Indian Food | - Page 6

Hari Balaji Dhaba | Restaurant Review

Place: Hari Balaji Dhaba
Location: Lane adj. Durga temple, Opp. Gurudwara, Ameerpet
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Take away

I was kinda bored with the same food everyday and wanted to eat something spicy. So I headed out towards Ameerpet to find good food. My first choice Dwaraka closed down recently, so I stopped by at this dhaba I once visited with my brother long ago. It’s on the first floor of a jewellery shop building bang opposite Ameerpet Gurudwara. The ambiance isn’t really great, so opted for a take away.

I ordered for Paneer Butter Masala, Masala Kulcha and Kaju Biryani. It took about 10 minutes for my parcel to be ready.

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Once I unpacked everything, I found the quantity of the curry to be very good while was a little disappointed with the rice. On taste front, the Paneer Butter Masala had too much garam masala which kinda ruined the taste. The paneer too wasn’t really soft. PBM at a dhaba is a metric on how good the food is, and the one at this place was disappointing. The Kulcha was alright.

Compared to Kaju Biryani of any other place, this one was boring. The number of cashew nuts were minimal, and the masala wasn’t really that tasty. To add to that, the gravy served along was terrible.

Overall, a sad meal. But for the Kulcha, I wasn’t really happy with anything else. The price I paid wasn’t minimal either. I’d probably give this place one more shot before I put it on my no-go list.

Food: 6/10
Service: N/A
Ambiance: N/A
Meal for 1: Rs. 250/-

Verdict: 6/10

Paradise Food Court | Restaurant Review

Place: Paradise Food Court
Location: Adj. Shilpakala Vedika, Hitech City
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Lunch (with a friend)

A friend of mine visited Hyderabad from Bangalore and wanted to eat Paradise Biryani. Though I told her that there are better places to have Veg. Biryani in Hyderabad, she insisted on Paradise. So at a little past noon, we walked in to Persis restaurant at Hitech City. The place was packed and we sat at a table for two in a corner. Ambience wise, there was nothing great; it actually looked more like a function hall converted into a restaurant.

We ordered what we were here for, the Vegetable Biryani.

And it was served right away, in less than five minutes. For the price we were paying, and in comparison to other places, I thought the quantity served was less. On taste front, the rice was well cooked and the masala tasted pretty good, but overall it was pretty bland. We probably should have asked for double masala. The Salan was good and went well along with the biryani.

To give my friend a taste of Hyderabadi desserts, I asked for one-by-two Khubani ka Meetha with ice-cream.

As expected, this took longer to be served than the Biryani. One look and it seemed like canned dessert (because of the color, but maybe it wasn’t). It tasted alright, not too sweet, but nothing great either.

Overall, an average meal. My tummy wasn’t really full for the quantity of biryani was dismal for 200 bucks. The service wasn’t great either and neither was the ambience. It just seemed like an overpriced affair in existence thanks to the brand name, and ya, maybe their non-veg food.

Food: 7.5/10
Service: 7/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Meal for 2: Rs. 390/-

Verdict: 7/10

PS: My friend also ordered for a takeaway of the Biryani. This cost 160 bucks (AI), and quantity seemed much more than what was served in the restaurant.

Needs Dhaba | Restaurant Review

Place: Needs Dhaba
Location: Lane adj. Life Style, Kundan Bagh
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner (with a friend)

Met my friend after a long time and we wanted to try 13 Dhaba. But it was already late (around 10:00 PM), and apparently 13 Dhaba closes by then. I had read about this dhaba in the Hidden Gems section of Zomato a while ago, and so decided to give it a try instead. It might be a difficult place to find if you aren’t looking, as it is located on the first floor of an old building at Kundan Bagh. Walking in, the restaurant was shabby and the tables seemed dirty. However, it was pretty much packed even at this hour, and we found ourselves a table right next to a window.

Unlike most other dhabas in the city, this place also serves non-vegetarian food. Still, their menu wasn’t really long. We started of with Paneer 65, and ordered an onion and gobi paratha with Kaju Masala curry for main course. We also ordered for a Lassi and Mango Milkshake.

The starter was served in about 10 minutes. Though the quantity seemed good, the paneer pieces were dripping in oil. On taste front, it was just alright, and the paneer wasn’t that fresh. A thick layer of oil on bottom of the dish was a huge turn off.

The curry and parathas were served next. For 100 bucks, quantity of the curry seemed less, and it tasted mediocre. There was too much cumin powder which kinda ruined the gravy. Being a Punjabi dhaba, I was hoping the parathas to be thick and oozing with butter, but they turned out being close to terrible. They were very thin, with barely any stuffing, and dry as a phulka. Those who’ve reviewed that this place serves awesome parathas, sorry but it seems like you’ve never tasted an authentic paratha in your life! These were horrendous.

Hoping for a miracle, we ordered a Veg. Pulao to finish our meal. At around the same time, the lassi and milkshake were finally served.

Honestly, these turned out to be the best part of the meal. The lassi was thick, creamy and lip smacking good, and so was the Mango milkshake. We in fact ordered for a second round of the milkshake.

The Pulao was served along with a small portion of Chole. With the rice being very dry, and barely any vegetables, it turned out to be a forgettable dish.

Overall, but for the lassi and milkshake, it was a bad experience. The service was pretty slow, and the ambiance wasn’t great either. We weren’t even served water during our entire meal. Though the prices seemed reasonable, it actually turned out to be an expensive affair while we weren’t satisfied with the meal. Give it a shot for their drinks for they are the only things worth your money here.

I haven’t found any hidden gem at this place!

Food: 5.5/10
Service: 6/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Meal for 2: Rs. 420/-

Verdict: 6/10

Santosh Dhaba | Restaurant Review

Place: Santosh Dhaba
Location: Kondapur
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Take-away

Amma and dad were travelling through Kondapur during lunch hour last week, and decided to bring some food home for lunch. Not just me, but dad also likes the food at Santosh Dhaba (Abids), so from the abundant choices in and around Kondapur, they chose this one.

They ordered for Malai Kofta, Kaju Biryani and Butter Naan. Apparently, the order took longer than usual (for Santosh Dhaba standards), and they had to wait for about 15 minutes for the food to be packed.

Unpacking the contents, the food looked yum. The Malai Kofta was delicious, with a couple of well cooked kofta balls. The gravy was thick and had a nice flavor. I was dreading the Butter Naan to have become rubbery, but it turned out to be pretty soft. The best dish of the meal though was the amazing Kaju Biryani. Full of cashew nuts, this was one of the best biryani I’ve had in recent times. Not too spicy, rice full of flavor, yummilicious! The gravy served along was equally good as well.

Overall, an excellent meal. Because of their oily food, I’ve been avoiding Santosh Dhaba of recent. Yes, their food is oily and greasy, but is usually delicious too, and the quantity is sumptuous. It’s a must try for any Punjabi food loving vegetarian. Try them out (any of the six locations in town) if you haven’t yet, and lemme know what you think 🙂

Food: 9/10
Service: N/A
Ambiance: N/A
Meal for 2: Rs. 235/-

Verdict: 8.5/10

Swathi Tiffins | Restaurant Review

Place: Swati Tiffin Center
Location: Behind the bus stand, Mehdipatnam.
Cuisine: Tiffins and Indian
Meal: Take-away

I last reviewed this place 3 years ago (review). Since then, a lot has changed in Hyderabad. But there are still a few places which serve pretty good food at reasonable prices, and Swathi remains one of them. Was passing by Mehdipatnam last week, and decided to pack some yummy food.

I ordered a Kaju Masala, Butter Naan and Vegetable Biryani. It took forever for the food to be packed and I was starting to get restless while my food was finally ready.

The Kaju Masala looked yum and tasted pretty good. Though the gravy was thick and full of cashew, it was very spicy. Even with the best Butter Naan in Hyderabad, it was hot! And ya, theirs is definitely the best Butter Naan in town without a doubt; in layers, oozing butter, and as thin as a Roomali roti.

Their Biryani used to be pretty good and I was hoping that it’d be the same. Stuffed with curry under the rice, it’s similar to Bombay style Biryani. While it still tasted good even this time around, it also was pretty spicy. Looks like the chef was trying to get rid of all the chilli in the kitchen.

Overall a decent meal, but for the spice. Both the Kaju Masala and Biryani would have been excellent if they had gone easy on the chilli. The service, while I was waiting for my food, seemed bad with waiters getting into arguments with customers. The place always had mediocre ambiance and it hasn’t improved over time. So opt for an take-away. Give it a shot if you haven’t already, and make sure you ask your food to be less spicy.

Food: 7.5/10
Ambience: N/A
Service: N/A
Meal for 2: Rs. 230/-

Verdict: 7.5/10

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Place: Swati Tiffin Center
Location: Opp. Yashoda Hospital, Raj Bhavan Road
Cuisine: Tiffins and Indian
Meal: Take-away

A couple of days later, happened to pass by Raj Bhavan road and decided to pack some dinner for me and amma. This place looks almost similar to the one at Mehdipatnam (almost all Swathi’s look the same), and has small seating area in the basement. Ambiance is also very similar, a basic tiffin center.

I ordered the same food as a couple of days ago, mainly to compare tastes: Kaju Masala, Butter Naan and Special Vegetable Biryani. The food was prepared pretty quick, and I was on my way home in about 10 minutes.

The Kaju Masala looked a little different from the one at the other place, and was much less in quantity. The gravy was pretty tasty but apart from cashew, it was full of finely chopped capsicum pieces (I hate it when restaurants do that for I hate capsicum, and I had to pick them out before I hogged). The Naan was decent, but not the best.

There was nothing so special about the vegetable biryani, but it was decent nevertheless. It actually tasted yum with the gravy served along.

Overall a decent meal. Both the restaurants had different tastes, and had their own merits. The best part of Swathi is the pocket friendly prices. The taste too is pretty good, and so is the quantity. They might not be fine dine restaurants, but do give the take-away a try.

Food: 8/10
Ambience: N/A
Service: N/A
Meal for 2: Rs. 205/-

Verdict: 8/10

Shriji Rasoi | Restaurant Review

Place: Shriji Rasoi
Location: Surekha Chambers, Opp. Vijaya Textiles, Dharam Karam Road, Ameerpet
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner

Wanted to eat something yum the other night but didn’t wanna travel too far either. Searched on Zomato for a reasonably priced, high rated restaurant near Ameerpet, and found Shirji Rasoi. Wanting to explore and experiment, rode down to this place which is in the interiors of a building opposite Vijaya Textiles on Dharam Karam road. You need to walk in through another restaurant to reach Shriji (which I thought was pretty weird). Anyhow, the place is more of a shed with the kitchen in the background, with no ambiance of any sort. A number of tables were placed very close to each other, few under open sky, and I sat in the center, trying to get a view of the small TV placed in a corner.

I had to call for the waiter twice before he came down and handed me a menu. I asked him what their speciality was, and after a minute of cluelessness, he pointed at a special menu board hanging next to me (which had nothing special). He didn’t have any idea on what those items were either. Realizing that he was useless and had no clue on the offerings, I ordered a Punjabi Chole Kofta (for it sounded different and I was curious) and a couple of Phulka.

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The food was served in about 15 minutes (I was actually starting to get a little impatient for I was very hungry). The curry looked good, and apart from a couple of Koftas made of mashed channa and aloo, there was chole in the gravy (quantity of which seemed less for the huge koftas). On taste front, while the Kofta was decent and well cooked, the gravy was pretty spicy. The Phulkas served along were soft and good.

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Wanting to try more dishes, I ordered for a Kaju Pulao and it again took forever for it to arrive. Filled with as many cashew nuts as different garam masala – cardamom, cloves, pepper, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, etc, it tasted pretty good and I actually liked it better than the Kofta. However, it was quite overloaded for Pulao and so tasted pretty much like mild Biryani.

Overall, the food was pretty decent. However, the service was pathetic. The waiter was getting into arguments with customers and was acting callous. Ambiance too isn’t great for it’s a shed, and the tables aren’t so clean either. For the price, quantity of food served is good, and so is the food. So I’d suggest this place for a take away rather than dine-in. Give it a shot for some cheap fare Indian food.

Food: 8.5/10
Service: 5/10
Ambiance: 5/10
Meal for 1: Rs. 236/-

Verdict: 7.5/10

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

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

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

Shanbhag | Restaurant Review

Place: Shanbhag
Location: Basheerbagh, under the flyover
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Lunch

On my birthday, I was confused on where to go for lunch. I wasn’t really hungry, so the initial plans of going for a buffet were ditched. I wanted to have something yum, and that’s when I zeroed on my first favourite restaurant in town, the food I’ve been hogging from probably my first birthday!

I didn’t even have to look at the menu for I exactly knew what I wanted: Malai Kofta, Butter Naan and the amazingly yummy Ghee Rice.

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The food was served in about 10 minutes. I thought the Malai Kofta quantity was reduced for it was served in a smaller bowl. But I didn’t care for it tasted delicious. Unlike most other places which use paneer to make the kofta, Shanbhag still goes the old way using mashed lauki and other vegetables. The gravy was thick, and a little too spicy than usual, but tasted great with the awesome Butter Naan. Their Butter Naan is the best in town!

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Apart from the Naan, these guys also serve the best Ghee Rice in town, and today was no different. With tons of cashew nuts, it was simple yet yummy. However, I was a little disappointed for the gravy served along was too thin than usual, and lacked the authentic taste.

Overall, a palatable meal. Service was quick, and the ambiance has been the same for almost 20 years now. Though the quantity served has reduced, I still had enough leftovers for another meal. Their prices have increased over time, but I think they are still worth every penny. Go hog!

Food: 9/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Service: 8.5/10
Meal for 1: Rs. 282/-

Verdict: 9/10