Place: Express Meals
Location: Nagarjuna Cirlce, Banjara Hills
Cuisine: Chinese
Meal: Take away
Few days ago, amma pointed out this new place near at Nagarjuna Circle, and a couple of days later, a friend of mine posted a good review on it. Wanting to check it out, decided to drive down the road and pick up some quick food. Express Meals is a small take-away joint with barely any ambiance. It’s an ideal joint for late night dwellers for its open and delivers food till 3:00 in the morning.
Though it seemed more like an Indian joint, I was in mood for some Chinese, and so ordered Hakka Noodles and Gobi-65. The latter was unavailable, so opted for Veg. Manchuria. It took about 30 minutes for the food to get ready (which was way too long especially when the name of the place is Express Meals), but a conversation with the owner kept me busy during the wait.
Hakka Noodles, neatly packed in a plastic container, looked and smelt really good. They tasted pretty good as well, but there was a layer of oil towards the bottom of the box, which was a put off.
The Manchuria was served in a silver foil box and got a little squished by the time I reached home. I wonder why it wasn’t served in a plastic container. Anyway, it happened to be among the best Manchuria I’ve tasted in recent time. It was perfectly cooked, had the right amount of sauce and spices, and overall, tasted yum.
While the food tasted pretty good, I was unhappy with the quantity for the price paid. The Noodles was barely enough for me and amma. You expect more than that from a take away joint, especially when you pay whopping 275 bucks. Yes, they did pack the food decently and supplied the required cutlery, but that still doesn’t make up for the money. Same stuff at Chopsticks on the parallel road would cost me Rs. 140/- (with better quantity).
I’d give this place another try for their Indian offering while hoping for better value for money. Let’s hope that ain’t my last visit.
Food: 8.5/10
Service: 7/10
Ambiance: N/A
Meal for 2: Rs. 275/-
Verdict: 7/10
