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 .

Moti Mahal Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Dal Makhni

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.

Moti Mahal Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Paneer Makhni

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.

Moti Mahal Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Makhni Naan

The Butter Naan was soft and very good.

Moti Mahal Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Jeera Rice

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

Moti Mahal Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Phirni

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.

Mohini Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Butter Naan

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

Mohini Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Vegetable Biryani

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.

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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.

Mozza Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Stuffed Mushrooms

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.

Mozza Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Sicily-Pesto Pizza

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.

Mozza Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Imperia 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.

Mozza Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Alfredo Pasta

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.

Mozza Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Lemon Cake
Mozza Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi
No Flow Choco Lava Cake

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.

Karachi Bakery Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Hyderabadi Club Sandwich

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.

Karachi Bakery Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Mini Cupcakes

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.

Karachi Bakery Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Belgian Black Forest Pastry

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!!

Karachi Bakery Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Chocolate Mousse Cake

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

Karachi Bakery Review by Sasikanth Paturi
Tiramisu

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

Dwaraka (Lakdikapul) | Restaurant Review

Place: Dwaraka
Location: Hotel Rukmini Riviera, Lakdikapul
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner

Wanting to eat some yummy Biryani, I dropped into Dwaraka Lakdikapul a couple of weeks ago. Their Hundi Biryani, which I last had in their Ameerpet branch (now closed) happens to be among the best in the city. It’s been ages since I last came into Lakdikapul Dwaraka. Times have changed and so has the place, and here I was at the newly revamped restaurant inside Hotel Rukmini Riviera. Brightly lit, the restaurant had decent ambiance, and I made myself comfortable at a corner table for four.

For a relatively new place, their menu was in shreds with pages falling apart. To my disappointment, the Hundi Biryani was replaced with Paneer Hundi Biryani. Not wanting to experiment, I enquired about the Dwaraka Special Thali. I was informed it is North Indian Thali with an additional dish, and ice-cream. I went for it thinking what could go wrong with a thali. Alas!

Dwaraka Lakdikapul Restaurant Review
Tomato Soup

The Tomato Soup was served in about five minutes, and tasted pretty good for it was thick and creamy.

Dwaraka Lakdikapul Restaurant Review
Dwaraka Special Thali

Before I finished the soup came the Thali. It had Paneer Butter Masala, Channa Masala, Mixed Vegetable, Bhendi Fry, Manchuria, Biryani and Gajar Halwa, and came along with a Plain Naan. Of the curries, while the PBM was decent, the other two weren’t great. The Manchuria was dripping in oil, and the Bhendi fry was cold and hard as rock. When I informed the waiter about the oil in Manchuria and showed it to him, he retorted saying Chinese dishes come with oil. Argh! The Naan was decent, but the biryani was terrible. When I asked for more Naan, I was informed that I would have to let go of the white rice in such case. I didn’t want the rice anyways, so asked for it and had to wait for about ten minutes. The Gajar Halwa was decent.

Dwaraka Lakdikapul Restaurant Review
Strawberry Ice-cream

I finished a disappointing meal and was waiting for the ice-cream. But I was instead served the bill. Curiously, I asked if they forgot something, and everyone seemed clueless. I then had to demand for the ice-cream. After forever, Strawberry ice-cream was served.

Overall, close to a disastrous meal. Did I say I didn’t want to experiment? But for a couple of items, the thali was terrible. What was more surprising was the indifferent attitude of the waiters. For a small restaurant, they had a handful of waiter, most of them standing in the corner and chatting away to glory, unbothered about the customers. People at every table had issues with them. And for 165 bucks, the quantity served was minimal. I could have had an unlimited yummy thali for around the same price at Shanbhag. Bottom line, looks like I’m not coming back to this place again, for good!

Food: 6/10
Service: 4/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Meal for 1: Rs. 165/-

Verdict: 5.5/10

Ci Gusta | Restaurant Review

Place: Ci Gusta 
Location: Kavuri Hills, Madhapur
Cuisine: Italian, Desserts
Meal: Lunch

As part of a foodie meet, dropped into this place last Sunday. Ci Gusta happens to be more of a dessert place also serving Italian food. Walking in, I thought the place was brightly lit and very nicely done. As part of our special meal, we were to start with frozen yogurt, head for starters and main course along with a drink, and finish with gelato and some more frozen yogurt. This was to be quite a meal!!

For Froyo, they had self-serve charged by weight dispensers right at the entrance. This was the first time I came across a self-serve dispenser in India, and was pretty impressed. After trying out all the available flavors, I opted for Forest Berry and Mango combo, topped with some nuts and Blueberry sauce.

Ci Gusta Restaurant Review
Froyo

I loved the Forest Berry the most of the lot for it had a very distinct flavor. The Mango also tasted pretty good but it wasn’t the best.

Ci Gusta Restaurant Review
Tossed Potato Wedges

For starters, we were served with Chef’s special dishes: Potato Wedges and a some kinda Chicken starter. The wedges were tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce which gave them a nice flavor. I would have preferred them to be served with some kinda dips to add more taste.

We had to choose either for a Pizza or Pasta, and I chose for the latter: Ci Gusta Di Mafia, a creamy rich sauce pasta with tomato, garlic and broccoli.

Ci Gusta Restaurant Review
Ci Gusta Di Mafia Pasta

I choose this pasta is for the cream, and to my disappointment, I found the sauce very thin with barely any cream. While it had nice flavor, a thicker sauce would have worked wonders. I would have also preferred more veggies.

Ci Gusta Restaurant Review
Litchi Shake

For the drink, I opted for a Litchi shake which turned out to be pretty good.

Ci Gusta Restaurant Review
Gelato

Back to the desserts now. From a range of gelato, after tasting quite a few, I finally picked pannacotta flavoured gelato which turned out to be pretty yum!

Ci Gusta Restaurant Review
Caffetine

And finally, to finish off the meal, we were to choose for Parfait of Caffetine. While Parfait was fruit flavoured frozen yogurt, Caffetine (I hope I’m spelling it right) turned out to be a coffee flavoured one. It was more creamy than the dispenser froyo, and the espresso shot gave it nice taste. It was good finish to the meal.

Overall, it was a decent affair. While I wasn’t really satisfied with the main course, all the desserts turned out to be pretty good. Though ambiance is good, the service needs to be improved upon quite a bit. On price front (in general), everything is on the higher side. I believe that quality of food needs to be improved by quite a notch for them to be worth the price. Also, while the desserts were good, nothing really left me in awe. Bottom line, I’m probably gonna go back for the desserts, but not for the food.

Food: 8/10
Service: 5/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Meal for 1: Rs. 350/- (As part of a deal)

Verdict: 7.5/10

Green Bawarchi | Restaurant Review

Place: Green Bawarchi
Location: Off. Indira Nagar, Kamalapuri Colony Main Road
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Take-away

Have you ever tasted Irani hotel Puri? If you haven’t , I suggest you try Green Bawarchi first for these guys serve yummy Puri Korma, available only in the mornings. Anyways, on this day, I was here to grab something for lunch, and opted for Vegetable Biryani. Oh, about the place, it’s a regular Irani Cafe serving Bawarchi/Paradise kinda food, focusing primarily on non veg delights.

Green Bawarchi Restaurant Review
Vegetable Biryani frm Green Bawarchi

Back to the Biryani. For 120 bucks, quantity served for superb, with it sufficing at least 3 tummies. On taste front, while it was pretty good, I felt that the masala was a little too much, which kinda made is spicy. It had a very strong flavor associated to it as well. The salan served along was decent, and overall, good food.

Being an Irani Cafe, Green Bawarchi is no fancy place. On the positive side, the food is usually tasty and very reasonably priced, so give the take-away a try.

Food: 7.5/10
Service: N/A
Ambiance: N/A
Meal for 1: Rs. 120/-

Verdict: 7.5/10

Chopsticks | Restaurant Review

Place: Chopsticks 
Location: Srinagar Colony Main Road
Cuisine: Chinese
Meal: Take-away

I’ve been to Chopsticks a couple of times in the recent past but have been ordering the usual (Singapore Noodles, Veg-65/Manchuria and Shanghai Fried Rice), which taste more or less the same as they did a couple of years ago. As mentioned in my last review, quantity varies every time. Anyways, this time around, I was here to try something different. I read on Zomato that these guys serve good American Chopsuey, so decided to give it a try instead.

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American Chopsuey is supposed to be mildly sweet, but this one wasn’t. I kinda liked this for I’m not really fond of my food being sweet. Crunchy hot fried noodles were served separately and tasted yum along with the gravy. However, I could taste the oil oozing out for these noodles in every bite (Only while they were hot. Once they cooled down, they were very good).

I wouldn’t call it the best American Chopsuey, but it was close. Though the amount of fried noodles was great, I was disappointed with quantity of the gravy. For 130 bucks, it was much less in comparison to any of their other dishes. GIve it a try, and lemme know your feedback!

Food: 8/10
Service: N/A
Ambiance: N/A
Meal for 1: Rs. 130/-

Verdict: 8/10

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