Category: Gurgaon

Continental Cuisine, Gurgaon, India, Italian

Fat Lulu’s (Ground & 1st floor, Shopping Mall, Arjun Marg, DLF Phase 1, Gurgaon)

In a nutshell:

Awesome slim pizzas at fat Lulu’s that r cheaper & much superior than the average fare served by MNC pizzawalas. I pinched myself to ascertain whether I was dreaming or awake – as the food hit my tastebuds.

Fat Lulu’s

Address & other details: Fat Lulu’s

Meal for 2: Rs. 600 onwards

Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

Pizza is a common snack that has become almost an indian food in a decade & half of its getting popularized. MNC pizzawalas like Dominoes Pizza, Pizza Hut etc rule the market with their ‘average to good but seldom outstanding’ breaded & other pizzas, mainly due to smart marketing. Then come the expensive ‘Italian’ restaurants like Tonino, Spagetti Kitchen etc which serve good pizzas but u easily end up spending Rs. 2000+. Good Budget Pizzas were a miss in general & Fat Lulu’s has just filled the void.

Make ur own pizza @ Fat Lulu’s

Between both of us we had 3 pizzas (8 inch) back to back for dinner & we kept craving for more………………….. alas our stomach pouches raised red flags beyond 3.

The Restaurant has a tiny ground floor which is essentially a home delivery & ‘pack’ section. A wooden staircase took us upstairs. I was impressed by the simplicity of the décor & the casual ambience. On one end was the Wood fired pizza Oven & the rest of the room was dining chairs & tables. Tables are for 2 people & they were being joined in different permutations & combinations by the staff to accommodate 4 or 6 or 8 guests together.

Inside Fat Lulu’s

Each table had 3 things – chili flakes, herbs seasoning & most importantly olive oil, in addition to the usual salt, pepper etc.

olive oil on every table

The menu card is a one pager & has an interesting concept: The menu card read – ‘Pick ur base, size, topping & cheese – we wud do the rest’ or ‘choose from our selection of Pizzas’. See the picture below for understanding how the matrix works.

Pricing matrix as of oct 2012

Example. We chose an 8 inch vegetarian pizza with a choice of any 4 toppings. That made it Rs.250. We then chose 1 non vegetarian topping. Those were for Rs. 75 each. So our pizza came for Rs. 325.

As mentioned above we were shocked to find the pizzas so good. They were not gourmet kinds that u get in Hilton / Park Hotel but they were excellent.

For beverages the only option is lipton ice tea / soft carbonated drinks.

The staff members seemed to be new to the job & still learning. However, they tried their best to be helpful. The owner lady was always at the floor & constantly supervising the floor. I was amazed to see that she actually was helping the staff in relocating & re-setting the furniture as well.

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About Food, Gurgaon, India

Mainland China (Shop 2, Ground Floor, Block A Wing, Building 9, DLF Cyber City, DLF Phase 3, Gurgaon)

In a nutshell: My favourite from a decade back (Kolkata chapter) – Re-visited the Gurgaon restaurant after many years & Loved the food overall except one. For seeing pics of food at this place, pls click here. Address & other details: Mainland China Meal for 2: Rs. 1200 onwards Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian Short Description – In case u r in a hurry: Have … Continue reading Mainland China (Shop 2, Ground Floor, Block A Wing, Building 9, DLF Cyber City, DLF Phase 3, Gurgaon)

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Asian Cuisine, Gurgaon, India

Mamagoto (SCO 56, City Centre, Sector 29, Gurgaon; Second Floor, DLF Promenade Mall; 2nd Floor, Select Citywalk Mall, Saket; 1st Floor, Middle Lane, Khan Market)

In a nutshell: A real fun place to spend some great time with family / friends with some food that is either average or good or very good or even outstanding – not encountered any dish that we disliked. Address & other details: Mamagoto Meal for 2: Rs. 700 onwards Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian Short Description – In case u r in a hurry: … Continue reading Mamagoto (SCO 56, City Centre, Sector 29, Gurgaon; Second Floor, DLF Promenade Mall; 2nd Floor, Select Citywalk Mall, Saket; 1st Floor, Middle Lane, Khan Market)

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American, Continental Cuisine, Delhi, Gurgaon, India, Mexican

TGI Fridays (Ground Floor, MGF Mall, MG Road Gurgaon) I

In a nutshell: I was quite impressed with the Mexican Section at TGIF – in addition to some of my usual American favourites. Unfortunately there r not too many stand-alone Mexican Restaurants in Gurgaon who serve Great Mexican food & most of those Restaurants have very chicken heavy menu. For Lamb, pork & beef lovers, TGIF is a welcome relief. Address & other details: TGIF … Continue reading TGI Fridays (Ground Floor, MGF Mall, MG Road Gurgaon) I

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Continental Cuisine, Gurgaon, India, Mexican

Salsa Salsaa (1st Floor, Sahara Mall, M.G. Road Gurgaon)

In a nutshell: Very Good attempt to serve great food but not upto the mark if u compare with the Tex Mex Restaurants in the US. Not bad at all, if u do not compare with the True Blue Tex Mex restaurants in US. Address & other details: Salsa Salsa Meal for 2: Rs. 600 onwards Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian Short Description – In … Continue reading Salsa Salsaa (1st Floor, Sahara Mall, M.G. Road Gurgaon)

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Asian Cuisine, Gurgaon, India, Japanese

Daikichi (Upper Ground Floor, shop no. 2, JMD Regent Arcade, MG Road, Gurgaon)

In a nutshell:

Japanese restaurant in Gurgaon run by Japanese National , usually full with Japanese expat guests, good service, great food – A must visit for those who have started to appreciate Japanese Cuisine.

the logo

Address & other details: Daikichi

Meal for 2: Rs. 1500 onwards

tuna & salmon sashimi at Daikichi

Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

We saw this tiny Japanese Restaurant in JMD Regent Mall on our way to the Korean Restaurant Tomato in the same mall. Daikichi looked totally different from anything around & absolutely stood apart inspite of its small size. As we peeped in thru the glass, we saw all seats occupied by Japanese expats – a view that made me think for a second that I am in Tokyo. So, decided to pay a visit to Daikichi soon & here we were in a month’s time.

the restaurant

The entrance is quite tricky. There is a traditional curtain at the entrance that was made out of natural fiber ropes. One is supposed to brush it aside before entering – unable to imagine that b4 entering, I walked past & reached the KFC door, only to realize my mistake.
The interiors are not as Japan specific as the exteriors. It cud well have been any other restaurant. However, few posters on the wall with stuff written in Japanese gave a feel. The right side had rows of tables with 4 seats each & on the left were few cubicles with 4 seats each. The dividers of the cubicles were so high that u cud not see the guys in the other cubicle.

the facade of daikichi restaurant

The restaurant has a partially open kitchen & one can easily peep inside the very neat & clean kitchen.

Shrimps in chilli sauce

The 5 page menu card is pictorial with a caveat ‘the photograph is an image & is not necessarily a true representation’. While reading thru the items, in quite a few instances I was zapped & felt as helpless as I wud feel in Hongkong in a traditional restaurant. Though everything is written in English, somewhere some things are not very clear. However, the staff is very quick to help & explain & answer patiently to all questions.

pictorial menu card at Daikichi

The service is great & what makes a difference is that the elderly Japanese Gentleman who owns the place personally comes to meet the guests , does a Namaste, a traditional Japanese bow & does a little conversation in English. His warmth makes one feel like revisiting.

Few things that we usually try in a Japanese place is sushi, sashimi, ramen (Japanese Noodle soup) & of course teppanyaki (where available). This time around we missed out the ramen at Daikichi coz its just too big & almost a meal in itself. Will revisit & keep u all updated.

stir fried pork at Daikichi

The We super loved our sashimi , baked rice & our grill ,liked the prawn in chilli sauce.

This place also serves Japanese style cutlets, skewers, salads, udon noodles etc.

Detailed Description – In case u have the time to njoy readin:

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Asian Cuisine, Bakery & Breakfast, chinese, Continental Cuisine, European, Gurgaon, India

Asia Alive (Double Tree by Hilton, Golf Course Road, Sector 56, Gurgaon)

This is a review of Breakfast only at Asia Alive

In a nutshell:

‘Classic’ Continental buffet spread that is very good on its own but there r better options in Gurgaon.

Eggs Benedict at Doubletree Hilton

Address & other details: Asia Alive

Meal for 2: Rs. 1500 onwards

Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

It was a Saturday morning & we were upto our customary ‘Earn ur breakfast’ – Walked 5.8 km to reach Asia Alive to enliven ourselves. Called up the Restaurant the night before & confirmed that it will b open in the morning. So we walked all the way excited to have Asian food for Breakfast – like at Sakura / Sen5es.

Oriental Stir fried veggies & stir fried noodles @ Doubletree Hilton

We were very disappointed to find Continental & Indian spread in place of an Asian spread for breakfast. In fact we were expecting live dimsum / congee / stir fry counters but ended up at a live Dosa counter!!!!!

The decor was obviously nice but nothing special to remember.

The staff members were very warm, attentive & efficient. They surely took care & contributed positively to our breakfast experience.

Tailor-made ice cream teppanyaki @ Doubletree Hilton

Food was very good in general that does not qualify for a ‘wow’ though. Loved the breakfast here – small spread, good ingredients, simple but good food without any twists / turns/ surprises. Sen5es Pullman Hotel breakfast spread beats this hands down on spread & the wow factor.

Detailed Description – In case u have the time to njoy readin:

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Asian Cuisine, Gurgaon, India, Indian, nepali

Roots – Café in the Park (Rajiv Gandhi Renewable energy Park, Leisure Valley, Sector 29, Gurgaon)

In a nutshell:

Day 1 & Day 2: Simplicity, back to basics (Roots), a great idea, superb execution, unbelievable prices & excellent food are words that come to my mind while describing Roots café. Day 3 : Quite dissappointing & average food

the logo

Address & other details: Roots

Meal for 2: Rs. 200 onwards

The exterior view of Roots cafe

Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & eggs

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

It was a Saturday morning & we were upto our customary ‘Earn ur breakfast’ – Walked 4km & then renewed our energy at Roots Cafe situated in Renewable Energy park, leisure valley, Gurgaon.

Moong dal chilla @ Roots cafe

For many of us in Gurgaon, central air-conditioning, glass house buildings & high rises have become a part of existence. Lots of us have lost touch with the way we used to be in our childhood – simple fans / air coolers. Roots Café reconnects us to our roots with its basic but tastefully done décor in which almost no man-made materials have been used, the simplicity of its menu, partially open-air structure & the huge air coolers.

the interiors of Roots Cafe

The structure, as mentioned above, is of wood, bamboo & other natural materials. The roof is thatched. The furniture is all wood. The coasters are natural & so is the beautifully made cover of the menu card & the ‘cheque’ folder.

Furniture at Roots cafe

As mentioned above, there is no A/C but even in the heat of June the two mammoth non noisy air-coolers do a good job of keeping the place cool.

The all natural Menu card – only the lamination inside is plastic

Unlike in other places where the waiting staff gets the order, here u r supposed to write ur choice of food on a little ‘order slip’. Really liked this concept as that reduces chances of wrong ordering / wrong order interpretations.

A huge wall cabinet with an inbuilt refrigerator in the center

The waiting staff is very non-intrusive but well behaved & nice. Their product (the food that they serve) knowledge is good as well.
The urge & passion to serve tasty & good food (even though it is not gourmet food) is really commendable.

Detailed Description – In case u have the time to njoy readin:

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Continental Cuisine, German, Gurgaon, India

7 degrees Brauhaus (3rd Floor, South Point Mall, Golf Course Road, Sector 53, Gurgaon)

In a nutshell:

One of the many micro-breweries – ‘Freshly brewed Beer’ places in Gurgaon that not only serves good beer but also beer cocktails & thankfully focuses on serving some excellent food as well.

The logo

Address & other details: 7 degrees Brauhaus

Meal for 2: Rs. 1200 onwards (alcohol separate)

Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

Micro breweries are popping up every here & there in Gurgaon. It all started with Howzzat few years back in Galaxy Mall. While all of them serve 2-3 options of fresh unbottled beer, most of them serve really average food. My experience of food at Lemp has been very average – same for Downtown & of course for Rockman’s & Howzzat. Its different that post a couple of glasses of beer the tastebuds tend to numb & taste does not really matter at that time, but food is surely not the forte in most of these places – all of them have some good / popular / chatpata items but in general food is average to good – not outstanding / excellent.

A view of the bar area

Brauhaus is an exception. I was pleasantly surprised by the good food (I tried the German food section only) at this place & am willing to get back to try & ‘eat’ more stuff – a feeling that I have not got in other places so far.

The interiors are very good – high ceilings ensure that the place seems airy & non-claustrophobic. However, the seating area is quite cluttered. In fact the seats are so near that if the music stops, u might be able to catch a whisper from the table beside u. A part of the seating area has trees (with leaves) etc & u get the feel of sitting beneath the tree (without the threat of bird droppings).
The crowd was almost a 50:50 mix of Indians:Expats.

Music was good. I liked the little note-slips kept on the tables that looked like audio cassette covers – they were meant for music requests to the DJ.

Music request slips that look like audio cassette covers

The waiting staff who was in charge of our table was a very good guy & he positively contributed to us having a very good experience.

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

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Arab, Continental Cuisine, Gurgaon, India, Mediterranean

Flavors of Arabia (Ninex Mall, Sohna Road, Gurgaon)

In a nutshell:

Much above the average Arab food in Delhi NCR –however, almost nothing except one item in our dinner cud be termed ‘outstanding’.

Flavors of Arabia

Address & other details: FOA (Flavors of Arabia)

Meal for 2: Rs. 1000 onwards

Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian

Outstanding Baklava at FOA

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

I was overwhelmed by Arab Food at Persian Room, Arizona , USA & was looking out for a good Arab meal in Delhi NCR. My friend mentioned this new Restaurant that has come up in Gurgaon & so we set out for it.

The restaurant is situated in Ninex Mall that still has serious footfall issues. As we walked into the mall, we noticed a welcome desk of FOA. The Guy had the menu card (that we had browsed on the net already) & walked us up to the lift.

Zaa’tar Chicken at FOA

The Restaurant had nice interiors, a bit too dark though but not bad. There were lamps on each table that not only illuminated the food but also gave a mystic feel. In fact, a great place to have a candlelight dinner. Seeing the darkness I was thinking that maybe I wud not b able to take good photographs – but nothing of that sort happened. Came up with quite good pics.

The Dining Hall

Beautiful plush sofas with abundant cushions contributed to the cozy setting of the dining tables. I noticed a uniform design of grill on all windows & separators – Typical Arab look. Also saw interesting decorative items on table tops.

Grill on the wall

There is an open air section as well – shud be great during Autumn & Spring. There are two party rooms as well that can be booked- a small one & a large one. We went to take a look & found those to be quite interesting.

In the background they played peppy Arab music as well.

The people were quite warm & knowledgeable. One thing was very irritating though – One guy is placed in the middle of the Dining room (see picture above) with the intent of attending to needs of guests. However, what he ends up doing is staring at the guests constantly. So every time u happen to look there, u might have an eye contact. I was getting the irritating feeling that I was being watched all the time – as if I was under house arrest. The intent is good but the training has been bad.

Open Shawarma at FOA

The Menu card is huge & has more than 10 pages. Lots of known & unknown food on offer. Good place for veggies as there are many options in all sections. There is seafood & fish on the menu as well. Fusion dishes are marked with a ‘*’ on the menu card. Authentic ones do not have ‘*’. I was told that the Restaurant is open since about 3 months &currently has no alcohol license – though expected soon.

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

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