Looking for Vegetarian food options near my place on Google, stumbled across this small Vegetarian/Vegan joint on Portobello Road. Given that this was a Saturday, headed out to try this place as well as to experience the Portobello Road Market.
We walked in at about 3:00 PM and saw this large spread of offerings from different cuisines. It is an order-your-meal kinda place where you pick anything you want from the offerings, in either small, medium, or large boxes. There is a small seating area in the store but that would cost you extra 60 pence.
We opted for the large box as we wanted to try a bit of everything, and this gave us more scope to do that. We asked for some lasagne, grilled mushrooms, beans, rice, vegetables, broccoli, a couple of other things I don’t remember, and loads of potato wedges.
The overall meal tasted good, but some of the items were a little too bland. I wish they had some kinda condiments and sauces to make things wild. The large box cost us about 10 quid, the medium is £8.95, and the small is for £7.2. I am not sure if these prices are justifiable, but for the variety, maybe it deserves a try once in a while.
Food: 8/10
Service: N/A
Ambiance: N/A
Meal for 1: £9.95
Place: The Coffee Cup Location: Sainikpuri Cuisine: Global Meal: Dinner (with friends, wifey and our lil one)
I’ve been wanting to visit Coffee Cup for ages now for I’ve heard some good things about this place. This never materialized thanks to the distance from the city. But come last Sunday, we were meeting a bunch of friends in the area, and finally, my visit came through. These guys have two setups on either side of the road, and both were packed when we dropped in at about 6:30 PM. We somehow managed to get a table for 6 in the outdoor seating area of, what I am told, the original café. It was sultry this evening, and we requested the staff to move us in as and when there was a table available.
Ambiance-wise, the place was okay. Given that we were sitting outside, we escaped the hustle and noise inside the café. We, as a group, were skeptical about whether safety protocols will be adhered to, not just here but at any place we visit. Thankfully, the staff was wearing masks, and there was a sanitizer on every table. We also had to scan a QR code stuck up on the wall to access the menu.
To start, we ordered a portion of Herbed infused folded bread, Veg. appetizer platter, the White House pizza along with a lot of coffee. The waiter suggested we opt for the Cheesy Garlic Bread instead of the Herbed bread, and we obliged.
The Garlic Bread was served in about 10 minutes, even before the coffee. Thanks to the pandemic, the four slices of bread topped with sumptuous amount of cheese, baked to perfection, were served on a disposable plate. Crunchy, with the right amount of cheese, we gulped them in a minute or so. We immediately ordered for another portion, but that never got served.
In a few moments, our coffees were served. We ordered one Café Frappe, three Devil’s White (frappe with whipped cream and chocolate sauce), a Dangerous Devils (frappe topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and chocolate cake), and a Cinnamon Latte. We also asked for a fresh orange juice for our lil one, but they were out of oranges; we got a watermelon juice instead. All the frappes were creamy and chocolaty, and I loved mine (Devil’s White). I was told that the chocolate cake was yummy, and the latte was very good. We were very happy with all our coffees, but I thought the quantity served was less. For about 200 bucks, I’d expect more.
Next came the pizza. With a few olives and a couple of burnt garlic chunks, this pizza was delicious. It was perfectly flavored, super cheesy and the crust was perfect. A few more toppings, especially of that garlic, would have worked wonders.
The appetizer platter was served next with 3 pieces of fried cheese sticks, jalapeno poppers, spring rolls, and few fries (they replaced potato wedges with fries). We asked for a repeat right away as we knew this wouldn’t be sufficient for the table. The spring rolls were very mild and lacked the punch, fries were crispy and good, poppers and cheese sticks were practically the same, fried cheese with a little jalapeno flavor in the poppers. These were good on the first serving, cheesy, just the way I liked it. However, the ones on the repeat order lacked flavor and were very bland.
It was almost an hour and a half since we were sitting outside, and the weather was not helping us enjoy our food. So I paused for a while, went in, and looked for a table myself as the staff was not really bothered about moving us in. After about 15 minutes, and few requests, we conquered a table in a cozy corner on the first floor, right next to a bookshelf.
Our move-in didn’t feel welcomed as the waiter tending to our table was acting out of sorts. Anyways, a while later, we ordered a Four Cheese pizza, a Potato and Cheesy Croquette Sizzler, and a repeat order of frappes. I was told that the pasta here is good, but the sizzler was a little more tempting.
We were told that the sizzler would take time to be served, but in about 15 minutes, it was on our table (with barely any sizzle). I was surprised with what was on the plate – 3 potato croquettes, some sautéed vegetables, fries, and two small bowls of mushroom flavored sauce. That’s it? Isn’t there supposed to be some rice or noodles?
Apparently not. I look at the menu on my phone again, it said potato fries or rice. Given that I missed this, and thanks to our waiter who didn’t bother informing us, we ended up with a very dry sizzle-less sizzler. Both the croquettes and sauce were bland and tasteless. None of my friends even wanted to give it a try. The only saving graces were the sautéed vegetables and the fries. Disappointment.
At around the same time, the repeat of Devil’s White frappes landed on our table but without the whipped cream. Curious, we called for the waiter, and he then informed us that they were out of whipped cream, and so they added a scoop of ice cream. Before we could ask him why he didn’t inform us of this earlier, he disappeared.
In a while, our last order, the four cheese pizza was served. One would expect a good amount of cheese on the pizza, but to our surprise, this was napoleon sauce with a few dollops of mozzarella, cheddar, Emmental, and parmesan. The crust was soggy and all we could taste was the tomato sauce. Another disappointment.
So what started off as a good meal ended up being a mediocre one. On food front, some of the items were good, but what I realized is that they lacked consistency. The first batch of appetizers had flavor while the second batch were totally bland. Same with the coffee as well. And the mediocre sizzler and four cheese pizza didn’t help.
Apart from the food, the service once we moved inside was pathetic, and that kinda ruined the overall experience for me at least. It’s a nice place to hangout, yes, so I can understand why it’s so popular, but for me, not worth the hype. They were having an off day maybe?
Place: Prego Alfresco
Location: Westin, Hitech City
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Global Cuisine
Meal: Dinner
I’ve heard a lot about how good the food is at Westin, especially at Prego, for a long time now, but always felt that the place was too expensive for my liking. When I received an invite to dine at the newly launched restaurant, it was time, finally.
I walked in to the pool side restaurant through the Italian dine-in, and the place looked fabulous. It was perfect weather to dine in the open, and the ambiance was quintessential. As we, a few foodies settled down, the chef came in and gave a brief on what was going to be served for dinner – their new offering, Mediterranean cuisine.
To go with the cuisine, each table had a Mediterranean platter with Olive Tepanade, Tomato and Parmesan dip, and Mushroom and Truffle Oil dip alongside Za’atar Flatbread and Khaboos.
Breads and Dips
Both the dips were delicious; the Tomato and Parmesan dip was spicy and just perfect to my liking, while the mushroom dip was creamy and scrumptious. The tepanade too was equally good, but nothing to beat the dips. The breads served along were soft, with the za’atar flatbread being the best of the lot. Yummilicious!
There was a fixed menu for the evening, with no choice for the vegetarians, so I asked for whatever was on the list: Mediterranean Antipasto for starters, Vegetable Timbale for main course, and Phyllo wrap and Bougasta for desserts. Before that, we were served with Amuse Bouche – Roasted Bell pepper pin-wheel with Goat Cheese.
Amuse Bouche
While this looked good, it didn’t taste any good for I thought it lacked flavour.
Mediterranean Antipasto
The starters were served soon, and no, this is definitely not what I would have ordered if I had a choice. With Chilli marinated Olives, Caramelized Figs, Pickled Grapes, Tomato Feta salad, Baked Artichokes, and Olive Tapenade on Crunchy Ciabatta, this really wasn’t for me. Nevertheless, it was a different experience to hog on such exotically presented veggies. I thought the Pickled Grapes were the best of the lot while the Ciabatta was a close second.
Vegetable Timbale
Time for the main course. Vegetable Timbale with Stalk of Lemon Couscous, Chickpeas and Mediterranean vegetables. This didn’t look appetizing at all. The veggies tasted raw and the Couscous was barely alright. The chickpeas turned out to be the saviour in this disappointing dish, for they were the only things which tasted alright. Utter failure altogether.
Firstly, it didn’t taste good, and secondly, the portion served was so little that I wondered if this were starters or main-course. To help fill my tummy, I requested the chef to serve a vegetarian version of the Lamb Moussaka served to the non-vegetarians.
Veg. Moussaka
This at least looked more palatable than the Timbale, but the result was the same. The eggplant was well cooked, yes, and tasted good with the cheese; but the rest of the vegetable pile with Zucchini and peppers was undercooked and tasted terrible. The sauce too was nothing great. Two strikes!
So disappointed I was with the main course, that I wished to have a slice of Pizza from Prego instead. And voilà, a foodie ordered for a Margarita.
Margarita
This actually turned out to be something palatable, not just for me but also for a fellow foodie who was struggling to cut through her Lemon Chicken (which apparently didn’t even have a hint of lemon). The pizza was good, but at the same time, nothing exceptional for I could taste the flour in every bite. Good, but not excellent.
Phyllo Wrap, Walnut Baklava and Bougasta
The desserts, Phyllo Wrap and Bougasta were served with the addition of Walnut Baklava. While decent, they were all too sweet for my linking.
Blue Curacao Mocktail and Watermelon Juice
I had ordered for a Blue Curacao mocktail while struggling with the main course, and this turned out to be alright.
Bottom line, I was left discontent at the end of my first meal at Westin. But for the breads and dips on the table, none of the other items could tease my taste buds. I had high expectations, but had to return home in utter dismay.
The fact that most of these dishes were priced exorbitantly didn’t make things any better. The Couscous, which wouldn’t even fill a small corner of my tummy was priced at 675 bucks + taxes. Yes, some people might have the appetite to spend lavishly, but even for that, the food needs to taste decent at the least.
As far as I’m concerned, this might actually be my first and last meal at Westin (though I’ve been wanting to visit Prego for a long time and still haven’t) for my experience on this night wasn’t enthralling enough for me to come back.
No, it’s not Dunkin Donuts. It’s Dunkin Donuts and more 😀
That’s the first line uttered by the marketing manager as we, a few foodies, entered the DD’s first store in Hyderabad for a tasting session. The joint is on the ground floor of Inorbit Mall, facing the lake, and had very lively ambiance. We soon settled down for a chat with the PR team, who gave us a run through of DD culture, their presence in India, and more importantly the reasoning behind why it’s more than just donuts in our beloved country. I found their concept to be brilliant; target the ‘Happily Screwed’ crowd!
Once we were enlightened, it was time to taste the food; food one wouldn’t normally except at DD, food which isn’t regular. First stop, Wicked Wrap; complex, crazy, awsomely wicked.
Veg. Wicked Wrap
And boy, this was wicked. Crunchy nachos, jalapeno patty, spicy chipotle and raw mango sauces on a multi grain tortilla, this was definitely one of the best wraps I’ve tasted. It was truly wicked, with the spice lingering in my mouth for a long time. It hurt so good.
To help gulp the wicked wrap, we were served some Iced Tea.
Spiked Iced Tea and Iced Green Tea
Spiked Iced Tea had a cinnamon touch to it, and tasted very different; different good. The Iced Green Tea had a strong green tea flavor, yet was perfect. These really were saviours on my wicked ride.
If you’re not up to taste the wickedness, there’s a Not So Wicked Wrap for the faint hearted.
Next came the Tough Guy Burger, a burger that makes heart breaks 0.223% less heart breaking.
Veg. Tough Guy Burger
With the burger bun replaced with a tough bagel loaded with sesame seeds, this was definitely a definitely a tough burger. A delicious patty loaded with elephant yam, cheese and spicy mustard sauce; this was another winner.
Crunchy Joe
It was now time to taste Crunchy Joe. With toasted bun stuffed with Indianized black-eye bean curry, this was amazingly delicious. There was crunch in every bite; I absolutely loved it.
I wanted to taste the Naughty Lucy burger before I indulged on the Donuts, and while I wait for it, I asked for a Chocolate Dunkaccino.
Dunkaccino
Served with whipped cream, the chocolate shake was almost perfect. I just wish it were thicker.
Juicy Lucy Burger
Any finally came my Lucy! With a patty stuffed with molten cheese, eating this couldn’t get more messy than this. But who cares, when you’re in for some pure bliss. Lucy was super-duper cheesy 😀
Time now for the donuts.
Dunkin Donuts
Dunkin Donuts
I had a bite of almost everything on plate, and they were all yum. Loved the Chocolate ones the best. My usual favourite at DD, Boston Creme was missing today, but the rest made it up for it. Amazing finish to the brilliant meal.
Overall, the most satisfying meal I’ve had in a long long time. Perfect ambiance, great service and awesome food. And to make it more special, DD team gave me a goodie bag with six donuts, a DD mug and coupons for 365 days of donuts! The pricing might be a little on the higher side to dine in often (60 bucks for donuts, 60-200 bucks for the burgers + taxes), but I feel that they are still worth it. Go get your mojo back!!
I’ve visited DD twice after writing the review, and the standard have dropped substantially. The service is mediocre, and hygiene has gone for a toss. They will need to pull up their socks in case they wish to sustain in the market!
Chili’s used to be one of my favorite joints while I lived in Starkville, USA. Whenever I was bored with the same food, Chili’s Black-bean Burger was the savior. I’ve been wanting to visit the Indian outlet for a long time, and finally, on a Monday evening, here I was for a tasting session. The ambience was almost exactly the same as in the States, and I made myself comfortable at a corner booth.
The chef suggested that I try some of their best sellers, and I obliged. So I started off with a small portion of Texas Cheese Poppers and Fried Quesadilla bites, along with a Virgin Pina Colada.
Texas Cheese Poppers
The Texas Cheese Poppers were served in quick time, along with Chipotle Sour Cream. First impression, they were greasy. They tasted good, with cheese melting in my mouth, but the oil was bothering me. The cheese was oozing out oil as well, so.
Fried Quesadilla Bites
The Fried Quesadilla Bites were served along with Chipotle Ranch, and these turned out to be excellent. With grilled paneer and cheese, this was a definite winner! And the ranch tasted better than the sour cream.
Pina Colada
The Pina Colada arrived soon, and tasted good. The pineapple was pretty dominant.
Next, I wanted to taste their Queso, and so asked for a small portion. I was told that it’s usually served on a skillet, but they made an exception and gave me a bowlfull.
Queso Dip
While the Queso was good, the chips didn’t catch my fancy. I found them pretty heavy, and would have preferred lighter chips.
Texas Cheese Fries
It was now time for Texas Cheese Fries. Loaded with Terlingua Chili, veggies and tons of cheese, this looked yum. However, on taste front, it was just alright, for I really didn’t enjoy the chili much. Nevertheless, the cheese and fries were yum yum.
For the main course, I asked for a Veggie Bite Burger, and a portion of their Veggie and Cheese Quesadilla. But first, another drink; Blue Pacific.
Blue Pacific
Served in a Martini glass, this tasted very different. Different good.
Veggie Bite Burger
The burger turned out to be decent. The bun was toasted, and the patty was good.
Veggie and Cheese Quesadilla
The Quesadilla, served with Pico de Gallo and sour cream, was again a winner. With tons of mushrooms, home-made cream sauce and cheese, this turned of to be excellent. On the downside, I found the texture of the cream sauce to be too thick; would have preferred it to be lighter.
To finish things off, I asked for the Molten Chocolate Cake. The chef suggested Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie, but I was in no mood for caramel, so.
Molten Chocolate Cake
This turned out to be good; chocolate was oozing with every bite. However, the cake was overbaked, and so, a little too dry.
Overall, a satisfactory meal. Food was decent and drinks were great. Of the starters, the Fried Quesadilla was worth it. The service was impeccable, with the manager Pavan attending to my every need. The chilled out ambiance gives this place a definite edge. They might be priced a little on the higher side in general, but their value meals for lunch and dinner are a steal. Bottomline, nothing exceptional but worth a visit.
Food: 7.5/10
Service: 9/10
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Meal for 1: N/A
Was invited to the opening of the new Tex-Mex restaurant in town, so dropped in to give it a shot. The place was very well done and the ambiance was pretty neat. There were few other foodies invited along with me, and we were also seated in the private dining area.
The owner of the brand and the chief chef came in to greet us foodies and make us comfortable. They briefed us on the brand, the variety of food, and the experience one can expect at Habanero.
Varieties of Salsa
Chips were served as we settled down, with three different types of Salsa – Spicy Chilli, Cucumber and Papaya. I liked the chilli sauce but wasn’t really impressed by the other two. The tortilla chips on the other hand turned out to be light and crispy; perfecto!
The veggie crowd soon ordered for a portion of Macho Nachos, Jalapeno Poppers, and Queso Dip.
Macho Nachos
The Nachos came in first and looked quite loaded. Tons of veggies, salsa and sour cream with yummy cheese – perfect way to start the meal. While the chips tasted yum, I would have preferred more cheese topping.
Jalapeno Poppers
The Jalapeno poppers were in next and were served with a flavoured mayonnaise dip. These were good but nothing spectacular; the cheese was there but the jalapeno weren’t ripe, and so the required punch was amiss. Apparently, the restaurant has been facing problem sourcing the right quality jalapeno. They did serve a variation with chopped jalapeno instead of stuffed ones, and this turned out to be more of cheese poppers than jalapeno poppers (not that I was complaining 😛 ).
Queso Dip
The best of the lot however turned out to be the Queso dip. It was served along with some more chips, and man, it was excellent. Creamy and cheesy, just perfect. We were so in love with it that we ordered for another portion; this again tuned out to be excellent and was finished in a blink. So we now ordered for a third portion; and bam! This now turned out to be the worst dips I’ve ever tasted. The creamy cheesy dip was gone and this one turned out to be some kind of gooey stuff with absolutely no taste. One of the foodies actually said it tasted like broken cream. Disappointed.
Anyway, while the Queso saga was on, we ordered for more starters; Messy Bean Dip, Zucchini Fritters with Tomatillo Relish and Tostada Salad. I was also tempted to taste the Chilli Cheese Fries, so ordered for the same. But before that came my drink – Softie Colada.
Softie Colada
This turned out to be a refreshing drink; it had a distinct coconut taste, and was as perfect as it could get.
Messy Bean Dip
The Messy Bean Dip arrived again with more chips. This turned out to be good, but I would have preferred it to be a little more spicy. It actually reminded me of the Rajma curry we make at home.
Zucchini Fritters
The Zucchini Fritters tasted very different from the regular stuff, and turned out to be excellent. The Tomatillo sauce (Tomatillo, also called Mexican Tomato, is a kind of gooseberry) had a tangy taste to it and went perfectly well with the zucchini. One of the best dishes of the day!
Chilli Cheese Fries
The Chilli Cheese Fries turned out to be another version of the Macho Nachos. The cheese sauce was good, but the fries were very soggy. I had to eat this using a spoon and fork, so you can imagine. They weren’t bad, but definitely didn’t suit my palate.
Tostada Salad
The Tostada Salad turned out to be a Tortilla topped with different veggies. The crunchy base actually made this taste good.
While we were munching on the food, the chief chef Dan walked in to make some Pico de Gallo salsa for us. He actually wanted to make Guacamole, but they were out of avocados, so. He started from scratch, and voila, in about 5 minutes, we had another dip to taste.
Pico de Gallo
This turned out to be a very very spicy dip, with the spice hitting the throat after a while. Though I was almost in tears, I enjoyed it.
While we were stuffed, it was now time to taste the main course; Tacos and a Chimichanga.
Tacos
Two stuffed Tacos were served along with Mexican rice, salad and sour cream. While the Tacos were good, the rice turned out to be disastrous. It was uncooked and lacked any kind of flavor.
Chimichanga
The Chimichanga, served with same disgusting rice, turned out to be crunchy and stuffed well. It could have done with a little more cheese stuffing though.
Finally time for desserts. We wanted to have the Molten Mexican Chocolate Cake (stuffed with chili powder) but they were out of it. We wanted to have the Tres Leches Cake, and they were out of it as well. They were actually out of everything but for Churros and Snickers Chimichanga. While I prefered neither, Chimichanga it was, again.
Snickers Chimichanga
And as I guessed, this wasn’t for me. Too sweet for my liking!
Overall, an average meal. While some of the dishes were very good (Queso was exceptional but only the first time around) consistency seemed to be a major issue. Actually, a few days after our gathering, there was another foodie meet here, and most of them complained about the food. Not surprising as we experienced something lack of consistency in a single meal. So that’s something they definitely need to work on.
Food apart, the place has great ambiance, perfect for small parties and get-togethers. On money front, everything seemed reasonable, and I was told that they are cheaper than competition.
So give it a shot. You may expect good food, but nothing exceptional (please don’t curse me if you have a terrible experience 😛 )
Food: 7.5/10
Service: 8/10
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Meal for 1: N/A
Place: Olive Bistro
Location: Near Ambedkar University, Jubilee Hills
Cuisine: Italian
Meal: Lunch (with few foodie friends)
About a month ago, was called upon by a few foodie friends for a tasting session at Olive Bistro. Though I visited the restaurant pretty recently, decided to give it a try for it would give me an opportunity to try more dishes. On a bright afternoon, here I was with six other foodies inide the closed dining section. Ambiance wise, the place looked very bright (for the shades were pulled up), and it actually looked better than during the night-time.
We started off with drinks, and I asked for Peach & Apricot Milkshake. A while later I also ordered for a Litchi Iced Tea.
Peach & Apricot Milkshake
Litchi Iced Tea
The milkshake was creamy and the flavour was perfect. While it was a little too sweet for my liking, it was still a great shake. The Litchi Iced Tea was absolutely perfect and one of the best iced tea I’ve ever had.
Mushroom Soup
Next I asked for the Mushroom Soup. This again was very thick and creamy, and tasted excellent. I loved the strong mushroom flavour.
While other foodie friends ordered a lot of meat starters, I asked for Veg. Pizza Pockets (Panzarotti) and Saffron Arancini.
Veg. Pizza Pockets
Saffron Arancini
It is well-known that the service at Olive Bistro is slow, but the fact that it took close to an hour for these to be served was quite disappointing. Furthering adding to my misery (and hunger), neither of them tasted any good; the Pizza Pockets had barely any filling in them with no sight of cheese, while the Arancini stuffing seemed uncooked. I was really hungry and craving for food and that was the only reason I gulped them without any qualms.
Everyone at the table wanted to try The All Veg on a Thin Crust pizza, so.
The All Veg Pizza on a Thin Crust
The pizza was served in reasonable time (surprisingly) and was bigger than what was served the last time I was here. While the crust was neat, I was not really satisfied with the pizza for it tasted pretty bland and there was barely any cheese.
For the main course, I ordered Roast Almond & Creamed Spinach Ravioli.
Roasted Almost & Creamed Spinach Ravioli
For some reason I was expecting this to be served in a creamy sauce, but it was in fact served in a dry tomato sauce. While it tasted alright, the ravioli stuffing was also pretty dry and I could neither taste the almonds nor the creamed spinach. Not the best ravioli.
To finish the meal, on recommendation, I ordered for OB Signature Profiteroles.
OB Signature Profiteroles
While Profiteroles were not something I would have ordered in general (for I would have preferred something more creamy), these tasted pretty good and crunchy.
Overall, while few items tasted good, it wasn’t a great meal altogether. I was more or less disappointed with the starters and the main course items, so it actually a disappointing meal. To add to that, the service was pathetic. If I were paying for the meal (not a tasting session), I would have probably stormed out of the place for such lethargic service. The restaurant might have a huge fan following and tons of regular customers, but it can definitely count me out of that list for I don’t think I’d be coming back to this place in the near future again even if it is a tasting session.
Food: 7/10
Service: 5.5/10
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Meal for 1: N/A
Here’s another restaurant with raving reviews I’ve been wanting to visit for a while. I’ve been told that this place is always busy, especially over the weekends, so I called in on Friday to reserve a table for lunch either for Saturday or Sunday. I was turned down for they were already full. I again called in on Saturday morning and was told the same, but they suggested to try walking in. Taking my chances, I reached AB’s a little after they opened for the day, and was seated in a jiffy at a table for two in between the buffet and the wish grill without any hassle. Surprisingly, the place was full by then itself. The interiors of the restaurant were good, and I was pretty impressed with the overall ambiance of the place.
The initial few minutes were lull, and it took a while for someone to attend to me. After about ten minutes, the griller was placed on my table, and everything was in place for a long meal.
Crispy Corn
First came Crispy Corn. Though they tasted good, I would have preferred them to be hot and more crispy.
Stuffed Mushroom, Cuban Cottage Cheese, and Cuban Grilled Veggies
Then came the grills: Stuffed Mushroom in Tamarillo Sauce, Mama’s Caribbean Cottage Cheese and Cuban Grilled Vegetables. The grilled veggies mostly had peppers with corn on the cob, which tasted decent. The paneer was really soft and tasted yum along with the condiments, especially the mango and chilli sauces.
Yummy Condiments
But the best of the lot happened to be Stuffed Mushrooms. They were perfectly grilled and had the right amount of seasoning to make them delicious. I’ve said this often, but these were some of the best I’ve had in recent while. Yum!!
Blue Curacao
While I hogged on 3-4 skewers of paneer and mushrooms, I was offered a choice of complimentary drink as part of their first anniversary. I chose Blue Curacao Mocktail which turned out to be pretty good.
Falafel in Pita Bread
Then came Falafel with Humus in Pita Pocket. This was a disappointment as the Falafel turned out to be hard, and the pita too wasn’t great. I informed the floor chef about the same, and he got me a hotter one, which turned out to be better, but still not the best.
American Cheesy Potatoes
Next, the final starter of the day’s menu was served: American Cheesy Potato. These turned out to be more or less the same as what I had at Aao Khao a couple of weeks ago; aloo tikkis with spicy cheesy sauce. While the sauce was good, the tikkis weren’t really up to the mark for they were pretty hard and undercooked.
Grilled Pineapple
Apart from the five listed starters, there also happened to be Grilled Pineapple which turned out to be toothsome!
Honey Chilly Fries
Post my feedback about the Falafel and Potatoes, the floor chef offered to serve me some off the menu starters. First came in Honey Chilly Potato Fries which turned out to be pretty good. However, I would have preferred them to be more crispy and spicy.
Crispy Cheese Rolls
Finally, he served me some Crispy Cheese Rolls which turned out to be really good. The paper-thin crust almost melt in my mouth with every bite; yummy!
I hadn’t even started on the main course, but was almost stuffed. After a small break, I headed out to the wish-grill.
Wish-grill Veggies
Wish-grill Sauces
At first, I had no clue on what exactly I was supposed to do, but soon understood that I had to choose from the choice of vegetables, rice or noodles, and pick a sauce for them to be tossed/grilled with. I choose some veggies with noodles and Szechuan Basil sauce (which in itself was delectable). I was given a paper coupon, and a few moments later, the dish was served on my table.
Wish-grill
This looked really good, and tasted equally yum. The chef had added some more veggies apart from my choice, but I didn’t really care for it turned out to be a delicious dish! If I weren’t stuffed, I would have liked to try another combination with a different sauce.
After two hours of munching, it was time to head to the buffet. Ironically, I just had a taste everything for my tummy wouldn’t take any more food for the day.
Salad Counter
Though the salad counter looked good, I decided to skip it.
Taco Twist Soup
The Taco Twist Soup looked and sounded good, so decided to give it a shot. It actually tasted very different from regular soups, in a good way.
Buffet Offerings
They had Lahori Paneer, Vegetable Jalfrezi, Corn ka Bharta, Kala Dum Aloo, Rasgulle ki Sabzi and Dal Makhni as part of their Indian offerings. The Paneer tasted very good while the rest were decent. Worth mention is the Rasgulle ki Sabzi which had yummy Rasgullas in a creamy sauce; not what you expect, but it actually turned out to be a pretty good experiment. The Dal also turned out to be delicious. They also had Biryani which was, like in any buffet, mediocre. They had Thai Green Curry which was too thin and lacked flavour. The Butter Naan served along was soft and good.
I couldn’t eat any more, I was done. But wait, I still had to taste the desserts. Why god, why!? 😛
Desserts
They again had a huge offering and I decided to have a taste of everything; all of them turned out to be succulent.
Black-forest Ice-cream
And I ended my laborious meal with a Black Forest ice-cream which was made with loads of nuts; yummilicious!
After three hours, I was done eating. No wonder it’s so difficult to find a table at this place for everyone would just settle down for hours. I ate to my heart’s content after a long time, and how much did it cost? 560 bucks? That’s it, seriously? This is probably the best value for money meal I’ve come across in a long time in Hyderabad. Add to that some personalized service, and you’re in for some pampering. Yes, not all items were great but who cares when most of their huge offering are excellent. It’s a meal worth every penny. Give it a shot if you haven’t yet, and make sure you walk in with a good appetite.
Place: Deli 9
Location: Road No. 1, Banjara Hills
Cuisine: Global, Bakery
Meal: Dinner (with couple of friends)
Deli 9 is currently having a Global Burger and Cheesecake Festival, and few of my vegetarian foodie friends suggested that we drop by to give try their veggie offerings. For some reason, I’ve never visited Deli 9 thus far cos I’ve perceived it as a high-priced cafe for the rich folks, an opinion I formed ages ago after one visit to Fusion 9. Back then, this was one of the only expensive deli’s in town, but given that you spend 300-400 for a Burger at any other restaurant in town today, it doesn’t look so bad after all. So here we were at the Banjara Hills outlet which has pretty good ambiance.
While waiting for our fellow foodies to arrive, a couple of us ordered Crusty Garlic Foccacia with Cheese, and four pieces of cheesy garlic bread were served in about 10 minutes.
Garlic Foccacia with Cheese
These happened to be the best garlic bread I’ve had in the recent past for the bread was perfectly baked and had the right amount of garlic and cheese. If this was anything to go by, we were in for an amazing meal.
Once everyone arrived, we ordered one each of their veggie offerings for the Burger festival – a Veggie 9 Burger, Japanese Ramen Burger and a Lebanon Chickpeas Burger. It took forever for the burgers to be served but we weren’t really complaining. Each burger was served along with exactly six Potato Wedges. I was hoping some kinda dipping sauce or salad, but there was none.
Veggie 9 Burger
The Veggie 9 Burger had a decent patty sandwiched between multi-grain bread, with some lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and a slice of cheese. The patty was good, however, it was kinda dry and didn’t seem really fresh. While it wasn’t the best burger, it wasn’t a bad bet.
Japanese Ramen Burger
The Ramen Burger looked puny in comparison with others for the bread was replaced with sautéed noodles, and was served with the same veggie patty. While the combination did taste good, the noodles, though well done, were kinda oily which resulted in an oily after taste.
Lebanon Chickpeas Burger
The Chickpea burger had a patty served in between burnt pita bread along with hummus and finely shredded lettuce. Apart from being burnt on one side, the pita bread was really soggy and tasted terrible. The hummus too had no flavour and was more like a chutney. The biggest disappointment of the evening thus far!
And ya, the potato wedges were among the worst ever for they were dripping oil and had no flavour or seasoning – they were deep-fried potato pieces, period.
Now come the best part of our meal – the cheesecakes. They had 9 different offerings but none seemed appealing. We decided to share a Nutella Cheesecake and a Lemon Cheesecake.
Nutella Cheesecake
First off, the Nutella Cheesecake didn’t look like a cheesecake. It was more like a gooey brownie and tasted exactly like that. Why call it a cheesecake, I’ll never understand. It was too sweet for my liking (because of the Nutella), and overall an average piece of cake.
Lemon Set Cheesecake
The Lemon Cheesecake happened to be a piece of rubber and disgrace on the name of cheesecake. Hoping that it had gone stale and that was the reason it tasted bad, I informed the waiter about the same. In response, I was told that it was supposed to be like that for it was a set cheesecake. Brilliant. I actually can’t believe that they serve something so terrible for 150 bucks, and have an excuse for it. It was taken back when I complained about the taste; I was hoping for a replacement, but there was none.
A meal which actually started of pretty well turned out to be a disaster with every item. Forget the burgers, if a place serves this kinda cheesecakes during a supposed festival, then there’s something terribly wrong. The Burgers too weren’t anything special and spending 195 bucks for each of them while the regular one was available for 115 is purely our mistake. The service too was exceedingly slow. A meet at the adjacent Karachi Bakery would have been more fruitful (and pocket friendly).
The festival is still on if you’d like to experience it (till October 30). Good luck!
Place: Fremmy Location: Opp. Rainbow Hospital, Road No. 10, Banjara Hills Cuisine: Global Meal: Lunch (with my cousin)
There was a foodies meet at Fremmy last Sunday and I dropped in with my cousin. I’ve been wanting to try this place for a while now, so here was an opportunity. It’s a small do, with about 5-6 tables, and open kitchen. It actually gives you a feel of walking into a Subway, with a similar concept in store – make your own food.
As part of the meet, there was a special deal where we were to get either a pizza or burrito, a donut and a drink for 200 bucks. We were handed out a piece of paper with all the options for the make yourself pizza or burrito. We chose for a pizza with garlic base, basic veggies and Paneer in Pesto sauce as an additional topping. For the burrito, we asked for Dal Makhni, veggies and Schezwan Paneer. Do note that the burrito served here is very Indianized.
The burrito was served in about 10 minutes and looked very different from what I expected. I knew it was gonna be served in a bowl (ya, not a roll), but still, the concept of serving rice with separated toppings on top didn’t feel like a burrito. What’s worse, it actually looked very different from the burrito served to other foodies. I expected the toppings to be mixed at the least. On taste front though, it tasted alright. The Dal Makhni wasn’t that great by itself, but with the rice and along with the toppings, was good. My cousin loved the rice.
Because of the huge gathering (thanks to the meet), there was some confusion with our pizza and it took a little longer than expected to be served.
The thin crust pizza looked like a set of crackers put together, topped with cheese and veggies. And it tasted exactly like a cracker. I absolutely loved the crust for it was very different from any pizza I’ve tasted before. I would have preferred for more base sauce, but it was still a yummy pizza.
We were served with Blue Curacao for the drinks which were good. We bought our Donuts (Almond and Chocolate) home, and they were actually very good, especially the almond donut. It was creamy and yummilicious.
Overall, a decent meal. It looks like the guys are still settling in and it might take a while before they get everything right, but worth a visit for sure. Everything is priced reasonably as well. They need a better exhaust system for the place got stuffy after a while. Give it a shot for their pizza and donuts and lemme know how it goes. 🙂
Food: 8/10
Service: 7.5/10
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Meal for 2: Rs. 400/- (as part of the deal)
