V Junction Global Eatery: World Cuisine comes to Banjara Hills

V Junction Global Eatery is one of the new restaurants in Hyderabad which has created quite a buzz. Situated on the main thoroughfare of Banjara Hills with a large seating area and two open kitchens, the restaurant has been in the news especially for its buffet incorporating dishes from all over the globe.

Kabab Platter

The restaurant which can seat around 140 people is the brainchild of Mr. Veer Vijay Singh who used to be a familiar face at Taj Krishna Hyderabad.  Both his sons manage the restaurant which has an inaugural offer of Rs 750 (plus taxes) for the multi-cuisine buffet that they serve. The place which has a nice view of the adjoining road and City Centre Mall serves a-la-carte dishes as well.

Invited to a bloggers table to sample some of their food, I was welcomed with a mocktail named Green Garden which had an apple juice base with kiwi, lime and mint flavours. The drink was extremely smooth and refreshing and I went for a repeat during the lunch.

While waiting for the delicacies to arrive, I had a detailed look at their menu. The a-la-carte menu is divided into three parts – Indian, Eurasian, and Oriental. Quite a few of the dishes from each menu looked interesting, a few of them being Sashimis, Trio of Hummus and Khyber Gosht. The restaurant has different chefs for Asian, Indian and continental cuisines, and the buffet offers delicacies from all these cuisines as well as a few contemporary fusion dishes.

Varieties of Sushis

The buffet takes pride in the number of starters which are served. We were served four varieties of sushis. There was California Roll with crab meat in it, a prawn based sushi, and Futo Maki with assorted vegetables. The sushis were served with soy sauce, wasabi and gari. Also on display was a special wasabi which was literally “mind blowing”, many of us took a bit of time to recover after tasting it.

Dimsums

Dim Sums followed the sushis. The translucent Crystal Vegetable Dumpling was my favorite of the three varieties served; the Kothe too had a nice stuffing of chicken.

Chicken Lollypops

After the oriental short-eats, it was time for the Kabab Platter to make an impact. The platter had fish and chicken kababs in three types of marinades – the usual tandoori masala, malai, and green. The platter was attractively styled and the food got devoured in no time. The red-coloured Chicken Lollypops, a favourite of Hyderabadis were nice and crunchy.

Stuffed Mushroom

By now, more starters had trooped in and I was starting to lose count of the number of starters we were served. Stuffed Mushroom was one which stood out, and there were some nice Grilled Prawns served in delightful cherry tomato salsa.

Grilled Prawn with Tomato Salsa

Podi Idlis

There were tiffin items from the South Indian cuisine too – brilliantly plated Podi Idlis with some allam and coconut chutneys deserve a mention here.

Marmalade Prawns

We were told that Chicken Butter Masala was a star dish here and indeed it was one of the better ones I had in Hyderabad. It is a Lahori preparation where the butter and tomato gravy is tempered with dry methi. From the oriental stable, we sampled Marmalade Prawns.

Linguini in Beetroot Extract

From the continental kitchen, Linguini prepared with beetroot extract had a nice color, and the pasta tasted quite nice too.

The Desserts

The desserts brought out were Coconut Cheesecake, Tiramisu, and Chocolate Brownies. Though I do not consider myself as a fan of desserts in general, the Tiramisu was the one I liked most.

If there is one reason I would visit the restaurant, it is the variety of the starters. They have short eats from all over the world, including some attractive fusion dishes. A special note to the fans of Japanese cuisine, they can enjoy their sushis and sashimis here.  I would also like to go back and try a few select items from the main course of each of their menus – continental, Indian and oriental.

Location:
V Junction Global Eatery
First Floor Alcazar Building
Road No 1
Banjara Hills, Hyderabad
Telephone 33165703

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

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Quick Bytes: Fungi Fiesta, the Festival of Mushrooms at Tuscany

Edible fungi and mushrooms do not find wide acceptance with the Indian food lovers. Some people are allergic to them, some people are put off by the looks and there is always the confusion whether mushroom is vegetarian or non-vegetarian food. However the real fans of mushrooms know how the fungi can bring a subtle to strong difference in flavour and taste of dishes.

Oriental Crust Pizza

Against this backdrop, it is very impressive to see Tuscany, the Italian restaurant at The Trident Hyderabad organize a promotion “Fungi Fiesta”, which is solely centered on Italian dishes incorporating mushrooms and other fungi. Among the top chefs in Hyderabad, Chef Manik Magotra is also one of the most experimental ones. As a result, the promotions at The Trident are often quite unique and brave.  At a bloggers table, we were exposed to a set preview menu, where starting from appetizers to the main course all the preparations were carefully planned and executed.

Wild Mushroom Cappuccino

We started with Wild Mushroom Cappuccino. Mushroom based soups and bisques are not uncommon, but this one had a special twist – espresso foam added a subtle flavour to the combination of porcini, shitake and button mushrooms. For me, this was the dish of the day with its rich composition and a refreshingly different aftertaste.

The appetizer in the set menu, Chocolate and Crumb Fried Button Mushrooms was also novel. These were served with saffron cream. I was surprised at the appearance of chocolate coated mushroom at this stage instead of being the dessert and queried Chef Manik on this. As per him, the idea was to present these together came from the fact that both chocolate and mushrooms are umami. A sprinkling of rock salt on chocolate enhanced the taste of the starter.

Chocolate and Crumb Fried Button Mushrooms

Tuscany is known for its pizza and pasta. Today’s offering was Oriental Crust, a thin crust pizza with fish, squids, white fungus on a tomato and cheese base, with lemon grass and galangal adding a special oriental touch.

Salmon stuffed Ravioli

Salmon stuffed Ravioli was a delight for any seafood lover. But more than the pasta I was bowled over by the taste of the sauce in which it was served. The jus had chicken stock with sun dried tomatoes, shitake mushrooms, dill cream and caper, and the Chef had got the combo right resulting in a brilliant taste.

I am not a fan of risotto at all. But the creamy Portobello Risotto with mascarpone cheese and sun dried tomato were flavourful. The cheese and tomato sauce complemented the taste of Portobello mushroom nicely; I wondered if it could have been done in a pasta instead. But that, of course, is a personal preference or prejudice.

Portobello Risotto

The dessert had Chocolate Mud Pie. It was served with truffle oil vanilla ice cream adding the fungi touch to it. The ice cream had a very different aftertaste which I enjoyed with the chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Mud Pie

I had a look at the menu for the promotion. Quite a few other dishes which looked interesting to me such as Porcini Glazed Chicken Breast, Assorted Mushroom Platter on a Bed of Ciabatta, a Pizza with four types of mushrooms and cheese and a pasta with black and white fungi.

What I loved about the festival is that each dish has been created and selected carefully to present the diversity of mushroom based Italian recipes. A wide variety of mushrooms has been showcased ranging from porcini, truffles to shitake and white fungus.

The promotion is on till 28th August and opens only for dinner. The dishes are available a-la-carte. Connoisseurs of Italian food will love the dishes served in this festival. It is also a must visit for experimental food lovers as well as lovers of mushrooms.

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

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

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Sodhi da Dhaba from Amritsar comes to Sheraton, Hyderabad

Of all varieties of Indian food, Punjabi cuisine is clearly the one which is most popular across the country. Even abroad, Indian cuisine means a localized version of Punjabi dishes like tandoori chicken and chicken tikka. However, often the recipes are fine tuned to the locate palate, and it is quite difficult to find authentic Punjabi food in the restaurants. To take an example the Punjabi food available in Hyderabad is often peppered with too much chilli powder and chaat masala, making one yearn for traditional tastes of the food from the land of five rivers.

Against this backdrop, Feast, the all-day diner at Sheraton Hyderabad decides to bring the earthy flavours of Punjab straight from a dhaba in Amritsar. Chef Sodhi, owner of Sodhi da Dhaba in Amritsar is here to curate “Aromas of Punjab” a festival of authentic Punjabi food. The restaurant has been decked up for the occasion in true Punjabi style. A live counter fashioned like a truck has been set up in the restaurant dishing out a range of Punjabi street food. There are other live counters as well serving some delicious lassi and garam chai.

I was greeted with some cool Kesariya Lassi as soon as I arrived for a Bloggers Table. The thick saffron flavoured lassi was a great refresher after a long journey to the hotel. To go with the lassi, there were some soft Paneer Tikkas and Vegetable Pakodas freshly prepared at the live street food counter.

We had a long chat with Chef Sodhi. Amritsar is the place which serves the best food in Punjab, and his dhaba is located just next to Jallianwalabagh. Their kitchen starts serving Chhole Kulche and Sarson da saag with Makki Di Roti from nine in the morning to late afternoon. In the evening it is time for Bhatti Ka Murgh, Butter Chicken, and other delicacies. As per Chef Sodhi, the original Punjabi recipes are very simple and use much lesser masala than the Punjabi food we get in Delhi or anywhere else in the country. In this festival, he has presented all the dishes in their true form as they are prepared in the hinterlands of Punjab.

Bhatti Da Murgh

One of the best dishes of the day was Bhatti Da Murgh, chicken prepared in an earthen kiln. The chicken pieces marinated in curd and select ground spices were so juicy that I did not need the mint chutney to go with it. Machhi Amritsari, the signature starter from Punjab had large chunks of fried boneless fish in a predominantly ajwain based masala.

Kulche Chhole

After the starters, it was time to taste the well-known delicacies from Punjab. Kulche Chhole was the first such dish, the stuffed kulchas were delicious but the earthy chhole was really the star. The Sarson da Saag was again a simple preparation paired with Makki di Roti. I tried the Keema Kulcha with a Pyaaz Chutney, the chutney became a constant companion for the rest of my lunch.

Sarson Saag with Makki Di Roti

Punjabi cuisine boasts of many tawa cooked dishes. Chef Sodhi explained that offals or lamb organs are popular as tawa dishes, and the day’s menu had Magaz (bheja), Kaleji and Gurda. The tawa counter also served Chicken Tikka Masala garnished with tomatoes and Boti Masala. For vegetarian, there was Tawa Tarkari and Paneer Tikka Masala. I tried a little bit of each with naan, the brain masala was especially good, with a distinct flavour of ground black pepper.

Food from the Tawa - Bhaja Kaleji Gurda and Chicken Tikka Masala

I could only try few non-vegetarian dishes from the main courses – Machhi Amritsari Masala and Rara Gosht were simply superb. The traditional Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) had less of masala and more of butter, with the naan dunked in the gravy soaking in these flavours. As per Chef Sodhi, the taste of butter chicken is predominantly of the butter and spices should not overwhelm that taste.

The Main Courses 

The desserts had some hot and crispy Jalebies and Moong Dal ke Halwa. Malpua is one of my favorite desserts, though today it was a trifle too sweet. We ended a super meal with some garma garam chai.

Desserts

“Aromas of Punjab” is on till 2nd September as part of the lunch and dinner buffets at Feast. It is priced at Rs 1350 (plus taxes). For food lovers, it is an opportunity to try out the rustic preparations straight from the dhabas of Amritsar.

Location:
Feast
Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel
ISB Road, Financial District
Gachibowli, Hyderabad
Telephone: 49251111

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

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Gul-Ezaar-E-Gazak: A Kebab Feast at K&K

It has been raining kebab festivals this summer in Hyderabad and quite a few of the star properties have organized variations of it. But kebabs at K&K have always been very special, mainly because the depth they have in their team of chefs and the research on food that they have available with them.

Gul-Ezaar-E-Gazak or a garden of flower is the name given to the kebab festival at ITC Kakatiya. Chef Aamer Jamal, with his tremendous knowledge of Indian food, have curated the menu, which is inspired by Dehlvi, Awadhi and Hyderabadi kebabs, albeit with lot of in-house innovations. A great deal of thought has been put even in the name of the dishes to make it sound interesting to food lovers. An example is Abu Galambo Kebab, Abu Galambo is Persian for crab. Cakes of pounded crab meat had been prepared in roasted spices, ginger and green chillies. It was a very soft and flavourful offering which virtually melted in the mouth.

Abu Galambo Kabab

Murgh Shikanja Kabab was the first dish we tried out. The kabab draws its name from the metal equipment shikanja or clamp in which the kebabs are held while grilling. The marinade was essentially of green leafy vegetables and green chillies giving a distinct taste to the kebab.

Murgh Shikanja Kabab

Next was the Murgh Barrah, glistening with fat on top. The large chicken pieces were marinades in yoghurt and select spices. This was the first time I saw the word “barrah” used in a chicken preparation, as normally it represents lamb chops, but the meaty chicken pieces tasted exceedingly good.

Murgh Barrah

There were two Karare Seekh kababs, where the kabab was fried in a batter after preparation. The vegetable version had bhuna makai (corn) whereas the Kadak Reshmi had chicken mince with saffron flavour. The fried batter outer cover did not have much appeal for a traditionalist like me, though some others sitting with us enjoyed the combination.

Mallika-E-Dariya

Mallika-E-Dariya was a salmon based preparation in a rich spicy marinade with traces of honey and mustard oil. The fish was soft and had taken in the marinade well.

Zaituni Macchi

Zaituni Machhi had fillets of boneless fish with a masala of basil and other greens, prepared in olive extract. A dish with very subtle flavours, this was one of my favorites.

Habibia Chaamp

Another innovative name was Habibia Chaamp. The dish had been a favorite of Major Sahibzada Habib-ur-Rehman, a leading light of the Indian restaurant industry as well as ITC Hotels. The mutton chops marinated in vinegar with pickled onion relish had a distinctly sweetish taste which I loved.

Tarare Jhinge

We ended with Tarare Jhinge, a prawn preparation in hand pounded red chilly masala.

I am a big fan of K&K as this is one of the few restaurants where I did not ever have a bad experience. Also, their food promotions are extremely innovative and creative. In this festival, each of the kababs was unique, and not something you will get in usual outlets. The menu has been carefully curated keeping in mind the diverse tastes of food lovers.   The festival is on till 14th August.

Location:
K&K
ITC Kakatiya
Begumpet
Hyderabad
Telephone: 23400132

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

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Quick Bytes: Cuisine from Lombardy at Prego, The Westin

Prego, the Italian restaurant at The Westin Hyderabad has been playing host to regular festivals that showcase finer aspects of Italian cuisine. Some of the festivals have been theme-based and some offer cuisine from specific areas of Italy. A few months back, we had a close look at the predominantly seafood based dishes from Venice such as Squid Ink Risotto and Sarde in Sour. Currently, the food from the landlocked region of Lombardy is being presented through a promotion.

Involtini Di Melanzane

The northern region of Lombardy is best known for its capital Venice as a global seat of fashion.  However, the food from this area is no less interesting. Chef Ravi Kumar Nayak, who is curating this festival told us that the choice of food of the people in this region differs significantly from the food in other parts of Italy. The landlocked region prefers meat rather than seafood. Also, rice is the staple in this area, and they have a variety of risotto recipes in their arsenal. Gorgonzola, the blue cheese made from cow milk is another contribution of the region.

The special festival menu at Prego has around sixteen items which are neatly presented as a special flyer with the main menu. At a blogger’s preview of the promotion, we had the occasion to sample a few dishes from this. The first antipasti Involtini Di Melanzane had ricotta cheese wrapped inside a soft eggplant roll. The taste of this starter was quite different with the cheese combining well with tender eggplant.

Torta Di Asparagi Gratinati 

Torta Di Asparagi Gratinati a.k.a asparagus and cheese tart was the next bite-sized starter. The tart filling had wilted asparagus and parmesan cheese in abundance.

Cozze Gratinate Con Pomodori E Zucchini was a special dish with mussels, cheese and zucchini served on the shell along with edible soil. I had never encountered edible soil before, and as the name indicates it is made of edible ingredients but resemble the look of soil.

Cozze Gratinate 

The dish of the day for me was Fagottini Di Patata Porcini. The pasta was stuffed with potato and served in a delectable sauce. The saffron sauce was finger-licking good, and even a person like me who is biased towards non-vegetarian food enjoyed the subtle flavours of the dish.

Fagottini Di Patata Porcini

Next in line was Filleto Di Beckti, grill bhetki fish served with polenta and assorted vegetables. The fish which was grilled just the right amount with the skin on top was an absolute delight.

Cotoletta Di Pollo Alla Milanese was a nicely presented dish of crumb fried chicken served on a bed of potato mash and garnished with vegetables on top. However, the chicken was a tad too dry for my liking.

Cotoletta Di Pollo Alla Milanese

We had a sweet ending our meal with a fantastic Pan Seared Panettone with red wine poached pears and mascarpone gelato.

Pan Seared Panettone with red wine poached pears

I had a detailed look at the menu and found lots of other interesting items. There is a risotto with gorgonzola cheese, a hallmark of Lombard cuisine. Thyme scented agnolotti with lamb and grilled sliced tenderloin looked interesting too.

The a-la-carte festival which is on till 21st August is recommended for lovers of Italian cuisine as it provides an insight into the food of a specific area of Italy.

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

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

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