American Breakfast buffet @ Festa

Festa is a newly launched attractively showing up hotel located at Vazhakkala . The hotel building is an example of how a new launch business building should like.Anyone passing through Vazhakkala would give a glance to the simple but elegant interior architecture.

Despite these factors there were nothing else that pushed me to try it until i came to know about the American breakfast buffet .So one morning i said no to my homely Idly and sambaar and decided to give in to the American Style....!

It was around 10 am and there were just a couple of other customers in there.I was pointed to the starting point of the buffet ,but it let me a bit down when i realised that the finishing point wasn't far.The first table had all the varieties of corn flakes....chocolate,strawberry,plain and wheat flakes.I mixed up all these in a bowl and soaked up in milk and found a seat.

Flakes and Eggs!!

Maida Dosa() Potato wedges,vermicelli and Sausages

Maida Dosa() Potato wedges and Sausages

Bullseye

Fruits....

Interiors

Exteriors

 I was served with a tumbler of reddish juice ,which tasted like melon with tinge of lemon/orange in it.It was a good start.The juice tasted great and different.Boiled eggs were also a part of the menu.After 2 rounds of cornflakes,it was the turn of Maida Dosa...(or sort of)...Made of maida and butter,it had a feeble sweetness to create a pretty good taste.Couple of them were  taken along with the chicken sausages(non pork),and potato wedges.The potato wedge was sterling and gave in good appetence with the Dosa.Egg Bullseyes are a part of this buffet and you can get as many you want.After a repeat of the dosa combo i decided to call off the buffet with fruit bowl.


Whats Hot?

Can be tried for a change.....and in that sense its worth for 90rs

Neat and clean....good ambiance,parking...


Whats Not....?

Service can be improved.

Rating -3/5
Verdict: You can enjoy it for a change.........!

Empire Hotel : Shivaji Nagar Bangalore

Located near to shivaji nagar bus stand,the hotel is one among the many, the group have in Bangalore.Its always better to be in your two wheelers in Bangalore to save time and effort....keep the same in mind while locating this hotel at a very crowded place in shivaji nagar.Two wheeler pay n park exists opposite to the bus stand and the hotel is walkable from there.

Rotis Dal curry Chicken,Gobi,Mutton Brain Fry

Gobi Manchurian

Brain Fry,Chicken Pepper Fry

The interiors put up a pleasing show, looks good for family visits though we were the lone customers during the dinner visit at 8-15PM weekday! Menu card boasts a lot of names,while only a few of them might reach your table.We went for Rotti brain fry (Mutton moolah fry); gopi manchurian, and chicken pepper fry......!

Pot belly picks : Brain fry, you might not find this in most of the hotels.

Whats sweet???

-Good Ambiance;ideal for families.
-Food tastes fine enough.Nothing exquisite though!

Whats not ???

-Service was pretty slow.
-Taste can be improved
-Parking is a problem and seems to be the reason for vacuous state...!

Rating -2.3/5
Verdict : Nothing special.....! Can be tried if you happen to be near it....!

--------- The Kaadambra Meals --------

Located near the banks of the Kadambra river in the kakkanad Veegaland route,Kadambra  hotel has set its own standards in the foodies who had been here. The place is usually a no brainer choice for most of the techies(infopark) who would prefer to lunch outside as a group.I have been there several times with my teammates,friends and family and Kaadamabra haven't dissapointed so far.

A cloudy saturday noon looked all set for an official potbelly visit to Kadambra and we set out.The rush was feeble as it was a weekend and hence our orders reached the table faster than usual week days.Along with the vegetarian meals a plate each of prawns roast,koonthal fry and karimeen fry was ordered.The best part of the Kadambra meals is the taste and quantity of the side curries they give with the meals.Trust me,you actually need not order for special dishes as these curries would be enough for a more than satisfying lunch!
Kaalan,Payaru-kaaya thoducurry,beans cabbage thoran,chammanthi,Vendakka Pachadi,buttermilk,erisseri etc.

 These would be served in plenty and will be refilled as you ask for,something which makes Kadambra meals stand out.On that particular day the pick of all these curries was Vendakka Pachidi.Karimeen fry was a  bit baffling as it got too much deep fried and had lost all its softness.

Meal Curries

Karimeen Fry,Koonthal Fry,Konchu Roast

View From Outside

 The Prawns roast was too good,not just because there were more than enough prawns (for two),but for the tasty gravy in which they were soaked. The koonthal fry was a bit oily but tasted good(quantity was less though).

What's Hot :
 - Meals is definitely worthy for 50 Rs.
 -Lots of curries,most of them will be tasty.
 -Prawns,Neymeen,kakka,koonthal,crab,duck and many more naadan varities are available at affordable  costs.
 -Cool,calm,hasslefree area,with ample parking space.
 - Good place to eat out with your family.

Whats Not:
- At times there would be a foul smell ins some cabins,beacuse of the wet lands surrounding the hotel.
-Karimeen at times had the wet mud smell  and gets too much deep fried at times.

Rating -3.25/5
Anybody travelling via the Kakkanad - wonderla route ,this is the best choice for your lunch.

Kudla Hotel - Mangalorean sea fud restaurant

Kudla Hotel - Mangalorean sea food restaurant,Richmond road,Bangalore :

Part of the Kudla Hotels in Bangalore and this one in Richmond road is specialized in Sea food  varieties.The items we tried include :Crab masala,Seer fish masala,Squid chilly,Ayala fry ,Rice and Rasam.

The custom here is like once you make the order for crab masala they query about the the size of the crab you prefer,weigh the crab in front of you and then fixes the rate based on the weight.For us the 650gms of crab was tagged a price of Rs 875.

Crab Masala

Crab Masala

Rice n Rasam

 

One can also chose from 3 varieties for all fish fries – plain fry/tava fry and masala fry! Beer is also served here.Though the Crab masala can be rated the best we had that evening,the squid chilly and fish fry wasn't too behind.The taste and aroma of squid chilly and crab masala was something in the "never tasted before league" !

Sear Fish Masala

Sear Fish Masala

Squid Chilly

 The ambiance is excellent,but all these come at a pretty heavy pricing.Just to give you an idea about the pricing ....

Seer fish masala fry 230rs

Squid chily 160rs

Rice 80rs

Rasam 50rs

Beer :160Rs.....

Whats hot :

- Sea food varities  are definitely a treat.

-Ambience.

Whats not:

-Pricing is a bit in the higher range...!

Rating 3.5/5

MALABAR PLAZA --- ERNAKULAM

Malabar plaza hotel has its own name among the taste giants in kochi city.They have been here since years and their success has urged them to expand to more parts of the city.Located at Edappally,Vazhakkala,kakkanad,Ernakulam North etc Malabar plaza group boasts thier expertise on malabar tastes.Snacks in the evenings usually comprise,unnakkaya,kaaypola,chicken samosas,kallumekas etc which are quite impressive with their typical malabar tastes.

View from outside...

Interiors

Have been there several times and last day was one such instance.We had actually opted for the Punjabi dhaba at Kalamassery but had to end up in Malabar because the dhaba was closed for some reason.The rain was taking a toll and had to run in to the hotel from the parking space.The service was quick and we had ordered a mixed fried rice,3 peices of chiratta puttu,chicken chettinaad (quarter),Beef dry fry,Koonthal fry and a quater thandoori (3 peices).Puttu and chicken was served in no time and the "food vanishing act "came to play.Chicken chettinad, though a bit oily was too tasty with the puttu.Beef dry fry was a big let down and went in as hard as rubber.

Puttu Chicken Chettinad koonathal fry

Koonathal fry

Puttu and Chicken Chettinad

Beef Dry Fry

Mixed Fried Rice and Tandoori

 Koonthal fry was at its spicy best and gave in good company for the remaining puttu and the fried rice that followed.Fried rice could be at best rated ok.By the time tandoori was served the tummies were almost full ,but they looked good to be gulped in.Though nothing exceptional it felt good to be had in with the green colored mayonnaise mix they gave.The interiors are pretty decent and good for families to drop into.A/c separation exists and they charge for the same.They also serve shavarmas and grilled chicken.

An issue that has been observed with Malabar plaza over our last 3-4 years in kochi, is their inconsistency.At times their tastes go below average.Have observed this with the biriyanis,the chicken grills and some curries.So they MAY not always return the value for your money!

Whats hot????

- Malabar dishes in the likes of pathiri,unnkkaya,kaaypola,chicken dishes can be tried out here.

-Pretty decent interiors for what you pay.

-Meals have been consistently good here.

-Ample parking space on most of the locations (Vaazhakkala,north etc might be a bit troublesome)

Whats not???

-Lack of consistency in maintaining the tastes.

-Costs are slightly on the higher side.

Potbelly's picks -  Kaaypola,Unnakaya,koonthal fry!

Rating - 2.75/5

Verdict: Meals, Malabar recipes can be tried out here.

Thottathil Hotel Bangalore -- Kerala isn't Far....!

This place should already be familiar to most of the techies in and around Madiwala.One hotel in Bangalore, that would make you feel that you are not far from your home town tastes.They have a couple of hotels of similar set up in Madiwala.

The hotel may not be in the hi fi league in terms of looks or space constraints but the naadan dishes are something to look out for here.Was surprised to see prawns fry ,kallumekkaya,kakka, a plate each costing just 50 rs.From breakfast to dinner the options here are plenty,puttu,appam,poori,chappathi,dosa,egg curry,kadala curry,green peas,chicken roast, fish curry,prawns,kakka,chicken ginger fry,chicken double fry,fish frys,chicken spicy roast ,kallummakaya fry,chemmeen roast,kakka fry,chicken liver fry,duck grilled,chicken grillled,poricha kozhi etc.items plenty as any shaap/hotel in Kerala might offer.

View from Outside

Dosa factory!

Chappathi,Kakka Roast and Mushroom Roast

Ayala Mulakilittathu

Prawns Roast

Chicken liver roast

Chicken Spicy Roast

Fish Thala Curry

Duck grilled quarter costs around 120 rs and can be tried for the sake of variety.Has tried most of the above dishes on multiple instances and hasn't let us down.Chicken spicy roast is pretty hot,while prawns roast,kallumekka almost always boasted the traditional tastes.Chicken liver roast hasn't remained a favourite for us since it had very little genuine liver pieces on the gravy.Ayala Mulakilttathu and thala are good spicy substitutes for those who are not in a mood to  try meat.

Lunch at Thottathil

Kilimeen Fry,Kallumekka Roast,Prawns roast

Above are some snaps of one among the several lunch we had there.A thoran ,a fish gravy/sambar pickle and pappadam is the default form of lunch here,but you always have the option to add on with any of the tempting dishes above.... Better to be in your two wheelers or your legs to have hassle free access.

Whats hot.....!

• Options galore here.For anyone in bangalore missing the naadan dishes rush to thottathil!
• Has been consistent with the taste.
• Situated at a pretty hassle free place. 
• Very customer friendly staffs and costs.
• Quantity is good for what they charge.

Whats not....!

• Its pretty small for the rush they have and would make you wait at peak times.Heard that they would soon expand ,and also would be adding more shaap curries to their menu.
• Can improve on the chicken liver roast ,occasionally felt that kallumekka had some more mud left in it to be cleaned off!

Potbelly's picks - chicken spicy roast,kallummakaya fry,kakka fry,Duck Grilled!


Rating - 4/5


Verdict: Free your appetite and start to Thottahil if you are in Bangalore!

Natural Ice cream - Taste Nature...!

Natural ice cream has been a relief for the health conscious foodies who were more concerned on the calorie intake rather than the tastes while having the tasty but artificially flavored/made up ice creams.An outlet of Naturals at MG road opposite to shenoys theatre is one of such kind where you get to taste ice creams with the natural tastes of tender coconut,mango,chikkoo,pine apple,water melon,pappaya jack fruit,roasted almond,Anjeer,kaju kismis,chocolate,etc...etc.A scoop in cup/cone will cost you 40 rupees.

Front View from MG Road

Natural ice creams are claimed to be made from evaporated milk ,sugar ,original fruit pulps/dry fruits and choclates and hence reduces the calorie/fat intake compared to the 'unnatural' counterparts.They do not ahve any preservatives or stabilizers added in them.When it come to taste factor the natural ice creams have their own identity in the sense that you get to taste flavours uncommon among the artificially flavoured ice creams.By taste and looks they are in no respect behind their counterparts.

Tender Coconut(left) Roasted almond (right)

A scoop each of tender coconut and roasted almond was ordered.Tender coconut ice cream was a fresh and delightful experience while roasted almond too tasted good.


Whats Cool?

- New tastes in the form of ice cream,tender coconut,jack fruit,grapes,pappaya......!
- The health factor ....!
-Prices are OK.
-Good ambience

Whats Not?

- Less varieties compared to a similar stall i had visited in bangalore.
-Parking for 4 wheelers will be troublesome.

Potbelly picks : tender Coconut,Almond roast,Jack fruit !

Rating 3.5/5

Verdict - For those who havent yet ,try natural ice cream ....!Definitely Worth a try.

Hotel Alakapuri Kakkanad

Last few weeks Kochi was blessed with heavy showers in the evening.....these often continued till the dark black night....The best time to be in your home balcony,chewing something you love.

Rain Came pouring down....!

 The rain was too impressive to leave to the kitchen to cook for something and this finally ended up in driving in it to the nearby Alakapuri hotel.Decided to go heavy that night and parcelled out chicken roast beef fry and 3-4 peices of puttu.These were brought home and an omlet was prepared as an add on.....! (Definitely heavy and not to be tried often......)

Puttu,Chicken Roast,Beef fry,Egg omlet

 Chicken roast was too deadly a combination with puttu,while beef fry wasn't up to the mark.
Alakapuri situated opposite to collectrate is the most sought after hotel by the techies and the others in and around kakkanad.Not just for the variety of options  and combos you can try out here,but for the consistency of the taste they often provide.The evenings are pretty crowded here as they serve items in the likes of puttu idiyappam,chappathi poori dosa porotta,fried rice,egg rice,fish curry ,chicken and beef -chinese and indian recipes,gobi,green peas,veg kurumas ....what not....! The best thing here is that you can try some unusual combos if intrested....like poori- beef /chicken....!

The interiors might not look that impressive but is ok enough for the costs they ask for.They have separations for 3-4 families as well.For those in IT ...they accept Sodexho Coupons too.


Pot bellies picks - beef roast,chicken dishes,puttu-fish curry,kappa biriyani....!

Whats Hot ...?

- Options,Combos,Often doesn't dissapoint you with the taste,though its not exclusive!
- Located at an ideal place.
-Customer friendly costs.

Whats Not...?

- Evenings are too crowded,parceling may be a better option.They have a separate counter for parcel during peak hours.
-Meals here could never meet up to the standard set by the evening foods!

Rating : 2.5/5

Verdict :Recommended hotel, if you are around Kakkanad  in the evenings,and you want to try out some non veg at reasonable costs !

Vaidyarude Kada -- Muhamma

Vaidyarude kada at Muhamma is well known for its fish recipes and was more than an enough reason for us to  set out for a drive to Muhamma on that saturday morning.The hotel is around 1.5 hours drive from ernakulam.Keep a note to take left from NH at kanjikkuzhy (8-10kms after cherthala) and from here on it wouldn't be a trouble spotting the place.People here are quite used to visitors seeking Vaidyante kada and would oblige with a smile.

Smitha hotel popularly known as "Vaidyarude Kada " would resemble any typical small scale hotel in looks ,sporting just 4-5 benches and tables in the very few square fts to make you feel comfortable  enough.There is an alternative setup nearby  for the overflows to walk into; Vaidyars house where again the same recipes are served.


Chemmen fry,Konchu fry,Njandu Roast,Kozhuva Fry,Kaaari Fry,Karimeen Fry,Kaalanchi fish curry ,Kaalanchi thala curry,kakka fry,Meen Mutta thoran.....A-Z varities of the backwater fishes.

A glass of butter milk,a thoran,pickle,varutharacha thodu curry (side dish) rice forms the typical meals here along with which we ordered Chemmen fry,Konchu fry,Njandu Roast,Kozhuva Fry,Kaaari Fry,Karimeen Fry,Kaalanchi fish curry and kakka fry.

Kaalanchi Fish Curry Butter milk

Konchu Fry

Karimeen Fry

Chemmen Fry

Kozhuva Fry

Kaari Fry

Kakka Thoran,Meals

 Its better to visit such places in groups,so that one can taste most of the dishes.Kaalanchi thala (Fish Head) curry could not be ordered just because it was too big to be finished by two.A group of four in a nearby table was warned by vaidyan before they went ahead ordering the same,and an hour later we found that he was literally spot on!Around 2 kilos of the kaalanchi fish was left untouched!The The tenderness of Karimeen boasted its freshness and was tasty enough ,the Konchu fry was enjoyable,Kozhuva fry was crispy and gave a great taste,kaari fry was a bit too deep fried that at times gave the a tinge of bitterness.Kakka thoran wasnt up to the expected levels.Kalanchi curry was ok.Konchu fry was a bit too stiff and dry.

View from where they come From......!

Vaidayan

Potbellies in front of Vaidyarude kada

It was intresting to note that the there was no separate billing/fixed rates for the individual items and a reasonable amount would be told to you by Vaidyan at the counter.

Pot bellies picks : Kozhuva fry ,Karimeen Fry,Konchu fry.

Whats hot....???

-Must visit place for anyone who loves fish based naadan recipes.Endless choices on fish.
-Good place to drive into,calm, hassle-free....Pathiramanal is 1km from here....ideal place to rest with your tummies, after a hefty lunch!
-Reasonable costs.


Whats not ....??

- Might have to wait at peak times.
-Taste of some of the dishes can be improved; Maapranam shaap curries can be ranked slightly above this.

Rating : 4/5

Verdict : All you fishbuffs should try the vaidyan recipes .