Showing posts with label buffet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label buffet. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Dhabba Express - Nungambakkam

Expect no quality, wen u go for quantity!

Firstly, why is Dhabba Express hiding behind this building? are they tryin to avoid customers? it is impossible to know there is a dhabba here unless you sit on the net n search for a dhaba in nungambakkam like me and that too dhabba express? wow! i took the first chance to go there. The stairs look haunted and u ll wanna think there ll b no crowd at all inside, but surprise! there r soooo many ppl busily filling their plates from the buffet as you enter. The ambiance is typical dhaba expressish, open top, dirty plates/spoons/etc.and ofcourse the 'i-know-u-love-it' attitude service!

There was noone to guide me as to where i should pay, get the token and start my buffet, I was totally lost. The waiters are helpful, but only if u ask for help , maybe thats a lot to expect. The buffet is completely veg, 75 bucks. It includes, some dry tasting stuffed roti, good naan, low quality tomato rice, awesome sambar rice (i dono wat it was doing in a dhabba but i regret not takin more of it), some pulao rice, very bad curd rice, macaroni! (huh?), salads, yummmmmy raitha, gobi chinese style, a weird brinjal manchurian kind, half cooked ladies finger, dal makhani, one more gravy and ofcourse jelebi which was always empty and i had to ask for it some 10 times b4 it came hot hot yumm yumm to my table, wowwwww mouth waters at the very thought of it.

Warning! If you wanna avoid throwing up do not use/ or even look at the spoons. You dont have a choice on the plates tho. Do not drink the water. Order for lassi or buttermilk its good. You can also order a la carte other than the buffet, there is punjabi n chinese item esp non-veg since the buffet is completely veg. They also do home delivery, so carry the menu back with u. If you are looking for more hygienic environment, you can sit inside the small AC area and order too.

Ambiance - 3/5

Food - 4/5

Service - 2.5/5

Price - less than 200 bucks for a couple if u go for the buffet and a drink

Will i go bak? - wen hungry strikes and nothin more

Dhabba Express
112, 1st Floor, Eldorado Building,
Nungambakkam High Road,
Nungambakkam, Chennai - 600034
Phone 32549944, 28203636


Enjoy a typical dhabba express experience, value for money for sure!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Any time, GRT Grand - T.Nagar

Duh! Heartbreaker!!
Bad luck befalls good restaurants sometimes; maybe it’s just a day. I wish I could write a review with such generosity, since I had a soft corner for this place. The GRT Grand Days’ lobby buffet ‘Anytime’ has been my ‘Alltime’ favorite. Since 2002 I guess, I’ve been there ‘n’ number of times and it has never let me down. Now what better ‘tried and tasted’ place to recommend to fellow burrpers from all around the country for a meet? How frustrating it is, when you are let down so badly and it involves the ‘food honor’ of the city by itself!

Burrpers from every metro in India graced the GRT Grand Days that weekend, and it was all fun except for the food at ‘Anytime’! I mean, what’s got into these guys? It was probably the best buffet in terms of quality and quantity even until a few months back that I visited. The crowd is still the same as it used to be, lot of family esp. on the weekends. The ambiance is typical, nothing innovative. There is an attempt to sophistication though. The food used to cover up for any other inadequacies here. But it seems the other way now. The service is quick and we were actually offered complimentary ice cream brought right to our room, for providing melted milkshaky ice cream in the buffet.

To be precise, there is nothing left to remember, nothing finger licking.. oh well nothing edible! No wait, I need better words! The starters were ok, weird names and weird tastes, the main course was nothing weird for a change, it was absofreakinlutely boring set of side dishes, some paneer, some okra, some brinjal, some gourd. The gobi pulao had not a single piece of gobi in it and I guess no salt in it either! What I found funny was the ‘Grand’ rice, tasted like a road-side brinji or whatever. Whoever decided to give that rice the signature name! The desserts were not bad, but definitely not the variety there used to be. Only good mention I can give here, is that the Bengali sweets viz. rasagolla, rasamalai, gulab jamun, etc. were awesome.

I didn’t make the mistake of reviewing this place few months back! Shame on you guys, even if it’s for a day, even if you’ve not satisfied a single customer, you are a loser already. But as a genuine patron, am still wondering where has it gone wrong? Has the chef changed? Or has he become really really old?? Whatever! Mainstreet is right next door and serves their buffet hundred bucks less than GRT. I hear the breakfast buffet is good though (continental/south Indian), no reason to be forgiven for letting me down!

Ambiance - 4/5

Food - 2.5 /5 ( i would ve given a 5 few months ago :( )

Service - 4/5

Price - 1100 and above for a couple

Will i ever go back? - hmm.. tough one! actually yes, i wud like to chek it out again hopin not to be disappointed...ahhh naaa...ahhh..mmmm...

Any time
Hotel GRT Grand,
106 Sir Thyagaraya Road,
T.Nagar, Chennai
Phone 28150500, 28150793


Adios, my old friend!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Aqua, The Park - Anna Salai

Luxury and comfort neednt mean the same!

I heard this place is too damn romantic and so fixed my very special date here.. i wudnt say i was disappointed mayb i jus expected too much .. watever said n done there's nothin romantic like Italian.. n this place isnt ...

We made a reservation for the poolside well i shudnt call them tables.. the bed by the poolside? its completely dark and it was rock music n bbq buffet since it was a Wednesday. Unfortunately we sat rite next to the bbq and dwelled in the heavenly smoke and smell all thro the eve. The music was awesome.. really perfect on the ears tho it was live in such a small place.. the pool was dull and boring.. too much darkness with a not so beautiful candle lite didn't really help.. the promised city view was a disappointment.. sitting in the beds twas not only tuff to eat from the small table (sharing the lamp) but also to watch the city...but yea was nice and cozy to lie down and yap!

Comin to the food, the guy who took our reservation on fone said that u cannot access the buffet inside if u reserve the poolside..huh! Now for veggies, the bbq had only 6 items exactly!..n i was wonderin if thts all my dinner is goin to be :( but fortunately the main course n desserts inside were allowed to be accessed.. not that there was any variety anyway.. jus one choice of rice, noodles, side dish and a couple or more of the usual desserts.. the bbq was good tho.. the lentil cutlet was awesome and a must try.. other than which was the usual paneer tikka, aloo skewer, etc. and of course the raw banana was quite a different attempt..

The service is ok .. its 5 star so u don have to worry about that.. the sunset margarita which aqua is known for was horrible! The other drinks were not any good either.. the chek is ofcourse too huge for the tiny place and tiny buffet..

Ambiance - 4/5

Food - 3/5

Service - 4/5

Price - Well I paid around 4000 bucks including drinks, the buffet is aorund 1000 bucks i guess.

Will i go back again? - Ahem if i have the dough, sure why not? But i ve 601 and Lotus to try yet!

Aqua
The Park

601 Anna Salai,
Nungambakkam,
Chennai - 600034
Phone 42144000

Can try once for being in chennai n enjoyin luxury.. but not comfort.. and obviously nothing more..

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Barbeque Nation - T.Nagar

RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE!

and this aint even a three star hotel! Nobody has ever heard of Shri Devi Park Hotel until BbqNation sprang up with this innovative concept which attracted the typical wannabe crowd of the city .. so its undeniably happening.. that explains the pricing and the careless service. I wish they bought the waiters a mic and some confidence before they start work.

The ambiance is quite different, of course the starters being grilled on the table is part of it! But seriously, the kebabs are already cooked and ur actual kidding urself tryin to burn it further on ur table! I felt like playing 'kitchen kitchen' when i was five! Vegetarians PLZ STAY AWAY, dont get carried away by reviews written by ppl who have probably ate in the Bangalore bbqnation! Theres nothing in the starters for veggies except for the usual paneer crap u can find anywhere and Thai baby potatoes which was not bad (a big let down afetr reading so much about it online).

Hence to do justice, i ve got the reviews from meat-eating friends too. The chicken (Singapore style) and the prawns were edible. The stuff that actually tasted good was the ones that were directly served on the plate, viz the crispy babycorn was sooooo yummy and the fish in oyster sauce was great too. Since we were advised to spend a lot of time with the starters, we were ready for more disappointment in the buffet.

The buffet was just the usual. The veg biryani which was recommended wasn't there to be seen. There was the usual gravies, Chinese stuff, noodles, curd rice, etc. naan was served on the table and the dal was actually really good, compared to the bland taste of the rest. The desserts were average, esp the mini-jamun with ice cream and the butterscotch 'something'. Nothing else was worth remembering. The bar menu was extensive and had everything from around the world, which is quite amazing for such a place. But be ready to spend a fortune if you want to have a good drink. They have some innovative cocktails, the masala margarita was good with chaat masala on the rim! NO! there is no complimentary drink with the buffet as falsely reviewed by many all over the internet!

As such, the buffet costs u around 450 including tax, if u planning to add anymore than that, carry ur mastercard! But if i had a lota money to blow, i wud choose much much better places in the city, than being blinded by mere hype!

Ambiance - 4/5

Food - 2/5

Service 2/5

Price - Close to 1000 bucks for a couple if you dont open the bar menu (else u can forget ur math)

Will i ever go back? - Are you kidding me?.. not even if ur payin!

Barbeque Nation
Shri Devi Park Hotel,
Near Soma Sunder Ground,
1, Hanumantha Street,
T.Nagar, Chennai - 600017
Phone 42694481, 42694482

Whatever said and done.. you can try it once for novelty sake... if you go back again.. not my fault nemore!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Ahaar, The Residency - T.Nagar

Weirdo

i'm having mixed opinions on this place .. i really dono if i shud recommend it or not..if ur a foodie, as in just bothered bout the food, u can def hit this place, but for me i'm not goin bak here again. But yes the food is awesome and the service is a good attempt too.

My problem is with the ambiance. I expected a three star hotel like The Residency to have a class. There was no lobby, u had to walk-in to a scary sidey looking elevator to reach the first floor or u can climb up the stairs that smells of booze from the bar in there. You enter the restaurant which looks like a plain flat long banquet hall with no interiors made into a restaurant with wooden furnitures and the buffet placed in one corner, there was this carnatic music playing live there, which was more irritating than pleasant. So this 'booth'ish place sure wasnt welcoming nor was the crowd there that looked like middle-aged men who came to drink in the bar and walked in here by mistake. Somehow the atmosphere smelt rusty and antique, not in a good way. We wouldve walked out but for the cake we had ordered already for a friends bday.

The service is good, they gave a quarter kg cake on the house. The manager was very attentive. But somehow the waiters were acting weird, funny and were too eager to serve you well, which was kinda cute n fortunately not disgusting since we were in celebration mood. To sum it up, it wasnt professional, but the food was great.

The buffet has the usual north, south indian and chinese stuff. There was a live aapam counter with awesome coconut milk as side dish. YUMMY. The starters were GR8, the mysore bonda was incredible and the pasta with both white and red sauce were very good too. They had freshly fried potato and banana chips which were mouth watering. The chapathi was bad tho, rubbery. But the tandoori paratta compensated for it. The gravies were paneer, aloo, gobi made very well and some radish peanut innovative thingie which i din like much.

South indian was good too with tangy kozhambu and veggie, curd rice and curd vada both tasted sexy. There was a residency rice, which din deserve the signature name, actually the pineapple rice was diferent and better. Chinese was noodles and a ladies finger in soy sauce. The problem was that the food were arranged in random order, so u cant really get the rite comby to eat. Desserts were the best part, from anything like payasam to custard tasted yummy. The icecreams were very richly flavored too ...

Ambiance - 1/5

Food - 5/5

Service - 3.5/5

Price - 700 per couple

Will i give back again? - If i hear about a renovation, will definitely walk-in without fear!

Ahaar
The Residency
No. 49, G.N.Chetty Road,
T.Nagar,
Chennai - 600 017.
Phone: 044 28253434
http://www.theresidency.com/residency-chennai/chn-ahaar.asp

Dont miss the strawberry icecream...that u jus cant stop eating...

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Olive Garden Vegetarian Eat Out - R. A. Puram

Awesome is the word

Where? It is behind cafe carnival in RA puram.

Find your way through the the small street near by. It is in the 2nd floor of the first building on the left . It is a weird place to get into, you almost want to come back when you are climbing the stairs, but trust me and go ahead its worth it!

When? Go for the sunday lunch buffet around 1 o'clock to get the best dishes they serve in the restaurant.

The ambiance is awesome and very family friendly. The food tastes great, even on any other day of the week but buffet is available only on sunday.

What? One of the very few restaurants in Chennai that does justice to the word 'muticuisine' in my opinion. Whatever you choose is sure to be nice.

My recommendation is the 'quesadillas' (which is available in the lunch buffet) i did not really expect it to be so yumm in a place where Indian food is the main attraction. It is much better than the ones they serve in the so-called authentic Mexican restaurants in the city.

How much? The buffet is actually unbelievably inexpensive. (somewhere around 100 bucks!)

You will want to go back over and over again when you receive your check. The sweet and icecream that comes to your table in the end delights you like you were a 5-year old! Probably the 'a la carte' is a bit expensive but the mouth watering taste overshadows the damages to your wallet.

Who? The applause for the 5 stars i have given goes to the waiters/managers.

The service is too good, even when you take the buffet, you dont feel neglected cos anything you want comes to your table prepared 'hot hot'!

Overall a pleasant dining experience for vegetarians with great food to go with family on a weekend.

Ambiance - 4/5

Food - 5/5

Service - 5/5

Price - Around 400/500 for a couple (Sunday-buffet costs just around 100 bucks/plate!)

Will i go again? - Yes and i will take you too!

Olive Garden Vegetarian Eat Out (Formerly Carnival),
68 CP Ramaswami Road,
Abhiramapuram, (off RA Puram)
Chennai - 600028
Phone 24996839, 24980349

You get to see some local celebs here sometimes :)

Friday, September 26, 2008

Cedars - Kotturpuram

A Connoisseur's Treat

A sunday brunch buffet.. sounds interesting for we dont get to hear the word 'brunch' in most chennai restaurants. Supposedly the place is meant for mediterranean food, I should say it was a mix of continental, Italian, american breakfast, pizza and mediterranean varieties ofcourse.

The ambiance is like a cozy fine dining breakfast house. The food for a change was nothin Indianised. Man, whata relief from all the places who tag 'international' cuisine but Indianise it. I was almost hoping to see panneer falafel, but this chef seems to know what he's doing.

The food tastes how it should, thats bland. The made-to-order egg is great, i was suggested the Ejjah Bil Jebn omelette which is filled with feta cheese and was perfectly made as in any American restaurant. The mushroom fritters were amazing, i ate it tho i hate mushroom. The pasta was so soft and creamy. The wheat bread with apricot jam was a good start. There was pita with hummus and a white chutney, which was the best. The nuts rice was ok, so was the Russian salad.

When you go back to your table, you've got a surprise there already, french toasts and the waffles - not bad, the pancakes - yummy maple-syrup dripping and falafel stuffed wrap - authentic. I didnt try the other salads, chocolate doughnut, croissant, etc. Too many choices though it doesnt look so at first sight. I guess you can even order pizza choosing your own toppings.

Now for the desserts, the tart, its the best i've ever had. There is chocolate mousse, icecream of the day and fruit salad. Not much of choice here. To drink there is ice tea and fruit juice. I have two complaints, one the juice glass is too small and two is the price of the buffet being 420 including tax. I guess the pricing helps attract the right crowd. Service is good too, considering its a buffet.

Ambiance - 5/5

Food- 5/5

Service - 4/5

Price - close to 1000 bucks for a couple

Will i go back again? - definitely when i got loads of cash to blow & deserve complete satisfaction

Cedars
29, Gandhi Mandapam Road,
Kotturpuram, Chennai
Phone 66855111, 24472323

Get your basics right before you explore different cuisines to enjoy the show better!
 
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