My TripAdvisor Review No.667: Spice Bowl, Lakkidi, Wayanad, Kerala.

Vegetarian Restaurant, Great Ambience, Tasty Food.

We drove past this restaurant on the NH-766 Wayanad to Kozhikode Highway in December 2018, but then we turned back to the nice looking veg restaurant called ‘Spice Bowl’. It had a good parking area and a great ambience which was quite noticeable as we were driving along. It was not air-con but it was tastefully decorated with plenty of large spice jars lining the showcases.

Wife had a ‘Hawaiian Pasta Salad’, which was very tasty with pineapple chunks, carrots, capsicum, tomato and pasta with mayonnaise topped with black peppercorns. I had a South Indian Thali with Kerala boiled rice. I found the thali to be quite heavy as the gravies were quite thick in consistency. The masala chaas was very spicy but the payasam was good. There were 3 vegetables, papad, pickle, dal, sambar and rasam.

Prices were on the higher side, but the service was good.

Date of visit: December 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.666: IKEA Restaurant, Hyderabad.

Swedish Food With An Indian Twist.

After a bout of shopping for furniture and furnishings at the IKEA showroom we decided to have dinner at their restaurant. There were quite a few healthy and tasty items on the menu which included vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian, both Indian and Swedish style of food, as well as fusion.

Their signature dishes are the Meatballs in gravy, Veggie balls in Indian masalas, and a Salmon fish fillet combo meal. We also enjoyed their Dal Makhani with rice, Potato Wedges, Boiled Shelled Corn Niblets, Boiled Broccoli, a Salad, Spring Rolls and a Chocolate Cake. There are many other items on the menu including Chicken Tikka masala, Cheesecakes, fruit salads, soups, and hot and cold beverages.

It is a self service restaurant where you take your food in a wheeled trolley and pay as you take it to your table. Prices are on the higher side but the quantity and quality of the food is very good.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.660: Subway, Darjeeling.

Design Your Own Subway Sandwich.

We were very happy to see a Subway outlet in Darjeeling on Gandhi Road very close to the Clock Tower and Chowk market. By now we have grown quite used to choosing our own breads, meats, veggies, sauces, and the other ingredients to help craft our own healthy meal. Besides Subs and Wraps they also had Lays, Cold drinks and Cookies available.

We ordered a Chicken Seekh Sub and two Veggie Patty Subs. We could choose the sauces, mayo and other ingredients like cheese, onions, tomatoes, olives, jalapenos, and customised the Sub to our liking. We also ordered a Signature Corn and Peas Wrap. They got it nicely packed in their branded paper bags and we brought it back to eat it in the comfort of our hotel room. The service at the Subway outlet was quick and courteous.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.654: China Hut Restaurant, Gandhi Road, Darjeeling.

Good Tibetan And Chinese Food.

China Hut is a very good Tibetan and Chinese food restaurant located on Gandhi Road, very near to the Darjeeling Clock Tower, just before the Mall market. The ambience of the restaurant is also very nice both inside and outside, and the predominantly red colours of the décor and furnishings looks very attractive. They have outdoor seating as well but we chose to dine inside as the climate was quite cold. It was quite cosy inside, with about 6 tables with sufficient distance between them.

We ordered the Tibetan delicacy of Thukpa. Both the Chicken Thukpa and the Veg Thukpa was very tasty with not too much spices, but with lot of shredded chicken and vegetables. We also ordered Fried Veg Wonton as starter and we liked it so much that we ordered one more of it.

Prices were reasonable and the service was good.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.651: Sandakphu Restaurant, Darjeeling.

Multi Cuisine Restaurant In Darjeeling.

This review is about the ‘Sandakphu’ restaurant in Darjeeling which belongs to the Summit Hermon Hotel and Spa. It is not about the popular Himalayan hiking destination after which it has been named.

Since we were staying at Summit Hermon Hotel we happened to dine at this multicuisine restaurant a couple of times. Though the food is cooked mostly in mustard oil, we liked the taste and preparation. We tried their Fish (Basa) Curry with rice and Veg Hakka Noodles. The roasted Masala Papad was a good starter. On another occasion we had Veg Jalfrezi with Parathas and a Veg Biryani.

The food was tasty and the service was good. Prices were moderate but not overpriced as the restaurant was well furnished and decorated with some nice paintings. We enjoyed the ambience.

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Date of visit: March 2020

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My TripAdvisor Review No.648: Rahi Shivsagar Restaurant, Mahabaleshwar.

Vegetarian Multi Cuisine Restaurant.

Rahi Shivsagar is actually a 2-in-1 restaurant, Rahi and Shivsagar, located close to the Ambedkar statue in Mahabaleshwar market. Shivsagar section is a vegetarian restaurant serving all types of thali meals from different regions of India including Gujarati, Maharashtrian, South Indian, Punjabi and Special (with a sweet dish). They also serve a variety of snacks and breakfast dishes like dosa, idli and wadas. Rahi section serves the strawberry milkshakes and ice-creams.

I ordered a Gujarati Thali and it was quite tasty and filling. It had 3 chapatis, a dry sabji, a gravy potato dish, a lentil gravy, sweet dal, rasam, rice, papad and a sweet kheer dish. My wife had a special pav bhaji.

Later we ordered a strawberry milkshake from Rahi section of the restaurant. We had to pay separately for both the sections. Prices were on the higher side. Service was OK.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.645: Swarooplaxmi Bhojanalaya, Kolhapur.

Excellent Maharashtrian Thali.

This traditional Maharashtrian restaurant is located in one of the narrow lanes near the Mahalaxmi Temple of Kolhapur. If you are visiting for the first time you may have some difficulty locating it. We had to enquire from the local shops to find the exact location.

This ‘Bhojanalaya’ or ‘kitchen where you can buy yourself a meal’ serves one of the best Maharashtrian thali meals in Kolhapur. We asked for a ‘Jowar Bhakri Thali’ wherein we were served a platter with two millet breads, eggplant (baingan) masala and mashed eggplant (baingan bhartha), a dry cabbage bhaji, rasam (spicy vegetable soup), pithala (a thick gravy made from chickpea flour), chutney, koshimbir (finely chopped salad), rice and papad. The taste of each item was unique and wonderful.

They also serve some snacks like ‘Misal’ and some sweet dishes like Gulab Jamun, Basundi, Puran Poli and Shrikhand.

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Date of visit: December 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.642: Sanskriti Restaurant, Kolhapur.

Good Vegetarian Restaurant.

Sanskriti was recommended to us by the hotel staff where we were staying. It is located in Laxmipuri which is one of the crowded and congested parts of Kolhapur, and it would be difficult to find parking space if you are coming in a 4-wheeler.

It is a nicely serviced vegetarian restaurant with brightly lit interiors and exteriors. The seating is a bit cramped but comfortable enough. They serve Thali meals but we ordered ala-carte; Veg Tawa with Indian breads, Naan and Roti. The Veg Tawa was quite heavy since it was cooked in ghee, though the breads were nice and crisp. We also enjoyed some buttermilk which was quite quenching.

The service was satisfactory and the prices were reasonable. I could pay with a credit card.

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Date of visit: December 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.641: Hotel Sukha Shanti (Restaurant), Belgaum, Karnataka.

Good Vegetarian Restaurant En-route Goa.

Hotel Sukha Shanti is a vegetarian restaurant which seems quite popular with the highway yatris on the Goa to Kolhapur route, judging by the number of cars parked outside. There was sufficient parking on the main road adjoining the restaurant.

We ordered a Veg Thali and a Veg Hakka Noodles. The thali was adequate with two chapatis, a bowl of rice, two vegetables, rasam and dal, curd and sweet dish. The noodles were quite tasty too. Prices were very reasonable and the service was quick.

They serve good South Indian fast food like Idli, Dosa, Uthappa and Wadas as well. It is no wonder that so many travellers stop here for a quick meal, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.

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Date of visit: December 2019

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My TripAdvisor Review No.636: Seasons Mall, Magarpatta, Pune.

Beehive Of Activity.

Seasons Mall at Magarpatta City in Pune has become our favourite go-to place for shopping and entertainment. Compared to the other malls like Phoenix and Amanora the infrastructure is very simple and uncomplicated. Parking charges are also very reasonable, unlike in Phoenix mall where they jack up the parking rates on the weekends.

The mall is spread over four floors. There are shops and retail stores of all the major global brands, parlours, restaurants, cafes and coffee shops, hypermarkets for daily necessities, gaming zones, and a multiplex where you can watch the latest movies in town. You could spend your entire day at this mall without getting bored. Needless to say that the washrooms are clean and well maintained.

After some shopping we went up to the top floor to see a movie in the ten hall multiplex run by Cinepolis. There is a Cinepolis VIP where you can watch a movie in sheer luxury with the snacks being served at your seat. After the movie we had a snack at the Food Court on the same floor.

Best time to visit the mall is during the festive season where the mall is all decked up and the shops offer many discounts. Sometimes you have celebrities to host a show or grace the occasions.

Date of experience: February 2020

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My TripAdvisor Review No.630: Naveen Beach Resaturant, Murudeshwar, Karnataka.

Built On Stilts, Excellent Sea View.

After visiting the Murudeshwar Shiva Temple and the beach we decided to have lunch at the Naveen Beach Restaurant, which has been constructed on stilts at the edge of the beach. There are three levels and all floors have a central hall with a veranda where the tables have been laid out. We grabbed a table on the ground floor veranda and we got a beautiful view of the beach and the Arabian Sea. The tables on the other side of the veranda had a view of the giant Shiva statue and temple.

We ordered Alu Gobi with Rotis and Curd Raitha. The food was freshly cooked and quite tasty. The service was average and the prices were reasonable. Seafood and other non-vegetarian dishes were also available as well as South Indian snacks like dosa, idli and wadas.

The main attraction of this restaurant is the balcony seating if available. If it gets crowded you may not get a table outside. The weather has to be good, if it is too hot or rainy then you may not enjoy the ambience.

We enjoyed our meal with a good view of the beach activities.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.624: Kerala Cafe, Kalyani Nagar, Pune.

Salmon Pollichathu.

This was our second visit to Kerala Café. After a trip to Kerala earlier in the year we were again keen to have Fish Pollichathu, fish marinated in a signature spicy masala, then wrapped in banana leaf and slow cooked.

Being a Sunday we had reserved a table and were given a table in the a/c section. The seating was comfortable and the ambience was nice. We first ordered drinks, with a masala papad as starter and quickly ordered the main dish as well thinking that it will take a while to cook the Pollichathu. The masala papad was served in a jiffy. After about 15 minutes of waiting for our drinks we were surprised to be served our main dish. We had to return it to the kitchen and ask for our drinks first. The masala papad had gone limp by then. After finishing our drinks we asked them to reheat and serve the Pollichathu. At least the Appams were fresh and hot.

The restaurant still has a good traditional Kerala ambience with some greenery and plants at the entrance. Apart from the a/c hall, there is an open air seating area on the ground floor and a semi open covered terrace and bar on the mezzanine floor. Valet parking is available. The service is courteous but the waiters are not properly trained.

The menu is specialised in Kerala food both veg and non-veg. Fish dishes are tasty and authentic. Chicken and mutton dishes are served, but instead of beef they serve buff (buffalo). The restaurant is worth visiting if you love the taste of Kerala.

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Date of visit: February 2020

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My TripAdvisor Review No.623: Guru Nanak Dairy And Sweets, Kalyani Nagar, Pune.

Open Air Seating With Traditional Mumbai Street Food.

Guru Nanak Dairy And Sweets started out more than 25 years back as a dairy supplying daily milk and curd to the residents of Kalyani Nagar and the neighbourhood. They also stock butter, ghee, cheese, and the traditional Indian milk sweets like pedha, barfis, laddus, rashgullas, kaju katli, dry fruit, farsan, savoury snacks and much more. They then started keeping and serving breakfast items like samosa, kachori, idli, sandwiches and burgers to the students and office goers. Hot and cold drinks are also available.

They have now opened another outlet in the next building where they serve pao bhaji, chole bhature, rajma rice, pulaos, Mumbai chaat, and snacks. They specialise in pao bhaji with different variations and options, with onion, with kaju, with paneer, with Jain masala, or without all these but with a generous dollop of butter, and the same applies to the pao.

So if one is interested in a healthy vegetarian meal, breakfast, lunch, tea or dinner Guru Nanak is always ready to satisfy you.

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Date of visit: February 2020

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My TripAdvisor Review No.612: Kayees Rahmathulla Cafe, Mattancherry, Kochi, Kerala.

Biryani To Die For.

It seems that the Biryanis at this restaurant are very famous. They serve excellent mutton and chicken biryani as well as other non-vegetarian dishes like fish, mutton and chicken gravies and masalas. There are very few vegetarian dishes on the menu.

I ordered a Chicken Biryani and my wife wanted to have a Fish Roast. After about ten minutes waiting at the table we were told that Fish Roast was not available and that was a disappoinment. We decided to share our biryani. As it is, we were sharing our table with another couple because the restaurant was so crowded, and there was a group of foreigners waiting outside for a table.

The biryani was accompanied by a papadam, a sweet and spicy dip, and some tomato-onion kachumber raita salad. It tasted spicy good, and there were two pieces of chicken in it which included a leg. There was a good quantity and quality of flavoured rice. The price was very reasonable at ₹130.

The ambience and décor of the restaurant was a bit depressing. It was overcrowded and there was very poor ventilation in the dining hall. If we had not shared our table we might have been waiting much longer. But it was a biryani to die for.

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My TripAdvisor Review No.604: Toit - Pune.

Bangalore Pub Culture Comes To Pune.

Toit, one of the top pubs of Bengaluru opened their doors in Pune’s Kalyani Nagar about a year back. It is located just after Bishop’s School on East Avenue near the Ramwadi junction on Nagar Road. It has a large enclosed parking area with valets to assist.

We went on a Saturday afternoon and were surprised that we got a table of our choice quite easily. Normally crowded on the weekends, they don’t accept bookings, and you may have to wait a while to get a table. The open air restaurant is quite spacious and has very nice décor, paintings and wall hangings which perk up one’s mood and appetite. They have an enclosed dining hall as well.

The staff and service were helpful, friendly and courteous. There was a separate menu for Food and Drinks. Their draught beers are their speciality. Toit’s mission is to make the world a happier and ‘boozier’ place, and they brew their own draught beers with only natural ingredients; imported malts, the hippest of hops, and the most eukaryotic of yeast. One can ask for a sampler of their six main varieties of beer which costs ₹300.

From their beers we ordered their Tintin Toit and Toit Weiss, and Stray Apple Cider and Fresh Lime Soda for the ladies. Both the beers had their unique flavours which were excellent, and the cider was tart and fruity. We had Onion Rings with a sweet and spicy dip, and a plate of ‘Dip-it-Ah’ as starters. The hummus of the Dip-it-Ah was shaped like an ash-tray with olive oil in the centre and the celery stick pieces and carrots cut to look like cigarettes. So we enjoyed some ‘smokes’ with our drinks and onion rings!

For the mains we had a ‘Pototo and Green Mango Curry’ with Appams. The curry was a spicy coconut based tangy gravy which went very well with the appams. We also tried their vegetarian ‘Farmers Market Salad’ which had some caramelised walnuts to enhance the taste.

We quite enjoyed our lunch outing and would like to visit again and try out the non-vegetarian preparations as well.

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