Spaghetti Kitchen - Lo Amo!!

                                           

THE STORY:

Spaghetti Kitchen – Chennai and its chain all over in India, is owned by Pan India Food Solutions Private Limited. Being one of the major companies in the organized retail-food business in our country, it owns many of the lead brands such as Copper Chimney, Gelato Italiano, China Town by Noodle Bar, Bombay Blue, The Coffee Bean and Tea leaf etc. Pan India Food Solutions Private Limited had been awarded the prestigious 'Coca Cola Golden spoon Awards' in two main categories, one in 'Excellence in Food Court Brand - Spoon' and as 'Best restaurant Chain' for the year 2009-10. Spaghetti Kitchen also won the 'Best Italian Restaurant' award at the Times Food & Night-life Awards 2011.

FOOD:

Personally, I am obsessed with cream and cheese. So this place was a perfect choice for me. In case you don’t belong to the same category, Spaghetti Kitchen won’t disappoint you either. For all the Italian food lovers in Chennai, this place should be there on your list. Bruschettas, home-made Italian special breads, chicken dishes, fish and seafood, soups, salads, pizzas, different types of pastas, risottos, steaks, lasagna, beef dishes, pork dishes, desserts, non-alcoholic beverages and the list continues. Variety will surely baffle you.

They give you a complimentary basket of bread along with butter. Try this: take a piece of bread, spread the butter properly on its surface, and add oregano, pepper and chilli flakes on it. Then add few drops of soya sauce and olive oil on it. Don’t worry; all the ingredients will be available on your table. Eat the whole thing at one go. It tastes suitably sour but tasty. We tried this while waiting for our food to be served!

The authenticity of standard Italian food is delectably preserved in every dish they serve, along with the distinct flavours. The food presentation is pretty good as well.

A La Carte is the only option you have here. Liquor is not served and no option of home delivery is there.

What I suggest: Do try Penne With Vodka (served in pink sauce). In case you don’t want to have cream and cheese then go for Spaghetti with garlic, chilli and olive oil. One can also order home-made lasagna along with garlic bread. If you are going in a large group you may order an all meat extravaganza pizza.

Weekend Specials: They have same menu throughout the year.

Dishes which customers like the most: Greek Salad, Chicken Risotto, Grilled Pork Chops, Black Pepper Chicken, Penne With Vodka and Thiramisu.

On your table

         L' Ortolona / All Vegetables Pizza

             

 Spaghetti Con Pollo E Pesto / Chicken Pesto Spaghetti 

     

  Complementary basket of home-made  

                         bread

  

 Spaghetti with cream and cheese 

AMBIENCE:

It’s classy and beautiful. The moment you enter, the ambience will impress you. It is well adorned and has a picturesque decor. They have an open kitchen, an open beverage bar, beautiful walls and a distinct wall comprising of framed pictures, everything along with quaint lighting.

PRICES:

Expensive, but the rates are adequate with respect to the quantity and quality of the food they serve. The average prices of tummy filling dishes range between 300 to 600 INR. We were 6 in number when we visited the restaurant and paid around Rs. 4000 in total.

BUSINESS:

They are getting a good response from people in Chennai. As told by Mr. Kannan, the city manager for Spaghetti Kitchen, food choices of people in Chennai are no more limited to south Indian food. They are fully aware and like to eat different cuisines and hence, Spaghetti Kitchen is receiving a really good response in Chennai for its Italian cuisine.

They give special offers on occasions like mother’s day, father’s day etc.

TURN ONS:

Penne With Vodka, ambience, location and variety available

TURN OFFS:

Prices (in case you have a limited budget) and lack of variety in cold beverages

SERVICE:

It’s just fine. Depends on what you have ordered. You can easily customize the dish you have ordered according to your demand and liking.

HYGIENE:

The place is extremely hygienic. Even though they have an open kitchen, they have maintained it properly.

OCCASIONS TO GO FOR:

Casual dining and can go for complete family lunch or dinner as well.

FUTURE PLANS:

One more outlet to be opened in Chennai.

TIMINGS:

All the days – 12:30 PM to 11:30 PM

ADDRESS:

2nd Floor, Phoenix Market City, Velachery Main Road, Velachery, Chennai

 PHONE:

044 30083730

Reservation recommended.

KAILASH KITCHEN - A pocket friendly place for your tummy

Apparently, this is the first place which I am covering on PUBLIC DEMAND!!

THE STORY

While doing his M.A. in English from Loyola College in Chennai, Mr. Rinchen Tashi always felt that this city lacks a place which provides Tibetan or Pan-Asian food at pocket friendly rates. So after completing their graduation, Tashi and his partner came up with an idea of opening such a restaurant. Finally, they were able to convert their dream into reality and Kailash Kitchen was established on 8^th March 2008.
In the beginning, this place attracted only the people belonging to Tibet or North-East of India. But very soon, without investing a single penny on any kind of publicity, Kailash Kitchen made its own special place in the list of most amazing places to eat in Chennai.
They get a really good number of customers (mainly from all over Chennai) on a daily basis. Believe me; you won’t get a table very easily whenever you go because of the large number of people willing to eat there.

After listening to so many good reviews about the food served here and the large number of people visiting it, I believe this place has a lot of potential. It’s famous, cheap and the food is special.

FOOD

FRIED CHICKEN MOMOS

CHICKEN MOMOS

BEEF DHANGTUK

SPECIALITY: Momos and noodles

The menu is limited but whatever they serve is delectable. Everything in their menu is available with an option of beef, chicken and vegetarian. This is the least expensive place in Chennai to provide Tibetan food.

They give you the menu card and a notepad to write down your order, to avoid the confusion related to the pronunciation of the names of Tibetan dishes. Chicken momos are good, as compared to the other options available in Chennai, though I have eaten better ones in my home town itself. Fried momos are better than the steamed ones, but I found them a bit more oily than usual. Anyhow, they tasted fantastic.

Beef dhangtuk (noodles prepared in sesame oil) is delicious and is really amazing if you have a thing for spicy food. Chicken thukpa is worth trying too but tastes good only till it is hot. Dishes like baozi (fluffy stuffed bun dumplings), tso tse mein (basically noodles in preferred soup) are also available, though I haven’t personally tried them but have heard about how good they are (but nothing extra ordinary).
It is not really an ideal place for vegetarians. However, they serve only vegetarian food during Buddhist festivals.

The food reviews of this place are mostly positive.

They do take party orders but only before 12:30 in the afternoon or after 7:30 in the evening.

WHAT I SUGGEST: Order a plate of fried chicken momos with beef dhangtuk. Don’t forget to order lemonade, you might need it to overcome the flavour of chillies.

WEEKEND SPECIALS: The menu keeps on changing.

MOST SOLD DISH: Chicken momos

AMBIENCE

Go to this place only if your main target is to eat. The first thing that you will observe is the queue waiting for tables outside a small room. They just have four tables and one person to serve. Most of the times you will have to wait for long to get a table as many people visit this place. You might end up sharing your table with unknown people. The place looks a bit shady and is really hard to locate.

 

PRICES

Extremely pocket friendly as per the quantity they serve. Rates vary from INR 15 to 90. You can easily have whatever I suggested in just 200 Rupees.

BUSINESS

The owners are getting richer day by day. Looking at the number of people waiting outside to get the table, you can easily assume what the business is like.

TURN ONS

Low prices, momos, different options for non-vegetarians and the authentic taste of Tibetan food in Chennai.

TURN OFFS

Ambience, slow service, less number of tables and limited menu on some days.

SERVICE

6 people are working as staff. Service depends on how many people are visiting this place at a time.

HYGIENE

Though it is a small place, but they have taken care of the hygiene. I have even visited the kitchen. It is just like a usual kitchen of a busy restaurant, but well maintained.

OCCASIONS TO GO FOR

When your main aim is just to eat, nothing else. It is suitable for casual hang-outs.

FUTURE PLANS

To open a new branch at some other location and to expand the menu for the same cuisine served.

TIMINGS

It is closed on Mondays. For all the other days the timings are – 12:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

LOCATION

Go straight from the back gate of the Nungambakkam railway station and turn first left. There is a tilted red coloured board on the right that will show you where to get in. You might not be able to find it once, so better ask the people nearby.
Landmark: a cake shop.

KIPLING CAFÉ - An elegant paradise

THE STORY:

Kipling and company have been doing their business of exporting and importing antique furniture and artifacts from India and abroad since 1998. The founding members Gomathy Subramaniam and Patrick Davenport decided to build a place where people can eat great food and have an experience of being in a resort overseas, as there were hardly like those in Chennai during that time.

So finally, after renovating a villa into a restaurant, Kipling Café was established in 2009.

FOOD:

The variety is really good. You might find each and every dish you wish for, in the cuisines they serve.  They serve a large variety of non-veg, from chicken and fish to pork and beef.

In the beginning, they started with serving continental food, then Italian and then Thai. Celebrity chefs were called upon from London, France and Thailand at the initial stage. They have also started serving Indian cuisine now. Kipling café has a wing especially for North Indian cuisine, that is, Kipling Masala. They have employed connoisseurs preparing delicacies for each cuisine. Thai food is the most recommended as per the other reviews.

Only the option of A La Carte is available. The buffets are organized only for special occasions.

What I suggest: In case you love continental and Italian, have a high appetite and a regulated budget, order Pizza Alla Tuscana (Non-veg Tuscan Pizza with sundried tomato, parmesan, olives, onions and san Daniel) and Fettuccini  Alfredo (Pasta ribbons, Alfredo style with butter and parmigiano) along with corona extra beer to drink. For the dessert you can order Tiramisu, it’s amazing.

Weekend Specials: Same menu throughout the week.

Dishes sold the most: Kipling’s special pizza, fried chilly fish, steaks and Tiramisu.

They keep on organizing food festivals around the year. Recently they had organized Tuscan food festival. Right now, Mud-cake festival is going on.

They also have a good collection of liquor and cocktails at their bar. They organize liquid buffets with unlimited beer, cocktails and starters, from every Monday to Thursday.

Pizza Alla Tuscana

Tiramisu

                  

Fettuccini  Alfredo

Beer

              

AMBIENCE:

You can take a table under the huts or at the terrace. They also have a separate section for the bar. The café is situated near a beach and you can have a pleasant time because of the soothing sea breeze. Along with that, the whole restaurant area is very green.

The huts have a special arrangement in order to maintain privacy of the customers. It is a highly suitable place for romantic occasions. I have been there for a date and you can trust me, the experience is really great except the fact that summer heat was an issue.

To reduce manpower they have installed an electronic service calling system. You just have to press the button for the service you need and the help will be at your table. The huts have curtains around them and you get a scenic view from the terrace.

Every Friday night and Sunday afternoon, there are Live performances by the band :  THE CENTER STAGE.

 Also, you can easily walk to the beach nearby after eating. Overall, the ambience is beautiful and elegant.

                                                                                           

PRICES

It is a slightly expensive option. The individual rates vary from 150 to 975 INR. Most of the major dishes cost around 450 to 825 INR.  You can have a non-vegetarian pizza, vegetarian pasta, a bottle of beer, a glass of cold drink and a dessert in around 2600 INR!

The liquid buffet costs around 1500 INR - net.

BUSINESS

They have a consistent business of 50-60 people every day, as told by the General Manager. There are many foreign customers as well.  They provide catering and delivery services, take party orders and have a good arrangement for banquets. The buffets start with Rs. 750 per plate and above. The menu is adjustable according to the price range.

TURN ONS

Ambience, privacy for the individual customers, food is prepared by the specialists, Sautéed Ginger Pork, Roasted Stuffed Chicken and delicious Tiramisu, and Live Band performances.

TURN OFFS

High prices (as compared to the quantity served), lack of music on weekdays and it is hard to reach there. In case you are reserving a table under the huts, be prepared in case it gets too hot during day time.

SERVICE

They have around 40 staff members. Food takes its own time to be served but the presentation is really good. Plus the electronic service calling system is effectively implemented. There will always be a staff member addressing you at the gate.

HYGIENE

It is of really high standard. The washrooms are also very clean.

OCCASIONS TO GO FOR

Romantic dates after a long drive, classy lunches, sophisticated dinner parties and formal meetings.

FUTURE PLANS

More arrangements for roof top restaurant

Arrangement for Sunday brunches

Changes in the menu

TIMINGS

All the days: 12 noon to 11 at night

ADDRESS

16, L Jey Avenue, Akkarai, East Coast Road (ECR), Chennai.

PHONE

044 30853610

MUMBAI CAFE -- Where Mumbai invades Chennai

THE STORY

This place has a fully fledged story behind it. It is the result of the courage to take risks and make grand choices in life.

Mumbai Cafe is run by a lovely couple, Mr. and Mrs. Naidu.

Jyot, who is a proud “Gujju” married Nilesh, who is a Tamilian. They were both born and brought up in the city of Mumbai. You will be surprised to know that Jyot is a former TCS employee, who always loved cooking and Nilesh used to work in the field of market research for Aranca in Mumbai. Nilesh’s family lived in Chennai, so they used to visit Chennai many a times. As told by Jyot herself, corporate jobs gave them big paychecks of X amount, but instead of working for somebody else’s growth they wanted to focus on their growth in the same manner. They only saw each other at the weekends and had rich but busy life. So finally they decided to settle in Chennai, where their family lives and now have a dream of changing the face of Chennai food.

In the beginning, Mrs. Naidu was never satisfied with the kind of north Indian food served in Chennai and missed Mumbai a lot. So one day they both finally got this idea of starting their own eatery, where they can make Chennai taste the real delicacies of Mumbai.

Hence, Mumbai Café was established on 14^th April 2014. The initial 2-3 months were crucial and tough. There were days when they had second thoughts about their decision but soon the things started changing. Now, the growth has been good and they easily manage to earn a 4 digit income everyday!

FOOD

Amazing varieties of chaats, pav bhaji, misal pav, chhole bhature, parathas, sandwiches and most importantly the “MUMBAIYAA” style vada pav. All are delectable and incorporate the feel of home-made street food.

What I suggest : Start with a vada pav, then have dahi kachori (add extra spice in case you have a thing for it) along with dahi poori (it’s the best) or samosa chaat. Then for the main course have pav bhaji and don’t feel shy to ask for an extra butter pav.

Weekend Specials : Kaandha poha, sabudaana khichdi, ragda patty and dabeli.

Dishes which are sold the most : Vada Pav, samosa and misal pav.

I generally go to this place with a group of friends, so that we all can order different dishes and share them, hence, almost covering the whole menu. You can do the same!

DAHI KACHORI    

 PAV BHAJI

                 CHHOLE BHATOORE

 VADA PAV

                                                          

                                 DAHI PURI

AMBIENCE

More than anything else, the welcoming nature of the owners will make you love this place more. They have put up few “desi” posters of bollywood movies along with the pictures of famous places in Mumbai, on the walls. There are banners on which usual dialogues spoken by local people of Mumbai are written. The kitchen looks like a typical one at home. They have decorated it with old liquor bottles converted into ceiling hangings and home-made craft items.

My favorite part : The music!! They play classic Bollywood songs. Sometimes old English songs are also played. Last time when I was there, they were playing Micheal Jackson’s songs and now you can easily guess that why people love to hang out at Mumbai Café.

PRICES 

Not extremely cheap, but affordable and can fit into any college student’s budget. You can easily have two tummy filling dishes in just Rs. 150.  The individual rates range from Rs. 15 to Rs. 75.

BUSINESS

Mondays and Tuesdays are slow. It picks up on Wednesdays and there is a heavy rush at the weekends.

Their major customers include the students of Hindustan University and VIT. But a major profit also comes from the deliveries at the corporate offices, at OMR. They don’t provide catering services but they do take bulk/party orders.

TURN ONS 

Dahi poori, dahi kachori, vada pav, extra butter in pav bhaji, can be easily located and music.

TURN OFFS

No desserts, though they serve cold drinks. Parathas are a bit over-rated. Ambience is street-like and not lavish, a problem when it’s too hot outside.

SERVICE

As they have 4 people working as a staff, service is just fine.

HYGIENE 

As told earlier, it feels like home. So hygiene is good.

OCCASIONS TO GO FOR 

Casual treats/parties and occasional hang outs. 

FUTURE PLANS

Renovation and expansion of the menu. Mr. Naidu is shuttling between Chennai and Mumbai in search for a cook who can make north Indian style desserts.

TIMINGS 

Weekdays – 12:30 am to 10 pm

Weekends -- 9:30 am to 10 pm

ADDRESS 

Padur, Near Hindustan University, Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), Chennai.

USEFUL LINKS IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT FEW DISHES

Misal pav : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misal_Pav

Ragda patty : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragda_pattice

Sabudana khichdi : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabudana_Khichadi

Dabeli : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dabeli

THE BEGINNING...

The love ended and so did our modern and practical relationship.

After that, I became someone I never was. As I quote Khalil Gibran here: “Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.”, the bad days just began. Buckets of tears, lost appetite, more fuck-ups, anger, madness, insomnia and what not. Let’s leave rest of the dilemma for my personal cupboard.

We both lived to eat and never just ate to live, hence, we bonded over food. He was my best friend. I started missing going out to new places with him and having food without actually thinking about the quantity I ate. I have less time to live in this city, so that reminder started tormenting my head.

Anyhow my friends kept me alive and even he tried.

But again, I wanted to go out, to all the happening places which were there on my list and eat like a wild animal, just the way I would have done without these new changes in my life. So, here struck this idea - Doesn't matter if I have to drag my friends to skip their work and come with me or I have to head alone, my passion and love for food should not die. I want to cross out the places on my list and so I shall . And this is how I choose to move on.

“The Restaurant Files” is not just a blog but my journey to all those amazing places, which will also help you to get to know about them. As I am not a connoisseur, I won’t be wasting your time with unnecessary frivolities and trivialities about food, that they discuss on shows like Master-chef. 

Being an electrical engineer, who failed miserably at dieting for the love of food, who loves the art of dramatics and is interested in politics more than she loves to talk, I invite you all to ride along with me and get to know stuff about the places where the greatest need of life –  DELICIOUS MOUTH-WATERING FOOD – is made and served to the humankind!