Quick Bytes: The In-Room Picnic at The Park, Hyderabad

Food festivals and promotions are regular features in all star hotels these days, as any property would like to delight their discerning customers with unique experiences. However, promotions specifically addressing room guests are not at all common. The Park Hotels group has set a new trend by introducing In-Room Picnic, where a special dining experience is specifically created for room guests to enjoy a picnic right in their rooms with a special menu of food and drinks, board games and other recreational activities. Dining in the room is often a boring affair, and the new experience is set to change that. The design of “The Park Picnic” is done by a professional consultant from The Netherlands in association with the hotel.

To showcase this experience The Park Hyderabad had invited a few bloggers to one of their luxury suites overlooking Hussain Sagar Lake. The table at the living space was laid out with games such as scrabble, puzzles and tambola. As we settled down we were in for a major surprise – a magician almost magically cropped up in the room to entertain us with his trade. He started with a few tricks like turning newspaper pieces into currency notes but soon went on to demonstrate some amazing card tricks. We were asked to pick up random cards from the stack, and he always read our mind to produce the correct card.

All along this, we were enjoying the nice view of the lake sipping some wine served to us. There were quite a few varieties of short eats around the room, and my favorite were some butter rich puffs which were kept near the windows. The nachos with sour cream were also nice to munch.

I had a look at the special picnic menu as part of the promotion. The menu had five sections – My Own Tea Picnic, Tropical Picnic, European Picnic, Asian Picnic and Kids Picnic, thus catering to most of the palates and age groups. Each of the sections had a separate five-course pre-set combo for vegetarians and non-vegetarians.  The pricing of the picnic looked very attractive ranging from Rs 750 to Rs 1450 per combo.

It was now time for a picnic trolley to roll in.  The colourful trolley was decorated with balloons and had multi-compartment tiffin carriers as well as cups and water bottles dangling from it. Below these were some of the snacks and desserts served separately in plates.

I had opted for the Tropical Picnic (non-vegetarian). The first compartment of the tiffin carrier had two pieces of soft and tasty Nizami Kathi Rolls with chicken filling.

 Another compartment had Hyderabadi Gosht Dum Biryani served with Mirchi ka Salan and Cucumber Mint Raita. The biryani at The Park is well-known for its superior taste and today was no exception. The dessert in the combo was Khubani ka Meetha Tart, an apricot based fusion preparation.

My Own Tea Picnic was what the person sitting next to me was having; it looked pretty interesting too. The veg version had Mirchi Bhajji, Vada Pav with Lehsooni Chutney along with some Masala Tea and Cakes. The non-vegetarian version had Dum Ka Keema with Coriander Pav instead of Vada Pav. I could not help but try a little bit of each dish here. After all, a picnic is all about sharing food.
The entire afternoon was full of fun. Though we did not play any of the games, they could be a major recreation for families and kids. We ended the afternoon with some assorted desserts.

Overall a nicely designed concept with lovely presentation. Every minute detail of the promotion looked carefully planned starting from the trolley to specially designed paper coasters for the promotion. Imagine a picnic right at the hotel room where you are staying over. You can also invite a couple of your friends from the city and spend the entire afternoon enjoying delicious food with select drinks. The staff at The Park Hotels are also ready to customize the experience to your needs. The in-room dining experience will only be available in specific rooms of each property.

Location: 
The Park Hyderabad
22 Rajbhavan Road
Hyderabad 500 082
Telephone: 2345 6789

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant.

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Quick Bytes: The New Menu at Habanero

Habanero, the Mexican restaurant in Hyderabad has been drawing quite a bit of crowd since it opened early last year. The place is popular as a nice and cosy place to enjoy the cuisine with a few drinks.

The restaurant was contemplating a menu change for long, and a few items from the new menu were showcased at a blogger meet. The new menu sees a bit of experimentation with fusion, where the restaurant has come out of its comfort zone.

Black Bean Hummus

An example of this is Black Bean Hummus with Veggies. Habanero presented the favourite dip from the Middle East with a twist of using black bean as the main ingredient.  I must say I quite liked the experiment and tried it out with the crisp nachos served with it.

Sesame Lime Shrimp Tostada

Sesame Lime Shrimp Tostada had fresh grilled shrimp in a lime based sauce over a bed of vegetables. The shrimps were nice and soft, but the dressing was inadequate to impart taste to the dish.

Grilled Chipotle Skewers

Grilled Chipotle Skewers were in two versions – paneer and chicken. We tried the paneer version, and the spicy chipotle glaze on the paneer with a tangy taste was delicious.

The Salads

A salad with an Indian twist was the Raj Salad, which had shredded tandoori chicken on rajma, cucumber and lettuce. The tandoori masala on the chicken was mild and hence the Indian taste was hardly there. I like the idea of this dish, but to implement it well the flavours needed to be stronger.
Fajita Salad with grilled chicken on a bed of veggies was the other salad served.

The new menu has a choice of pizzas. For the vegetarians, there was Summer Veggie Pizza with capsicum, tomato and olives in a garlic based sauce. Fired up Grilled Pizza has grilled chicken topping with assorted vegetables.

Peri Peri Fish

A number of burgers have also been introduced. Monterey Burger has fried chicken with the American Monterey Jack Cheese as the filling. A fish burger named Fish Sammy also attracted attention.

A fusion product was the Chicken Breast Sandwich which had pudina sauce with tomato, lettuce and red capsicum in it.

Monterey Burger

The Peri Peri Grill will be liked by the Hyderabad food lovers. It has a choice of fish, chicken or beef. The dish was styled very nicely and looked extremely inviting. The Grilled Seabass Wrapped in Banana leaf had a distinct taste and was possibly one the better dishes of the day.

Fried Ice Cream

Among the desserts Churros (sugar rolled doughnut sticks) with chocolate sauce is a regular favourite at Habanero and it did not disappoint on this day either. The Fried Ice Cream was decent but not extraordinary. The milk-based Tres Leches was a letdown with the milk being surprisingly sour.

Churros with Chocolate Sauce

Service is one thing here which needs some attention. The wait staff needs to be more knowledgeable about the food, and more prompt on their feet. As it was the first look at the new menu, we provided them with constructive feedback which they promised to work on.

I like the idea of bringing in a bit of global component in the menu, but I am not sure that puritans who look at this restaurant as one of the few Mexican restaurants in Hyderabad will like the idea. Maybe, going deeper with a few less familiar Mexican items on the menu could have been a good option too.

Location:
Habanero
Second Floor, Phoenix Tower
Hitech City, Hyderabad
Telephone: 65354455

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant. 

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Quick Bytes: The New Teppanyaki Menu at Collage, Hyatt Gachibowli

A few months back Park Hyatt at Banjara Hills had a teppanyaki promotion as part of their pop-up series. The event was successful in demonstrating the interest of Hyderabadi food lovers in Japanese food. Now Hyatt Hyderabad Gachibowli has a permanent teppanyaki live counter at Collage, their all day diner. The live counter will operate for as long as twelve hours a day from 11 am to 11 pm, and has a brand new menu serving select items from Japanese cuisine.

California Uramaki

Teppanyaki is an extremely interesting style of cooking where the guests sit around a flat iron griddle (known as teppan) and watch the chef prepare the food in front of them. The style had originated in Japan and is mainly used for recipes which use stir frying as the major method in cooking.

Chef Prasanth Martha

At a bloggers meet to celebrate the new menu launch I met Sous Chef Prashant Martha, the man behind the teppan. Chef Prashant had selected a list of special items from the new menu to be served on the occasion. The Bloggers Meet was well organized with an eye for minute details, for example each blogger had a designated seat with name cards. As we took our appointed places in front of the grill, we watched the Chef quietly starting to prepare a salad.

Avocado and Seaweed Salad

The Avocado and Seaweed Salad was the first item to be served.  The seaweed had a sweetish taste, and the dressing was slightly tangy presenting an overall balance with avocado, cucumber and vegetables.

Miso Soup

This was followed by Miso Soup, simple but flavourful, again with seaweed and some tofus in it. The fermented miso as well as the seaweed gave the soup a slightly muddy taste.

Prawn Tempura

We watched Chef and his team preparing sushis as we feasted on the crisp Ebi (prawn) Tempura, served with a soya based dip. For the vegetarians there were the assorted Moriwase Sushis, with ingredients such as shitake mushrooms and asparagus.  The non-vegetarian sushi was California Uramaki, with rice in the outer layer sprinkled with fish roe on top, and crab meat and prawn tempura as filling. The sushi platter was served to us with wasabi and soya sauce along with gari, the Japanese ginger.

Assorted Vegetable Moriwase

All the starters were presented in a very stylish way. The guests were especially interested in the method of sushi preparation and crowded around with their cameras to have a closer look.

Chicken Teppanyaki

For the main course, the Chef decided to serve Chicken Teppanyaki with rice. The fried rice preparation Yasai Yakimeshi was a simple and fragrant mixed vegetable based dish prepared on the grill. The teppanyaki was the star of the show, with the chef deftly using his spatulas to prepare chicken on one side of the griddle and a vegetarian combination with mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, beans and broccolis on the other. The showstopper chicken with the rice was a perfect end to the meal.

Yasai Yakimeshi

I had a look at the complete menu. It has half a dozen items each for sushis and tempuras. The teppanyaki has interesting choices such as salmon, tenderloin and gyoza. The a-la-carte dishes are priced from Rs 300 to Rs 1100. Fans of oriental cuisine will definitely enjoy the new Japanese menu at the live counter, watching the chef prepare different dishes as they have their food.

Location:
Collage
Hyatt Hyderabad Gachibowli
IT Park, Road 2, Gachibowli
Hyderabad
Telephone: 48481234

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant. 

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Paired Menu Masterclass at Sheraton Hyderabad

Early adopters among food lovers of Hyderabad are opening up to pairing events of food with drinks. Recently there had been quite a few festivals and promotions on dishes that go along with varieties of wines as well as whiskys of different maturity. Link@Sheraton Hyderabad recently organized a masterclass session as part of "Paired", a new food and beverage program of Sheraton Hotels and Resorts worldwide.   The cafe has also unveiled a new menu of bite-sized foods in sync with this program. The idea was to try out these bar snacks with a combination of red, white and sparkling wines selected from the recommendations of Wine Spectator.

The session conducted by Preetam Rai, Assistant F&B Manager of Sheraton, Hyderabad stressed on the fact that pairing is a function of personal taste buds, and often a combination of wine and food which are not supposed to go together unexpectedly work wonders to the taste buds of an individual. This is as opposed to set beliefs that only certain food go well with specific drinks.

In this event, eight bite-sized dishes from the new menu of Link were showcased. The dishes drew their inspirations both from local and global cuisine and were served with five varieties of wine – two red, two white and one sparkling. The wines were served for blind tasting, which means the labels were not disclosed to the participants. At the end, the participants were asked for their preferred combos of wine and food, and of course, the labels of wine were disclosed.

Asian Spiced Lamb Balls

The red wines served were Le Corte Refosco and Grover Zampa Cabernet Shiraz, while the whites were Grover Zampa Sauvignon Blanc and Jacobs Creek Chardonnay. Chandon Brut was the lone sparkling wine.

Among the food served, Asian Spiced Lamb Meat Balls tossed in onion and paprika were the most sought after snacks. For me the best pairing for this was the Sauvignon Blanc white wine.

Stuffed Jalapenos

With the red wine from Le Corte, my pick was the Stuffed Jalapenos, the cheddar cheese filling working well with the pleasant taste of the Refosco grapes.

Litchie Ke Kabab

Another snack I found quite unique and loved the taste was Litchie ke Kabab, a unique preparation with litchis stuffed with nuts and cottage cheese.

Chicken Tikka Spring Rolls

A fusion dish was Chicken Tikka Spring Roll, served with a mint chutney. As I tried out the dish a thought flashed that a glass of good whisky would be the best foil for this. But then, I reminded myself that this was a wine pairing event.

Smoked Salmon in a Choux Pastry

Smoked Ocean Salmon with yoghurt in a choux pastry was best with the Jacobs Creek Chardonnay, a light wine which enhanced the flavour of the fish. Another dish Garlic Shrimps too paired famously with this wine.

Garlic Shrimps

Vegetarians would have found the Aloo Mutter Tikki interesting.  Sauteed Mushroom with Garlic Lemon Sauce was the only dish I did not like, for me, it hardly had any taste.

Sauteed Mushroom with Garlic Lemon Sauce

The masterclass was successful in what it set to establish and the choices of participants to pair with specific dishes varied widely. The menu for the brand program gives suggestions of wines that can be paired with each of the eight dishes and certain craft beers are also suggested. But connoisseurs must try out various combinations of food with the wine of their choice, to work out the best wine-food pairing for themselves.

The café has a very relaxing atmosphere, the ideal place to laze around after a busy day. Some great food and wine combinations may just have the calming down effect. To make things even better, pricing for the short eats is also extremely attractive.

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

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant. 

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The Glenlivet Legacy Dinner

When we talk about single malt whisky, one of the names which immediately comes to our mind is The Glenlivet. Today, The Glenlivet is one of the top brands all over the world, and also the highest selling single malt brand in India and United States. Recently, Pernod Ricard, which owns Glenlivet, and Kangan, the Indian specialty restaurant at The Westin Hyderabad organized The Glenlivet Legacy Dinner for some of their patrons and customers. Mr. Darren Hosie, the International Brand Ambassador of Pernod Ricard based in Hongkong was present to share some of his insights on Glenlivet.

Over a leisurely dinner, which showcased pairing of Glenlivet single malts of different ages with some signature Indian food at Kanak, Darren shared with us the details of the long journey of the Glenlivet brand. Starting from the early 1800s, when Glenlivet was an illicit distillery in Speyside Scotland, he narrated the story of how George Smith and his son John Gordon Smith obtained a distiller’s license and created such a popular brand that competitors started suffixing the name of their own products with the word Glenlivet. The story has a similarity to another closer home, the popularity of the biryani place Bawarchi restaurant in Hyderabad, and the subsequent spawning of the red, blue, green and golden Bawarchi restaurants around us.

The Glenlivet

The second part of the session was about tasting The Glenlivet 12, 15 and 18 years versions. Darren briefed about the concept of nose, palate, and finish, and the basic steps of enjoying single malt whisky. He filled us up on minute details such as how The Glenlivet of different maturity uses different types of casks such as ex-Bourbon and Sherry, and how all through the years of maturing a part of whisky evaporates through the cask. All through the discussion, a journey of flavours continued with the diners trying out The Glenlivet variants. Contrary to popular belief that single malt whisky is best enjoyed straight with ice, Darren advised that adding a little water into the whisky opens up the delicate flavours of the drink.

Jaituni Mahi Tikka

Broccoli & Soya Seekh Kabab

The exclusive tasting session had some exquisite food paired with it. We started with Jaituni Mahi Tikka, marinated fish cooked in a tandoor. For vegetarians, Broccoli and Soya Seekh Kabab garnished with methi leaves was served.

Zataar Murgh Masala

The Glenlivet 12 Years had Zataar Murgh Masala paired with it. The Zataar flavoured chicken was served with Masala Garlic Naan and Dal Kangan. The whisky had a fruity flavour which went well with the spicy chicken. But Dal Kangan, as always was the best dish for me.

I had a small helping from the Dum Bharwaan Paneer which my vegetarian friend was having. A filling of capsicum, onion and other veggies was rolled into a slice of paneer and the result was a truly outstanding dish.

Dum Bharwaan Paneer

It was the turn of The Glenlivet 15, the whisky which is aged in French oak casks, to be paired with Semiya Gosht Biryani, a novel attempt where vermicelli was used instead of rice in a biryani preparation. Whereas the masala was brilliant, the semiya was sticking together, and as a result, this dish was a little off color compared to the other preparations. The whisky had a rich creamy flavour, which was quite different from the earlier one.

Kulfi Falooda

The fitting finale was the nice Kulfi Falooda, which was just perfect. It was accompanied by The Glenlivet 18, which is matured in a combination of Bourbon and Sherry casks. I tried the whisky with the dessert and this did not work for me. Both were awesome in isolation, but the change of taste in the combo was a little abrupt. I had felt the same in my earlier experiences with dessert and whisky pairing too.

Mr Darren Hosie, Brand Ambassador, The Glenlivet

The session was extremely interesting, and dinner was very well planned. I had attended an earlier Glenlivet pairing session with the oriental cuisine, but on this day the interactions were detailed and the brand ambassador was forthcoming in providing a lot of interesting information all through the dinner.

Location: 
Kangan
The Westin
Mindspace IT Park
Hitech City, Hyderabad
Telephone: 67676767

Some pics are courtesy Pernod Ricard

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant.

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Coca-Cola Happiness World: An Exclusive Restaurant from Ohri's and Coca-Cola

The Ohri’s group is no newcomer to the food and beverages scenario in Hyderabad. With more than twenty restaurants offering cuisines ranging from continental and Indian to Pan-Asian, and dishes from sizzlers to ice creams, they have been a preferred destination of Hyderabadi food lovers for a long time.  So, it is but natural that when Coca-Cola decided on Hyderabad to open their first Coca-Cola Happiness World in India, they chose Ohri’s as their partner.

Frozen Fanta and Classic Frozen Coke

Coca-Cola Happiness World at Sindhi Colony is not just a restaurant, it is a concept outlet which showcases the rich legacy of the global corporation. The walls are adorned with information about the 130 years old rich heritage of the brand, as well as its association with sports and iconic superstars. Local musicians play live music at the Coke Studio corner.

The menu showcases the frozen drinks and as well as drinks developed exclusively from Coca-Cola product range - Classic Frozen Coke and Frozen Fanta well as the mocktail range of Kesari Magic and Almond Pista Delite Shake which are prepared from VIO, the flavoured milk brand of Coca-Cola. The mocktails have been jointly developed by Coca-Cola and Ohri’s team.  The food section also has a rich menu ranging from savouries, pasta, and sizzlers to desserts. The outlet also plans to launch signature Coca-Cola merchandise soon.

Cokegappa

Invited as part of a team of bloggers to the celebration of the first anniversary of the concept outlet, we were briefed about the various facets of the store and presented with a special menu for the occasion. We started with the fiery Cokegappa, a panipuri accompanied by a tangy masala coke shot, which was spicy enough to create a buzz. This was followed by a glass each of Classic Frozen Coke and Frozen Fanta.  The frozen drinks which keep you cool for a long time would definitely find many takers in the hot Hyderabadi summer.

Mexican Chilli Nachos

Cheese Chilli Toasts

It was time for the appetizers, and they did not disappoint either. I loved the Mexican Chilli Nachos with melted cheese, salad, and sour cream. The Cheese Chilli Toasts had adequate cheese topping and a delightful dip to go with. My favorites were the finger-shaped fried Chicken Tenders served with sour cream. The only starter I did not like was the Loaded Cheesy Fries, some of the fries were underdone and I wished a little bit more of cheese was added to them.

Chicken Tenders

At this stage, we tried two drinks prepared by Anoop, the mixologist from Ohri’s. The Almond Pista found favour with most of us, a concoction where pistachios were added to the VIO Almond Delight to prepare a delicious drink. However, I personally liked the Kesari Magic more.

Mac N Cheese

From the pastas available, Mac N Cheese was served with small pieces of chicken and garlic bread. I would rate it as pretty decent but nothing spectacular. This was accompanied by a new frozen coke drink – called “Tadakta Bhadakta Frozen Coke” and served in an earthen tea cup. This was hot and spicy and garnished with a red chilli on top.

Dreamy Durban Sizzler

The Dreamy Durban Chicken Sizzler was a hit with me. I loved the aftertaste of spices in the grilled chicken in piri piri sauce served with spaghetti and vegetables. It was nice and tasty but super-hot, so please order only if you can take that. Barbeque Chicken Sizzler and Vegetarian Paneer Sizzler were the other sizzlers on offer.

Paneer Sizzler

Ohri’s ice creams are too well-known. Even more than a decade ago, my son used to regularly plead with me to take him to Ohri’s Havemor outlet in Basheerbagh for their signature ice creams. The ice creams served here, Alphonso Fusion (mango) and Minty Watermelon were very enjoyable. I did not try the Bulls Eye, chocolate cake served with ice cream, as I am not too fond of that. But I could see my fellow bloggers enjoying it.

Desserts

All this while, live music was being played at the Coke Studio corner, and the young gentleman singing was pretty good at it too. An Ohri’s blogging event is always a treat to attend, due to the undivided attention you get from the staff. And of course, I loved the hamper given to us with a personalized special Coca-Cola can bearing my photograph on it.

Coca-Cola Happiness World is a cool place to hang out with friends and family. There are positivity and buzz in the ambience and the menu has everything for all occasions, from bite-sized snacks to full course dinner, and of course some signature drinks from the Coca-Cola. It is a fun and happening place which promises to bring a smile to your face.

Location:
Coca-Cola Happiness World
1-8-303/40, Ravi Plaza
Sindhi Colony
Prenderghast Road
Secunderabad
Telephone: 9866411377

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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