Hotel Dwaraka,Ernakulam | Restaurant Review

There are a few things I HAVE to do while in Ernakulam,besides gorging on delicious amma-made food.Usually the first one would be a visit to Staines,dinner take-away from Pai's Dosa,especially the 'thattil kutti dosa,and North-Indian food from Sree Krishna Inn.But the one which tops the list would be a visit to Dwaraka with amma gossiping over Masala dosa and kaapi.

Even if I am there for a day(which rarely happens)we squeeze in time for Dwaraka.Almost always,our order is the same.I love it when the friendly waiters recognize us and nod their head with a smile when they take our orders,been going there for years now.

Dwaraka is a very popular and old restaurant on M.G.Road,famous for the delicious vegetarian fare they've been churning out for decades.
We start our meal with a Thayir Vada/Curd vada.Soft and fluffy vada is soaked in curd which is seasoned with green chillies and curry leaves.At times,it is served with crisp boondhi on top,but I prefer it plain.The curd is not very sour and that according to me is the base for the best curd vada.
As soon as we finish the vada,comes the platter of chutneys.There are three types of chutneys-coconut chutney,thick coconut chutney with onions and a onion-tomato chutney.Sambhar is also served in a pretty alladin-lamp kind of a bowl,which again has been there for ages now.With only ulli/shallots and tomato,the sambhar has a slight sweet-sour tinge and tastes delicious.
Masala dosa comes next smelling delicious with a distinct aroma of ghee.Thin dosas with a wonderful potato-onion masala inside.Paired with sambhar and chutney,I think I can gulp down 2-3,or so I wish.I am always full after the first one and pack one for later,to be indulged leisurely at home.Ending the meal with a coffee,I often wonder when the next visit will be.
More than the food,I think it is the wonderful nostalgic memories which pull me there,of course the food is delicious too and consistently so.
A meal for two cost us INR 280.Dwaraka is at M.G.Road,Ernakulam.

Food - 9/10
Service - 9/10
Ambience - 8/10
Value for money - 8/10


Disclaimer-This is not a paid review.I liked the restaurant and thought of sharing my experience with my readers.

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Crimson Chakra,Chennai | Restaurant Review

I am not very particular when it comes to dining out.Only thing I do however ask for is a good vegetarian selection in the menu for myself since I am the lone vegetarian in our friends gang.I was given the option to choose which restaurant to go,for my birthday dinner and I chose Crimson Chakra.

Having heard a lot,a LOT about Crimson Chakra from folks in CFG made the decision easier.To make sure Ajay and our friends were happy too,I did a check on the popular dishes there and suggested they order those.To say they were highly impressed would be putting it lightly.
We I ordered Paneer Tikka as the starter while the non veg starters were Cheese Chicken Tikka and a Spiced Chicken soup with lemongrass.Must say the first impression was good.Since the restaurant has a very homely feel,we relished the food taking our sweet time to finish the food before ordering the next course.

The person who took our order was a very friendly one who suggested we go for half portions,probably seeing the licked clean plates and our happy stomach rubbing gestures.Yes,they serve half portions too,what a lovely idea!

I went for the much talked about Smoked Rice.Though it looks just like a Veg Biryani,one spoon and you'll instantly know it is better,way better than a Biryani.With a sharp smokey flavor and just rightly spiced,this one comes with a raita but you can have it without any accompaniments.Tasted delicious!
Now comes the star of the day night.The famous Yelaneer Souffle.I really don't know if words are enough to sing praises about this.When it came to the table,Ajay passed it off as it looked too plain and almost like a bowl of curd.I haven't tasted anything like it before,that I can tell.Tastes like sweetened tender coconut and cream and luscious,oh man,the birthday dinner was so worth it!

Crimson Chakra is at # 13, First Crescent Road, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar, Chennai – 600 020.

A meal for four with soup,starter,main course and dessert(vegetarian&non vegetarian)cost us a little less than INR 2000/-

Food - 8/10

Ambience - 8/10

Service - 9/10

Value for money - 8/10

Disclaimer-This is not a paid review.I liked the restaurant and thought of sharing my experience with my readers.

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Taj Mahal Cafe,Mangalore | Restaurant Review

I think it must have been at least 15 years since I've been hearing about Taj Mahal cafe-about the yummy breakfast,sweets and the special brew of coffee and lots more.Few years back,while we were in Mangalore,we were lucky to taste a few dishes from Taj Mahal as part of a breakfast fare we were served at an aunt's place.Ever since,the craving has only increased.

We had headed to Mangalore to join the family for a wedding and number one agenda on our minds was a breakfast at Taj Mahal's.We were there at the crack of dawn,not surprisingly to a packed restaurant.The door opens at 5 in the morning,we were told.

 
There is no written menu as such,though outside a white board with specials for the day is written,no one is interested in that.The regulars know which day what special item is served.We relied on the expertise of a cousin who accompanied us.

 

First item to reach our table was Teekha Roti.As the name says,it is a spiced poori,crisp on the sides and soft in the middle,accompanied by thick coconut chutney.

We also got a Potato bhaji,which is also known as 'Bhattali bhaaji aka poojari/pandit's bhaji' since it does not contain onion or garlic.Though it appeared initially as though we ordered too many rotis,they were gone in a few seconds flat!

Biscuit Roti was the one to arrive next.I don't think I've had hot biscuit rotis from the kadai to my plate anywhere else.Of course homemade ones are an exception.The filling was spicy and sweet and the roti was crisp and hot!

After another set of teekha roti,we ordered Buns.Yes!Buns the size of our palms,pillowy soft inside with the right hint of banana and just sweet enough to pair with chutney,it was truly a treat for our palates.

Tuppa Dose was next.Maybe I had huge expectations from this one,as it was one of the first dishes I'd had a while back or maybe that's the way it is supposed to be,or maybe the earlier dishes were all out of this world.Tuppa dose didn't match our expectations.It was tasty no doubt,but we wanted something more:)

Ended the breakfast with coffee specially brewed in the restaurant.Wanted to come back for more but that's for another time.

A breakfast for five including coffee cost us Rupees 270/-.Read more about Taj Mahal here and here.

Food - 9/10
Ambience - 7/10
Service - 9/10
Value for money - 10/10

Disclaimer-This is not a paid review.I liked the restaurant and thought of sharing my experience with my readers.

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Eden,Chennai | Restaurant Review

Eden will always be a very special restaurant to me.Not only because of the food but because,it was one of the first restaurants Ajay took me to after coming to Chennai.I still remember what I had that day.Despite him telling me that it was a vegetarian continental food restaurant,I'd ordered for a plate of Veg Pulao and Kadai Vegetables and couldn't understand what the big deal was.The food was awesome and we kept coming back to the place though what we ordered changed from time to time.

Last few years,our order has been exactly the same.So much so that the waiters smile when we place the order:).Posting here a few additional dishes we ordered when we were with friends.

 
We always start the meal with Corn on toast.Before you assume it is just curried corn over a piece of toast,let me interfere,it is much more than that.Soft and juicy corn kernels in a tomato-cream sauce spiked with green chillies served over toast,this one is a winner.Thanks to a dear friend who introduced this dish to us,what would we do without it!

 
We ordered this Cauliflower Fry last time as we were there with friends and wanted some kid-friendly snack as starter.Do not compare it with the usual Gobi Manchurian or Gobi 65 as this is simply a lightly spiced cauliflower fry with sauteed onions.

The menu is a mixed bag of dishes,they serve a variety of vegetarian continental dishes as well as a limited choice of North Indian and South Indian dishes.So you wouldn't get the regular Fried rice here but flavourful Vegatable Pulao which tastes great and can be had on its own.

 
Here comes our favorite dish Garden Style Vegetable Bake.I think I can have this dish everyday for the rest of my life,only I wouldn't live long if I had this daily;).Jokes apart,this is one of their signature dishes.Broccoli,Cauliflower,Carrot,Baby corn and Mushroom baked in a cheese sauce and served with toast.Just.too.good!

 
The finishing dish,Baby corn and Mushroom saute.Perfect rice and curry kind of a dish.Crunchy baby corns,juicy mushrooms,red peppers and onion rings in a spicy pepper sauce served on a bed of herb rice.

If you have space for dessert,don't forget to try their most popular "the last time I ever saw my waist".Chocolate and Vanilla ice cream with chocolate brownie,hot fudge sauce,chocolate chips,toasted nuts and whipped cream,it is a chocolate lovers dream.

A meal for two including a starter,main course and a dessert would cost about 700-900 INR.

Food - 9/10
Ambience - 7/10
Service - 9.5/10
Value for money - 8/10
 
No visit to Eden is complete without a Sweet pan from the guy downstairs(Besant Nagar).With a smiling face,he makes you a pan upon request.His Kulfis taste awesome too!

Eden is at 

• E-37, 2nd Avenue, Besant Nagar.Ph # 044 24463777,24460777
• Harrisons Hotel,315,Valluvar Kottam High road,Nungambakkam.Ph # 044 42222777,42222778
• 7,Ground floor,Asha Manor Complex,3rd Avenue,Anna Nagar.Ph # 26221010

Disclaimer - This is not a paid review.

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Tangerine,Chennai | Restaurant Review

There is a proverb in Malayalam which says "poochakkendha ponnurukkunadathu kaaryam" which roughly translates to what business does a cat have in a gold smith's place.Still didn't get it?Let me explain.Tangerine is a restaurant which specializes in Steaks and Sizzlers and what job does a vegetarian like me have there.Got it now?Phew that was tough.
 
Tangerine is primarily a Steak speciality restaurant and it has been a very popular one at that too.It is one of our favorite jaunts since hubby is a hardcore non-veg who loves indulging in steaks every once in a while.I have not had very good experiences when it comes to sizzlers since vegetarian sizzler is a rare special and most of the times we get served some sauteed vegetables with mash potatoes and a big cutlet with some gravy.

I am glad to say Tangerine has been a wonderful experience for even a vegetarian like me.

 
WeI started the meal with Garlic Bread with Cheese and it didn't disappoint.Crusty garlic flavored bread topped with cheese,I guess is a hard one to flaw.
 
My vegetarian friend ordered Mixed Vegetable New Orleans and it looked yummy indeed.Mixed vegetables in a cajun spiced tomato gravy served on a bed of herbed rice with sauteed vegetables and jacket potatoes on the side.She felt the quantity was a bit more for a single person,but hey what are friends for;)
 
I ordered a Vegetarian Mixed Grill and got the best of their 3 sizzlers in one plate.
 
It had a Vegetable shashlik which had potatoes,onions,carrots,mushrooms and tomato marinated in a yogurt based sauce,grilled to perfection and slathered with a curry sauce.The only complaint I have about the dish is the size of the vegetables.The potatoes and onions were halved and were quite a big size.Flavourwise though,absolutely no complaints.
 
My favorite was the cottage cheese steak.For a Paneer lover like me it cannot get any better.Two thin slices of cottage cheese stuffed with mushrooms and grilled,accompanied by a creamy herb and cheese paprika sauce-YUM!
 
The mixed vegetable steak was also delicious.A mash of mixed vegetables grilled and served with a creamy spicy sauce.

To say I am addicted to Tangerine Sizzlers would be putting it mildly.I've had their Walnut Brownie with Vanilla Ice-cream and Vanilla Ice-cream with Chocolate sauce and Praline earlier,but this time was too full to even think dessert.
 
A meal for two with Starters,Drinks,two Sizzlers (Veg and Non-Veg) and Dessert would cost anywhere between 1200-1500 rs depending on your orders.

Food - 9/10
Ambience - 8/10
Service - 8/10
Value for money - 8/10

Tangerine is at Murray's Gate Rd, Alwarpet  Chennai,Tamil Nadu 600018.
Phone - 044 42110888.

Disclaimer - This is not a paid review.

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Haji Ali,Chennai-Restaurant Review

We've been hearing so much about Hajji Ali and their out of this world Fruit Creams and Falooda that we just had to try it.We chose the wrong day though,full to the nose from a delectable sizzler dinner at Tangerine,we have no idea why we went to Hajji Ali,but we had to!

We chose the G.N.Chetty outlet,and plonked ourselves at ground floor which was empty,all the crowd(we were told) was on the first floor enjoying the view.We decided to go for falooda,but oh boy we were confused.There were more than 6-7 varieties of falooda!!Between 6 of us,we chose to have Fruit Falooda(a must try)which was truly awesome with fruits like Lychee,Kiwi fruit,Strawberry along with regular fruits like apple and banana with ice cream,khus khus and semiya.

Strawberry Falooda was a twist to the regular falooda with sliced Strawberry and strawberry ice-cream.The rose flavored milk was delicious.

Kesar Royal Milk shake was one of their signature drinks and it was truly royal.It was too sweet for our palates,but maybe we would have enjoyed it if we weren't that full from our dinner.It had thick saffron milk with kesar ice-cream and pista and almonds.

The first thing which strikes you is the portion.Move away thin falooda glasses,here is the real deal.It is quite filling on its own,so maybe someday we'll skip our meals and head straight to Hajji Ali!They also serve short eats like Pizza,Sandwich etc.Prices hover around the 100rs mark but totally worth every penny.

Food - 9/10
Service - 9/10
Ambience - 8/10

Haji Ali is located at G.N.Chetty Road,opposite Maverick Gym
and at
Greams Road,Murugesa Naicker Complex, Near IDBI & SBI Bank, Anna Salai, Thousand Lights. 

Disclaimer-This is not a paid review.I liked the restaurant and thought of sharing my experience with my readers.

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The Pasta Bar Veneto,Chennai-Restaurant Review

We've been in love with pasta for a while now.After shoving it aside and refusing to taste it,we've come to a stage where we do not mind having it for dinner at least twice in a week.I think we are making up for the lost time:)
 
However,we were not too fond of Pasta served in restaurants(whenever we tried).Having taken a liking to it,we had specific tastes as to how a perfect pasta should be.With these thoughts in mind,we decided to check out the exclusive Pasta restaurant aptly named The Pasta Bar Veneto,which came in highly recommended by a dear friend.

We went to the Alsa Mall outlet where we sat facing the popular sandwich carts hoping that our pasta did taste better than those sandwiches and we were not disappointed.The restaurant has a quaint neighbourhood cafe feel.The menu is quite extensive with lots of choices to choose from for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.It takes a while to pronounce those names though.

We ordered for a salad named Instalata Mista and loved it.Reminded us of those lovely platters of salads from Pizza Hut(Do they serve it now?).Crunchy lettuce with roasted bell peppers,olives and zucchini,it was a treat to the palate.The accompanying Garlic bread was just about ok though.Again,I love the ones they serve in Pizza hut.

                                       Malai Curry di Verdure
I chose to have Pasta Indian style.Farfalle pasta with fresh green peas,capsicum,broccoli and sweet corn in a cashewnut based malai gravy.Yeah,I know the choice is strange.Ajay frowned when I ordered but it turned out fine.I love my pasta and the accompanying sauce as well so was slightly disappointed with the almost-dry looking pasta but the flavors were awesome.The portion is quite huge and I couldn't finish it all my own.I had ulterior motives here as I wanted to dig into the dessert section!

For dessert,I had absolutely no doubts what to choose.The oh-so-popular Mud pie.Loved the way they recommended it to us.If you are a chocoholic like us,you'll flip on this one.Chocolate and chocolate all the way through.Perfect way to end the meal.

A meal for two with salad,two main dishes(including non-veg)and a dessert would cost approximately 700-900 INR.They do home delivery in specific locations too.

Food - 8/10
Ambience - 7/10
Service - 8/10

The Pasta Bar Veneto is at -

Egmore: 1st Floor, Alsa Mall, Egmore, Chennai. Ph 044 4214 5534. 

T.Nagar: 32 / 59, Burkit Road, T.Nagar, Chennai. Ph 044-4212 6680. 

Disclaimer-This is not a paid review.I liked the restaurant and thought of sharing my experience with my readers.

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Burgundy's,Chennai-Restaurant Review

A while back,a fellow blogger added me to a food group on Facebook which was aptly named Chennai food guide.It featured restaurant reviews and food reviews in general.Being in Chennai and being a foodie(somewhat!),I started liking the group.Me and Ajay are always at a loss when it comes to dining out and after a lot of thought process,we find ourselves going back to our regular joints(which is not a bad idea,btw).


Chennai has come a long way from being popular only for Idli-Sambhar-Dosa.You can find many restaurants which serve International cuisine and with people travelling out of the country ever so often,it is only a fitting change from the regular restaurant food.

We were invited for a food review of the newly opened restaurant Burgundy's,at MRC nagar.It is run by the popular trio Vipin Sachdev,Somna Sachdev and Neha Agarwal who are also part of the famous Tuscana Pizzeria,Kryptos and Subway in Chennai.Vipin took time off from his busy schedule and entertained us throughout with his witty stories!


Burgundy's is an all day dining restaurant which opens at 6.30 am till midnight.According to Vipin,the kitchen serves everything in the menu at all times.There is no compulsion to eat chat only in the evening or pakodas only during tea time.If it is on the menu,it is available throughout the day.

 
The restaurant has a typical lazy coffee shop feel.Spacious and airy it relaxes you getting you prepared to savour the food to come.We were served the buffet lunch which also had a live chaat counter.So platters of Bhelpuri and Dahi Papdi chaat were passed around.Chaat was just about okay,nothing extra ordinary.I think for us,eating chaat which gets prepared with gloved hands and mineral water just doesn't taste as good as the roadside ones,blame it on our palates!!


 
For vegetarians Tandoori Vegetables was served next.Now this one made me sit up.Broccoli,Zuchini and coloured peppers in a tandoori dish,that is some innovation.Crunchy vegetables with a lovely smoky flavour and the right hint of spiciness,this one was a winner.


 
The buffet menu also boasts of cold sandwiches and hot pizzas.The sandwich didn't score well on my opinion.The bread was too hard to chew,so I stuck to eating lettuce,tomatoes and the fresh buffalo mozarella cheese.


 
But the Pizza was just awesome.With few vegetables on top(compared to the overstuffed toppings) and just the right amount of cheese and thinner than thin crust it was worth the full price of the buffet!It was quite light and did not stuff you up as I feared since I had the full buffet spread to look forward to.The pizzas are baked in a wood-fire lookalike rotating oven which has a metal base and an internal flame to bake the pizzas evenly.A friend even made a passing comment that the pizza puffs up like Poori!!


We headed to the buffet table which was replete with salads of all kinds.Pasta salads,fruit and vegetable salads and dips.Here's a look.


Apple and Pear Salad


Cucumber and Cherry Tomato Salad


Pasta Salad



Broccoli Salad with Herbed Cream

The main course featured South Indian food,Chinese,North Indian as well as Thai.I tried the Roasted Vegetables and Vegetarian Noodles and even though I wanted to believe this is no different than in others look wise,I have to say the prominent ginger-garlic-soya-tomato flavor was absent in these noodles.It tasted great though,I wonder what pixie dust the chef put into it!


Roasted Vegetables


As I was getting stuffed by now,I decided to take it easy and try only a few stuff more as I wanted to dig into the dessert section.My next course was North Indian as I chose to have Vegetable Biryani(which smelt so much like its Non-veg counterpart,I almost backed out before double checking with the chef!).With just the right amount of vegetables and perfectly spiced it could be had on its own without any sides.But I decided to pair it with some Vegetable Kofta-creamy and rich,Ajwaini Paneer-soft paneer cubes in a succulent gravy spiced with Ajwain and Kadai vegetables-again with vegetables which are not usually associated with such side dishes-Broccoli,zuchini and cauliflower.


Vegetable Biryani


Vegetable Kofta


Ajwaini Paneer



Kadai Vegetables




 
After the scrumptious meal,it was time for dessert.But sadly I couldn't indulge much as I was quite full.I decided to go for the most appealing dessert from the dessert section which was a very difficult choice indeed.There was a lot to choose from-Rice Kheer,Malai Sandwich,Sweet Tarts,Dates cake,Sacher Torte,Fruit Bowl,Blackforest Pastry,Mango Mousse,Banana Cake,Thai Coconut Custard and many more.


 
I tried out the Sacher Torte and liked it.I mean,it is chocolate and it is a cake,whats not there to like!The Thai coconut custard also tasted great,full of coconut flavour and a lovely texture,sadly,I was too full to do justice to it!


The buffet lunch is priced at 750/-inclusive of all taxes and dinner is priced at 975/-(for veg and non-veg).Not cheap by any standards,but here you pay money for the quality and the whole experience.I am blown away by the buffet,now I am going for the alacarte.


Burgundy's is at Somerset Greenways,MRC Nagar,next to Chettinad School.For reservations call 044 49001000.


Food - 8/10
Ambience - 7/10
Service - 8/10

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