Sizzler |

The Coffee Cup | Restaurant Review

Place: The Coffee Cup
Location: Sainikpuri
Cuisine: Global
Meal: Dinner (with friends, wifey and our lil one)

I’ve been wanting to visit Coffee Cup for ages now for I’ve heard some good things about this place. This never materialized thanks to the distance from the city. But come last Sunday, we were meeting a bunch of friends in the area, and finally, my visit came through. These guys have two setups on either side of the road, and both were packed when we dropped in at about 6:30 PM. We somehow managed to get a table for 6 in the outdoor seating area of, what I am told, the original café. It was sultry this evening, and we requested the staff to move us in as and when there was a table available.

Ambiance-wise, the place was okay. Given that we were sitting outside, we escaped the hustle and noise inside the café. We, as a group, were skeptical about whether safety protocols will be adhered to, not just here but at any place we visit. Thankfully, the staff was wearing masks, and there was a sanitizer on every table. We also had to scan a QR code stuck up on the wall to access the menu.

To start, we ordered a portion of Herbed infused folded bread, Veg. appetizer platter, the White House pizza along with a lot of coffee. The waiter suggested we opt for the Cheesy Garlic Bread instead of the Herbed bread, and we obliged.

The Garlic Bread was served in about 10 minutes, even before the coffee. Thanks to the pandemic, the four slices of bread topped with sumptuous amount of cheese, baked to perfection, were served on a disposable plate. Crunchy, with the right amount of cheese, we gulped them in a minute or so. We immediately ordered for another portion, but that never got served.

In a few moments, our coffees were served. We ordered one Café Frappe, three Devil’s White (frappe with whipped cream and chocolate sauce), a Dangerous Devils (frappe topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and chocolate cake), and a Cinnamon Latte. We also asked for a fresh orange juice for our lil one, but they were out of oranges; we got a watermelon juice instead. All the frappes were creamy and chocolaty, and I loved mine (Devil’s White). I was told that the chocolate cake was yummy, and the latte was very good. We were very happy with all our coffees, but I thought the quantity served was less. For about 200 bucks, I’d expect more.

Next came the pizza. With a few olives and a couple of burnt garlic chunks, this pizza was delicious. It was perfectly flavored, super cheesy and the crust was perfect. A few more toppings, especially of that garlic, would have worked wonders.

The appetizer platter was served next with 3 pieces of fried cheese sticks, jalapeno poppers, spring rolls, and few fries (they replaced potato wedges with fries). We asked for a repeat right away as we knew this wouldn’t be sufficient for the table. The spring rolls were very mild and lacked the punch, fries were crispy and good, poppers and cheese sticks were practically the same, fried cheese with a little jalapeno flavor in the poppers. These were good on the first serving, cheesy, just the way I liked it. However, the ones on the repeat order lacked flavor and were very bland.

It was almost an hour and a half since we were sitting outside, and the weather was not helping us enjoy our food. So I paused for a while, went in, and looked for a table myself as the staff was not really bothered about moving us in. After about 15 minutes, and few requests, we conquered a table in a cozy corner on the first floor, right next to a bookshelf.

Our move-in didn’t feel welcomed as the waiter tending to our table was acting out of sorts. Anyways, a while later, we ordered a Four Cheese pizza, a Potato and Cheesy Croquette Sizzler, and a repeat order of frappes. I was told that the pasta here is good, but the sizzler was a little more tempting.

We were told that the sizzler would take time to be served, but in about 15 minutes, it was on our table (with barely any sizzle). I was surprised with what was on the plate – 3 potato croquettes, some sautéed vegetables, fries, and two small bowls of mushroom flavored sauce. That’s it? Isn’t there supposed to be some rice or noodles?

Apparently not. I look at the menu on my phone again, it said potato fries or rice. Given that I missed this, and thanks to our waiter who didn’t bother informing us, we ended up with a very dry sizzle-less sizzler. Both the croquettes and sauce were bland and tasteless. None of my friends even wanted to give it a try. The only saving graces were the sautéed vegetables and the fries. Disappointment.

At around the same time, the repeat of Devil’s White frappes landed on our table but without the whipped cream. Curious, we called for the waiter, and he then informed us that they were out of whipped cream, and so they added a scoop of ice cream. Before we could ask him why he didn’t inform us of this earlier, he disappeared.

In a while, our last order, the four cheese pizza was served. One would expect a good amount of cheese on the pizza, but to our surprise, this was napoleon sauce with a few dollops of mozzarella, cheddar, Emmental, and parmesan. The crust was soggy and all we could taste was the tomato sauce. Another disappointment.

So what started off as a good meal ended up being a mediocre one. On food front, some of the items were good, but what I realized is that they lacked consistency. The first batch of appetizers had flavor while the second batch were totally bland. Same with the coffee as well. And the mediocre sizzler and four cheese pizza didn’t help.

Apart from the food, the service once we moved inside was pathetic, and that kinda ruined the overall experience for me at least. It’s a nice place to hangout, yes, so I can understand why it’s so popular, but for me, not worth the hype. They were having an off day maybe?

Food: 7.5/10
Service: 7/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Meal for 6: Rs. 3989/-

Verdict: 7.5/10

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

100 Degrees | Restaurant Review

Place: 100 Degrees
Location: Necklace Road, Ranigunj, Secunderabad
Cuisine: Continental
Meal: Dinner (with a friend)

Dropped in at 100 Degrees last week with a friend for dinner. It was raining on this particular night, so we sat in the glass enclosure on the terrace. The place was empty when we reached, but got full as the night progressed. Probably because of the rain, all the waiters seemed a little out of sorts.

We ordered a Four Cheese pizza to start. Later on, my friend ordered a Shanghai Chicken Sizzler, while I opted for a Mushroom Satellite Sizzler.

The pizza was served in about 15 minutes. I stated in my last review that they serve the best pizza in town. After having the one at Viva Italia and Via Milano, I conclude that they serve not the best, but one of the best pizzas in town. Topped with mozzarella, cheddar, smoked scamorza and Danish blue cheeses, the pizza was yum.

After a while, the sizzler were served. It had a Cottage Cheese cutlet with sautéed mushrooms on white rice, topped with mushroom sauce, cheese slice and fresh cream. The cutlet was very well cooked, the sauce had a nice flavor, and the veggies were crunchy. I would have preferred Fried rice instead of the white rice though. My friend liked his Chicken sizzler as well.

Overall, it was a decent meal. However, the experience and service was a let down. My sizzler was supposed to come with Coke, which was served after the meal when I reminded the waiter about it, and the bread served was stale (one even had a mold on it). Like every other Ohri’s restaurant I’ve visited in the recent time, even this one needs to pull their socks up. I still consider it one of my favorite joints though, for the food is yum, and they are all reasonably priced. Give it a shot if you haven’t yet.

Food: 8.5/10
Service: 8/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Meal for 2: Rs. 843/-

Verdict: 8/10

Sizzling Joe | Restaurant Review

Place: Sizzling Joe
Location: Food Court, GVK One, Banjara Hills
Cuisine: Continental
Meal: Dinner

After watching Hugo with a couple of friends at Inox, we walked into the food court at GVK One for a quick meal. Having heard and read about Sizzling Joe, I wanted to give it a try. I wasn’t expecting anything great for one of my friend had a horrible experience with them recently. I should have listened to him and stayed way from it. Alas!!

Since there were only three vegetarian sizzler to choose from, it was an easy choice. I picked the Corn Cheese Shaslik sizzler, which was supposed to be soft cottage cheese and corn balls, fried and skewered with onion and capsicum, served on rice loaded with sour garlic sauce. I asked the guy at the counter if I could get it without the capsicum, and he tells me there is no capsicum in this sizzler. Hmmm… The 175 bucks sizzler got billed for Rs. 200 including taxes. Awesome!!

We sat at one of the tables waiting for our food. One of my friend had ordered a Fusilli Pasta in Pesto sauce from these guys, which was served first.

First off, for 150 bucks, the quantity seemed very less. Next, it tasted more like Alfredo sauce than Pesto. And then, it was served cold. My friend thought it was alright, and ate it without complaining.

And then came my sizzler. Again, the quantity seemed very less. The French Fries were soggy, and they were barely any vegetables on the plate. Forget capsicum, there were no onions as well. I started off with the rice on top, covered with the mentioned sour garlic sauce which barely had any taste and was bland. The rice was under-cooked too. And then, to my horror, I see a sharp something sticking out in the rice.

The Cottage Cheese and Corn balls were placed under the rice skewered into two long, sharp toothpicks. There was no way I could get it out of the plate without getting my hands dirty. The balls tasted alright, and the rice tasted better with them, but overall, the experience was horrible. The sizzler was the worst I’ve had so far.

Overall, a horrendous meal. If it were another day, I would have complained about the sizzler to the management, but having enjoyed an awesome movie, I was in no mood to do so tonight. The guy at the counter too seemed like a loser, for he was swearing at someone else while I was placing my order. For the price, the quantity seemed minimal, and the taste was pathetic. It’s one of the worst restaurant experiences.

Stay away!!

Food: 3/10
Service: 4/10
Ambiance: NA
Meal for 1: Rs. 200/-

Verdict: 3/10

My other friend had a South Indian Special Thali from the Gongura counter.

It looked good, and apparently even tasted good. I’m sure it was way better than a Sizzling Joe sizzler!!

100 Degrees | Restaurant Review

Place: 100 Degrees
Location: Necklace Road, Ranigunj, Secunderabad
Cuisine: Continental
Meal: Dinner (with mom and dad)

After a long long long wait, I finally got to visit my favorite restaurant in the town. I once used to be regular customer of this place, but it’s been a while since I’ve last been here. It’s a place with great ambiance. The closed is section is dimly lit, with a wine cellar feel to it. The atmosphere is really good, but the place can get really loud when it’s packed. They have party rooms and terrace area facing Hussain Sagar. We sat at a corner table on the terrace. The view from up here was pretty good.

I kinda already decided on what I wanted to have, so it didn’t take much long for us to decide on our order. We ordered a Spicy Cottage Cheese Pizza as a starter, Crumbled Melting Cheese Sizzler and Ajwaini Tandoori Paneer Sizzler for the main course, and a Vanilla French Kiss Mocktail as a thirst buster. The guy taking the order was decent, but he seemed to lack enough knowledge on the menu.

We asked our waiter to get us some bread before the meal was served. I asked for warm bread, and two portions of excellent bread was served.

The mocktail was very well presented, and served in about 10 minutes. It was a mix of peach, orange and pineapple juices with cream. It was yum. Mom loved it.

05022012222-1024x768

I’ve been craving to have their pizza for a while now for I think they serve the best pizza in town. And I wasn’t disappointed. It was amazing. Not very thick crust (neither too thin), perfectly baked, and cheese melting in your mouth. Add to that the crunchy veggies and spicy paneer. Heaven!!

We were pretty full by the time we were done with the bread and the pizza, even before our main course was served. We were even contemplating on canceling one of the sizzler, but they were already out.

I’ve already tasted the Crumbled Melting Cheese sizzler once before, and it looked delicious. Like always, though I knew it was gonna be piping hot, I couldn’t stop the temptation and burnt my mouth. It was cheesy and creamy, just the way I like it. The cottage cheese cutlet was well cooked and had a good flavor to it. The barbecue sauce on top, and fried rice served underneath were yummy. Overall, excellent!!

05022012224-1024x768

I ordered the paneer sizzler with an Indian touch for Mom and dad. It was spicy, and had a very authentic taste to it. The huge chunks of paneer were well marinated and cooked, and the gravy was pretty tasty. It kinda felt like having Pulao with Paneer Tikka Masala, with loads of vegetables in between. Again yummy.

Overall, an awesome meal. Right from the bread, everything was great. The ambiance is excellent and service is pretty neat. Only problem with the waiters was that they did not understand English, and so everything had to be translated into Hindi. But they were sweet, and made us feel comfortable. Of all the Ohri’s restaurants in the city, I think this place has the best value for money, for it ain’t as expensive as other restaurants in their chain. The buffet they serve is also pretty decent and reasonably priced. But again, as it is with every Ohri’s restaurant, the tax is exorbitant (200 bucks for a bill of 800).

This place definitely serves the best pizza in town (not the one served with the buffet, please). Go grab a bite soon, and do let me know if there’s anything better than what they serve, cos I’d love to try it 🙂

Food: 9/10*
Service: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Meal for 3: Rs. 1006/-

Verdict: 9/10*

*With some feedback, and my own prior experiences, I’d like to make a note that this place is pretty inconstant on their food quality. I was served good food on this particular night, and I guess I was lucky. Make sure that you ask the manager for a replacement in case something’s wrong (these guys are pretty good on their customer relations). And please do provide your feedback on your experience in the comments.