Where: Koramangala, in the lane opp. HDFC Bank
Price: ~ 200 for two
This is a deviation from all others listed here. This is not one of those Mom-and-Pop serving delicious food. It's modelled around the production-line, same-taste-served-everywhere (at least across the country) idea made popular by such purveyors of high cuisine like Pizza Hut & MacDonald's. Right that's where sarcasm and the similarity ends. While the place is efficient, clean and quick, the taste is quite surprisingly good.
Since the accent is on being quick, the quickest menu items are the Chicken, Veg & Mutton lunches. Ranges from 95 to 125 and comes with one roti (quite big), a biryani, a piece of kabab, raita and two curries. Hence the name I guess. You can order a-la carte as well. The menu has about 15-20 items at the most, veg and non-veg included. The taste like mentioned before is quite good, the kababs and the mutton and chicken pieces are quite tender unlike most such places. Plus you'll love the absence of the bright red/green colouring agents that most places love to use on the kababs. The only issue some might have is that the biryani/lunch combo portions might seem a little on the smaller side - especially if you're one of those whose family/friends/assorted relatives/caterers at weddings expect to take care of all left-overs. In that case off the menu might make more sense. The crew is quite efficient and friendly and the place takes plastic as well. All in all, it's quite the value-for-money deal.
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Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Mangalore Pearl
Where: Coles Road, Frazer Town, Bangaluru.
Price: ~ 300 for two
Don't worry about the price. Mangalore Pearl will add to your bill because of the amount you'll end up eating. Not necessarily because of the price/plate. Or whatever it is that they call that in the restaurant business.
The décor is your regulation "clean homely" restaurant. The only difference is that this is actually clean. But then that's a given in most restaurants on the Peninsula. Like the name suggests, it serves honest-to-goodness Mangalorean-Konkani food. So straight off the bat, let the veggies beware. The food is delicious, but does not have as much a choice as the carnivores have. Both can start with the sol kadi (buttermilk with cocum, hint of garlic and spices). There are tons of starters. The prawn fry at 90 INR are worth it. Especially considering that they come wrapped in pork. Yumm! Batter fried squid rings is another starter that can ring in the main course nicely (and help pardon this tired joke). All fish come highly recommended, especially the clams and mussels sukha.
While there, for the main course, try the sannas - they're shaped like idlis - but some of the curries like pork baffat go better with neer dosa. These are thin rice dosas. Neer dosas go equally well with the chicken sukha. However, seafood are the better done of all dishes here. There are daily specials which are invariably fishy in nature and typically kaane masala fry, mootley, prawns masala or pomfret fry.
Bread pudding or caramel custard are the more popular deserts, but after such a repast, it is difficult to keep place for trivial stuff like custard.
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Price: ~ 300 for two
Don't worry about the price. Mangalore Pearl will add to your bill because of the amount you'll end up eating. Not necessarily because of the price/plate. Or whatever it is that they call that in the restaurant business.
The décor is your regulation "clean homely" restaurant. The only difference is that this is actually clean. But then that's a given in most restaurants on the Peninsula. Like the name suggests, it serves honest-to-goodness Mangalorean-Konkani food. So straight off the bat, let the veggies beware. The food is delicious, but does not have as much a choice as the carnivores have. Both can start with the sol kadi (buttermilk with cocum, hint of garlic and spices). There are tons of starters. The prawn fry at 90 INR are worth it. Especially considering that they come wrapped in pork. Yumm! Batter fried squid rings is another starter that can ring in the main course nicely (and help pardon this tired joke). All fish come highly recommended, especially the clams and mussels sukha.
While there, for the main course, try the sannas - they're shaped like idlis - but some of the curries like pork baffat go better with neer dosa. These are thin rice dosas. Neer dosas go equally well with the chicken sukha. However, seafood are the better done of all dishes here. There are daily specials which are invariably fishy in nature and typically kaane masala fry, mootley, prawns masala or pomfret fry.
Bread pudding or caramel custard are the more popular deserts, but after such a repast, it is difficult to keep place for trivial stuff like custard.
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Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Mamledar
Address: Near Thane ZP office
Price: 15-25/-
Many eons ago, we cornered the Party Giver to treat us for a just cause. "I am willing to give you guys a party, but it's at a place of my choice" said he, the Party Giver, who was not known for treating any living creature for free at all. Little did we know then, what was in store for us. We all trooped down to this small, dingy place beside the Thane Zilla Parishad (ZP for short). The board read "Mamledar" and we all went in and sat down on the benches. The six glasses of water per person on the table should have been warning enough. The Party Giver says to the waiter "Missal ani Tikhat". My hackles were raised, but somehow managed to quell the disaster signals blaring in my mind.
The missal arrived promptly on the table sporting a fiery red colour which unnerved each one of us. We all grabbed the Pav (Bread) and dipped into the missal and put it in our mouths. That was when all the bombs went off simultaneously. The six glasses of water were insufficient to douse the fire raging in our mouth. The Party Giver was laughing his heart out at our miserable faces which were dripping with copious amounts of sweat from every pore, a reaction to the injection of this extra hot missal. Then, I truly wondered whether this was a treat or a punishment for badgering the Party Giver to part with his money to feed us.
But, we have never forgotten what we ate that day. We found that the extra hot missal tasted really good and after repeat trips, our mouths got, well, tolerant of the fire which we shoved into it each time.
So there it is, for the most fiery, hot, tasty and mind numbingly famous missal in Thane, head to Mamledar. For first timers, ask them to give you the medium option. Normally, there is bound to be a huge crowd around Mamledar, waiting to get their daily fix. If you persevere, you will be seated in 10 minutes.
PS: The recipe to make this missal reach such fiery hot levels is a Mamledar secret. I wonder if they can make more money by selling the recipe to weapons manufacturers.
Price: 15-25/-
Many eons ago, we cornered the Party Giver to treat us for a just cause. "I am willing to give you guys a party, but it's at a place of my choice" said he, the Party Giver, who was not known for treating any living creature for free at all. Little did we know then, what was in store for us. We all trooped down to this small, dingy place beside the Thane Zilla Parishad (ZP for short). The board read "Mamledar" and we all went in and sat down on the benches. The six glasses of water per person on the table should have been warning enough. The Party Giver says to the waiter "Missal ani Tikhat". My hackles were raised, but somehow managed to quell the disaster signals blaring in my mind.
The missal arrived promptly on the table sporting a fiery red colour which unnerved each one of us. We all grabbed the Pav (Bread) and dipped into the missal and put it in our mouths. That was when all the bombs went off simultaneously. The six glasses of water were insufficient to douse the fire raging in our mouth. The Party Giver was laughing his heart out at our miserable faces which were dripping with copious amounts of sweat from every pore, a reaction to the injection of this extra hot missal. Then, I truly wondered whether this was a treat or a punishment for badgering the Party Giver to part with his money to feed us.
But, we have never forgotten what we ate that day. We found that the extra hot missal tasted really good and after repeat trips, our mouths got, well, tolerant of the fire which we shoved into it each time.
So there it is, for the most fiery, hot, tasty and mind numbingly famous missal in Thane, head to Mamledar. For first timers, ask them to give you the medium option. Normally, there is bound to be a huge crowd around Mamledar, waiting to get their daily fix. If you persevere, you will be seated in 10 minutes.
PS: The recipe to make this missal reach such fiery hot levels is a Mamledar secret. I wonder if they can make more money by selling the recipe to weapons manufacturers.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Cafe Ajwa
Where: Road No. 1, Behind Vikhroli BEST bus depot, Off LBS Marg
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Price: 50 - 100 per person
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Price: 50 - 100 per person
If you are one of those adventurous souls who's ordered mutton in a Mumbai restaurant, you would know what I mean. The odds of the meat being edible are quite low, and the consistency of the meat, if not akin to a rubber band, would most likely be closer to a piece of moon rock.
Enter Cafe Ajwa. Low budget, rundown place, with food to beat the best. Experiment with the different mutton items on the menu, and the chances are you will not be disappointed. The kheema is a wonderfully different preparation in green gravy (The health conscious be warned ... oil is in abundant supply here), and the rotis are served warm and soft!
The biryani / pulao is different, and may not be to everyone's taste. I personally felt the taste growing on me after the second mutton pulao, but I would not go back for the biryani!
Me thinks all those techie folks working around Godrej complex never had it so good ...
Enter Cafe Ajwa. Low budget, rundown place, with food to beat the best. Experiment with the different mutton items on the menu, and the chances are you will not be disappointed. The kheema is a wonderfully different preparation in green gravy (The health conscious be warned ... oil is in abundant supply here), and the rotis are served warm and soft!
The biryani / pulao is different, and may not be to everyone's taste. I personally felt the taste growing on me after the second mutton pulao, but I would not go back for the biryani!
Me thinks all those techie folks working around Godrej complex never had it so good ...
Surekha
Address: Ghodbunder road,
left side when travelling from Thane to Ghodbunder
Price: 250-400
Where do you go when you are struck with a craving for homestyle Malvani food? You curse the Gods for not being born in a Malvani family and then you either find a friend from the Malvan whose mother/grandmother is willing to feed freeloaders or you head to a little place called Hotel Surekha on the Ghodbunder road.
The chicken curry here is made in malvani style and is really spicy ( you will have to tell them to make it less spicy if you want to play it safe). Their gavti (desi) chicken curry is out of this world and tastes superlative along with the hot and freshly prepared bhakri. Please try the prawn fry and fish (pomfret) fry covered with spicy masala and fried garlic pods. You wont regret it, and as bonus you will be immune to vampire attacks.
So what if you were not born in a Malvani family. Surekha makes up for that misfortune and serves up food which any Malvani family will be proud to proclaim as the real authentic deal and makes you come back again.
PS: This is a strictly no booze affair run by a small family. You can drink outside the hotel though, and they will bring the hors d'oeuvre out for you. You also get a good view of the creek and mountains around it, if you are here during daylight
left side when travelling from Thane to Ghodbunder
Price: 250-400
Where do you go when you are struck with a craving for homestyle Malvani food? You curse the Gods for not being born in a Malvani family and then you either find a friend from the Malvan whose mother/grandmother is willing to feed freeloaders or you head to a little place called Hotel Surekha on the Ghodbunder road.
The chicken curry here is made in malvani style and is really spicy ( you will have to tell them to make it less spicy if you want to play it safe). Their gavti (desi) chicken curry is out of this world and tastes superlative along with the hot and freshly prepared bhakri. Please try the prawn fry and fish (pomfret) fry covered with spicy masala and fried garlic pods. You wont regret it, and as bonus you will be immune to vampire attacks.
So what if you were not born in a Malvani family. Surekha makes up for that misfortune and serves up food which any Malvani family will be proud to proclaim as the real authentic deal and makes you come back again.
PS: This is a strictly no booze affair run by a small family. You can drink outside the hotel though, and they will bring the hors d'oeuvre out for you. You also get a good view of the creek and mountains around it, if you are here during daylight
Shree Datta Guru Snacks
Where: Panvel, where the Mumbai Goa highway splits from NH4
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Price: Rs.15-20 per plate
If you head out of Mumbai on the NH4, you are very likely going to need a snack by the time you get past all the city traffic! Shree Datta Guru Snacks fills the need perfectly. It comes up on the right hand side of the road just before the Goa road branches off.
There's a whole host of newcomers around, but Shree Datta Guru is the real deal (It's been in service since even before the expressway to Pune came into service). The place is frequented by a fair number of people and the menu runs out before it leaves the piping hot / fresh category. Highly recommended are the wada pav, the misal pav, the sabudana khichdi, the kothimbir-wadi, the kanda pohe; and masala tea to wash down the meal. If inclined towards the sweet, try the jalebis.
So the next time you head for Pune, give the expressway a miss. The pain of the Panvel traffic is well compensated for by the pleasures of the simple Maharashtrian snack!
So the next time you head for Pune, give the expressway a miss. The pain of the Panvel traffic is well compensated for by the pleasures of the simple Maharashtrian snack!
Gulshan da Dhaba
Address: LBS Marg
Near Asian Paints Factory
Bhandup (W), Mumbai
Price: 100-150
Romantic dinners are not made of these, even if you are a trucker at heart. Here you can view the polluted central Mumbai sky amidst towering electric poles, with wires close enough to make you feel the electromagnetic force in your veins. Come ye all to Gulshan's Dhaba, where dirty plastic chairs welcome you and you are free to bring your own drink. All is forgiven, once you bite into the succulent, spicy, juicy mutton seekh kebabs, the prawns koliwada fried and spiced to perfection at Rs 80/- per plate (Prices as of yesterday) and the paneer tikka done better than any 5-star wannabe. All this is made right in front of you at the open air kitchen near the entrance. For folks who want better surroundings, it's a good idea to get your food parceled and then find someplace else to eat it (e.g. in front of the tv at home). Here you get parathas with egg and mutton kheema, all kinds of chicken parts (liver, stomach etc) fried or roasted in the tandoor and of course, a variety of fish (surmai, ravas, pomfret etc). The biryanis are very filling, though not very special. In short, Gulshan's a meat eaters paradise where the booze is yours, the decor/ambiance is grimy and the food highly tasty. I promise.
Near Asian Paints Factory
Bhandup (W), Mumbai
Price: 100-150
Romantic dinners are not made of these, even if you are a trucker at heart. Here you can view the polluted central Mumbai sky amidst towering electric poles, with wires close enough to make you feel the electromagnetic force in your veins. Come ye all to Gulshan's Dhaba, where dirty plastic chairs welcome you and you are free to bring your own drink. All is forgiven, once you bite into the succulent, spicy, juicy mutton seekh kebabs, the prawns koliwada fried and spiced to perfection at Rs 80/- per plate (Prices as of yesterday) and the paneer tikka done better than any 5-star wannabe. All this is made right in front of you at the open air kitchen near the entrance. For folks who want better surroundings, it's a good idea to get your food parceled and then find someplace else to eat it (e.g. in front of the tv at home). Here you get parathas with egg and mutton kheema, all kinds of chicken parts (liver, stomach etc) fried or roasted in the tandoor and of course, a variety of fish (surmai, ravas, pomfret etc). The biryanis are very filling, though not very special. In short, Gulshan's a meat eaters paradise where the booze is yours, the decor/ambiance is grimy and the food highly tasty. I promise.
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