Year: 2012

Bhopal, India, Indian, Mughlai, streetfood

Jamil Hotel, near Chatori Gali, Bhopal – Street food

In a nutshell:

Good fish & meat kababs with strong & rustic flavored & taste, some very interesting Biryani that made me rethink my list of ‘best Biryani’ & one of the best Mutton Kormas I have ever had..

best Mutton Korma I ‘ve ever had

Address & other details: Just get into an autorickshaw & ask for Jamil Hotel near Chatori Gali. U will b transported there. In case the auto driver does not know, ask him to take u to Chatori Gali. Once there, just ask for Jamil Hotel situated on a road opposite Chatori Gali.

Meal for 2: Rs. 100 onwards

Cuisine Type: Nonvegetarian

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

Like Chatori Gali, everything here is very chatpata in taste – rustic, robust.

For those of u who rate the look & feel of a restaurant highly, u will b disappointed here. It has quite a shabby appearance, has old metal tables & bench seating. The shop does not even have a signboard. People just know this place.

The interiors

During my chat with the owner, he told us that they will move in to a new bigger building right opposite the existing one & that will b like a regular Restaurant.

For those of u who r frightened to eat fried food or food with fat in them, this is not the right place. BUT, if u r one of those who believe in pampering ur tastebuds & then work out harder to burn those extra calories, then this is the place to be.

the open kitchen

The serving staff at the shop are quite friendly. But as I always say, they do not undergo modern day ‘Hotel Management Training that preaches ‘Customer is the King’ etc. So they behave with u in a person to person basis & treat u as another person they r dealing with & not a ‘Customer’. So if u r friendly, that is reciprocated & vice versa.

We were lucky to have the Chef come up to the table post the serving staff ran out of answers to my questions. The Chef was really nice & explained things. When we ordered an extra Biryani to end the meal, he gave a complimentary ‘gravy of Mutton Do Pyaza’ to taste.

As u enter the shop, u r greeted with the sight of Marinated meats & fishes. These are cooked on request right in front of u. So there is almost nothing that is made & stored. So we had some good kababs, some outstanding Korma & a very very interesting Biryani.

marinades displayed right at the entrance to the shop

Detailed Description – In case u have the time to enjoy reading:

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Indian, Mughlai, streetfood

Chatori Gali, Bhopal – Street food

In a nutshell:

Utopia for meat lovers , this gali (street) is full of tiny shops selling fish & meat dishes with strong & rustic flavors & taste at prices that u wud have heard ur grandfather talk about.

chatori gali - the lane

Address & other details: Just get into an autorickshaw & ask for Chatori Gali. U will b transported there. It seemed as easy as asking any public transport driver in Agra to take u to Taj Mahal !!!!

There is a small parking that can accomodate 10 – 12 cars just opposite Chatori Gali – In case u prefer to take a car.

Meal for 2: Rs. 70 onwards

prices so low that even ur Grandfather wud compare with his college days.

Cuisine Type: Nonvegetarian

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

This place is just a road on which there are small shops on both sides that sell YUMM meat & fish products at very low price & high volumes. Everything here is very chatpata in taste – rustic, robust.

first shop in the corner - Chatori Gali

For those of u who go by the hygiene displayed by the Restaurant / the shop, u will b disappointed. Its different that in the kitchen of many (not all) Restaurants, it is not very neat & clean – the only difference is that u do not get to see that.

For those of u who r frightened to eat fried food or food with fat in them, this is not the right place. BUT, if u r one of those who believe in pampering ur tastebuds & then work out harder to burn those extra calories, then this is the place.

the corner shop with a rotating chicken roasting machine

The people at the counters are quite friendly & ‘to the point’. But as I always say, they do not undergo modern day ‘Retail Management Training ‘ that preaches ‘Customer is the King’ etc. So they behave with u in a one to one basis & treat u as another person they r dealing with & not a ‘Customer’. So if u r friendly, that is reciprocated & vice versa.

Marinated meats & fishes are displayed in front of u & are made on request right in front of u. So there is almost nothing that is made & stored.

marinated miscellaneous meats

I was surprised to see that one shop had an automated rotating Chicken Roasting machine too.

I had one of the best ever Hamburgers (pao Kabab) in this place, a very unique & enjoyable paaya soup, good sheekh kababs, outstanding beef kababs,

the finger licking good beef kababs

Detailed Description – In case u have the time to enjoy reading:

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Continental Cuisine, For the Chef in u……, Guest Blogger

Fresh Salad with Veggies & Tangy Mayo dressing.

This is a part of the series ……. For the Chef in u Contributed by YUMMRAJ’s favourite Chef ANONYMOUS Super easy to make & Super good to eat…………… For all those of u who think salads r boring, this one will make u sit  straight & rethink. It all started with an impulse purchase of orange, elliptical shaped cherry tomatoes – something that we do … Continue reading Fresh Salad with Veggies & Tangy Mayo dressing.

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Assamese, Delhi, India, Indian

Jakoi (1 Sardar Patel Marg, Assam Bhawan,Crossing of Kautilya Marg & Sardar Patel Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi)

 In a nutshell:

Exceeded expectations when it came to eating superb subtle Assamese food in the land of strong flavors & taste – Delhi.

Near the entrance of the Restaurant

Address & other details: Jakoi

Meal for 2: Rs. 700 onwards

traditional setting in open air sitting area

Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

The Assam Bhawan Canteen is managed by Jakoi, a restaurant Chain in Assam. The eatery has a nice & warm traditional look & feel to it. U can choose to sit indoors or outdoors. The outdoor seating is quite interesting conceptually – large hand painted metal trunks form a table & people sit around them on cane chairs.

hand painted metal trunks serve as tables.

Traditional bamboo products like fishing hats, fishing nets (jakoi) etc are displayed all over. In the indoor section, there are displays of traditional Mekhla Cloth, silk worms & a lot of interesting things.

Traditional fishing instrument Jakoi & other things on display

The menu card looks like a Jakoi. There are options of set menus as well as ala carte. Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian options are available. Assamese names of all dishes were printed. On the table there was a small ‘special menu’ which was just Assamese words written in English Script……….

Menu card that looks like Jakoi (2D of course)

……….& that is what sparked off a debate. We had heard about a pepper called Bhut Jalokia which is hot but in a different way than Chilly. So we wanted to have a preparation with that. In our conversation with the staff, neither of us understood each other & we got what we did not order. After a tiny debate, the Manager came in & changed the dish to what we wanted. This could have been avoided if the additional menu wud also have had an English Translation.

beautiful traditional decoration inside

Food is subtle & not ‘on the face’. Flavors r enjoyable.  We loved the thali so much last time that we again went for the thali. We were pleasantly surprised to find that all of the dishes in the set menu were good.

parampara thali at Jakoi

Detailed Description – In case u have the time to enjoy reading:

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Continental Cuisine, Italian, Mediterranean

Cafe Bel Cibo (Ground Floor, Ninex Mall, Sohna Road, Gurgaon)

In a nutshell:

Cool interiors, nice ambience, warm staff, good place to hang out with friends, good for a date as well, but food – average, inconsistent – good at times & bad at other times.
cafe bel cibo

Address & other details: Cafe Bel Cibo

Meal for 2: Rs. 800 onwards

the interiors - long shot

Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian

Ninex Mall

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

You’d love the atmosphere. A bright colorful interior with lots of super cool detailing, a large graphiti,

cool graphiti on the wall

nice little figurines,

figurines

books

books & other stuff on shelves

……………… The interior designer excelled in his / her work.

I heard from two different sets of foodie friends that this new place is good. Both of them have had good experience here. So decided to go there for the first time to have some pizzas.

cool NO SMOKING guy on the wall

We were impressed with the look of the menu card as it arrived – the design, looks & feel.

the cool menu card

Menu options were focused, not too many & not too less – soups,salads, pizzas, pastas, lasagnes, starters, sides & a mezze platter.
Service was good.

The food looked great & very appealing. Some of the food was good. Rest was a disaster. Since my friends have liked it on previous occasions, I guess it was my bad luck – maybe the chef was not around / absent / left the restaurant & the trainee / someone novice was around to cook our food.

Cool Presentation of food

Whatever be the case, it was frustrating to pay full price for the food & get something stupid on the plate. In fact if u r as unlucky as me, U might also turn up there on such a bad day.

I am surely not going back there to re-try & waste my hard earned money.

We ordered a mezze platter, a pesto based pizza & a Belgian Chocolate drink & fresh lime soda. A part of the platter was good, part average. The Pizza was a disaster. The Chocolate drink was good but not what we expect in Belgian Chocolate. It turned out to be like a Belgian ‘Milk Chocolate’ – not dark. The fresh lime soda ‘sweet & salt’ was ok.

Detailed Description – In case u have the time to enjoy reading:

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Continental Cuisine

The Oak Tree (Supermart, DLF Phase4, Gurgaon)

In a nutshell:

Nice Ambience, nice people, some outstanding food & some other ‘just OK’ food.

the menu card with a wooden cover

Address & other details: The Oak Tree

Meal for 2: Rs. 1200 onwards

fondue

Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

It’s a small cozy restaurant in Supermart besides the super popular Needs Supermarket. The ambience is nice. The ceilings have metal beams thus giving a retro look. There is a tiny bar area that looks smart. There are sofas in lounge style on one side & normal restaurant seating on the other. Due to lack of space, the seats are a bit near to each other but not disturbingly near.

inside the restaurant

They were playing a peppy piped music that was enjoyable but non intrusive. We cud talk.

The members of Staff were very warm,polite, helpful & knowledgeable. In fact, the waiting staff noticed that we did not finish one of the meals. So he asked us ‘did u not like it’ we said ‘yes’. Immediately after that the Chef walked up to us to discuss what was wrong.

We tried a fondue that had great accompaniments but the cheese dip was too runny. An outstanding Bratwurst sausage & an interesting Italian Prawn preparation that was tasted good but had major issues in texture. The mead ‘drink’ that we had was very ordinary.

They make some good stone oven thin crust Pizzas as well, both vegetarian & Nonvegetarian.

Detailed Description – In case u have time to enjoy reading:

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Indian, north Indian snacks (street food)

Streetfood- Pappu Fish Corner (Madanpuri Road, Shivpuri Extension, Sector 7, NewColony, Old Gurgaon)

In a nutshell: Very popular joint, focused tiny menu, tasty food but I have surely had better than this outside of Gurgaon. How to get there: Take a right from Rajeev Chowk on NH8 (if facing Jaipur), Keep going straight. At one point the road narrows & u pass thru a congested market. After u cross it, u find Shiva’s idol in the road divider. … Continue reading Streetfood- Pappu Fish Corner (Madanpuri Road, Shivpuri Extension, Sector 7, NewColony, Old Gurgaon)

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Continental Cuisine, Indian, snack

Special French Omelet (Shyam Palace, Sec 4 & 5 Chowk, Dhanwapur Road, Old Gurgaon)

In a nutshell:

A roadside ‘French’ Dhaba which has no French Connection but serves lipsmacking good egg dishes.

French Omelet

Meal for 2 : Rs. 80 onwards

Website: French Omelet

Google map: French

The shop facade

How to get there: Take a right from Rajeev Chowk on NH8 (if facing Jaipur), Keep going straight. At one point the road narrows & u pass thru a congested market. After u cross it, u find Shiva’s idol in the road divider. Keep going straight till u reach a small roundabout (gol chakkar). Cross this & keep going forward till u come to a crossing with Atul Kataria Marg. The store is right in the corner of this crossing. Just ask someone at this point.

Cuisine Type: Egg dishes

Description:
We were curious to visit the place when my friend told me that there is a shop called French Omelet in Old Gurgaon. It sounded as crazy as a Dhodha shop in Paris!!!!!

Since the original recipe was continental & since it has been Indianlized, it is dual classified under Indian & Continental.

Seeing that my friend was very upbeat about the food here,we along with some foodie friends visited the shop. The shop looked like any other roadside shop that sells food in India. We asked why it was called French Omelet & what was the French Connection. The answer we got was quite cloudy & I guess it meant that the term ‘French’ sounded good – So it was chosen as a name.

We first ordered for Omelet with half fried toast. Some people call this French Toast in India. It is conceptually an omelette & bread stuck to it & is salty (not sweet like the original French Toast).

On top of the omelet-bread, they sprinkled a dark powdered masala, onions, few drops of lemon & minced coriander leaves. The masala as it is tasted like churan but it gave an unbelievably good twist to the taste of the Omelet-bread. All this was then served with a green chutney which apart from the usual dhania (coriander) & pudina (mint), also had nuts in it !!!! The chutney was marvellous & before I ate this combination, I had no idea how good bread, egg & chutney can taste when they land on ur tastebuds.

omelet bread

They used a quarter of an 100g Amul Butter pack per dish for frying. That surely contributed to the taste.

Continue reading “Special French Omelet (Shyam Palace, Sec 4 & 5 Chowk, Dhanwapur Road, Old Gurgaon)”

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Continental Cuisine, Mediterranean

Mediterra (Sayaji Hotel, Vijaynagar, Indore)

In a nutshell:

Pretty interesting food & nice decor with some masterpieces.

line up of dips at Mediterra

Address & other details: Mediterra

Meal for 2: Rs. 2000 onwards

Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

Situated on the top floor of Sayaji Hotel, the restaurant gives a bird’s eye view of the city. It is open air & has natural heaters – wood-fire pits for cold winer evenings.

When my friend suggested that we go for Mediterranean food, I asked ‘Is the environment noisy or we can sit & talk? We finally decided to go here – Food was not my agenda as we needed to discuss something important. I had low expectations from a Mediterranean Restaurant at Indore – with the background that even in a ‘full of restaurants’ city like Delhi, it is difficult to find outstanding Mediterranean food.

The starter platter was quite ordinary, the prawns in arabian spices was mind blowing good, so was tehlamb rack, vegetarian phyllo wrap was very good & the Marinated Cottage cheese with stuffing of parmesan & sundried tomato was quite interesting.

Detailed Description – In case u have the time to enjoy reading:

Before the meal arrived, we were served a platter that was on the house – all looked good but turned out to be very ordinary. Dip made with Belle pepper paste, a hung curd & grated cucumber that tasted exactly like hung curd & grated cucumber!!!! A paste made out of aubergines & herbs (similar to baingan ka bharta) & hummus – look forward to a Hummus recipe that u can make at home & it will taste much better than this – coming up soon on yummraj.

the starter platter that is served 'on the house'

The ensemble also had golden fried garlic in olive oil, sun dried tomato in olive oil & some excellent breads of different shapes & sizes. Only the plain bun kind of bread was bad – not soft, not warm & almost tasteless. In fact it is so hard that if it falls from the table, u might hear a thud as well!!!

ensemble of breads

For starters came Rubyan Mashawi prawns – marinated in Arabian spices. This was the first instance when I started taking the place eriously. That feeling increased with every bite – soft, tasty prawns marinated in Arabian spices & herbs. The sauce had a buttery texture & with every bite the prawns were bursting with flavors & juices inside the mouth…………..Magical. The plate was wiped off till the last drop.

the outstanding tasty prawns

Post this sudden unexpected experience, I requested the Serving staff to suggest something between a lamb rack & a grilled salmon. I said ‘After such a great experience the next dish should be as good or better. He did not want to take a risk & hence the Chef was there with us. He suggested the lamb Rack.

Continue reading “Mediterra (Sayaji Hotel, Vijaynagar, Indore)”

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For the Chef in u……, Guest Blogger, Indian, sweets

Gajar ka Halwa

This is a part of the series ……. For the Chef in u Contributed by YUMMRAJ’s favourite Chef ANONYMOUS Super easy to make & Super good to eat…………… Gajar ka Halwa (carrot pudding) is an age old dish for which every person cooking it has his/her own variant. The ones available at shops are usually richer & different than the ones made at home – … Continue reading Gajar ka Halwa

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