Flavors of India | Restuarant Review

Place: Flavors of India
Location: Craven Road, Paddington
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner (with wifey and our lil one)
On: Sunday, 22 May 2022  

We’ve been eating out in London for a while now, but this happens to be my first restaurant review (hopefully the first of many). After a fruitful day at Hyde Park, we were looking for some good Indian food and happened to find Flavors of India on Google. Located on Paddington Station Road, the restaurant is easy to locate with a Sardar figure standing guard.

We walked in at around 9:15 PM and the place, split across 2 floors, was more or less full. We walked up to the first level and settled down on a table for 4. The place, in general, was cramped for there was not a lot of room between tables. There was also a large group sitting behind us making the place loud. We were really hungry and were waiting for someone to come and take the order, but no one showed up for a long time, even after multiple attempts of calling for them.

When he finally did, we ordered a portion of Tandoori Stuffed Mushroom, Shahi Paneer, a Garlic Naan and a Plain Naan. This was around 9:30 PM. The steward did inform us that the kitchen was full of orders and it will take a while for the food to be served, but never mentioned how long. And so, the wait began.

Apparently, there was some problem with the air-conditioning on the first level, and even with the windows open, we were suffocating. Maybe it was because of the hunger as well. Anywho, we decided to come down (which was relatively cooler) and find a table for ourselves around 40 minutes after we placed the order (still no food).

Tandoori Mushroom

At about 10:15 PM, the mushrooms were finally served, and I was appalled by the portion size; 3 small button mushrooms stuffed with some cheese, served along with a couple of peppers, onion, a tomato, and some lettuce. The taste was decent, but man, 3 pieces of mushroom? 

Shahi Paneer

Naan

Over the next few minutes, the Shahi Paneer and Naan were served. While not as bad as the mushrooms, the portion size of the paneer again seemed ridiculous for a main dish (I wonder what they serve for a side!). The paneer was fresh and succulent, and the gravy was good, but a little too tomatoey for my liking. The Naan however was hard as a rock. Our lil one usually eats the bread but she didn’t even touch it for it was so kadak. The Garlic Naan was better.

When the subzi and roti were served, I asked for a portion of Vegetable Biryani. The waiter said that it might take forever again, but we didn’t want to walk out hungry.

Biryani

Surprisingly, the Biryani was served in a jiffy, and the portion size was decent. Served along with a Vegetable Korma, the biryani was very wet and spicy. I soon realized that the chef just added some pulao rice to the korma and sent it up as biryani (that confirms how it was served in a few minutes). The taste was okay, but as I said, too spicy.

Overall, a mediocre meal and experience. For the small portions which barely filled our tummies, the bill came to a whopping £31. The ambience isn’t great and the service was bad. There was absolutely no communication, and every time we asked where the food was, we were almost shushed. When we walked out, some travellers were inquiring about the place, and I told them the same thing which I now tell you, don’t go in there!

Food: 6/10
Service: 3/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Meal for 3: £30.96

Verdict: 4/10

Flavors of India - Paddington Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Updates

25/5/22: Maybe this time around?

17/7/21: I am back, I suppose 🙂 (nope, turned out to be false alarm)

25/7/15: Ant Man is a good watch… very different from the regular Marvel films. I’d rate it 7.5/10.

28/6/15: I liked Jurassic World; it actually made me feel like watching the original. I’d give it an 8/10.

20/5/15: Mad Max – Fury Road is an intense, action-packed film. Worth a watch if you love action films! It’d rate it 8.5/10.

28/2/15: Badlapur is a good watch with some noteworthy acting. But I think story could have been more powerful! I’d rate it 7/10.

3/10/2014: The Fault in Our Stars is the most beautiful movie I’ve watched this year!

8/8/2014: Guardians of the Galaxy is a good watch. I’d rate it 8.5/10 🙂

17/5/2014: Enjoyed a good meal with the Desi Foodies group at Cream Center. It’s nice to be recognized because of my reviews 😀

15/5/2014: Yay! New server! 🙂

20/4/2014: Argh… another year down the lane for me!

16/2/2014: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is one of the most preposterous movies I’ve seen in recent time (apart from Dhoom 3 of course)!!

19/12/2013: I know that I’ve been away for long, but I have a movie review finally! Should have a couple more coming up soon. (Just pray I keep winning free tickets!) 😛

25/10/2013: Went to Chutneys Jubilee Hills with amma and dad for dinner. Surprised with the prices in Hyderabad. I can’t believe a small samosa at a sweet shop costs 10 bucks, and a curry at Chutneys costs 250+24% taxes!

8/5/2013: Watched Baadshah. It’s a decent entertaining film, very similar to other Srinu Vaitla films. Plus points are Brahmanandam and music, while too many fights spoil the fun. I’d give it a 7/10.

6/5/2013: Went to Shanbhag with mom and dad, and ordered the usual – Tomato Soup, Spring Rolls, Malai Kofta, Butter Naan and Ghee Rice. Except for the fact that the quantity of Spring Rolls had come down, everything was yum, especially the Ghee Rice, which was out of the world (after a long time)!

15/4/2013: Sorry for disappearing guys! I’ve been super busy over the last couple of months, and also had some backend issues with my website. Will be back in action in a few days, when I return to Hyderabad!! 😀

14/1/2013: One year of sasikanth.me!! About 10000 views from 57 countries!! Thanks guys!! 🙂

Views

4/1/2013: Happy New Year guys!! Unfortunately, there won’t be much content this year on my site 🙁

23/8/2012: Am on a 20-day sabbatical 😉

9/8/2012: After a long hiatus, I’m back!! 🙂

9/7/2012: Dropped into this little place called Cafe Churchill at Colaba. I used to love their French Fries with Cheese, but this time around, they were very bland, had neither taste nor flavour. Had a Mushroom Lasagna which was pretty decent. Followed it off with desserts at Theobrama, the best dessert shops I’ve been to so far in India. Had a Black Forest Pastry, Chilly Chocolate Mousse and a Mini Cupcake. The Cupcake was the best I’ve ever had in my life so far. Bliss!!

8/7/2012: Dropped into this little pizza place called Pizzaroma at Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai. Though they are a little overpriced, the pizza was yum. With a perfect thin crust, gooey cheese, it is a must try place.

20/6/2012: I now happen to be the #1 Foodie in Hyderabad on Zomato.com! 😀

20/6/2012: Dropped in at Maharaja Chaat in Kavuri Hills (Hitech City) with amma. Had a Special Pav Bhaji and Ragda Pattis. Awesome!! If you haven’t tried this place yet, drop in soon!!

6/6/2012: Ordered a Three Cheese, Cheese Burst Pizza and Bread-sticks from Dominos. Yummy is not the word.

18/5/2012: New landing page on a new hosting server. Yay!! 😀

15/5/2012: Dropped in at Chung-Hua, Basheerbhag, to pick up some Manchurian Noodles. For 100 bucks, the quantity was pretty decent, and so was the taste, but the noodles were dripping oil. Will dine in at the restaurant and review it soon. (Review)

1/5/2012: Want to watch Vicky Donor, but no tickets!! 🙁 (Finally did on 4/5/2012. Review here)

20/4/2012: Yay!! I’m 26!! 😀

14/4/2012: Was at My Heart Coffee at Kondapur for a Couch Surfing meet. Had a Nutty Cold coffee and some kind of pasta. Coffee was good, pasta was very different from what I expected, but alright. Funny thing was when a couple of guys ordered Fajitas, they were served with chapati instead of tortillas. Decent place, nice ambiance, a lil too expensive though. Will do a proper review soon!!

9/4/2012: Went to 100 Degrees with my cousins. Had the Spicy Cottage Cheese pizza, Crumbled Melting Cheese sizzler, and Mushroom Hot and Sour sizzler. As I mentioned in my review, there is no consistency with the food at this place. Both the pizza and the Crumbled Melting Cheese sizzler tasted very different, but luckily, they still tasted good. The Mushroom sizzler tasted alright. Overall, it was a decent experience. I’d probably give it an 8.5/10 this time around.

8/4/2012: Visited Viva Italia in the White House Building, Begumpet. Awesome Pizza and Pasta. Couldn’t take pictures. Will visit again and write a review soon.

16/3/2012: Watched Paan Singh Tomar today, but for some reason, don’t feel like writing its review. It was a decent film with some great acting by Irrfan Khan, but the screenplay, and the general idea of the film, I thought was disappointing. In my opinion, with the acting skills the director had at hand, he could have made a better film, one which doesn’t leave the audience disoriented and perplexed in the end.

3/3/3012: Been visiting this small restaurant called Mirch Masala on Road No. 11, Banjara Hills, with colleagues for lunch these days. It serves decent food and is reasonably priced, but is nothing so great as to be reviewed 😛

18/2/2012: Apparently Nippu and Ekk Deewana Tha suck, so not planning to watch them. Will catch up with Poolarangadu soon!!

16/2/2012: Received a Taj Deccan gift voucher from zomato.com. My diet down the drain!! 😛

14/2/2012: Sent mom and dad to watch Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. They liked it. Mom gives a 7.5/10.

13/2/2012: Hogged at my friend’s restaurant Hotel Abhilasha at RTC crossroads. It was a specially prepared meal, so not writing a review. We had Veg. Manchuria, Paneer Tikka and Veg. Fried Noodles. Everything was yum.

12/2/2012: Watched The Descendants on DVD. I’d give it a 7/10. It was a drama with great acting and awesome cinematography.

Top Gun: Maverick | Movie Review

Top Gun

Top Gun, released a month after I was born 36 years ago, is considered a cult classic and remains relevant in pop culture decades after its release. Though it is an aviation-themed drama, the stylish, action-packed sequences and some of the most amazing aerial footage make it one of Tom Cruise’s best films. Does the sequel have enough meat in comparison?

Top Gun: Maverick takes off more or less where Top Gun ended. A few months after serving as a trainer at the Top Gun academy, Maverick (Cruise) moves into different roles within the Navy, not lasting at any of them for long. Thirty years down the line, thanks to Iceman (Kilmer), he gets an opportunity to train the best of the best Top Gun fighter pilots for a special/deadly mission. Part of the pilot group is Rooster (Teller), son of Maverick’s best friend Goose (from the first film). There’s tension between Maverick and Rooster, and the rest of the film is about how they succeed working together. 

Scripted by Peter Craig and Justin Marks, the storyline is similar to the predecessor but stronger and sans the drama. Director Joseph Kosinski handles the relationship between Maverick and Rooster, and the banter between the Top Gun candidates in a suitable manner. Rooster and Hangman (Powell) remind you of Maverick and Iceman from the first film. The subtle romantic thread between Maverick and Penny (who didn’t make an appearance but was just mentioned in Top Gun) and the climax stood out for me personally. The screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie is alright. I, however, felt that the pace of the film was a bit slow at times, especially in the parts where there was a wee bit of drama. 

Tom Cruise, what can be said about this guy! Though age shows in a couple of frames, he looks dashing as ever (I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t smitten by him while watching the movie). Miles Teller has a vital role, and he delivers.  Jennifer Connelly is good as Penny, and so are Jon Hamm and Monica Barbaro. Glen Powell makes an impression. Ed Harris and Val Kilmer make cameos.

On the music front, the Top Gun Anthem and Danger Zone reused from the original make an impact, and so does I Ain’t Worried by One Republic. I thought the sound mixing could have been better, especially for the film’s first few minutes (including the main titles). Editing by Eddie Hamilton could have been tight. The cinematography by Claudio Miranda is exceptional. The electrifying aerial shots are very well choreographed. 

Is it worth your time and money?: A big yes. Top Gun: Maverick is a well-executed film that, in many ways, is better than its predecessor. Tom Cruise holds the fort (like in most of his movies) and ensures you are in for a ride! Watch it in IMAX or at least a big screen for the best experience.

Worth mention: Cruise’s charm and the spectacularly shot aerial sequences.

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

Verdict: 8.5/10