26/01/2013

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Phoenix Market City, Velacherry Main Road

19:32:00



Finally the biggest mall in Chennai has opened. A mall which surpasses the Express Avenue in space and grandeur, a mall which houses Chennai's first IMAX screen: the one and only Phoenix Market City!  It is located in Velacherry. I was here today along with my mom to have a look around the Mega landmark of Chennai. Today all the roads seem to lead to Phoenix City. It was that bursting with people. We were here post-lunch and we decided to grab a cup of coffee because all that loitering about and gaping at the shops made my mom tired!

Food:
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, housed in 1st Floor of the mall, is where we headed to. The place was packed tight and we had to wait a few minutes before we could get a seat. I ordered a Ice Blended Mocha, while my mom ordered Cafe Latte and we decided to share a Chocolate Chip Muffin. The muffin was huge, and definitely four people could share it with ease. While both the coffees were fantastic. It had the right blend of coffee with very small amount of milk. If you are the kind of person who likes Barista then you would love this.

Ambiance:
It is a very small outlet with about a 20seats. It would be really difficult to get a seat on peak days for sure. The outlet looks really neat.

Service:
Service is really quick. It is almost like they are ready to throw you out with their service speed.

Price:
Most drinks are priced a touch higher than the outlets we are used to. But it is worth the bite!

Food - 8/10
Ambiance - 8/10
Service - 8/10
Price - 7/10

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is located on the 1st Floor of Phoenix Market City on Velacherry Main Road.


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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

16/01/2013

Haagen-Dazs, KNK Road - Launch!

22:42:00

I was at  Haagen-Dazs, Khader Nawaz Khan Road for the opening of the 1st Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream outlet in the culture rich city of Chennai. The joint buzzed with activity with many shutterbugs clicking with their big bazookas, the scene was truly unique. This was the first such event I was attending!
After a brief speech by the people of Haagen-Dazs( HD), there were few rounds of absolute heaven (ice creams) doled out.

If you have, had HD ice creams from the imported HD containers and loved them,  then the ice creams served here are their replicas. Dollops of delight and joy. My favorite flavors at HD are Belgian Chocolate and Strawberry Cheesecake. 

Priced at 
Single Scoop Ice Cream Rs 180/-
Double Scoop Ice Cream Rs 300/-
Speciality Ice Creams Rs 500/-
Large Pint Ice Cream Rs 700/-
Shakes/Drinks Rs 300/- odd
Sundaes 3 Scoops+Sauces Rs 420/-
3 Cup Cake Ice Cream Desserts Rs 550/-

They are priced similar to Moven-pick Ice creams just across the street. It would be worth the watch how the two giants fight it out here in Chennai.

I have made a brief photolog of what was served to us. Please feel free to comment.












Thanks to Nishanth for the prices.

Food - 8/10
Ambiance - 8/10
Price -7/10

Haagen-Dazs is located in the same building as Cascade in Khader Nawaz Khan Road


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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

14/01/2013

Vascos, Hilton, Guindy

16:07:00

Nothing can give you so much  pleasure and happiness as being in the company of your friends. It is even more special when you are dressed for the occasion in formal clothes. I was at Vascos, Hilton for my friend's birthday party in a slightly over dressed attire. I have been at Hilton on previous occasions and dined at Ayna. I was floored by the quality and taste of food. This time around I was dining at Vascos, this gave me the opportunity to see what Hilton had to offer the buffet diners.


Food:
The sheer volume of food served can leave you astonished.There is the Indian, the Italian, the Japanese, the Chinese, the American, the English, etc. You just cant keep a track off the cuisine. There is something for everyone. Sheer volume of spread at Vascos, does not necessarily translate into fantastic food.



The spread starts off with a chicken broth for soup. Small pieces of grilled chicken in a clear liquid with a dash of salt and pepper. A neat soup to begin with. It does not raise the expectation of the buffet nor does it lower it anyway. Next, there is a choice of veg and non-veg pizza which is served at the table. The pizza seems to be cooked in the same wood fired oven which we have become accustomed to. Taste wise it needs a little tweaking. Food is spread in all corners of the restaurant. At times I was confused and searching for the starters. Then there was a chicken kebab and a crispy fried fish with a chili sauce dressing. The Chicken kebab did not really impress me, while the Crispy Fried Fish rocked! There is a wide variety of breads which is part of the spread, with a delicate selection of cheeses on offer, which you could mix and match to your taste.






The choice of cold salads was huge, one could become full just by trying each of them. Served in small cups or plates, they look really attractive. My pick among the wide variety of salads was the Tomato, Capsicum and Black Olives served with a thin layer of Parmesan Cheese & Lamb served with Pesto. Both cold cut items simply fabulous, rest were just okay. 

Then you have the momos in different variety, and the sushi's. The fish sushi was tasty while the momos failed to impress me. Also there were hummus and pita bread, which i took a small portion to try them. Even these failed to impress me. Some impressive starters later I entered into the main course with an almost full belly. I decided to keep my sampling to the minimum. 



Off the entire main course, my favorites were, Vegetable Chopsuey, Chicken Fried Rice & Beef in Pepper Sauce. Inspite of the main course having a large selection of dishes, most failed to tick the right spot. The entire spread appeared more like a business mans show-off joint, more than a food lovers paradise.






The deserts here were the only redeeming items on the buffet. Every dish was heavenly. None of the dish showed even the slightest dip in quality nor the sign of mass production. Hats off to the pastry chef. 

Overall I felt a little fine tuning here and there, could lend the large spread an irresistible charm.

Ambiance:
The ambiance at Ayna is simply stunning and Vascos is no less. It gives you and excellent view of the road, which is only hindered by the Metro Rail work. The large lamps which decorate the restaurant give a feel that this restaurant is for the normal sized people.

Service:
Since this was a buffet, I really do not know on what basis to rate them.

Price:
Priced at almost Rs 1500/- with very few dishes clicking, I really do not know if it works out the best deal for the money spent.

Food - 6.5/10
Ambiance - 8/10
Service - 8/10
Price - 7/10

Vascos is located inside Hilton next to Olympia Tech Park in Guindy

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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

11/01/2013

Quiznos, Ispahani Center, Nungumbakkam

20:41:00


If you guys are in the mood for a healthy sandwich or something similar, the only destination in Chennai was  the Subway. But now with the recent entry of Quiznos into healthy sub scene here at Chennai, all is changing. Quiznos at Ispahani Center has been up and running from the last quarter of 2012. I have been waiting since the day it was opened, to have a go at them.



Food:
Since it was my first time here, we chose to try-out different subs, the Sub-of-the-day was Classic Italian. We also had  Mesquite Chicken, Chipotle Chicken & Zesty Grille Chicken. All the subs were simply fantastic. Each was a winner in its own right. One point to note is that. the scope to alter the sub to our taste is limited. The choice of breads and the extra toppings are the only option. It best to go with the pre fixed combination, as it works well. Also I happened to have a look at the prep of the sub, I must say the amount of meat which is placed is considerably more than what you would get at Subway. We did try the Pineapple squash and Ice Tea. Both the drinks were very refreshing, with the squash being more like Rasna. You do get more than your average sub here. There is an option of pizzas, soups, salads, sandwich's & of course the deserts. My favorite sub of the lot was Chipotle Chicken. The taste was wonderfully different!

Ambiance:
The ambiance at Quiznos was very simple with elegant accents of colors on the wall.

Service:
Service at Quiznos is pretty quick, with none of the subway style waiting near the counter required. If you do wish to have a glance at the "making" of your sub, you could walk straight up to the counter and enjoy the view.

Price:
Priced a notch above subway, maybe a little risky. But the flavors and the filling, do justice to the price.

Food - 8/10
Ambiance - 7/10
Service - 8/10
Price - 7/10

Quiznos is located inside Ispahani Center in Nungumbakkam

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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


09/01/2013

Pizza Republic, Mogappair

19:46:00


Happy New Year Guys! Hope you have a fantastic year ahead. Since this is the 1st post for this year, I decided to post about the place which impressed me the most recently - with it's amazing flavors and simply superb price, Pizza Republic. A true republic place where, you do not need to shell out alot to enjoy a wholesome pizza.

I have been  at Pizza Republic outlets at least 4 times before. The first time I was  at Pizza Republic, Mogappair, it was a disappointment, with the oven not working properly. My next three visits were to Pizza Republic at Taramani. I must say, I was blown away by the taste and  classy ambiance. This time I was again here at Pizza Republic, Mogappair, the outlet which disappointed me initially. I was here for a CFG Showcase.




Food:
All the pizzas were exemplary. Some of the pizzas are not available on the menu but would be introduced into the menu soon.  So I am going to continue this post, as a photo-log.
Since Chennaifoodie and I were the last people to reach the joint, the others present started binging on the delightful pizzas which Rama Krishnan had specially made for the occasion.




The 1st of the amazing delights was the Pizza Puff, which is a rolled dough to resemble a puff. Next up was the Pizza Calzone. A pizza folded or a Masala Dosa, you decide. Then came the Aachari Masthi Pizza or your Ooga Pizza.... Yummmmm!!




Then came  a couple of custom orders by the CFGians. All were Fab!










In-between all this CFGian Priya had a surprise for us all. An amazing Homemade White Chocolate Sponge Cake. This cake was heavenly. The sponge cake was soooo very soft and awesome. Priya runs a home bakery and turns out delicious cakes.

Ambiance:
The ambiance at Mogappair outlet is a bit of a let down. I really wish that this outlet could emulate the ambiance at their Taramani joint.

Price:
The most pocket friendly pizzas, kicks all other multi-outlet pizza brands hands down.

Food - 8/10
Ambiance - 4/10
Price- 9/10

Pizza Republic, Mogappair is located bang opposite to Chennai Public School

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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