My Burp Spots in Chennai - Buhari Restaurant,Chromepet

So i'm back in chennai.I choose to stay in Buhari Royal Boutique Hotel. A New Property on GST Road. I was bestowed me with  FREE dinner coupon. For those who do not know this place, It is located near famous A2B in chrompet. Buhari hotel has many branches in chennai, .I must surely say about there decorations and interiors of newly built Chrompet branch which is so good.I was amazed to see the already waiting huge crowd before me that evening. the waiting time was TOO LONG sometime your hunger might go off by the time you get a seat and get the food. but its still fine as there are only a few other options in chromepet for Biryani (Anjappar, ESate and JVP Hotel).Finally got a place to settle

Veg Monton Soup

Since, it was Shravan month,so I was sure of what to order .For the starters, I decided to have Veg Monton Soup & Paneer Mint Tikka. Both the soup & Starter were very good, and I loved the taste of the one I had.PMT(Paneer Mint Tikka) was soft and tasty together



 I am a self proclaimed biryani connoisseur and I always go great distance to get good biryani.
For the main course, I preferred to have Veg Briyani. It was made to perfection both in taste and the presentation and i did not have the slightest complaint with the food. I loved what I ate, the biyani had a wonderful flavor. it is always best being traditional.

Biryani

I wouldn't blame the service as slow because i was probably the only table in the whole place having veg dinner. I could see a few of them having veg dishes on another table. Otherwise the place was full of Non-veg hoggers. It took them about 25-30 minutes to serve the starters, so I presume the delay was from the kitchen.Personally, I would have liked it a bit faster, the only reason being having to get back to bed early.  So my verdict about this meal – The food was excellent, no doubt about it.The cost seemed reasonable for us. As a whole, I would say not a bad try.Peaceful place to relax our self and have our dinning, Serving manner was good.It was too hygienic.
 I would definitely opt for this meal for a relaxing lunch or dinner on a weekend as well as on weekday..

My Burp Spots in Chennai - Thalapakatti Biriyani hotel

Take a good look at the image, this is the logo of the original Thalapakatti (turbaned) Biriyani hotel, It would mean effectively one means "turbaned" and the other "tie turban". Anyway ,the self proclaimed (with merit) originals i.e foodie have landed in Chennai .So how can I keep biriyani out of my posts.

A Google search will tell you that there is a case going on in the Madras High Court between two parties for the rights to use the name Thalapakatti, though me too companies call them selves Thalapakattu.

Situated near Valliammal college in a calm lane of Annanagar the first sore point as you approach is the usual lack of adequate parking space. But since space is at a premium in Annanagar I will let that pass. The restaurant is simple, elegant and tastefully decorated. The service again from the North East of the country is passable but can be improved; you would expect empty water glasses to be refilled without a frantic wave of the hand.

Now the proof of the pudding… we (me and Balajee) ordered the house specialty boneless mutton biriyani, one special non vegetarian meals and their special chicken that strangely did not figure on their menu but was mentioned by our waiter. I will now dissect the food:

The Biriyani – Thalapakatti are known for using the seeraga samba strain of rice, which are small grained and have a distinct taste from the normal often low quality basmati rice that is used in normal hotels. The meat is boneless as mentioned earlier, tender and the biriyani is quite tasty but when you are halfway through your meal you realize that it is over. The portions at Rs. 100 are rather small and you would need the additional white rice and rasam (Rs. 25) or the plain biriyani (Rs. 60) to feel satisfied. If limited meals are your preference then go for it. 

The special non vegetarian meals (Rs. 120) on the other hand is sumptuous and packs quite a spread with the usual non vegetarian curries, soup, ice cream et al. If you wish to get stuffed go for it, after all it is unlimited, but you need to keep calling the waiters for refills

The special chicken was yummy with a distinct flavour that I have not seen around; often you get the usual batter fried and shockingly coloured chicken, but this was yummy and worth a try. ( I forget the price).

The owner takes you through the history of the company and their heritage and checks on your satisfaction levels, I did mention about the portions in the feed back form and if you feel satisfied you know whom to thank

Chin_stinct: Go for the original, though pricy and limited in quantity their taste is unique and feels almost homely.

Foodiestan Pune – Memories of Cookery Legacy

A few days ago we went to see a movie at City Pride Satara Road Pune, and since there was some time for the movie to start, we decided to take a stroll and suddenly I saw a board saying: “Today’s Special - Dahi Ice Cream”. 

We entered Gujar Mastani House and I straightaway ordered Dahi Ice Cream while my less adventurous wife ordered her favourite Bajirao Mastani. 

The moment I put the first spoon of Dahi Ice Cream in my mouth my mind harked back to relish Dahi Ice Cream served by Bua in the heart of the city. 

Ice Cream is always a special treat, and there are four  famous Ice Cream Parlours in the city, each with its Signature Flavour – Bua for unique Dahi (Curds) Ice Cream which I have not tasted anywhere else in India, Ganu Shinde for its inimitable Amba ( Mango) Ice Cream and Kaware for its unmatched green Pista Ice Cream and ofcourse Sujata Mastani House for its peerless mastani’s. 

Sujata's Mastani

All these places served churned ice cream (made in a similar way to the “pot” ice cream we made at home).

Like Dahi Ice Cream, Pune had many signature dishes which could be called the heritage cuisine of Pune. 

If you wanted to relish the inimitable Non-Veg Puneri Cuisine like Mutton Rassa with Poli or Bhakri you went to Asara Bhojanalaya in Shukrawar Peth or to Jeevan on Tilak Road or Poonam in Deccan Gymkhana. 

Asara has shut down, Jeevan has metamorphosed into Grahak Peth Departmental Store and Poonam is now a pure vegetarian hotel. 

Sweet Home, on Kumthekar Road, which was famous for its Upaasachi SabudanaKhichadi and Piyush seems to have vanished 

Upaasachi Sabudana Khichadi 

Places like Bedekar (the original Puneri Misal joint) and Santosh Bhuvan are fast becoming relics of the past and so are the numerous khanawals and bhojanalayas in the heart of the city which are dying a slow death because of dwindling patronage. 

With the proliferation of Kolhapuri and Malvani eateries all over the city I wonder whether you get assal Puneri Non-Vegetarian Cuisine anymore? 

While Shreyas and Durvankur are still going strong, slowly but surely, Gujarati and Rajasthani Thali restaurants are outnumbering Maharashtrian Thali restaurants.

Bedekar's Misal

 In the Pune I once knew, legacy cuisine was not restricted to Maharashtrian Cuisine – it also included all sorts of dishes from various cultures which were unique to Pune. Like Shrewsbury Biscuits from Kayani Bakery, the inimitable Chinese Dishes served byKamling on East Street, Dorabjee’s Biryani and Parsi Food, those delectable Mutton Samosas at Naaz, West End’s Soda Fountain – so many places, many of whom could not withstand the cookery invasion. 

You had a number of Irani Restaurants, most of whom have shut down, except for Good Luck which is still going strong. It is rewarding to see so many pretty young things (PYTs) from the nearby colleges thronging to Good Luck which in yesteryear Pune was strictly an all-male preserve.

One of the saddest days of my life was when I noticed a coffee shop in the place of my beloved Naaz. 

Latif, another heritage restaurant on East Street, also seems to have shut down. 

Chitale's Bakar Wadi

A few places are still stoically holding out, some even flourishing, like Chitale (for its matchless Amba Barfi and Bakar Wadi), Kayani Bakery, The Place (the birthplace ofsizzlers) on Moledina Road next to Manney’s (which too is downing its shutters),Burger King and many more, but many heritage eateries have found it difficult to withstand the Cookery Cultural Invasion from the “Tandoori Chicken and Paneer Makhani” North and “Idli Sambar, Dosa, Uttapam” South, and now, with the increasing “metropolization” of Pune, we have an overwhelming onslaught of international cuisine as well.

Pune was once a pensioners paradise. Pune always welcomed persons from all over but everyone who settled down here and made Pune their home smoothly and harmoniously blended into the culture of Pune. 

It was the rapidly proliferating IT Boom which began in the late 1990s which suddenly altered the demographics of Pune and started transforming Pune into a faceless metropolis. As a result of this, Pune’s unique cookery culture was overwhelmed as restaurants opened to cater to the huge number of upwardly mobile techies who yearned for pizzas, burgers and pastas and popular national and international cuisines. 

The opening of private educational institutes and the concomitant influx of a large number of well-to-do students from all over India and abroad has also contributed to this cultural transmutation of Pune. 

Thus, today you find Punjabi, South Indian, Bengali, Gujarati, Kolhapuri, Malvani and a variety of International cuisines proliferating rapidly to the detriment of Puneri Cuisine and the unique signature dishes of Pune are slowly but surely disappearing. 

Having exotic sounding insipid Coffees at one of those coffee shop chains seems to be the “in thing” rather than relishing a rejuvenating cup of Puneri Amrutatulya Tea (Chaha).

Slowly but surely, all this “globalization” and “liberalization” is killing the identity of Pune and destroying its cookery legacy. 

The way things are going, soon Pune will be like any other faceless metropolis. 

You can already see this happening in some localities, especially in the suburbs.

Ask any youngster about eating out and they will tell you that today it is Koregaon Park (and not the Peths or Camp) which is the new food district of Pune. 

But what you get in Koregaon Park is not the Signature Cuisine of Pune – it is cuisine you can get in any cosmopolitan city of India and abroad. 

Every city has its signature food and most cities strive to maintain their cookery legacy. One must introspect as to why Punekars do not seem to be that passionate about preserving their cookery legacy. 

Shanwar Wada

GREAT WALL OF INDIA-RAHUL DRAVID

A man who first stepped into international cricket when unorthodoxy was at its peak with pinch-hitters scoring runs defying the standard shots of cricket-A man who epitomises test cricket and is truly head and shoulders above everyone when it comes to technique and style-Yes,i am talking about the GREAT WALL OF INDIA-RAHUL DRAVID. The skills are as solid as they were 15 years ago,the style seems to have got better and better with each passing year but one thing never seems to change and that is his grit and concentration-Those have been rock solid as ever .Rahul Dravid has been one of the main pillars of the Indian batting line up with his blend of right technique and stylish shots. As he achieved the milestone ,here is a tribute to one of the greatest servants of INDIAN cricket.

22nd June,1996 ,INDIA was up against ENGLAND at Mecca of Cricket -The Lords. A young lad named Sourav Chandidas Ganguly was making a mark in international cricket with his well crafted century. Yet another interesting thing was that another batsman at the other end who was also making his debut was effortlessly churning runs with his exquisite strokes-His shots could have given unorthodoxy a run for its money. Unfortunately ,this slim,handsome lad missed out on a hundred and was dismissed for 95.But his classy innings and the grit to survive in the middle earned him a standing ovation from the crowd at Lords.This was indeed one of the classiest innings they had witnessed in a long time-The man  was Rahul Dravid.

For a man whose affluent essay came out of perfection, temperament and technique, Rahul dravid has been INDIA’s go-to man in pressure situations and till date he has guarded the INDIAN kingdom with whole hearted devotion. He has been undoubtedly the best that INDIA has ever produced-in terms of technique, skills, grit and above all dependability.There is always a relief that INDIA can’t  lose if Jammy is there in the middle. Dravid has earned this love and respect from his fans all over the world. People believe him because he has proved that he is worthy of it-Shouldering the hopes of billion fans is indeed a tedious task but for Dravid ,its an honour.

In a cricket crazy nation like INDIA,where cricketers are DEMI-GODS,and everyday a new controversy pops up,Dravid’s sheer down to earth nature and humble attitude has helped him stay away from controversies in-spite of so much media scrutiny.Rahul dravid started off as a shaky batsman with an apt technique,then came a phase wherein he became the sheet anchor and others played around him  scoring runs freely and now with the advent of t20 , Dravid seems to have moulded himself into a new avatar-a player who now keeps pace with the innings,who not only smacks the bowlers out of the park(pretty unlike the real dravid) but also possesses an attitude that would make him reach the skies. Dravid’s greatness however is not limited to the no of runs he scores on the field.It is a potpourri of character,hard work and a genuinely good heart.Talent and character join hands to make consummate greatness-Dravid is a glittering example of that.A deeper scrutiny of his character shows his commitment towards INDIAN cricket-A selfless soul who always has always been a team-man and hwose personal records have been overshadowed by team heroics.

Now he called off for the day in. Dravid retires,the country will lose the greatest no 3 batsman it ever had, fans will be robbed of the privilege of watching this artist at work,media will mourn that he never got his due but most importantly,his departure will take away with itself a bit of gentle-manliness that the game tries to still portray as its inseparable element.He is a legend no matter what critics say-He has been the man responsible for taking INDIA to the numero uno status in test cricket and he will forver be the ICEMAN of team INDIA.

We’ll miss the toes which rise sweetly in sync with the pace of the approaching ball,standing tall and majestic and in control before disdainfully whacking the ball through the backward point. We’ll miss how he bats and bats and bats and saves the team from a moment of crisis.

Lets get awed by his mastery over something we will always run away from-STRUGGLE.

Long live the legend of Rahul dravid.

Hats off JAMMY!!

Adios

Saoji Bhojanalayas

Welcome  to Saoji Bhojanalayas - the innumerable places dotting Nagpur offering the spiciest varieties of non vegetarian food.

A typical Saoji Bhojnalaya is kind of spooky. It is dim. It is dark. It is not just an eatery. It is a cult. You have to feel about it from within. Enter and you’ll figure out that all rules – written, heard or experienced- of the food industry are tattered down to nothing. 

The first person you’d encounter in SB will be an accountant. He’ll have photos of all the major gods, stocks of cigarettes, tobacco/gutkha pudyaa (pouches). Nobody would ask you the obviousGabbar like question asked elsewhere in the world – “Kitne aadmi hai?” You are supposed to be sane enough to find a place for yourself. 

You can even end up being the sixth person on a table of six already occupied by five. One of the only two waiters serving a crowd of about forty odd people will arrive next to you and expect you to order. He won’t give you a menu card. There won’t be a rate board either. Remember, if you are there, you are supposed to be wise. There isn’t much to choose from. You had the choice before entering the place. Not anymore. There are three to four varieties – Chicken, Mutton, Qeema, Kaleji and two subvarieties – dry and rassa (gravely called gravy).



It is so dark that every dish coming out of that stained curtain appears to be for you. You order and – no you don’t have to wait – he brings it to you fataafat! He bangs them in front of a group and you hear them shout any of the following:
“Haaa… Isko bolte saoji!”
“Ek number re baawa!”
“Aisa!”This is followed by hesitation and a courteous invitation to co-eaters – “Lo jamao”.

The series of pointless talking is taken over by shameless eating, followed by endless sweating. The custom is as inexplicable as your presence in the place.

If you are a first timer – a sincere advice is to venture out alone.

If you hate yourself and want to explore feelings like remorse and shame then plead a group of experts to let you join them and they’ll be happy to oblige. In a group of experts, first timers are inevitably laughed at their lack of preparation. 

If you are without a handkerchief, you try to get over the dragon-like-fire in your mouth by doing everything humane. You shift in your seat, eat papad, eat only roti, squeeze lemon in your mouth, eat onion and drink lots of water. 

The water seems to be finishing every minute and you feel like tearing off your clothes and screaming. Through your teary ears, you see yourself running out of options and gaalis and you too feel like running out of the damned place. The teary eyes and sweaty body gives you the feeling of a sprinkler.

Amidst difficult to explain breathing routine (issssss haaa issssss haaaaaaaa), you join others in laughing at yourself – swearing within twice – first swearing at the food and your friends and then swearing never to come at that place ever again.

“Rassa?” the waiter arrives with a mug of absolutely free gravy and asks the group. The devilish round of laughter comes back and it’s your plate everyone wants that mug to be poured in.
“Isko do,” you hear one of them say amidst muffled laughter.
The last bit you ate 5 minutes ago was so spicy that you can’t manage to utter a no. So you put your hand over the plate to avoid the serving. And the waiter showcases his hidden courtesy.
“Lo na saab,” he teasingly orders and you think it is death that he is offering through that gravy.
“Nahi chaahiye bol diya na!” you spit fire and friends howl at you – “Khaana nahi hota toh uspe kyu gussa nikaalta hai?”

Anyways, it is not as bad as I have made it to be.

I have heard that experts gulp down two plates of rassa for soup before starting main course. Saoji food seemingly has priceless medicinal worth. It improves your digestive system and gets rid of cold. But asking for vegetarian food at SB is like entering a Mercedes showroom and asking for a loose tyre for your child to run around with on the streets.

What is it that draws a Nagpurian to any of these places dotting the city? This is one of the many questions which are neither asked nor answered. Who is this Saoji? Who started this madness? Is it a brand? Is it a chain of restaurants? There are no answers.

But there is something about Saoji.

Make the leads of Ghajini (Hindi and Tamil) and Memento eat Saoji together and I guarantee that even with their "What is wrong with me/what did I just think?" mishap they will not forget the taste for the next two to three days. Also their superb muscles will be put to some fruitful use, especially in the mornings!

List of Famous Saoji bhojanalayas of Nagpur : 

1) Jagdish saoji -  Near Shukrawari lake
2) New Pintu Saoji  - Opp. hotel Al Zam Zam, Amravati Road.
3) Prachanda Saoji - Near Telephone Exchange Square.
4) Umrer saoji -  Umrer, Near Saoji (Advanced booking required. Confirmation is done on phone!)
5) Pintu Saoji - RBI Sqaure
6) Tiger Saoji - Near Jaitala Square
7) Baba Saoji - Near Priyadarshini Girls Hostel, T-point, Hingna Road.
8) Karnakuti Saoji - Hingna Road, near Raisoni Vidya Niketan
9) Sujal Saoji - Bajaj Nagar square
10) kashinath Saoji - Chattrapati Square

Bade Mian ki khejur gurer (Kheer)

In our vastly diverse food customs, there is one delicious dish that finds its honourable place in most kinds of Indian cuisine. I am talking about the kheer - which, with some variations here and there - is quite a pan-Indian phenomenon. In the South, it's known as payasam, and in the East, payesh. And right here in the North, this dessert made essentially out of milk, is known as kheer.

A good bowl of kheer has been a part of my childhood, and, I am happy to say, it still plays an important role now that I am over-the-hill (a small hillock, really - but let's not quibble). My mother makes a delicious kheer  And as a child growing up in a city like Pune, there was nothing that I relished more than a generous helping of this delicious dish

Now, this kheer is not for the faint-hearted. The recipe itself is different - first, a fistful of  sevai is boiled with sugar till thesevai is done. Over this, you pour cold milk and some heated desi ghee and dry fruits such as pistas,almonds and cashew nuts on the top. And `some' is an understatement; for the helping of the ghee has to be large enough to make even some of our well-developed wrestlers break out into a cold sweat. Over the years, as a diligent researcher, I have tasted different kinds of kheer - made with rice, with boondi, oranges, rasgullahs .At one point of time, I was such an addict that I used to go my friend’s place (abdul), every Friday right in time for breakfast. And breakfast started with paranthas and ended with a bowl of kheer.

Way to Bade Mian's

But the sheer khurma was an all-time favourite of mine - till I discovered Bade Mian's kheer shop in Old Faridabad. I came to hear about  the `khejur gurer' (palm jaggery) kheer, a colleague from the Walled City started sniggering. Have you,he asked me gently, ever tried the kheer at Bade Mian's?

I hadn't, and looked suitable ashamed. So, very kindly, he led me to his shop. To get to Bade Mian's, you have to reach Bata Chowk and then start walking towards a mosque. Once, you see a mosque on your left. The kheer shop is bang opposite the mosque. It is a very small shop, so you can very easily miss it. In that case, of course, you can ask any passer-by to direct you to Bade Mian's. And people of the area, they will personally escort you there and look at you approvingly as you demolish your first bowlful.

Bade Mian's shop is about 80 years old. They have been making kheer in the traditional North Indian way there - the milk and rice are cooked slowly over a wooden fire till the milk thickens. The milk is cooked till the kheer turns a beautiful shade of light brown.

And I love it because it has the smoky flavour of a wood fire. The kheer is then chilled and you can have a plateful for Rs.10.I was eating one plate after another while my friends stood around me, looking as proud as Sachin Tendulkar's folks must have been when, as a toddler, he was hitting his first fours.
So here at Bade Mian's, I gladdened all the locals' hearts by breaking my own record of kheer-eating.

So, eat your heart out, Sachin!

Falooda dooba- dooba- dooba

I am an ice-cream man myself. I like ice-cream and I can eat them in any season without any reason. When I was young, we use to go Sujata mastani house near nimbalkar talim chowk, They used to place a scoop in a thick shake, put a cherry on top of it and a thin wafer biscuit at the side, and serve it to us.

Sorry, nostalgia is like a walking stick for the middle-aged. Childhood, for us, was all about ice-cream and kulfis . And once I get on to the subject, I get particularly nostalgic about a dessert that I am passionate about - the falooda.

Last week I was in dilli for a exhibition.On my way to karol bagh .I heard a conversation of dillilites in a metro train.They were talking about the falooda,when I was suddenly consumed by this advice. In the middle of their conversation I felt like eating a chilled falooda. It was, of course, late at night, when all good sellers were gently snoring at home. So I reach my hotel,drank some water and went quietly to bed, too. Tomorrow, I promised my whining stomach, tomorrow would be the day.Next day I asked the hotel manager, where can I get the best falooda in the city.

“Here best falooda is sold in a shop located  in Sadar Bazar and one near Khari Baoli. Gyani's rabri falooda shop is on Church Mission Road - the one that leads from Khari Baoli to the Old Delhi Railway Station. If you get lost, you can ask any shopkeeper in Chandni Chowk, and you will be directed to Gyani's place.”

So after visiting  exhibition in pragati maidan.i started for olddelhi by metro .

Before going Chandni Chowk, I went to had Chitli Qabar area of Old Delhi, in search of gola kabab-maker, known by food lovers as Mian Sa'ab. it is heavenly if you eat it fresh off the seekh - it doesn't taste quite the same once it is cold.

Then I started for my next destination. Gyani's rabri falooda shop in Chandni Chowk

I rememeber the hotel manager words

”You will know you are there when you see a crowd madly waving tokens in front of a small shop. I was there last week.“

I was amazed to see this site.I bought a coupon for a glass of rabri falooda (Rs.25) and then went nuts like the rest of the crowd, yelling

"Ek glass dena"

and waving my token to the two men manning the counter. They would take a glass filled with thick rabri (full of dry fruits such as pistas and almonds), layer it with a thick line of crushed ice and then top it with a fistful of falooda and some scented water. The mix would be given one passionate shake and a spoon would be added to the glass, which would then be handed over to the one with the loudest voice or the most furious token shaker.

Finally, my deep tone was heard and a glass was thrust into my hands. The rabri was thick, rich and creamy, and the falooda had been cooked to perfection. It is a heavenly dessert, and one glass is so filling that you can easily forego your lunch after that.

But I am a growing boy - though, sadly, growing in all the wrong areas. So I had my rabri falooda and meandered around the gola kabab. And then, before I started for my hotel, I rounded up my three-course dinner with the last item on the menu - a pink Digene tablet. :))