http://www.chow.com/boards/44 Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:16:03 GMT Keep track of the lastest threads on Chowhound http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892811#8097115 I notice you're eating around Delhi a lot;.Try and get to Andhra Bhavan on Sunday for lunch in the canteen. They make an Andhra style biryani and chettinad chicken. Only on Sunday and they run out fast meatnveg Sun, 26 May 2013 03:45:09 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892811#8097115 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/901543#8097104 Brittos! Also the buffet at the Panjim Marriott meatnveg Sun, 26 May 2013 03:41:57 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/901543#8097104 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/699870#8069592 I've got a few much to do some research, but any info is helpful info. Yab Yum for a drink seems like my kind of place!! alliegator Sat, 11 May 2013 14:50:34 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/699870#8069592 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/895241#8046197 In the end the rest of the guys decided they didn't fancy Barbeque Nation because "they only do grill items". I thought that was kind of the point, but never mind :) We ended up at Bhagat Tarachand in Vashi (http://www.zomato.com/mumbai/restaurants/navi/vashi/bhagat-tarachand-37537). Although my colleagues had never been before they had all heard good things, and a quick search revealed it gets plenty of good reviews. On the night though, it was a bit of a let down. Everything was either too salty or/and too greasy. The dry fried bhindi was *really* salty and too greasy, the butter naan was drenched in *way* too much of butter, etc. It's billed as a Gujarati restaurant, but apparently there wasn't much from Gujerat on the menu. Maybe it's better to go at lunch when they serve thalis. As an aside, I had a couple of excellent thalis in the canteen in the Assam Bhawan opposite the Center One mall. It's a no-frills place, and judging from the stares and people wandering into the canteen just to gawp, they don't get many foreign visitors - I've no clue about Assamese cuisine so can't vouch for the authenticity, but it was very tasty indeed :) GordonS Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:48:46 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/895241#8046197 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/894541#7986408 This may reach you too late, but just in case: for modest Keralan, I'm fond of several of the cluster of 7 (!) Keralan places near the gate of MS Ramiah hospital in Mathikere. The best is Shine Fast Food (Christian, all nonveg), but it's a one woman show, and she can be a little unpredictable. Dinner only. My favorite of the remainder is Calicut, though Biriyani Paradise and Thalassery have their partisans. On Church street, there's Coconut Grove, a very nice slightly fancier (maybe 2-300 Rs / person) Keralan place on the north side of the street. Don't confuse it with the bar downstairs. I don't know anything around Whitefield, though. David Farris Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:09:19 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/894541#7986408 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/896035#7983086 I'm going to be staying at the Four Points in Vashi for a week, and I'll probably be doing so a few times this year. Anyone have any recommendations on Indian restaurants for dinner nearby? Not looking for anything too fancy. I'm quite happy with street food and hole-in-the-wall type options too. If it helps any, dal makhani is a firm favourite of mine, and I also love paneer. I'm also looking for somewhere to buy good quality barfi to take home with me - I *love* barfi and have taken home 1kg at a time in the past :) GordonS Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:22:08 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/896035#7983086 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/893124#7962846 It's an utterly charming place, M_Gomez. Although my colleague and I who went there was taken aback initially by the rather empty dining space when we first arrived at 8pm - only another table of 4 Japanese tourists were present. Then, people started arriving after 9pm, and we remembered that formal dining in India starts pretty late (much like in Spain). The place was bustling and nearly full by 10pm. klyeoh Tue, 19 Mar 2013 01:07:29 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/893124#7962846 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/888922#7952406 This sounds wonderful, and I look forward to exploring that thread. Do you think these places are open in July, though? I have heard many beach shacks close then. Thank you! lichow Wed, 13 Mar 2013 23:41:03 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/888922#7952406 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/893359#7949013 It's rather expensive though: about USD925 for 5 of us (including drinks). But quite worth it for a memorable dining experience. klyeoh Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:38:11 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/893359#7949013 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/866353#7947939 As a person from North Indian origin born raised in South India , I can say that North Indian curries use a lot of complex Spice powders. Wheras south Indian curries use a few spices, are generally Hot and most have Coconut base. They are as different as North and South poles. Nichiro Mon, 11 Mar 2013 23:58:08 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/866353#7947939 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/893575#7944220 A veritable meat-eater's (especially those with *big* appetites) haven: The Great Kabab Factory is India's answer to those Brazilian churrascarias, with its endless (eat-as-much-as-you-want) train of various types of kebabs, brought to sizzling hot to your table by the servers. What I tried: - the restaurant's signature (and most popular) kebab: the meltingly-soft Galouti Kebab - a round, patty-like counterpart of the Kakkori Kebab, reputedly invented to satisfy the desire of meat by a toothless Nawab. The minced mutton to make the Galouti Kebab has to be so fine and pate-like, even the toothless can "chew" using one's gums. - 'Surmai' (king mackerel) fish, which yielded form, white-fleshed fillets - Prawns: well-marinated and crunchy fresh. - Seekh kebab: robust minced mutton - I actually preferred this (more bite) than the pate-like Galouti. - Paneer cubes, always one of my favorites. - Chicken tandoori - very tasty, surprisingly even better than those offered in specialty tandoori restaurants. Various fruit salads and condiments/dips were served on the side, with the raita a standout. Of the breads, I found the small discs of 'Ulta Tawa Paratha' (literally upside-down-pan paratha) to be my fave: slightly sweetish and soft when served warm. The 'Shermeel' bread tended to harden quite alarmingly when it cooled, rendering it almost inedible. The naans and parathas were good here, but not really outstanding. *Don't* over-eat during this "kebab phase" - they are just the appetisers!! Then, the mains will be offered - little Handi pots brought to the table and served table-side by the hyper-efficient waiters: Murgh Makhani (butter chicken), Lamb khorma, Dal Fry, Dal Makhani, it's mind-boggling. Desserts at The Great Kabab Factory are always a standout, according to my Delhiite colleagues (there were 5 of them at the table), and I sampled a bit of all these - reminded me a bit of the dessert sampler at PF Chang's: - Kulfi, which was simply *superb*: thick, creamy and perfect flavors - Saviyam: vermicelli-like sweet with an addictive texture and rose-like flavor - Gulab jamun, not too sweet here, but I can't really tell apart the quality of all the gulab jamuns I'd been having at almost every restaurant I'd been to here. It's the ubiquitous Indian sweet here, and I found pairing it with vanilla ice-cream to be the best way to enjoy it. - Moong dal halwa: a dry-ish, pleasantly grainy option. - Phirni, a cold, creamy spiced rice-and-milk concoction set into a shallow earthenware dish, topped with chopped pistachios. Not really my kind of dessert. Incredible. All these for INR1000 (USD19) per pax. There's also a vegetarian set available, though kebab spots are well-known for their meats. Address details =========== The Great Kabab Factory Radisson Hotel Delhi National Highway-8 New Delhi - 110037 India Tel:+91 11267 79191 klyeoh Sun, 10 Mar 2013 02:13:39 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/893575#7944220 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/893360#7940740 I’m amazed to see the International Home Deco Park (IHDP), a clean, green office-commercial complex in Noida just outside Delhi – it looked more at home in Dubai, or even Singapore, with verdant lawns, flowing water features and numerous objet d’ arts scattered throughout its sprawling grounds and buildings. The People Tree Restaurant there, run by a group of Copper Chimney alumni, offered a very good North Indian lunch-time buffet for INR400. It’s a beautiful restaurant filled with modern sculptures, with sunny windows. Our lunch there today started with a choice of soups – I had the tomato shorba (no fireworks there) followed by tandoor-baked cauliflower and Afghani chicken - both were very good. The buffet line included: - Chicken Saag Waala: spiced chicken with pureed spinach; - Paneer Labaabdar: pieces of Indian paneer-cheese with thick creamy, spiced sauce; - Peshawari Channa: an earthy chickpea curry; - Navratan Korma: A rich, milky mixed vegetable stew; - Naan and parantha breads. All the dishes were very well-prepared, and indeed tastier than what I can get from North Indian restaurants back in Singapore. Address details ============ The People Tree Restaurant IHDP Business Park Plot No. 7, Sector-127 Taj Express Highway Noida – 201301 Tel: +91 7503017692/+91 7503027692 klyeoh Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:16:11 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/893360#7940740 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/893196#7937800 I know many Delhi-ites probably take this dish for granted - but for out-of-town visitors like me, the Afghani chicken was an absolute knock-out. Essentially chicken marinated in yoghurt (which also acts as a tenderiser), cardamom, onions, ginger, lime and cashewnut paste, then barbecued - it was one of most delicious chicken preparations I'd ever had. My first taste of the Afghani chicken was at Swagath, a popular 10-year-old chain restaurant offering Mughlai and, rather strangely, Desi-Chinese cuisines here in Delhi. The rendition here was tender, tasty and incredibly aromatic from the barbecuing. Other dishes we had included: - Mangalorean pomfret: very tasty although a but spicier and saltier than I'd had liked. - Malai kofta: spiced balls (made of potatoes, vegetables and breadcrumbs) blanketed in a thick, creamy sauce. - Vegetarian briyani: fairly bland, but provides a good foil to the strong-tasting curried dishes. - Ginger-flavored butter naan. I'd yet to come across any "bad" naans in Delhi, and this one was every bit as fabulous. Finished off with some very sweet desserts: - Kulfi ice-cream with falooda (cornflour noodles) - Gulab jamun with vanilla ice-cream Address details ========== Swagath 14 Defence Colony Market Delhi 110024 Tel: +91 11 2433 0930 klyeoh Thu, 07 Mar 2013 02:02:55 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/893196#7937800 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892956#7934001 A Punjabi Sikh colleague introduced this fabulous dish to us yesterday: Chawla's cream chicken, which originated back in 1960 when an enterprising Punjabi restaurateur-chef, S. Attar Singh Chawla, invented the "Kali Mirch Ka Chicken": pieces of chicken cooked in thickened milk/cream, onions and methi leaves till half-cooked, before black pepper and green cardamom are added. Red chillies are not used, resulting in a pale, creamy sauce blanketing the pieces of aromatic broiled chicken. There are now nearly 100 Chawla's outlets in the ever-expanding chain. What we had at its Malviya Nagar outlet today: - the trademark Cream Chicken: tasty, very tender pieces of chicken, mildly spicy and aromatic - Chilly chicken, which packed quite a bit of heat, but delicious all the same. - Paneer tikka, which was my absolute fave: tender cubes of paneer cheese, skewered with peppers and basted with a spiced coriander paste whilst being broiled. - Dhal Makhni: a creamy, buttery black lentil stew, complemented by: - Naan bread. Address details =========== Chawla's (Malviya Nagar) 4, E 5/1, Malviya Nagar New Delhi 110017 Tel: +91 9899933120, +91 9990501141 klyeoh Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:16:01 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892956#7934001 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892943#7933877 The *original* plan this evening was to go to Moti Mahal at Daryaganj, the restaurant which invented the butter chicken (Murgh Makhani) dish which is now world-famous. Back in the 1950s, the cooks of Moti Mahal used leftover drippings from baking the tandoori chicken to make a sauce, adding tomato sauce, butter (or ghee), thickened milk, and various spices like cumin, coriander, fenugreek, etc., plus copious amounts of ginger paste and onion paste. Pieces of tandoori chicken (itself already heavily-spiced and fragrant from being baked in the tandoor oven) will be tossed in the sauce, moistening and softening the chicken until a delicious, tangy, sweet and slightly spicy stew is obtained - perfect to go with any Indian breads. Anyway, the crazee Delhi intervened - bumper-to-bumper peak period traffic which stretched for miles, so we doubled-back to DoubleTree by Hilton instead. Cafe on 3 is a slick, well laid out casual restaurant with an open kitchen. Cafe on 3's Murgh Makhani was as well prepared as any: thick and perfectly-balanced in its use of spices, tomatoey and creamy at the same time. The tandoori chicken pieces were absolutely delicious. I ordered a large, thin, stretchy and chewy "roomali roti" (translated from Urdu as 'handkerchief bread') to mop up the gravy. As usual, the "roomali roti" is served folded like a large handkerchief on the side. Don't think I'm ever going to get used to the chewy, supple "roomali roti" - I much preferred the softer South Indian staples (appams, idlis, stringhoppers, or crisp Keralan parathas) to the hard, chewy wheat-based North Indian breads. Need to do Moti Mahal one of these days. Address details =========== DoubleTree by Hilton New Delhi 13 A Mayur Vihar District Centre New Delhi 110091 Tel: +91 11411 05555 klyeoh Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:23:02 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892943#7933877 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892936#7933764 Zooby's Kitchen is an efficient, multi-cuisine (Mughlai, Desi Chinese) eatery. Dishes were surprisingly well-cooked (for a chain): - Tandoori chicken - fragrant, well-marinated. - Paneer makhanwala - creamy, tomatoey and well-spiced. - Vegetarian briyani rice - this innocuous dish was actually pretty spicy, with delayed heat effect (from the chilli powder?) used in spicing up the rice dish. - Palak paneer - we ordered another vegetarian dish to share as half of the folks in our lunch party were vegetarians. This dish was also very well-prepared and tasty. Good spot for a quick, casual meal. Address details =========== Zooby's Kitchen G-53, Kalindi Kunj Noida Road, Sarita Vihar New Delhi 110076 Tel: +91 11657 44920, +91 99909 83333 (Mobile) klyeoh Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:41:37 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892936#7933764 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892813#7931777 The Muslim quarter of old Delhi, especially the streets located opposite the southern Gate No. 1 of the Jama Masjid, Delhi's principal mosque, is a treasure trove for Delhi street foods. One of the classic street food item is the North Indian take on bread pudding - the Shahi Thukre - and Cool Point, a few doors down from Bombay Orient Hotel, makes the best version in Old Delhi: pieces of bread fried in ghee, then soaked in sugar and cream, with chopped nuts and sugar-glazed cherries thrown in. A portion of Shahi Thukre here costs INR25 or US 0.45 cents. Address details =========== Cool Point Matiya Mahal Tel: +91 9350217460/+91 9811614358 klyeoh Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:34:24 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892813#7931777 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892638#7929266 Bright, sunny dining room with cheerful color tones on its furniture and decor. Service was prompt and efficient. Although Infinity was pitched as a predominantly Italian eatery, but with Indian and other continental options (including an interesting range of fusion "Desi Pizzas"), I was more than impressed by my Indian lunch options there today: - Mutton briyani: delicious well-cooked mutton; fragrant, perfectly-cooked rice, seasoning was a bit on the salty side though. - Lamb khorma: perfectly textured meat, with creamy cashew-thickened sauce. - Garlic naans were thin, crisp and absolutely delicious. Great place to catch a casual meal in Noida. Address details =========== Infinity Hilton New Delhi 13 BMayur Vihar, District Centre New Delhi 110091 Tel: +91 11 4110 2222 klyeoh Sun, 03 Mar 2013 14:51:37 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/892638#7929266 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/886213#7920128 i'm in the same boat! arriving at the end of march, would appreciate any suggestions. sparky Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:48:58 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/886213#7920128 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/684476#7916077 Just back from a week in Bangalore, not much seems to have changed in the 2 years I've been away but I was also revisiting old areas and neighbourhoods. Traffic was still as horrible as I remember from when I was living there and did take away from the ability to really get around and see more than I did. First dinner out was at Umerkot (#30, 80 Feet Road, Koramangala) and it was even better than I remember. The chef provided an amuse of tempura fried whole spinach leaf with chopped tomato, onion, chili, tamarind sauce and a touch of yoghurt... a truly outstanding small plate to start off. For the mains we went with some tandoor goat chops (labeled as lamb), Afghani chicken from the tandoor and some veg biryani. Everything was excellent, from the service to the food... I was very happy this was the first stop of the week. Next was Sunday lunch at Rim Naam, unfortunately they didn't advise me when I reserved that it was actually the Oberoi's Sunday brunch and not the Rim Naam menu. I was really looking forward to Thai food from the best Thai kitchen outside of Thailand (IMO). The buffet was good, but nothing extraordinary... I'm not really a fan of buffets. Tandoor on MG Road was the scene of our large business dinner with visiting execs. It's a safe choice with excellent food from the Tandoor ovens. The only standout of the night was the Tandoor cooked whole leg of lamb (goat). Super tender, moist and richly spiced. Sadly I was not ordering so did not get my favourite dish of Peshwari Gobi. All in a good evening, great service and food for a large group. The next day Biryani Zone was ordered in for a group lunch. We had a choice of chicken or veg biryani, chicken lollipops, dry mushroom in spice and a veg kebab. The biryanis were huge, I managed half of mine and a couple of bites of the other dishes. Good biryani, although the chicken was a bit of a letdown. I also could not manage dinner after all of this. Next day was a bandh (general strike) and I had to stick to the hotel, sadly I was required to stay at the Leela due to other visitors in my company. I personally don't care for Leela, I find it over priced, the food is not as good as other high end hotels and the service in the restaurants is generally poor. On strike day, I had a club sandwich in the Library bar, it was pretty basic and nothing to remark on. For dinner I ate the fruit in the room and some nuts, no desire to go out. Next up was a new micro brew pub called Biere Club across from Sunny's on Lavelle Road. The beers were quite good in comparison to your average Indian beers (ie: Kingfisher or Indus Pride). The food (or at least the kebabs) were very good and were a great accompaniment to the beers. The only downside is the place is very loud, the music is cranked and makes talking to others quite challenging. I'd recommend the place for a selection of great locally made beers and a very lively atmosphere. I did manage to swing by the Vivanta by Taj on MG Road for my favourite lamb (goat) shanks rogan josh. They are still as good as they were the first time I had them 7 years ago, fall off the bone tender with a wonderful rich and spicy sauce that is impossible to eat without good naan bread. Although they had several large groups on the go the service was still great (as always). The last night I was flying out late and didn't want to risk getting stuck in traffic going for dinner so I sadly dinned at the Pan Asian restaurant at the Leela, Zen. I had the crispy skin chicken with plum sauce and hoisan as well as the spicy hunan noodles with prawns. Nothing to comment on these dishes except that there is no value for money. The food was good but the price is so high it seems lackluster. Last comment on Leela food is breakfast, as it was included in the room rate I went to their buffet in the morning most days (other days I just ate my fruit bowl in the room... the fruit not the bowl). Sadly the selection of fruit is terrible when compared to other high end places in town the only tropical fruit available was pineapple. The bread products were stale every day and the masala omelet I ordered a couple of times was never spicy, even after specifically asking for spicy. The servers also never tell you what you can order from the chef and on my last day I saw someone getting a dosa, I asked the server if I could order that as well and was told I could. So, on the last day I had a masala dosa (not spicy again) with a side of sambar. The sambar was good but a bit sweet as is the style in Karnataka and the dosa was mediocre. The Taj Residency (now called Vivanta by Taj) on MG Road still has the best high end hotel buffet breakfast in Bangalore, the fruit selection is outstanding, fresh honeycomb, great spicy omelets and hash browns that are as addictive as crack. vanderb Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:46:22 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/684476#7916077 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/736959#7901810 I know this is an old thread, but you might get more answers to questions like this at the indiamike.com forum. The moderators are a bit prickly, but it's a great resource for all kinds of Indian travel. ninrn Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:04:21 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/736959#7901810 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/890195#7892433 Thanks, Pine Time and Vanderb. He'd be open to the more expensive places, Vanderb, but it seems like most of those are already covered on Indian tourism websites. If you have some tips as to fancy places he might not find there, that would be great. ninrn Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:47:06 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/890195#7892433 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/885972#7850545 I forgot to mention, the website sure doesn't show everything, but you'll get an idea. Be sure to recco a BIG Fabindia location for the best shopping. There's a tiny branch across the st from the Taj that's not worth the time, for example. Bangle bracelets are big in India, too, if you wear them. ScottnZelda Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:56:08 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/885972#7850545 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/864985#7836823 Well, there *is* the Bekti fish (white-fleshed) that's fairly common in Indian cooking: http://en.petitchef.com/recipes/tandoori-bekti-spanish-rice-casserole-fid-462704 Unless you're dining in a continental restaurant, chances are, your fish was sauteed in ghee, which is clarified butter - the most common type of fat used for cooking in Indian cuisine. Maybe the "nuttiness" came from black mustard seeds. klyeoh Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:55:42 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/864985#7836823 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/867771#7813150 I married a Sri Lankan, learned my mother in law's recipes, and lived in Sri Lanka for nine years. I'm Canadian, though. When we eat out, we tend to do other-than Sri Lankan cooking because, honestly, we prefer mine or my mother in law's cooking to any outside Sri Lankan food. My mother in law is a fantastic cook, so I've been very lucky to learn from her. :) Sri Lankan food is, in my opinion, among the very best in the world. :) LMAshton Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:40:03 GMT http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/867771#7813150