I have been to couple of buffet in the recent times, all in star hotels and returned home disappointed, as they were very average. The high price one would pay just does not do any justice to the meal being wiped up. Most star hotels seem to have hopped onto the bandwagon of showcasing the number dishes and lost the key ingredient, that of quality. But this buffet  I had at the Taj Club House which showcased the items of the famous restaurant Karavalli at Bangalore as a part of Karavalli celebrations was totally the opposite. I can say that I throughly enjoyed my experience.

Food:
The meal kicked off with Crab Milagu Fry, served along with the shell. Thankfully we had the shell cracker at our disposal. My Oh My!! It was just fantastic. I can't seem to the remember the last time I enjoyed crab to such an extent. I ditched the fork and spoon and ventured in with my bare hands which just made the experience even better.


Then there was a fried fish, served as a part of the starter which was decent. Then I went around sampling the items of the buffet. As the Club House restaurant's basic concept is an English  Bistro with an Asian twist, the buffet had the usual suspects, such as the breads and assorted cheese and some terrific salads. I skipped on the soup and went straight ahead to the mains.


Next up was the Meen Mapas, an Kerala speciality dish cooked in coconut milk was absolutely brilliant. Fish was tender and went well with another Kerala fav the Red Rice. I  thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Then there was the Kadala Curry, another stunner and worked well with the Idiyappam.

There were some not so great dishes as well like the Mutton Sukka which was cooked in Tomato Masala. The chunky mutton pieces were a tad hard, but the mutton pieces had Kheema served along with them, which was brilliant. Another disappointment was the Coorg Fried Chicken, that too was a little hard. Apart from these two dishes, the entire spread was a stunner.


Finally for desserts, we were served some Goan speciality dishes such as Dodol, Bebinca and Coconut Ice cream. Yes they are the same dishes which I had had at Hyatt. But these were definitely a notch better than them. Apart these the buffet had some stunning desserts. I did not stray too far as I was stuffed.

Ambiance:
A contemporary twist to the usual taj flavour.

Price:
The buffet is priced at Rs 1799/- per head.

This was by far the best buffet I have had in a long while. Reason - quality had taken focus, or it could be because the flavours were close to home cooked food.
Karavalli Celebrations at Taj Club House are on till the 27th of September.  It is available as a part of buffet and also as al carte menu.

Disclaimer : Invited review

Taj Club House is located on Club House Road which is diagonally opposite to Spencer's Plaza.

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*A review about a place holds good only for 6 months as there can be a change in quality and quantity of the food, the service and the staff, due to reasons best known only to them. So kindly consider these factors while visiting the places.

It has been a while since my last visit to Goa. Yet the aroma and the flavours of the Peri-Peri Chicken and Prawns which I had during my visit remain fresh in my mind along with picturesque beauty of the beaches. The invite to try-out the on going Goan food festival at Spice Haat, Hyatt Regency called the Sussegado -Just Like Goa!! was something which I could not turn down despite the low calorie diet, I am on.

The food menu was curated by Chef Edridge Vaz who is part of Park Hyatt, Goa and has come down to Chennai to play a special role in bringing the flavours and essence of Goan food to the plates of Chennai's foodies.

Food:
The meal kicked off with an intro with the chefs. It was great talking to Chef Edridge Vaz who shared his knowledge on Goan cuisine. The first dish to be served was the Peri- Peri Prawns which was simply exquisite. Spice, aroma and taste... WoW!



Next up was the Rava Fried Calamari which was crispy and little different to the batter fried types I am used to, but still irresistible. The taste quotient was upped by a several bars when the peri-peri masala of the prawns was used as a dipping sauce. The sole veg starter to be served - the Vegetable Jeri-Meri, was decent.


Moving away from the starters we were treated to Goan food medley which was part of the buffet. Before I dive deep into the Goan dishes, the Chicken Biryani which was part of the regular buffet menu is by far the best I have had by 5 star hotel standards. Mild, aromatic and filled with pieces of Chicken.

Coming back to the Goan dishes, the Mutton Buffaldo was tender and spiced right and cooked to perfection, little similar to the Rogan Josh but just a little milder I would say, made a fantastic combination with the rotis.

Goan Fish curry was little light for my liking, a little bit of heat would have made it outstanding. Finally the Chicken Green Curry was fantastic, very similar to Kerala Style Pepper Chicken. Made a terrific combination for the biryani. I left the veg dishes to be sampled by the veggie foodie who was in our company.


Before I move over to the desserts. I have seen many weird requests on Food forums for best Arabian food along with Indian food. Or which buffet has a good dessert spread. I must say, the quest ends here.


Finally the desserts!! The Goan speciality desserts were served on the table. Apart from the selection of speciality items, the buffet had the regular desserts as well, which was simply outstanding. The three speciality desserts served were fantastic but my star pick was the Dodal simply because it reminded me of Karputty Halwa from my native. Small bits of Dodal along with Vanilla Ice cream was simply devine.


My other pick was Bibinca which was slow cooked layered cake served with honey. Mix and match with the vanilla ice cream, again another delight. Finally there was the Alle Belle which was a Crepe with dates stuffing and honey drizzle which was good. All in all a fantastic experience. I must thank Chef Edridge Vaz for recreating the flavours of Goa in Chennai.

Ambiance:
Quirky Indian market theme fused with technology has stood the test of time in the last 3 years and I still love the feel of the resto.

Price:
Sussegado - Just Like Goa! is part of the dinner buffet at Spice Haat which is priced at Rs 1550/- plus taxes.

The Sussegado - Just Like Goa! is available at the Spice Haat as a part of the Dinner buffet. This food festival is on upto 14th of September.

Disclaimer : Invited review

Spice Haat is located in the lobby of Hyatt Regency.

If you like what you are reading, Please share it with others.

*A review about a place holds good only for 6 months as there can be a change in quality and quantity of the food, the service and the staff, due to reasons best known only to them. So kindly consider these factors while visiting the places.

My food stops at Abu Dhabi have been all about having the best burger and this stop at Fuddruckers was no different.

Food:
Our order was an Appetiser Platter, half a pound Swiss Melt Burger and a Cajun Chicken Platter with a couple of bottomless cokes. The best part about Fuddruckers was the salads counter which is free. My mom just loved the salads while I binged on my half pound swiss melt beef burger. I was a little cocky when I ordered it. But I did have a tough time finishing it.


The Appetizer Platter comprised of Chili French Fries topped of with Chicken curry, Crispy Cheesy Mozzarella Breaded Sticks, Onion Rings, Buffalo Chicken Wings and finally a Quesadilla. Apart from the Quesadilla every other element was fantastic. My top favourites were the Chicken Wings and the Chili Fries Wow!!!


Moving on to my half a pound Swiss Melt which was cooked to medium was simply amazing. It was one juicy cheesy greasy messy burger. I finished of by sampling a little bit of the Cajun Chicken Platter which had cajun spiced chicken pieces charboiled to perfection.

Ambiance:
Reminded me of Sparky's back home. So did the food.

Service:
No Complaints here

Price:
This meal cost us about 190 AED, which was well worth the money.

Food - 8.5/10
Ambiance - 8/10
Service - 8/10
Price - 8/10

Fuddruckers is located in the 1st Floor of Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi.

Disclaimer : We paid for the meal.

If you like what you are reading, Please share it with others.

*A review about a place holds good only for 6 months as there can be a change in quality and quantity of the food, the service and the staff, due to reasons best known only to them. So kindly consider these factors while visiting the places.