Ivy and Bean: A Memorable Lunch

After my exams I always make sure that I go to some new place so that I can write it in my blog. This time round my family and I decided to venture out to Hauz Khas and the near by places. We found this amazing restaurant at 119, Sishan House, Shahpur Jat Which serves modern Australian cuisine comprising of an amalgam of south Asian, American, Italian food.

Ambience

The ambience of this restaurant is amazing to say the least. The restaurant is on the first floor and also a beautiful verandah which can accommodate at least 15 people. The verandah is serene with small lights placed within bird cages, which gives the place it’s a unique appearance. The restaurant doesn’t provide a bar so the atmosphere is always calm and excellent for a lunch with family and friends.

The verandah especially during the retreating winters is fantastic slightly windy, a little warm- overall a perfect blend of everything nice.

That is why I will give it

 

 

 

Food

We ordered for a plate of Buffalo Style Drummets with chilli jam and Prawn Bisque. The drummets or wings were amazing slightly spicy and very well complimented with the sweet and sour chilli jam. The prawn bisque was again very delicious. The Bisque itself was rich, creamy and the flavor was elevated to the next level with the prawn and the broth, which again went well together with the slightly crunchy garlic bread.

The delightful appetizers were the perfect beginning for the mains.

For the mains we ordered grilled Basa with lemon and herb sauce, a fisherman’s basket and roast garlic and rosemary lamb chops with roast potatoes. The basa was perfectly cooked, char-grilled on the outside and delightfully soft inside. The lemon sauce was perfect tangy and buttery and stood out very distinctly. The entire dish was served on a bed of mashed potatoes which provided the necessary creaminess. Next was the fisherman’s basket which consisted of 2 pieces of prawns along with calamari bites, battered fish and French fries. All of them were delicious. However the calamari rings stood along with the battered pieces of Basa. The pieces were crunchy and well seasoned and as soon as you put them in your mouth they would melt away. The lamb chops were again finger licking good. Beautiful pieces of lamb, well seasoned and with sufficient sauce made it the best lamb chops I have eaten in a long time.

For desserts we ordered for a blueberry cheesecake and a tiramisu. The blueberry cheesecake was brilliant. The cheese was rich and soft and the biscuit stood out very nicely and its crunch provided the essential salty texture to cut through the cheese and to top it all the heavenly blueberry topping was delicate and simply celestial. The tiramisu was light and with a strong coffee flavor. A spoonful of the tiramisu was sweet, slightly crunchy with immense depth of flavor and texture.

Overall it was a lunch to remember

 

 

I would give it

 

 

 

 

Service

The service is very good, very hospitable and always ready to take orders and help you out with the menu. We were tended to very nicely and the dishes were served relatively fast.

For service I would give it

 

 

 

 

Cost

The restaurant is very cost effective in my opinion for 3 it costs around Rs. 3000.

The prawn dishes were tasty and served at a relatively less price and the quantity the restaurant provided as well as the quality made the entire experience worth it.

Overall I would rate it

 

 

 

 

 

 

My verdict go and try it out for sure the food is to die for.

Karim's: best mughlai food in Noida

Recently I went to Karim’s located at G40, Mughal Palace, Sector 18, Noida.

I have visited this place before and it is one of my favourite places in Noida for authentic mughlai food.

Ambience

The ambience is the only let down for me. The place is a bit cramped for room. Though it has 3 floors but it is not the ideal atmosphere for an appetizing lunch or dinner.

I would give it

2 / 5 stars

 

 

 Food

We ordered for a Tandoori raan for starters and for the main course we ordered for Tandoori Parantha, Tandoori Roti, plain naan along with Akbari Murgh Masala, Shahi Murg do piazza and Makhani Murgh-e- Jahangiri. And for desserts we ordered Firni.

At Karim's, in my opinion one should always try the Tandoori raan it’s the best dish they have to offer. Succulent tender pieces of mutton with a melt in your mouth texture and will sure take you to a different world. Tandoori raan is very well complemented with their pudina(mint) chutney and personally

I believe that Karim’s pudina accompaniment is the best in terms of  flavour. The main course was again top notch. The breads here at Karim's is one of the most delicious part of their entire menu. The Tandoori Parantha and the Tandoori Roti was brilliant and the naan was soft and very tasty. The Akbari Murgh and the Shahi Murg do piazza was heavenly to say the least and so was the Makhani Murgh. The most amazing part of the entire meal was the fact that all the dishes were very unique and each distinct in terms of flavours, spice and depth.

The desserts again did not disappoint, the Firni was delicious, soft and smooth, and well balanced with the sweetness and the light salty and crunchy texture of the nuts served in a clay bowl provides both an amazing experience and a new dimension.

I would give it

3 / 5 stars

 

 

 

Service

Well the service is very good. The food served is fast and customers don’t have to wait for long for their food. The waiters are very efficient and overall the service adds to the positives of the experience.

So

3 / 5 stars

 

 

 

Overall

3 / 5 stars

My verdict go and try it out if you love reasonable, authentic and delicious mughlai food.

Bamboo Shoots

Hello everyone

Feels great to write after a long gap.

For a long time couldn’t really go out to eat due to exams but recently my family and I went to eat at Bamboo shoots.

 

Location

Bamboo Shoots

F 2/F 3, Sector 18, Noida

Ambience

 

Located at the heart of Atta market, the ambience is splendid. Calm, beautiful and serene in its own way it provides the best possible atmosphere for a great lunch or dinner.

The lights are dim and a classic Chinese aroma is spread all around.

Personally this restaurants provides one of the best ambiences for a Chinese place

 I would rate it

 

 

Food

We had visited for lunch. We ordered for a spicy rainbow soup. The soup is very interesting in the combination of the ingredients which includes wine, bell peppers and choice of chicken or sea food. When the soup was served, it thoroughly amazed me. The complexity, depth and intensity of the flavours were bang on. However the side of kimchi wasn’t up to the mark, it was a little placid and dull.

For lunch we ordered a plate of three flavored chicken, Qing Jiao lamb with rice and noodles.

Honestly I am always a little biased against Chinese lamb since it always ends up a little dry and leaves my palate with nothing more but dryness. But shoots completely changed my views. The Qing Jiao was superb. The flavors were nailed to perfection and adding to which the lamb was succulent, and with a melt in your mouth texture.

The chicken was a notch better. Flavours clear and strong and unique.

A personal note for the noodles which were simply brilliant

For food I will rate it

 

 

 

 

 

Service

The service is again exceptional; the waiters are always around, helping with food. The manager visited us on the table and ensured that everything was great

So for service

 

 

 

Overall

I would give it

 

Take an advice go and try it or you will miss something for sure

Arsalan A Biryani Delight

Often my family tells me to expand my base for reviews and write about places which are not in Delhi, NCR. So I decided to write about all the restaurants I go during my trip to Kolkata, the city of life well according to me.

In Kolkata one can have good food at extremely reasonable prices. In all my years in Delhi, I thoroughly miss good Biryani, somehow the Biryani in Delhi doesn’t appeal to my palate.

My family and I visited Arsalan, to have Biryani. We visited the Circus avenue branch

Food

We ordered for a plate of Mutton Biryani, 2 Tandoori Rotis and a plate of Mutton Rezala. The Biryani is brilliant, the rice is perfectly cooked and they also a serve a healthy piece of Mutton along with it. The portion is good and the food overall delicious.

The Tandoori Rotis were also very good; none of them had the charred bits which are often present on Tandoori Rotis. However they were a bit thick and doughy for my taste. The Mutton Rezala was great, the mutton piece succulent, flavourful and delicious.

The gravy of the mutton Rezala was tasty also, just the right amount of buttery and creamy and the nuts made it a brilliant dish altogether

Finally we ended our meal with Firni. Firni is one of the things this restaurant, I think, makes the best. Even this around the Firni was brilliant and tasty.  This ensured that we ended our meal on a high note.

In many places I often find that the firni is a bit too scented or a bit runny but here it was perfect.

 

 

 For food I will give it

4/5 stars

 

 

 Service

Personally I have an issue with the service of this restaurant. I feel that at times when there is a crowd they tend to hurry customers which is a completely no-no for me.

When we reached and we were given our seats, after sometime a waiter came and asked for our orders when he had not yet given us the menu cards.

Rest everything was good. They serve the food fast enough which is an added bonus when your are really hungry

 

So for service I will give it

3/5 stars

 

Ambience

It is has a pleasant ambience. But above all it has got nothing much to say

On a negative point, it is generally very crowded and that is why it is never calm and so not a place which can provide a peaceful moment.  

On a high note its price is reasonable approximately Rs. 700 for two

Overall I would rate it

 3.5 stars

 

 

My verdict give it a try solely but for their Biryanis and Kebabs but it fails to provide anything more.

The Blue Door Cafe

Khan market has become one of my favorite places to have good French and Italian food, and it never disappoints me.

Recently I went to a new place in Khan Market the Blue Door Cafe. It is located on 66, middle lane Khan Market New Delhi, and can easily be reached by both car and metro with the nearest station (Khan Market) just 0.3 kms away.

Food

The food is very good. We ordered for a plate of fish fingers and calamari (squid) fritters. Both of the dishes were amazing. The high point was the calamari and the well made tartar sauce which accompanied the fish fingers. The fish was fresh, soft and tender and the squid was deliciously crunchy.

This was the first time I had tasted squid and I thoroughly loved it.

For the main course we ordered for a plate of grilled fish with lemon capers, chicken escallops valdostana and a plate of pollo Alla Milanese. The main course contrary to the appetizers had ups and downs.

The ups included the perfect chicken escallops valdostana and pollo Alla Milanese. The chicken pieces were juicy and tender and lovely to eat.

However the fish could have been better. The fillets were too thinly sliced and that is why it was a bit chewy and dry.

And then for dessert we ordered for Belgian waffles with whipped cream. This beautifully executed dish ensured that our meal ended on a high note.

The waffles were warm, crunchy and delicious topped with the whipped it was like paradise.

 

 

So for food I would give it 

 

 

 

Ambience

Ambience for some could be a bit of a let down. A blue door awaits the customers at the entrance and the decor has lot of green it. Walls have beautiful oil paintings, and as a art enthusiast myself I can assure you that it provides the necessary cool on such hot days.

One of the major highs is that the restaurant also features a beautiful art gallery which houses oil and acrylic paintings for sale.

So one can enjoy great food while admiring these works of art

For Ambience

 

 

Service

The service is good; the manager frequently visited the table to ensure that everything was fine. The food is served quickly, waiters ensure a hospitable and amicable environment that makes you relish every last bit of your dish

For service

 

  

 

 

Overall

I would rate it
 

 

My advice go and try it out, it won’t disappoint you. It will cost you Rs. 1100 for 2 but it lives up to its cost.

Bon appetit

 

smoke house Deli 'GHT'

Smoke house Deli, is a wonderful European and continental food joint in 17, 1st Floor, Khan Market.

A stroll around the bustling streets of Khan Market, my family and I came to this restaurant and it thoroughly amazed us.

 

 

 

Food

We ordered for a Smoked pimento and jalapeno omelette and a smoked chicken and asparagus salad for starters. Both the dishes were very good and the vodka emulsion with the salad gave it a whole new dimension.

An innovative thing is the way they serve you regular water, from a pitcher with orange pulp. It made the water more refreshing and a bit sour which stimulated the taste buds.

 For the main course, we ordered a plate of chilly crusted Cobbler with turmeric risotto and house smoked chicken with 5 spiced jus.

Again, the restaurant didn’t disappoint us. The chicken was tasty, delicious and the flavours were amazing. But on hindsight I fell that the chicken was a bit dry and could have been far more succulent and juicy.

The shimmering star of the main course and of the entire lunch was the cobbler.

This was the first time I tasted cobbler and loved the way the fish just melted in the mouth. This river fish was deliciously made and served with a lovely, creamy serving of risotto which just took the entire dish to another level.

And the icing on the cake was the Plum and Philly cheesecake. Soft, delicate, sweet with a crunchy base accompanied by a sweet syrup made this the apt ending for such a lovely dessert.

 

For Food I will give it

   Ambience

Ambience for some can be a let down since; it is not a very big place. The place is soothing, calm and very pleasant. Most important of all it is very clean and the plating is beautiful

For ambiance Smoke house Deli will get

Service

The service of smoke house deli is mentionable. The food is served quickly, servers take orders with a smile and the amicable service makes you eager to order more

 

From me

Price

Approx Rs. 1500 for two (without alcohol), VAT & Service Charges extra.

Though the prices may seem to be on the higher side, but the quality of food, service and the ambience makes it worth every bit you spend.

My verdict

Food is great, Ambience is good and service is efficient. Price is on the higher side but the quality of the food makes it worth it, and also will entice a few smiles on the faces of the foodies out there

I traveled all the way from Noida just to have good food, when I returned after having the sumptuous meal at Smoke House Deli (SHD) I was happy

GO AND TRY IT OUT.

   

Truly Khantastic

 

Some days back I went to one of costliest markets in Asia…… Khan market. And if you went to khan market for the first time like me, you should compulsorily dine at Khan Chacha’s.

This well known restaurant absolutely lives up to its name, and the food, ambience and the entire atmosphere is mentionable.

Ambience

The restaurant has a unique ambience, it lacks the finesse of specialty restaurants and loud music plays in the background but these qualities make a great place to hand out with friends. Thus on an average khan chacha’s gets

3/5 stars for ambience.

 

Food

 

When you reach your table and leaf through the menu card at chacha’s, you may get disappointed to see the limited options, but this initial disappointment disappears when you actually order their food and have the first taste of it. The tikkas are impeccable especially the fish tikka. In addition to this even the vegetarian kebabs are well made, succulent and delicious.

Khan Chacha’s is predominantly famous for its rolls and even here it did not disappoint.

The mutton tikka and chicken tikka roll were plainly brilliant. But the highlight of the entire lunch was the biryani, be it chicken or mutton the biryanis were extremely light and thus very delightful.

But again the restaurant lacks in good quality desserts and lack of consistency in the quality of their food.

For food

Khan Chacha’s scores 4/5 stars

Service

Well in this restaurant, the service is really out of the context as the restaurant has  self service. The food is ready in very quick time which really is a very good thing when you take a really empty stomach into consideration.

 

 Price

Well we were four and the bill amount was Rs 1200/- altogether. (Including taxes)

Though it may feel that the price is on the higher side, but all the restaurants in khan market are this costly and adding to this, the food is magnificent.

Thus my word try out Khan Chacha’s its food and service is impeccable and the ambience is different and enjoyable