Vodkas at Chonas!

After a long day at work my escape to nirvana is at Chonas! Often alone and sometimes with a friend… and what brings me the much needed refreshment these days is a glass of Vodka!

Apart from some great Cocktails at Chonas I tried the Vodka options there and fell in love with few of them… Absolut being my all time favourite has always ruled my charts and here too the drink just freshens me up! Rich, full-bodied and complex and yet mellow and smooth, this one is a real combination of taste and purity. Then coming to the French origin Grey Goose, it really works for me on a tough day! Yeah I have this tendency of choosing drinks as per my mood… This distilled vodka is the ultimate treat for my thirst and being a premium brand there is a likeable uniformity wherever I have it.

Its difficult to refrain your visit to just drinks when you are at Chonas specially when you can smell the fresh and hot sizzlers around! My glass of Vodka along with a Mixed Grill sizzler makes for a great appetite pleaser! A perfect treat for myself after a long day at work…

I recommend the Vodkas at Chonas to all along with the already favourite Sizzlers!

Spice Route

Had heard so much about this elaborately decorated and rich in cuisine restaurant that my food fetish had to make me visit! Spice Route is the embellished restaurant in the heart of The Imperial Hotel, a heritage hotel, now completely revamped into one of the country’s finest!

The restaurant is known for its exotic  Asian cuisines, Thai cuisine being my favourite and the spectacular decor and when you actually see it, all adjectives seem an understatement!

Spice Route deserves all the laurels earned through the years and all the recognition. The entrance has four pillars with the 16^th century look. The ambience is based on the theme of stages of life and the detailed artistry on the pillars and around speaks of the meticulous job done by Kerala artisans to make this place look like a dream! Wealth has been depicted by gold leaves placed around while ancient carvings and shrines have been placed to beautify the ancestral section! With all the glitz and glory, the place looks no less than a historical landmark itself and can make you wonder for a moment if the Royal era still persists! Apparently the place took seven years to be made…

After all the accolade I had built in my heart for the place I really wished that the food wont disappoint and nor did it! The Southeast-Asian cuisine majorly consist the spicy delicacies of Indonesia, Malaysia and Veitnam and the food here was a beautiful blend of all. Starting with Tom Khai Khai and Kerala style prawns, we tasted the marvellous delicacies of South India. Thai style Lobster was the best I had ever had served with ginger and Thai mushrooms. The Sri Lankan curries there have an authentic taste and just the right amount of ingredients bringing the perfect aroma and incredible taste!

With the superlative decor and incredible food… this place gets a proud 9.5 on my foodie scale!

Storm

Sometimes you just find something right when you least expect it! Something similar happened the other day me and few friends were stuck due to a car breakdown at East of Kailash. As we anticipated the long wait all we were worried about was where to find a place to eat as we all were damn hungry! While walking down the road we came across Storm which looked like a decent place to have food. Having heard vaguely about the place and by the fine looking exteriors we were convinced to have lunch there.

As we entered, the place looked even better, with a well decorated lounge and relaxed seating sofas, the ambience was calm and comfortable. We soon forgot our woes as we started with spicy Chicken wings and Chilly Paneer. The spicy starters had a great taste and by now we were sure that the food is going to be great!

We ordered Murg Masala, Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani along with Grilled Fish and the dishes were cooked to perfection. Hyderabadi Biriyani is a bit difficult to get right but I appreciate the Chef’s efforts as it came out to be different from authentic Hyderabadi dish but the taste was really good.

Storm was a blessing in disguise and a saviour for us and this is the second reason we’ll come here often, first being the food of course.

Route O4

I never tried to figure out if this was planned or a coincidence but this is surely interesting to see that this Desi American Restaurant which derived its name from a highway running from New York to New Hampshire, Route 04 is situated at 4, Khan Market!

Route 04 is the complete American Experience for one and all in terms of food and culture! From the ambience to the music, everything carries the American theme here. There is a casual seating arrangement and the walls carry pictures of all- American celebrities like Marilyn Monroe.

The menu carries a wide variety in breakfast options, American Grilled Meat Platter being the show stealer! And if you’re tired of being offered the regular starters, this place has a lot to offer in this category… from breaded shrimps to Baked Garlic mushrooms apart from Fish and Chicken appetizers. The American taste does not fail to impress and the food is served fresh and hot!

Do try the Pancakes there served with a bowl of melted butter, there are six pancakes in a single order which nearly becomes a meal in itself! The main course has all that an American feast can be found to be! Jerry Chicken is what I believe is the best an American Chicken dish could be. Do not miss out on the tasty Baked Cottage Cheese Sticks too served with mustard sauce. Other specialities there are the all favourite Veg Lasagne and the safe bets are the burgers and sandwiches there! The grills bring about the western cafe feel to the place

They have happy hours for drinks which is the reason for the rush there during the days while otherwise the restaurant is a calm and serene dining experience.

Rockman’s Beer Island- If you looking for a different beer experience

Whenever I think of Ambience Mall, Gurgaon, I think big mall, superb food court, Blu- O and of course, Rockman’s Beer Island.

Rockman’s is better known as the only German style microbrewery in India. That’s one for the tourists, but for me it is a place where I can chill with friends after a long, hard day’s work.

Rockman’s brewery is located on the fourth floor and it is the only four- floor brewery that I know. I read it somewhere that the owners of Rockman’s are planning on similar ventures in other locations of India too.

Rockman’s sell five types of beer including: Lager, Strong Lager, Dark Wheat and smoked.

Their Lager beer is a very nice, clean and light lager with no unexpected flavours. The strong lager is similar, but with a much higher alcohol content. The Dark beer, is merely dark, but was well balanced.

Overall all the beer were very nice and worth it.

Apart from this, one unusual service provided by the brewery is sheesha, which is the waterpipe smoking. As I don’t smoke, so won’t be able to tell you the experience of the sheesha.

The drinking http://www.gurgaoncitylife.com/nightlife/rockmans-beer-island/85.htmlarea is always full during most weekend nights.

Here’s to  a different experience if you are a beer lover. Cheers!!

Seafood at Chonas!

It is no hidden secret that Chonas is the best when it comes to sizzlers but there is another food vertical where the restaurant leaves you spell-bound! There are not many great outlets at Khan Market that serve seafood and Chonas with their uniform quality and level of taste in all dishes excels in this one too!

When you have friends coming in from abroad and all they want to have is fish and prawns it becomes difficult to find a good place! We were in one such situation the other day at Khan Market and Chonas came to our rescue! Being a regular at Chonas I was quite aware of the fact that the place ensures great quality food and service but I had never tried seafood there. Once we were there I heard some sigh of reliefs as my friends saw some familiar dishes on the menu. However I just hoped that the food is good! There is this strange feeling when you are playing host to someone, feeling of not being let down by the behaviour or food or anything else.

Anyhow, we started with Fish Tikka and one bite was enough to know that Chonas not only excels in great sizzlers but great seafood as well! The fish was fresh and well cooked. We then ordered Stir Fried Fish Fillets in Bean Sauce and the dish came out be a real crispy delight. Nothing tastes better than the fresh-caught taste of fish! When we ordered Fried Prawns there was confusion on what sauce to go for and I know how well oyster sauce tasted with sliced lamb so I insisted for it and it did work!

I made them then taste some Gulab Jamun and they all loved it! Seafood at Chonas gets a whopping nine on ten from me!

Nirula’s Potpourri

Potpourri is much in talks these days because of its amazing menu. Potpourri is the chain operated by the Nirula’s group, offering a finer dining experience than you get at the ol’ regular Nirula’s establishments.

Potpourri, as the name suggests offers number of offerings, which includes Indian cuisine, Italian cuisine, Thai cuisine, Continental cuisine and miscellaneous International cuisine.

Though the prices of the restaurant are higher in comparison to the normal Nirula’s restaurants, but it is truly worth it.

I recently went to its CP branch that is situated on the outer circle. On entering the place, I found the bar straight ahead with the seating area to the right. The interiors were a curious mix of old school CP building and new school funky designs on the walls of the restaurant.

You can get it all here, be it Ratatouille with pasta, Desi- spicy chana masala, burgers or Chinese.

The portions they serve are more than enough for a person. Indeed, we were so filled up that we had no room left for any desert.

If I had to recommend it to someone, I would recommend him / her for its good food, quick service timings, and prices that are not overly exorbitant.

Easter Brunch at Cafe Uno!

As the weekend approaches, here is a great idea to have a terrific outing with family… Plan you perfect Sunday this week by being there at the fun filled Easter Brunch at Cafe Uno, Shangri La!

Like all brunch parties at Cafe Uno, this one too promises to be tremendous fun for kids and adults both! While children get to indulge into various interesting activities, there is also going to be an extensive buffet section along with free flow of champagne!

Cafe Uno is the 24 hours international restaurant within the grand hotel Shangri La. The cafe has an international look with twelve live cooking stations and an al fresco dining area. There are regular brunch parties organised by the hotel in the cafe and they always add special attractions like fun activities, unlimited drinks and more… Easter is the time for celebration and what can be better than a great Sunday Brunch at this urbane restaurant!

The brunch party starts at 12 noon on Sunday, 4^th April and will last till 3pm. The charges are Rs 3000/- with Alcohol and Rs 2500/- without Alcohol while the kids buffet cost is Rs 1500/-

Make your reservations there and have a great Sunday with family and friends!

Sidewok

Side wok is the ultimate food destination for the South Delhi crowd and especially because it is at Khan Market!

This place is known for its great variety of soups and noodles along with great sea food items like the lip-smacking Slow Fried Prawn in soya chilli sauce and the tempting Steamed Fish Fillet.

Their Pan Fried Noodles are simply awesome! And very different from what you would have tasted at other joints. The quality of food is excellent and that is the reason the place is so famous and liked!

The soups are the USP and there is a good variety of them available. Ever thought coconut can taste good in soups? Try Tom Kha soup at Side Wok and the taste will bring an adrenalin rush to you! It has coconut cream with your choice amongst prawn, chicken and vegetable and the aroma is what makes it the best! Same goes for the Lemon and Coriander Soup which is the thickest of all soups and again has a choice of vegetable or chicken!  Give this place a visit to experience the exotic soups and delicious noodles along with the other specialities!

Desserts at Chonas

Enough said about Chonas Sizzlers, we know they are good. But here’s something else that gets me into raptures … the desserts!  Ok, I confess, am

a regular at Khan Market, and there is a whole host of dessert joints around, but once you’re stuffed to the gills with Chonas’ mouth watering sizzlers, I have never had the energy to crawl into a dessert place.

So here’s a rundown on my favourites from their menu, and I do confess I have tried quite a few!

My favourite would be the Blueberry Cheesecake and chocolate Truffle Cake. The Blueberry Cheese Cake is exotic! Okay… I don’t mind admitting that wherever I go, my first choice is always Blueberry Cheese Cake but you have to try it at Chonas to believe! Chocolate Truffle is the flavour no one ever says no to and this one at Chonas is going to make you forget all the calorie counts and immerse you in choco-pleasures deep!

But if chocolate is not your flavour, thats not all, they have unusual desserts that really complete the Chonas experience. Try the Honey Noodles with Ice cream for the signature warm and cold – crisp and soft end to a meal, ask for extra honey on top, if you like!