21/09/2014

Madras Square, Neelankarai

10:34:00


Finally got a chance to take a break and get back to what I love doing. Clicking food!! Location - Madras Sqaure. Subjects - irresistible food. We, a group of three, moseyed into the cafe a little past 7pm on a lovely Saturday evening. Thanks to the pleasant weather, it was great dining outdoors, soaking up the lovely ambiance the restaurant nestled in.






Food:
We started off with a Smoked Salmon on Toast followed by a Mezze. The Smoked Salmon on Toast was a beauty. The dash of orange peel was a fantastic touch. The mixture of flavours was an absolute symphony on the taste buds. I would strongly recommend the dish. The Mezze had a quartet of dips to go with the pita. The dips were great. Each unique in its own right, but the pita was a let down, to  an otherwise a great dish. The pita was soft but had a slight doughy feel to it. To quench our thirst I had picked the Peach Ice Tea, while my friend had the fresh Orange Juice. The orange juice was like a regular orange juice, nothing really special about it, while my peach ice tea seemed like a concentrate of peach and tea, which was great.




Gobbling down the starters we ordered our mains. I picked a Tenderloin steak, while my friend picked the days special Grilled Pomfret Fish in Sri Lankan Masala and finally a Gnocchi. Gnocchi being vegetarian, was not the pick among the two carnivores. Nevertheless, the mouthful which I had, enough to say, it was good. The Grilled Pomfret Fish was definitely the star dish, in my books. Made of Sri Lankan spices which gave it a unique identity. An upmarket cafe serving a fish which was almost similar in taste to what one would get at Moonrakers is a big thumbs up! Of course the pricing  is higher than at Moonrakers, but then the ambiance does come at a cost. Finally the Tenderloin steak - medium was perfect. I was not a big fan of medium cooked steaks, but then I have slowly began to love em. This steak was no exception. Small cut through revealed the slight pink tint on the meat and juice made of pepper base was perfect. Served on a bed of grilled onions with grilled veggies on the side took the dish to whole new level. The Veggie sides served on a bed of cheese was totally different from what I have had. All in all the food was great.

Ambiance:
Set in a remote road off the East Coast Road in Neelankarai, with a mix of contemporary architecture and traditional South Indian furniture, and mesmerising live rock band, on a day were the weather Gods were kind on Chennai. There can't be a better day to experience this superb ambiance.

Service:
Service was quite all right. The only problem was the person who took our order was not really clear about  the menu and he had to walk back and forth to a senior to verify if we raised any doubts about the menu.

Price:
This meal for 3 cost us Rs 2500/-. The dishes are priced on a slightly  higher side, but then they charge only 2% VAT and there is no service charge on the bill which is a big bonus.

Food - 8/10
Ambiance - 8/10
Service - 7/10
Price - 7.5/10

Madras Square is located in a road off ECR in Neelangarai. You definitely need google maps to locate this place.

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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.

19/09/2014

Copper Spoon, Thrissur, Kerala

21:35:00

On my really short visit to Thrissur, I got to dine at this lovely restaurant called Copper Spoon. Big thanks to my friend who suggested this place. It is located close to the railways station. I cant really believe I paid only Rs 10 for the auto fare to this place. Yaaay!!!




Food:
Sorry for the bad picture quality. Snapped them on my ipad. I walked in at around 4pm and sat myself down. The place was 20% full. So I built the courage to ask the bearer if they were open. He was really courteous in his reply - " We are here to serve you". I was filled with joy and I went about placing my order. I ordered a Dragon Fish, Kerala Fish Masala and finally a few Kerala Parotta. Dragon Fish was a regular fare. Very similar to the Chinese one would get, if you ordered the same at sea shells. The Kerala Parotta and Fish were quite simply superb. Made with loads of coconut oil, filled with richness. Mix it up with the sooper soft Parotta, and it was pure bliss!!

Ambiance:
I was totally reminded of Zaitoon and Sea Shells the entire time I was here. Only a little better.

Service:
Top notch! loved it

Price:
This meal cost me Rs700/-

Food - 8/10
Ambiance - 7.5/10
Service - 9/10
Price - 7.5/10

Copper Spoon is located near the west exit of Thrissur railway station. They do have another branch as well.

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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.