2014 | - Page 9

Hazzel Ice Cream Cafe | Restaurant Review

Place: Hazzel Ice Cream Cafe
Location: Near Peddamma Temple, Road No. 10, Jubilee Hills
Cuisine: Desserts, Fast Food
Meal: Ice Cream (with friends)

Met a couple of friends the other night, and after hogging on the last order at Maharaja Chat, decided to stop by at Hazzel for ice cream. I was the one who dragged them here, thanks to the reviews. Walking in at around 11:30 PM, we were surprised to find the place packed. The ambiance is pretty neat, with the place is brightly lit. We sat in a corner, and waited for someone to hand us a menu.

After about 10 minutes, we were handed a pretty badly torn menu (one menu for 3 people). The first few pages were filled with food items (I thought this was an ice cream corner :|). We finally found the page with the ice cream offerings, and there were quite a few. After a long discussion, we finally decided on a Sticky Chewy Chocolate, Chocolate Almond Fudge and Chocolate and Cream.

It took forever, and I mean forever for the ice cream to be served. And this wait was even more painful as the guy at the counter was mashing ice creams (aka Cold Stone style) so loudly that we couldn’t hear each other across the table. He could have bought a building down with the amount of sound pollution. Anyways, after about 15 minutes, the first ice cream was served.

The Sticky Chewy Chocolate it was, and it was just alright. It had some gooey chocolate sauce along with chocolate ice cream and a couple of brownie chunks. It was a decent ice cream, but nothing memorable.

After another 10 minute wait, the Chocolate Almond Fudge was served. My friend asked for some caramel sauce on this one, but there was none. This tasted similar to the first ice cream, with the gooey chocolate replaced by very little fudge. Again, nothing special.

After an hour since we entered the place, my ice-cream, the easiest one to make of them all, Chocolate and Cream was finally served (My friends had almost finished their ice-creams by now). This one looked great, and the cream tasted yum. However, the chocolate fudge on the bottom was very very sweet, and spoilt the entire ice cream when dug into. The chocolate ice cream and cream were the only palatable items.

Overall, a disappointment. None of the ice cream were out of this world good, and the noise at the place was a huge put off. I read a couple of reviews calling this place economical and pocket friendly, but I wouldn’t agree. For 500 bucks, I could have had close to 10 Kwality Walls or Amul ice creams. But for the hype and the noise, there’s nothing special about this place.

Another place with raving reviews, another disappointment!

Desserts: 7/10
Service: 4/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Price for 3: Rs 494/-

Verdict: 6/10

K&C Bakers & Confectioners | Restaurant Review

Place: K&C Bakers & Confectioners (The Original King and Cardinal Bakery)
Location: Himayat Nagar X Roads
Cuisine: Bakers, Fast Food
Meal: Dinner

There are tons of places boasting to serve the best burger in Hyderabad, but nothing beats the ones you get at the original King and Cardinal Bakery. Forget Universal, Pick and Move, Big Byte, the burgers here are, wait-for-it, legendary!

The bakery has been split into two in the last few years, with another branch located two building next to it (which is called King and Cardinal). The newer place has better ambiance, and is a tad bit expensive than K&C, and their burgers are equally good. But I’d prefer the original K&C any day, which is on a lower ground compared to the newer place on every front but for the taste.

For 50 bucks, these guys serve a sumptuous and juicy burger (I know it’s weird calling a veggie burger juicy, but this one is, trust me). The patty is yum, and their mayonnaise is finger licking good, oozing out with every bite. The bun too is super soft and fluffy. Overall, an amazing burger experience.

If your love your burgers, K&C must be on top of your list. The place, service and ambiance aren’t great, but who cares when their burgers are awesome. Their pizza’s are pretty famous too, but I’ve never tasted one so far (maybe next time). As of now, go grab their burger!!

Food: 9.5/10
Service: 7.5/10
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Meal for 1: Rs. 50 /-

Verdict: 9.5/10

Edit:

I also tried out the Veggie Burger at the newer King and Cardinal, which has better ambiance. Priced the same, this burger gives close competition to the one at K&C, but is no where close to the original’s legendary taste.

Ram Ki Bandi | Restaurant Review

Place: Ram Tiffin Center (Ram Ki Bandi)
Location: Adj. lane to Arrow, Road No. 2, Banjara Hills
Cuisine: Indian Tiffins
Meal: Lunch

Update: Ram Ki Bandi, Banjara Hills, has now upgraded to an air-conditioned joint with ample seating, and is open all day long 🙂

Read on…

I’ve been reading and hearing some raving reviews of Ram Ki Bandi at Nampally for a long time now, but never got an opportunity to visit the place as it’s open only in the mornings, and is kinda far from my place. But now that they’ve opened a new branch at Banjara Hills, I wasn’t gonna stay put. On a weekday afternoon, here I was to hog.

This place serves Idly, Vada and their speciality, dosas. On ambiance front, its put up in a small hall with standing area, nothing great. Who cares about the ambiance when the food is finger licking good? Anyways, I ordered a Butter Paneer Dosa, and was served in about five minutes.

Ram Ki Bandi Restaurant Review — Paneer Masala Dosa

Having seen how the dosa was being made, with tons of butter and paneer, my mouth wouldn’t stop watering. I gulped it down piece by piece, and realized that all the reviews I’ve heard so far weren’t exaggerating (surprisingly). This dosa was simply yum. It was crispy, and the masala rubbed across with the butter and paneer gave it an amazing taste, while the chutney served along also was delicious. I absolutely loved the dosa, but was kinda disappointed with the size for it didn’t even fill half of my tummy. So now ordered a Butter Cheese Dosa, which turned out to be even better than the Paneer Dosa. Awesome stuff!

Having tasted some amazing dosas at Khau Galli, Ghatkopar (Mumbai), I’ve always been apprehensive of the kind and variety you get in Hyderabad. Ram Ki Bandi served something on par with the dosas you get at in Mumbai. I wish and hope they would increase their menu offerings (such as Spring Roll Dosa, etc.).

Give this place a try if you haven’t yet. It’s something every Hyderabadi must taste 🙂

Food: 9.5/10
Service: 9/10
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Meal for 1: Rs. 120/- (60 bucks for each dosa)

Verdict: 9/10

Manam | Movie Review

Manam

After a successful entertainer (Ishq), director Vikram Kumar has another winner at his hands, thanks to Akkineni family.

Manam is not a great film, for it has numerous flaws in terms of logic and reasoning. But it still works, only because it is earnest, and the effort on everyone’s part is sincere (which shows on-screen). The script is very clichéd, with reincarnation and all such stuff, but Vikram was able to put it all forth in a very effective manner (though it seemed a little unconvincing at times). He used humor to bring out the best from his cast. Though the screenplay was dragged quite a bit at times, it was still effective.

In reality, the film works not because of the script, but because of Nagarjuna, who is the real star of the movie. He is absolutely charming and came up with one of his best performances. He couldn’t have given a better send off gift to his father, legendary actor, ANR. Whilst ANR has limited screen presence, he entertains us to the fullest one last time. Chaitanya has improved as an actor, but I believe there is still a long way for him to go. Akhil impresses in his cameo. Both Shriya and Samantha have meaty roles, and they performed to their best. Samantha looked very pretty, while Shriya looked elegant. There’s not much of other cast, and I thought Brahmanandam and Ali were wasted.

On technical front, music by Anoop Rubens is a definite asset to the film. Background score is impressive as well. Cinematography by P. S. Vinod adds more color to this vibrant film, while editing by Prawin Pudi is decent. Dialogues by Vishnuvardhan are good. Production values by Akkineni family are excellent.

Is it worth your time and money??: Definitely. It’s a clean film and a perfect family entertainer. While it might seem a bit clichéd and little unconvincing at times, an earnest effort from the entire cast and crew make this film work. Nagarjuna is the major plus point, while watching ANR on silver screen for the last time is a bonus. Watch it with your family. 🙂

Worth mention: The scene in the second half with all three generations of the Akkineni family (and maybe even the climax).

Acting: 8.5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 8/10
Technical Aspects: 8.5/10

Verdict: 8.5/10

X-Men: Days of Future Past | Movie Review

X-Men

We finally have a sequel to X-Men: First Class, which combines elements from almost all the X-Men movies. Yay!

After directing the uninspiring Jack the Giant Slayer, Bryan Singer is back with what he does best, directing X-Men movies. Scripted by Simon Kinberg, Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman, there are number of subplots and loose end which needed to be taken care of in this one, and Singer does a great job (while there are still few minor unanswered questions). The screenplay is very impressive, especially during the climax where both the past and future are running in parallel. However, I thought the future episodes could have been better handled.

The movie has a huge casting lineup, and everyone performs their best. After five movies as Wolverine (and a special appearance in the sixth), it’s more of a cakewalk for Hugh Jackman. I sometimes wonder if he’s born to play Wolverine! James McAvoy and Micheal Fassbender carry on from where there left off in First Class, with Fassbender having much stronger screen presence. Jennifer Lawrence looked super hot and did great, while Peter Dinklage is good. The rest of the cast is perfect.

On technical front, music by John Ottman could have been better (I feel so especially after amazing score by Hans Zimmer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2). His editing work is pretty neat though (apparently most of Rogue’s scenes were cut out, I wonder why). Cinematography by Newton Thomas Sigel is good, but the 3D effects and visuals weren’t really upto the mark.

Is it worth your time and money??: This is definitely one of the best movies in the series, but I personally liked First Class better. It’s still a fun film, with a lot happening. While The Amazing Spider-Man 2 relied on visuals to get you engrossed, X-Men: Days of Future Past relies solely on its script, and doesn’t disappoint. It’d be nice if you catch up with other films so that you understand this one better. You’ll be fine otherwise too.

Worth mention: Quick Silver during the pentagon break episode, and the past and the future shots during the climax.

Acting: 8.5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 8.5/10
Technical Aspects: 8/10

Verdict: 8.5/10

Bikanervala | Restaurant Review

Place: Bikanervala
Location: Road No. 1, Banjara Hills
Cuisine: Indian, Buffet
Meal: Dinner (with amma and dad)

On Mother’s day, and my brother’s birthday, I decided to take amma and dad for dinner at my brother’s favorite restaurant in town, Kailash Parbat. Unfortunately though, after reaching Jubilee Hills, we realized that the place has been closed for a while. We then decided to finally give A’la Liberty a try. We reached there about 9:00 PM, and were surprised to find the restaurant totally packed, with an approximate waiting time of 90 minutes. Given that we were all hungry, we finally moved to Bikanervala, which had a minimal waiting time.

We decided to sit upstairs at the restaurant, which has better ambiance and is less crowded than the snack section downstairs. After waiting for about 10 minutes, we were seated at a table for five, right next to the buffet spread. Though we had initially planned on going for à la carte, I was tempted by the wide spread, so I alone opted for the buffet. Amma and dad ordered a Nargisi Kofta along with Masala Kulcha and Methi Paratha.

The food was served in about 10-15 minutes. The Nargisi Kofta looked really good, and tasted yum. The kofta ball was soft, full of paneer and nuts, while the gravy was thick and rich, with a nice spicy flavor to it. The Methi Paratha was alright while the Masala Kulcha was very good, with tons of butter on it. These guys also ordered an Aloo Paratha later on, and apparently, this wasn’t that good compared to the Kulcha.

Talking about the buffet which I hogged on, on this Sunday evening, they were serving Tomato Shorba and Sweet Corn Soup, along with Paneer Tikka, Baby Corn Honey Chilli (or something of that sort), and Veg Tikki/Kebab as starters. I opted for the shorba, and was immediately served the soup along with the starters.

The shorba was thin and didn’t taste great. I’ve had better Tomato Shorbas in my life. Of the starters, the paneer was very fresh and tasted good, while the baby corn needed more spice to be flavorful. The kebabs were just alright.

I also had some Dahi Papdi before indulging in the main course, which was pretty good.

Apart from the regular make you own salads and Indian snacks (such as fryums, papad and Dhokla), for main course, they had Lahori Paneer, Paneer Korma, Bharwa Mushroom, Chiya Kofta, Veg. Jalfrezi, Kadi Pakoda, and their special Punjabi Chole on the Indian front (apart from Dal and Dal Makhni). There were different variety of breads to choose from, and I had a Tandoori Roti and Paneer Kulcha.

Except for the mushroom and Chole, all other curries were just alright and forgettable. The Paneer Korma (white gravy) was infact very bland. The mushroom on the other hand was amazingly good. They were stuffed with paneer and other spices, and cooked just perfect. I would have preferred them to be less greasy, but maybe it was the ghee which made them taste so good. The Chole was authentic and yum. Of the breads, the Paneer Kulcha was very good, while the Tandoori Roti was decent.

I had a small serving of the Dum Biryani, which like in any other buffets, tasted terrible.

On International front, they served Pasta Oliva, Chow Mein and Mixed Vegetables in Coriander Sauce. I The pasta was very dry, and again, was just decent. The Noodles were pretty good, but the accompanying oriental gravy wasn’t upto the mark.

Not being entirely satisfied with the buffet till this point, I divulged into their desserts. They had Moong Dal Halwa, Malpua, Motichur Laddu, a couple of Bengali sweets, fresh fruits and three flavours of ice creams.

The Malpua and Moong Dal Halwa were very palatable, and the Laddu too was very good, while the Bengali sweets could have been better. The ice creams were alright. I was actually hoping for more on the dessert front, and was not entirely satisfied. It would have been nice if they had more variety.

Overall, I actually regret not going for the à la carte along with amma and dad, for I really didn’t enjoy the buffet so much. Except for a couple of Indian curries and desserts, the rest of the items were plain average. For 600 bucks, I expect much more than average. The à la carte dish tasted way better than any curry on the buffet (I know this is expected, but still). I honestly don’t think I’ll ever be coming back for the buffet, especially when there are tons of other places which offer such average dishes with much more variety for lesser price. Give it a try for their à la carte, or their snacks, and that’s about it.

Food: 7/10
Service: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Meal for 1: Rs. 599/- (Buffet)
Meal for 2: Rs. 649/- (À la carte)

Verdict: 7/10

Lazzio -The Pizzeria | Restaurant Review

Place: Lazzio – The Pizzeria
Location: Adj. Maharaja Chaat, Kavuri Hills
Cuisine: Pizza
Meal: Dinner

Met a friend for a cup of coffee at My Cafe Latte last week, and on parting ways, I decided to give this new pizza place a try on my way back home. Brightly lit, the place is in the building right next to Maharaja Chaat. It was past 10:00 PM when I walked in, and was cheerfully greeted by the owner Tejas. There were a couple of tables in the interior, and another couple on the exterior, and the pizzeria had decent ambiance.

I ordered a Khumb Delight Pizza (minus capsicum, plus olives) for take away. The pizza was ready in about 10 minutes, and Tejas suggested I reheat the pizza at home if necessary for it was packed in a cardboard box.

I dug into the pizza immediately after reaching home without re-heating, and boy was it good. The tomato base had an amazing flavor to it, while the thin base was a bit thicker than I expected, but no qualms for it actually tasted good. The cheese was gooey, and the veggies crunchy. I absolutely loved the pizza, especially for its sauce.

For 100 bucks, though the pizza is quite a steal, I thought it was kinda small (at least when I compare it to the ones served at Viva Italia, which are also priced around the same). Nevertheless, I was very satisfied with the pizza. After Viva Italia, this is one pizzeria everyone needs to visit!

Food: 9/10
Service: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Meal for 1: Rs. 100/-

Verdict: 9/10

Big Byte Bakery | Restaurant Review

Place: Big Byte Bakery
Location: Srinagar Colony Main Road
Cuisine: Pizza
Meal: Dinner

I’ve been hogging at Big Byte from the day it opened 20 years ago. Their Chocolate Eclair and Black Forest pastry were my daily treats after school for close to 4 years. All their pastries are yum, and so are their Burgers. My personal favorite is the Paneer Burger.

But over the years, their food quality has been reducing while their prices have been on a substantial rise. The ambiance has also lost its charm, is now pretty untidy. I happened to find cockroaches around their pastry cabins on more than a couple of occasions. I’m gonna think twice now before I have any of their pastries!

Anyhow, on this evening I was craving for a pizza but didn’t want to spend hundreds on a Dominos or Pizza Hut, and so was at Big Byte to have their special, Veg Pataka Pizza (double layered). I asked for a take away, and had to wait for about 15 minutes.

Big Byte Bakery Review by Sasikanth Paturi — Veg. Pataka

The pizza looked really good, but wasn’t that great to taste. The base wasn’t baked properly, and the tomato sauce tasted more like ketchup. I asked for pizza sans capsicum, but was served a pizza with barely any other veggies (just a couple of onions and tomatoes). The cheese too was very light, and was coming off the slice in just one bite. A disappointment, and my craving wasn’t satisfied.

Big Byte, along with Baker’s Inn and Midway (now closed), happens to be few of the best bakeries from the 90’s. But unless they improve on their quality and their standards, I don’t think I’d be returning to them for my baking needs.

Food: 6/10
Ambiance: 5/10
Service: 5/10
Meal for 1: Rs. 130/-

Verdict: 5.5/10

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 | Movie Review

spiderman2

In closing-credits of The Amazing Spider-Man, a man in the shadows asks Dr. Connors if Peter knows the truth about his father. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is all about Peter finding out the truth, in addition to a the arrival of a new nemesis.

Directed by Marc Webb, I thought this film was much better than it’s prequel for it has an improved storyline. Scripted again by James Vanderbilt (and a few others), this one has more structure to it. Though our Spidey still seemed like a boy with a new toy, there is some maturity to his role. He’s torn between his love and responsibilities, and this has been very well conceived. While the direction is pretty good, and the screenplay (Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinkner) is much improved, I felt the film was too long and had too many characters. Given that the movie was this long anyways, it would have been nice to establish Harry and Peter’s friendship in a better manner as it all seemed very contrived. At close to 150 minutes, I kinda lost track on how the movie had started for there was so much happening!

Andrew Garfield has a more meaty role in this film, and he does not disappoint. I thought he performed well during the climax. However, I believe he makes Spider-Man more cheeky than required, and does not carry the innocence Tobey Maguire brought to plate. Emma Stone is pretty good as Spidey’s love interest, and so is Jamie Foxx as the main antagonist Electro. Dane DeHaan (Harry/Green Goblin) was just ok.

One of the major plus points of this film is some excellent background score by Hans Zimmer. Add to that some amazing sound-mixing, and we have a winner. I really enjoyed the sound effects along with some amazing visuals and 3D effects. Cinematography by Daniel Mindel is of top-notch quality. Editing by Pietro Scalia and Elliot Graham could have been better, but then the script had too much to offer, so I’m guessing there was little they could do.

Is it worth your time and money??: Definitely. It’s a fun film with a lot happening. You can give it a watch just for its grand visuals, but the story is equally good. The only negative aspect is the length, and maybe (at times) heavy fight sequences. Nevertheless, if you can sit through for 142 minutes and love action, you are in for some Amazing entertainment!

Worth mention: The climax fight between Spider-Man and Electro was quite a scene. And also the final fight with Rhino.

Acting: 8.5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 8/10
Technical Aspects: 8.5/10

Verdict: 8.5/10

PS: X-Men fans are in for some goodies during closing-credits, so stay put.

It was disappointing not to watch the movie in IMAX 3D (Prasads, you…).

And ya, it’s a Sony! 😀

Cream Centre | Restaurant Review

Place: Cream Centre
Location: Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner (with amma and dad)

After reading some good reviews about this place, I dropped in here with amma and dad on Sunday evening. I first came across Cream Center when I was in Bombay, but never got to try it for it always used to be super crowded, and usually had waiting time close to an hour. Unlike the Bombay place, the Hyderabad one wasn’t that crowded when we entered, and we were seated at a table for four in the center of the restaurant. The place had decent ambiance, nothing to talk home about.

Their menu is quite huge but I had already decided on what we were gonna have. We ordered a portion of Italian Herbed Chilli Cheese Toast, Channa and Batura, and Paneer Ka Baap Sizzler.

The Chilli Cheese Toast was served in about 10 minutes, and looked very different from the pictures on their menu. The bread was over toasted, and was burnt in the corners. Though it tasted alright, I was actually disappointed for I could have made better toast at home. And ya, there was nothing Italian about it!

The Channa and Batura are served separately here (on the menu). The Batura looked huge, was crispy and not so oily, while the Channa tasted pretty bland. They did go well together, but I would have preferred the Channa to be a bit more spicy.

The Paneer Ka Baap Sizzler was quite a meal by itself. It had five large chunks of marinated paneer along with five pieces of grilled potato on white rice with cashew and barbeque sauce, served alongside cooked vegetables and potato wedges. The rice along with the sauces tasted pretty good for the sauces had a nice flavor. However, not all paneer pieces were fresh for a couple were chewy while others melt in mouth.

For dessert, we had a single scoop of chocolate brownie sundae, and this turned out to be the best part of our meal. The brownie was fresh, and tasted yum along with the nuts and ice-cream.

Overall, a pretty average meal. Even their signature dish didn’t satisfy my taste buds. The service was a bit clumsy, and it seemed like the waiters need more training. The place too got loud after a while as there were two huge gatherings with kids running all over the place. On price front, everything is pretty exorbitant, and from my experience, they aren’t worth so much. Nevertheless, you might give this place a try once. They have a lunch buffet for 300 bucks (all-inclusive) which might be worth it, so I’d suggest you give that a try first.

Food: 6/10
Service: 7/10
Ambience: 6.5/10
Meal for 3: Rs. 1014/-

Verdict: 6.5/10