Restaurant Review: Delhi's Khan Chacha

So I was told that this place serves the best biryani in Delhi with the most authentic mutton biryani and sheek kebabs. I got to go and see for myself. Khan Chacha is the restaurant in question. There are several branches in Delhi and I was at the one near Connaught Place and we were in for a pleasant surprise. The restaurant is a small shop with an upper deck to take your plate and munch on. As it was a self serviced eatery, there were not many people pushing you around. Once we found a table to sit down, we looked at the menu and decided to try the biryani and the famed sheek kebabs. 

Even the Aam Admi comes here for the kebabs

The decor was done up well with contemporary look and minimalist approach. The relish was the pictures of the celebrities who frequented the place and almost everyone I know has been here. The awards from the foodie world (most of them) had given a high rating and were proudly displayed behind the cashier. Once you have placed your order they foood was made fresh in the kitchen and you could see through the glass. I liked the simple kitchen and by keeping the product offering to a fixed menu, they were able to churn out multiple dishes and service many people.

A hygienic kitchen where fresh food is made to order

The taste was very similar to the Mughalai style and was slightly bland for my taste (I like it with a lot of spices and masalas) but the texture of the kebab was consistent, was dripping with its juices and served hot. The magical dish was the mutton biryani and was delicious. I was glad we had come there as I could taste probably one of the oldest recipes in India for the Mughalai mutton biryani. 

Apart from the non-vegetarian dishes like fish tikka, paneer tikka, chicken tikka you also have a vegetarian paneer tikka, aloo tikka and vegetarian biryani and the rolls are the best sellers. The recipes are passed down from generations when Mr. Khan who started the restaurant in a small shop and grew to what it is today.  Salim and Javed are Khan Chacha's sons who are running the show now and I should say, quite successfully. 

Mutton Sheek Kebab

The Delhi crowd likes it as they are serious about the quality and freshness while being true to the authentic taste of Delhi. The Kebab is the showstopper with its softness, flavours, masala, appropriate chewiness achieved with the right amount of marination. 

I liked the way they adopted the modern fast food culture to an Indian restaurant where they have a self service system as it helps in reducing the burden on service and is loved by the college crowd. If you are Delhi, you must drop in and taste their Kebabs.

Ratings:
Ambiance: 4/5
Parking: Street
Food: 4/5
Taste: 4/5
Cost: 4/5 (about 12$ for two)

For more restaurant reviews click here.

Restaurant Review: Go Tex-Mex @ Habanero

The big bold yellow letters invite you to delightful interiors that are done in bright colors to keep your spirits up and the multi-colored glass light holders look at you in amusement as you walk in to a spacious space when you enter Habanero. Space is tough in Koramangala and Habanero has enough of it and you will love it. As the trees and greenery around the place lets you escape into your very own Bangalore when you get ready to be treated to some nice Tex-Mex cuisine journey.

Spacious interiors decked up to welcome you

Habanero is out with its new TexMex menu with authentic flavors in different preparations designed by Chef Dan Durkin from Colarado, US. Growing up in Mexico he fell in love with Mexican cuisine and is a certified chef with more than twelve years of experience under his belt, Dan has consulted with several prominent food and beverage brands in Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Thailand. the new menu includes his signature creations as well as Tex-Mex favorites.

Chef Dan Durkin

After being welcomed with a cooler, I got to taste Habanero’s signature appetizers including Macho Nachos, consisting of layers of corn chips, topped with melted cheese, beans, tomatoes, olives, jalapeno peppers, guacamole and sour cream and guacamole and chips which is a perfect creamy combination of avocados, garlic and cilantro made fresh at the table, upon request and served with warm homemade chips. 

Corn chips with tomato relish

Though they make the original with avocados, to keep it fresh, the guacamole is made with butter-fruit sometimes. This sets the tone to the exclusive ride to the streets of Mexico where you get to taste - Zucchini Fritters with Tomatillo Relish to Queso dip with chips kept coming all through with different dips and relishes served fresh.

Freshly made Holy Guacamole

Holy Guacamole and chips

My favorite part of the entire lunch was the fish special - Fish Veracruz. This was a steamed basa which was served true to the mexican dish with lots of vegetables, doused with a tangy, spicy Veracruz gravy - a Mexican coastal specialty.

Fish Veracruz

Zucchini Fritters with Tomatillo Relish

Soft shell Chicken Tacos

The soft shell Chicken Tacos were simply superb and melted in your mouth while the mutton grill was the one that stood out for its simplicity in taste while retaining the vegetable balance. The freshly grilled veggies would definitely make you ask for more.

The highlight of the lunch was saved for the last and my wait was worth it. The famous Tres Leches cake - A Mexican dessert soaked overnight, a cake in three different kinds of milk - evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. The beauty is in the delivery and the softness in the cake is heavenly.

Tres Leches cake

You get the condensed milk in a glass and you pour it on the cake and let it soak and then have the soft delicious cake slowly (pray you go alone to enjoy this or order more as we finished it in a jiffy).

Why should you go to Habanero? You must go enjoy traditional Tex-Mex food with true flavors from the cultures across the world. You must go if you like to have a quick lunch yet feel refreshed. You must go if you need to watch a lot of football with your buddies as you ease up after a long day. You must go for the Tres Leches cake. It is one of the best you see. Or you must go to just check out the wonderful mutton grill with rice and potato mash. You must go for the fresh mocktails. You must go for the greenery which will just let you be while to connect to their wifi and get creative. Just go now.

Ratings:
Ambiance: 4/5
Parking: Valet
Food: 4/5
Taste: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Cost: 4.5/5

Unforgettable Sunday brunch @ Yauatcha

When you are headed to have lunch at a Michelin-starred restaurant from London, you skip breakfast and probably your morning coffee too. When I reached Yauatcha, a dimsum tea house, located at #1 MG Road Mall, Bangalore, it was a pleasure to meet Snehal, their CEO, service team and was floored by the service, decor, smiles and the food, especially their food. As a foodie, I have been on the quest to find out new places, new tastes and new cultures and food. If there is one place, I would love to revisit with my family, that would be Yauatcha. Let me tell you why!

"Our food is served hot from the kitchen. Though we don't have buffet for your today, I assure you, you would have more food than you can imagine!" When you hear this from the GM Operations, you know he is serious, especially when he proceeds to show us our seats and assigns the best people on his service team to your table.

The look and feel of the restaurant is maintained to reflect an old tea house where people dined together chatting and sharing. They have tried to retain the same materials, ambiance, noise, especially by having the kitchen inside the restaurant where you can see the food being prepared clinically almost like a music recital.

The lunch starts with a question asking about any allergies you might have so they can suggest you to avoid certain things you might need to avoid. You know it is an advantage to know the ingredients. For a place that doesn't add any MSG in their food, they are really careful. And then comes tea, in a porcelain pot to be served hot in your cup while you are prepped for the dimsums to arrive.

Now to explain the way dimsums were served I would have to ask you to imagine a play with cute little interesting characters each with an important role to play in the whole game. You are left to watch it all without realizing you are also a part of the play and once it is done, the experience leaves you changed and you are a different person. At Yauatcha, dimsums were served not just to tickle your taste buds but also to bring the goodness of Chinese cuisine home.

How do I pick my favorite? Should I say, the delicate Har Gau or Truffle edamame dumpling? The vegetable chui chow dumpling or the vegetable chive dumpling or should I say, my favorite chicken and prawn shumai or the leafy looking chicken wrapped in Pokchoi. Did I mention, the crispy prawn cheung fun, Shanghai dumpling, chicken charsui cheung fun and the veg Peking dumpling?

Or the ones that was requested to be served again - Wagyu Prawn Puff, crispy duck roll, sesame prawn and chicken fried Balls, Golden fried vegetable puff? And just when you think you are full comes the stir fried chicken rice  warped chicken in pepper and stir fried beef... Oh! How do I tell you the experience? It was like witnessing someone else having the food while you were just about to wake up and imagine all this as a dream.

When you thought this was all coming to an end and you could eat no more come these beautifully decorated, wonderfully crafted and most efficiently planned and served desserts who I must say are the showstoppers of the whole show. Not one of us could resist giving them a standing ovation while we had conflicting emotions to eat first or click a picture first!

First came the soft looking mango mousse with her glaring red raspberry delice who marked her territory with red velvety touch. Then came the sinfully delicious chocolate hazelnut mousse with her partner in crime, the delicate religieuse with curly topping that demanded immediate assault. While all the desserts disappeared to the fencing match between forks and spoons while we devoured on the beauties, we were treated to the good luck charm, the assorted maccarons and when you felt you were full and were ready to walk out with a heavy tummy, I was surprised to feel very light, as if there is still some space, which I was sure didn't exist.

How can you describe a good meal? I should say, when you want to have some more but have no space left! Sunday brunch at Yauatcha is not just another lunch, it is an experience fit for the kings. If you are in Bangalore and have not been to Yauatcha, then you are definitely missing the chance to be treated like a king, na, like an emperor. Head out to Yauatcha today with your girlfriend, boss or children and you might get not just a thank you but a hug too!

Address: Level 5, 1 MG Road Mall, MG Road or call 1800 266 1000.

Here are Tiger's ratings:

• Ambiance: 4.5/5
• Service: 4.5/5
• Food: 5/5
• Value: 4/5 

For more pictures, click here for my facebook album.
Special thanks to Blogger's Club for inviting us.