Eating out has become a common trend. It is also an upward trend, which results in many new restaurants and cafes sprouting all over the country. But has one ever wondered who checks them. What body governs them. This is where FSSAI body comes in play.


What is FSSAI ?
FSSAI stands for Food Safety and Standard Authority of India. It was established in the year 2011 by Former Union Minister Dr. Anbumani Ramdoss. It operates on the food safety standards formulated in 2006. FSSAI is a autonomous body and it is under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.

What is FSSAI Registration ?
FSSAI registration is a a mandatory compliance which required to do any food related business in India. Once registered the FSSAI body issues a 14 digit number to the restaurant / cafe / food importer / food packaging company, etc.

This number is segregated into 5 parts

1. The 1st number indicates whether the business is registered or not.
2. The 2nd and 3rd number indicate the state code
3. The 4th and 5th number tells you which year the business was incorporated.
4. The 6th, 7th and 8th number is for the quantity of the enrolling master
5. The 9th to 14th number are the makers permit number.

1. Hotels
2. Wholesaler
3. Restaurants
4. Food chains
5. Food sellers and re-sellers
6. Dairy and dairy processing
7. Food importers and exporters
8. Processors like pickle and dry fruit maker
9. Raw material suppliers to food businesses
10. Retailers & establishments who have a retail outlet
11. Simple transporters who transfer items from one location to another
12. Canteens in corporations, schools, colleges, hospitals or government institutions
13. Packaged food manufacturers who produce items such as biscuits and ready to eat products Storage units and warehouses require a food safety registration instead of a production license.

• - Dairies with a capacity of over 50,000 litres/day

• - Hotels with a 3-star rating and above

     - Companies that supply food to governments offices and departments.

Food:
We started the meal with the ever familiar On The Rocks (OTR) special Garlic Bread served in cast iron bowl. The Garlic infusion into the bread is done in front of your eyes and it tastes as good as it looks.


For Starters we were served Smoked Duck Salad which was just brilliant. The kicker to the dish was the slices of oranges which cuts the monotony of the veggies.



To cleanse and refresh my taste buds I had the Orange & Green Chilli with Chia Seeds Mocktail. The green chilli brought in a late spicy twist to the orange drink while the chia seeds added texture.


Next was one of OTR specials which was the Baked Camembert with Honey & Garlic reduction. I am pretty sure I can have two or three of these. They are so dash good! Also it is a simple dish which you can make at home.


Next to be served was Chicken & Cheese Involtini which was morsels of mozzarella tucked inside chicken and served with diced tomato. It was fantastic.


Following this great dish we had the Pumpkin Ravioli. I simply loved it. It had a delicate pumpkin flavor which was the real differentiator from the regular cheese stuffing I am used to.




For the actual mains we had the option of choosing between Chicken Leg with baked potato, Eggplant Parmesan with Spaghetti and John Dory Fish Fillet with Spinach. I chose to go with the chicken leg while others  tried the other two. I got to sample the others' selection though and I would say the chicken leg was the winner. I would highly recommend this dish to people who dine here. The baked potato was so delicate and well cooked. It does not have any mushiness and it adds carb value to a protein dish.



We finished off with two stunning dessert dishes, The Hazelnut Crunch & Blueberry with White Chocolate Semifreddo. My pick of two was the Hazelnut Crunch as I am a sucker for anything dark and hazelnut.

All in all the dinner was a smasher! Dish after dish was a home run.  The chefs have worked really hard to create a new menu which is a blend of the old and the new.

Ambiance:
The restaurant has maintained the pristine flair abiet minor changes.

Price :
A meal for two cost upward of Rs 5000/-

Disclaimer : Invited Review

On The Rocks is located inside the Crowne Plaza, Alwarpet. Crowne Plaza was previously known as The Adyar Park Sheraton.

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.

**Want instant reviews, follow me on Instagram!!

Its been a while since I did a proper blog post. I have become so accustomed to doing an Instagram Post / Story and be happy with it. It helps me get done the work really really quickly. But this restaurant deserves a proper blog post.

I was here at the Welcomhotel which was previously known as the My Fortune and before that it was called The Chola Sheraton. It was the first hotel setup by ITC. It was around the same time that Taj had setup Taj Coromandel in Chennai. Now both the hotels stand as a part of Chennai's city scape with glory and pride.

To be very frank I have not visited the hotel ever since it dropped the Chola name tag. So visiting here after 10 plus years was bringing back a lot of familiar memories of the time I had visited with my parents and grandparents.

The hotel still holds its charm with its design very reminiscent of the 70's. One would definitely notice the teak wood which has been used in abundance, cane chairs with upholstery very much in tune with the trends in the 70s to the 80s. It definitely gives a good rewind in time.

So I was dining at the Earthen Oven for lunch with the bunch of bloggers. Earthen Oven used to house Peshawari when the hotel used to be called the Chola Sheraton. The layout of the restaurant remains the same but has been revamped to suite the time.


Food:
Earthen Oven explores the food from the northern frontier. Full on Kebabs, Dals and Rotis. We started our meal with nice welcome drink. Pineapple Rasam Mocktail it was amazing. They do have a alcoholic version of the same called the Pineapple Rasam Martini which I did not taste.

The kebab course began with the Aatish-E- Aloo which was crispy stuffed potato with potato cooked in a tandoor. We can call it alooloo (just kidding). It was delicate and well balanced. Next was the Bharwam Paneer. It is paneer stuffed with spinach and batter fried. It resembled a sandwich only the bread was replaced with paneer. I must say it was heavenly. Even as I type describing the dish I get the gush of salivation in my mouth.


Next began the best non-veg feast I have had in a long time. Tandoori Jhinga or Prawn tandoori was delicious. Also the prawns looked like they were measured and compared before cooking so that they look identical in size and shape when served.


Murgh Kadak Seekh was next to be served. It was batter fried Chicken sheekh with a stuffing of cheese and chilli. This dish is essentially a ITC Chola Sheraton invention and it remains part of their menu even today. This dish has good back story too. One fine day a Guest walks into the restaurant just as they were about to wind-up for the day and asks for a kebab dish. The Chef realizes that the the tandoor had been switched off and it would take a few hours for it to get to temperature. So he decides to batter fry it and give a twist to it. Thus the Murgh Kadak Seekh is born. The story is written as it was conveyed to me. Also the kebab was as tasty as the story. At times the craziest dishes are invented at the time of need.


Then came one of my favorites Murgh Zafrani Tikka saffron flavored boneless chicken which was infused Indian Spices. Full marks to the succulent chicken. I loved it.



Finally we got to sample the Shikandari Raan. Hands down the best dish. If you are a person who loves mutton please do not miss this dish. The meat was so tender it just fell apart from the bone and also when you pierce the meat with the fork it breaks down into small fibers.







For mains we got to sample the Dum Mutton Biryani, Palak Aur Anjeer Ke Kofte, Dal Makhani, Murgh Khurchan with assorted Indian Breads. Mutton Biryani was finger licking good and very good by restaurant standards. Palak Aur Anjeer Ke Kofte was spinach kofta curry which was different from the regular paneer koftas that I am used to. Dal Makhani was yummy and went well with the Naan. Finally the Murgh Khurchan was shreds of Tandoori chicken in tomato gravy. Mixing a bit the bread in the chicken gravy and in the kofta was simply scrumptious.


We finished our meal with a warm Gulkand Gulab Jamun and Saffron flavored Rasamalai. Both tasted like a bite of heaven!

Ambiance:
The restaurant is pleasant with many touches from yesteryear.

Price:
A stomach & heart filling meal for two would roughly cost Rs 3000/- and above if we choose to indulge a bit.


They do have set Menu which is worth exploring.

Disclaimer : Invited Review

Earthen Oven is located in Welcomhotel which was formerly known as Chola Sheraton.

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.

**Want instant reviews, follow me on Instagram!!

The next to be served was the Qiling Fish with Sichuan Toban Djan Sauce. I would recommend this dish to anyone who is to dine here. It was just divine.


Next came the Lotus Stem Chengdu Style, which was slightly different from the usual super crispy version. This was mildly crispy yet loaded with chili.


Next was the North Atlantic Steamed Scallop with Pickled Chili. I sure loved it. The steamed scallops were just perfect. The sauce rich in pepper and chili had a unique flavor. A word of caution is to not bite on the chili. They are quite spicy.


Following the scallops we were served the Crispy Tiger Prawns with Chili Butter Garlic. OMG! this is not to be missed. The prawns are gigantic and crispy fried. Its a pure melody. Another dish which should be surely be tasted. I am pretty sure this is gonna become a sure dish on their menu.


Following this we were served Spicy Mahti Chicken which was infused with Sesame and was mildly spicy.


Next was the veg version of the Steamed Scallop. The scallops was replaced with mushroom. The mushroom were cut into long threads like a noodle. It was just as good as the scallops version. Again a word of caution on the chilli. They were quite spicy.


Next up was the Crispy Lobster Chili Butter Garlic. The meat was made into small morsels and crispy fried, and served with the shell which tasty and eye catching. A brilliant dish!








Finally we got to dig into the main course. Vegetable Hakka Noodle, Jimling Style Jasmine Seafood Fried Rice served along with Chicken in Peanut Sauce, Stir Fried Tofu and Steamed Okra in Soya Garlic Sauce.




If it was me I will be content with the Chicken in Peanut sauce and Steamed Rice. The combination was heavenly. The noodle was simple and neat but the flavor were elevated with the Tofu. Something the veg eaters will love. Seafood fried rice was another hit among the group.

Price:
A meal for two would cost Rs 5000/- and upwards depending on the number of specialty dishes ordered.

Disclaimer : Invited Review

Golden Dragon is located inside the Taj Coromandel.

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.

**Want instant reviews, follow me on Instagram!!