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.

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Food:
We started with Charcoal Roasted Twin Pepper Soup served with super light toasted bread which was simply awesome. Light and at the same time full of flavor and also a delight to look at. Following which we were served with a nice Berry Mock-tail.



Next came the deconstructed Chicken / Paneer Carolina Salad which I would rate as a must have. The honey mustard sauce with sensationally marinated Chicken/Paneer and the Cheddar and Parmesan cheese was a delight. This is nothing like the salads from Subway and I would highly recommend it.


Next a dish from the veg part of the menu, Cottage Cheese & Green Peas Kebab. This dish was served on a park-bench kind of a plate with charcoal underneath it to create a smoke kind of theatrics. The taste definitely matched the antics with which it was served.




Banjara Kebab was served next. It was chefs take on Chicken Tikka which was mouthwatering. Next up were the Mini Falafel Wrap ( Arabian Platter ) and the Mango Cheese Fingers. Both brilliant. I would recommend having the fingers while they are hot unlike me, who went about wasting time to click the right picture.



In between all this I was given a different mock-tail based on Guava & Litchi to relish on! After munching such delicious starters we were served with Bento Box kind of Mains and Polenta.


The Bento box contained Mini Butter Naan, Steamed Rice, Mutton Roganjosh, Dal Makani and Vegetable Kohlapuri with assorted condiments. The kicker was the mutton and naan. Mutton was so soft without any of the smell which we associate with it. Polenta is a the Italian take on Indian Upma which was neat.



We finished off  dinner with Country Fair Apple Rasamalai Pie and Rabri Angoor which was definitely the icing on the cake.

Also we got to have a friendly chat with Chef Pawan Kumar about his experiences and his connection with Chennai.

Ambiance:
The restaurant is located on the top floor of Ramada Plaza with 360 Degree view of the Guindy Skyline. With weather being pleasant in the month of February is the right time to visit.

Service:
NA

Price:
A meal for two should cost an upwards of Rs 3000/- depending on the number of courses and items beings ordered.

Roof Top Lounge is located on the top floor at Ramada Plaza in Guindy.

Disclaimer - I was invited for the meal

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Hello 2017!
It's been a really long time since I did a blog post, been totally restricted to doing short reviews on Instagram. Also, I had been cutting down on dining out after a quick increase of my waistline. So now back to this review. I happened to dine at The Miner Diner for brunch yesterday and ended up having a fantastic experience.



Food:
We (Wife and I) chose to have the Gold Miner Diner Combo which is priced at Rs 495/- person. This combo allows you to have the following







We had the Cream of Chicken Soup to start with, followed by Wasabi Salad and BBQ Salad. Must say they were all simply superb. May not be original in its right, but tasted good. Both salads were loaded with romaine lettuce, olives, cherry tomatoes, zucchini & cucumber. The BBQ salad had a mix of BBQ sauce and Mayo. While the Wasabi Salad tasted more like Kimchi.

Before our starters could arrive our shakes reached the table. Berry & Cookie shake and Kit-Kat shake. Both were just divine. I personally loved the Berry & cookie better as it was a little thinner  and so it just went well with the heavy course of food which was served


Next, we had the Chicken Cigars and Wasabi Paneer. Crispy Cigars were served with thousand island sauce which was fantastic. The wasabi paneer - grilled paneer topped with cheese and mayo along with a small sliver of olive was mindblowing. The mayo balanced out the spiciness of the wasabi making it a subtle heat.



By the end of the starters, we were so stuffed that neither of us could have the mains. I just decided to have a small bite of them and parcel the rest. Corden Blu waffle sandwich and Italian Twist waffle pizza. The waffle was perfect. It had a nice crispy texture with a soft interior. This made biting into the waffle an absolute bliss. The Pizza, on the other hand, was a little less crispy when compared to the sandwich as it might have absorbed the cheese's moisture. Nevertheless tasty.

We decided to pack the desserts as well as we had reached saturation point.

Ambiance:
Set in a car park of a house, with rustic interiors which make it feel like something else.

Service:
Fast, efficient and attentive.

Price:
Here comes the best part. This entire meal cost us Rs 1124/- for two people which is all inclusive is fantastic value for money.

Food - 8/10
Ambiance - 8/10
Service - 8/10
Price - 9.5/10

Disclaimer: I paid for the meal.

The Miner Diner is located in Anderson road next to Doner Kebab.

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Plan - B, yet another resto-bar which I have been wanting to visit for a long time, mainly for their juicy, tasty burgers, finally happened last night. Chennai Foodie and myself being TEETOTALLERS had fun with mock-tails yet again, while the only the non-teetotaler friend had fun downing some spirits.

Food:
We kick started the proceedings with mock-tails, Fluffy Duck and Crazy Colonel. Fluffy duck was lychee based drink which had a nice sharp kick to it, while the Crazy Colonel was orange juice based drink which was nice too.


For starters we had Chicken Loaded Potato Skins, Fiery Chicken and Beef Chilli Cheese Fries. I definitely can't single out which one of these would be my favourite. Each great in its own right. My only grouse was with the Beef Chilli Cheese Fries. I was expecting the beef to be served on a bed of fries but it was the other way around. More meat and less amount of fries to be used as a dip. Nevertheless it was amazing!



For mains we had the Tenderloin Steak which was medium done and the Juicy Lucy Burger. The steak was served on a bed of Mashed Potatoes which was fabulous, no clumping what so ever with a slight hint of sweetness to it. The mushroom pepper sauce gave a nice spice balancing effect to the potatoes. The meat was soft and succulent, a perfect dish I must say. Reminded me of the steak I had at Cheesecake Factory in Abu Dhabi. Definitely returning for this.

The Juicy Lucy Burger on the other hand was nice, but just not the kind I was hoping for. I was hoping for a really juicy and greasy burger, but this fell a little flat being more manageable and clean.

We finished our meal with the best desserts I have had in a long time - Chocolate Tart and Chocolate Trio. Absolutely decadent!

Ambiance:
Lovely music played on one of the best setup acoustic systems I have come across. Loved every bit of it. If you are a person who loves HOUSE, CLUB, ELECTRO music and also loves to have a good meal, this is a place to be.

Price:
A meal for two should cost around Rs 1500 to 2000/- depending on your order.

Disclaimer - Invited Review.

Plan B is located on the road opposite to Sea Shells on Greams Road.

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Continuing  the parade of food which I had devoured during my trip to Abu Dhabi we come here to my next stop, which was at The Cheesecake Factory at Yas Mall. Again I cannot thank enough my mom's friend Radha Menon for treating me here.

Food:
This place was highly recommended by Chennai Foody and Food in Chennai. In fact the dishes which I had ordered were the exact same which they had enjoyed. So I was not taking any risks here.  Little did they warn me that I should save space for the best cheesecakes I have had thus far.


 Now moving to what I had binged on. I had the Buffalo Chicken Strips for starters which was chicken strips covered with Hot Sauce which was more like Tobasco sauce served along with Blue Cheese dipping. All I can say is dip, bite and relish. Soft tender, still mildly crispy and the blue cheese was uuummmm!!! All I can say was this, a trip here ruins your food loving nature back in Chennai.



Moving along, my mom had a Chicken Madeira while I had the Hibachi Steak for our mains. Chicken Madeira was so heavy that my mom was unable to finish it on her own and I ended up helping her. So I had more than my fair share. One thing which I had noticed with both the mains was the grainy texture of the Mashed Potatoes which you do not come across that often here in Chennai. Maybe it could have been their off day, but rest was simply fantastic.

The Chicken Madeira which was sautéed chicken breast, topped with mushroom and asparagus and loads of melted cheese. Madeira sauce was the star  dish which was infused in the mushrooms and the tender chicken. It was such a delight to binge on this. It was simply exquisite.



Wiping the plates clean we contemplated whether to have a cheesecake, but a meal cannot be complete without a dessert so I ploughed on and had the Original Cheesecake as I was not brave enough to venture into the other variations. One bite... the BEST CHEESECAKE i have ever had PERIOD!!

Ambiance:
Dim lighting with comfortable sofa tables makes for the ambiance in all the Cheesecake Factory and this was no different.

Service:
One of the biggest USP for them has to be their courteous waiters, who took the time to explain the questions posed by my mom and myself.

Price:
This meal cost us 290 AED.

Food - 8.5/10
Ambiance - 8/10
Service - 9/10
Price - 7/10

Disclaimer : We paid for the meal.

The Cheesecake factory is located inside Yas Mall on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

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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.