Summer Menu at Olive Bar and Kitchen, Mehrauli

One of the most reputed names in Delhi NCR, Olive Bar and Kitchen, Mehrauli, better known as Olive Qutub, has created waves among the food enthusiasts, serving exquisite Italian, European and Mediterranean cuisine. Set in a large, sprawling haveli in Mehrauli, the ambience of Olive Qutub is perfect for romantic dates with its calm and serene al fresco seating .

We were invited to try out their new and exhaustive new summer menu which Chef Sujan Sarkar had carefully prepared. He had left no stone unturned and made sure that we had the most wonderful time as we tasted delicate yet delicious dishes which made use of rare ingredients such as goat cheese, endive, salsify, baby gem lettuce and green apple.

First up in the starters was the Home Cured Salmon served with compressed apple. The dish was topped with cucumber and green apple water which were made from the respective fruit extracts but didn't really help in bringing in any new flavour to the dish. However, the intention behind the idea was novel; curing often gives a distinct flavour which is not liked by all, topping it with cucumber and green apple water would enhance the taste of such dishes.

Home Cured Salmon in Cucumber and Green Apple Water

Compressed Melon Terrine combined the tastes of three types of melons - Muskmelon, Watermelon and Canary melon stuck together by fruit pectin. Served in a sea of soft feta cheese with avocado sorbet, the dish really highlights the contrasting tastes of the melons. The non-vegetarian version of this dish is served with Crispy Parma Ham.

Compressed Melon Terrine with Parma Ham

The showstopper among the starters was definitely the Foie Gras and Chicken Liver Parfait. Rich and buttery, the mixture produced a heavenly taste when had with brioche, whose high egg and butter content gave it a rich and tender crumb.

Foie Gras and Chicken Liver Parfait served with Poached Cherries and Vanilla Pear

The Char Grilled Baby Gem Lettuce served with summer vegetables is a must try. The smoked goat curd blended wonderfully with the deep smoky flavour of the charred lettuce. The combination of the two produced a burnt flavour unknown to the otherwise simple salad leaf.

Charred Baby Gem with Summer Vegetables

The Pan Seared Scallops was next on the menu. Served with pumpkin purée and crispy chicken wings, I felt that the scallops smelled a bit fishy and should have been seared for a longer time. Though they were sweetish due to the formation of caramel crust, it hadn't exactly reached the optimum level that the chef would have hoped to.

Pan Seared Scallop with Crispy Chicken Wings 

The Zucchini Wrapped Reef Cod was another signature dish which impressed me. The fish was fresh and the marination had seeped in making it juicy. Served with potato spaghetti and fritters, the zucchini was peeled and shaped into a spiral which firmly held the reef cod.

Zucchini Wrapped Reef Cod

Next to come was the main course - The Corn fed Chicken Breast, The Rump of Lamb and the Sirloin Steak. The Corn fed Chicken Breast was cooked in its own juice making it tender and succulent. The Hazelnut sauce which was poured over it, greatly contrasted the salty taste of the chicken.

Corn Fed Chicken Breast

The rump or rear of the lamb is one of the tastiest cut of the animal.This portion where the loin meets the leg has a bit of fat. Served with roasted vegetables like carrot and broad beans, the lamb was a pink with a crisp layer of fat over it.

Lamb Rump with Roasted Baby Vegetables

Sirloin Steak with Black Garlic Purée

For the desserts, we were served the Chocolate Ganache, Baked Cheesecake and Tiramisu. Though the Orange Sorbet served with the Chocolate Ganache wasn't very appealing, the velvety chocolate consistency to the pastry was too good to miss.

Baked Cheesecake with Passion Fruit Essence

Tiramisu with Coffee Sorbet and Biscotti

Chocolate Ganache with Orange Sorbet and Popcorn

The chef had kept the best for last as he revealed the Mango Mille Feuille. As the name suggests, the rich cake was substituted by Mascarpone Mousse and Custard Cream, with mango sorbet and pieces of mango to go with it. The thick and creamy consistency with the tang of the sweet and sour mango was the perfect ending to the wonderful meal.

Mango Mille Feuille

Address :

Olive Bar & Kitchen
Haveli No. 6, One Style Mile,
Kalka Das Marg, Mehrauli
New Delhi

Telephone: 011 - 29574444

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Delhi High

Guest Post by : Nikhil Chawla

Punjabi by birth and nature, Nikhil is the founder of one of the biggest facebook blogs in Delhi NCR, Hmm. He has been a foodie since birth as food was a big part of his family's get-together. Though he has been both a non-vegetarian for some part of his life and vegetarian for the other, he believes that the former one explores fewer things in their eating habits because it's a mindset of not eating vegetarian food outside your home. By day, Nikhil is into corporate leasing with MNC and food blogging is what helps him keep sane.

The drinking culture in Delhi NCR is a bit biased towards the Gurgaon side with major breweries and pubs opening there to cater to the youth. With the recent boom in the number of companies in Gurgaon, there has been a huge migration of working class people which has caused for the major restaurants and food chains to shift towards the Haryana side of the NCR region. There are many liquor shops in Gurgaon which serves varied priced alcohol from Rs. 35/- a pint to a Rs. 4 lac a bottle. All these air-conditioned shops have a drinking place, some of which have a nicely done décor.

Toofani at Dhaba by Claridges

Gurgaon also has micro-breweries like Bangalore which is a small beer plant. It is used for making fresh beer without adding of any form of preservatives. They have different types of beer ranging from lager, wheat, heavy and stout. Vapour and Manhattan on Golf-Course Road are some of my favourite breweries. Vapour specializes in making cocktails from beer, the most famous one being the Boiler which has wheat beer with a shot of Jack Daniels. There is a fierce competition between the breweries and they host band events, have special nights and try to extend their Happy Hour timings to attract as many customers as possible. This has caused for the pricing to remain affordable in most of the places.

The concept of Bawa Peg at Soda Bottle Opener Wala, DLF CyberCity

In Delhi, the scene is a bit different with there being an age limit of 25 (though most of the people rarely follow it). The places serving alcohol including five star hotels have high pricing strategies which make it not very youngster-friendly. The major concern for these top places is that people don’t pass out or vomit and thus ensure that the security and decorum of the place is maintained by straining the prices. The places promoting tourism get some discount on the taxes as well.

Soi 7  -  The newest microbrewery which has opened in DLF CyberCity

Noida lacks any proper pub culture with there being no breweries. Most of the alcohol is served in fine dine restaurants and there are not many pubs worth mentioning either. So effectively, those in the mood for partying have to come all the way to Delhi / Gurgaon to have some fun.

As some restaurants have signature dishes, I have made a list of drinks which would be their signature cocktails. They are a must try  -

Watermelon Mojito @ Fork You – They have an amazing taste of a watermelon mixed with all the right ingredients packed with a large dose of vodka .

Watermelon Mojito

Long Island Iced Tea @ Route 04 – A cocktail made of  vodka, gin, tequila, rum, and triple sec, this remains the most popular drink among the youngsters. Though it seems a very simple mix, the combination of the correct quantities of the 5 white spirits drink is extremely hard to make. Chi Kitchen and Bar also makes a strong LIIT in its 'Ultimate' version.

Tharras @ Dhaba by Claridges – Designed in desi alcohol quarters, the Dhaba staff has launched this brand new range, where flavours such as Kaala Khatta are mixed with alcohol to give a fascinating new taste. Another cocktail worth trying here is the Paan Mojito.

Gulaabo –The desi version of LIIT with a strong flavor of kaala khatta

Classic Mojito @ United Coffee House – Though named as a Coffee House, UCH is a fine dining restaurant like the ones in Khan Market, South Delhi. Though they are primarily known for their continental dishes, I found that they make the best Mojito in the town.

This Shit is Bananas @ Thirty Nine, Hauz Khas – This drink blew my mind the last time I went to this place. It tastes like sweet protein shake mixed with alcohol.

Addresses : 

Fork You
30, 1st Floor
Hauz Khas Village
New Delhi

Route 04
4, Khan Market
New Delhi

Dhaba By Claridges
1st Floor, Cyber Hub,
DLF Cyber City,
Gurgaon

United Coffee House
E15, Connaught Place,
New Delhi

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Pizza Party at Pizza Corner, Hyderabad

With multiple pizza joints coming up in the twin cities, it is really hard to choose from the closely competing brands. Then comes an invite from Media Moments Insight for a “Pizza Party” at Pizza Corner. The #pizzacornerparty was exclusively for bloggers at their Gachibowli outlet.

The Pizza Corner outlet at Gachibowli

So on the appointed Saturday afternoon, I landed up at Pizza Corner, Vinayak Nagar to be warmly welcomed by the hosts. Most of the bloggers in attendance were familiar faces, some being very close friends.

Nimbu Jaljeera , Guava Juice and Virgin Mojitos

As many of us had come from the other side of the town in this unbearable summer heat, we refreshed ourselves with some of the drinks from the Pizza Corner menu -  Nimbu Jaljeera , Guava Juice and Virgin Mojitos.

Cheese Garlic Bread

We were also served the range of short eats from Pizza Corner – the Cheese Garlic Bread was the first one to arrive on the table.

Veg Nuggets

The vegetarians gorged on the Veg Nuggets while there was Chicken Fingers for the non-vegetarians.
We sampled Pizza toasts also – a new offering from the outlet.

Chicken Fingers

The real fun started after that. We were taken inside the kitchen area and were enthusiastically demonstrated the procedures they follow. We were all asked to wear hair caps and wash our hands following a special method. Apart from the storage freezers where they keep the frozen dough and the walk in freezers for veg and non-veg items, we were demonstrated the art of pizza making.

Pizza Dough at the start of the process (Photo Courtesy: Sankalp)

The first step is preparing the pizza base from the dough. The base has to be made to the correct round shape and required size with the edges properly done. The technique used is called pinching, followed by docking, i.e. spreading the dough outwards to bring in the flat shape. The pizza base is then tossed in 6 or 8 type movements. The base is then ready.

The pizza sauces

Next step requires the sauce needs to be evenly applied on the base. Pizza Corner has two varieties of sauces – one Indian and one continental. Copious amount of cheese is now put on the base along with the toppings required by the customer, with some more cheese sprinkled on the top. All the toppings are neatly stacked in the kitchen with vegetarian and non-veg toppings kept in different sides.

The Pizza is ready for the oven

After this the pizza is put into the rollers in the horizontal oven for baking – the oven was operating at 420°F. The pizza moves through the oven on rollers and in about 5 minutes or so it is completely baked. Then a cutter is used to cut it into slices and it is ready to be served.

The Oven

At the end of the demonstration we were asked to make our own pizzas – starting from the dough to adding the sauce, cheese and toppings and putting it into the oven ourselves for baking the pizza.

Pizza on the table

I managed to bake a regular sized pizza with assorted meat and vegetables – and it came out quite well given that it was a first time effort.The bloggers had all prepared their own pizzas. Now was the time to celebrate. We shared slices of each other’s creations and complemented everyone on a job well done.

Eggsotic - the new offering being prepared

It was a great initiative by Pizza Corner for inviting the food bloggers to their kitchen. The bloggers could experience for themselves the care that goes in preparation of pizzas.

Address:
Pizza Corner
Vinayak Nagar, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500032
Telephone 40198068

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Quesa Lounge, Noida

Originally located in Sector 51, Noida, Quesa Lounge has moved to Sector 18, Noida, one of the biggest eating hubs in the city. The look and feel of the restaurant too has increased considerably with the renovation.

The old gramophone really brings in a touch of royalty in the restaurant's decor.

The Lounge is two-floored and neatly decorated with a regal setting. There are gramophones, old telephones and bulbs in cut wine bottles hanging from the ceiling as a part of the design. On every table there is a small bowl with flickering lights which adds to the ambience. Like any lounge, the music at Quesa is loud and they generally play English songs with a touch of electro and trance. Their menu card is neatly designed and looks as if it was hand-written.

Though Quesa specializes in continental cuisine, their preparations of Oreo Shake and Cookie Monster have generated a lot of buzz in and around Noida. Thick, creamy shakes with moist Oreos give a chocolaty and a biscuity taste, unique to the Lounge’s preparation. The Cookie Monster is a cousin of the Oreo Shake with chocolate brownies giving a less sweet but a much more fascinating taste.

Oreo Shake

Cookie Monster

Priced modestly, their Chicken Platter includes multiple servings of their best appetizers – Chicken Fingers, Grilled Chicken Strips, Sausage Wonder and BBQ Chicken Wings. The BBQ Chicken Wings was the best of the lot; the wings were tangy and sweetish but there was a subtle spice which hit you on the way down. The Sausage Wonder too was something I hadn't tasted before, diagonally cut chicken sausages fried in spicy batter and served with a honey mustard and mayo based dip.

The Chicken Platter - Sausage Wonder, Chicken Fingers, BBQ Chicken Wings and Grilled Chicken Strips

The Garlic Bread with Cheese and Chicken is another dish which is fabulous here. Dressed like a small mini pizza, the garlic bread is toasted with cheese and chicken to serve as a good accompaniment to the fresh soda mocktails that they offer. Their garlic bread actually has the garlic essence which is majorly missing in the ones served by the big pizza brands like Dominos and Pizza Hut.

Chicken and Cheese Garlic Bread

For the main course, we ordered a non-vegetarian Mexican Enchilada and a Quesa Chef's Special - Grilled Fish in Lemon Butter Sauce. The Mexican Enchilada was the first to come. There were two massive enchiladas served along with spicy kidney beans and rice. The insides of the enchiladas were filled with chunks of chicken, capsicum, beans and mushrooms and there was a layer of molten cheese with coriander and tomato used on top for bringing a creamy flavor to the dish.

Mexican Enchilada

The Grilled Fish with Lemon Butter Sauce was served along with beans, garlic fried potatoes and bread. The garlic fried potatoes was a simple yet heavy side dish made by pan-frying potatoes with a garlic essence. It went extremely well with the meunière sauce (made of lemon, butter and parsley) in which the fish was marinated.

Grilled Fish in Lemon Butter Sauce

For the sheesha lovers, they also have a pretty detailed hookah menu. Quesa Special is the most famous one; it is pretty strong and gives combined taste of paan rasna and mint as the major flavours.

Quesa Spl Hookah

Meal for two persons – Rs 1000/-

Address : G-12, Sector 18
Near Kotak Mahindra Bank.
Noida

Telephone : +91 9899688376

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Maama Chicken – Mobile barbecue carts in Hyderabad

Guest Post by : Vishnu Kompella

Vishnu is well known in the local foodie circles in Hyderabad as a person who has vast knowledge of street food in Hyderabad. He is one of the top reviewers of Zomato for Hyderabad, and a regular participant in the various food meets organized by the foodie clubs here.

The idea of a barbecue station is to cook meat relatively quickly using the direct heat imparted by a charcoal based fire. Like any other city, Hyderabad too has many restaurants which offer live grills on the table but the high demand for barbecued dishes has made these items very expensive and not affordable for daily dining.

The Grill

Putting an end to the expensive and lavish concept of barbecue is Midland Bakers which has started an initiative to satisfy the aam aadmi barbecue lovers of Hyderabad and to serve the food at a very nominal cost. They have brought in the concept of barbecued chicken as a street food – with mobile barbecue carts stationed at different locations in the Madhapur area.

Maama Chicken Cart

Marinated Chicken Tikkas
Photo Courtesy : Sankalp

On a fine evening, I was on a street food spree in the Ayappa Society lane (one of the busiest streets of Madhapur), trying out whatever came to my attention when I happened to pass by a small joint named Maama Chicken operating from a 3 wheeled cart.

BBQ Chicken Wings

I met the staff and inquired about the concept behind it and soon I ordered spicy barbecue wings and some seekh kebab to satisfy my hunger. The concept envisioned was to serve chicken barbecue as street cart food to the common folk.

Chicken Tikka
Photo Courtesy: Sankalp

Their operations start from Midland bakers at around 4:30 in the evening when the carts load their coal and the marinated chicken. The coal which they carry in the cart for cooking will not cross ½ a kg for each day and the chicken will be around 3-4 kgs. They soon descend in the crowded areas of the city, trying to catch the attention of the public. Once the customers start approaching and placing the orders, they prepare the food in a flash. Depending on the size of coal and the meat, the cooking time varies. The initial startup takes up to 10-15 minutes and then there is a continuous uninterrupted service thereon. 

Chicken Seekh kabab
Photo Courtesy: Sankalp

Their menu has with bone and boneless items. The meat is prepared to an optimum tenderness and then marinated in a BBQ sauce along with some other ingredients which is not revealed for secrecy. The barbecue is done in front of the customers and the items are delivered on a paper plate with a touch of mayo and some barbeque sauce. The barbeque sauce is very sweet and spicy to make the chicken taste even better.

Chicken Vaadas
Photo Courtesy: Sankalp

When it comes to food and its preparation, they offer only chicken for the customers as other meat preparation is often time consuming especially when cooked on coal in an open air environment. They serve many varieties of Chicken based offerings such as BBQ sticks, BBQ wings, Chicken Chili Wings, Chicken Seekh and Chicken Tikka, spicy leg pieces and nuggets. They are the busiest during the winters and shut shop by 7:30 or 8 in the evening.

Chicken Chili Wings

They also serve for the huge gatherings and parties on order. The total per head cost may go up to Rs.300 for a no nonsense all you can eat buffet. This pricing is extremely economical and the dishes are as tasty as any other high end barbecue restaurants. They have also received the best street food on cart from Andhra Pradesh Tourism for 2013. 

Marinated Chicken legs
Photo Courtesy: Sankalp

Usual locations for Maama Chicken carts:

Ayappa Society Lane, Madhapur (Near HDFC Bank ATM)
100 feet Road, Madhapur (Near Utsav Restaurant)
100 feet Main Road (near Cricket Academy)
KPHB 6th Phase Main Road
Gokul Flats Circle (near Corporation Bank), between Malaysian Township and KPHB 6th Phase

Generally the carts stand close to the mentioned locations. They can be identified by their unique cart type and color.

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