That Madras Place, adyar, chennai

Once Bitten, Twice shy..

Twice bitten, lifetime wary!! 

Well, looks like this is what I need to follow for this particular place. 

Let me take you back in time, not too long ago, two friends headed out to lunch, and it was one girl's Happy Birthday.. We enjoyed a relaxed time at the spa and then for lunch, decided to try out the new place in town. It was called "That Madras Place" and is located in Indira Nagar, Adyar, in the road opp Nilgiris [Ambica appalam signal]. We found the place, walked int to see a huge wall with graffiti of all sorts, eclectic furniture, mix and matched chairs and cushions. Quite liked it as we were still hungover from our Jaipur trip.. 

Found a table, and scanned the single page menu to identify dishes that we wanted to have. We chose the Madras Poutine for starters [it was french fries with cheddar cheese, garlic and jalepenos]. It was quite good, and a large portion at that. Subsequently, for the mains, we chose pasta. Friend opted for her usual Aglio E Olio with Penne. I opted for another pasta in mushroom sauce. My friend requested the waiter to add some veggies to it for which he responded saying "it doesnt come with veggies, but shall get you some" and then few minutes later the dishes arrived at the table, sans veggies. The owner walked over asked us if we wanted veggies, proceeded to once again repeat what the staff had said earlier and we then said "No it is ok, we dont want veggies, we are ok". 

After two bites, she nudged me and pointed out to the hair that was in her pasta. We looked around, couldnt find anyone, and so kept that aside and continued with the meal. We decided to skip dessert but were offered a Blondie by the owner esp since it was my Birthday... it was good, but too sweet [white chocolate] 

The bill worked out to about 1600 Rs, which is not cheap... We left the place with mixed views and wondered if we would ever come back here.. Subsequently, I spoke to quite a few friends who had visited here and had similar views as us. Few others had also found hair in their food, service botchy and pricey. 

Last evening, friend came over with her hubby and son and announced that I was not to cook and we will head out somewhere.. Some act of fate and they picked That Madras Place! We decided to put our 1st experience behind and give the place another shot! But sadly, it is probably my last visit here. 

What happened you ask? Well after ordering Dynabites [ cheese jalepeno fried balls], for the main course, friend ordered the same Aglio E Olio for herself, Pasta Alfredo for her son. I ordered pumpkin ravioli( in lemon butter sauce) while my friend ordered chicken ravioli(in arabiata sauce).. Few mins later we were served our dishes. I took a bite of the ravioli and kinda knew it wasn't pumpkin and was most likely chicken(white chewy piece inside ravioli) & then Friend broke one ravioli to find pumpkin. We hailed a staff and after 10 mins we were served right dishes with an apology.. The man who was taking orders came over, smiled and said hopefully the meal is good and went away with that smile [marketing smile] 

The final correct dish- Pumpkin Raviolli in lemon butter sauce

I dint raise a hoohaa though I was beyond pissed off. Wth! Serving the wrong dish is one thing, but a Vegetarian served a non-veg dish is just inexcusable according to me.. I could imagine few other friends would have reacted in such a situation.  

Do I let this goof up slide? Yes, the final dish that came tasted good but my mood was off..  What would you do? The owner who was there, and am sure was aware of the goof up dint bother coming over to speak to us or apologise... 

Oh well... I guess one customer less does not matter to them~!! Considering the place does get quite a crowd, I even overheard the guy in the next table say "we saw and read reviews on zomato and decided to come here for dinner".... 

That Madras Place

34/29, 2nd Main Road, Kasturibai Nagar, 

Adyar, Chennai 

Ph: 044 42614380

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Sukh Sagar- Pure veg restaurant, Kilpauk, chennai

The journey began in 2012, October to be exact when Vishnu & Vinay came together and decided to open Sukh Sagar in Kilpauk. Today, Sukh Sagar is found all over the world, Mumbai, Bangalore, Mysore, Chennai, DUbao, KSA and Qatar as well. That is how popular this all veg chain restaurant is! After the restaurant in Anna nagar shut, there was a brief gap of 2 years which is when they did all the ground work necessary to open their 1^st Sukh Sagar in the city of Chennai. Vinay comes from an IT background, while Vishnu is quite familiar with the food industry, having worked as an Intern at Cream center.

Now they are the proud owners of the outlet that can do 72 covers in the 1^st floor Fine dining area, 60-70 people can stand and eat in the ground floor restaurant and then there is the Party/Banquet Hall that they let out for birthday parties and family gatherings.

During the conversation we learnt that the place is packed to the brim on Saturday and Sunday [it was mostly Families that came regularly]. The entire Sukh Sagar brand is owned by Mr Suresh Poojani, who the duo knew through a common friend.

The place where Sukh Sagar stands today is an old house, that was empty and that which presented the duo an opportunity to revolutionize the eating scene in that part of the city. Aside from the location, what worked to their benefit was the staff that came in from the Anna nagar outlet. They now have Chefs, 80 staff members who do double shift and who give them the confidence to do outdoor catering for upto 1000 people. The place is also let out for corporate functions and events, only condition being “veg food only”.

For now, they serve a range of North Indian & South Indian dishes, and might soon be making a few changes in their menu. They are also looking to introduce combo meals on a regular basis. And with that we settled in for the evening and looked forward to a good time..

The evening opened with soup- The Lung fung soup which was good, filled with flavour and tad spicy, perfect if you have a cold. Following that we had a chance to sample their chaat- Bhel puri and Raj Kachori both of which were absolutely smashing. Then came the starters- mushroom Chilli and the mixed veg platter that consisted of Corn seek kebab, Tandoori gobi, paneer tikka and hara bara kebab. Loved the gobi and seek kebab, others were good, but nothing wow!

Between the conversations, we noticed the staff walk over to our table with plates of food, making us catch our breath. There was an assortment of Indian breads- Roti, butter naan,  butter roti and plain naan. Even after a few minutes, the roti remained soft and beautiful. We also tried their kashmiri naan which was wow… The side dishes that followed suit were Paneer labadbar and dal makhani.. They were both perfect, not over the top masala filled or oily.  While we were sampling the dishes, we felt thirsty and asked the guys to recco a drink. They promptly ordered Blossom for us, watermelon flavoured this drink is in a league of its own. You should try it the next time you are here to experience the beauty.

And finally, we were nearly done!! Yayy. It was dessert time. We were quite full and so passed up on the Rice. For dessert, we got to taste the Sukh Sagar Special, Malai Kulfi Falooda, royal Falooda and Gadbad ice cream. Each of these will have you grinning like a small child, and digging in happily with not a care in the world. Apart from these, they also have the regular kulfi and an assortment of ice cream sundaes.

If you are looking for a place to have a quiet dinner, where food does all the talking, this is where you should head to.

Wish them a very Happy 1^stbirthday and many more years to come!!

You can read my earlier review here

Address:

No 1a, Harleys Road [near Bain School], 
Kilpauk, 
Chennai - 600010 
Ph: 9940192886, 9790899430 
(044) 45500306

Disclaimer:

The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-) 

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Tadka Talk- Sunday Brunch and set lunch!

Here I was, heading back down the road that had by now become familiar. Sunday 12 noon  and I was headed to Tadka Talk [Situated behind Chennai Business School, in road opp TCS on Velachery Taramani Link road] for their Sunday brunch.

I had been here earlier  few months ago and felt the place was alright, there was nothing that stood out or made me want to go back! But then there is always a 2nd time, always a "maybe there is something different" circumstance, which is what led a hunch of us to land here this Sunday!

I walked in, grabbed a table and looked around the place waiting for the others to stream in. I noticed there was a change in the interiors, the artwork on the wall and so on. The Brunch was laid out in Buffet format, and there was also a separate counter in a corner for Pani Puri.

The menu is quite extensive-

We started the day with paani puri, and they were good, I did wish the puri had been crispier, maybe they had gone soft since they were kept in open in the AC restaurant. Moving on, I grabbed a glass of Lassi [kesar pista wali lassi] and then tried the cranberry juice. Also sipped some Shikanji which was very good, quite refreshing! 

Hunger bells began ringing in our bellies and we made a beeline for the starter section- there was a hariyali tikki [1st batch was very good while 2nd had overdose of salt], malai gobi [which was dunked in mustard sauce], paneer tikka [good], mirchi bhajji [I died and spent a good half hour in hell after the 1st bite, normally we make this with the light green big chillies, but here they had used regular green chiliies with seeds and all , which led to my state] there was also an assortment of bhajis [potato and few other veggies]. These were served alongside sweet chutney, spicy sauce, tomato ketchup and mango chutney. 

I braced myself for the maincourse and went ahead and asked for a few Indian breads [naan/kulcha] and took a spoon of the side dishes-  Aloo capsicum, kadai paneer and kadi pakoda. I quite loved the kadi pakoda side and had it with a hot naan. Did take a spoonful of the Peas Pulao, but felt it was tad oily and veggies were overcooked. Since am not a big rice eater, I went ahead and tried the Kulcha. There was also pickle, a boondi raita on the menu.

I was tired, hadnt sleep and all I wanted to do was get back home and crash! But not before trying their desserts- had a bite of the Gulab jamun which was very good, and also tried the Phirni- taste was good, but texture was funny [almost custardy, like they had added gelatin]. 

Somewhere during the brunch, we were told they had a set menu lunch for Rs199/- and a sample plate was shown. it looked good enough, infact I have realised that most times the set lunch looks small but is more than enough..

I had had a crazy night and so wasnt really myself, which when combined with barely any sleep showed in my eyes and overall feel of the day. Friends infact commented that I was withdrawn, quiet and dint spend much time yapping with them. I wish the food had perked me up, but alas.... Looks like this will be my 2nd and last visit to this restaurant. Plus, let us not forget the distance and time it takes from home!! 

Notes:

I request the chef to relook at the recipes, get the staff to follow it to the dot if they want the salt/flavours to be consistent.

The rotis need to be softer [even though they were hot they werent soft.] 

Price:

The Sunday brunch is priced at Rs 450+tax

Set lunch menu- Rs 199/-

Address:

#6 & 7, Baby Nagar First Main Rd, Ramagiri Nagar, 

Velachery  

Chennai - 600042
Phone: 044 4321 3838

Tadka Talk is located in the narrow lane right opposite TCS Velachery, it is behind Chennai business school.

Disclaimer:

The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-)

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Nandos, Chennai

I heard of this place when they were about to launch, and there was a lot of talk about the Peri Peri chicken. Since i am a vegetarian, I ignored the thread but the franchise owner insisted they have quite a range of vegetarian fare. After a few weeks, while at Phoenix Mall with friends, we decided to head out to Nandos for lunch, mainly since the friend visiting from abroad wanted some meaty juicy food. We walked in, found a table near the entrance and got comfortable. 

I scanned through the menu, noticed that veg options were all around Paneer. Throwing caution to wind, I chose the Veg Espetada and for sides, i chose the corn on cob since a friend had already chosen the 3 bean salad and other chose the Mexican rice with her chicken breast. My dish arrived in style, it was a tall stand with a skewer and big chunks of paneer on it. The table had a range of Peri Peri sauces, and I had to slather the paneer with some of them to add some flavour. I ate maybe 2 pieces and I was about done.

I wish the waiter had warned me the size of the dish and what it actually was [since it was my 1st time there and I had no clues what to expect]. The sides were delicious- I could eat just the corn and 3 bean salad as a main course and would have been very happy. 

The beverages were good, we ordered 3 different drinks, one common thread being they all had pomegranate syrup/concentrate in them. Paid the bill and walked out not too pleased. 

I guess many places that are famous for non veg food use paneer as the substitute  and this kinda gets my goat! There is so much more than paneer to veg food.,..anyways, if you are a meat eater, then you should head to Nandos and enjoy some of what they offer!! 

I did like the interiors, art work on the wall and service was top notch! 

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Entree, Express Avenue

There we were in the mall, wandering aimlessly when hunger pangs began hitting us. We spotted Entree on the ground floor and decided to go check it out. The manager told us it was a pure veg place, and they offered both a la carte and buffet. We walked around seeing what the buffet had to offer, liked what we saw and chose the same. Priced at Rs 600, it is good value for money meal. The buffet began with a soup, going ot a range of straters spanning Indian, Italian and Thai, and then ofcourse came the main and desserts. I loved the noodles and thai curry, and salad options as well. They had a variety of premixed salads, extra olives, dressings that one can choose from

The dessert section had a few pudding, cakes and ice creams, along with payasam as well. Apart from this, friend ordered for a Tiramisu which arrived in style with a side of cut fruits. Overall, we enjoyed the meal. 

There are two entrances to this place- one from within the mall and other through the EA hotel entry!! 

Address:

Entree Located on the ground floor of Express Avenue Mall [in the luxury section] 

Ph: 044 28463333

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California Pizza Kitchen

It was Saturday evening when a friend- Av popped in Whatsapp and announced that CPK was opening the subsequent Monday. For those who are unaware, CPK is California Pizza Kitchen. The two times I have been to Phoenix I noticed the huge banner with a “coming soon” on it. After our Bangalore trip, I learnt that CPK serves alcohol and so maybe they were waiting for license [just as HRC has been waiting]. But alas., they have given up or not pursued the same, for they are open in Phoenix Market City, Velachery.

So, coming back to the Saturday evening, this friend & I decided we will do Monday night dinner at CPK. Most others were tied up and we froze our plan. On Sunday evening, another friend announced she was at CPK and gave us feedback on the dishes and the place. Av who discovered they were opening on Monday was surprised they had opened on Sunday. But anyways, we stuck to our plan and Monday evening I was there in Phoenix around 7pm. Did some shopping at Big Bazaar and waited for Av to arrive.

The entry to CPK is from the outside. So, you can actually park, and walk all the way around the mall on the same side as Nandos and you will spot CPK right at the end. It is located near the children’s play area and near the dancing water fountain. There is also a huge monitor on top that was showcasing random sports events.

We walked in around 8 and the place was fairly empty. Chose a booth and made ourselves comfortable. The menu was brought and the waiter asked for our water preference and if we wanted a beverage. Av ordered Coke while I opted for the Strawberry Italian Soda [going against my usual fresh lime soda-salt] We also ordered the Lettuce Wrap. The drinks arrived within 2 minutes, followed closely by the starter. There was a plate with a few fresh lettuce leaves and another plate with peanut sauce and filling [it had paneer, seasonings, and sat on a bed of something that resembled friend rice noodles]. We had to place a few spoonfuls in the lettuce sheet, add some sauce, roll it up and chomp on it. I loved the flavours, and the crunchiness of the Lettuce was just perfect.

Spent a few minutes catching up on life and other things that dint matter, and Av shared her experience at CPK in the USA. Going with her recommendation, we ordered the Toastada Pizza [it is a hot & cold pizza, there is a thin crust base with black bean sauce on it, and above that is a healthy serving of shredded lettuce and tortilla chips] with a side of salsa that was divine. It arrived on the table and is possibly the ONLY healthy pizza i’ve ever had in my life.

The thin crust had a nice crisp texture and the hot & cold was perfect. Within minutes the plate was wiped clean and we were grinning. The only thing that kind of put us off a bit was the occasional bugs that found their way to the table- tiny mosquitoes [possibly because it was located near trees and water in the outdoor area]. Oh and it was a whole new experience having staff come over ask us how the drinks were, the starters and the main as well.

Since our friend had told us about the desserts, we opted for the White Chocolate Cheesecake. And it was delicious. With a healthy topping of grated white chocolate, the cheesecake was rich and perfect. Yes, it was different from others I’ve had but I liked this one.

Phew, what a fun evening it had been. We asked for the check, paid the bill and spent a good hour or two sitting on the bench outside yapping away to glory.

Price: This meal costed us Rs2100 [incl taxes]

Ambiance- Simple and elegant.

Service- Very good

Address:

California Pizza Kitchen

Phoenix Market City, Velachery

Chennai 

Ph- 044 65108888

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Peaches

How are you doing today?

Just peachy! 

Well, this is what came to my mind when I heard of the pure vegetarian restaurant called Peaches. But then, it was in the other end of the city, Velachery. Well, yes I do know it is not the other end, but for someone living in Chetpet, making the commute it sure feels like another corner of the city. However, now that I have moved to somewhere midpoint, it does not seem too far. And so, I braved the traffic and made the trip to Peaches that evening. I contemplated bailing out using the excuse of “I just got back to town today morning, am exhausted” but then decided to just go for it.  By the time I reached, most of the others were already there. After a round of introductions, Hi hello to familiar faces we all settled into the tables set aside for us.

Kaushik gave a brief intro to the place, the cuisine and also told us of the Burrito challenge they were rolling out. The challenge was to plough through a 2kg burrito within 30 minutes. A few brave souls took the plunge, but none were able to complete it, but then came the Man who was done within 18mins and set a new record. Anyways, I digress. Coming back to the evening, we were in for a lavish feast, what else would you call a meal comprising of 22 dishes. Yes, you read it right. There was a soup, couple of starters, few Indian main dishes, and few from other cuisines and then the desserts. Phew. Just listening to him rattle out the list was exhausting.

The evening opened with the Roasted Red pepper soup that was served with a slice of toast and cheese on top. It was interesting. I liked the soup, and like the croutons in the tomato soup, this slice of toast was a good break of texture for this soup. By the time we were done, I spotted a plate of onion rings land on the table. We were told these are traditionally cooked in beer batter, but here they were cooked with soda. They were light, a tad bland but tasted good with the chilli mayo dip. The Aloo tikki followed on the heels of the onion rings and this was divine. Served alongside the traditional mint chutney, it was yumm. Before we could gulp down a glass of water, a plate of breaded mozzarella sticks came dancing in front of our eyes. For those who love cheese, this is a delight. The cool thing about this place was they served us shots between every few courses. We had the Florida Sunrise [a nonalcoholic version of the drink] in a small cute glass. It kind of helped, we got to break the food train and get a different taste as well.

Wait, we are not done with starters. Told you we were in for a 22course delight right?! Next came the Aatish-e-aloo, very different from the aloo tikki. And then were the 2 Mushroom starters- Tapas Mushroom, mushroom stuffed coated and fried. This was my least favorite of the lot. There was also the corn cheese balls and  Sabz tandoor [carrots, potato, zucchini, cauliflower, capsicum] which was very good. We were told the spice factor was kept to a minimum and there was an extreme HOT version available if anyone dared. The next drink had us all excited like little children. Any guesses? It was bovonto served with a scoop of ice cream. We must have gulped through quite a few glasses of this. It was sheer heaven.  Hang on, what is your hurry? There were few more starters yet to be sampled. The Super spicy chilli  mushroom  and Phuket Paneer. The mushroom was alright, and paneer felt a tad chewy. It was a take off on the Phuket Fish. We looked around waiting to see if more starters flew from the kitchen, but luckily that was it. Phew. Suddenly, a waiter walked in with a tray of mini blue colour liquid shots. They looked good, and tasted quite good as well. These were called Deep Blue Sea, and were a take off on the Blue Curacao. I loved the fact that the glasses had salt on the rim. It helps in cutting the sweetness of the drink. Given a choice, I would do this to every drink in the world :D

Taking a break, we walked around; some took charge of the Burrito and attempted to eat it, while others cheered them on. And then, we were beckoned back to the table for the Indian mains. We had an array of Indian breads, of which the methi and black olive stood out. The Bharwani Mirchi Kolhapuri was interesting, hot chilli with sweet paneer stuffing, but then came the Bhindi khadi that swept us away. It was just amazing, perfect with plain rice. We tried the kofta Biryani and Ambur Soya [veg] Biryani with the Dabeliwali Daal and Paneer tikka masala.  These dishes are good, but I was busy licking the khadi off the spoon. J

Following these were the Lasagna and Enchilladas. However, I had a long night ahead and so had to leave. I missed these and the desserts, especially the Nuttella Wontons which I heard were quite good. Oh, well, always an excuse to come back for a visit, right?

This is one of those places you can walk in, and be assured there is something for everyone. Situated above Andhra Bank, it is about 1 km from Phoenix Market City, Velachery on the left side.

Peaches

No.81, 9th Cross Street,

Rajalakshmi Nagar, 

100 Feet by Pass Road, 

Velachery, Chennai, 

Tamil Nadu 600042
Ph- 044 4201 9454

Disclaimer:
The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-) 

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Food Trials at Wok a Toque

Practice makes perfect, right? And this phrase applies to pretty much every aspect of life, so why food be left out. Restaurants these days test the waters before opening the doors. This is not only to make sure the food they are serving works, but is more than welcome and is well received as well. Just as at home when we make a dish for the first time, we call our friends or family to be the guinea pigs, restaurants invite people they know and bloggers to run their trials on. 

Where am I going with this? I wanted to share the experience of a Food trial I was a part of that was held recently. Wok a Toque is the name of the restaurant and it is located within Hotel Chariot on Thirumalai pillai Road, opp Vidyodaya School. 

I have seen this Hotel quite a few times but never ventured inside. So, when I was invited to be a part of the Food Trials, I took this as the opportunity to check the place out. We were received by the Manager who told us how the group has taken over the F&B in the Hotel and is opening a restaurant "Wok a Toque" and a bar/pub "Elevate" here. 

The giant door is what you see as you get onto the 1st floor, and the decor inside is beautiful to say the least. Simple oriental light fixtures, textured wall, subtle art work is all you see. The music playing is also Oriental and quite mild. The main dining area is divided between the Lobby and 1st floor, with the 1st floor offering Lunch Buffet and dinner a la carte, while lobby offers only a la carte. They also plan to launch a Breakfast menu and Midnight buffet eventually.  The tables were dark brown with a beige sofa against the wall and red plush chairs on the other side. 

Moving on to the main aspect of the evening, the food. It was Indo- chinese, as is everywhere else but the food served was quite good, I loved it.

All the tables had a plate with three bowls- pickled vegetables, peanut based snack and Kimchi, except here Kimchi had a lot of sesame seeds on it. These are again typical of most chinese restaurants [atleast the ones I've been to]. We were then handed a makeshift menu that ran to nearly 9 pages. Quite an extensive one at that, and I also noticed the vegetarian items were just as many as the non veg [earlier it was very few veg to a lot of non veg items]

I chose the Burnt garlic soup and woah, it was divine. Loved the flavour of the burnt garlic and the sweetness of the chinese cabbage in the clear broth. Moving on to the starters, I once again opted for a dish that I havent tried before- Stuffed Lotus stem fritters that was served alongside chilli honey sauce --> The fritters were sinful, there was a stuffing of sorts between two lotus stem slivers and it just melted in my mouth. 

While the non vegetarians devoured the various meaty starters, I began scanning through the menu looking for the main dishes. There it was, new ingredients yet again. While we decided to order Kwai Teow Pad Thai Wheat Noodles, and a Ginger-Capsicum fried rice, for the side dishes I chose the Bamboo Shoot and Mushroom in Chilly Bean Sauce and Mapo Tofu. The former was a hit with all, we couldnt get enough of the dish, the latter was alright- tofu is an acquired taste and not many like it. 

The non vegetarians went rampant and ordered Duck, Chicken, beef and pork. They enjoyed some while they felt others were similar to the starters. By the time they were done, it was time for me to leave, I had a movie to catch and so I skipped desserts. Did hear from the boys that there were about 3 desserts which were decent. 

The doors opened on Monday- 24th June and I wish them all the best! If the food we had during the trial was anything to go by, am sure they would be a roaring success.. 

As for the price factor, most dishes are priced between Rs 250 to 400, while items like Lobster and crab were priced higher.  Am guessing a meal for 2 should work out to about Rs 1200 - 1500. 

Address:
The Chariot
#4, Thirumalai Pillai Road, T Nagar, 
Chennai- 600017
Phone: 044 2834 1212
URL- http://www.thechariotchennai.com/

Disclaimer:
The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-) 

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Illusions- The Madras Pub, Chennai

The name reminded me of David Copperfield. The man popular for his breath taking mind boggling Illusions. This place on the other hand was called Illusions, The Madras Pub. Wonder why the tagline though! Any ideas?

The place opened up a few months ago and friends made a lunch plan, but then Mr Murphy came in and changed my plans, and the lunch dint happen, rather I was unable to join the girls for lunch. And so,  when this other friend called asking if I wanted to join her and another friend for lunch, giving me options, I chose Illusions. The reason being- I had not been here before. 

I reached the place on time, 1 pm, and made my way up the staircase into the pub. Took me a minute to get used to the dim lights and layout, but soon found a table and made myself comfortable. I noticed a room in between the restrooms and discovered it was for "smoking". Friends came in a few minutes, we got settled in and started to order. The 1st order of the day was drinks- i went for the Blue island iced tea, the ingredients were blue curacao instead of coke and rest of the items were same as the long island iced tea, friend ordered the same and the other friend ordered whisky with soda. I also ordered a mushroom and cheese starter. 

The place was dim lit, actually quite dark, and I was told one seating area transforms to a dance floor in the evenings. There was a nicely filled bar on our left and more seating spaces all around. The place is very different from the other pubs I had been to.

Within minutes our drinks arrived on the table and we started diving into them. Our iced tea was alright, we missed the Long island iced tea, this felt a little watery and diluted. Oh well, only if you order will you know what such drinks are, right?

Moving on to food, we went ahead and ordered different combos. One friend ordered a wrap [mexican or italian, I forget, but the weird thing about it was it had paneer and when we asked the waiter about Italy and paneer, he got back a minute later and said "Chef says in Italy they use paneer a lot".. hmmm.. that is a 1st!] I ordered a penne in red sauce and the other friend ordered the chinese combo- chinese fried rice, gobi manchurian and wontons.

I enjoyed my penne though I wonder why it had no veggies. As we finished our drinks, we also noticed the place filled up quite a bit.

The meal worked out to about 800 bucks each [incl tax and tips]. The place would be an option if all others were full or shut. 

Overall Rating- 5/10

Address:

105, 1st Floor,[adjoining Nilgiris supermarket]

 Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai, 

Mylapore, Chennai- 4

Phone: +91 9841157869, 044 42144449

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Pizza by the slice- Sbarro

Thanks to the unscheduled powercut last evening, friend & I decided to get out of the house, go somewhere with AC and when I mentioned not having been to Vijaya Forum Mall, that is where we headed to. From the  exterior appearance to the main entrance, I felt like I had been transported to Bangalore Forum mall [Hosur road]. The place is huge, we did spend a bit of time checking out some stores, did some shopping as  well.

 

And before leaving, decided to grab some dinner [take away]. This is when we hit the Foodcourt, and my friend mentioned Sbarro and how good their pizzas are. Though I am not a pizza fan, decided to give it a shot and was not disappointed. This is the only place [outside of that one stall in bessie beach] where I saw pizzas being sold by slice. They had about 4 kinds of Veg pizzas and 3 Non veg pizzas on display. Apart from this, I also spotted another counter with 2 kinds of pastas, different sauces and veggies. Interesting~! 

Sbarro is a chain of pizza restaurants that specializes in New York style pizza and other Italian-American cuisine. Its headquarters is located in Melville, Huntington, New York. [Source: Wikipedia]

I ordered for 2 slices of Paneer & Brocolli, while the friend ordered for Margarita, Standard Veggie and a Chicken pizza.  Took them about 10 mins to get the order ready, we grabbed our bags and got out of there. 

The pizzas are priced at Rs120 for a normal pizza and premium pizzas -Veg was Rs135 and Non Veg- Rs155

After about an hour or so, at home, we warmed the pizza in the microwave and had them. They were soft, and quite fresh [the base had not become chewy or hard].  What surprised me was I had 1 slice and was nearly full, the 2nd one I could barely finish. Friend mentioned the slices were about 30% smaller than what she got back in Doha.. *gulp*

They also served fountain soft drinks along with the food items.  And as it goes in most malls, you need one of those Food coupon cards [buy a credit card like card, load it up with cash and swipe it across restaurants, recharge if reqd] ...  

Highlights about Sbarro:
1. Veg & non veg pizzas in separate shelves
2. They dont give you a bag unless you ask for one [ bags are charged Rs3 each]
3. No cutlery and so you end up eating it by hand [and you need 2 hands to hold the slice]
4. Quick service

Address:
Sbarro
Forum Vijaya Mall, Arcot Road,
Vadapalani, [opp kamala theater]
Chennai

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Sukh Sagar, Kilpauk, Chennai

Contrary to popular belief, veg food is quite yummy. Dont believe me? ask some of my friends who are staunch non veggies but have been enjoying the veg fare at the new line of restaurants in town. Yep, right from the horse's mouth you see. Next time I drag you to a veg joint, think twice before making a comment.. I just might let you starve while I devour some of the yumm fare. Where is this convo headed? Well, am all set to brag about one more Veg restaurant. Not new, infact they have been creating waves for quite a few years, in Chennai & Bangalore.

Infact, if you've been in Anna Nagar, or driven down the main road, you will have spotted the giant red building. That was where Sukh Sagar was. but now, they have a new address, they are on Harley's Road, Kilpauk. Woohoo, close by home, walking distance!  

Renowned for their veg fare and chaat, I was looking forward to this visit. As you walk in, there is an open floor with a kitchen on the side for the early morning hunger pangs or chaat kicks. And then you find a small stairway tucked away leading to the Fine Dining area on the 1st floor, and a floor above houses the Banquet hall. 

By the time I got to the hall, most of them troops were already there. Found a seat beside Vinay & Vishnu, the men who own the place. The evening began with a glass of chilled watermelon juice. We were told we could order what we wanted and eventually sample the main dishes.

I opted for the Veg Manchow soup, it was good, the crispy noodles on top added to the texture. What happened after the soup is a big mystery. There were plates of food that just kept arriving at the table - a wide array of starters, here goes the list [ almost reminds me of the  lyrics to We Dint start the fire by Billy Joel] lemme see if i can remember 'em all  --

Tandoori starters: Corn sheekh kebab - Small pieces of moist Kebab served alongside Mint chutney followed by the Channa se bhara khumb - These were interesting- two mushrooms stuffed with Channa flour and cooked over the tandoor. there was something sweet about this starter. I liked it, maybe cos i love mushrooms and finally the Achari Paneer tikka- amazingly soft paneer marinated with spices and cooked to perfection. 

Next up were the Chinese starters- - Veg Crispy  and Paneer Chilli- Both were good, except I couldnt tell the veggies apart in the veg crispy. Enjoyed the paneer chilli starter. 

Phew, that was a lot of food. Oh wait, we were far from done. Next up were the Chaat items, started with 
fresh Dahi Puri, we then got to sample the Pani puri and finally the Bhel puri. The chaat were all good, except I felt the Bhel was slightly soggy and not as crispy as I am used to. 

During the course of the evening, we spoke about quite a variety of topics, ranging from food to travelling to making sudden plans to drive out to Pondy that very night [ya right, I think somewhere all of us knew that wasnt going to happen, but that did not stop us from planning, plotting]

While we were busy, the staff brought out plates of South Indian eats, starting with the Idli [which I steered clear off cos I need immense motivation to eat it], but the Sambhar vada, Oh gosh, I loved it. yep! Just as I put my spoon down, a plate with a veg sandwich popped in front of me. The caramalised onions added a nice touch, and the crispy grilled layer was a pleasant surprise. 

Just when we thought "yayy, we are done" Vinay came over to tell us the main course was on its way. Jeez. We requested him to just send out teeny tiny portions and he obliged. We tried the Roti, Dal makhani, paneer butter masala and Mushroom masala. The dishes were all good, each with a unique flavour. 

Burp.. oops, pardon me! Oh no, I saw a spoonful of Vegetable Biryani land on my plate and was ready to bolt. Luckily it was a tiny mouthful and was quite nice. There was also the Pav Bhaji and Chola Batura which I passed up on [if I wanted to retain my sanity..lol]  

Bring out the drums and trumpets... it was time for the desserts and that meant we were done... yipee!! We each ordered a different dessert so we could sample them, and it worked out just fine. I chose the Gajar Ka Halwa, while others opted for the Gulab jamun, some chose different ice creams- Gadbad, sukh sagar special, choco nut sundae, kulfi  and Falooda.. Not sure if there were others.. 

To bring the evening to a close, couple of us ordered Filter Kaapi and it was A class.. The conversation about Pondy had by then wound down, we were talking a drive to marina beach and finally ended up heading home.. lol.. 

Before i forget, next time you are hungry and in & around Kilpauk, head straight to Sukh Sagar... Reasonably priced, fresh & yumm food   :-) 

Address:
No 1a, Harleys Road [near Bain School], 
Kilpauk, 
Chennai - 600010 
Ph: 9940192886, 9790899430 
(044) 45500306

Disclaimer:

The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember that restaurants and eat outs sometimes change with time, so does their food and service. So, kindly consider these factors while visiting the places. Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit  :-) 

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