The Multi-Cuisine fare at the Oakleaf Restaurant, Oakwood Hyderabad

Oakwood, the world leaders in corporate housing and serviced apartments had started operations at Gachibowli, Hyderabad about six months ago. Over a short period, their longer stay options have become very popular especially with visiting professionals from abroad on a stint of a few months, and the property has been reporting extremely high occupancy. Oakleaf, their multi-cuisine restaurant serves Indian, Asian as well as continental cuisine catering not just to the in-house guests but also to corporate parties and walk-in diners.

Spacious Seating at Oakleaf

The all-day restaurant is located on the third floor of Oakwood Residence Kapil, and can accommodate about seventy diners at a time with a lounge style seating. Three of us reached around lunchtime to see the lunch buffet already laid out. We did a recce of the buffet which had a nice compact menu of veg and non-veg items as well as salads and desserts. We were told that the restaurant has buffet breakfast and lunch as well as a set menu for dinner. Apart from that a-la-carte offerings are available all the time.

Prawn Tempura

We had been invited to sample some of the special items from their menu, and without much delay, we settled down with the Executive Chef of Oakleaf Mr. Brijesh Kumar to try out a set menu designed by him. Chef Brijesh, who has wide experience working for different restaurants all over India, informed us that Oakleaf is a true multi-cuisine place with a range of specialities from all over the world. They try to keep their preparations authentic, and as most of their in-house guests are from Europe and South East Asia, there is a special thrust on oriental as well as continental cuisines.

Chicken Tikka

We started our food journey with Prawn Tempura, batter fried prawns with a sweet chilli sauce. It is difficult to go wrong with this dish, but here it was excellent with a fluffy batter and the prawns cooked just right.  Wok Tossed Chilli Fish, an oriental preparation was another one which made a mark, I loved the ginger and chilli based masala which was used in it.

Wok Tossed Chilli Fish

In the vegetarian section Paneer Tikka in a green marinade was quite moist and finger licking good.  I love mushrooms and the other item from the tandoor, Bharwan Mushroom Kabab was extremely tasty, the mushrooms were stuffed with a cheese based marinade and grilled. In fact, a special mention has to be made of their tandoori section, all the items from that kitchen both in starters and main courses were simply superb.

Haryali Paneer Tikka

In the soup section, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Mushroom Cappuccino, a garlic flavoured thick broth topped with cream. Insalata Caprese, tomato slices with egg shaped bocconcini cheese was a salad we tried out. The presentation and taste were both nice.

Pan Fried Pomfret with Bacon and Shrimps

It was time to try out some continental food, and first out of the kitchen was Pan Fried Pomfret with Spicy Bacon and Shrimps. For a seafood lover like me, this was the dish of the day. The pomfret and the shrimps were grilled just the right amount and served with mashed potatoes, bacon, select veggies and white sauce. I liked that the seafood items retained their flavour. On the flip side, I would have loved a bit more bacon in it.

Lasagna Exotica

Next up was the tenderloin steak Fillet Mignon served with a red wine based jus. The quality of meat was quite good and the sauce on top was nice. This is another dish to try out here. Lasagna Exotica, with layers of vegetables and cheese, was very tempting. One could not help but appreciate the efforts taken in the presentation of the dishes.

Fillet Mignon

A couple of main courses from the orient were served after this. Char Kway Teow is a signature dish of the restaurant, a street delicacy from Malaysia prepared with flat rice noodles, prawns, eggs and vegetables. This is a meal by itself with a typical South East Asian soya chilli sauce in it. Gaeng Kiow Wan, the vegetarian Thai yellow curry went brilliantly with the steamed rice served with it.

Thai Yellow Curry with Rice

The trail of diverse cuisines continued with Murg Tikka Makhan Methi with naans.  This was another dish worth coming back for. The chicken tikka was soft and succulent and the gravy was amazing.  Alleppey Fish Curry with rice captured the flavour from Kerala. Corn Capsicum Kaju was a rich fare for the vegetarians.

Creme Caramel

Among the desserts, I loved the Crème Caramel though my friends wanted the caramel sauce to be thicker.

I would go back to Oakleaf simply because the variety of dishes they offer. And they did well with many of the dishes. A look at the menu showed up quite a few other interesting dishes such as Prawn A La Grecque (Prawn cooked in white sauce served on a bed of rice), Bhuna Gosht (a favourite recipe of mine) and a Thai Stir Fried Prawns in Red Curry. I will try them on my next visit.

Location:
Oakleaf
Oakwood Residence Kapil
Kapil Towers, Nanakramguda
Financial District, Gachibowli
Hyderabad

Telephone: 66359999

A meal for two should be around Rs 1600. The buffet for lunch is around Rs 600.

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant. However, the opinion expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

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Quick Bytes: Micheal Winklemann and the New Craft Burger at Chili’s

The two outlets of Chili’s American Grill & Bar  at Hyderabad have been functional for quite some time, and the one at Banjara Hills has been my preferred destination for American and Mexican cuisine. Being a frequent visitor, I look forward to their menu changes so that I get to taste their latest items introduced in the international market.

Michael Winkelmann, the Global Culinary Contact at Brinker International was recently in India coordinates with the local partners of Chili’s to make sure that items delivered are completely in accordance with global standards.  Brinker International is the company which owns Chili’s as well as a few other F&B brands worldwide. I had the opportunity to meet up with Michael during this short trip, at the Banjara Hills restaurant.

Michael Winkelmann

Based in London, Micheal has more than 30 years of experience as a culinary manager.  In a candid discussion, Michael talked about his initiative with local partners to evolve vegetarian recipes for the local palate and how some of these recipes are even being taken to their international outlets. Also, to ensure that the taste of their Indian products is as consistent as their products abroad, they do not hesitate to import the ingredients when they are not satisfied with the local produce. For example, their pork is completely imported, and so is the buffalo meat. A new menu, which Michael is currently working on with the Indian partners, will be launched in March.  The menu will have some exciting Mexican items including the introduction of enchiladas.w restaurants in a short span of time.

Classic Bacon Burger with Tenderloin Patty

On the culinary front at Chili’s, the latest development has been the introduction of Craft Burger range. These are hand crafted burgers which are customized to your needs. Here you can choose your patty from a range of alternatives such as Minced Chicken, Tenderloin Buffalo, and Lamb. You can tweak the preparation too by choosing the other ingredients you want in your burger.

During my conversation with Michael, I tried out the new Classic Bacon Burger with Minced Tenderloin Buffalo Patty. As per my requirement, the burger was made with onion rings, lots of smoked bacon, cheese and select veggies. The patty was significantly thicker than usual, and the buns fresh and soft. I was told that Chili’s import the buffalo meat used for the patty. The buns also have a new innovation where potato is added to the dough to improve the taste. Served with pickles and the signature sauce of Chili’s, the burger was filling and finger licking good.

Sweet Smoky Burger

The new Craft burgers also come in other variants such as Guacamole Chicken Burger, Big Mouth Bites, Southern Smokehouse Burger, and Sweet & Smoky Burger. A lot of choices to try out over the next few weeks.

Location:

Madhapur
Chili’s American Grill & Bar
Hi -tech City, Inorbit Mall
Phone: 040-40126801

Banjara Hills
Chili’s American Grill & Bar
Address: Road no 1, Opp Vengal Rao Park
Phone: 040-40164353

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant. However, the opinion expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

Few pics are courtesy Chili's American Grill & Bar

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InAzia Chime, the New Asian Restaurant at Sheraton Hyderabad

It has been only a few months since the gala launch of Sheraton Hotel in Hyderabad, and already there is quite a buzz about the place. The buffets and the brunch at Feast have already made their impressions on the discerning food lovers. In December, the hotel has added one more feather in their cap with the commencement of operations of InAzia Chime, a new dining option serving delicious food from the orient along with some rare cocktails.

Chime

InAzia Chime can actually be called a combination of two distinctly different restaurants. Chime, the lounge bar serving drinks has darker interiors with comfortable seating. The décor has cylindrical objects of different colors hanging down from the ceiling, giving it a very different look. InAzia, on the other hand,  is a brightly lit place with oriental looks. Your attention is automatically drawn to the colorful vases tastefully displayed at the centre of the restaurant.

Wasabi Martinis along with some Mocktails

Invited to a Bloggers’ Meet at the restaurant, we were first taken to the lounge area.  Here we met Amy Shroff, Flair Bartender and Mixologist. Amy, who is among the few well-known female mixologists in India, is available at Chime on Thursdays and Fridays, where apart from tasting some very innovative drinks prepared by her, you can enjoy her juggling and flaring displays. For us she prepared a Wasabi Martini, a drink with more than a dash of wasabi and a strong but enjoyable aftertaste.  The jewel in the crown was the next drink called Bell Pepper Martini, where the drink was served in red or yellow bell peppers. The third one I had was a Japanese Mojito, served with a bok choy leaf. All the drinks were unique and went well with some delicious finger food served with them. As interesting was her juggling display with a crystal ball.

Bell Pepper Martini

The starters we had the drinks with came from the oriental kitchen at InAzia. The pick for me was the Crispy Fragrant Duck in Hoisin Sauce. The duck was surprisingly soft, and the portions with the hoisin sauce glaze were especially tasty. The peanut sauce served with it enhanced the taste of the  Grilled Chicken which was served on sticks. The Steamed Crystal Shrimp Dumpling was generously stuffed and went well with the sweetish chilli sauce.

Grilled Chicken on Sticks

At this point, we shifted to the well-lit InAzia area and met Chef Ninja Suksamai, the food curator of the restaurant. Chef Ninja who is from Thailand, is an expert in oriental cuisine, and has put together select dishes from China, Japan and South East Asia, adding her own twist to some of them.

Tom Kha Soup

We started our innings at InAzia with some California Sushi Roll with crab meat. The second version of sushi served had salmon, and as I put them in my mouth, the flavours of fish meat burst in my palate. If you are the salmon lover, you must try this dish.

Crispy Fragrant Duck

Among the salads, the Thai Goong was my favourite, with glass noodles, prawns, tomatoes, vegetables and flavour of lemon grass. The Tom Kha soup looked quite thick, but on tasting, I found the taste amazing with the combined flavour of coconut milk, galangal and kaffir lime.

Thai Goong 

Over to the main courses. The Goong Mung Korn Pad Cha (Stir Fried Lobster with Tamarind Sauce) looked awesome on presentation. The taste was quite close to the Indian version of oriental cuisine, which I am so familiar from my Kolkata days.

Stir Fried Lobster

The Thai Vegetable Green Curry was the best of the mains. The XO Fried Rice had shrimp and chicken in a spicy and aromatic sauce and I tried it out with the Deep Fried Shell Crab.  The crab for me was a little bit over fried, but I liked the taste of the basil and chilli based gravy. The Thai Lamb Massaman Curry, the signature dish of Thai Muslims was well appreciated.

Thai Veg Curry

The dessert served was Honey Noodles with Coconut Ice Cream, which I am not particularly fond of.  My friends enjoyed it.

When Chef Ninja came across from the open kitchen to explain the different dishes to us, one could see her passion for the cuisine. We can look forward to many more interesting dishes from her in future. An evening at InAzia Chime will definitely be a rewarding experience with the signature cocktails and the flavourful Asian food. The place is on the tenth floor of the building, and provides a grand view of the Gachibowli area.

The Dessert

Location:
Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel
ISB Road, Financial District
Gachibowli, Hyderabad
Telephone: 33165811

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant. However, the opinion expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

Chef Ninja Suksamai

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The Trident Showcases Incredible Cuisines of India

Indian Food festivals in the city usually focus on cuisines which are already well known and popular – Goan, Punjabi, Bengali and Kashmiri to name a few. However, other states of India, as well as select regions from some states, have their own cuisines with some really outstanding dishes. I am personally a huge fan of food from Odisha and North-East which are not available in Hyderabad and have a huge repertoire of delicious recipes. Same is true for the cuisine of Malabar or that of the Kashmiri pandits.

Aloo Debarre 

Against this backdrop, Kanak, the Indian specialty restaurant at The Trident has announced a promotion aptly called “Incredible Cuisines of India”. The aim of the festival is precisely to bring to the public eye delicacies from the lesser known cuisines of India. I was happy to be invited to a preview of the festival and looked forward to the culinary experience.

The menu had items from a wide range of cuisines, literally from Jammu to Kanyakumari as well as from Arunachal in the North-East. This was a tasting session for bloggers and what I liked was that the items served were not too many. The first snack to arrive at the table was Aloo Debarre from Jammu, flat patties of potato with onions, green chillies coated with besan and fried. The dish which is quite close in taste to the Bengali aloo chop, was served with a delicious tamarind and radish chutney.

Thattai

From Jammu, we straight went to the southern tip of India, trying out Thattai from Kanyakumari. This was a crisp rice flour and daal based fried snack which was served with coconut chutney.

Bhopali Keema Ka Seekh

The non-vegetarian dish of the day was Bhopali Keema Ka Seekh, a seekh kabab where khoya is added to mutton mince to make the kabab soft. Among the royal cuisines, Bhopal stands out with some sublime meat dishes which are delicious with subtle use of spices – this was no exception.

The Main Courses

The main course also had quite a contribution from the Jammu region. Ambal, a mustard oil based pumpkin dish was tangy as well as sweet due to infusion of tamarind and jaggery in the gravy.  I had it with rotis, but later thought it would have gone better with rice. Tawa Chicken was another item served from this region.

Tawa Chicken

Mutton Kolhapuri was among the few dishes in the menu which is already quite popular. The spicy lamb curry lived up to its reputation and went brilliantly with the soft rotis. I also tried some of this dish with   Kanika, a fragrant and sweet pulav from Odisha which is supposed to be part of bhog menu of Lord Jagannath at the Puri temple. The rice was an example of how awesome some of the dishes in the Odia cuisine are, and leaves you wondering why this cuisine is so under-marketed even in India.

Jan from Arunachal Pradesh

The pick of the main courses was Jan, a smoked chicken broth from Arunachal with lots of vegetables and very little spice. This was soul food and I devoured sumptuous quantities with steamed rice.

Litti Chokha

When you talk about recipes from Bihar, the first one that comes to mind is Litti Chokha. The mashed potato with onions, chillies with a strong flavour of mustard oil is popular all over Eastern region. It was good, but I have had better litties (wheat dumplings) than the ones served on the day.

Chakke Ki Sabji, a popular dish from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh was another item on the menu. I liked the taste of the curry in this case and paired it with Masala Poori, again a Bihar specialty where puris were stuffed with a peas based masala.

Chakke Ki Sabji

Finally, it was time for desserts. Aficionados of Indian desserts drool over Chhena Poda – the signature cheesecake from Odisha. Many have tried making this sweet in Hyderabad, but it has never worked out. Some blame it on weather, some on the variety of milk. The Chhena Poda served here was also not up to the mark, it tasted more like sandesh. However, the Andhra Kaja served alongside was delicious.

Chhena Poda and Kaja

The efforts of the team at Trident to present delicacies from less popular Indian cuisines is indeed commendable. Most of the dishes tasted extremely good. I had tasted a few of these recipes before, and most of them here were quite authentic. For a food lover who likes to experiment with new cuisines, the festival gives a good opportunity to try out dishes from diverse Indian cuisines. The a-la-carte festival is on till 30th January.

Location:

Kanak
The Trident
Hitech City (next to Shilpa Kala Vedika)
Hyderabad
Telephone: 66232323

The restaurant is open only for dinner

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant. However, the opinion expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

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Oriental Fare at Noodle Bar

Noodle Bar  is the oriental cuisine restaurant under the prestigious Blue Foods Banner. The restaurant, which has set up shop in Bangalore, at the prime Phoenix Market City location, is packed during the weekends but the crowd remains easy on weekdays.

Crispy Chilli Lamb

The decor inside the restaurant is primarily wooden with shades of red and black filling in between. Invited to review the restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised to see a good variety of items in the menu for one to experience the unique flavours of Asia. Apart from the usual a la carte menu, the restaurant also has a 'Toss It Up' menu where you can pick your own noodles and the preparation style preferred. The menu lists out a variety of vegetables, meat and sauces giving extra customizable options. The Noodle Meal is an exciting concept and gives the diner a chance to mix his favourite food items into a delicious meal prepared with and by the expertise of the chef.

Seafood Imperial Soup

We started off with the Seafood Imperial Soup which was spicy and had an extremely inviting look. The soup was served in a large bowl and was quite heavy. Prepared with loads of vegetables, basa fish, egg whites and prawns, the chef had added crispy fried noodles on top to tone down the spice. The only thing missing, I felt, was the crab meat which would be perfect for the spicy broth.

Mandarin Chicken Skewers

The starters were simply stunning. The Mandarin chicken is one of the restaurant's best-selling dishes and presumably so.The dish actually has you from the start with its presentation - four marinated chicken skewers on top of the charcoal. A bite of the chicken will confirm it and make you yearn for more.

Prawn cakes with Hoisin sauce

The mocktails kept pouring in throughout the meal. The best one among them was definitely the Guava Mary with the sweetness of the guava richly complementing the spice. The other drinks served during the meal were Blue Lagoon and Orange Margarita.

Mocktails

The dimsums which were up next were presented in the Thai yellow curry. The golden-yellow hue gravy had a rich taste of coconut milk as is typical of most of the Thai gravies. Another concept which impressed me were the prawn cakes which was served with the Hoisin sauce. The cakes had a spicy masala filling which went well with the sweet sauce.

Chicken Dumplings in Thai Yellow Curry

The Nasi Goreng, which was a part of the main course was accompanied by Chicken Skewers, Fried Chicken, Prawn papad and a sunny side up. The Indonesian twist on fried rice was a semi-spicy preparation with the rice containing the goodness of prawns, chicken and vegetables alike. I especially liked the Fried Chicken which was well marinated and could work as a good finger food when served with tartar sauce.

Nasi Goreng

For desserts, I was treated to the Lime Panacotta and Passion Fruit Gelato. I really liked the panacotta, which was optimally sweet and had subtle flavour of lime.

Passion Fruit Gelato

Lime Panacotta

We finished the meal with a cup of Jasmine Tea. Known for its medicinal use, the divine aroma of the tea makes for a sumptuous ending to a heavy meal.

Jasmine Tea

Address:
Noodle Bar
1st Floor,
Phoenix Market City Mall,
Whitefield, Bangalore

Telephone: 080 67266466

Cost for two - Rs. 1200

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The Family Sunday Brunch at Novotel, Hyderabad Airport

Novotel, Hyderabad Airport is located at a serene location a couple of miles from the airport terminal. Surrounded by greenery, the hotel is buzzing throughout the week with businessmen, as well as flight staff of airlines, preferring the property for their stopovers.  Their multi-cuisine restaurant, The Square, serves a range of Indian, Asian and continental cuisines, and had been winners of awards for the last few years.

One of the most sought after promotions at Novotel is their Sunday brunch. It is a complete family affair for Hyderabadis who come here after a scenic drive through the Shamshabad airport area. One can plan the brunch after a dip at the adjoining pool and an exclusive children’s area has the kids enthusiastically having fun. The leisurely brunch can be enjoyed all through four hours in the afternoon, along with select drinks from the menu. Live music is belted out right from the word go, and there is a tattoo artist enthusiastically offering his services right outside the restaurant.

Roast Turkey

The Square has swanky interior seating as well as an open alfresco area. The place can accommodate around hundred people. On entering the restaurant, the first thing I noticed was a large Grilled Turkey sitting at the top of the buffet, which looked extremely appetizing. A range of sushis and seafood were laid out next to it. My attention was drawn to the large numbers of oysters and clams which were being served among the cold delicacies. I was told by Sous Chef Unnikrishnan that the oysters were favorites especially with the expatriate airline staff who are regular to the restaurants.

Oysters

A feature of this brunch is that they have a separate Kids Station. Some special menu items were being served for the kids such as spring rolls, doughnuts, cupcakes and brownies. With the special playing area as well as food, the brunch is a bonanza for the kids.

Cold Cuts

The salad counter also had a huge spread. I particularly liked the Potato Scoop with Grilled Prawn Salad, the combination really worked well together. The vegetarian Poached Pears with Cucumber Salad was another item to take note of. Apart from that, there was a range of cold cuts as well as a Chicken salad with bok choy.

The Interiors

The live counter was laid out with many delicious items in an enclosure near the poolside.  One of the star attractions was Tawa Fish – there were three varieties of fish tossed in different marinades and fried. They were serving both chicken and vegetarian dimsums as well as a variety of sausages – the Pork Sausage was the pick among them. Batter Fried Prawns from the live counter was so good that we kept on popping them in one after another. They also served Kathi Rolls Kolkata style – chicken wrapped in a paratha served with onions and green chillies.

Tawa Fish

I loved the presentation of Layered Vegetables, a finger food which tasted delicious too. Cannelloni De Spinach was also an innovative preparation. There were assorted Tandoori Vegetables, of which a preparation of mushrooms stood out.

The pick of the main courses was Braised Fish Steak in Maltaise Sauce. The fish was cut into small pieces and had soaked in the sauces making it a wonderful combination with baked bread. The gravy of Roasted Chicken with Red Wine Poached Tomato was brilliant.

Braised Fish Steak in Maltaise Sauce

There were a few Oriental items in the buffet too. Squid in white wine garlic sauce was the delicious one with the squids prepared exactly to the texture I like.

Next I decided to try out the Indian food in the buffet. The Nalli Ka Nihari, a Hyderabadi preparation was enjoyed with bread rolls. There was a live tandoor in the main hall itself dishing out various Indian breads – my choice was a Laccha Paratha, on recommendation from the chef, and this was the perfect foil for the Rara Murgh, a dish which had both chicken pieces as well as keema cooked in a spicy gravy. The Bengali in me could not resist sampling a little bit of Chingri Machher Malaikari with steamed rice. The Mutton Biryani was the only disappointment, a trifle too dry and bland.

A View of the poolside

After such a lavish brunch I hardly had any space for desserts. On recommendations from Chef Unni, I tried out Baileys Decadence, a dessert with Irish cream in it.  Cream Caramel was another dessert of note.  The buffet had a large spread of desserts, which included a variety of mousses, Lamington, fruit tarts as well as a range of Indian sweets.

Cream Caramel

This brunch is ideal to spend a leisurely Sunday afternoon after a hectic week. The spread is quite good and most of the items are very well prepared. Service is prompt without being intrusive and the wait staff seemed quite knowledgeable. The brunch, which includes alcohol, is priced at Rs 2000 plus taxes and includes the use of the swimming pool.

Location:

The Square
Novotel, at Hyderabad Airport
Shamshabad
Hyderabad
Telephone: 66250000

Brunch Timings: Sundays 12:30 to 4 pm

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant. However, the opinion expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

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