Brick house Bistro - Relaxed Lunch

BRICK HOUSE BISTRO - A simple lunch 

9, S-Block, 6th Avenue, Annanagar, Anna Nagar East,

Another Lunch experience with our gentle giant Gudduji.  We planned to pickup some pista house haleem and also pay a visit to our young budding entrepreneur Sudharsan of "The perf blend - smoothies delivery"  both of which are just a lane behind BHB. 

We knew exactly what we were going to order, it was past 3 pm and I had already finished my lunch. but couldn't say no to a burger invite.

Food:

White sauce pasta 215/- : Enough chicken chunks, black olives, grated cheese, oregano, other herbs and a rosemary sprig for garnish and perfectly cooked penne pasta. The first dish to arrive before the burger and we were stuffed with awesomeness. One of those nice white sauces pastas I have had

BHB special burger:  Meaner, bigger burger with Lettuce,omelet, chicken sausage, beef patty was very good except  it had a few chewy bits. I would have loved more caramelized onions in it to enhance the taste. The bread was intact and not crumbly and this is a major improvement to what it was earlier (kudos for working on that)

At work: The man who never tires eating out or helping his fellow community members (resto owners n chefs alike) makes it meaningful with his valuable suggestions and feedback.

Service:Very attentive and being a non-peak hour, we had a service boy attending to us fully and helping us with whatever we needed.

And, here are some of the pics from my last visit with another bunch of foodies and a nagging photographer

(Pics Top left to bottom) Chicken wings, cheesy gooey fries, chicken sandwich, fish and chips, chicken hot dog,  our camera man nags shooting away all the food we ordered and finally "how to eat burger" lesson by our popular foodie @candids nagarajan


Verdict: Lot of improvements from the few other times I have been here and keep up the good work and maintain it

Brick house bistro, the burger holds better! 

Lloyds Tea house - Alwarpet

Llyods Tea house - The Sunday Special BF

406, TTK Road, Alwarpet

The Sunday breakfast board in front of the resto is welcoming (Timings: 8 - 11 am).The first venue we recollect is the Avvai shanmugam salai (formerly lloyds road) branch. But a new one has opened on the TTK road

Our beloved Capt.Anand V is back on ground and in the food scene after 6 months of sailing. He  invited me and an ex-shippie friend Jason Lewis for a Sunday breakfast and we said "aye aye captain". We set sail on a fortuner and Scorpio to TTK road. I was thinking that it was in Goplapuram but quickly corrected that its ONLY in the TTK road outlet (were guided by the able navigator Capt. Andy). Being a Sunday was very relaxed and you love driving on those near empty roads of the city and a breakfast/brunch is a boon anywhere

Ambiance: The whole setup looks so simple in terms of colors (there is something about this blue that it mesmerized me), loved the world map cover on the sofas, relaxed chairs with arms, the pipe lines on the walls etc. Shippies had a special mention of the toilets to be very clean too

Buffet spread 375/-(approx. 400 with taxes):  Butter n jam chiclets, onion rings, bread (brown and white, can be toasted), croissants (two varieties), cake slices, cupcake, veg potato pie, baked beans, chicken sausages, bacon strips, pancakes (with maple syrup and honey), cornflakes with milk, watermelon, musk melon, ice tea and eggs made to order.  Mushrooms made to order (special request)

Food: The onion rings were tasty but cold, we ordered for another round of them which was fresh, hot, crispy and tasty. The croissants were ok, the cup cake was soft and yumm, cocktails sausages were juicy in the tomato herbed gravy. The bacon strips were too salty to my taste (to be had with bread to balance it), pancake was nice with maple syrup (the sap of a maple tree processed into a syrup has a distinctive flavor and taste) and honey, veg potato pie and baked beans were good too. I loved the french toast. Liked the butter herb sauteed sliced mushrooms were juicy and smoky. The eggs were ordered to be omelet folded so that it could be easily cut and eaten with fork (captains idea :). Lemon iced tea was spot on

Service:  Right from the start, the boys were very courteous and were always around to help you with whatever was needed. Served water and filled it as and when empty. Knives were not at the table and had to ask for it. I appreciate the fact that one of the partners rightly found a ladle missing at the sausage tray (since picking up some tomato based dry gravy with the tongs was impossible) promptly got it placed. Clearing the plates was also spot on. They got us on the house pink french toast with strawberry preserve and some sauteed veggies beans, carrots n baby corn

Verdict: Very very satisfying heavy breakfast for a Sunday morning. If you really want to stuff your face guilt free this is one of the places to go. Hope many of us patronize this soon

Lloyds left us with no Voids!!!

Kolapasi takeaway - Adyar

Kolapasi - Takeaway

Near Golden George nagar bridge, Mugappair

 

Started late one fine afternoon to check out this place and headed straight to koyambedu to join friend Gudduji and set out to Kolapasi. Famished by the time we reached the resto, were warmly welcomed by Santhosh (owner/partner) with the sampling cups. Of their many outlets in nungambakkam, and soon to start in Adyar and OMR, we went to the recently launched Mugappair outlet

Ambiance: Simple, neat and few tables to dine in was the concept.All the items are on display in the bain-marie (separate for veg and non-veg) and you get to see and ask for a taste. A place for everything and everything in its place neatly stacked up. TV is on a loop of their nice clay-modelling ad and others

Sambar rice and veg biryani taster 

Concept: If you remember the curry points of Andhra and  the sampling in ice cream parlors, blend them together and that's Kolapasi for you. Taste, see what you like and order only what you like (lot of issues are eliminated with this)

Menu: They make sure that the food tastes like how its cooked at home.The food and cooking style is influenced by the southern side of tirunenveli and nearby places

We being who we are, wanted to taste most of the dishes they had so that we could give a honest feedback to both readers and restauranteur alike. Ended up trying only the non-veg

First up was kolapasi spl chicken: Boneless chicken pieces cooking slowly for about an hour in a gravy of small onions paste and other home made masalas was just yumm. It was a bit on the sweeter side (attributing it to the shallots) but has been customized to suit majority of the customers palettes to keep it less spicy and this is supposedly one of their best sellers

Chicken chukka: This was the spicier version with red chilly and other special masalas makes you sniffle. The spice was just right for you to wipe it clean and there is no wastage as there are no bones to leave out

Kolapasi special non-veg combo 250/-: Biryani, chapathi, chicken curry, raitha, and beetroot halwa. I am not a fan of chapathi or chennai style biryani so both didn't impress me much. The brinjal was too thick and bland (gave suggestions to thin it and make it tangy). The sweet beet-halwa was the best with the right amount of sweet and ghee.

Seafood meals 190/-: Fish soup, hot steaming rice and prawn fry (was over by the time). the little that was left was given as sample and it was the prawn shallot version kolapasi fry. Fish soup was tasty but tasted more like a vegetarian vatha-kozhambu with a fish piece added to it (fresh water one). A small sea fish would have made a world of difference as meen-kozhambu needs to have that fishy smell. I guess the complaint about more bones made way for this change

Litchie cooler 25/-: This was one refreshing fruit drink with balanced sweetness n tanginess. I am sure kids and elders alike would like. 200ml comes sealed and Santhosh was kind enough to serve us a cup more without being charged.

Service: Santhosh made sure that we kept getting everything on time and was happy to customize it since we had to taste quite a few items. The dishes were served in microwaveable plates and even if taken away and had after a few hours, we can reheat in a oven and have it hot


Avinash Naidu (one of the partners) joined us and the four of us were discussing in length (~2 hours) about the taste, suggestions to make it better, improvisations etc. The vision of  Kolapasi is "kitchen outsourcing" where any house-wife or who ever cooks is tired to cook and feels like eating home food just need to make a phone call and the food gets delivered under 20 mins. This will help save so many man hours spent on just cooking related activities which can be used for other better things

Won't we all love it? but for this to catch on is a long-way road and wishing them all the very best with their venture.

In the end we were also introduced to the "Table -pastry in a bottle" by the popular Chef Shriram Rajendran.. I picked up the carrot cake and white velvet (yes not to artificial coloring) at 180/- each.

Both were so yummy and vanished in no time, though I wished to buy again the price feels a little on the higher side and makes you rethink :(

Verdict:  Cool ambiance, warm service, brilliant concept,visionary team with the right values needed to take it further. Home-cooked style easy-on-the-stomach (no msg, vanaspathi or colors) food is hygienic, safe but the taste is subjective, you might like your dishes cooked in a certain way (how your mother makes). That's why they say try the sample, if you like it go ahead, order and come back for more

Kolapasi - pudicha rusi, vandhu pusi!

 

Gerry's Pork and beef Resto - Velacherry

Gerry's Pork and beef specialty restaurant

 6/10, New Colony, Velachery, Chennai 600042

If you are traveling from Velachery to Taramani, this is on the lane next to TCS, after crossing all those Andhra messes on the road, it naturally turns right and this is on your left and  has a bright lit up board.

Lets meat up and that's what we 3 people did
The bl(h)ogger nags (nagarajan), the king of singhs Gudduji and I headed to this place in the evening around 8 pm. After the customary rituals of facebook tagging and taking pics started.

Ambiance

The frontage is used for cooking, plating and parceling food. The kitchen is simple and cute and everything in order - the spices, the wok and the tiny tripod gas stove.
The dining area was about 14 seats and a cash counter. LCD tv welcomes you. The walls are clear white with an AC to keep you cool and some policos pics hanging above.

 

Service: It was one man army but soon taken over by the owner as well. Both were attentive and also giving out options and promptly clearing out the finished dishes and bringing in the new orders

Menu:
We read through every line on the menu thoroughly (it was just two pages) and decided to order a few items. We suddenly got the attention of the owner as we started clicking pics of the menu and the place etc. He suggested what would be good and so we went by his recco. We wanted to try the different flavors that they were and therefore started with

Gerry's pork fry 150/-: Succulent pieces of pork nicely cooked with red hot chilly powder, onions, curry leaves and other spices. It was a real good start except for those 2 bones in it.

Pork chilly fry 140/-: Next up we wanted to try something more spicy and this is what we got. Real spicy stuff that can make your nostrils flare up and eyes and nose moist. Mention the spice levels and they can customize it the way you want it

Syrian beef fry 150/-: Two pork dishes was already feeling good and therefore we tried beef for a change and it turned out to be a bad idea. The beef was really tough and chewy. Though they got the syrian taste - the coconut oil and coconut bits and the masala close enough, the meat was disappointing

Pork curry with roasted garlic 140/- with idiyappam 3 pcs per plate 25/-: Lot of garlic in this soupy gravy of sorts with some soft and tender pork pieces with a nice masala. I only wish the garlic was roasted a bit more to get the caramelized garlic taste.

They also have parotta, pork dum biryani and beef biryani - we didn't have any more space for food. Must try the next time.

The place is pretty small now and they are moving into a bigger space on the main road pretty soon. They took the mob number to keep us informed when that happens - that's customer care

Verdict: Gerry's is a haven for porkaholics and beefeaters alike. The total bill was approx. 620/- and we were full to the brim and happy.

Jakob's Kitchen - Khadar Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam

 Jakob's kitchen 

28/18, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai 600034

1:45 pm on the clock and still hadn't eaten my lunch and in comes a call from none other than "singh is king". He invites me to have lunch at Jakob's kitchen. Just when i thought it was only drizzling and didn't need a jacket, the rain intensified and was nipping all over the body. The whiff of the earth (mann vasanai) was kindling my hunger more. Reached at 2:35 pm  and as I opened the door, the pleasant smell of spices filled the air and our man was already seated at a table. Joined him and quickly scanned through the menu in haste without showing interest. I knew the man I was sitting with is a pro and who knows Jackob's kitchen menu like the back of his palm. Whether to go for the meals or ala carte was sorted and ala carte won.
I realized this one thing, if you know what to order in a particular restaurant, your experience would be very good. If not it can go either way

Ambiance: Quietly tucked away inside a premises on KnK. The board is now hidden behind other big sign boards of other establishments. The place has nice seating arrangements and clean atmosphere. The western music for a typical south indian resto sounded out of place. Some ilayaraja numbers would have elevated this experience to the next level

Service: Was very impressed, the fist soup came in less than 10 minutes and all the dishes followed one after the other as and when the ones on the plate got over. The timing was perfect and when the boss (Gudduji) is around nobody makes a mistake. Cold mineral water in the glasses were refilled without asking, empty bows cleared without hinting - sign of attentiveness and worth the 7.2% service charge

Food:

Nandu rasam 115/-: Hot piping soup with crab meat was spot on, the marbly, grainy crab meat was yumm and the pepper was teasing your throat and crab smell was filling you with excitement. I recently had nandu rasam elsewhere and it was literally rasam with nandu into it. You need to cook the crab first add the water and necessary spices and simmer it for a while that's when the real seafood taste seeps in

Javahar jaloor parota 160/-. Jaw-lure ing string hopper type soft parotta with mutton kheema stuffed inside and presented like a puff served with some kurma. This was more of a goduma dosa creatively crafted like a net filled with flavorful mutton kheema curry (would have liked it more crisp and some chopped green chillies added to the batter to make it spicy). The gravy was an absolute delight.. all the spice proportions were perfect and you get into the 3 finger slurp mode. Pure indulgence when especially piping hot gravy is served over a tender banana leaf

Aapam 60/- with the same gravy: Appam was crisp and brown on the outside and soft in the center with that whiff of yeast. This is gone in a few seconds and you ask for one more :)

Annakili meen kozhambu 200/- and white rice 75/-: Boneless fish steamed and cooked in the tangy gravy. Tanginess was less and when it mixed with rice became bland (they should add more tamarind to this dish) and set it aside for a day (nethu vacha meen kozhambu), liked it inspite of it falling short - you know what I meen

Mannpanai meen kozhambu 210/-: Made up for whatever was missing in the above dish, this was super spicy stuff and tanginess was right.I hope this goes well down south tomorrow morning

Elaneer payasam and hot halwa: Both the dishes were a perfect ending to a very fulfilling and satisfying lunch experience.

I felt aapam's price per piece was a lill high as one wouldn't fill you but at 15/- extra the rice is very filling

Its very rare that during the close of summer,you get to such a weather in Chennai.And your mind craves for some hot spicy stuff to eat anytime of the day

So if the weather did the trick, the food was magic and I wish Jakob's aroma/Jackob's kitchen be renamed as "Jackob's heaven" as perfect tribute to a man who left a mark for himself through his culinary skills par excellence

... a slice of south tamilnadu

A trip to Parrys - Food walk with a difference

Food walk with a difference

 
Last evening, after all my food friends ditched me for a parrys corner evening plan. I set alone on the sububran train. I noticed two young chaps (Speaking marathi) were carefully noting down each station's name on a piece of paper. I knew they were trying to remember it for their next visit. I voluntarily tried to help them and gave the names of the ensuing stations and more details about how to get around the places. I could see the happiness on their face, and I thought I should do more. I decided, that they would be my stranger friends who I would take on a food walk. Quickly found them a budget lodge near central and we continued towards mint street,
First stop was Seena bhai dosai kadai, got them both the hot, crispy, spicy oothappam and they were thoroughly impressed.The chutneys were super hot but loved it
Next stop was kakada ramprasad (where i bought my fav sev, rabdi, and badam milk) had a ghatiya with radish masala.
Then moved into Agarwal bhavan for some spl bombay halwa, suryakala (Sweet), and samosa. All these are always consistent in taste and quality.
Happy tummy and happy strangers with the food walk and hospitality. All this while these guys insisted on me taking money but I didn't. They must have been thinking why is he extra nice to us?, is he going to trick us into something, or is he gay, etc.. To cash in on that thought, I dropped them at their lodge and said "that would be 500/- per head for whatever you ate". The look on their face "priceless". I snapped it by saying I was just kidding
Hope I changed the perception about Chennaiites as their brothers had warned them that there would very few speaking Hindi and are not helpful
With a big laugh, bid them adieu and returned home.

Shaack - be in for a little shock

F-36, KG Galaxy, 2nd Avenue, Above Fab India, Anna Nagar East, Chennai - 600102

 This is above fab India opp to Vishnu eye clinic. If you are driving from Chintamani signal towards rountana, after 100 meters you will find this is to your right on the first floor above FAB India opp Vishnu Eye Clinic.

 

A group of old school mates planned for a reunion in a central location between Ambattur and Vadapalani which had both veg and non-veg options. After a lot of deliberation and decision based on suggestions, we landed in Shaack around 7:30pm.

Ambiance: Shack we thought would resemble more of that thatched roof kinda place but no connection to the name and place. This looks more a regular resto with a few differences being  the rope thatching on the ceiling neatly done, red tissues on the table, and the water cascading on to the glass walls in front is very eye catching. Place looked clean and tidy. Full marks for that

Service: Most of the tables were taken and we had asked our friend who went in early to book a table for six and we ended up becoming 8 so the table was cramped for space to place all dishes (service tip: they could have arranged an additional table to make us comfortable). What would you order when you are not sure whats good in a place?. I could have easily sifted through zomato reviews or asked feedback from people (which i did with 1) and ordered. But I let my friends decide on their own. Reccos from the steward was not much helpful coz she looked very unsure herself  (another service improvement pointer). Plates were given only when asked for, had to keep calling them every now and then to clear plates, water etc. (someone could have attended every  now and then to see what we needed). The 5% service charge is a crime to be charged to a customer when these are not followed. That is a big put off

Food: The menu and the dishes, the presentation all looked copied from another upscale resto. Probably the Chef who consulted for both is the same.

Soups: Cream of tomato and Minestrone 140/-. From the look on my friends faces, I guessed it wasn't good at all

Starters

Potato wedges 150/-french fries140/- are very expensive for a processed item from McCain

Buffalo wings 200/- We were served boneless chicken pieces in the same style (then why call it wings)

Chicken strips 200/- tasted ok 

Pizza: God father 250/- (the only recco I got from a friend) was really good. The base was a ready made one and tasted like biscuit in places but the toppings were really yumm. Good beef and chicken meat

Main course:

Pineapple veg friend rice 170/- it was a mixed bag of reviews on the table from pineapple lovers
Chapathi 2 = 75/-: Very  poor quality and some just left it untouched.

Baby corny Manjurian 190/-: Manjurian sounded the desi version of Manchurian but definitely the spoiler dish of the day, no taste

Country chicken rice 200/-: Was different, caramelized onions and more like a biryani twisted.

Chilly basil &  prawn fried rice 260/-: tasted good but hardly any prawns for the price of this

Pad thai chicken 200/-: yummy, they nailed this one for me. I liked it and went for more

Desserts:  

Devilled chocolate mousse 130/- was passable, Brownie with ice cream 130/- was good, tender coconut souffle 150/- was nice but very sweet, Tiramisu 130/- was decent. 

Total bill was  5306/- with 5% service charge and ~4.94% service tax and 2% VAT. When you don't get the right service is the time when you want to really go through the bill in detail and fume over.

Verdict SHAACK: S = Service definitely needs to be improved, A = ambiance good, A = AC was not sufficient and the table couldn't accommodate 6, C = cuisines covered are a hit and a miss, K = Keen on going back there again, probably not

Shaack - be in for a little shock!!!  

Picture courtesy: Internet