Oriental Heat

Back from a brief sabbatical! Been travelling, resting and recuperating – generally lazing around, to be frank.

Summer has really caught on, stinging eyes and skin with a million acupuncture needles. We put on sunglasses and apply a generous coat of sunscreen before stepping out into the furnace blaze.

At Centre Point, cars were parked crookedly under every tree. Fortunately someone backed out and we eagerly grabbed the slot. Under a striped red and white awning, the entrance to Red Hot Cafe was guarded by swaying potted plants. The restaurant name was spelt “Rred” instead of Red, a numerological influence probably, or did it signal the spiciness of the fare? We slunk in and found a comfortable corner table. The restaurant was shaped like a horseshoe with one entrance from outside and another from atrium. The vista outside the restaurant window was gashed diagonally by the Metro line below which trees careened in the hot summer breeze, a washed-out blue sky shone starkly lambent above it. Framed charcoal embossing of Balinese dancers and musicians adorned yellow walls. Horizontally striped burgundy colour table mats dangled over granite textured fiber top tables.

We spent some time poring over the exotic names and descriptions in the menu before deciding upon soup, starter and a Thai noodle main course. The milky white canvas of Tom Kha veg soup was streaked with pastel green strokes of coriander stems. This aromatic soup with strong flavours of lemon, galangal and coconut milk was an superb match to our starter, crispy basil leaf babycorn. The steamed baby corn, lightly battered, deep fried and tossed with basil leaf worked the sweat glands when took with red chili paste. Our main course was Kaho Suey – a coconut milk based noodle soup spiced with red chili; and Khee Mao Chae – Thai flat noodles sautéed with crushed peanuts, broccoli, mushroom, basil leaves and a drop of Thai red curry. The Khao Suey, creamy and glutinous, was tasty and quite filling. The flat noodles of Khee Mao was a bit rubbery and had to be consumed quickly. Once cold, it tended to lump together making chewing an ordeal.

The show stopper of the meal was Thai Dessert – amaranth pink litchi jelly served in a bowl of coconut milk and cream, topped with a mint leaf . An unusual combination – sensuous and beguiling; we were completely sold on this one.

Overall, it was a spectacular meal, well worth the jaunt in sweltering heat. Although, this time I had restricted myself to vegetarian, there were several prawn, fish, chicken and mutton dishes that caught my eye. Their turn will come, till then, Sawatdee….
Red Hot Cafe
Thai, Chinese & Malaysian Cuisine
UG-1, Centre Point
Sushant Lot – 1, Gurgaon
Contact: 0124-2572477, 4104154, 4104155, 4014658

Foodienomics
Tom Kha Veg Soup – Rs.100.00
Crispy Basil Babycorn – Rs.180.00 (very large platter)
Khao Suey Veg – Rs.155.00
Khee Mao Veg Noodles – Rs.155.00
Thai Dessert – Rs.100.00
The despicables: Service Charge – 7%, VAT – 12.5% extra

Rating
Food – 8/10
Ambience – 6/10
Service – 7/10
Overall – 7/10
Definitely worth a visit

Foodiebay Menu of Red Hot Cafe: Click Here

Check out Wikipedia on Thai Cuisine: Click Here

Turning a new leaf!!!

With a bad cold and a blocked ear, I was not in such great spirits on Saturday afternoon. The day was hot, signaling the onset of a grueling summer. Mercury had been steadily rising. The car doubled up as a baking oven and dust assailed our eyes, nostrils and mouth. My grumpiness had not abated when we parked and went inside Mint Leaf. The restaurant reviews were decent which pushed our expectations up a couple of notches.

Within, most of the tables were taken up by a cacophonous gang of senior citizens having a binge, so we ended up at a corner seat with me right under the air conditioner draught. Not my day, really. The restaurant decor didn’t demand poetic ebullience – one long hall with a mirror encrusted wall near the kitchen, a few nondescript paintings on the wall; it was clean, comfortable and spacious enough to seat approximately 50.

The menu had many exotic dishes, ranging from Nariyal Mirchi Macchi Rolls to Laurence Road ke Tikkey. We went for a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian as was our long standing tradition. The choice of starters were Chicken 65 (succumbed to my friend’s choice, I preferred Murgh Varuval) and Chenna Anjeer ke Kebab. Chicken 65 was a bit on the garlicky side – fried chicken with a thin layer of batter spiced with coriander, green chili, curry leaves and mustard. Wrapped in a coil of Chenna (a form of Paneer), the Kebab had a slightly squishy feel and a crunchy, mildly sweet inner core of figs and mango; simply delectable!

The main course too had an unusual cast – we settled for Meat Belli Ram (sic), Khumani aur Bael ka Kofta and Mirchi Parantha. Meat Belli Ram with mutton chunks rearing up like ice bergs in a pool of cumin flavoured spicy dark brown gravy was a perfect companion to Mirchi Paranthas sprinkled with chili flakes. Kofta never turned me on and this one – despite the inspired coalition of apricot and Bael Murabba – was no different.

Mint Leaf has a definite edge over the ragtag restaurants of the city in terms of a remarkable carte du jour and reasonable fare. It wouldn’t bust your domestic budget to check out dishes that have outlandish names and inviting descriptions. I, for one, certainly intend to return.

Mint Leaf
LG-11/ 12, Center Point
A-Block, Sushant Lok Phase I
Gurgaon
Contact: 0124-4044122 – 33, 9810003382

Foodienomics
Chicken 65 – Rs 160.00 (8 Pieces)
Chenna Anjeer ke Kebab – Rs.150.00 (5 Pieces)
Meat Belli Ram – Rs.240.00 (4 Pieces)
Khumani aur Bael ka Kofta – 170.00 (4 Pieces)
Mirchi Parantha – Rs.30.00 per Parantha
Boondi Raita – Rs.60.00
The detestables -12.5 % VAT, 10% Service Tax

Rating
Ambience – Comfortable but Utilitarian
Service – Friendly, Prompt
Food – Pretty diverse, unusual combinations, quite good
Overall – 7/10
Definitely Worth Visiting

Mint Leaf menu on Foodiebay: Click Here

A review of the restaurant by P Anima in the Hindu: Click Here

Connecticut Yankee on Jaipur Highway

The belly rules the mind – so goes the proverb. Take care of your belly and it will take care of your mind, so goes my interpretation. I’m a great stickler to this mantra and pamper by belly whenever possible hoping that my mind will follow.

After the disastrous Okra restaurant episode (see post here), I could not rest in peace till my tummy had its quantum of solace. So I was only glad to grab the opportunity to visit IndiJoe, the American diner at Ambience Mall.

Like Aromas of China, IndiJoe also belong to BJN group. It serves American, Mexican and Italian among others.The restaurant is spacious, the interior is done up in cool, dark shades; sports gear and photographs occupy every inch of the wall, a pensive miniature statue of liberty in verdigris preside over the middle bay, streaks of blood red fire sprinkler plumbing stand out against the black ceiling like exposed veins. Bright, translucent, green and blue stain glass lamp shades with flower patterns hang over illuminated tables, a collage of Hollywood stars – Harrison Ford, John Travolta, Marilyn Munroe and Sylvester Stallone decorate a side wall. Induction heated hot plates line the buffet counter against a frescoed back wall, there are separate Pasta and Chaat counters also near the buffet area, the bar counter near the entrance is empty at lunch hour with a lone barman bent over polishing glasses. Enrique Iglesias and Kenny Rogers issue softly from the music player. Eight of us share the only round table in the restaurant in a kind of pre-prandial limbo waiting to begin lunch.

An aromatic cream of chicken soup accompanied by no-so-great Coastal Fried Fish in BBQ Sauce and tangy-sweet Honey Ginger Chicken tee me off. I give vegetarian stuff a pass and pile my plate with fillets of Grilled Fish in Lemon Butter Sauce and some Murg Shahi Patiala with thick spicy gravy to go with Paranthas. My dessert is a generous dollop of strawberry mousse and a heap of assorted fruits – mostly musk melon, pineapple and water melon. The lunch is infinitely satisfying and call for suppressed burps – which is the stomach’s way of announcing deep satisfaction.

For Rs.350/- + taxes (Mon – Thru), IndiJoe is a definite bargain – the staff are friendly and helpful, food bountiful and diverse, the restaurant is clean, spacious and very relaxing.

Fri – Sun the going rate is Rs.425/- + taxes which includes additional dishes such as prawns. On Fridays there is also a live band from 9.00 PM onwards.

Rating
Ambience – 9/10
Service – 8/10
Food – 8/10
Overall – 8/10
Recommended

IndiJoe
Ambience Mall, Level 3,
NH-8, Gurgaon – 122002
Contact: 0124 3058803

IndiJoe Menu from Foodiebay: Click Here

Vada Pav & Volcano on a Friday Evening

Friday evening, unable to resist a sudden craving for junk food, we landed up at DT Mega Mall. The food court used to be a lively place, but seemed poorly lit and dull this time around. Some of our favourite counters, “Lemon & Thyme” and “Simply South” had shut shop. Apart from the usual suspects – “Subway”, “McDonald’s”, “Dominos” and “Lavazza”, the other surviving members of the original cast were “Salad Bar”, “Sip’n Bite” and “Viva Hyderabadi”. Among the new counters scattering the floor, one served crêpe and another Vada Pav, the quintessential, lip smacking Maharashtrian benediction to mankind.

Amchi Mumbai Vada Pav sold varieties of Vada Pav ranging from regular to cheese and paneer versions as well as Vada Pav combos. We took a regular one with Brown Bread. The Vada was promptly fried before our eyes and handed over sizzling hot stuffed inside Pav with a smattering of dry red chutney and a lightly sauteed green chilly. Can’t say it was a match to the bona fide Mumbai edition, but came pretty close. I felt the Vada Pav of Ashva’s Fast Food (Check my previous blog – Serendipitous Delights) was better, particularly since it come with oodles of coconut chutney. But, Amchi Mumbai was right around the corner whereas Ashva’s was way too far to be bothered for a quick Vada Pav snack.

The Vada Pav only stocked our appetite. So we gathered a potpourri of dishes from different counters and finished dinner. Finally, to top it all, we went and ordered a Choco Lava cake from Dominos which proved to be the nemesis of a perfect evening. The very first scoop erupted in my mouth; seismic sugar waves surged through the blood stream as the viscous chocolate lava trickled down my gullet. It was nauseatingly sweet. Do not offer this to friends; reserve it for your enemies – it can be the sweetest personal vendetta.

Epilogue:-Avoid this hellfire confection, period!!!

The food court also featured Go Chaatz, a Semi-Americanized version of Desi Chat. I found their signature item, Papdi Popper quite good. Recommended…