Quick Bytes: The Carnival Sunday Brunch at Smaaash

Smaaash at Inorbit Mall Hyderabad has become a preferred destination for families on Sundays due to their huge repertoire of virtual games which kids as well as adults enjoy.  Now, the place has become even more attractive by the introduction of the Carnival Sunday Brunch, a novel concept that bundles a nice spread of delectable dishes and access to arcade games together. Families can now enjoy the entire afternoon in a relaxed atmosphere, indulging in whatever one likes – playing games, enjoying the live music or relishing some scrumptious food. The multi-cuisine buffet is hosted at Mighty Small, the carnival-themed restaurant of Smaash.

The brunch menu has been carefully planned to keep all palates in mind. There are live counters for egg and pasta. The egg counter for the day had around a dozen varieties of egg-based dishes including some delicious egg muffins and also all provisions for ordering your favourite egg combo. The pasta counter had penne and spaghetti with a choice of arrabbiata or alfredo sauces.  A salad bar had quite a few options of vegetables and sauces to customize your own salads.

Jalebis and Pineapple Jalebis

One of the highlights of the brunch is that the price includes free passes to ten arcade games at Smaash.  So if you are a fan of arcade games, the deal becomes extremely attractive for you.
As I was exploring the items of the buffet, I came across Pineapple Jalebis. The sliced pineapples soaked in sugar and fried looked extremely inviting, and I decided to start my brunch with this. The dessert did not disappoint me one bit, and even a sweet-averse person like me went back for refills.

Momos

Among the starters, there were some Hot Steamed Momos, both veg, and chicken. Our momos were well stuffed with chicken filling, though the accompanying chilli dip was not up to the mark, as it was dilute and not spicy at all.

Potato Wedges

Panko Fried Fish and Chicken Szechuan Lollypops were the other two we tried out , the first attempt from the buffet landed us some soggy fish, and on request we were served some good ones straight from the kitchen. The lollypops had a nice marinade and I loved the taste. The highlight of the vegetarian starters was the Subz Khazana, with varieties of vegetables like cauliflower, tomato, and capsicums prepared in a tasty dry masala.

Egg Live Counter

From the egg counter, we tried a variety of egg recipes – Stuffed omelet, Cheese omelet, and Egg muffins. Some well-made Potato Wedges along with a mayo dip were served with the eggs. Penne Pasta with Alfredo sauce came freshly prepared from the live counter.

Egg Muffins

The main course had some excellent Lagan Ki Gosht which was a clear winner with naans. The thick gravy was perfectly spiced. The fish dish Rai Tamatar Machhi impressed too. And in Hyderabad, there is no buffet without biryani, Chicken Dum Biryani was the day’s choice.

For lovers of oriental food, I enjoyed Hakka Noodles, the well-known Chindian dish from Tangra in Kolkata. Vegetables in Hot Garlic Sauce was a perfect companion to it. For lovers of Thai food, the buffet had Thai Red Chicken Curry.

Panko Fried Fish and Chicken Szechuan Lollypops

I have already mentioned about the Pineapple Jalebi, the other desserts on the buffet were Chocolate Brownies and Red Velvette Mousse. If the management decides to serve Hot Jalebis, they need to do it through a live counter rather than keep in the buffet. The Gulab Jamun Tart was a nice innovation.

I am not a gaming enthusiast, so did not play any of the free arcade games which are part of the brunch package. Some of my friends and their children, however, enjoyed them. There were lots of children who were present at the brunch – most spent their time at the arcade games and came rushing in to finish their lunch in no time, before going back. Their parents were, enjoying a leisurely brunch with separately ordered drinks at the tables.

The Carnival Sunday Brunch is priced at Rs 666 (plus taxes) for adults and Rs 444 (plus taxes) for children. It is a medium-sized value for money buffet, so do not expect a huge spread. Whereas ten arcade games are part of the deal, alcohol is not. The management should rethink this and also have options of brunch packages with unlimited alcohol as this is the current trend here in Hyderabad. Also, the starters must be served on the table rather than kept in the buffet as they tend to get soggy. In spite of these small issues which can easily be handled, I feel the brunch will become a hit with families and groups with kids and game lovers.

Location:
Mighty Small, Smaaash
Level 5, Inorbit Mall
Hitech City, Hyderabad 81
Telephone 44739999

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

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Punjab Grill: Bringing Authentic Punjabi Food to Hyderabad

Punjab Grill is perhaps the best-known restaurant brand in India for food from the land of five rivers. Founded by the legendary Jiggs Kalra, the chain has been taken over by Lite Bite Foods couple of years back. The group has restaurants in all major cities of India as well as in Singapore and have recently opened their latest one in Hyderabad.

Chaamp Tajdar

As I had discussed in an earlier post, Punjabi is easily the most popular regional cuisines of India. Often in abroad often Indian food is synonymous with Punjabi food. Punjab Grill is known for presenting the flavours of Punjab in their original form as well as adding a fusional twist to some of their dishes.

Dhania Patta Drink

The swanky new restaurant in Hyderabad which can house more than one-fifty guests at a time is located very close to Jubilee Hills check post. Apart from a huge dining area, there are two PDRs for private dining. The ambience is open and comfortable. The place has an open kitchen where you can see kababs being prepared in a Bhatti.

Veg Kurkuri

Invited for a preview of the place, we first indulged in trying out a few mocktails from the menu.  One of my favourites was Anari, a pomegranate based drink topped with coriander leaves.  Dhania Patta as the name suggests was a refreshing drink based on coriander leaves. A unique mocktail was Nimbu Acharoska, which tasted like lemon pickle water. If you like the achari taste this is the drink for you. The restaurant hopes to receive their liquor license soon, after which we can taste the cocktail avatars of some of these drinks. Along with the drinks, we were served some delicious Veg Kurkuri or wonton skins stuffed with vegetables and cheese rolled in sevian and fried. The sweet chilli dip which was served with it deserves a special mention.

Tawa Macchi

I had received some good feedback about kababs and starters at Punjab Grill and was looking forward to trying them out. One of their signature dishes is Chaamp Tajdar. The presentation of the lamb chops was extremely inviting and as everyone was busy clicking photos, I was getting restless to lay my hands on them. The masala with which the lamb was braised was a killer, and the meat was grilled just the right amount. This was clearly a winner for me.

Murgh Tikka Punjab Grill

Tawa Macchi had boneless fillets of river sole soaked in masala and fried in mustard oil. Murgh Tikka Punjab Grill was the restaurant’s version of the famous dish. The tikka here is not overdone retaining the flavours of the masala.

Salmon Tikka

Salmon Tikka was another starter which I loved. Grilled Norwegian salmon marinated in dill and honey had a very subtle taste and a stronger mustard flavour. An interesting twist to the omnipresent fish dish.

It was now the turn of the main courses to be served. All of them were served with some delicious Lehsooni Naan and Lachha Paratha; both the breads were of extremely high quality. Any Punjabi restaurant is normally evaluated in terms how perfectly they can make dal makhni and butter chicken. While Dal Punjab Grill was smooth and creamy with a distinctive taste, though the Murgh Makhani was a trifle over tangy.

Main Courses

My picks from the main courses were Dhaniya Mirch Da Kukkad and Meat Punjab Grill. The former was a typical Punjabi dhaba recipe, with a rustic gravy. Meat Punjab Grill was more of a rich and celebratory dish, the chops here cooked a little more than the kabab earlier, and soaking in the gravy in the process. Amritsari Malai Kofta was another dish which was showcased.

Tarkari Biryani

We tried out some rice dishes from the menu as well. Tarkari Kesari Biryani was possibly one of best vegetarian biryanis that I have tasted in Hyderabad. Saffron flavoured and replete with fresh vegetables, it is a dish which is not to be missed. Chutney Pulao had chicken and rice prepared in a green coriander, mint and chilli chutney.

Litchi Ke Tehri

The place has some interesting desserts too. Litchi ke Tehri with litchis soaked in rabri was the pick here, with makhanas adding a crunchy taste to it. Phirni and Paneer Jalebi were the other two desserts served.

Paneer Jalebi

Chef Vijay Sethi, who has come down from Delhi to set up the kitchen here provided interesting inputs on most of the dishes. He also served Dal Pinni, a laddu abundant with lentil, ghee and nuts, which is not there on the menu.

Dal Pinni

The Punjab Grill experience is surely not to be missed. The restaurant has managed to create a buzz in the first fortnight of operations itself. It has some very interesting and authentic dishes that one should try out. The restaurant has also launched a weekday buffet priced at Rs 625 (plus taxes).

Location:
Punjab Grill
4th Floor, Guru Raghavendra
Road No 1 Jubilee Hills (near check post)
Hyderabad
Telephone: 80083 33555

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

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A Journey across Western India with “Best of the West” at Novotel

Recently there was a Gujarati food festival at Marriott which I had to miss due to work. When I was told later that there were some excellent preparations by a home chef, I was feeling a bit upset at missing out on some good Gujarati food. But little did I know that soon The Square, the all-day dining restaurant at Novotel, Hyderabad airport will be hosting “Best of The West”, a festival celebrating cuisines of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, serving some good dishes from that region.

Each of the three states have their distinctively different cuisines. Gujarat boasts of a predominantly vegetarian fare with a sweetish bias in many of their dishes. Rajasthani food ranges from snacks like Pyaaz Ke Kachori to the lovely desserts like Ghewar, not to forget the famed Lal Maans and other non-vegetarian delicacies. Maharashtra has distinct sub-regional tastes from Kolhapuri, Malwani and Vidarbha.

The Square has been decked up for the festival in an ethnic way, starting from a colorful entrance set up for the festival, a selfie station with a pic of Hawa Mahal in the background, Rajasthani puppets and the waiters turning up in Gujarati attire. Whereas the Rajasthani and Maharashtrian food were prepared by in-house chefs, a Gujarati home chef Mrs. Jahnvi Naik, helped them with the Gujarati dishes. The festival is part of the usual buffet, which means the Indian section of it has been replaced by offerings from Western India. The oriental and continental sections remain as it is.

Fish Koliwada

Invited for a bloggers preview, we were welcomed with some really good Thandai with nice flavour of zafraan and enriched with nuts. The starters were served on the table.  Fish Koliwada is a signature dish from Maharashtra. The dish was presented nicely with round boneless pieces of fish garnished with coriander leaves. The fried batter on the fish was nice though I would have liked a little bit more of spices in it.

Handvo

Another Maharashtrian dish of note was Aloo Til Tinka or potato croquettes coated with roasted sesame seeds. Gujarati Handvo, a spicy rice and dal baked snack was something which also attracted my attention. I cannot vouch for authenticity, but the dish surely had a different taste which I liked.

Haryali Murgh Tikka

There was also some Hariyali Murgh Tikka in the menu which surprised me a bit, I could not recall if any of the three states showcased were known for their kababs.

Dal Dhokhli

There were two live counters serving Pav Bhaji and Thepla. I tried the Pav Bhaji – the bhaji was exceptionally good tasting just like those served in Chowpatty.

Kadi with Khichdi

For the main courses, we started with the Gujarati delicacies. I liked the Dal Dhokli, where small pieces of wheat dhoklis are cooked in lentils. The dish went very well with rotis. I also enjoyed the simplicity of the well-known combination of Kadi with Khichdi. Undhiyu the slow cooked Gujarati preparation of mixed vegetables was decent. The vegetables were well prepared in oil and spices giving the dish a rustic taste.

Undhiyu

From Rajasthan, there was Gatte Ki Sabji, which is especially popular in the dessert areas where not much vegetables are grown. Dumplings made out of gram flour is cooked in a dahi based gravy. The dish was paired with some Bajra Roti. There was also Subz Jaipuri, a mixed vegetable curry in a tomato based gravy. The Bharli Vangi or stuffed eggplants from Maharashtra looked and tasted similar to our own Hyderabadi Bagara Baigan. Paneer Kohlapuri, a paneer dish from the region was as spicy as any Hyderabadi dish.

Shaoji Chicken Curry

Gujarat is not much known for its non-vegetarian cuisine. The only dish showcased for the day was Memoni Biryani, a dish popular among Memons from the Kutch area. The biryani had much lesser masala compared to the Hyderabadi counterpart, the rice was flavourful and the mutton was especially good. The Saoji Chicken Curry was like any other chicken curry, a resident of Nagpur commented that it needed to be super spicy and dark colored. The Ratnagiri Fish Curry flavoured with kokum had a nice balance of spices and a tangy taste.

The Desserts

I missed my favorite Lal Maans from Rajasthan. In fact I thought that some Rajasthani non-veg should have found a place. I was told that the festival has a menu which changes every day, so these will be accommodated on another day.

Ghevar

The dessert counter was extremely attractive with Ghevar, Malpua, Murmura Ka Laddu and Puran Poli. I liked the Malpua and the Ghevar, in spite of their high sweet quotient. There were also a range of Gujarati and Rajasthani namkeens on offer like Bhakarwadi, Namkeen Karela and Samosas.

The Best of The West Food Festival is on till 11th September as part of the evening buffet at The Square, Novotel Hyderabad Airport. It is quite a comprehensive buffet with lots of dishes to make it worthwhile to visit all the way to Shamshabad. The buffet is priced at Rs 1440 plus taxes.

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

Timings: Every evening till 11th September, 19:00 to 23:00 pm

Note:  Some pics are courtesy The Novotel.

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

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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: Dakshin Celebrates Franco-Tamil Cuisine from Pondicherry

Pondicherry was a colony of France for almost three centuries. The French had left a lasting legacy on the state which is still visible in terms of the architecture of many of the buildings, names of roads as well as many restaurants serving French cuisine. In the local Tamil cuisine here, the culinary influence of France is distinctly visible in the flavours and taste of food. Some of the names of dishes are even localized from French such as puyabaisse (bouillabaisse) and saladu (salad).

Masala Coated Fish

The influence of the French on the local recipes of Pondicherry is visible in many other ways. Vinegar is widely used here as a souring agent much more than tomatoes or tamarind.  The uses of spices are significantly less compared to other Tamil food, though frequently the curries use coconut milk as a base. Other highlights are the use of chicken or seafood stock in cooking and the appearance of baguettes amidst local desserts.

Meen Puyabaisse

Dakshin at ITC Kakatiya is easily the best South Indian restaurant in Hyderabad. Their regular menu has dishes with exclusive recipes from the four southern states. However, the promotions which are organized by Dakshin often delve deeper into food from a particular state or a region in it. After a successful festival of Tamil Brahmin cuisine of Mylapore last month, it is now time for a Franco-Pondicherry Food Festival here at ITC Kakatiya. Chef Pavan of Dakshin who has curated this festival has utilized his rich experience in working at Pondicherry a few years back.

Urlai Kola Urandai

We started our preview of this festival with Meen Puyabaisse. The seafood soup had small chunks of boneless murrel fish, and a distinctly fishy flavour. The dish is the localized version of Bouillabaisse, a seafood broth from coasts of France.

The starters included Urlai Kola Urandai, a potato dumpling. Mashed potato had been mixed with diced onion and green chillies as well as select spices and then fried, with a final sautéing in masala. Kassa Kassa Kola Urandai used mutton mince, but here the dumplings tossed in poppy seeds were far spicier. Masala coated fish is another popular recipe from the state, which was being showcased here.

Kassa Kassa Kola Urandai

The promotion has options of vegetarian, non-vegetarian and seafood thalis. We were served select delicacies from each thali. The highlight for me was Yeral Vindail, a prawn curry with coconut milk and vinegar. Executive Chef Paul Noronha was sharing that the cuisine of Pondicherry has influences from Portuguese food also, and I was wondering if the name of this dish had anything to do with vindaloo. The combination of coconut and vinegar in this gravy made the dish a winner with some appams fresh from Iyers Trolley.

The Main Courses

Kothina Kari Pulliperattal was a kheema preparation in red chillies and tamarind. We were served a large Veechu Paratha in the thali, and this was a perfect foil to the minced meat preparation. There was also Meen Inji Curry, a ginger flavoured gravy of fish. We were also served some Chicken Pulav from the area, which was flavourful with subtle use of spices.

Of the vegetarian dishes Keerai Kari, a dry preparation of amaranth in coconut went well with rice. Vendaikai Thair Curry showcased a curd based preparation of bhindi. The best of the vegetarian dishes was Markari Theeyal, a tamarind and coconut based gravy of drumsticks which had raw mango in it.  The rich and tangy gravy was extremely tasty both with rice and appams.

Dessert: A milk based dish with abundant fruits and nuts

The dessert served was milk based with abundant fruits and nuts in it. As is usual at Dakshin, we had the best Filter Coffee to end the meal.

Filter Coffee

A look at the festival menu revealed some other interesting dishes. COQ curry, an eggplant based recipe from the region is quite well known. Langouste Curry (mild spiced lobster) and Sudal (quail) looked interesting. The dessert list had Puttarisi Halwa (a rice and wheat dessert), Pondicherry Cake and Coconut Baguette.

Dakshin has again pulled out a winner for lovers of South Indian food.  The promotion will be on here for both lunch and dinner till 2nd September.

Location:
Dakshin
ITC Kakatiya
Begumpet
Hyderabad

Telephone 23400132

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

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