Veggie Nook: Swaad

Situated beside Gharonda, Swaad, started just about a year ago, is barely visible from behind the bus shelter on the main road of Padmarao Nagar. This ambiguity is quickly cleared as you step into the pleasant ambience of the spacious foyer with its comfortable waiting chairs.
Inside the restaurant, you find well-spaced wooden tables and chairs in an air conditioned room that can hold 72 people. The long buffet table in the center facilitates easy maneuverability. The windows all around are tastefully covered with bamboo chiks. The stark white walls exhibit bronze figurines each posing with an Indian musical instrument. Various lighting fixtures further accentuate the effect. Every effort is made to coalesce food and music— both complementing one another.
As soon as you seat yourself, you are served a refreshing fruit juice made of fresh fruits.
Swaad serves only vegetarian buffet at both lunch and dinner times. The buffet has as many as 44 items in all. On this day the menu is as following:

1. Three types of soups— Tomato, Sweet Corn Veg and plain Sweet Corn for the more bland palate.
2. Salads: thinly sliced raw vegetables like tomato, cucumber, beetroot, carrot and onion all arranged separately
3. Three kinds of chaat preparations: boiled peas tossed with finely chopped tomato and onion; chana chaat of soft-boiled chick peas; third, Kachumer chaat made of thinly shredded capsicum, tomato cucumber and onion. One common ingredient in all three is the lemon juice.
4. The starters consist of vegetarian Manchuria and ginger paneer. Both these are prepared with well balanced spices.
5. Rounding off the snacks section is the Indian favorite— the ‘paani puri’.
6. Two dry curries consist of Gobi and Bhendi fry
7. Four curries with gravy: Guthi vankayi koora, mixed vegetable curry, Aloo kurma and Paneer mutter
8. Curd items: Plain curd, curd rice, raita and dahi wada
9. Chinese: soft noodles and Gobi Manchurian wet
10. Rice items: Biryani and Jeera rice
11. Dal items: Dosakayi pappu, rasam. sambar
12. Desserts: Fruits, fruit custard, beetroot halwa, saboodanaa kheer ice cream and gulab jamun.
13. Three varieties of Indian breads: roti, naan and phulka
14. Accompaniments like paapads, ghee karampodi and pickles thus completing the South Indian menu

All food is presented in steel casseroles with uniquely designed hydraulic lids which shut quietly on release. Most of the food is prepared with mild spices and little oil and is easy on the stomach.
And to round up this Indian meal experience is the paan on offer too. All the necessary components are kept at the end of the buffet table. You need to pick them and roll out the paan for yourself.
The buffet is priced at Rs. 150 for an adult and Rs. 100 for a child. The restaurant timings are 12 to 3: 30 pm and 6:30 to 10:30 pm. Ample parking in cellar available

Pluses: Good selection of health foods
Minuses: No special items that you don’t find elsewhere
Food: 3/5; Ambience: 4/5
Located near Gharonda food court, Main road, Padmarao Nagar.

Veggie Nook: Pizza point

Let's meet at pizza point

SUBHA VARANASI

Photos: Nagara Gopal

Pizza time People enjoying a pizza meal at Pizza Point
T he tiny Pizza Point located in the basement of State Bank of India at Karkhana makes you feel sceptical of the possible quality of food on offer. The place has just about ten tables and a blaring TV in addition.
Everything from orders to the cash counter is managed by Pratap, the owner. The menu consists of 14 pizzas with different veg toppings. It also offers three kinds of sandwiches: veg grilled, cheese grilled and chilli cheese grilled sandwiches. The pizzas which are all six inches are priced between Rs. 70 to 90 and the sandwiches are offered at Rs. 30. An order for the Hot ‘n' Spicy Mexican priced at Rs. 80 brings you a pizza with onion, capsicum, cheese and chilli flakes. The chilli flakes are home-prepared and bring with it the taste of Indian dish. A generous topping of Mozzarella lends a uniquely delectable taste to the pizza. The Veg Exotica priced at Rs. 90 consists of jalapenos and olives in addition. An additional layer of cheese on top of this pizza makes it quite yummy. The Veg-Pineapple also has an abundance of cheese and onion with tiny pieces of pineapple on it. This is a slightly bland preparation.
The Hot ‘n' Spicy Mexican isn't really very hot — only spiced and can be safely had by the kids too. What's amazing is that every pizza has a unique taste to it. Equally amazing is the fact no spices are added to any of the pizzas. Despite this, just by adding different toppings, this outlet succeeds in lending a unique taste to every pizza that it offers. This tiny pizza outlet also surprises you with the offer of a great base, a centimetre in thickness — crisp and soft at the right places. There is no contention on the restaurateur's claim that every pizza is equally tasty.


No less enticing are the sandwiches. The sandwiches are grilled grilled with plenty of butter, the edges sealed, and with every bite, the cheeses — again Mozzarella spill out .
The restaurant runs from 4 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. The small pizzas give you the advantage of choosing more than one kind of topping. Two people can share four pizzas easily. Special Jain preparation with only capsicum, tomato and cheese topping is also prepared.
Though no parking space is specifically marked, yet the outlet does have plenty of parking space. A meal for two would cost around Rs. 400. Home delivery is offered within a 2 km radius.

This article was published HERE.

Veggie Nook: Rajdhani

This 10 Janpath serves good food

SUBHA VARANASI


PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL

The thali It will satiate your hunger 10 Janpath, Rajdhani Hotel
Plus: Cordiality of the staff
Minus: Poorly-maintained washroom
Food: 3/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Located close to Masjid, Main Road, Siddiamber Bazar
Inside Hotel Rajadhani in Siddiamber Bazar is 10 Janpath–– a restaurant. This 75-seater AC restaurant, which began in 1977, serves pure vegetarian food and is counted amongst the oldest restaurants in the twin cities. The well-spaced wooden tables and chairs and the accent lighting add to the aesthetics.

 
The menu consists of a tiffin section which runs from 7.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. The tiffins range from Rs. 25 for a plate of idli to Rs. 48 for a paper dosa. Amongst the beverages and juices, the selection varies from tea at Rs.16 to the milkshakes at Rs. 55. Blue Crusco must be tasted here. Prepared from a cocktail of litchis, Sprite and sugar syrup, this is slightly over-sweetened drink tastes mostly like a litchi drink. There is the fruit punch too, prepared with orange and pineapple juices with mango ice-cream, which has a slightly sour taste.
All the soups are priced at Rs. 55. Amongst these, the lemon coriander soup is quite delectable. The soup in this restaurant is made in a corn flour base unlike the conventionally prepared clear soup base. Two unusual but tasty combinations here are the Amiritsari chole paneer and the corn 65. Amritsari chole paneer though unusual in combination isn't unusual in taste. It has the usual red onion and tomato paste gravy. The corn 65 is crisply fried and served with pudina (mint) chutney. The pudina chutney is yummy and the combination of the starter with the chutney tickles one's taste buds to no end. The curries are priced between Rs.75 and Rs.120. Amongst them, methi chaman hariyali is highly recommendable. Made of fenugreek leaves and spinach paste, it has an onion-tomato paste, spices and is garnished with grated panneer. The fenugreek and chopped garlic makes the dish slightly pungent but the experience is enjoyable.
The dal makhani too is a specialty here. Thick in consistency and cooked in a good amount of butter, this dish has almost a home-made touch with sparingly-used Indian spices. Amongst the rotis, priced between Rs. 15 for a roti to Rs. 30 for the masala kulcha, the masala kulcha is quite tasty because it is rolled out very thin and stuffed with boiled vegetables like carrots, beans, potato and grated paneer. The South Indian thaali with about 12 items is priced at Rs. 74 and is served both for lunch and dinner.
A meal of soup-starter-roti-curries-rice-dessert comes to around Rs. 600. Ample parking space is available.

This article was published HERE.

Veggie Nook: Shyam's

Started 3 years back, Shyam enjoys the status of being the sole caterer of pure vegetarian fare in the vicinity of Lingampally. The entrance to the hotel is not too inviting. Yet, once you step into the restaurant situated on the first floor, the ambience is quite pleasant with neatly laid out tables and chairs. The absence of an air-conditioned environment might be annoying in the summer though.
The restaurant claims to serve a multicuisine fare but actually specializes in North Indian food. Most in demand is the North Indian Thaali. Priced at Rs 50, it offers a range of dishes consisting of two curries, dal, chutney, curd, papad, six phulkas and rice. Every section of the menu has a wide range to choose from.
The soups ranging from Rs 35-40 have amongst them a forgettable taste in the tomato soup. Abundant use of color deters you from trying more. After the rather tame beginning, the tasty paneer Tikka comes as a pleasant surprise. There are just about 8 pieces to a plate. The paneer cut into one- inch square pieces are cooked in very little oil. Though not much masala is used to spice it up, it does carry its own distinctive taste—slightly sour, slightly pungent.
Amongst the main dishes ranging from Rs. 40 to Rs.100, the restaurant claims the Marwadi Veg as its specialization. It consists of very finely chopped carrots, cabbage, spinach and cauliflower cooked in gravy of cashew, watermelon seeds and poppy seeds. The gravy used in the preparation of all curries seems to carry the same taste.
The dum aloo kashmiri is quite enjoyable. The potato scooped out and stuffed with paneer is not cooked too soft and only one potato is served in a dish. The capsicum also served one to a dish, is stuffed with potato and masalas. Not using the normally used paneer to stuff it, lends it a quite a discernible taste
The rotis are priced as cheap as Rs 4 for a Phulka to Rs 25 for a Gobi paratha. Shyam is one of the few restaurants in the twin cities which offer you a phulka made of wheat flour and cooked on the coals. The puffed- up hot phulka is then offered to you after having it smeared with ghee. A must try!
Amongst the cool beverages, the lassi is quite filling as it has an abundance of lightly crushed dry fruits within. Shyam also offers Rajasthani fare of dal-bhati-churma on Sundays. To one’s surprise, the ubiquitous biryani is offered only on Saturdays and Sundays. Shyam draws its clientele mostly from the business class people around Lingampally
The restaurant timings are 11 am to 4 pm and again 7 pm to 11 pm. A meal for two is Rs 200. Ample parking space is available.

Plus: Judicious use of oil in preparation

Minus:  Small quantities per dish

Food: 3/5; Ambience: 3/5

Located near Balaji Jodhapur Sweet House, BHEL, Lingampally

Veggie Nook: Grabz

Grabz for a quick bite

SUBHA VARANASI

Grabz is a fast-food outlet that sells continental food. Grabz is a daring effort to bring affordable continental food, specifically Italian, to the discerning Hyderabadi palate. Started a year ago at Himayatnagar, it has now branched out to outlets at Sindhi Colony, Abids and Sainikpuri. The outlets offer only vegetarian fare and are designed on the lines of ‘eat-on-the move' . The outlets at Sainikpuri and Sindhi colony can seat 20 people at a time.
The menu card is concise and one go through it in about 3 minutes flat. In all, you have 6 segments to choose from: thebreads, the salads, the fries, pastas, wraps and sandwiches. Each segment offers 2-3 selections. The limited offer allows the restaurant to focus on quality. Another smart move is that for every dish on offer has a desiversion . Most of the dishes carry authentic Italian flavour. Only the ubiquitous olive oil is not as used generously.
The garlic bread is slightly over priced . The Grabz special is a 2-inch round grilled bread, lightly smeared with mayonnaise-garlic spread and sprinkled with very finely chopped bell-peppers and celery. The Caesar salad consisting of iceberg lettuce, chopped red and yellow bell pepper, mayonnaise, garlic and garted parmesan cheese is a delight.
Pasta tower salad is penne pasta tossed with mayonnaise cheese, corn, jalapenos red and yellow peppers and Italian herbs. The taste resembles that of Caesar Salad but isn't as rich and doesn't carry the pungent garlic flavour that the former does.
The pasta come in arabiatta sauce and the parmesan white sauce. Grabz has three varieties of wraps—the tortilla wrap, the katti roll and the Shawarma wrap. The katti roll with its Indian masalas is one that would appeal to the spicier palate and consists of onion, capsicum and paneer. The tortilla wrap carries a strong taste of beans along with other veggies like capsicum, corn, onion and jalapenos. But the king of the wraps is the Shawarma wrap stuffed with paneer, baby corn, capsicum, tomato, onion and lettuce.
Lastly, the sandwiches priced at Rs. 50 for two comes with a number of options : Spinach corn and Club sandwich of bread slices, raw or lightly toasted as per your choice. The Spinach Corn sandwich smothered with Italian white sauce, spinach, garlic, corn and chilly flakes tastes awesome.
Everything is prepared on live counters and served hygienically in disposable containers. The eateries are open from 11 am to 10:30 pm. The fare comes to about Rs. 250 to 300 for two people.

This article was published HERE.

In Dino

It is a very long time since I wrote in my blog. Lack of time has been the main reason.This seems to be the reason used by most of the world anyway.
Changed circle yet again to join the Times to serve in the Operations management team; I don’t even think about my bosses or work any more. It’s now simply become a means of earning money at the end of month. The hope that the bosses at satyam can do anything for me is gone. Last year when I was in projects, I was still hopeful that something would come out of this assignment. But slowly all those dreams died a slow death. I was attributing not getting a promotion to various reasons but finally realized that the boss never had an intention of giving a promotion. Left him and the circle to join in Times and have absolutely no hope of anything coming out of this too. I wonder if that is the reason that when I come back home I feel so listless…just watch some TV, eat and sleep. I don’t even cook whereas earlier I used to come home only at 9/9:30pm and still have enough energy to cook for the next day as well as that night. I am not able to do that now. Just cooking something on weekends and eating out of that almost the entire week. No zeal to eat either. If it is not for the fact that I need to eat home-made food, I would never have cooked at all…
On another note, a stupid bandh announced today is to be implemented on Sunday and Monday. City is turning violent over state's division issue and as usual the hooligans are out stoning and destroying properties. I was caught in the middle of that last week and was scared shitless. Escaped unhurt as I quickly took a U-turn on seeing the mob. Stocked on milk and Maggi for the fear of a possible bandh the next two days. Idiots have got the TV shut down too…no telecast as though mourning a dead. I obviously don’t want to watch the damage spree that these goons are on.
Rather, I caught up with “50 first dates” that I longed to see for quite some time. Two dialogues in the movie stand out “I wish I had met you before my accident”. Two: “you can never forget your first kiss” seemed very cute as the heroine keeps forgetting that she has been kissed before. And the hero counts saying that it is your first but 25th for me…..that make it 12 and a half for us:) Good that I didn’t lay sprawled out on the bean bag in front of the TV that I usually do but hauled my ass to plunk in front of a smaller monitor.

Veggie Nook: Santosh Banjara

VEGGIE NOOK
Cashew feast

SUBHA VARNASI

Photo: Nagara Gopal

For the love of khana Santosh Banjara's speciality dish, the vegetable biryani
Santosh Banjara, with its distinct disadvantage of being located in Banjara Hills where there is no dearth of star hotels, swanky restaurants and malls, still runs successfully because of the sheer quality of food it offers. This air-conditioned restaurant with a capacity of 160 offers only vegetarian food. Santosh Banjara also runs from Secunderabad and Abids and the eateries there are named Santosh Dhaba. The demand of the food in these dhabas led the restaurateur to open a branch in Banjara Hills recently.
Despite its elegant ambience, the restaurant is not able to shake off the image of a dhaba—right from the Bollywood numbers playing in the background to the erroneously-spelt names in the menu to the not very suave restaurant staff. Ignore the dhaba-like environment that exudes from the restaurant, and dig with gusto into the delightfully tantalizing taste offered in course after course.
Unlimited choices
It's a delight to open the menu card as you fight to choose from the mind-boggling range of varieties on offer—precisely 70 curries to choose from! The quality of food comes from the fact that the restaurant focuses only on Panjabi food— no frills like juices, beverages or sweets. Soups are priced between Rs.45 to 75 with the Talumein soup at Rs.75. It is a pleasure to sip on this scalding hot tomato-based soup served with shredded vegetables like capsicum, cabbage, carrots, cucumber and onion. It has a slight sour taste to it.
Do order the paneer sticks for starters. Paneer sticks, priced at Rs. 110, consist of thick pieces of paneer, capsicum, onion and tomato each cut into one inch squares. They are smeared with chaat masala, jeera powder and soya sauce, and shallow fried. These are then stacked with tooth picks running through and tossed together with lightly fried onions, sesame, chilli flakes and cashew. Cashew is something that you need to watch out for. Every dish has more than a generous offering of the ingredient. Only the soups seem to be spared from this calorie assault.
Amongst the main dishes, Santosh recommends Jil-Mil Paneer, a curry priced at Rs. 100 and consisting of onion, capsicum and paneer cooked in— hold-your breath—cashew paste! Added to this cashew gravy are chilli powder, chat masala and tomatoes. The Hyderabadi Biryani, at Rs.100 is a serving of aromatic rice cooked with spices and vegetables. The stuffed kulcha, priced at Rs. 40, is an offer of rotis of wheat flour stuffed with boiled potatoes, carrots and beans very finely chopped. And once the roti is rolled out—guess what— again studded with cashews, fried and served!
The restaurant also finds it advantage in running throughout the day from noon to 11.30 p.m. without a break. All portions served are ample and easily enough for two. The quality of food with its very reasonable pricing makes it a difficult proposition to resist. Set aside your calorie count and dig into this fare. Food for two is about Rs. 300-400. The restaurant also offers valet parking.

Santosh Banjara, Banjara Hills

Plus: value for money

Minus: loud atmosphere

Food: 4.5/5

Ambience: 2.5/5

Located close to Pizza Hut,

Road no. 12, Banjara Hills

This article was published HERE.