Urdu inscriptions on the walls, and an old man in a typical Islamic skullcap at the cash counter add to the ambience here. The food too is served in a manner typical of Islamic feasts, with the main dish in one large container and bread on your own plate, essentially encouraging the spirit of brotherhood as you dip your bread in and eat out of the same bowl. The tandoori chicken is the right colour and texture, and tastes quite good by itself. The biryani is also export quality, and the portions are more than generous. However, one dish especially recommended is the chicken bharta, a shredded chicken dish with a boiled egg thrown in that goes extremely well with the rather large, round and perfectly textured tandoori roti. The friendly stewards only add to the inherent charm of the place and make it not just Islamic but in fact distinctly Bengali in its celebration of warmth, brotherhood and (not to forget) love for food, especially of the non-vegetarian sort.

Ambience                
Service                    ★★
Presentation            

Taste                      ★★

Broccoli (Kolkata)

Huh, Seriously?

To start with, one wonders why a restaurant would be named after a vegetable that is not featured anywhere on the menu (reminiscent, in a strange way, of Bolano's 2666). One also wonders why a restaurant would be located farthest from the entrance on the ground floor of a bustling departmental store, given that the store itself would be closed during dinner hours. In fact, inefficient planning has led to the deployment of two fancy-dress resources actually standing at the entrance to entice people to visit the restaurant. To come back to the aforementioned menu though, the pasta with white sauce is worth a try, with the condiments ensuring that the monotony of the white sauce is done away with. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said of the prawn, which is indeed quite tasteless. While the chicken fried rice is mostly decent, the sub-standard side dish mars the enjoyment of the entire course. One extremely weird thing is the absence of soft beverages, and the management’s easy willingness to allow guests to buy beverages from outside and consume them with the meal. That, coupled with the lack of electronic payment infrastructure, gives you the picture of a restaurant set up almost on a lark and deservedly struggling to find itself a place in the market.

Ambience                
Service                    
★★
Presentation            

Taste                      ★★



Al Jawahar (Delhi)

The Joker in the Pack


For years Al Jawahar has been known as 'the restaurant across the street from Karim'. It is where people go for lunch when Karim is jam-packed. Perhaps the time has come to debunk this myth, because what Al Jawahar serves up is delicious. Let us list the negatives first. The menu at Al Jawahar looks like a carbon copy of that of Karim. Service, though quick, can be frustrating at times, as stewards often forget your order and either get you something else, or nothing at all. With the kind of food they serve up, there's not much that can be done except piling it on a plate. Finally, there is no ambience to speak of, as you might have to share your table with complete strangers who make a mess of the place and chew their food with their mouths open. However, when that first morsel of Al Jawahar's food enters your mouth, you feel like a guest at Emperor Jahangir's feast (not that I know what that was like, but let's use a little imagination, huh?). The Brain Curry is the pick of the menu - rich, mildly spiced, and a truly 'brainy' dish. The Mutton Korma plays Izzy to the Brain Curry's Slash, and together, they play a power-packed riff. The kebabs are divine, and for lack of adjectives, i insist on calling them luscious. If you have a sweet tooth, go for the Firni after you are done with the meat. However, just as the Justice League is incomplete without Superman, this combination of delicious dishes is held together by the massive, sweet Shirmaal. Let us just say that I never thought bread could taste, well, orgasmic. As I write this review, I suddenly start to hate two things about the format of reviews on this blog - 1) It is mandatory to rate each restaurant reviewed on all four categories, and 2) I cannot award more than 5 stars under any circumstances. Enough said. If you're in Delhi right now, drop whatever it is that you're doing, get on the train to Chawri Bazaar, find Al Jawahar, and trust me, you will be happy.


Ambience                
Service                    
★★
Presentation            

Taste                      ★★



http://delhi.burrp.com/listing/al-jawahar-restaurant_jama-masjid_delhi_restaurants/1275599782

(Reviewed by Anubhab Dasgupta)

Aka Saka (Delhi)

Oriental Paradise


A panoramic view of the Defence Colony market is a treat for the connoisseur's eyes. There are restaurants he wants to enter in every direction. Since our connoisseur is into Oriental fare, he decides to walk into Aka Saka. He falls in love with the interior as soon as he lays his eyes on it. The place is ornately decorated and dimly lit by paper lanterns, and he slumps into a chair, only to be presented with a menu which seems never-ending. The menu covers three cuisines - Chinese, Japanese and Thai - and our friend places a large order. The steward serves him his chilled beer soon after he places his order, and life is good. The Talu Mein Soup arrives - and he licks his bowl clean. It has the right balance of herbs and broth and the noodles are a perfect textural addition. The Crispy Pork is a bit of a letdown to him, as he finds the seasoning a bit insufficient. He moves on to the main course, where he is served an over-generous helping of Fried Rice, Pork in Kung Pao Sauce, and Chicken in Thai Red Curry. The Pork satiates his carnivorous taste buds - the meat is charred to perfection. It is crispy on the outside and yet the meat inside offers no resistance. The Red Curry is just as amazing - the smoothness of the curry acts as a buffer to the spiciness and a mouthful feels like crests and troughs of goodness on the tongue. His hunger satisfied, the connoisseur leaves the restaurant with a lighter heart and a heavier stomach - pleased to have added to his list of favourite restaurants.

Ambience                ★★
Service                    
★★
Presentation            
★★
Taste                      ★★


(Reviewed by Anubhab Dasgupta)

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Mags (Kolkata)

And Food Turns Saviour


Bang opposite the more famous Olypub, Mags is the shabbier cousin, i.e. the watering hole of Magnolia, a fairly well-known restaurant on Park Street. Situated on the floor above the main Magnolia restaurant, Mags depresses you the moment you enter simply by the look of the chairs and tables. While the tables are quite old and often creaky, the chairs are nothing but plastic armchairs that keep doing the rounds at all canteens and low- and middle-budget gatherings. The stewards too can be quite uncooperative, especially when they argue needlessly with customers over where exactly they should be seated. Thankfully for Mags, it is the quality of food alone that saves the day. The regular Chinese fare in the form of noodles and chicken gravy is quite nice. But the one that takes the cake is the dry chilli chicken, with crisp but succulent pieces of chicken and the right condiments to go along. With a separate smoking zone already in place and the quality of food ensured probably by its blood relationship to Magnolia, the thing for Mags to focus on ought to be the ambience and the service (did I mention the stewards here ask for more handsome tips actively?) if it wants to place itself as a serious threat to the pub across the street.


Ambience                ★
Service                    ★

Presentation            ★

Taste                      ★★



http://kolkata.burrp.com/listing/magnolia_park-street_kolkata_restaurants/146345663

Olypub (Kolkata)

The Fallen Angel


Among the oldest watering holes in Kolkata, Olypub on Park Street continues to enjoy a cult following among old and young even in the age of the modern restro-bar. Alcohol served in quantities measured using measuring cups by red-liveried stewards continues to be the biggest attraction at Oly. The food, unfortunately, has deteriorated over the years, with absolutely no change in the menu and the existing fare having largely reduced in quality. The two primary gastronomic attractions remain Chicken-a-la-Kiev and Chicken-a-la-Olypub. The former is a cutlet of minced chicken with a potato filling and traditionally a lot of molten butter that would drip out after the first bite (unfortunately, that does not happen any more) – edible, but not extraordinary. The latter, Oly’s flagship dish at least as far as the name goes, is supposedly fried chicken served with mashed potatoes laced with peas. Here, too, the presentation is extremely shoddy, with the potatoes, having reduced significantly in quantity over the years, appearing only on one side of the fried chicken pieces. In terms of taste, it is good in parts but is largely bland; and the delight of having consumed the overall dish is far from there. The chicken liver with fried onions is an option that may be tried out, but it is not guaranteed to delight the eater only with perfectly fried onions – the meat has much more to achieve in terms of taste. To add to all the gastronomic agony, what can often make the experience worse is stewards who have not even served you asking for a tip. Overall, Olypub is where you go if you want to enjoy a drink with friends without being interrupted by blaring music; but where you definitely do not if you want to have a hearty meal.


Ambience                ★
Service                    ★★

Presentation            ★

Taste                      ★★



http://kolkata.burrp.com/listing/olypub_park-street_kolkata_bars-pubs-restaurants/122316287