Year: 2012

Via Milano | Restaurant Review

Place: Via Milano 
Location: Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills 
Cuisine: Italian 
Meal: Lunch (with a friend)

After hearing a lot, and I mean a lot about this place, I was finally here for lunch on my birthday. We walked in into this bright restaurant, well-lit from the sunshine outside. On first look, I liked the place and the ambiance. It was quite full for a weekday and we were seated at a table for four in a corner, next to the bar. We had to move to a different one soon, for I had accidentally spilled water on the table.

We were offered a menu for the Executive Lunch, which was basically a fixed menu which included a drink, starter, an entrée and a desert. For 500 bucks (vegetarian), it seemed very reasonable, so we opted for it.

The moment we placed the order, a bread basket was served along with Olive oil, Vinegar, Chopped Tomatoes and Garlic sauce. The bread was fresh, and the garlic sauce was awesome. It was definitely the best I’ve had in recent times. Finger licking good!

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For the drinks, I picked Surf Song (Pineapple juice, Lychee juice, Coconut milk, Blue Curacao) and my friend had a Winter Breeze (Cranberry juice, Melon syrup, sweet and sour). The Surf Song was served in a Margarita glass and was very good. The other drink was served in a wine glass, half filled (as much as you see in the pic). It tasted just like regular Cranberry juice, nothing great. I was very disappointed with the quantity.

For the starters we had Fried Buffalo Mozzarella and Zucchini Rolls, with a tomato sauce, and Panzarotties filled with spinach, ricotta cheese and nuts served with a spicy tomato and pesto sauce.

The cheese and zucchini rolls were very well presented. The quantity though was minimal (It was the same for the rest of the meal, so I wouldn’t mention it again). The taste though was exceptional. The cheese was very good and was melting in my mouth. They tasted great with the yummy garlic sauce.

The Panzarotties tasted very good, crunchy, and I loved the spicy sauce served along.

For the main course, it was Spaghetti in a cream and tomato sauce, with herbs and sautéed vegetables, and Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli on fresh oregano scented light tomato sauce.

The Spaghetti’s quantity was much better than the rest. It was good and had a strong tomato flavor to it. I would have preferred it to be more creamy.

The Ravioli tasted pretty much like the Panzarotties. The sauce was creamy and yum.

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Finally, for deserts, we picked a Tiramisu with Italian Mascarpone cheese, Lavazza Espresso  and Rum, and a White and Dark Chocolate Mousse Terrine. The Mousse was excellent. The Tiramisu was good as well, but had loads of rum in it, too strong for me.

Though I was full, unable to stop my temptation to have a pizza (since I’ve heard that these guys serve really good pizzas), ordered a Quattro Formaggi (tomato sauce and four types of Italian cheese; mozzarella, parmesan, goat cheese and gorgonzola).

After having small portions of everything, was first impressed by the size of the pizza (I am guessing it was a good 12″). The crust was good, sauce perfect, but I thought the cheese was a lil too strong. It had an after taste which was quite weird. Though I liked it, I still prefer the 100 Degrees or the Viva Italia pizza.

Overall, a sumptuous meal. I loved the concept of the executive lunch. Though the quantities could have been way better, it was good enough to make you walk out without feeling stuffed. The ambiance is great, service was pretty good as well, except that it took unusually long periods of time for the food to be served (not that we had a problem with it). I liked the way they presented their food, and the food in itself was pretty yummy. It would now be tough to choose between this place and Little Italy.

I’d suggest you give the place a try. Who knows, you might have a new favorite restaurant in town! 🙂

Food: 9/10
Service: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Meal for 2: Rs. 1555/- (Including the pizza)

Verdict: 9/10

Viva Italia | Restaurant Review

Place: Viva Italia 
Location: Ground floor, White House, Next to Lifestyle Building, Begumpet 
Cuisine: Italian 
Meal: Dinner

I’ve read good things about this place on Zomato, and was looking forward to try it out. And when I finally did, loved it so much that I returned in a span of a week. The first time around, I dropped in with a friend. It’s a small little stall located towards the exit of the White House building, with a couple of tables laid out.

The menu was quite huge and everything was very reasonably priced. It’s more of a self-service kinda place, so we ordered a Garden Fresh pizza and a Veg Alfredo pasta with Spaghetti, sat at one of the table and watched our pizza being rolled out from scratch. In about ten minutes, the pizza was served in a take-away box. It was a probably an 9″ thin crust pizza, and looked tempting. And trust me when I say this, it was heavenly!! It was very well-baked, the veggies really crunchy, and the cheese was just awesome. My only problem was it being served in the box, which made the crust soggy (because of the steam). Otherwise, the best pizza I’ve had in Hyderabad. The best compliment probably would be when my friend from Lithuania, Europe, said it tasted like pizza at home.

Next came the pasta in a small plastic container. It was cheesy, cheesy and more cheesy, just like I wanted it to be. On the down side, I though the spaghetti was a little under cooked, and  that there was too much Basil, which gave it a very strong flavor. Even then, it was yum!!

We ended our meal with an ice cream from Sweet Chill, their other venture. We had Mango and Chocochip, both of which were amazing.

I was so in love, here I was again four days later, this time alone. And ordered the same pizza, minus capsicum, plus olives. I wanted to try something more, so also ordered a Chilly Cheese Tomato Toast.

Again, in about ten minutes, the pizza was served, and looked as yummy as the last time. But I found that the crust was a little under-cooked, and the co-owner was more than happy to replace it for me when I pointed it out. In the mean time, my toast was served.

The toast was served in silver foil, and looked quite heavy. And again, trust me when I say this, it was one of the best sandwich I’ve had in Hyderabad. For 30 bucks, it was an awesome deal. It was cheesy, well-toasted, and had a nice flavor. Yum!!

And then came my pizza, this time crispy. It tastes delicious, as good as the last time!!

Overall, an excellent find. Amazing Italian food, easy on the pocket. The ambiance is pretty neat, and the service, if you can call it that, is very good. The owner was around most of the time, was very friendly, and made sure that every customer was satisfied. The desert place next door is also very good.

I now have a new favorite pizza place in town. And guess what, it’s very affordable!!!

Food: 9.5/10
Service: 9.5/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Meal for 2: Rs. 210/- (Pizza and Pasta)
Meal for 1: Rs. 140 (Pizza and Toast)

Verdict: 9.5/10

Haveli | Restaurant Review

Place: Haveli 
Location: My Home Tycoon (Lifestyle Building), Begumpet 
Cuisine: Indian 
Meal: Dinner (with friends)

Met a couple of friends for dinner at Haveli the other night. I’ve heard a lot about this place, but never really tied it out so far. The restaurant was dimly lit and I liked the ambiance. We sat at a corner table, and the guy was after us for the order from the moment we sat down.

Looking down the menu, I was pretty impressed with the variety, especially the prices. Almost everything was very reasonably priced. My friends ordered Strawberry Milkshakes and Cold Coffee for themselves, while I ordered a Fruit Punch. It was served in about ten minutes in a small glass. It tasted alright, but the quantity seemed very less.

For the main course, we ordered a Shahi Paneer, Aloo Gobi and Butter Naans.

The food was served in reasonable time. The Shahi Paneer was creamy and the gravy tasted good, but the paneer was horrible. They were thinly cut and then deep-fried, and this made them very saggy and chewy. For a second, I wondered if it was chicken for it was so chewy. That apart, the curry was fine.

I normally don’t prefer having something like Aloo Gobi at restaurants, but the one here was excellent. The curry was very well cooked, both Aloo and Gobi had a very nice flavor, and the gravy was yum. I was licking my plate towards the end.

The Butter Naan was soft and very well-baked.

For rice, we went a little offbeat, and ordered Sambar Rice, which turned out to be a very good choice. It was as good as homemade sambar rice, with lots of vegetables and nice flavor. Only a papad was missing.

Overall, a very good meal. Except for the paneer, everything else was tasty. The service was pretty decent as well. The quantity of food was impressive. For the prices and quantity, this place could be your next adda. Give it a shot.

Food: 8.5/10
Service: 8/10
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Meal for 4: Rs 799/-

Verdict: 8.5/10

Ohri’s Banjara | Restaurant Review

Place: Ohri’s Banjara 
Location: Road No. 12, Banjara Hills 
Cuisine: Desserts 

After finishing our dinner at Veggies 365 the other night, me and my friend headed off to Ohri’s for some ice-cream. This place is an extension of the original Havmor, now changed to Ohri’s Eatmore at Basheerbagh, one of the oldest ice-cream places in town, also famous for their excellent Chole Batura. So here we were to try some of their yummy deserts.

I was more in a mood to have an ice-cream shake than an ice-cream itself, so ordered myself a mighty Big Chill, and my friend ordered the classic Tutti-Fruitti.

The Tutti-Fruitty was served first in about ten minutes. It had scoops of Pista, Strawberry and Vanilla ice-creams, with different fruits at the bottom, topped with jelly and different sauces. Awesome!!

The Big Chill has been one of my favorite shakes for a long time. Its Chocolate Cold Coffee served with Vanilla ice-cream, with chunks of Brownie, topped off with whipped cream, served in a very tall glass. The combination is heavenly. The quantity is so good that you’ll have to struggle to finish it. Let me warn you that it might be an overdose of chocolate!

Overall, yummy stuff. The ambiance is nice, and you can relax for as long as you want. The service is pretty good as well. If only Ohri’s didn’t tax you so much for the deserts turned out to be more expensive than the dinner. But still, go try the Big Chill now!!

Desserts: 9.5/10
Service: 8/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Damage: Rs. 320/-

Verdict: 9/10

Titanic (3D) | Movie Review

Now how does one rate a classic like Titanic?? I was 11 years old when the movie first released and I still remember the first time I went to watch it. I barely had any knowledge about movies back then, but the sheer grandeur and brilliance of this movie made me watch it a billion times over and over!! (Twice in the last five days in 3D!!)

After working on action classics like The Terminator, Rambo, Aliens and True Lies, James Cameron comes up with one of the best romantic, epic movies of all times. The way he adds fiction to the true story is absolutely brilliant. The script is too long, dialogues a little cheesy, screenplay a tad slow, but the whole package together is so beautiful that you end up falling in love with the movie. Bottom line, I’m no one to talk about this man.

Twenty-two year old Kate Winslet looks gorgeous as Rose DeWitt Bukate, and plays her role to perfection. Her performance in the climax is so bloody haunting that I have goosebumps even now thinking about it. Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal as Jack Dawson is one of his best works to date. The chemistry between them is probably the finest you will ever see on-screen. The rest of the cast, Billy Zane, Bill Paxton, Kathy Bates, Victor Garber, and every other actor, is excellent. It’s a shame that it didn’t win any Oscars for acting!

Cinematography by Russell Carpenter is absolutely splendid. The way he captured the romantic moments between Rose and Jack in the first half, and the disastrous sinking in the latter half is terrific. It is one of the best work on cinematography I’ve seen to date. Editing by James Cameron, Conrad Buff IV and Richard A. Harris is perfect. Music by James Horner is absolutely brilliant. Be it the foot tapping Irish music for the real party under-decks, the musicians playing till the last-minute before the sink, or the ever loved “My Heart Will Go On”, master-pieces!!

James Cameron spent over a year with 300 people to digitally remaster the 1997 version into 3D. And the effort pays off, for it was fantastic to watch this masterpiece on big screen again. The 3D effect wasn’t so great, but seriously, who cares?? It’s TITANIC!! 3D or not, go re-live this magnum opus all over again!

Verdict: NA

 

Racha | Movie Review

RachaWhoa, what a movie!! Splendid is not the word. Racha is one of the best movies I’ve seen so far this year. In one sentence, Racha picha racha ga undi!!

Director Sampath Nandi had a very good script at hand, and he was able to get all aspects of film making right. Tamanna looked gorgeous and she performed to her best. Brahmanandam was simply superb with his comedy, and the rest of the cast, including Geeta, who played Tamanna’s mom, were superb. But the undoubted star of the movie was Ram Charan. He was simply extraordinary. His dances and fights were excellent. He looked like Chiranjeevi in most shots and his dialogue delivery was brilliant.

Excellent music, awesome fights, superb cinematography and best editing, Ram Charan definitely has a winner at hand. It’s a splendid movie. Don’t miss it!!

Verdict: NA

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People who are happy with the review, please do not read any further. It’s a humble request!!

The rest, read on…

I have to admit this, what a film! If I had no brains, this definitely would have been a classic. Thank god for I am still sane and haven’t lost it yet!

Firstly, I’d like to know if the director Sampath Nandi is an educated man. If so, is he from this generation, or is he re-living in his after life?? Cos in my opinion, no sensible man would try to make such kind of dumb-ass pathetic movie. The story made no absolute sense, and the screenplay was horrendous. The best part for me was when, out of the blue, our villain arranges for traps and Ninja warriors in a jungle in AP, minutes after discovering where our hero is. I mean how did he even do that?? Wow!!

Ram Charan, where do I even start?? Ok, his dances are pretty good, but someone needs to tell this moron (spare my words), that his dances alone are not going to make him a mega power star or what ever he’s called. Trust me, if he weren’t Chiranjeevi’s son (who happens to be one of my favorite “actors”), this guy wouldn’t even get to be hero’s sidekick. Maghadeera was a hit because of Rajamouli, not this jackass.

The whole cast was absolutely wasted. Senior artists like Bramhanadam, Ali, Kota, Geeta, Mukesh Rushi, Nassar all looked like idiots. Cinematography by Sameer Reddy was alright (thank god for that), but editing by Gowtham Raju was pathetic. It’s the worst editing I’ve seen so far, for the scene changed on most occasions even without the artiste completing his or her dialogue. Dialogues bu Paruchri Brothers are a disaster. And music?? It was a relief, trust me, to have songs barging in into the script without any reason. Except for “Vaana Vaana” song, the rest were alright (Even third grade remixes are better than the one used in the movie).

Overall, a disaster. If this film is declared a hit (which I believe it is), I can’t imagine what will happen to the Telugu industry in the future.

Verdict: 4.5/10

I give this film a 4.5, for it made me laugh my lungs out on most occasions. The sheer stupidity was a pleasure to watch!! 

There will not be any further detailed review about this movie. I’ve already wasted enough time on this!! 

PS: The god’s did show mercy on me for I dared to watch this film. They not only got me a free ticket, but a cola, refreshments and additional 100 rupees!!

Veggies 365 | Restaurant Review

Place: Veggies 365 
Location: Madhapur Main Road 
Cuisine: Indian 
Meal: Dinner (with a friend)

Having heard good things about this place in the recent past, decided to go give it a try, and was here with a friend on a weekday. The place was very bright, and had nice interiors. It was pretty empty, but for one other table occupied and we seated ourself in a corner.

The staff seemed pretty courteous and nice. They gave us our time to choose from their small yet vast menu. I was tempted to have a go at almost everything in there, but finally decided to go try the Delhi Belly Thali and Rajma Chawal (together). We also ordered a Lassi.

In about ten minutes, a huge thali with Paneer Sabji, Mixed Vegtable, Dal Makhani, a butter Naan, Roti, a bowl of white rice, Raitha, Salad and Gulab Jamoon was served. It looked quite a meal. The Paneer Subji was good (the paneer wasn’t fresh), Mixed Vegetable was excellent, and the Dal was too thin, but alright. The Roti was little hard, the Naan was soft and very good. The Jamoon was yum.

For Rajma Chawal, I expected it to be pre-mixed, but it wasn’t. The Rajma was a little too thin, but otherwise excellent. The rice could have been of better quality though.

The Lassi was served in a small glass, not chilled, and was very sour.

Overall, except for the Lassi, the rest of the meal was very good. I was very impressed with the price and the quantity of the food served. The service was very good, and so was the ambiance. This is one place I am definitely coming back to. Give it a shot!!

Food: 8.5/10
Service: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Meal for 2: Rs. 230/-

Verdict: 8.5/10

Shanghai Chef | Restaurant Review

Place: Shanghai Chef 
Location: Madhapur Main Road, Next to Hyderabad House 
Cuisine: Chinese, Thai 
Meal: Dinner

Last weekend, met some guys from couchsurfing and we then decided to eat Chinese at Mainland China. On the way, we changed plans and instead dropped in at Shanghai Chef in Madhapur. The place had nice interiors, and the ambiance was pretty neat. It was quite crowded, but we (a group of five), found a table without having to wait.

Once seated, it took forever for the waiter to attend to us. After a long wait, he was ready to take our order. We were doing individual orders; I had a Virgin Pina Colada (coconut milk and Pineapple juice) to drink and Vegetable Dim sums to start with. I wanted to have their Basil Fried rice, but after 15 minutes of placing the order, the guy comes out and tells me that they had no Basil. So went for the Pad Thai Noodles.

The Pina Colada was good, but very sweet for my taste.

The Dim Sums were boring. They were well cooked (steamed), but tasted bland. We asked for some Chilly Garlic sauce, but all we got was Coconut Mint chutney.

After another long wait, the Noodles were served. Thankfully, they tasted good. The noodles were well cooked and the veggies had nice flavor to them, a bit spicy, yet perfect. The quantity served was also good.

Overall, it was a decent meal, but the service was horrible. Initially, it was understandable for the place was full, but even after it got empty, it was the same. The pricing was decent, and so was the quantity, but for the horrendous service, I might not be coming back to this place for a long time.

Food: 8/10
Service: 4/10
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Meal for 5: Rs.  1540/-

Verdict: 6.5/10

Arena – Taj Deccan | Restaurant Review

Place: Arena 
Location: Taj Deccan, Rd. No. 1, Banjara Hills 
Cuisine: Multi-cuisine 
Meal: Dinner (with amma)

When I got a Taj voucher from Zomato, decided to go take amma out for dinner. So here we were on a Thursday evening. We could choose from any restaurant at Taj Deccan, and we zeroed on the 24 hour cafe, Arena.

The moment we entered, we were given the choice of either going for the lavish buffet or a-la-carte. Neither of us were really hungry, so we decided to order from the menu. I had gone through their menu online before hand, and so it was easy to order. Ordered a Tandoori Malai Aloo for starter, Veg Club Sandwich for amma, and Fungi e Panna (mushroom and cheese) pasta for myself.

It took forever and I mean forever for the food to be served, not that we had an issue, but it was kinda getting annoying after a while. Finally, instead of getting the starters alone, he brought all the food at once.

I was kinda disappointed with the quantity of Aloo served. It was supposed to be potatos stuffed with dry fruits and nuts cooked in clay oven, but all I found were roasted baby potatoes. No nuts, no dry fruits. Thankfully, they were well cooked, and tasted good with the Mint chutney served along. But still, a let down!

The Sandwich looked good, and the french fries tasted yum. I asked for some mayonnaise and ketchup (which again took a while to be served), and with a mix of both, amma enjoyed the sandwich with grilled vegetables.

I asked for my pasta to be cheesy, but forgot to mention that I wanted spaghetti. It didn’t look cheesy, but was yum. The penne was perfectly cooked, the sauce was kinda dry, but still tasty. The bread served along though was very very hard though.

Overall, the food wasn’t anything great, but me and amma had a very good time thanks to the perfect ambiance. It was quite and peaceful and we sat there almost for 3 hours. The service was very slow, and you definitely expect better stuff at Taj. The food was over-priced as expected and the quantity was not that great either. Nevertheless, for the ambiance, I’d give it what I give. 🙂

Food: 7.5/10
Service: 6/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Meal for 2: Rs. 1240/-

Verdict: 7.5/10

PS: Thanks Zomato for the voucher!! 🙂

Chutneys | Restaurant Review

Place: Chutneys 
Location: Nagarjuna Circle 
Cuisine: South-Indian 
Meal: Brunch 

First review of Chutneys!

On a Sunday afternoon, decided to go hog at Chutneys with a friend. She couldn’t make it for some reason, so here I was alone, ready to dig in. I sat on the ground floor this time around. For a Sunday morning, the place was quite full.

As always, was tempted to have everything off their menu, but finally decided on Poori-Upma. In about 10 minutes, the usual four Chutneys – Coconut, Ginger, Groundnut and Roasted Chickpea were served, and then came my Poori-Upma.

I had the same thing last time around, but couldn’t resist having it again for I remember it being yummy. The Poori’s were a little oily, but very good, and the Upma was delicious. Again, ghee was oozing out with every bite. Of the two curries served along, the dry Aloo curry was too bland, while the wet Aloo curry with Besan was good.

Of the Chutneys, Roasted Chickpea and Ginger were my favorite.

Last time, I complained that I did not like their Sambar, for which I got quite a bit of slack. So this time around, I tried it patiently, and found it to be delicious. I realized that I never really appreciated it so much for it’s always served piping hot, and so burnt my tongue every single time. I don’t remember having such good Sambar anywhere else other than the good-old Shanbhag. Yumm.

Unable to resist my temptation to eat more, I next ordered a Mushroom Masala Dosa.

Another 10 minutes, and here it was. The dosa wasn’t as crispy as I expected it to be, and I found that it was not cooked properly. The masala inside was good, but I was kinda unhappy with the dosa itself.

Overall, a good meal with a slightly disappointing end. A perfect Dosa would have made it an excellent brunch, but it was not to be so. But no matter how the Dosa was, I shall be returning back to this place again. It is on the expensive side, but worth it once in a while. Have you tried it yet??

Food: 8/10
Service: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Meal for 1: Rs. 237/- (This could in fact be counted as a meal for 2 :P)

Verdict: 8.5/10