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

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.

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.

Cayenne: The All-Day Dining Restaurant at Mercure Hyderabad KCP

Mercure Hyderabad KCP is the new hotel at Somajiguda which has formally started operations in the last month. The new property from the Accor Hotels with around 128 rooms currently has two food and beverage outlets which are operational - Cayenne, the all-day diner and Macaroon, the Deli Patisserie, with a third, IQ the bar opening very soon.

Treasure of Sea: The Friday Seafood Bonanza at Vivanta by Taj

Hyderabad does not have too many places serving good seafood. The reasons mainly are availability of good quality as well as the fact that it does not find too much favour with the local palate. However, with the city getting more and more cosmopolitan, the number of seafood lovers is on the rise.

The Seafood Live Counter

Mighty Small: The Carnival Themed Café of Smaaash at Inorbit Mall

Smaaash, the complete family entertainment centre in Inorbit Mall is popular among the game aficionados of the city. Present in five locations all over India, the place has the best gaming equipment and extremely well-designed games. In the beginning of June, Mighty Small, which is the signature carnival-themed café of Smaash in all other locations, was launched in Hyderabad, providing a fun atmosphere and great food for the people visiting the mall.

Quick Bytes: Handcrafted Burgers and Hot Dogs at Daily Treats, The Westin

Daily Treats, the lobby-level delicatessen at The Westin Hyderabad, has made quite a name for itself for the delicious pastries and savouries that it serves. The outlet now brings to us a promotion of burgers and hot dogs to coincide with the week of 4th July, the American Independence day.
A special menu showcasing handcrafted burgers and hot dogs has been unveiled for the promotion. Chef Srikanth has curated the menu keeping in mind the diverse choices of the food lovers of Hyderabad.

Foot Long Style Hot Dog

At the preview of the festival, we started with a Foot Long Style Hot Dog. The hot dog had a dressing of yellow mustard, onions, tomatoes and a generous sprinkling of paprika and a jumbo chicken sausage. Well-crafted and beautifully presented, this soft bread and fresh ingredients worked in a perfect harmony with the pickled veggies they were served with.

Las Vegas Fried Chicken Hot Dog

Next, was a Las Vegas Fried Chicken Hot Dog. The bun served was charcoal black in colour, stuffed with fried chicken, tomatoes, and cheese. This was followed by a Midwest Slider, where the bun used was the rich brioche variety, with a chicken and veggie filling.

Midwest Slider

The robust Pastrami Beef Hot Dog was my pick from the menu. The beef inside had a smoky flavour and the sauerkraut with which it was served complemented it well. If you are trying out only one item from the menu, I suggest you go with this.

Pastrami Beef Hot Dog

If you want to eat a traditional burger, the Classic All-American Hamburger will be your choice. The filling of beef, onion, mushrooms and cheddar cheese is served with some awesome potato wedges. The beef patty was made to perfection allowing you to focus on its meatiness.

Classic All-American

Being a pork lover, I was happy that the menu had a Pulled Pork and Cheese Burger. The burger which had shredded pork served with some caramelized onions and BBQ mayonnaise in a black bun was brilliant.

Pulled Pork & Cheese Burger

The seafood aficionados would love the Kentucky Prawn Hot dog, with marinated fried prawns served alongside a spicy lemon mayonnaise. The menu also has quite a few fish and vegetarian items.

Kentucky Prawn Hot Dog

A special mention should be made of the dips served with the burgers and hot dogs. A lot of thought has gone into the choice of dips with each of the items. Two desserts are also part of the special menu – Hazelnut Brownie and New Year Cheese Cake.

Chef Srikanth, the Curator of the Festival

The promotion is on till 9th July. The burgers and hot dogs are priced between Rs. 600 and Rs. 800 each.

Location
Daily Treats
The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace
Mindspace IT Park
Hitech City, Hyderabad
Telephone: 67676767

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant.