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A’la Liberty | Restaurant Review

Place: A’la Liberty
Location: Road No. 12, Banjara Hills
Cuisine: Buffet
Meal: Lunch (with amma and dad)

On a Sunday afternoon, I finally dropped in to A’la Liberty for their buffet lunch. To make sure we didn’t have to wait, I called in early and reserved a table for 2:00 PM. When we walked in, we were directed to a table which was still being cleaned up. Eventually, we were put across another one right next to the buffet spread. Ambiance wise, I thought the place was too crowded in every sense. Apart from being packed, the tables were placed very close to each other, to an extent that I had to couch every time someone from the next table had to get up. Unimpressed by the ambiance, I was hoping the food and service to make it up.

Once we were seated, even before we had settled in, the waiters started serving a couple of starters into one of our plates. This was very odd for the food left on the servers dish after serving the adjacent table was being dumped into my dad’s plate while the other two plates on the table were left empty. So while dad started his meal, me and amma were left waiting.

A'la Liberty Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi — Sweet Corn Soup

While hoping for the starters, we were served instead with two bowls of Sweet Corn Soup (while there were three people at the table). Argh! The soup tasted pretty bland and was forgettable. It’s another story on the number of times I had to ask the waiter for a pepper shaker before I was handed one.

Finally, after almost 15 minutes since my dad was served, I had the some starters on my plate. They had Dragon Rolls, Yogurt Paneer, Beetroot Chop and Pudina Aloo. The rolls were crispy and pretty good while the baby potatoes were average. The Beetroot Chop was the best of the lot, crunchy with a nice flavor. The paneer was also pretty good, for it was very fresh and had a tangy taste. Decent starters, but nothing out of the world. I was told that their starters are the best part of the meal, but I wasn’t really impressed.

After finishing with the starters, I walked towards the spread to check out whats on offering. While they had covered most cuisines, it wasn’t exorbitant either. I started with some Pani Puri and Dahi Papdi, and both of them turned out to be good. I actually loved the Dahi Papdi.

On Italian front, apart from the Mini Pizza, they had Baked Vegetables and a live pasta counter. First serving of the pizza was thick and soggy while the second turned out to be good. I asked for some pasta in white sauce, which turned out to be alright. I thought the sauce was too thin, and adding a couple of vegetables could have made it better. There was very little of the Baked Vegetables left in the bowl on the spread, most of it dry. I was apprehensive of its taste, but it turned out to be delicious, way better than the pizza or the pasta.

Next I headed out to try their Chinese offerings – Noodles, Fried Rice and Dumplings in Manchurian sauce. But for the Manchurian sauce being a little sour, the rest tasted decent.

Heading towards the Indian section, they had Paneer Makhni, Nargisi Kofta, Veg. CHatpat, Jaipuri Bhendi and Dal Makhni. They also had Kadi Pakodi which I didn’t taste. All the curries tasted good along with the Butter Naan and Kulcha served along. The kofta was the best of the lot, with the gravy being thick, creamy and yummy. The paneer also tasted very good.

I had a taste of the Biryani which like in any other buffet turned out to be mediocre.

For desserts, they had Badam Moong Dal Halwa, Angoori Gulab Jamoon, Mango Malai Marvel, Blueberry Cheesecake, Truffle Pudding and Cupcakes on offer apart from cut fruits and four flavors of ice-creams. But for the cup cakes, everything else turned out t be delicious. I loved the Mango Custard and the Cheesecake the best (though it wasn’t the best cheesecake, it tasted yum).

Overall, an average meal. While most of the food was good, I thought there was still scope for improvement. However, I was very very unhappy with the service and ambiance of the place. I do understand that the place is packed on most occasions and it gets difficult to manage, but lack of basic courtesy by servers and stewards is unacceptable. Apart from the dumping of food on one of the three plates at the table, when I asked a waiter to get me some Naan, I was indifferently asked to instruct the waiter at my table instead. How was I supposed to keep tabs on who was responsible for my table when there were at least five people attending to us in the hour we sat there?

And add to that a fish market kinda ambiance. There were quite a few customers standing and eating their food at the buffet itself instead of moving to their tables. This continued for really long, to a point where I had someone standing over my head and eating desserts (for I was seated right next to the spread). Irritated, I had to complaint to the manager before he made them move to their tables.

Small details make a big difference, and such details were not attended to at A’la Liberty. The food wasn’t out of the world good wither for me to disregard the other major flaws. I doubt if I’d ever venture back to this place again (I’d rather prefer a more reasonable spread at Ohri’s Jiva Imperia).

Food: 8/10
Service: 5/10
Ambiance: 5.5/10
Buffet for 1: Rs. 460/-

Verdict: 6.5/10

Hello Curry | Restaurant Review

Place: Hello Curry
Location: Behind Wingster, Ayyappa Society
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Take-away

Hello Curry, a takeaway joint which became prominent not exactly because of its food, but its packing. I called them a couple of times in the past, but they don’t deliver beyond Hitech City area, so. I was passing by Ayyappa Society the other day, and decided to pick something up instead. The place was really difficult to find for they don’t have any board or anything; it’s a small shed right behind Wingster. It seemed like they were actually surprised to see a customer walk in.

I was handed a paper menu, and I ordered a small portion of Paneer Makhni. I had to stand there in the sun for about 10 minutes before I was handed a bag with a really tiny box for which I paid 100 bucks (it was 93, but the guy at the store didn’t have change).

Hello Curry Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi — Hello Curry Package

Ok, the box did look good, and on opening it, I found a small sealed cup. You have to agree that the packing was in fact worth the buzz. However, on taste front, I wasn’t really happy. The paneer was fresh and really soft, but the makhni gravy turned out to be very bland for it lacked salt and had no flavour.

When I was handed out a really tiny box, I started to feel like it was a bad decision spending so much for such box. But the quantity wasn’t so bad after all. However, the taste wasn’t great, and that’s what finally matters. You might have the best packing in town, but that’s not what I am gonna eat. And also, it would be nice to offer a customer at least a seat to sit in when he comes to order, or have a policy not to accept in-store orders.

Overall, it was a mediocre experience.

Food: 6.5/10
Service: 5/10
Ambiance: N/A
Meal for 1: Rs. 93/-

Verdict: 6.5/10

Dwaraka (Panjagutta) | Restaurant Review

Place: Dwaraka
Location: Adj. Nims, Panjagutta
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner

After a movie, I walked in to Dwaraka at Panjagutta hoping to hog on Handi Biryani. It was really a courageous decision on my part to try Dwaraka again after my recent experience at Lakdikapul. Anyhow, hoping for the better, here I was. The ambiance is almost exactly the same as their main branch, and I got comfortable at a table near the entrance.

To my disappointment, even these guys didn’t have the original Handi Biryani. What more, they didn’t even have the Paneer Handi Biryani (apparently they have it only at Dwaraka Lakdikapul). So I ended up ordering a Kaju Biryani.

Dwaraka (Panjagutta) Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi — Kaju Biryani

The Biryani was served in about ten minutes. On first look, it didn’t really look that appetizing, but it actually turned out to be pretty tasty. Full of cashew nuts, the rice had nice flavor, and tasted yum along with the gravy served along. Not an excellent biryani, but it wasn’t bad either.

So after my terrible experience at the main branch, this outing turned out to be good. I’d like to try their reasonably priced combos next time around. Overall, a decent experience. Service was pretty good as well. Give it a try.

Food: 8/10
Service: 7.5/10
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Meal for 1: Rs. 143/-

Verdict: 7.5/10

13 Dhaba | Restaurant Review

Place: 13 Dhaba
Location: Under Gachibowli flyover
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Lunch (with friends)

Long ago, a friend of mine who works for Synopsys told me about this guy serving awesome parathas in his office cafeteria. He’s now moved out and we have 13 Dhaba. I’ve been wanting to try this place for a long time now to find out if it’s worth the buzz. Was in the vicinity few days ago, and finally dropped in with a couple of friends. Located in a small shop next to a Dry Cleaners, there is no ambiance as such. It’s a self-service restaurant and has a couple of cement slabs in front of the shop, giving it posh bandi type atmosphere. We walked in around 2:00 PM when the place was pretty crowded. There was a small queue we had to stand in before we got to order.

I ordered for Gobi Paratha and Aloo Paratha, while my friends asked for Poori Subzi and Kadi Chawal and another Aloo Paratha. We also ordered a Lassi each. We managed to find ourselves some place to sit before our order was ready in about 10 minutes.

13 Dhaba Restaurant Review by Saskanth Paturi — Gobi Paratha

The Gobi Paratha was thick, full of butter and served with mixed vegetable pickle. While it tasted good, I thought the stuffing had too much masala (which kinda made it spicy). That apart, a decent paratha. Nothing out of the world though, yet..

The Aloo Paratha was thicker and had more butter, and I thought this was the better of the two. The stuffing was sumptuous and tasted good. Again, nothing to rave about.

I had a taste of the Kadi Chawal, which tasted alright. While the kadi was decent enough, I thought the pakoda was kinda hard. Not the best Kadi Chawal to be honest.

I didn’t have a taste of the Poori Subzi, but it did look good.

The Lassi was thick and good. I would have preferred it to be more creamy though.

Overall, a decent meal. Yes, the parathas were good, but I didn’t really feel that this place was as awesome as people make it sound. The service was friendly, and the everything is reasonably priced, offering value for money. But at the same time, I don’t think you can eat such rich food everyday as well. I’d definitely go back to this place, but not anytime soon. And no, I didn’t really think it was worth all the hype and buzz.

Food: 7.5/10
Service: 8/10
Ambiance: N/A
Meal for 3: Rs. 430/-

Verdict: 7.5/10

Moti Mahal | Restaurant Review

Place: Moti Mahal Delux Tandoori Trail
Location: Sun Tower, Hitech City
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Lunch (with a friend)

My friend wanted to try Moti Mahal in Hitech City, which boasts to be the inventor of Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken and Dal Makhni. Forget the chicken, didn’t people eat Dal Makhni before 1920? Hmmm. Anyways, we walked in to the restaurant a little after noon to find the place pretty much packed. The ambiance was pretty decent, and we made ourselves comfortable at a table near the entrance.

A couple of heavy menus were handed to us soon, which indicated a wide range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings. We ordered a Makhni Meal which included Paneer Tikka, Seekh Kebab, Paneer Makhni, Dal Makhni, Butter Naan, raita and soft drinks, and served two people.

Moti Mahal Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi — Paneer Tikka and Seekh Kebab

The starters were served pretty soon, just a couple of kebabs and 4 pieces of tikka. The kebab was very dry and tasted alright, while the paneer turned out to be terrible. They weren’t marinated properly, and there seemed to be something wrong with the paneer .

Of the main course, the Dal Makhni turned out to be really good. It was creamy, full of flavour and delicious. It actually made me ponder if these guys are actually the inventors.

On the other hand, the Paneer Makhni turned out to be bad. Again, the paneer was terrible, and it ruined the taste of the curry. The gravy too was pretty thin.

The Butter Naan was soft and very good.

We had quite a bit of Dal left, so we ended up ordering some Jeera Rice, which was palatable.

We complained to the steward about the paneer, and the kitchen agreed that there was something wrong with it. To make it up, they served us complimentary Phirni, which was decent.

Overall, an average meal. The Dal Makhni, and to an extent the Jeera Rice made up for the mediocrity of rest of the meal. While quantity of starters was minimal, the main course was very sumptuous. Service was alright, and it was good to notice that they actually acted upon our feedback rather than just ignoring it. On price front, the restaurant might seem heavy on your pocket. Nevertheless, I’d give it another visit just for their Dal Makhni.

Food: 7.5/10
Service: 7/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Meal for 2: Rs. 800/- (approx)

Verdict: 7/10

The Thick Shake Factory | Restaurant Review

Place: The Thick Shake Factory
Location: Food Court, Manjeera Trinity Mall, Kukatpalli
Meal: Dessert

People have been raving about how good the shakes are at this new place in Manjeera mall. So finally, after a movie at Cinepolis last week, I got to try it myself. I asked the guy at the counter about their best offering, and he suggested Choco Brownie Crumble. I ordered for it with whipped cream (additional).

The Thick Shake Factory Review by Sasikanth Paturi — Choco Brownie Crumble

It took about 10 minutes for the shake to be made. It looked good but I was disappointed with the quantity served. On taste front, it was really thick (as it should have been), and was yum. The whipped cream was delicious, but the brownie could have been better.

A yummilicious shake, but I wasn’t really happy overall. I paid close to 200 bucks for the shake, and it really didn’t seem like value for money. Maybe it’s something you can afford once in a while, but definitely not worth on a daily basis.

Food: 8/10
Service: N/A
Ambiance: N/A
Shake with Whipped Cream: Rs. 184/-

Verdict: 7/10

Mohini | Restaurant Review

Place: Mohini
Location: Under Flyover, Basheerbagh
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Take-away

Dad was passing by Basheerbagh a few days ago, and I wanted him to get some yummy food for me. Choices were Shanbhag or Mohini, and since it’s been ages since I had Mohini Biryani, I asked him for the same. Mohini is one of the oldest restaurants in Hyderabad, known for its awesome Biryani, so. I also asked for a Malai Kofta and some Butter Naan.

Mohini Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi — Malai Kofta

The Malai Kofta turned out to be very different from the usual (in a good way). Instead of sticking with paneer or aloo for the kofta, these guys also added finely chopped cabbage, which actually made them yummier. The gravy was perfectly cooked, and together, it was one of the best Malai Kofta I’ve had in recent times.

For 22 bucks a piece, the Butter Naan was a steal for they were well-baked naans oozing butter. Excellent stuff!

The Biryani was the reason why I asked for Mohini, and sadly, this turned out to be little disappointing. There was too much masala and it just didn’t taste right. The salan was terrible as well. However, the pickle served along turned out to be yum.

Overall, a good meal. While the Biryani didn’t live up to the expectations, rest of the meal was excellent. It probably was an off day for the Biryani. Whatever the case, for 230 bucks, it was quite a meal. Total value for money!

Food: 8/10
Service: N/A
Ambiance: N/A
Meal for 3: Rs. 230/-

Verdict: 8/10

Mayura House | Restaurant Review

Place: Mayura House
Location: Opp. Film Nagar Club, Film Nagar
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Lunch (with amma and dad)

Dad’s been wanting to go to this place in Film Nagar for a long time now and so one fine day last week, we headed off for lunch to Mayura House. Walking in, the place looked decent and was partly crowded. We made ourselves comfortable at a corner table, away from the crowd. Both amma and dad wanted to have meals, and so I opted for the same as well.

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The meal was served pretty soon and it was quite a sight. It had so many items – four different rice items, dal, three curries, four varieties of rasam/pulusu, vada, poori, a sweet, different kinds of pickles/chutneys and other accompaniments.

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The vada was crispy and good. Unlimited number of pooris were served on the meal, and they tasted good along with the aloo korma.

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Of the rice varieties, Tomato rice and Sambar rice tasted yum while Pulihora and Biryani were mediocre.

CYMERA_20140630_141826 CYMERA_20140630_142808

The Dal was decent, and so was the brinjal curry. The korma was pretty good while the raw banana (aratikaya) fry could have been better for it was very dry.

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Rasam and Sambar were both alright. Majjiga Pulusu was good, but the best of the lot was the Mukkala Pulusu which tasted yum.

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The semiya payasam turned out to be a disappointment for it was very watery, and lacked taste.

Overall a decent meal. Most of the items were tasty, and the quantity served was pretty good. However, the service was absolutely terrible. Forget table service, the servers lacked basic etiquettes of talking to customers. There was a power cut a few minutes after we started our meal and we were told that the generator was being turned on. We started sweating profusely, and when we enquired again after about 15 minutes, we were told that there was no generator in a harsh tone. Their attitude and callousness was bewildering. The place has no fans or windows, and it was suffocating to sit in there. And this apparently is a usual sight during daily power cuts. At this point, we just wanted to finish our meal and get out of the place, not wanting to come back again. When Dad spoke to the manager, they offered us a 10% discount, but still, though they had good food, this was the first and last time I’m visiting Mayura House!

Food: 8.5/10
Service: 5/10
Ambiance: 5/10
Meal for 3: Rs. 540/-

Verdict: 6/10

Mozza | Restaurant Review

Place: Mozza
Location: Opp. Krishe Sapphire, Madhapur
Cuisine: Italian
Meal: Lunch

I’d heard quite a bit about this new Italian restaurant in town and wanted to give it a try for a while now. I finally got my chance thanks to a foodie meet. Mozza is a small place in the same building as Veggies 365 (now closed). It’s got nice interiors, and has decent ambiance. I made myself comfortable at a corner table with fellow foodies.

Like with most foodie meets, there was a special menu for the day. Off a list, we were to choose for a starter, pizza, pasta, dessert and a soft drink. For starters, the listed options were Baby Potatoes in Parmesan sauce and Stuffed Mushrooms. I chose for the latter.

Mozza Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi — Baby Potatoes in Parmesan Sauce

I had a taste of the potatoes, and they were pretty good. I would have preferred the potatoes to be little more parboiled, but nevertheless, the sauce was creamy and it was a good start to the meal.

The Stuffed Mushrooms looked yum and tasted yum for there were stuffed with cheese and were fried perfectly.

For the pizza, we had the option of Sicily-pesto sauce based and Imperia. I chose the pesto pizza while my fellow vegetarian foodie chose Imperia, so that we could share.

The Pesto pizza had sun dried tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, olives and peppers. I had asked for the pizza sans peppers, but given the foodie rush, I got one with them. The pizza was pretty good and cheesy, but there was too much pesto sauce on the base which dominated over the veggies and cheese. That apart, a decent pizza.

The Imperia pizza had a mix of peri-peri vegetables and looked quite colourful. While it tasted good, this too had too much tomato base which was overwhelming.

For Pasta, we had a choice of Alfredo and Paprika, and most (like me) chose Alfredo. This happened to be the only disappointment of the meal for the pasta was very dry and lacked flavor.

For desserts, there were Lemon Cake and No Flow Choco Lava Cake. The Lemon Cake tasted pretty good, and so did the Choco Lava cake. I actually liked the latter better.

Overall, a good meal. But for the pasta, everything else turned out to be decent, Stuffed Mushrooms being the winner. Service was alright and so was the ambiance. Compared to other places, everything is reasonably priced. So give it a shot if you haven’t yet.

Food: 8/10
Service: 7.5/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Meal for 1: Rs. 350/-

Verdict: 7.5/10

Karachi Bakery (Banjara Hills) | Restaurant Review

Place: Karachi Bakery
Location: Road No. 1, Banjara Hills
Cuisine: Bakery, Fast food
Meal: Dinner (with amma)

Was travelling along Banjara Hills with amma a couple of weeks ago, and decided to stop by at Karachi Bakery for a quick meal. Not till then did I know that this place served only vegetarian savories.

Anyways, I ordered a Cheeseburger and a Hyderabadi Club Sandwich, and it took a while for the order to be served.

Karachi Bakery Review by Sasikanth Paturi — Veg. Cheeseburger

The burger came first and was piping hot. They microwaved it for too long and I couldn’t take a bite for almost ten minutes after it was served. On taste front, it turned out to be pretty good. Cheesy, with a lot of curry in between, yummy.

The Sandwich was served almost when we were done with the Burger. It turned out to be quite disappointing for there was nothing Hyderabadi about it, and neither was there a cutlet/tomato omelet to make it a club sandwich. It was just a multi-layer grilled cheese sandwich wit tomato and cucumber, served with some coleslaw. It did taste good, but disappointment. Surprisingly, it was even priced higher than the burger.

To end the meal, I asked for a chocolate mini cupcake.

And for 20 bucks, I thought it was a pretty decent one.

All the pastries at the counter looked really good and tempting. Unable to resist, I asked for take-away of a Belgian Black Forest, a Chocolate Mousse Cake, and a Tiramisu.

The moment I reached home, I dug into all three for a taste, and the Belgian Black Forest pastry turned out to be the best of the lot. It was creamy, chocolaty, and really moist. Overall, yummilicious!!

The Chocolate Mousse Cake was the second best. This had loads of cream (which I’m guessing was the mousse). I loved it!

The Tiramisu was a little disappointing after two yummy pastries. It kinda tasted sour, and there was nothing great about it.

Overall, a pretty good meal. But for the sandwich and Tiramisu, everything turned out to be delicious. And the best part is that everything is priced reasonably, and there was total value for money. I’ve heard good things about their cakes, and after experiencing them myself, I certify them yum. Go hog!

Food: 8.5/10
Desserts: 9/10
Service: 8/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Meal for 2: Rs. 370/-

Verdict: 8.5/10