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!

JC Cafe - Nungambakkam

Surprise to the taste buds!

To be honest, I was a little skeptical when i entered this new cafe named 'Jesus Christ' with religious affiliation written all over it. The place looks like a house, calm and empty from the outside, you'll never know there's a cafe unless through word of mouth.

So I walk in reluctantly into this 'house', through the couches and tables, with bibles and missionary books lying around and a tv with gospel music playing ofcourse. Talk about feelin at home, you can just laze around in the couches here, don expect the 'remote' to be urs tho. The menu seemed unexpectedly vast with sandwiches, pastas, lasagna, desserts, juices, and combos of these.

The service is very good, with the waiter even remembering your name, its next to eating at a friend's. But I am not convinced until i taste the bread! and u wud never think that 'food' would be the usp of such a place. But hell it is! The first bite of french fries changed my entire perception. It's the best fries i ve had in years, esp. in India. The veggie sandwich had perfect mayanoise in it to gratify my tongue. The cheese on the lasagna has a lingering taste to it that tickles your tongue for more.

The combo offer was a little confusing tho. It could be more lunch-friendly. Anyways, it has a soup/juice, an entree, fries/bread, juice/icecream. Although, we were a little filled by then already, we made a good decision to order for the speghetti! It was simply perfect! No kidding, but even the strawberry icecream had an extra flavor to it! The juice glasses could've been a bit bigger. As for the price, its not too expensive, totally worth whatever it is.

Ambiance - 4/5

Food - 5/5

Service - 4.5/5

Price - Say 200 to 250 per couple? its a good deal if u take the combo..

Will i go back? - Sure wen i want to grab a bite and have some lone time

JC Cafe
No.10, Jagannathan street,
Nungambakkam,
Chennai - 600034
Phone - 64610767

Only wish they play something else on TV.. i wud go more often to hang-out!