Madhali Sutti

We are starting new Microfoodblog series in 2017.. will review new places with small blogs and will try to put at least one blog a month.. here goes the first one based on today's visit..

Madhali Sutti...

As the name suggest Madhali Sutti (which means recess for all english medium readers) is a fun time to enjoy a small break during school hours..

We are great fan of Small joints which always gives a homely feeling , the food is served with passion and love (most of the times...)

 

 Along side is the menu card for the outlet..



Menu is very interesting some unusual dishesh stand out 
Thikhat Mithachi Puri being one of them..

All the dishes are very economical ideal for students.. 

This was our first visit to the outlet tried few items..

Definitely will try more dishes in coming visit...

The reason why we went to this joint is the dish shown along side. It is called "Chicken Bhujing"

Very interesting story for this dish..

the same dish was featured in one of the food related articles in a local marathi paper.

This food item is originally from Vasai Virar.. the writer of the article complained that it is not easy to go there and eat this special dish and he found the same dish in Dadar and he was very happy with the discovery.

On the same day while going to Collage road the same Dish was featured in Madhali Sutti's Menu board. What a coincidence so it was decided to give it a try for sure..

The dish is unique combination of Pohe and Sukka Chicken which tastes like Biryani with a Twist..actually while reading it seems very odd but tastes pretty good..

This dish was little different than the one featured in the food article but this version also was interesting to say the least..

We are a big fan of different textures in food and specially there should be a crunchy element in a dish which takes it to another level. 

Crunchy element in this was the nicely chopped onion it gives a good texture to the dish.

Slight variation as per our taste will be to have some crunchy poha itself and soft sukka Chicken on top of it.. will surely try to do this at home :)

All in all it is a very interesting place to visit

Owara Misal Junction

Today was the first visit to Owara ..

One of the first theme restaurants in Nasik..

First thing that strikes you Warli painting at the entrance and the Tulsi vrindavan. 

It gives a good and homely feel when you enter the restaurant.

The interiors , seating arrangements all are very good posting few pics..

Now coming to food , we went for the "Misal Mohotsav"

There were Five Different type - Masala Missals.

Yellow - Pivala Rassa
Red - Lal Rassa
Green - Hirva Rassa
White - Pandhara Rassa
Black - Kaala Rasa

Concept with it was very good and something new for all the Misal Lovers of Nashik.

Also it was a buffet arrangement so everyone can help themselves with the different tastes..

Misal was a disappointment , we were not able to actually taste the different types of Masala's mostly due to huge bowl kept at the Buffet. Actually I asked for smaller bowl but I was told that this is how you eat Missal.. So we had to continue with single Rassa tasting.

Food overall was lacking seasoning , spices and everything..

There were different types of breads on offer which were OK..

Jalebi was also available it was average..

To Summarize it - Ambiance ,interiors raise your expectations ; Misal is a disappointment.

A lot emphasis is given on decor but more focus is expected on the actual Misal quality. 

Al Arabian Express - Nashik

Hello everyone back after a looong time..

Sorry we could not keep up posting Food blog during recent months..

Now we have decided to go for small blogs and we are going to continue with updating them regularly..

Here is the first small / micro blog of the series..



Al Arabian Express -

                                       

Today we visited the new and improved Al Arabian Express near collage road behind Big Bazar.

This was our second visit to the joint within couple of months.

First visit was very promising but we could not taste enough of the food to review it. So today was the day we decided to go again.

Kebabs are very interesting and available in wide range of varieties...

We have tried Banjara Tikka , Pahadi kabab so far at the joint. Both the Kababs were very nicely marinated , cooked to perfection , just right amount of moisture left on the kababs so they are not too dry while eating. Both had different spices and tasted good.

Regular Tandoori is also good ; We enjoyed both Kababs and Tandori with Roomali Rotis which actually is a very good combination.

Recently they have started serving regular Tandoori Rotis. This is a very good addition and complements the menu. We also tried Butter Chicken which was a bit spicy , amount Cream was an issue but the combination of Roti and Butter Chicken was a hit.

Another Addition to the menu is for People like us who enjoy little sweet after a good meal - Caramel Custard and Phirni.

Phirni was outstanding not too sweet just right and the portion was also good.

The Caramel on the custard was little dark but could not taste actual flavour of Caramel,.


Shawarma is a regular feature of this joint , we have tried them and I am a fan of the hummus served with it. Will review them next time when we visit the joint again.

Could not click more pics of the good food , next time will try different Kababs and new things at the joint.

till then keep enjoying good food and watch your weight.. :)


Overall Rating - Good , Must Visit..

Average bill for Two people around Rs. 600

"Lucknow" City of Nawab's Part 1

Our Last Post was about "Nawabi Kabab" and recently I had the opportunity to visit the City of Nawab's "LUCKNOW"

This will be first post not based on a restaurant but on different food findings of a City.

When you hear Lucknow the first thing comes to mind is "Kabab". I had decided to taste all the different Kababs Lucknow city has to offer (technically not possible as I had 2 days only).

Day 1 - DASTARKHWAN - 

"Dastarkhwan" literally means big Ceremonial dining area.

I went there at 9.00 PM and could not get my foot inside the Road side joint. After waiting for

another half an hour got the opportunity to finally sit down and get down to business.

Following the principle of  "messier the place testier the food" I had good hope and expectations.

Menu was simple around 14 dishes in total and surprisingly one VEG dish - Paneer Butter Masala (which was out of stock).

Specialty of the joint is Chicken Masala and Galawat Kabab*.

*Galawat Kabab / Galawati Kabab this too has a history behind it. As the story goes the Nawab of Awadh become too old to eat (without teeth) his favorite Kababs so Royal Chef came up with new recipe of this kabab. I am sure you got the concept now whether the story is true or not will leave it at that.

Along with Chicken Masala you can order Parathas or Roomali rootis. Parathas are almost fried in Oil and is made crispy. It compliments the texture of Chicken masala and the Galawat Kababs.

Chicken Masala is actually only masala and lots of oil. Masala is made up of usual garam masala , double G's (Ginger & Garlic) and loads of Cashew Nut paste.

Cashew Nuts give a different texture to the complete dish along with richness.

Overall Experience was good but after comparing to other joints in Lucknow will rate it 3.5 out of 5.

Cost wise it is very economical , for two people it will be around Rs. 600.

Again same advice go with friends and family to enjoy variety of dishes

Address - Dastarkhwan -29, B N Road, B.N.Road, Near Lalbagh Girls Inter Colleges Lalbagh Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226001

More from Lucknow....


To be continued...


ENJOY FOOD...

Nawabi Kabab Junction

NAWABI KABAB JUNCTION


Craving for smoking hot delicious kababs in a winter evening?

You can head straight to this joint called NAWABI KABABS! If you don’t mind seating roadside, you can enjoy fresh and hot kababs straight out of tandoor, otherwise you will have to take a parcel. As the joint is situated just outside a chicken shop, supply of fresh meat is
guaranteed which reflects in the juiciness of the kababs. It has another branch at Vidyavikas circle which has a bit more seating facility.

Menu offers variety of dishes in chicken, fish and mutton. Of course, the main attraction is kababs. Well marinated kababs of different variety are arranged on a platform and are grilled on a Tandoor as per ordered.

 We tasted few varieties like Chicken Reshmi Tikkas which are mildly spiced in white marination with curd, cream and cashew paste. As the name suggests, these kababs are really subtle in flavor and could be enjoyed by kids also.Those who like it spicy, can go for Chicken tikka or Chicken Pahadi tikka. Chicken tikkas are with red marination with just the right amount of spices which makes them really delicious. Pahadi tikkas are marinated in green paste made of mint, green chillies and coriander. All these herbs bring freshness in the taste of kababs and make them light. Only thing is the amount of food colour used in marinations can be reduced a bit, but again overuse of food colours is very common in such cuisines.

Now about the most popular tandoor dish..Yes..The one and only Tandoori chicken!  You can higher your expectations on that one. Better than I have ever tasted in any reputed hotels in nasik.  Just the right amount of spices and chilly which makes you lick your fingers. A butter Nan along with tandoori chicken would have made a perfect dish for me but Nan was not available through its listed on the menu, so slight disappointment there.

Prices are at par with the quantity of food. Within Rs 500 , two people can enjoy 2-3 varieties of kababs.

For Biryanis, kheema and other dishes you might have to check the availability.

Enjoy the food ..

do keep us posted with your feedback and suggestions..

The First Take on “Steak”

The First Take on “Steak”

We had been trying to find out a good Steak Place for a long time. Finally the opportunity came at the least expected trip to Kolkata.

I found the Bangali Cuisine to be on the sweet side for my palet. So finding a good steak house was not on my agenda.

I was staying at Ballygunge area of Kolkata so Steak Factory was not very hard to find.

On the first sight it was a very small congested space and I had my doubts about getting good meal after walking 4 KMs to this place.

Once in the hotel fragrance and the atmosphere of the place ensured that we were in for a great treat ahead.

Interior resembled some retro Saloon (something right from Wild West movies) with posters of Old Classics on the brick walls and good light music in the background.
Furniture suggested simplicity of the venue and emphasis on food and taste.

The first impression for food is always the Menu card and this one was huge assortment. Problem at these types of joints is your own appetite. 

There is a limit for what you can try in a visit and if you are not going in a group the choices become more limited. So we decided to go for the absolute must haves from the menu.

For starters it was French Onion Rings – I had one of the best Onion rings at this place I would rate them ahead of Onion Rings at Burger King. As per me , Onion ring should be crunchy from outside and still the Onion inside the batter should be translucent and bit sweet which complements the crunchy crust.

Next on list was Bacon Wrapped Prawns; I personally liked the concept of crispy Bacon over Prawns but it was not available on that day so I guess we missed on that (Must have for the second visit).

Apart from that Zucchini Fritters looked interesting but we decided to give full respect to the Hero of the venue The Steak.

     

For Steak as you can see in the menu below there were good options from Chicken to Barbeque Pork ribs. Being the first Steak Out we went with a normal Chicken Steak and a Ham Steak to start the show.



As expected it took good 20 mins for the steaks to come but the wait was worth it. 
Just the look of steaks reassured our belief.

The portions were good and enough for a person. Both the steaks were accompanied by French Fries / Potato mash and serving of stir fried vegetables. 
Both the steaks were “medium to well-done” and as per Indian palate. 

The Ham Steak was with Black pepper sauce which gave an extra spicy punch for the slightly crunchy steak, the balance of Sauce was good and perfect in seasoning which usually is the key for a great sauce.

Chicken steak was served with Sunny Side up egg on top and mushroom sauce. Though I did not get the impact of the egg on a steak, overall mushroom sauce did gave a different texture to the complete dish.

For Vegetarians I think the menu will be little limited (it is a steak house so one should not expect an extravagant menu for Veggis). 

The pricing is also very reasonable considering the Portion Size. For two people we managed to get good starters ,mock tails and great steaks for around Rs. 1600.

So this is highly recommended joint for anyone visiting Kolkata and looking for something other than Sweet Bangali Cuisine. Also recommended to go in a group so you can try more dishes and enjoy the evening with friends and family.

A Coastal Treat..."Abhishek" Chiplun

For sea food lovers, visit to Konkan region is a real treat. We are no exception! Just when we start planning our trip to Konkan, our first thoughts are about fish, fish and fish! 

Recently we were heading to Ratnagiri on NH 17. As usual our Eating Stops were decided before the actual Journey started. On our agenda was Hotel “Abhishek” in Chiplun. This place was highly recommended for its coastal delicacies. 

The hotel is situated in a small lane off the highway. But as this place is quite famous, can be quickly found.  The ambiance is ok but the service is prompt and efficient. If you go there during peak dining hours, there are good chances of you being on the waiting list.

Luckily we didn’t have to wait and ordered, which seemed, heaps of food, but nothing was left on the plate except bones. One can imagine how tasty it was!  

Any coastal cuisine starts with an appetizer drink “solkadhi”. We were served an authentic solkadhi which promised us that the coming courses also would be as good.

As starters, we opted for fish fry. Amongst which we tried Bombil Fry (Bombay Duck) , Pomfret Fry and Bangada (Silver Fish) Fry. The fish was so fresh as if it was straight out of the sea and on our table! All were crispy and cooked to perfection, which is crucial for any fish preparations. 

The Pomfret was coated in delicate malvani masala, which enhanced the original flavour of the fish. Size wise also, the Pomfret was a good catch!

The Bombil (Ola Bombil) in crunchy batter was superb. There was no masala on the fish , it was fresh and  needed just a dash of flavours. We like Bombil to be flattened and deep fried as this brings out the best flavours and one can actually eat the complete fish along with the bones. 

The best part of Fried fish was the Bangda (Silver Fish). For many, Bangada seems to be the level two fish! First level being Surmai and Prompfret which are easy to eat.

‘More the bones tastier the fish’ say the experts and it is sure correct when it comes to Bangda. Bangda has a bit strong flavour (many people don’t like it in first go but 4 yr old Asmi ate the complete fish in first attempt!), it needs proper amount of Masala stuffed in, to dilute the taste a bit. Bangda takes good patient time to cook properly, if overdone t it is not a great sight and taste. This one was perfectly cooked throughout. This Bangda was cooked along with its head which is unusual, we generally don’t get to see the Head.

The main course menu offered Thalis ( Fish/Chicken/mutton/veg). 

Fish thali consisted of one piece of fried fish, curry, chapatti or rice flour bhakri, rice and solkadhi. Chicken and Mutton thali offered an accompaniment of special malvani preparation called ‘vada’ (also known as dish called Kombdi Vada). These vadas are actually like Puris made of fermented batter of rice and urad dal. This combination of chicken and vada is the speciality of malvani cuisine and a must try. Other preparations like chicken/mutton fry/masala, egg dishes were also on the menu.

We opted for an ‘a la carte’ menu in which we ordered Prawns masala and Tisrya masala fry (shimple). Both were cooked in malvani spieces and lots of coconut of course. One of the most flavour full preparations we have ever tasted!

Usually most of the restaurants serve different kinds of fish in similar gravy / masala ; with Abhishek it was different! Every fish had its own masala which brought out the flavor of the Fish. The masalas were complementing the fish rather than overpowering it. 

Vegetarians can go for a Veg Thali or other usual options like Panjabi dishes. No malvani veg specialties on the offer.

Rates are also reasonable considering the quality of food. Non veg thalies are in the range of 200 to 250/- and veg is 150/-. If you go for other options also, it will cost you around 100/- per head extra. 

Overall, full marks to flavours!  A must visit place if you are off to Konkan and looking forward to eating fish! 

Adding Location Map for Hotel Abhishek ; It is Off Mumbai Goa Highway ,
There is one more Hotel Named "Subh Abhishek" which is on the High Way but don't be confused due to similar names.

Most prominent Landmark is "Shivaji Nagar Bus Station Chiplun" , take first right after bus Station.