Summer Mango Delicacies in Hyderabad Restaurants

Summer is at its peak in Hyderabad, and food lovers are rushing to different watering holes in the city to quench their  thirst. The summers also happen to be the much awaited mango season. The Hyderabadi love for the king of fruits is well known, and it has led to innovations by many restaurants to put mango based items in their menu.

The Mangolicious Products                                Pic courtesy: Starbucks

At this opportune moment, Starbucks has launched new mango based drinks and desserts – Alphonso Mango Frappuccino and Baked Mango Yoghurt.

The Alphonso Mango Frappuccino is served in three variations - the base product is of delightful mango and milk shake. The second variation had whipped cream added on top of the original and the third had Java Chips as well as whipped cream to give it a chocolate flavor. My favorite of the three is the plain mango drink with whipped cream on top, a very smooth and delicious combo.

Alphonso Mango Frappuccino

However, for me, the real winner was the Baked Mango Yoghurt. In Bengal, we have a mango based dessert called “Aam Doi” which is widely savoured as a summer cooler, and this is an improvement on that.  The dessert had a layer of tropical mango sauce on top as well as a combination of yoghurt, cream and mango puree inside.

Baked Mango Yoghurt

Another place which has enhanced their famed thali with mango based preparations is Rajdhani, the vegetarian thali restaurant. The Aamlicious thali introduced till June 15 has a lot of mango items. To start with you are welcomed with Aam Panna. In the main courses, Aam Kadi is delightfully refreshing, and there is Aam Ki Launji as part of the vegetables. They also have an Aam Lassi which can be tried out.

Aam Panna at Rajdhani

The Aamras is served in abundance with the meal. But the jewel in the crown is the Mango Jalebi – sweet slices of mango coated in batter and fried and then soaked in ras. It tastes good, but does not look like jalebi at all.

The Aamlicious Thali

The thali also has the usual components such as Daal Bati Churma, Dhokla, Onion Pakodas, Gatte ki sabji, khichdi and many other delicacies from Rajasthan. One should also try the varieties of rotis, puris and phulkas that they offer. Some of the mango items are included in the basic price and some are to be ordered additionally. The wait staff takes special care to ensure that you are well fed (and sometimes overfed).

Mango Jalebi

The discussion about mango based desserts cannot be complete without mentioning Mr. Alphonso from Creamstone. Large quantities of mango ice cream covered by best quality Alphonso mango pieces, this is possibly the most popular ice cream for the Hyderabadi summer.

Mr. Alphonso

They also have another concept called Twisted Mango which is mango and pineapple ice cream blended together with Himayat mango pieces and pineapple pieces and served in a waffle cup.

Twisted Mango

Apart from these three places, do try the fresh Avakai pickles and Avakai Biryani available at various places all over Hyderabad. Overall, in spite of the sweltering summer, mangoes do bring lot of cheer to the people of Hyderabad.

Locations:

Starbucks currently has five branches in Hyderabad – Jubilee Hills, Hitech City, Madhapur, Forum Mall and GVK Mall.

Rajdhani has two branches – Banjara Hills and Forum Mall.

Creamstone is present in nine locations almost in all corners of city. Few popular ones are Begumpet, GVK Mall, Banjara Hills, Himayat Nagar, Jubilee Hills, Forum Mall and Gachibowli.

Disclaimer: Some of the items reviewed were part of tasting sessions organized by the restaurants. However the opinions expressed in the post are honest and unbiased

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A Traveler's Food Diary - Ozran Beach, Goa

Economical beer, delicious seafood and breezy seaside resorts makes Goa India's top tourist destination, a place which can revisited time and again. One of the lesser known beaches, Ozran is quite peaceful and calm with little shacks, rocky coasts and tall palm trees giving an enjoyable picturesque setting.

KIng's Strong Beer

Sitting atop a small cliff with steps leading down to the sea, Alcove Resort was our home for the brief time that we stayed in Ozran beach, Goa. With a good gastronomic spread of Goan, Portuguese and Continental dishes, Alcove had some surprisingly tasty dishes like the Peri Peri Calamari and Chicken Cafreal. A Portuguese styled grilled chicken preparation, the chicken was juicy and spicy. The calamari too was lip smacking with the masala playing a great role in tickling the taste buds.

Peri Peri Calamari at Alcove

English Breakfast at Alcove

We also tried out their breakfast options - Tuna Sandwich and English breakfast. The English breakfast came with bacon, baked beans and eggs made to liking served with bread. The Tuna Sandwich was perfectly grilled with a handsome helping of cheese and tuna fish. 

Tuna Sandwich at Alcove

Just a little up ahead from the Alcove Resort on the Ozran Beach Road is Oneº and Thalassa. An excellent spot to watch the evening sunset, Oneº specialises majorly in seafood and continental fare while Thalassa caters to the Greek palate.

Beer Battered Prawns at One

A must try at Oneº is the Beer Battered Prawns which is served with mayo dip. Light and crisp, the prawns are perfectly marinated  and go well with the fresh mayo dip. For the vegetarians, the Crispy Veggies is a good alternative to the Beer Battered Prawns and comes with similar plating and sides. The other items worth trying include the Pepperoni pizza, Seafood Pizza and their speciality, Blueberry Cheesecake.

Seafood Pizza at One

Thalassa is a bit further down from Oneº but the lights and the loud music will draw you towards the restaurant, one way or another. Reservation is a must at Thalassa, else it is very hard to get a table, be it night or day. There are live fire shows and belly dancing to keep the crowd lively and the whole vibe of the place is quite welcoming and entertaining.

Lamb Gyro Wraps at Thalassa

I am not too fond of the Greek cuisine but I loved the Lamb Gyro Wraps served at Thalassa. A bit on the pricey side, the gyro wraps which are the Greek cousin of the Arabic shawarma were thick with juicy meat wrapped with vegetables and neatly packed in pita. The Long Island Iced Tea served at the bar is also worth the price and is quite potent with copious amounts of the five spirits added to give you the buzz.

Goan Pork Sausage with Rice at Fish Tail

One cannot, however disregard the beach shacks of Goa in favour of Oneº and Thalassa. After hours of splashing in sea water, one is bound to get hungry and what better way to douse the burning hunger than eating in one of the beach shacks. We visited two beach shacks, Fish Tail which is located just at the foot of Alcove when walking down to the beach and Our Shack which is located close to the Trishul on the beach. While both are equally adept at the art of making delicious and scrumptious food, the variety at Fish Tail is way better.

Masala Grilled Pomfret at Fish Tail

We tasted the Goan Pork Sausage with Rice and Masala Grilled Pomfret at Fish Tail. The Masala Grilled Pomfret was definitely the highlight of the trip. Lightly marinated and served with fries and vegetables, the pomfret was full of flavours which created a taste riot in my mouth.  The Goan Pork sausages were made of pig meat with a lining of pork fat and are sliced to increase the surface area for maximum jus penetration. The gravy was quite spicy and tangy and play a perfect foil to the rice. We finished off at Fish Tail with a Classic Sundae and a Banana Split which were made with different ice-cream and the goodness of chocolate syrup; definitely not for the calorie conscious.

Banana Spilt Ice Cream at Fish Tail

Our Shack was one of the last stops of our trip. Located almost on the beach, it has a breathtaking view, one you can get lost in. Although they close quite early like most of the small time beach shacks, they were courteous enough to take our last order though most of their ingredients was over. A simple preparation, the bacon omelette was all they could make with whatever was left. The omelette was fluffy with bacon strips bringing in a meaty surprise with every bite.

Bacon Omelette at Our Shack

It is fascinating how Goa is filled with restaurants and beach shacks across the coast with each serving the Continental cuisine with Portuguese and Goan influence. No matter which beach or which part of the town, they just cannot disappoint you !!

Addresses:

Alcove Beach Resort
Ozran Beach Road, Little Vagator

Telephone 0832 2274491, 0832 2273349

Thalassa
Ozran Beach Road, Little Vagator
Telephone +91 9850033537

Oneº
592/5 Ozran Beach Road, Vista Mare,
Little Vagator, Goa
Telephone +91 9167825893

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La Cantina at Novotel, Hyderabad: The New Mexican Menu

For fans of Mexican cuisine in Hyderabad, La Cantina has always been a favorite destination. Though there has been few other Mexican and Tex Mex restaurants in the city, this pure Mexican restaurant at Novotel HICC is known for not deviating from the authentic Mexican taste in their preparations.

The restaurant has recently crafted a new menu with many interesting choices. I was invited to sample the new menu, and visited the restaurant just at the poolside at the hotel. On a summer afternoon, we avoided the poolside al fresco seating and made ourselves comfortable at the dining area inside.

The place indoor has a typical Mexican décor with items and motifs from Old Mexico. The furniture is essentially heavy wooden and quite comfortable. As you enter you find a large bar in front ready to serve you their margaritas, mojitos and the tequilas.

Prawns, Squids and Chicken Wings

I had a look at the new menu. It made an interesting read – the first page traces the history of Mexican cuisine starting from Mayans and Aztecs and subsequent Spanish influence after their invasion. The menu itself is not very long, but the items are fairly exclusive.

A chef’s choice set sampling menu had been laid out for us. As we waited for the listed items we feasted on the corn chips laid out on the table with salsa, sour cream and guacamole. The dips as well as the salsa were detectable. A well-made Classic Margarita served as the perfect drink for the occasion.

Classic Margarita

The Antojitos were first to arrive. Chef Saurav had prepared two sets of starters – vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Among the vegetarian starters the Mushroom Rellenos were easily my favorite – mushrooms stuffed with chipotle, jalapeno and ancho peppers, and fried with a coating.  The Flautas (or flutes) of tortilla filled with ricotta cheese was another one with a distinctly different taste.

The non-vegetarian platter had Crispy Chicken Wings and Garlic flavored Grilled Prawns. The Yucatan Chicken Skewers had chicken marinated in chipotle paste. This was spicy and would suite the local palate a lot.  The star of the platter was Aztec Calamari – soft and succulent squids crusted in Masa Harina or corn dough.

Mushroom Rellenos

The soup of the day was Chicken Pozole – a slow cooked chicken and chickpea broth. The chef told me that in this soup bread crumbs have been used as the thickener, which gives a different texture to it. It had a very distinct taste which was further enhanced by the small bacon bits I was advised to add to this. I would definitely place this soup in the must order category.

Chicken Pozole

Meanwhile, my margarita was replaced by a Flaming Mojito – a mojito with white rum set on fire before adding to the syrup. The first sip itself made me happy with its flavorful and strong taste.

Yucatan Roast Chicken

The main courses which we tried out were the Yucatan Roast Chicken, a delicacy from the Mayan area of Yucatan. The food from this area is supposed to have least Spanish influence. The roasted chicken was served with a nice peppery gravy on top with sides such as sautéed vegetables as well as mashed potato. The combination worked for me and made dish definitely worth raving about.
Lucas Prawns and Pepper Brochettes were no passover either. Served with flavorful Cilantro Rice and broccolis and pepper, it surely tickled our taste buds.

Lucas Prawns and Pepper Brochettes

We also tried another of their fried specialities – the Pulled Pork Chimichanga. Though I was fairly full by then and wanted to keep some space for the desserts, the pork filling was so delicious that I kept on nibbling at it.

Pulled Pork Chimichangas

Tres Leches

Finally it was time for desserts. Chef served Tres Leches, a butter sponge cake soaked in three types of milk – praline, double cream and condensed. As someone pointed out it was kind of Mexican version of Shahi Tukda – the soaked sponge cake was a delight to those with sweet tooth. The Churros that followed were special – a bite into it and pastry cream oozes out, which have been used as stuffing inside. And finally the best of the lot – Dulce De Leche Wraps with a banana based filling which we savoured dunked in chocolate sauce and accompanying butterscotch ice cream. All the three desserts were outstanding, thus providing a very rich experience for sweet lovers.

Churros stuffed with Pastry Cream

Banana Dulce De Leche Wraps

The new menu is refreshingly different from what you generally get in the Mexican restaurants. A lot of research has gone into its planning, and the items have been carefully curated after a lot of discussions and tasting sessions. Few items which were not on the sample menu, but looked interesting to me were Crab Elote (a cream based crab, pepper and corn soup), Jalapeno Chili Beef and Fish in Veracruz Sauce. Plan to try these out on my next visit.

Address:
La Cantina
Novotel Hotels, Convention Centre,
Hitex, Hyderabad
Telephone 66067000

Cost for two persons – Rs 2500 upwards

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Festa Della Sensa: Italian Festival at Bene, Sheraton Bangalore

An ongoing food festival at Bene, Sheraton's Italian restaurant in Bangalore, the Festa Della Sensa is named after Venice's symbolic ceremonial marriage with the sea and this symbolism carries over to the food as well with each dish containing a mix of land and sea elements. Invited to a media table with an al carte menu specially curated by Chef Giuseppe Lioce of Westin, Pune , the festival boasts of the simplicity of Italian food with great importance on quality. Additionally, the selection contains loads of seafood and fish which is a definite bonus for non veg lovers.

Carpaccio di Tonno

We started off with the Carpaccio; for the vegetarians it was the Carpaccio di Funghi which had a flavour of lavender and lemon masking the smell but not the taste of the mushroom. It was evident from the preparation that Chef Giuseppe had gone great lengths to prepare the dish. Though I'm not the biggest fan of Carpaccio, I liked the non vegetarian Carpaccio di Tonno made with thin sliced tuna with Italian dressing and served with rocket leaves and rock salt.

Carpaccio di Funghi

Capesante Mare e Manti was the highlight amongst the antipasti, symbolising the union of the land, sea and the mountain in accordance with the theme of the festival. A wonderful gastronomic combination of scallops (representing sea) with wild mushrooms (representing mountain), pumpkin puree and crispy ham (representing land), the dish was polished off the table in a matter of seconds with great praise for usage of truffle honey.

Capesante Mare e Manti

Italians, unlike Indians, give great importance to their soups which go hand in hand with their freshly baked bread and sides. Spelled as Zuppa and pronounced with a roll of the tongue, we were treated to a vegetarian and non-vegetarian soup. The vegetarian soup, Zuppa Di Fagioli was a thick, parmesan and cannellini bean based soup served with Focaccia. Though the soup was at its creamy best, the addition of mushrooms would surely enhance its taste . The non vegetarian soup, Zuppa Di Pesce was a seafood lover's delight with cockle shellfish, squid and prawn being used in a wonderful tomato based concoction with fish stock.

Orecchiette Alla Barese

Amongst the pastas, my favourite was the Orecchiette Alla Barese, a tomato and cherry tomato based shell pasta with the goodness of Pecorino cheese and broccoli. The others served included a black pepper preparation of the Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe and a pistachio pesto based Paccheri Mare e Monti prepared with calamari and prawns.

Branzino Livornese

Due to shortage of time, we could only try the Branzino Livornese and the Stracotto Di Agnello for main course. The Branzino Livornese was essentially sea bass baked in tomato sauce with crunchy fried pollenta to go with it. After a comparatively bland selection in the pastas, the sea bass hit all the right taste buds making it an enjoyable meal.

Stracotto Di Agnello

Even though we went gaga over the sea bass, it was quickly overshadowed by the Stracotto Di Agnello which was absolutely terrific and a must try here. Slowly cooked for over 9 hours, the North Italian preparation of the lamb was extremely soft and came off the bone quite easily. It was marinated with rosemary and red wine and is served on a bed of truffle mashed potatoes.

Millefoglie

Finishing off with the desserts, we were treated to the chef's take of the French Mille Feuille, which is called the Millefoglie, a blueberry based puff pastry served with Italian custard. The scrumptuous puff was soft and its combination with the custard and vanilla ice-cream just melted in the mouth. The dessert was such a big hit that it had to be ordered a second time to satiate everyone's sweet tooth pangs.

Pasticciotto

An innovative approach, the Festa Della Sensa takes you on a culinary tour of Italy, celebrating the marriage of the land and sea elements in all its gastronomic grandeur.

Festival Dates : 15th May, 2015 to 23rd May, 2015
Cost : Rs. 3000/-

Address: Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway,
26/1, Dr.Rajkumar Road, Rajajinagar,
Malleshwaram, Bangalore

Telephone : 080 42521000

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Restaurants in Hyderabad: A Few New Places to Dine Out

Hyderabad continues to see new entrants to the fledging restaurant business. Every month around ten restaurants are opening their doors, mostly in the busy areas of Hitech city and Gachibowli. Foodaholix had covered a few new restaurants in Hyderabad in an earlier post. But a few more of them deserve the attention of food lovers in Hyderabad, especially as they have ventured into continental, Italian, American and Tex-Mex cuisines along with Indian food, which the local food enthusiasts have started appreciating apart from the regular biryani and Andhra food.

Seekh Kababs at Deli 9

Deli 9 Bistro

This is not a completely new place – rather old wine in a new location. Deli 9 at Banjara Hills and Begumpet already have a good fan following in the city, and now they have opened a  new bistro near Wipro circle Gachibowli.

The setup is nice and spacious – the graffiti on the walls and colorful trunks and vases catch your attention. Seating is informal and comfortable.

Potato Crispies at Deli 9

Among the starters, the Cheese Potato Skin and the Firangi Samosa (with a delicious spinach based filling) is recommended for vegetarians. For the non-vegetarians the succulent Chicken Lahori Seekh Kababs  and the Chicken 65 Bao are not to be missed. For pizza lovers, they have a boat shaped Lamb Turkish Pizza with cheese, tomato and cherry based toppings.

Tex Mex Lamb Burger at Deli 9

Deli 9 favorites like Tex Mex Lamb Burger and the Tenderloin Steak are all there – with a little tweaking here and there. For example, the signature Deli 9 Tower Burger comes with one larger patty here instead of two. Other items for main course include an array of rice bowls, fish and chips and even Punjabi Butter chicken.

Desserts at Deli 9

They have a wide range of desserts too – the Chocolate Bomb and the Blueberry Cheesecake are two which have a top of the mind recall.

Habanero

Habanero has already made a good name for itself in Bangalore with its three branches. So when this new Tex-Mex restaurant opened up in Hitech City, there was surely a lot of buzz among the food lovers.

The restaurant is in the building which is fast becoming a popular destination for food lovers – with Starbucks, Hello Curry, and Eagle Pizza already there.  Habanero is quite a large restaurant – with a private dining area for about a dozen people, and an outside balcony seating with a view of the busy Hitech City road. The inside was also well lit with a large bar and comfortable seating. As it befits a Mexican joint there were lot of South American touch in the décor.

Green Apple Margarita at Habanero

Among the cocktails, Green Apple Margarita has fresh flavor of the fruit balanced with the right amount of alcohol. They have other flavors too of which Tamarind and Strawberry Margaritas have become quite popular.

Jalapeno Cheese Poppers

The starter Chicken Quesadilla has a nice filling of chicken and the sides tasted great too. The Breaded Chicken Tenders goes well with the dip served. The Pork Stew (with a sail shaped tortilla hanging out) and the Tostada salad are some of the other must haves.

The Chipotle Marinated Chicken is spicy and should appeal to the Hyderabadis. The fish used in Fish Veracruz, is nice and soft and the sauce mild and tasty. The sour cream and guacamole accompanying the dishes are both quite good.

Chicken Quesadillas

Among the desserts their Churros with Chocolate Sauce has already made its mark.

The pricing is very economical and so are the portion sizes.

Cibo House

This is a new 50-seater place (in the same building as Habanero but a floor down) which has quickly carved out a name for itself in serving a good and affordable Italian and continental buffet for lunch.

Cibo House Caribbean Chicken

Seating is a bit cramped, but service is decent. Among the starters the Caribbean Chicken is not very spicy but soft and delicious. The Moroccan Lamb, essentially a mince cutlet, is a clear winner. The Cilantro Fish and Milano Prawns has good quality of soft seafood. Among the veg starters Cottage Cheese Nuggets and stuffed mushrooms impresses. One improvement needed is providing some good dips to go with the starters.

Milano Prawns at Cibo House

The widely liked main course here is Grilled Fish in Pepper Sauce which goes very well with Butter Rice. Vegetable Ratatouille, a mixed vegetable with a little spice is nice as well. They also serve a good Veg Lasagna and have a live pasta counter.

Moroccan Lamb at Cibo House

There are about half a dozen salads in the buffet. The Thai Chicken Salad and the Pineapple and Beetroot salads deserve special mention.

Stuffed Mushrooms at Cibo House

Among the desserts, their Mango Basil Mousse deserve mention. Others recommend the Caramel Custard and Orange Panna Cotta.

The buffet is Rs 500 for veg and Rs 600 for non-veg. They also serve breakfast and have a-la carte menu for dinner.

Also read: Three new restaurants to try out in Hyderabad

Addresses:

Deli 9 Bistro

Wipro SEZ Parking Route, Beside Barbeque Nation,
Financial District, Nanakram Guda,

Gachibowli, Hyderabad

Telephone 64446600, 8125292961

Habanero

Second Floor, Phoenix Tower A,
Opposite Trident Hotel,
Hitech City, Hitech City, Hyderabad 50008
Telephone 65354455

CIBO House

Second Floor, Phoenix Tower A,
Opposite Trident Hotel,
Hitech City, Hitech City, Hyderabad 50008
Telephone 33165205


Disclaimer: Some of the items reviewed were part of tasting sessions organized by the restaurants. However the opinions expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

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