Place: Blue Bottle Cafe
Location: Next to Maharaja Chat, Madhapur
Cuisine: Chinese, Italian
Meal: Dinner
I was recently invited to try the food at Blue Bottle Cafe by the owners, and the given the fact that I wanted to try this place anyway, dropped in on a Saturday evening. The Cafe is on the third floor of the buildings which hosts Lazzio- The Pizzeria and another new Indian restaurant, Hyderabad 33. The moment I stepped out of the elevator, I was pleased with the set up and loved the look of the place. It was very casual, and looked very Mediterranean (it actually reminded me of an Mediterranean Hookah joint I visited in Nashville, USA). I met up with the owner and settled down at a corner table.
To start off, I ordered a Kit-Kat Shake, followed by Chilly Cheese Toast, Szechuan Fried Rice and Chilly Mushroom.
Kit-Kat Shake
The shake was served soon and was well presented. The shake was thick and pretty good. I actually don’t like Kit-Kat so much for it’s too sweet for my liking, but the shake was just perfect. A good start.
Chilly Cheese Toast
The Chilly Cheese toast again looked good to look at, and I was impressed with the quantity served. The bread was perfectly baked and tasted good, but it had too much egg which was kinda bothering me. I didn’t really enjoy the fact that I was able to taste the egg more than the cheese.
Veg. Szechuan Fried Rice
I had asked for small portions of the Fried Rice and gravy, but even the smaller portion was quite a lot. The Fried Rice was made with Basmati Rice (which is unusual, for you don’t use Basmati for Indian Chinese food), and was very dry. That apart, it was very very spicy (Szechuan is supposed to be hot so no issues on that front). I believe it would have tasted way better with normal rice.
Chilly Mushroom
The Chilly Mushroom was again very spicy, and I was sweating profusely at one point. On taste front, it was decent and the mushrooms tasted good.
Overall, it was pretty good meal. But for my bad of ordering two spicy dishes for main course, I mostly enjoyed the meal. However, the rice could have been better. The ambiance is relaxing and the service seemed decent. The prices too aren’t really steep, and quantity of food served make up for it. Give it a shot if you haven’t yet.
Food: 7.5/10
Service: 7.5/10
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Meal for 1: N/A
Having read some good reviews about this place, I was here with a couple of cousins on a Sunday afternoon. The place was brightly lit and had neat interiors. We made ourselves comfortable at a corner table.
They had a pretty decent menu, with quite a few starters. The Stuffed Mushrooms sounded really interesting, and so I asked for the same, but it was unavailable. I asked for a paneer starter and they didn’t have that either. Apparently, they don’t make their special dishes on Sundays (this was the reason given). Strange! Anyway, we ordered Chilli Baby-corn and Haryali Spring Rolls (which surprisingly was available). For the main course, we ordered some kinda special Kofta curry along with Naan and Roti.
Chilli Baby-corn
The Baby-corn was served in about 10 minutes. While they looked good, the corn wasn’t fresh and the batter too seemed stale. Therefore, the dish turned out to be more or less a disaster.
Haryali Spring Rolls
The Spring Rolls took quite a while. Instead of using regular wrap, these were made with spinach. The stuffing was very masaledar unlike the usual, and tasted pretty good. I would have liked them to be more crispy though.
Special Kofta Curry
These guys were very particular about presentation and this was apparent with the Kofta, which again looked really colourful. The kofta balls were soft and well cooked while the gravy was slightly spicy. however, it tasted pretty decent. The Butter Naan could have been better.
Overall, it was an average meal, and not great as I’d expected. The fact that I don’t even remember the name of the Kofta I ordered says something. The service was pretty lethargic, and the fact that they didn’t make specials on a Sunday was a put off. Thee quantity of food served was very good, but the prices being charged were no less either; 800 bucks for two starters, a curry and rotis is quite a lot. You could give this place a try if you’re close by, but it’s not something worth driving to.
Place: Taj Mahal
Location: Under Narayanguda Flyover
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner
Taj Mahal happens to be one of my amma’s favourite restaurant in town, and while travelling down Narayanguda road a couple of weeks ago, we dropped into our least preferred Taj Mahal (Abids Taj Mahal is the best followed by S.D. Road). We stopped by at around 9:00 PM, and walked into the Air Conditioned section on the first floor which was partly full.
Coming to Taj and not ordering a Cutlet is a sin, so that’s what I ordered the moment we settled in. For rest of the meal, we ordered Upma, an Onion Rava Masala Dosa and a Special Biryani.
Cutlet
The Cutlet was served soon, and it tasted as good as ever. Served along with a special tangy tomato chutney, their Cutlet is stuffed with spicy veggies and fried to perfection. I don’t think you get this kinda Cutlet at any other place in town. Yummilicious! We actually for another before we finished the first.
Upma
Their Upma is also pretty famous, and it didn’t disappoint. Dad was telling me that of the three Taj Mahal’s, only these guys squeeze lemon in their Upma. While I would have preferred it without the lime, it was still pretty good.
Onion Rava Masala Dosa
The Rava Dosa tasted good, but it wasn’t roasted enough. Making it a little more crispy would have made it taste yum.
Special Biryani
It took forever for the Biryani to be served. While it looked really colourful, it lacked flavour and needed more masala. However, it tasted decent along with the gravy served along.
Overall, it was a pretty decent meal. The Cutlet is worth every penny and I wouldn’t mind coming back just for it. The service is pretty decent and the ambiance, which caters to family crowd, is neat. The prices too aren’t that bad. While I prefer the Abids one as well (which lacks the ambiance), this ain’t a bad choice to spend some quality time with your family.
Place: Kwallity Udupy’s Ahar Location: Yousufguda Cuisine: Tiffins and Fast Food Meal: Dinner/Take away
Having read good reviews about this tiffin place, I was eager to try it out. Since it’s located near my house, I asked dad to bring a Dosa for breakfast on a particular day. These guys boast of more than 50 varieties of Dosa, but I first wanted to try the simplest, Masala Dosa. While I was expecting something yum, it turned out to be pretty ordinary and left me unimpressed. The chutneys and sambar too weren’t great.
On another occasion, we brought in Aloo Paratha, Chapati and Dum Biryani for dinner. The Chapatis, which were served with two kinds of curries, were pretty good. However, the curries weren’t great. One of them had too much pudina which made it really strong, while the other had less salt. The Biryani turned out to be coloured rice with loads and loads of garam masala and no taste, an utter disappointment. Aloo Paratha turned out to be saving grace for they were soft and palatable.
Wanting to give it another chance, I decided to dine at the place. Walking in, I was pissed by the cashiers rude attitude, who turned nice after I ordered a something worth was 80 bucks. Anyhow, I ordered for a Chinese Combo which was ready in about 10 minutes.
Chinese Combo
The combo had four pieces of Manchuria, some Noodles and Fried Rice. The Manchuria was soft and alright but the gravy had too much garlic. The Noodles were tasty but were dripping in oil and the Fried Rice lacked flavour. It’s then I realized that the bandi wala next door serves better Chinese food than these guys.
Overall, mediocre experiences. Like mentioned in few reviews, there were no neatly dressed attendants and neither the hygiene of the place worth mention. The entire place was in fact very muddy on the day I dropped in. Add to that the arrogance of the cashier. I don’t think I’m ever coming back to this place, even for a take away any more.
Food: 6/10 Ambiance: 5/10 Service: N/A Price: Rs. 80/- for the Combo
Place: Reshmi’s Classic Restaurant Location: Opp. Nanking, Parklane, Secunderabad Cuisine: Indian Meal: Dinner (with amma and dad)
I’ve been to Reshmi’s a couple of times in the past, and thought it was alright. But recently, I’ve been hearing a lot about this place, stating them to be the best North Indian food serving restaurant in town. A little curious as to what I missed, I visited the restaurant few days go with amma and dad. Ambiance of the place remained the same as I remember, decent. We sat at a table on the far end, facing the road.
I had already gone through their menu and decided on what to order – Smoked Paneer, Lasooni Tadka Palak and their Kofta Biryani. Dad wanted to have starters, so we asked for Shanghai Rolls, which were unavailable. So we asked for Veg. Bullets (I know that their Stuffed Mushrooms are pretty good, but since dad doesn’t eat mushrooms, had to order an alternative). For roti, we ordered a Butter Naan, Pudina Paratha and Tandoori Roti.
Accompaniments
We were told that the starters would take around ten minutes. In the mean time, the accompaniments were served.
Veg. Bullets
Ten became twenty and finally the Veg. Bullets were served, and they didn’t look appetizing (because of their shape). On taste front, they were a little undercooked (I could taste the dough) and weren’t great. Not a good start to the meal.
Smoked PaneerLasooni Tadka Palak
Even before we finished the bullets, the main course was served. The Smoked Paneer, served in a kadai, tasted yum. The gravy was creamy and the paneer pieces were amazingly soft. The Lasooni Tadka Palak was also delicious, but on the downside, it was oozing oil which was quite a turn off.
Naan and Paratha
The Butter Naan had layers and was very good. The Pudina Paratha was soft and equally good. The Roti on the other hand could have been better.
Kofta Biryani
I was pretty excited to taste the Kofta Biryani which was served next. While the rice was good and flavourful, to my surprise (and disappointment), there were no koftas in the biryani. Instead, they had a few hard Manchurian balls. While I do like Manchuria along with biryani, these didn’t taste great for they were pretty hard (and didn’t seem fresh). And moreover, they weren’t koftas!
Overall, a decent meal, but nothing extraordinary. Yes, the place did serve some authentic North Indian food, most of which was yum, but I wouldn’t call it the best in town. The service was pretty good, and everything was priced reasonably. However, I thought the quantity of the curries could have been better. And the Manchuria instead of Kofta was a huge disappointment (did they think no one would notice??)
Bottom line, give it a shot if you haven’t yet for it’s a decent place, but don’t expect anything extraordinary.
Place: Delhi-39 Location: Near Gachibowli Flyover Cuisine: Indian Meal: Lunch (with friends)
A couple of weeks ago, we headed out for lunch towards Gachibowli and decided to stop at 13 Dhaba. At around 12:30, the dhaba wasn’t open yet, so instead dropped into Delhi-39 across the road. Walking in, the place looked pretty shabby, but a friend who had tried this place in the past spoke well about their food, so decided to stay. The A/C was turned on, and we settled.
After extensive thought, we ended up ordering Delhi-39 special subji, Malai Kofta, Dal Tadka along with some Roti, Masala Kulcha, Laccha Parothas and a Delhi-39 Special Naan.
Delhi-39 SpecialDal Tadka and Malai Kofta
It took a while for the food to be served (around 15 minutes), but it sure did look yum when served. The Delhi-39 special curry turned out to be paneer masala in a rich creamy gravy. The paneer was very fresh, and the gravy was finger licking good. It was one of the best panner subji I’ve had in recent times. The Malai Kofta too was excellent, with rich gravy and soft kofta balls. The Dal was decent.
Masala Kulcha and Laccha Parotha
The Masala Kulcha was perfect. I expected the maida Parothas, but they were instead made with wheat flour and tasted great. But for the tandoori roti (which was very dry), everything turned out to be soft and yum.
Overall, an excellent meal. The ambiance might paint a bad picture, but the food totally made up for it. The service was decent, and the pricing too was nominal. I’d gladly give this place another try instead of the hyped dhaba across the road. Go hog!
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.
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.
Starters
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.
Pani PuriDahi Papdi
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.
Mini PizzaItalian offerings
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.
Chinese offerings
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.
Indian offerings
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.
Desserts
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).
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 PackageRoyal Paneer Makhni
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.
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.
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.
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.
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..
Aloo Paratha
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.
Kadi Chawal
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.
Poori Subzi
I didn’t have a taste of the Poori Subzi, but it did look good.
Lassi
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.
