Chili's - The Sweet, Smoky and Hot additions to the menu

With the advent of winter, many restaurants are showcasing innovative new items on their menu. Chili’s Grill & Bar, the reputed American restaurant at Inorbit Mall, Hyderabad has introduced a special list of items in addition to their regular menu for a limited time. The theme of the new offerings can be broadly categorised into three flavors – sweet, smoky and hot. The drinks menu has also been augmented with the addition of seasonal watermelon drinks.

Invited to try out the new menu, we started by ordering the two watermelon based drinks. The alcoholic Watermelon Margarita had the fruit puree along with ice and a bit of tequila. The freshness of the watermelon was very apparent in the drink, and the tequila added zing to it.

Watermelon Margarita

The other beverage was Watermelon lemonade – the non-alcoholic drink combining the fruit puree with the refreshing flavor of lemonade. The watermelon taste in this drink was even stronger than in the margarita.

Smoked Salmon Salad

Next on our table was the Smoked Salmon Salad. I liked the presentation of the dish. The salmon pieces which had the smokey flavor was served with diced avocados, feta cheese, onions and cabbage in a delicious lemony dressing. The tostada chips served alongside went famously with the salad.

Spicy Shrimp Pasta

The Smoked Spicy Shrimp Pasta had medium sized shrimps and pasta in a cheesy Alfredo sauce. Veggies, cilantro and chilies were used to garnish the dish, which was served with garlic bread.

Pork Baby Back Ribs. Photo Courtesy: Chili's

I am a porkaholic and could not miss out on the Sweet Mustard Seed Baby Back Ribs. The pork rib rack looked delicious and was served with a full corn and some French fried.  The sweet and smoky barbecue sauce used for the ribs had mustard seeds and honey in it.  The pork meat was of the right texture, and was delightful.

Smoked Garlic Tenderloin

We debated between the Smoked Quarter Chicken and Smoked Garlic Tenderloin and ultimately decided in favor of the latter. The medium tenderloin was served with mashed potatoes and sauteed broccolini. Roasted garlic pods on the tenderloin provided a unique taste along with the sweet honey based chipotle sauce.

Sizzling Brownie

We ended our meal with Sizzling Brownie – a chocolate brownie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

The menu has many other interesting items like Pulled Chicken Corn Cakes and Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas.  For vegetarians, the chicken is replaced with paneer in the last two dishes. The hallmark of the new menu is the combination of different flavors in the dishes prepared. The limited edition items will be available till end of January 2015.

Address: Chili’s Grill and Bar
F-48, 1st Floor, Inorbit Mall, Hi-Tech City, Madhapur, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad – 500081

Telephone: 040 40126801

Also read: The New branch of Chili's at Banjara Hills

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Quick Bytes : Shiv Tikki Wala, Karkardooma

Shiv, who is more popularly known as Shiv Tikki Wala had started selling tikkis in 1992, setting up a small makeshift thela arrangement. Over the years, the sheer quality of his products saw him expand into other snack items like Pav Bhaji, Malai Chaap and Tikkis as well as afford a bigger and better establishment. Now, after 20 years, he owns a big roadside dhaba like setting with tons of cars parked outside to have a taste of his delightful wares.

Pav Bhaji at Shiv Tikki Wala

Exploring the place with fellow food lover Sanju Aneja, we tried out his Tikki Chaat and Pav Bhaji. A huge dollop of butter on the bhaji along with chopped coriander, onion and a dash of lemon the dish was lip smacking causing a whole riot of flavours in the mouth . The aloo tikki chaat was great too and the tikki had a crispy exterior with well mashed potatoes creating the perfect filling.

Tikkis being fried

Cost for two - Rs 150

Address:
Ground Floor, Pramesh Tower,
Karkardooma Centre,
Anand Vihar, New Delhi

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New Menu at Olive Bar and Kitchen, Mehrauli

One of the most well known restaurants in Delhi, Olive Bar and Kitchen has a wonderful setting of a Mughal mansion turned into an al fresco Mediterranean restaurant. Invited for sampling their winter menu which was specially curated by Chef Sujan Sarkar, we were impressed with the european influence in the dishes, each having a distinct flavour worth dying for.

Muscovy Duck Breast

We started off with the Oysters in Spinach, Cheese and Paprika. While we did expect Chef Sujan to serve some fantastic dishes, the oysters came out of the blue (No pun intended!!). Served on its half shell on a bed of salt, the oyster preparation was in a creamy cheese base with spinach and paprika to spice it up. The only thing missing was some warm slices of bread to go along with the cheesy and tasty juices left over after eating the oysters.

Oysters with Spinach, Cheese and Paprika

With the winter fast approaching, there has been an increased demand for hot cocktails in many bars and restaurants. Alcohol generally takes the chill off during the winters, but a hot cocktail works even better. The winter menu at Olive featured the Hot Velvet which was a rich, flavourful amalgamation of Earl Grey tea with Grey Goose Vodka. Spiced with cinnamon, orange rind and a star anise, the drink is a tailor made for a bad cold or an itchy throat during winters.

Hot Velvet

However, the star of the night was the Melting Camembert. Baked optimally, the Normandy cheese which is supposed to be made from unpasteurized milk was soft and creamy, placed in a bed of mushrooms fried in garlic and thyme. Served with a wheat toast, the dish was presented in an iron pan on a wooden platter.

Melting Camembert

The Braised Belgium Pork Belly which was served next, came in with a pulled pork croquette and apricot piccalilli . More than the dish itself, it was the pulled pork croquette, a spherical breadcrumbed roll with pork filling, which impressed me as it formed an excellent combo with the vanilla mash.

Braised Belgium Pork Belly

Other than the fantastic cheese based Oyster delight, Chef Sujan's menu also contained the pressure grilled Muscovy Duck Breast and the Chilean Sea Bass. The Irish Angus Sirloin, roasted in butter, was served with a horseradish and sour cream mash to complement each others flavour.

Chilean Sea Bass

Overall, an extremely satisfying experience at Olive Qutub. With more emphasis on infusing European delights into Olive's Mediterranean culture, Chef Sujan seems to surpass his previous efforts with ease.

Address :

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

Telephone: 011 - 29574444 

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Cake Mixing Session and Classic Sunday Brunch at Olive Bistro Hyderabad

With Christmas fast approaching, the top restaurants in the city are preparing for the same. One of the ceremonial aspects of this preparation is the cake mixing session which is held in the month before. Olive Bistro organized a cake mixing ceremony and Sunday brunch in the beginning of November.

The brunch was laid out both indoors as well as my favorite outdoor area overlooking the Durgam Cheruvu Lake.  The salads and the desserts were laid out inside whereas the live courtyard grill and main buffet items were served outdoors.

Virgin Mojito

As we made ourselves comfortable with a virgin mojito and OB Colada (a pineapple and coconut water based drink), an assortment of finger foods were served on the table.  There were Crostinis topped with scrambled eggs and for the Egg Shy, they had tomato and olive toppings. We also had Onion Rings, Batter Fried Vegetables and Crumb Fried Chicken served as Frito Misto. The Crumb Fried Chicken was soft and marinated in herbs giving it a unique taste.

Frito Misto

Rosemary & Pepper Minute Steak

Next to arrive were the items from the courtyard grill. The Rosemary and Pepper Steak was clearly a favorite with its strong herbal flavor. I also liked the Fish Cakes which had the right amount of spices. My wife took a fancy to the succulent Caribbean Jerk Spiced Chicken Breast, which again did not go overboard on the  spices and tasted good.

Jerk Spiced Chicken & Fish Cakes

Egg Benedict with Spinach on Muffin

The Egg Benedict had two variations – one with spinach (also known as Egg Florentine) and the other with some good bacon. We tried both the pizzas – the spicy Harissa Chicken and corn as well as the Cajun spiced Vegetable and Cottage Cheese. Olive makes one of the best thin crust pizzas in my opinion, and today was no exception.

Harissa Chicken Pizza

Cajun Spiced Veg Pizza

Walked across to the live pasta station and got myself some Fusilli Alfredo with chicken, mushroom and grilled vegetables. In many places we find the pasta either under or overcooked but here it was perfect. The white sauce also was delicious with ample cheese and cream.

Fusilli Alfredo

At this point, the call came for cake mixing. About 20 people stood round a large cask. The ingredients like dry fruits, nuts, whole and powdered spices and liquor bottles were handed over to be poured into the cask, and then gloved hands helped mix the stuff. Everyone was in a real festive mood, and this was surely the highest point of an otherwise enjoyable brunch.

Some ingredients for Cake Mixing

Cake Mixing in progress

Finally we did not have much space for the buffet, so sampled a little bit of each item. The Herbed Pilaf was flavorful and went well with the Moroccan Vegetables. Chicken Stroganoff was also served in the buffet.

Herbed Pilaf, Chicken Stroganoff and Moroccan Vegetables

Banana and Caramel Eton

The dessert counter had about a dozen items. Highlights were the Crème Cabalana and the Banana and Caramel Eton. However I am an insane fan of the Insanity Slice at the Olive, so fondly remembered the item which is currently not on menu. Shaaz, one of the partners of Olive Hyderabad assured me that it will be back on the menu soon.

The brunch is priced at Rs 1550 (without alcohol) and Rs 2000 (with unlimited alcohol). You need to reserve your table before visiting.

Address:
Olive Bistro
Inside Durgam Cheruvu complex ahead of Dr Ambedkar University
Road No 46, Jubilee Hills

Telephone: 040 69999127, 9248912347

See Also: The Bistro Lunch Box at Olive Bistro

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Harry's, Khan Market : Pairing Drinks with Food

Harry's has come a long way from the quaint little bar in Singapore from its time of inception. With multiple outlets in and around Asia, Harry's looks to enthrall the customers with comfort bar food from all over the world and a smart concoction of drinks.

Chef Vicky Ratnani  and Mixologist Shatbhi Basu at Harry's

Although a bit crowded, Harry's Khan Market has a homely atmosphere with a small but cozy outlook.While the Harry's signatures like Old Fashioned and Jazz Lamb Burger are pretty well received, celebrity Chef Vicky Ratnani and Mixologist Shatbhi Basu look to lay more emphasis on complementing finger food with their chilled beverages. Keeping in mind the progressing change of the season to winter, they designed a wonderful menu with an intense alcohol mix, in terms of flavour and comfort fast food from around the world. As acid cuts the grease in food, the grease cuts the alcohol.

Hot Chocolate Cow - An Alcohol based Chocolate Drink

While pairing food with drinks is at times thought of as snobby, it is really the crux of enjoying a good meal. Wine with all its versatility and variety is generally the focus of most pairings, however, complementing cocktails is pretty much similar as they can be dictated to assume different tastes which enhances the dining experience. Newbies at the concept, we tried out four different food and cocktail pairings at Harry's and it sure was exciting.

Veg Nachos

To begin, we were served their special Vegetarian Tacos to prepare the palate for the cocktails. These corn fried chips on refried beans were garnished with finely chopped onions, tomatoes and olives along with sour cream and guacamole sauce and served with  a spicy salsa dip. Crispy and spicy, they were the absolute right mix with sour cream soothing the taste buds in times of need.

Pineapple and Bell Pepper Margarita

The first pair to be served was that of the Pineapple and Bell Pepper Margarita and the Fisherman's Basket. With a strip each of the red, yellow and green bell pepper, muddled with pineapple chunks, the drink was surprisingly refreshing, creating a wonderful combo of a beach type setting with the Fisherman's Basket which had crispy tempura battered prawns and calamari along with mayonnaise based remoulade sauce and paprika.

Fisherman's Basket : Prawns and Calamari

Blood on the Rooftop

Mixologist Shatbhi Basu introduced us to another of her creations - Blood On The Rooftop, a drink inspired from Michael Jackson's Blood on the Dance Floor. While it is a variation of Long Island Ice Tea with tequila, gin, vodka and other spirits coming into play, its uniqueness comes in its presentation in which red wine added from the top makes it look like there is some blood is being spilled. The drink is strong and so requires the Chicken Satay with its smoky peanut sauce to balance it out.

Chicken Satay

Espresso Martini

The combination of Espresso Martini and Lamb Sliders was up next. A fantastic drink for all the coffee fanatics, the martini is extremely simple to make using the inherent flavour of the espresso vodka and a bit of kahlua. The Lamb Sliders had a fat juicy patty served in freshly baked buns complementing the coffee taste.

Lamb Sliders

Utterly Simple

The Utterly Simple was a hot cocktail, something you can drink on a cold day while ravishing the Jerk Chicken which was served with it. Set in a backdrop of heat, spice and sweetness, the flavour of cinnamon in warm apple juice and dark rum contrasted the crispy, barbecued Jerk Chicken with a pepper,thyme and ginger seasoning.

Jerk Chicken

The concept of pairing finger food with cocktails is quite innovative and impressive. While it is improbable that the customers will actually do it while dining, it definitely gives us a fine insight on how one's dining experience can be enhanced breaking the shackles of the traditional seven course concept.

Cost for two - Rs 2500 (with alcohol)

Address:
62, Second Floor,
Above CBTL,
Khan Market,
New Delhi

Also see : Harry's, Saket

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The Champagne Brunch at Kiyan, Dusit Devarana

Situated close to the IGI Airport, Delhi is Dusit Devarana, a majestic property with a calm and serene setting propagated by the lush greenery and water bodies running across it. Invited over to Kiyan, which is Dusit Devarana's 'Global Cuisine' restaurant, we got to taste some of Chef Nishant's signature dishes in the Far Eastern, European and Indian cuisine.

Mumm Champagne

We reached the restaurant for the Sunday Champagne Brunch at around 12:30 am. The restaurant is aptly located inside the property and is truly an oasis under the sky. Though the name Champagne Brunch sounds like a buffet, they serve everything on the table in order to avoid wastage of food.

We started off with cold appetizers along with which you can drink Mumm Champagne. The Thai chicken salad was the first thing on the menu and was sweet, salty and spicy all at the same time giving it the perfect combination to interest our palate.

Thai Chicken Salad

Japanese Melons, German Ham and Wild Arugula

Then arrived the cold cuts, Japanese melon, German ham, wild arugula with toasted nuts, and Meat and Cheese platter. The melon's sweetness richly complemented the ham's taste while the toasted nuts gave a bitter feel to it. The meat and cheese platter had perfectly sliced meat, and three cheeses - blue cheese, cheddar, and mozzarella, and was the perfect snack with the champagne. The meat was one of the best cuts I have ever had, and the cheeses were a good companion to the meat.

Meat and Cheese Platter

Chicken and Vegetable Dimsums

The Lotus Flower Chicken Dim Sums and the Summer Vegetable Dim Sums, which were served next, were accompanied by a sweetish sauce. The initial taste after the dip into the sauce was unexpected but the flavour slowly grew on us over the period. When we asked the chef, he maintained that some of the menu items were modified to suit the palate of the guests living there and hence the sauce differed from the traditional extra spicy one that we are habituated to. The dim sums had a rice flour coating, stuffed with perfectly cooked chicken and vegetables.

The Chili Garlic Prawns, dressed as a Satay was the best dish by far. The prawns were deveined and well cooked with the highlight being the Ham mixed with Mayo dip.

Chili Garlic Prawns

One of Chef Nishant's main specialities was the Three Chili Mock Chicken. Though the name suggests that it is a chicken dish, we were surprised when we found soya chunks that were indeed mocking chicken.  It had an excellent combination of sweetness and spices, making it a good snack to go with the champagne.

Three Chili Mock Chicken

The Tom Yum Goong is a typical clear Thai Prawn soup, rich in flavour, imparting both hot and sour taste. The soup has an oily texture and a sharp sour taste due to the lime juice, lemongrass and fresh Galangal. Though I generally enjoy it, I felt that the quantity of lemongrass was a tad bit more than usual which disrupted the taste a little.

Tom Yumm Goong

In the brunch menu are also Indian delicacies like the Galauti Kebab, the hallmark of Lucknawi cuisine, served on small tawa paranthas. The kebabs were made of pure minced meat and was evenly spiced complementing the sweet taste of parantha.

Lamb Galouti

For the main course, we had the Thai Massaman Curry and Pan Fried Red Snapper, Skillet Potato and Fennel Beurre Blanc. Thai Massaman curry, a Thai adaptation of the lamb curry from Middle Eastern cuisine had lamb and potato cooked along with Thai spices and coconut milk, which gave it the perfect sweetness the dish deserves.

Pan Fried Red Snapper and Skillet Potato

In the desserts, the cream filled muffin was the star of the deserts with the Passion fruit Mousse coming in a close second. With every bite of the muffin, thick cream kept oozing out, drenching my fingers in a sweet but yummy foam. The sweetness in the cream was just right and it tasted perfect both with the muffin and when I tasted it of my fingers.

Desserts

A calm and serene romantic setting, Kiyan serves a delightful array of global cuisine dishes which is worth a try if cost is not a factor.

Cost for two - Rs 3800+ taxes (Champagne Brunch)

Address:
Kiyan, Dusit Devarana,
21st Milestone, Samalkha, NH8,
Near Rajokri, New Delhi

Website: http://devarana.in/dine/kiyan/

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