Data Udipi Hotel

Data Udipi Hotel.

An age old hotel started in the mid 1980,was the target of our Chennai Food Guide showcase for the month of July.To a Chennaite the name is not too unfamiliar,as mentioned earlier, this place has been around for a long time.Over shadowed by the Woodlands Hotels chain of hotel groups and now most recently by the Sangeethas and the Saravanas,this hotel has stood its ground for as many years as them.The one on Kodambakkam it seems was the first to appear,followed by West Mambalam,MGR Nagar,Saidapet and now Valasarawakkam.

Placed on the hustling and bustling Arcot/ Kodambakkam Road,this hotel can be totally missed if you were not searching for it.Though I must mention that those whom we asked directions to, were quick to point us on our way .

We were warmly welcomed by Mr Vasu Dev, second generation owner and a very friendly staff.
Two floors to the hotel,the ground is for the drifting,  no fuss, quick food kind of crowd.The first floor has a number of comfortable cubicled seaters and is air conditioned.
The second floor can host approximately 100 people.Ample space with a stage for hosting small functions,this was the place we were ushered into to have our brunch.

The food they served had a wide spread of typical South Indian specialities.I must mention that the varieties of dosas(which I think can be their signature dishes) were utterly delicious,be it the plain ghee roast ones to the corn(jowar) dosas or the various millet dosas,each one of them had a rustic flavour to it.

Another one of my favourites was the Mangalore Buns,its actually a poori with a slight hint of sweetness (was it mango ?)again fabulous in taste and visually appealing too.

The sambar was typically udipi with a sour/sweet taste to it,went well with the vadas and the idlis.The food was extensive and frankly speaking one would need a huge appetite to even try each individual dish.Every item seemed good,though in my opinion found the pongal a bit runny and some dishes had a generous(overdose) helping of ghee. 

This place is a must try for its breakfast specially their rustic dosas.Those hungry and need good food, do head out to Data Udipi Hotel,they are spread throughout the city.

Some of the photos are from my fellow foodie/photographer/bloggers page https://www.facebook.com/Eatwitheyes
Do check out his page.

LPG- Liquified Petroleum Gas the holocaust within our home ?

I had a life changing moment a couple of days ago, it has kind of opened my eyes to a lot of things we take for granted. I have since decided to pen down my experience in order to help others to learn from my mistakes, and be aware of certain issues when it comes to maintaining their gas stoves and pipes.

Around mid morning,as my sister in law and I were busy preparing lunch,me on the kitchen chair and she by the lit stove,we suddenly heard a hiss,and saw a flash of flames emanating from behind the gas stove.The pipe through which the gas is supplied to the stove had slid out of its place and the gas had caught fire from the stove. The pipe behind was like a blow torch,burning everything in its path,luckily for us there was hardly a few days to an empty cylinder.Amidst shrieks and screams and between us we managed to shut of the stove and finally shut the gas cylinder as well.

There are so many points that I would like to share with you,and I'm listing them in random order and not by importance since I feel all of them are  equally importance.

1. Please ensure that your gas cylinder is placed close at hand, and the regulator is facing you so that you can shut the valve easily and quickly when you hear the hiss or smell gas.

2.Do not keep anything or have an obstruction in front or around the cylinder,this is in case you are faced with a similar emergency like I did.It took me a while to reach the cylinder as there was a cutting table blocking my path.

3. Do not and I can't stress this point enough,leave it to your house help to clean or check the valves and pipe. My hiatus from the kitchen(for an important reason) cost me dearly.Two months of not cleaning the kitchen myself,was a disaster waiting to happen.
Clean the kitchen space/counter yourselves.I clean mine with Mr Muscle kitchen cleaner,often spraying on the pipe and valve and giving it a good wipe.

4.Do not place your gas cylinder out of your sight,simple reason being(I have seen some people having their gas cylinders outside their homes) that in the situation that I was in,it would have taken me a longer time to switch off the gas regulator.Till then the fire from the pipe could have played havoc with all flammable material(oils) that is often kept on counter tops.

5.Don't panic,very important...Stay calm and focus on shutting of the valve/regulator as soon as possible.That should be your primary concern,do not get distracted by your surroundings or the concern in peoples voices.

Most of the points I have stated are i'm sure are already imbibed within us,but it doesn't hurt to know them again.

Please be careful and do not take your cooking spaces for granted,clean them well and check often for faulty pipes and valves.

I have since changed to a hose clip on the pipe so as to secure it more firmly.The damage caused would have been much more had the cylinder been a full one.The pressure of the gas from the pipe would have been higher and the force would have been greater.

Someone up there was obviously looking out for me or I would not have been able to pen this.Do take care and remain alert at all times when your cooking.

Please do share this,as it may be of help to someone somewhere....

Pondicherry trip -day 1

This is what "Cause Momentum" means,a trip organised by Chennai Food Guide for its members had a group of around 25 of us, travelling from Chennai on to Pondicherry.
Pondicherry aka Puducherry which means New Town,is a Union Territory state of India.Located close to Tamil Nadu,its a quaint little town retaining most of its ancient French architecture and culture.Well, we being foodies,we headed off on a fairly warm saturday morning from Chennai,not to check out the architecture but what else, just food.After meeting and waiting ( yes people please learn the importance of time)taking digs at Juggy aka Jagadeesh, for dressing up in safari gear(you're such a sport) we headed off to Pondy.

For safety purpose,CFG group had chosen the NH 45 route,which though seemed longer was a better route to take(yes i got to pluck raw tamarind off a tree on the highway,my driver- hero Raja climbed on to a tree).

Continuing on our journey with Jagadeesh and Priya and a non stop chatter by Raja,we stopped on the way for breakfast,just beside a beautiful lake teeming  with lotus blooms and white egrets flapping their wings.You don't get to see a more beautiful sight in our hustling,bustling cities anymore,sad to see that this place was just a few kilometers away from Chennai.

Well,we got to stretch our legs a bit,and the amazing Ramki showed us that its not always about pizzas.Within a matter of 28 mts(someone had actually timed him)he had pongal,convenio chapati, poori,and chutney ready.Now how on earth is this guy a bachelor still, is beyond my understanding,he should have been on every girls wish list.  Thank you Ramki for the lovely breakfast,ate enough to what I thought would fill me up for the rest of the journey,but surprise,surprise I was hungry as hell by the time we reached Pondy.

Entering Pondy we were welcomed by Mani Prabhu and Veeren Koneru our hosts for the entire holiday,we reached Tantos,a shacky kind of restaurant and were seated at a mile long table.They had the days special on boards,strategically placed at the entrance itself.We each chose what we wanted and chit chatted till the food arrived.They served good iced teas in big glass bottles,delicious and so refreshing on a hot summers day.

Its the first time that I was meeting so many members from CFG,after being virtual friends,it felt good to connect with them in person.Sathya Narayana Lalitha and Vidhya were the only three whom I hadn't interacted or met earlier and I must say they were a delight to be with.Sathya was the funny guy of the trip( PG you better beware)and kept us laughing throughout the time we spent in Pondy.

On to food,it was,warm and absolutely fresh,but what with the French around,it was bland and saltless.My guess is that they consciously make it that way to cater to the French crowd.Post lunch we dropped into the Auroville Bakery,and were  greeted by near empty stall,such is the popularity of this place,that I believe everything gets sold out as soon as its placed on the shelves.I would agree (had them at home) its products were fine and tasty.

Reached Hotel Jothimani to relax and chill out for a few hours.We were asked to be ready by 6 pm to visit the beach and follow on to dinner at L'Orient.
Arrived at the beach,tried their sundal,nothing close to what we get at our Marina beach though.Moved on from there to L'Orient a beautiful french style restaurant,they had our seats ready but it was out in the open and none of us were in the mood to sit in the sweltering heat.Moved inside to a slightly cramped space and again to bland saltless food.A bit of quick thinking by Abhijeet and Chesta,we chose a spicy dish from the menu and voila,it was so good.
So far food wise,the whole group was a tad disappointed,but the company just made up for it...
We had Sathya with his guitar and Chinna on the piano entertaining us with music.Had so much fun singing off key and showing off our vocal chords.Oh God just didn't want the day to end,but end it had too,not before we stopped at Naturals to have their amazing 100% natural ice creams.Most importantly why haven't they come into Chennai as yet ?

You guys all take a bow,for making us ladies feel so secure and looked after...Mani Prabhu,Veeren,Nishanth,Karunakaran,Jagadeesh,Chinna,Ramki,Abhijeet,the oh so sweet Sreeram and our very own comic relief Sir Sathya Narayana....You guys broke all boundaries of hospitality and friendship.....

Picture abhi bakhi hai dost...this is just day one...to be continued.......

Kalakkal Cafe

Its time to celebrate...Its the first anniversary of the Kalakkal cafe,for those of you who don't know what it is,its a cafe for the differently able,started by Vidhya Sagar and opened to general public on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month,this a place to hang out and meet so many amazing young energetic people.
   Well,I have been associated with the cafe for the past six months,thanks to my friends on CFG (Chennai Food Guide),Mr S and Mr K,I have had the opportunity and the good fortune to have made friends with so many young wonderful people.
The anniversary started at 4 pm on the 23rd of March at the cafe,pleasantly surprised to see that most of them had arrived much earlier and were eagerly awaiting for the crowds to come in.The cafe is totally disabled friendly,you have ramps for wheelchairs,ample space to maneuver and ever friendly staff and friends to help you at the drop of a hat.

Many from Chennai Food Guide have been actively involved in spreading the word around on the concept of this cafe and were there to spread the cheer.A music band played softly in the background amidst laughter and constant chatter..Karthik was in his elements with his beautiful smile,JanakiRam had written a beautiful letter thanking one and all for being there,Anjana and Ummul were buzzing with activity and my cutie pie Santosh spelled out wow on seeing the cake that the group had brought along.The twin brothers had a whale of a time with all the attention they were receiving.

Time just flew by in the hours that we spent there,and I am sure each and every one who spent time there went back with a huge smile as I did. I was thankful that day for having such wonderful friends in my life...
The video is also courtesy Karthik G....Please read more on Kalakkal Cafe from his (Karthik Ganapathis) blog herehttp://www.eatwitheyes.com/2012/04/awesomeness-in-chennai-kalakkal-cafe.html?q=kalakkal+cafe

Share and Learn

Share and Learn is a concept started by the Chennai Food Guide wherein the food bloggers/photographers and in general the foodies of Chennai had an opportunity to meet and interact with speakers of different branches of food.The session was arranged at Azzuri Bay a Mediteranian/Thai restaurant in Gandhi Nagar chennai. 

The first speaker up was Smriti k a food nutritionist,and an avid raw food advocate.She spoke passionately about the advantages of eating raw food and the benefits derived from it, don't know how much an impact it left on the audience,but her sheer passion and convincing attitude needs to be admired.She stood up amidst  hard core food eaters and carnivoures and put across her points rather effectively.I wonder if she did convert a few.

The next up was the shy Sanjeeta k,she though needs no introduction.Many would have noticed her beautiful and vivid pictures of food on CFG ,yes she is a food photographer/stylist.She addressed the audience in her amiable style,giving pointers and outlining the details on how to be not a good, but a great photographer.A picture says a thousand words and hers literally want you to eat them up.A very valuable moment for me as I consider myself a "dyslexic photographer."

The last speaker was my good friend Avanthi Vissa,she too needs no introduction,the owner of a quaint little ice cream parlour named Bellaria,(a rather new concept of ice cream making,they make it right in front of you,and with the flavours you want) a sensory scientist,having worked at Kraft foods and handling the oreos line,she explained the importance of taste and smell in conjunction with food.She displayed her humourous side with anecdotes of her experiences in the food industry.

An evening well spent,got to learn so many new ideas from these young ladies.Post presentations and speeches we were served dinner at the restaurant.The management and staff put up a good display of food and I must say it has taken a turn for the better.The last time I had visited the place I was clearly disappointed at their food and had made my opinions clear.There is indeed a marked improvement in the quality of food that we were presented with.So thank you Azzuri Bay for taking the brickbats together with the bouquets.

Catch up with a Chef

 Teenie Tiny Chef Shazia Khan,
cooking up a menu with such ease and elan,
mothers and sisters and burqa clad listers
hep pop chicks, and one dear mister.
Watching and listening at an event of food christening,
the joy of sampling the food which was indeed glistening,
The ease of her cooking has no parallel,
 and her presentation was there for all to tell.
The morning season a veg spread ,
points were noted and her menu well read.
The menu book provided, had for all to see,
the delicious recipes, she made in a jiffy.
Time went by with the fusion food,
all things done it was super, super good 
semolina cake and zucchini cups,
 topped up the charts and made our hearts go whup.
Enter the non veg section post heavy lunch,
kind off felt sleepy after the munch,
but Aswin Rao, the stand up comedian,
 woke us in time to just say wow,
the menu was eclectic and fabulous too,
and Shazia started without further adieu
from sea food exotica to the grandeur of the Shahi Pulao
this young chef made all of us say wow.
Her prawn mousse and her tzatziki dip
had us all drooling, all over our lip.
The mother of all, the Shahi Tukra
done in the morning, and served piping hot, 
it was time now to be served the Gajari Zafrani Pannacotta with Pista cream shots.
A more sincere effort by a chef I have yet to see
your power over food will make us abide by thee.
What can i say about our cupcake queen,
who brought us to you,it seems like a dream,
time flew by and the event flew smooth,
it wouldn't have been possible without you too,
Koncepts Galore you aim for the sky,
for after this your sure gonna fly 

Mans love for food-3 BC

I have known man’s love for food, wars have been fought, and poets have waxed eloquence on it, but after a very long time I have seen man sharing his food on this  magnitude...hi and welcome to the 3 bc beach cookout, if you have missed it, you have something to regret for the rest of your lives...a cfg hosted event the brainchild of Rama Krishnan and friends saw the culmination of all food lovers to the beach (at thiruvanmayur,chennai) for an event which saw all food lovers under one giant umbrella...food has no colour, creed, religion or nationality, it didn't matter if your black or white ( yes Michael Jackson we understand you better),don’t know any culinary skills or for that matter don’t know your onions from your potato, the sheer splendor of being able  to share food to a community of food lovers was a joy to behold...there was no, I can do this better, or this should be this way or move over I can do better, nothing....every one took it on themselves to play important roles, be it the barbecuing, the skewering, the serving and even the post cleaning...oh mankind what a wonderful world we live in, more than a 100 people, each one brought along something or the other to be made on the spot and served ..People’s generosities for the event needs to be applauded, it was as if the floodgates to a heart were open, each one carried with them some food and went back, I’m sure with memories they aren't going to forget in a long time… loved the spirit of the crowd, the happiness to share ones food has a joy of its own and it was there in every ones face..A mention has to be made on the splendid music provided by a group of young men and women,entertaining and so upbeat...

It’s not every day that you get to see peoples generosity and kindness towards lesser fortunate people, have seen and witnessed such kindness from a brat (please don’t hit me with a bat) who under his harsh debatable exterior turned out to be a softy at heart…..i salute you my friend may you continue to share your food with all…

I am deliberately not mentioning names on my blog as in my opinion all the folks at the event put their hands together to make this event a truly huge success, however I need to thank the forum and the administration of Chennai Food Guide for showcasing the event and to Ramakrishna of Pizza Republic who were the force behind the initiation and success of this show…

I know this may sound more of a vote of thanks, but I've got to do it…the grill would not have been lit if not for so many who got their hands dirty (some their faces too) who tirelessly stood and grilled for a nonstop 4 hours…tired hands and aching feet made up by the happy faces and innumerable thank yous…What a splendid evening it was, and like all good things this one too had its shutter down and just in time for the heavens to bless the occasion…
chennaifoodguide.in
Photo courtesy Roshan Kuruvilla Thomas.

Thin girl calling-My diet tips

Inside every fat person there is a thin person wanting to get out...this post is not a review on a restaurant workshop or the likes of it,its my personal battle with the bulge...Food has and will always remain my true calling,and with years of enjoying good,hearty food,it tends to lend itself to a lot of places you wish it wouldn't.

Someone just recently pointed out after looking at my before and after pictures that I could be a source of inspiration to her,the thought kept gnawing me and I have decided to share my experiences.I must say that this post is a lot more than what I would want or like to share,but I feel if by sharing,I could be a source of inspiration to anyone,so be it.

Around 5 years ago,I happened to actually look at myself in the mirror one fine morning and was shocked at the weight I had gained all of a sudden,this was just 6 months post surgery and the weight I had gained was huge...I knew I had to do this now or never.

There was no planning in the diet I followed,just went with my instinct ...
Listed below are the 10 commandments I followed..

1. Stopped rice immediately,meaning no rice in any form,no idli,no dosa..zilch zero..totally get it out...
2.Switch to olive oil,I used extra virgin olive oil..
3.Start your mornings with fruits,a cup of tea with low fat milk and a big wheat bread sandwich with vegetables and diet mayo..
4.Have 2-3 cups of green tea everyday..
5.Grill your meat don't fry them..
6.Use a lot of wheat products,dalia/rotis etc..
7.Have a sandwich at around 4 pm with your green tea..
8.Most important tip,finish your dinner by 6.30 pm and DON'T eat anything after that.This may take time getting used to,but its not impossible
9.Eat 4 meals in a day..
10.Eat a lot of fruits,i love papaya and enjoyed having it mid morning
10.Prepare fresh vegetable/fruit juice without sugar and keep it handy..you can have a glass of it per day,and throw out the sugars/refined flour(i mean cakes and biscuits).

This is the pattern I followed for 6 months,not a morsel of rice passed my lips...We as Indians love our rice and believe me it was the hardest to overcome...my carb rush would hit me every time i saw rice or biryani being served.But you can overcome it,trust me if I can do it so can you...

I ate everything and anything avoiding just the rice,switching over to olive oil and having 4 meals a day...
The first few weeks are the hardest,but after a while you will start enjoying your food much more,trust me I have been there and done that...This diet is what personally suited me,I found it simple ,practical,and healthy too...Got to eat a lot more of vegetables and fruits than I ever had....

Now for the shocker,since I have been following this diet(Its been 5 years now) I have lost 20 kgs yes you read it right,20 kgs ...and I feel good about it...so if I can motivate someone by sharing my experience so be it,I will.

Please do remember this worked fine for me,I balanced all the foods, balanced the family of food,did breathing exercises,kept myself active throughout....

Conclusion:This is my version of opting for a healthy lifestyle,I still maintain most of it(come on we are rice eaters here) don't count the morsels I eat,but do keep a watch on the quantity...So enjoy your food,try out different cuisines,but listen to your body,respect it,and focus on staying healthy...Also note what worked for me may not work necessarily for you,so find your path and God willing you shall succeed ....

Basha Halwa House

This review is all about one of my favourite shops in Triplicane,For those of you who are not familiar with this part of Chennai,its one of the oldest neighborhoods,historically even older than Chennai itself.

It hosts the beautiful Parthasarthy Temple,Amir Mahal(the abode of the nawabs of Arcot) Vivekananda house and the famous Chepauk stadium.

One of my oft visited shops in this busy,bustling area is to the Basha Halwa House located on Fakir Saheb street Triplicane. The famous Dum ka rote,which somehow is its signature dish ,has paved way for many new and delicious sweet dishes.the mouth watering ranges from the erstwhile gulab jamun,ladoos(very different from the regular ones)badam halwa,jangeri to their latest and by far the best" the beetroot halwa."

I have just had a taste of it and for those who love beetroot,please head straight to Basha Halwa House...I can`t even begin to describe this paste like absolutely fragrant halwa,just loved its sweetness ,texture and flavour.Around Rs 90 for 100 gms its like a little paste from heaven.Bashas not only caters sweets,but also stock on pickles, and (sutrian) a kind of pasta which is normally dropped into a bubbling mutton korma and enjoyed any time of the day.

As far as memory serves me this shop has been their for more than 60-75 years(if anyone knows more details please do let me know)the men at the shop dont take kindly to my inquisitive nature.

Please do try the sweets from this shop,its located on Fakir Saheb Street,very close to Zam Bazaar in Triplicane.There are a number of shops with the same name,but the one located at the entrance of Fakir Saheb Street is the original and it states so on the board itself.

If you find yourselves on that side of town and you need your sugar rush,I strongly recommend you try out the beetroot halwa or at least the dum ka rote(no there's no other name for it)For more information on Triplicane,you can find it here.

Please remember food is a subjective issue and very personal,one mans meat is another mans poison etc,these are my personal views so please don't shoot the messenger.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triplicane

CFG bloggers Meet with Rebbeca Subbiah.

When invited to a CFG bloggers meet to be introduced to the world acclaimed dietitian Rebecca Subbiah,there was absolutely no hesitation on my part.She is regarded as a renowned registered dietitian with high acclaim, immensely popular,and with a large fan following. Now do not go by her diminutive appearance,Rebbeca is a power house of knowledge and information with regards to food.Having learnt to use the media as an advantage,she gave us insights into how she constantly keeps in touch with her followers on twitter.Social media was a topic discussed by her,on how she uses it to constantly stay in touch with her followers,and being a celebrity of sorts in the food department,believe me she has a huge fan following.

Organic culture may have just taken off in India,but western society has been a great advocate to this process.Rebecca too shares a passion for organic farming and food,and was delighted to know that it has been propagated in India as well.

The evenings chit chat progressed to Indian foods and culinary skills,we discussed extensively on the wide range of pulses available in India and how the average Indian male has evolved.An average male around 30-40 years ago would hesitate to cook or even try his hand in the kitchen,so much has changed now,we see an interest and love of food together with the quality of food being discussed.Apart from this Rebecca also discussed the importance of including a lot of fruits in our diets.Though India hosts a variety of fruits,a stable diet does not include as much as required.

The whole atmosphere was charged with energy as Rebecca fielded the volley of questions with a charming smile.We had a wonderful and informative evening,well spent with Rebecca Subbiah and fellow CFGians. Thank you CFG for giving us this opportunity to meet and learn so much from her,it wouldn't have been possible without you.

The meeting was held at Crimson Chakra,Gandhi Nagar, Adyar. They presented a" new soup in a bun" (sorry, forgot to ask for the name but yes soup in a bun sounds nice )a novel concept and too many superlatives to add here,will leave it for another post.

Rebbecas blog:chowandchatter.com
 CFG :chennaifoodguide.in

Mylapore walk.

This post is as much of a nostalgic trip down memory lane,as it is about the Mylapore food walk,so please bear with me as i reminiscence on the good times of yore.Food makes strange bedfellows as was evident in the gathering of a mixture of people from Chennai Food Guide who were invited for the Mylai Food Walk.Every now and then the Forum takes members on a exploratory walk to food places lesser known by the majority of people so that they can explore them and stay informed .CFG Mylai walk was a gathering of like minded people,from different culture,background and ages,with a serious interest in food.

Asked to join the food, I was ecstatic for the simple reason ,that I consider this my bastion,having lived most of my life on this side of Chennai (R.A Puram)I have had heated arguments with friends who say even the smallest of negative things of the place.

Mylapore still retains its old world charm,though many new buildings were seen along with the old,the place still holds its edge.The streets of Mylapore remain the same,faint memories kept jogging my mind,the tank of the temple,the book store opposite the tank, Himalaya juice shop on Luz church road,where you would get the best and the freshest juice from huge cauldrons with long spoons which a father and son duo would scoop up in a jiffy for us(thanks S for jogging my memory)Too many memories,the joy of a cycle rickshaw ride on a moonlit night along with my mother Q and sister T ,without a care in the world,life was simpler then...

To get on with the walk,it started off with most of the group meeting outside karpagambal mess,right opposite Rasi,a silk saree store been there since a long time.Yes our trips to Mylapore certainly entailed a visit to this place,around 40 years ago it wasn't this big.To continue,we proceeded from K mess to kalathi newspaper mart for their famous rose milk,I was informed that this place has been around for 40 years,it certainly seemed so from the taste and texture of the rose milk,the man serving us certainly knew his way around it.Quenching our thirst it was time to continued on  to Rayar mess located of Kutchery road(another nostalgic moment,well too many memories here)to have a bite of their famous tiffens. As we were yet to explore more places,I restricted myself to 1/2 a rava onion dosa beautifully crafted,tasty and fresh as it could possibly get (straight from the frying pan onto my leaf plate)Small tiny,not so neat or fancy place serving such amazing fantastic food, that it blows your mind away.If it hadn't been for this group or my band of girls,I would never have been able to enjoy such simple holistic food.A group of 20 and the bill a mere Rs 800.

From there we proceeded to Mamis Mess( located at Pichu Pillai street )for their bajjis and coffee.Another quaint little food joints,this one a lot neater than the earlier one,we ordered and waited right on the street.This place too was packed with people for their delicious food.Precariously balancing the food on the bikes and cycles outside,the inevitable had to happen.Hot coffee on a bike seat,and yes i did wipe it clean for him.Did both my bad/good deed for the day.The food bajji(fritters) and the coffee both were top notch,hot,tasty and without a hint of oil(wonder how they do that) Group picture taken we, the ladies moved on to check the beads and baubles on display by vendors on the street,temptation thy name is woman,stopped myself in time when I saw green leafy vegetables,but sadly enough there was no vendor,just the vegetables.

The whole experience left me with a huge smile on my face,one reason being that it was known territory, the other being the simple and fresh street food.This is one experience I'm not going to forget in a while.Made new friends on this trot (S.J.N,you guys are so sweet, making a woman feel like a lady, thank you) had good food and company,felt like yesterday once more.

Some of the photos are courtesy my friends Deepa,Aarti and Fazil.Please read their blogs too
http://notjustanothercookeryblog.blogspot.in/2013/01/mylai-food-walk.html
http://aromasofkitchens.blogspot.in/2013/01/mylapore-food-walk-mylapore-festival.html
http://www.foodinchennai.com/

Grand Siam

Anything related to Siam now Thailand reminds me of the famous movie The King and I,a brilliant musical film based on Thailand with Yul Bryner and Deborah Ker in the lead,the story deals with a heartwarming love story between the king of Siam and a teacher. My first showcase of the year,I headed of to Grand Siam located on a busy arterial road of Chennai.

The restaurant has at the entrance a welcoming Buddha seated with an enigmatic smile always associated with him, Buddha somehow doesn't seem Buddha without it.The ambiance had perfect lighting,ample space and in general a charming atmosphere.On display were many Buddha statues dotting the shelves and walls.Waited for the rest of the group to arrive before we were seated comfortably.

Welcome drink was a strawberry crush with a 7 up and a topsy-turvy  shark stirrer. The regular palette cleanser/appetiser arrived,entertained us for a while and then it was on to the next course. Soups arrived and strangely enough mine didn't for a really long time,heard the slurping  and the muttering of the spice content and the lack of freshness all around me,nevertheless dug into my soup and couldn't have agreed more with the rest of the group.

The appetizers arrived,most of them on barbecue sticks and one wrapped in pandan leaves...the prawn,fish and chicken were a delight and I enjoyed them thoroughly ..the pandan leaves wrapped chicken however, seemed a bit overdone..

The main course Jasmine flavoured rice ?( good) and a noodle dish arrived,the latter in my opinion, had a very distinct Chinese flavour to it.The side dishes to accompany  these were certainly not the best that I have had,but to give the devil its due, passable.After this it was one dish after the other which to my palette tasted more Chinese than Thai.The dessert Tub Tim Grob was the usual water chestnut in coconut milk.

This place needs a quick and efficient spruce up,the waiters can be educated further on how to handle guests better,I for one was not served either the soup or the plates at the same time as the rest of the group,but had to wait for a while.

All said and done,i must mention the manager,chef and other staff were courteous and kind while listening to us berate about the food.They heard us out patiently and promised to make the necessary changes,its left to be seen if they heed our advice.

I have always been intimidated by photography and photographers,more so with the ones on CFG,hence i have used the pictures from my friend Deepa Iyer,(with her permission) from her blog, check it out at notjustanothercookeryblog.blogspot.in


Please remember food is a subjective issue and very personal,one man's meat is another man's poison etc,these are my personal views so please don't shoot the messenger...

Grand Siam can be found at R.K.Salai Royapettah,Chennai

Encore at Pizza Republic

The men gorged and the women pecked, that's exactly how i would sum up our family visit to pizza republic.An interesting start to the new year,we decided to do a family meal at PR.Heavy lunch at home with lots of family and friends for lunch,it was time to head out for some peace and quiet (and have someone else cook and serve you)

Now its not very often that we get to do family dinners,each ones schedule varies,but this time i insisted on everyone being together . There's nothing else my family loves more than pizza in the world and however well you make your pizzas at home, there's nothing like a warm, fresh pizza served in a good restaurant. We headed off to PR a place i had been to earlier and loved,for its fine food and freshness of ingredients.(I had always wanted to return here to check out if their quality and quantity had improved or taken a step back.)

We arrived,a group of five and were seated in the fairly new enclosure (one side covered in glass),on pretty comfortable (nice) chairs.They have this wonderful concept of choosing your pizzas right on the box itself,chosen and ticked,you hand it over at the counter and wait for it to be delivered.Wait is the operative word here.Yes the service is slow,but its well worth the wait.The pizzas took a while to arrive,one at a time and patience not being a virtue here each one of us were digging into the others pizza.The men gorged and the women pecked,literally.

The taste and the freshness of ingredients, can and should be the USP of this restaurant.It was heartening to see that in spite of  nearly a three month break,this place has managed to keep up its quality and quantity.I have noticed so often that most restaurants,after an initial good review somehow lose their sheen along the way.I do hope this place does not in anyway go on those lines.

If you enjoy pizzas this is the place to be served,warm fresh heartening food,with good value for money(yes its not all that expensive a maximum would be Rs. 250 for a non-veg pizza with all the toppings)And yes the pizzas are a bit spicy even the ones that call for normal spice,they may want to work on their spice quotient and by the way that's the reason the women pecked.I was informed by Ramki (owner) himself that they are working on improving and adding more meats shortly.In the non-veg section they currently serve three types of chicken(tandoori,salami and sausages) The vegetarian though, has many options.


They can be found on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/PizzaRepublic.India?fref=ts