Place: Taj Mahal Hotel
Location: Next to Chandana Bros., S.D. Road, Secunderabad
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner (with family)
Taj Mahal happens to amma’s favorite restaurant in town. Whenever we plan to go out, she always suggests Taj. Be it Secunderabad, Himayath Nagar or Abids, their Cutlet and Upma are the best in town. We dropped in at the Taj Mahal, Himayath Nagar a couple of weeks ago for lunch, but except for the mentioned Cutlet, the rest of the meal was nothing great. So, coming to this place, my expectations weren’t really high.
We walked into the air-conditioned section of the restaurant and were courteously seated at a table for four in the center. Ambiance wise, the place is simple, and you can easily make out that it’s a very old restaurant (it opened in 1960’s). Amma opted for a Uthappam, dad ordered Upma, South-Indian Thali for my bro, and a Taj Special Thali (North-Indian) for me. We also ordered a single Cutlet.
Their Cutlet, without doubt, is the best you will ever taste in town. Stuffed with spicy curry, its breaded to perfection, and is served with a tangy Tomato chutney/sauce. Heavenly!
The Uthappam was alright, and Upma was yum, full of ghee and cashew nuts. Their Sambar isn’t the best, but pretty decent. The South-Indian Thali was much better than what we had the other day at Himayath Nagar. Poori, Pulao, Dal, Aloo Capsicum, Kootu, Rasam, Sambar, Curd and Ice-cream were served in it, all unlimited. The special Thali came with the same stuff in addition to Tomato Soup, Naan (instead of Poori), Paneer Butter Masala and Mixed Vegetable Curry (all unlimited, except for the curries).
The Soup was tepid and a little spicy. Not the best, but decent nevertheless.
The Naan was a dry and hard. There was not much paneer in the PBM, but the gravy was yum, and the Mixed Vegetable was excellent. The Pulao was very good as well. The rest of the meal was alright.
Overall, a decent meal. The service was a lil old-fashioned, yet effective. Our waiter was pretty sweet and served us extra Ice-cream. The prices are very reasonable as well. Give it a shot when you are looking for a simple yet yummy meal. Do try their Cutlet and Upma for sure, and let me know your thoughts 🙂
Food: 8/10
Service: 7.5/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Meal for 4: Rs. 406/-
Verdict: 8/10