New Place in Town: Quattro Ristorante Brings Molecular Gastronomy to Hyderabad

Molecular Gastronomy has been making waves all over the world especially during the last couple of years. While in India, restaurants like the Farzi Café and Caperberry have become very popular in this field, Quattro Ristorante, a restaurant chain serving Mexican and Italian cuisine is a pioneer in imbibing this new style of cooking in their vegetarian dishes.

Quattro Risorante

DIY Nachos

The New Menu Launch at Deccan Pavilion, ITC Kakatiya

Most successful restaurants rejig their menus periodically to provide refreshing variations to their regular diners. The Pavilion all-day dining restaurants at ITC Hotels all over India have a system where the menu is revamped every two years. Intense interactions between the senior chefs of the hotels lead to the design of this new menu. On 17th December 2016, the menu was launched nationwide through simultaneous Influencer meet at the various Pavilion restaurants across the country.

Best of Pavilion

Food Walk with Sensodyne at Banjara Hills

Food walks are always fun as you explore new areas for food with a select group of friends. The walks to the Charminar area on a Sunday morning, Tolichowki during Ramzan, and Sindhi Colony for some special food are very popular with the food lovers of Hyderabad. That is why, when Sensodyne, in association with So Hyderabad, invited me for a food walk to explore select destinations of Banjara Hills, I was quite interested.

This was a food walk with a difference – it was to bring to the fore the issue of tooth sensitivity and to help people enjoy the hot and cold food that they enjoy. #EnjoyLikeYouShould was the motto with which a group of food bloggers and another group of regular users of Sensodyne suffering tooth sensitivity issues, visited three well-known cafes and restaurants tasting the delicacies offered by them.

Festival Feed: Wok’s Hot at The Square, Novotel HICC

The Square, all day dining restaurant at Novotel, Hitech city has always been rated very high by the food lovers of Hyderabad. The restaurant, which serves one of the best buffets in town, organizes quite a few niche promotions from time to time to augment the experience of its regular diners. “Wok’s Hot”, a festival of Oriental cuisine is the latest in this endeavour.

Sushi Platter

Festival Feed: Set Menu of Food Paired with Fratelli Wines at Mercure Hyderabad

Events on wine appreciation, as well as food pairing with wine, are much in demand in recent times, and the wine brands, as well as the star properties, have taken a lot of initiatives to introduce these to the discerning gourmets. A new promotion at Cayenne, the all-day dining restaurant at Mercure KCP Hyderabad pairs the popular wine range from Fratelli with some exquisite dishes prepared by the in-house team of chefs.

New Place In Town: Dhaba by Claridges comes to Hyderabad

Dhaba by Claridges is one of the best-known restaurants in Delhi serving Punjabi cuisine Initially known as the in-house restaurant of Claridges Hotel at Lutyens, the dhaba styled fine dining outlet has been delighting the Delhi food lovers for the last thirty years. A few years back, the restaurant decided to expand by opening three new outlets in the National Capital Region. I had the chance to experience their hospitality at DLF Saket, and still remember the décor with an actual truck inside the premises.

Dhaba by Claridges Kondapur

Festival Feed: Coast to Coast – Amazing Coastal Cuisine at Amara, The Trident

The coastal areas of any country usually boast of a rich cuisine which is often replete with seafood. To celebrate the coastal cuisine, not just from India but other countries too, The Trident at Hitech City, Hyderabad is hosting a promotion “Coast to Coast”. On offer are a range of delicacies enjoyed at the seaside in different countries, including and not restricted to a lot of seafood.

Thanksgiving Turkey

The Thanksgiving Turkey

Festival Feed: Bong Appetite at Café Cilantro

Being a Bengali in Hyderabad, I am fortunate that we have quite a few restaurants serving this cuisine in the Pearl City. Apart from that established restaurants periodically hold Bengali Food Fests from time to time. The latest in that list is Café Cilantro, the new restaurant at Mindspace Hitech City – Bong Appetite their Bengali cuisine event is on for dinner from November 21st to 30th.

New Place in Town: Café Cilantro

I have known Chef Chandra Sekhar Pandey since the time he was the Executive Chef at Radisson Blu Plaza at Banjara Hills, where I had tried out many innovative preparations from him. Recently, Chef has taken the next logical step of entrepreneurship in opening his own restaurant. Café Cilantro, the all-day dining restaurant at Deccan Serai near Raheja Mindspace has opened its doors a few weeks back serving cuisine from all over the world.

Dim Sum Biryani

The Showstopper Dim Sum Biryani

Understanding Blended Scotch Whisky: An Interactive Session from United Spirits-Diageo

Interest about premium whisky is on the rise among the fun loving Hyderabadis. Be it single malt or blended scotch, the urge is to try out the various top notch brands and understand the difference in taste and flavour. Recently we had written about The Highlands Whisky Club, a novel initiative to introduce the local population to a diverse range of premium whisky. Recently, USL-Diageo, the company behind Scotch brands like Johnnie Walker and Black Dog organised “The Art of Blending” – imparting knowledge on blending whisky and a tasting session of the premium brands of the company.

Chef Roberto Boggio Weaves Italian Magic at Prego

During the last few weeks, there were quite a few Italian food promotions in Hyderabad. The launch of the Italian Sunday brunch at Tre Forni was followed by the Pasta Festival at the Park, and then Tuscany showcased their new menu. It is now the turn of Hyderabad hosting Chef Roberto Boggio, the Italian culinary ambassador from Le Meridian Pune. Chef Boggio is curating a festival of authentic Italian cuisine at Prego, the Italian restaurant at The Westin Hyderabad. As the poster for the promotion says, it is “Italian, by an Italian, at the Italian”.

Tuscany at The Trident Unveils a New Menu

Tuscany, the Italian restaurant at The Trident at Hyderabad is known among aficionados of Italian food for its exclusive fare. Tastefully designed as a Tuscan villa with Terracotta flooring, the restaurant boasts of a very loyal clientele. Another reason that makes Tuscany special is the myriad choice of dishes available in its menu, representing all the regions of Italy. For the ensuing winter months, the management has recently redesigned this menu to provide new choices to their customers. One of the highlights of the new menu is that it is also rich in vegetarian items, a few I noticed on it being Stewed Fig and Cheese Bruschetta, Roast Pumpkin Soup and Gorgonzola Polenta.

Beetroot Risotto

Beetroot Risotto

The New Hyderabadi Irani Café menu at SodaBottleOpenerWala

The Bombay Irani Café offerings from SodaBottleOpenerWala have been very well appreciated all over India. Berry Pulao, Murgh Farcha, Bhendi Bazar Ke Seekh Kabab and Egg Kejriwal are some of the dishes which have been favourites even in Hyderabad. However, Hyderabad has its own Irani Café culture serving a different kind of cuisine. For generations Hyderabadis have been patronizing these cafes, and their Osmania biscuits, Dilpasand and Lukmis are much in demand here along with the typical Irani chai. Dishes like biryani, Chicken 65, Talawa Gosht are much sought after by food lovers from all over India and the world. SodaBottleOpenerWala in Hyderabad has now extended the Irani Café menu to embrace the Hyderabadi version into it. This will be the first outlet of the restaurant to serve both versions of Irani cafe cuisine. I had the opportunity to sample the new items at the launch of this new menu. (Also Read: The New Menu at SodaBottleOpenerWala)

Festival Feed: Handcrafted Pastas at The Park, Hyderabad

Pasta along with pizza are definitely the most popular Italian dishes in India. They are ubiquitous in restaurants, QSRs and even food trucks in all corners of a city. So, when a popular hotel in the city holds a pasta festival, one feels a bit curious.

Parma Ham Roll with Emmenthal

Parma Ham Roll with Emmenthal

Festival Feed: The Friday Evening Seafood Festival at Novotel Airport

“Thank God it is Friday” is a common phrase heard from many of the busy corporate executives. After a hectic work week, there is an often felt urge to start the weekend with a bang. This has led to many fine dine restaurants organizing special promotions on Friday evenings offering niche food and drinks to suit the taste buds of their clients.

Tandoori Pomfret

Tandoori Pomfret

Festival Feed: Coastal Flavours from Thalassery at ITC Kakatiya

During the last few years food lovers of metro cities have become aware of the cuisine of Moplah or Mapillah community from the Malabar region of Kerala. The mildly spiced recipes have quite a bit of influence of the food of Arabic traders who used to visit Kerala for spice trade in the eighteenth century. Last year, The Park Hyderabad had organized a festival curated by Chef Abida Rasheed which showcased the delicacies from the Calicut region. Now, ITC Kakatiya is hosting a promotion of Malabar food at Deccan Pavilion, their all-day dining restaurant.

Thalassery Food Festival

The Highlands Whisky Club: All About Whisky, Cigar and Great Food

Let alone Hyderabad, the concept of a whisky club is not very popular in India, However, the scenario in the twin city is slowly changing. In the midst of current rage about micro-breweries and gastro pubs, the city’s first whisky club The Highlands provides an exclusive experience to the connoisseurs of whisky with handpicked single malts, cigars and great food.

Highlands Whisky Club

Festival Feed: NH 44 Highway Food Promotion at Kanak, Trident

Roadside restaurants, dhabas and food joints on the National Highways of India, catering to the truck drivers and motorists alike, are known for some of the tastiest food. Recently there has been a few food festivals concentrating on the diversity of dishes along the highways traversing from one state to another. A few months back Taj Deccan had showcased food from states around National Highway (NH) 1, and now it is the turn of Kanak, the Indian specialty restaurant of The Trident Hyderabad to bring to us a festival celebrating the food around National Highway 44.

NH44 Festival spread

The Scrumptious Sunday Brunch at Okra, Marriott

Sunday Brunches have become an integral part of the food scene in Hyderabad. Many of my friends are avowed fans of the Sunday afternoon spreads at various hotels, and they visit a different one of them every week. Some others are loyal to particular hotels. Whereas for the residents of Banjara Hills and Hitech city there are many options to choose from, Hyderabad Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre near Hussain Sagar is the only place offering a gourmet fine dining experience close to the older parts of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. For this reason, the hotel boasts of many loyal diners especially from this part of the city.

Sunday Brunch Okra Marriott

Festival Feed: Bengali Food Festival at Hotel Siesta Hyderabad

Hyderabad is fortunate to have quite a few restaurants serving Bengali cuisine. Apart from Oh Calcutta, Call of Bengal and Nabanno, the Bengali food at United Kitchens of India is widely appreciated. Amantran, the value for money Bengali chain serves food from three of its outlets in the city. Kolkata House caters to a lot of Bengalis north of Hitech City and for Kolkata style rolls Roll Call is the go-to place.

Sorshe Ilish

Unlimited Hilsa is the highlight of the festival

Festival Feed: The Fajita and Mojito Promotion at La Cantina, Novotel

La Cantina at Novotel Hitech City (HICC) is easily the best Mexican restaurant in town. Still, the fine dine outlet holds various promotions from time to time to provide its discerning customers more insight into the finer nuances of Mexican cuisine. The ongoing Fajita and Mojito Fest is part of this initiative. The special menu for the promotion around a dozen exclusive recipes of fajitas which are being showcased.

Fajita and Mojito

The Sumptuous Italian Sunday Brunch at Tre-Forni Restaurant and Bar

Tre-Forni Bar & Restaurant at Park Hyatt, Hyderabad is one of the preferred destinations for Italian food in the city. With its elegant bar and spacious restaurant, the place offers the best of fine dining experiences. Tre-Forni now brings us the all new Sunday Brunch, a complete celebration of Italian cuisine every Sunday afternoon.

Grilled Lobster

Quick Bytes: Mediterranean Delights at Radisson Blu Plaza

The culinary team at Radisson Blu Plaza at Banjara Hills has a new chief. Chef Sarabjit Singh Walia, who has taken over as Executive Chef has wide experience in catering to the taste buds in India and abroad. He has decided to start his tenure here with a bang, by organizing a Mediterranean Food Festival at Chill Restaurant and Terrace. The promotion showcases dishes from the countries all around the Mediterranean Sea, which means there are delicacies from Spain, Italy, Greece, West Asia as well as countries of Northern Africa. The festival is on from 19th to 29th September, as part of the regular buffet.

New Place in Town: Oh Bean Der

Oh Bean Der, a new all-day dining restaurant has started operations in Jubilee Hills. The outlet has taken the place of “Leaf” restaurant on the ground floor of Amogh Boutique Hotel, under the management of the Butta Hospitality group. Nicely redesigned into a bright café look, the place serves global cuisine in both a-la-carte and buffet mode.

Quick Bytes: Goan Magic at Vivanta by Taj

Come monsoons, one of the coolest tourist destinations to visit is Goa. The incessant rains, calmer beaches, cheaper stay and homely food are some of the attractions of this season when many commercial tourist establishments take a break. This September Hyderabad is having an extended monsoon with heavy rains lashing the city almost every day. While the beaches of Goa cannot be brought to the city, Vivanta by Taj has done the next best thing – host a promotion of sumptuous Goan cuisine.

Onam Sadya at Marriott Hotel, Bangalore

Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala, is one of the rare festivals in the country which is attributed to a state and is celebrated by all, irrespective of cast, creed and religion. The festival lasts 10 days and culminates with a sumptuous feast, the Onam Sadya. The Sadya is made from fresh produce and is typically vegetarian, although there have been newer places coming up with non-vegetarian options.

Onam Feast

Onam Feast

Quick Bytes: Mamagoto Hyderabad Unveils Their New Menu

Mamagoto, the Pan-Asian restaurant has been creating quite a buzz in Hyderabad, with their a-la-carte offerings, as well as the hit weekday anti-buffet. As part of their plan to evolve continuously and to provide more options to their loyal clientele, the restaurant has revamped their menu adding more than two dozen new dishes. The new menu was showcased at a Bloggers Meet held recently.

Mamas Spicy Ramen Bowl

Mamas Spicy Ramen Bowl

Quick Bytes: “Drunch”-ing on a Saturday Afternoon at Komatose

Sunday brunch has been a very popular offering from restaurants in Hyderabad and elsewhere. After a late night on a Saturday and on a delayed start to Sunday, it has become a usual practice to head straight to the favourite brunch destination to spend a few hours with food, drinks, and friends.

Egg Florentine

Odia Bhoji: Finally a food festival from Odisha at The Park, Hyderabad

In the late eighties, as a travelling salesman, I used to travel to Odisha almost every week. Not restricted to our office in Bhubaneshwar, I had to often move out to interiors of the state, places such as Angul, Jharsuguda, and Baripada. It is during this period that I was exposed to the Odia cuisine and some of its irresistible offerings. What I loved most was that in most of the dishes there was a fine symphony of the spices and ingredients, with no flavours overwhelming the other, resulting in a very balanced taste.

Quick Bytes: The Carnival Sunday Brunch at Smaaash

Smaaash at Inorbit Mall Hyderabad has become a preferred destination for families on Sundays due to their huge repertoire of virtual games which kids as well as adults enjoy. Now, the place has become even more attractive by the introduction of the Carnival Sunday Brunch, a novel concept that bundles a nice spread of delectable dishes and access to arcade games together. Families can now enjoy the entire afternoon in a relaxed atmosphere, indulging in whatever one likes – playing games, enjoying the live music or relishing some scrumptious food. The multi-cuisine buffet is hosted at Mighty Small, the carnival-themed restaurant of Smaash.

Punjab Grill: Bringing Authentic Punjabi Food to Hyderabad

Punjab Grill is perhaps the best-known restaurant brand in India for food from the land of five rivers. Founded by the legendary Jiggs Kalra, the chain has been taken over by Lite Bite Foods couple of years back. The group has restaurants in all major cities of India as well as in Singapore and have recently opened their latest one in Hyderabad.

Chaamp Tajdar

Chaamp Tajdar

A Journey across Western India with “Best of the West” at Novotel

Recently there was a Gujarati food festival at Marriott which I had to miss due to work. When I was told later that there were some excellent preparations by a home chef, I was feeling a bit upset at missing out on some good Gujarati food. But little did I know that soon The Square, the all-day dining restaurant at Novotel, Hyderabad airport will be hosting “Best of The West”, a festival celebrating cuisines of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, serving some good dishes from that region.

Quick Bytes: The In-Room Picnic at The Park, Hyderabad

Food festivals and promotions are regular features in all star hotels these days, as any property would like to delight their discerning customers with unique experiences. However, promotions specifically addressing room guests are not at all common. The Park Hotels group has set a new trend by introducing In-Room Picnic, where a special dining experience is specifically created for room guests to enjoy a picnic right in their rooms with a special menu of food and drinks, board games and other recreational activities. Dining in the room is often a boring affair, and the new experience is set to change that. The design of “The Park Picnic” is done by a professional consultant from The Netherlands in association with the hotel.

Quick Bytes: Dakshin Celebrates Franco-Tamil Cuisine from Pondicherry

Pondicherry was a colony of France for almost three centuries. The French had left a lasting legacy on the state which is still visible in terms of the architecture of many of the buildings, names of roads as well as many restaurants serving French cuisine. In the local Tamil cuisine here, the culinary influence of France is distinctly visible in the flavours and taste of food. Some of the names of dishes are even localized from French such as puyabaisse (bouillabaisse) and saladu (salad).

Masala Coated Fish

Masala Coated Fish

V Junction Global Eatery: World Cuisine comes to Banjara Hills

V Junction Global Eatery is one of the new restaurants in Hyderabad which has created quite a buzz. Situated on the main thoroughfare of Banjara Hills with a large seating area and two open kitchens, the restaurant has been in the news especially for its buffet incorporating dishes from all over the globe.

Kabab Platter

Kabab Platter

Fungi Fiesta, the Festival of Mushrooms at Tuscany

Edible fungi and mushrooms do not find wide acceptance with the Indian food lovers. Some people are allergic to them, some people are put off by the looks and there is always the confusion whether mushroom is vegetarian or non-vegetarian food. However the real fans of mushrooms know how the fungi can bring a subtle to strong difference in flavour and taste of dishes.

Oriental Crust Pizza

Oriental Crust Pizza

Sodhi da Dhaba from Amritsar comes to Sheraton, Hyderabad

Of all varieties of Indian food, Punjabi cuisine is clearly the one which is most popular across the country. Even abroad, Indian cuisine means a localized version of Punjabi dishes like tandoori chicken and chicken tikka. However, often the recipes are fine tuned to the locate palate, and it is quite difficult to find authentic Punjabi food in the restaurants. To take an example the Punjabi food available in Hyderabad is often peppered with too much chilli powder and chaat masala, making one yearn for traditional tastes of the food from the land of five rivers.

Gul-Ezaar-E-Gazak: A Kebab Feast at K&K

It has been raining kebab festivals this summer in Hyderabad and quite a few of the star properties have organized variations of it. But kebabs at K&K have always been very special, mainly because the depth they have in their team of chefs and the research on food that they have available with them.

K&K ITC Kakatiya

Cuisine from Lombardy at Prego, The Westin

Prego, the Italian restaurant at The Westin Hyderabad has been playing host to regular festivals that showcase finer aspects of Italian cuisine. Some of the festivals have been theme-based and some offer cuisine from specific areas of Italy. A few months back, we had a close look at the predominantly seafood based dishes from Venice such as Squid Ink Risotto and Sarde in Sour. Currently, the food from the landlocked region of Lombardy is being presented through a promotion.

Involtini Di Melanzane

Involtini Di Melanzane

Quick Bytes: The New Menu at Habanero

Habanero, the Mexican restaurant in Hyderabad has been drawing quite a bit of crowd since it opened early last year. The place is popular as a nice and cosy place to enjoy the cuisine with a few drinks.

Habanero

Via RD2: The One-stop Food Hub with Diverse Choices

The stretch of road between Jubilee Hills Checkpost and LV Prasad in Banjara Hills is often referred to as the “Ice cream street” by the local food lovers. Opposite KBR Park, a large number of people congregate in the evenings and late nights to enjoy the stone creations at Cream Stone, Hazzel and Oh So Stoned. However, in spite of the popularity, food options were limited in this stretch. No longer now, as Via RD2, a brand new food court has come up just next to Cream Stone, offering diverse menu items for the taste buds.

Via RD2

The NH1 Highway Food Festival at Copper Chimney

The NH1 Highway which connects Delhi through Amritsar to the Wagah Border is very famous for its food offerings and has even been featured on many food shows. The six-lane highway has some of the best dhabas lined on both sides of the road enticing travellers to frequently stop and indulge in the rich flavours of North India. Copper Chimney of the Blue Foods Group attempts to recreate this through its outlets serving select items from the dhaba menu.

Langarwali Daal

Langarwali Daal

Tamil Vegetarian Cuisine of Mylapore and the Magic of Chef Rajan

Dakshin at ITC Kakatiya is arguably the best South Indian restaurant in Hyderabad. This is one of the places I look forward to the visit as the experience is always impeccable. Chef Sakala Sankara is a master of his craft and rolls out great promotions, one after another. Recently, my friends in Kolkata were going gaga over the Telangana food fest he curated in ITC Sonar.

Barbeque Nation's New Look: Orange is the New Black

Barbeque Nation is one of the favourite chains when it comes to get-togethers, whether it be personal or official. The concept of the live over-the-table grill is quite revolutionary and has redefined the way people experience the joy of dining. With a brand new outlet in the Soulspace Arena, the chain expands to eight restaurants in the garden city.

Quick Bytes: The New Teppanyaki Menu at Collage, Hyatt Gachibowli

A few months back Park Hyatt at Banjara Hills had a teppanyaki promotion as part of their pop-up series. The event was successful in demonstrating the interest of Hyderabadi food lovers in Japanese food. Now Hyatt Hyderabad Gachibowli has a permanent teppanyaki live counter at Collage, their all day diner. The live counter will operate for as long as twelve hours a day from 11 am to 11 pm, and has a brand new menu serving select items from Japanese cuisine.

California Uramaki

California Uramaki

Quick Bytes: Sri Lankan Food Festival at Cayenne, Mercure Hyderabad

A few months back there was a festival of Sri Lankan flavours at Deccan Pavilion, ITC Kakatiya. However, the theme of the promotion was the influence of Sinhalese food on the Tamils of the island country. It was not truly a complete representation of the diversity of Sri Lankan food. Cayenne, the all-day dining restaurant at the new Mercure hotel at Erramanzil now brings to us a festival celebrating the cuisine from the spice island.

Quick Bytes: The Kashmiri Food Festival at Siesta Hitech

Qube Café, the all-day dining restaurant at Hotel Siesta Hitech, Kondapur has made quite a name for itself for its popular and affordable buffets for both lunch and dinner. With a steady clientele asking for more, the restaurant organizes frequent food festivals, where a team of guest chefs is invited to present a different cuisine.

Qube Cafe

The Buffet at Qube Cafe

Paired Menu Masterclass at Sheraton Hyderabad

Early adopters among food lovers of Hyderabad are opening up to pairing events of food with drinks. Recently there had been quite a few festivals and promotions on dishes that go along with varieties of wines as well as whiskys of different maturity. Link@Sheraton Hyderabad recently organized a masterclass session as part of "Paired", a new food and beverage program of Sheraton Hotels and Resorts worldwide. The cafe has also unveiled a new menu of bite-sized foods in sync with this program. The idea was to try out these bar snacks with a combination of red, white and sparkling wines selected from the recommendations of Wine Spectator.

Quick Bytes: Dastarkhwan Nizam-ul-Mulq at ITC Kakatiya

The Kitchens of India initiative of the ITC group has given Hyderabad many memorable food promotions. Few recent ones which come to mind are the Nawab of Arcot and the Sri Lankan food festivals which brought out well-researched and authentic recipes from Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Now, under the Royal Repasts umbrella comes a festival celebrating a cuisine very close to our hearts – the Nizami food from Hyderabad.

Quick Bytes: An Evening of Cutting Chai at Taj Krishna

After a hot summer, Hyderabad has settled down to a climate which is much cooler and cloudy in the evenings. Such delightful weather often calls for some hot tea, fritters and banter with friends. Every evening, the al fresco area at Taj Krishna is holding a promotion of a variety of snacks like sandwiches, pakodas, bajjis and chaat with choices of different tea from across the country for friends to get together and have an enjoyable time.

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