Haagen-Dazs arrives in Chennai

Häagen-Dazs, a name that brings a twinkle in every eye,

Häagen-Dazs, a brand that people who are into desserts, especially ice creams will know

Häagen-Dazs, need i say more?

Well, today, Chennai has a new entrant in the ice cream arena, that too in prime location- Khader Nawaz Khan road. Yes, you read it right. Even though all this while  Haagen-Dazs ice creams were available across select outlets in the city, a stand alone outlet sure changes things. It shows that the city has welcomed the brand, has shown them they have a place in this beautiful city. :-) 

Häagen-Dazs (pron.: /ˈhɑːɡəndɑːz/) is an ice cream brand, established by Reuben and Rose Mattus in the Bronx, New York, in 1961. Starting with only three flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and coffee, the company opened its first retail store in Brooklyn, New York, on November 15, 1976.  Häagen-Dazs produces ice cream, ice cream bars, ice cream cakes, sorbet and frozen yogurt.

~Source: Wikipedia 

The outlet is situated in the same complex as Cascade & Man mandir store in Khader Nawaz Khan road, and on the ground floor is where Haagen-Dazs is located. The Franchise is owned by Sam Paul, the one who opened Crimson Chakra on KNK road, and who also owns Toni & Guy salons in the city.

 The range of desserts-Top shelf- Brownie, Cookies[they were huge], Blueberry muffin and choco muffin; 2nd shelf-  Cheese cake, Blueberry cheese cake, Apple crumble pie and behind is the Minnesota Mud pie. 

 The waffle cones, they were divine- so crisp and beautiful

 Paradise- a layered heavenly dessert- ice cream scoops tucked between layers of waffles, served alongside fresh strawberry fresh cream and chocolate sauce.

Chef Anthony, addressing the crowd & answering queries

               The set of 3 cup cake ice cream desserts
                                                                                                                          The tub of ice cream we got when we left

The pricing is around,
Single Scoop Ice Cream Rs 180/- 
Double Scoop Ice Cream Rs 300/- 
Large Pint Ice Cream Rs 700/- 
Shakes/Drinks Rs 300/- odd 
Sundaes 3 Scoops+Sauces Rs 420/- 
3 Cup Cake Ice Cream Desserts Rs 550/-
There also offer elaborate desserts, almost like a meal, which cost around 800 bucks. So, take your time, sample the ice creams and then decide what you want :)

They are priced similar to Movenpick situated across the street. Only time will tell which of the two giants survive and which one buckles.  

Location:
 No. 32, Ground Floor, Platinum Towers, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, 
Nungambakkam, 
Chennai - 600034

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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Donut House, Chennai

What is round, and sweet, or
What is round and has cheese on top
What is round and has a gooey sweet filling with a simple icing?

There can only be one answer.. Donuts from Donut House!! The outlet i visited was the one in Egmore and it was World Donut Day- June1st and they had an offer " Buy 1 get 1 free".. How cool is that? So, on the way back from a meeting, i hopped into the place and brought home 2 boxes of 6 donuts in all.. 

 

This was not my 1st visit to the Donut house, but it was the 1st time i was there alone.. The very 1st visit was to catch up with a friend, when we split a sandwich and had a cool drink.. The 2nd time was a meeting with my partner & a PR agency... So, this was a special visit of sorts!! I have had donuts in many many many places, and also know how to make them at home [ i did attend a bakery class thanks to a friend wanting to learn cooking/baking before she tied the knot] Since then, i had made donuts at home plenty of times, but they were all the usual boring donuts with chocolate icing. 

 Alas, the oven died a not so pleasant death and since then no baking, unless it can be cooked in a micro wave oven. This brought an end to my Donut making days...!! 

So, anyways, i digress. There i was at Donut house, and instantly eyes went towards the display counter, making sure there were some of different flavours still sitting pretty in their trays. I picked out the savory Donut- with grated cheese and Italian herbs to eat, and went on to order some for take away. It was the 1st time i was having a savory donut, the common ones are with chocolate icing [sold in bakeries across the country and very few are yummy, most are dry, dense or just weird tasting]

Special mention: All donuts at Donut House are eggless!! 

 

 

Spotted Bhuvanesh in the kitchen, who graciously came to say hello and we ended up chatting quite a bit!! Recently, he has opened the 2nd outlet [not counting the stand in Express Avenue Food court], which he said was faring quite nicely.

I noticed an image of what looked like Donuts with Olives, and instantly Bhuvanesh jumped in saying "sorry, we dont have it today" :)

The donuts look so inviting, with shimmering sauces and toppings, all sitting neatly in the trays as if they were waiting for marching orders. I brought home a few chocolate donuts, 1 that was lemon tea with a beautiful lemon filling, 1 that had blueberry filling and an Irish coffee donut....  not only did these donuts look good, they tasted divine as well... Friends & Family who had them couldnt stop raving about them!!

Food: 9/10
Service: 8/10 [ i picked up my order from the counter]
Price: 8/10 [Rs50 per donut]
Varieties: 9.5/10 [waiting for them to surprise me some more ;)]


Address:
Wellington Plaza  [Next to Presidency Club, opp to Ethiraj College for women]
Dr. PV Cherian Crecent Salai,
Egmore, Chennai- 600008

Phone: 09600127725

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Pazham Pori [Banana Fritters]

"Try some Pazham pori", she said bringing in a plate of what looked like Hot fritters.. It had a light golden colour on it and aroma wafting along the way was divine.... 

I bit into it cautiously aware of how hot it was and i went "Mmmmm".. It was sweet, but not overpoweringfly sweet, it was soft, but not mushy soft, it was yumm... All i missed was a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream, and ta da, before i knew it there was a scoop of ice cream on the table... This is what i call sinful.... 

It has been quite a few years, but still the memory lingers on...  The last time i had these was during the houseboat ride in Coir village Resort near Allepey in Kerala, during the holiday a couple of high school girl friends took :-) [yes, it was yours truly travelling with her 3 BFF]

When i asked the guy at the resort how he made it, this is what he had to say....  [this is in case you dont have any friends from Kerala or Mallu land ;o) ]

What you need-

Giving measurements for 4 bananas!!

Ripe Nendram Banana -  4

Maida- 1 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 tbsp (depending on the sweetness of the banana)
Salt - a pinch (optional)

Water- Enough to mix the flour in...
Oil - for frying

How to do it..
1. Mix the maida with water, salt and sugr to make a nice thick paste... [almost like Dosa batter consistency]

2. Cut the Bananas length wise into long strips... [2 slices off a banana]

3. Place a pan on the stove and add the necessary amount of oil, bring it to a good temperature [whatever is best suited for frying]

4. Dip the banana in the batter and fry till light golden brown

You can eat this as it is or with ice cream or chocolate sauce.... Bon Appetit!!

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