Wine Basics - Beginners Guide

The times are changing and so are the drinking habits in India. With different phases in life we start with dark rum mostly Old Monk in school or college, graduate to beer, than vodka and later whiskey in our early working life followed by Scotch. As we reach further in the hierarchy we want to learn more about Golf and Wine, and most of our early knowledge of wine comes from watching movies or the Page-3 pictures and celebrities holding a glass of wine. So here is the basics of wine which will be an interesting read for people keen to learn about wine.

Geoffrey's, Palms Club, Sushant Lok, Gurgaon

[Rated: 2.5/5]

Geoffrey’s showcases an interesting ambience made from wood and matching furniture reminiscent of an old English style pub. I met an old and dear friend, Milan Naik, at Geoffery’s to catch-up on the old times. The entry to the restaurant is through the lobby of Palms club which was filled with gentle fragrance of lemongrass; instantly relaxing my tensed up nerves after a hard day at work.

Hotel Mohan, Ashok Vihar, Delhi

[Rated: 3/5]

Two of my school time friends (Ashish and Ankur) decided to catch up and have a good time. We zeroed in on Hotel Mohan, one of the oldest restaurants in Ashok Vihar area of north West Delhi. The restro bar was large and appeared enough to accommodate nearly 40 to 50 people. The joint was rather dimly lit but was buzzing with energy. Unlike some of the other restro bars I have visited in south Delhi and Gurgaon, this was an all male affair. An IPL game between

Chinese Fast Food Ban Sai, Kamla Nagar, Delhi

[Rated : 3.5/5]

Kamla Nagar ( popularly known as Knags) is known as one of the hottest shopping destinations in north Delhi. What many people do not know is the mushrooming of Chinese outlets in the back alleys of this market, serving hot, spicy and tasty food at reasonable price. With student population from outside Delhi increasing each year, such joints offer value for money Chinese cuisines. I went into a back lane running parallel behind famous bunglow road which is lined up with big food chains

Saravana Bhavan, Connaught Pace, New Delhi

[Rated: 2.5/5}
Our hunger pangs were at its peak post the fun outing on Saturday at the Nehru Planetarium. Among various food joints that were at our disposal in CP area, it was my son who made the final selection. “Papa…Idli is what I want”. And lo…we landed up at Saravana Bhawan at Janpath. I am aware of the popularity this chain enjoys and hence, was little apprehensive about the wait time. My fears came true as we waited patiently for 20-minutes outside the entrance, ignoring all my better senses to try out the new McSpicy burger at McDonald just 10 steps away. Finally we got our place and immediately ordered few plates of Idli (Rs 60) and a mini Tiffin (Rs 85) which had combo of mini Dosa, mini Idlis, Rava Khichdi & Kesari Bath. The restaurant was clean but the replays of Michael Jackson song “remember the time” at near loud volume was very irritating. One would normally expect some Carnatic music to enjoy the soulful South-Indian meal.

Gola Southend, Defency Colony, New Delhi

[Rated: 4/5]

Gola Southend needs no introduction to Sizzler lovers in NCR. Gola Southend was amongst the first ones to serve sizzlers and has managed to deliver consistent taste over the years. Located in Defence Colony, a prized location for food lovers, I have seen diners traveling distance to eat at this outlet despite of Gola Sizzler having multiple outlets in Delhi.

Bercos, Sector-53, Gurgaon

[Rated: 3/5]

Many global cuisines are gaining popularity in India and most Indians feel at home with Chinese and Thai. Bercos has stood the test of time in the mentioned categories.

After many years, we visited Bercos outlet in Gurgaon for a small family affair. Ambience was nice and more than 50% of the tables were already occupied by 8pm. We did not have to wait long before the order was on our table.

Spaghetti Kitchen, Sector 29, Gurgaon

Brownie with Icecream

[Rated: 4/5]

Sector 29 in Gurgaon is fast becoming the hub for foodies with restaurants appealing to all tastes and pockets. Some prominent ones are Bikanerwala, Pizza Hut, Gung (my personal favorite), Pind Balluchi, Sagar Ratna, McDonald, and the newly opened Italian restaurant - Spaghetti Kitchen.

Produced by Future Group and directed by noted Italian Chef Bill Marchetti, Spaghetti Kitchen looked like a perfect marriage and had me excited to visit the place. The food and the location were great, though internal layout and service could have been better. The restaurant with two huge halls can serve 125 guests. The interiors were nice but absence of partitions in huge halls neither gave it the sophisticated look nor its guests the privacy. 

Red Monkey, Defence Colony, New Delhi

[Rated: 2.5/5]
Defence colony market offers plethora of dine-in options catering to all tastes and pockets. Dhiraj & I decided to try this relatively new resto-pub with an eye catching name, ‘Red Monkey’.

The small 30-seater restaurant located on the second floor is nothing with whom one falls in love at the first sight, but the ambiance slowly grows on you. The lemon grass aroma, dim lighting created using mix of modern fancy lights and traditional candles, and some great music slowly relaxes you in its own world. The menu set on the back drop of a bill-book offers some interesting options chosen carefully by its widely traveled owners.

Kebab County, Cyber City, Gurgaon

 

[Rated: 2.5/5]
Set on the Haveli theme and specializing in Kebabs, the 80-seater restaurant is caught in the miller trap and now also serves Thai & Chinese cuisine. We decided to go ahead with the Indian food which as per the restaurant is their forte.

Kebab County is popular among the working executives of Cyber City but we found the food to be mediocre. Our order of The Kebab Platter (360/285) with 8 varieties of Kebabs each and the main course platter (300/225) which included Dal, main dish, Rice, Raita and Parantha/Naan of choice in both non-veg and veg options were sufficient for 5-6 diners. Great value for money with nice interiors but wished the food could match.

All kebabs were partially pre-done and weren’t fresh. The Stuffed Tangri had no flavor of the stuffing and the Tandoori Prawns were stale and should clearly be avoided. The huge platter soon became cold and it would be a good idea to serve them in a sizzler plate. The Kadai Murgh in the main course was all masala with no taste, and the Ghost Biryani couldn’t be called a biryani at all. Still, the so-called Biryani with soft and tender chunk of meat tasted well with the nice Burani Raita served along. We did like the cold and aptly sweetened Phirni (120). In kebabs, Stuffed Tandoori Aloo with stuffing of Paneer and Papad, and Dahi Ke Kabab were nice and cooked to our liking.

The mock tails - Grape Fruit Mojito and Fruit Punch (150 each) were nice but LIIT (250) was on the sweeter side and lacked the kick. Hope the restaurant realizes that the tray is meant for serving and not for eating food. We were informed that after 7pm the dining section of the restaurant is turned into a dance floor with a live DJ, though with the world cup match scheduled on the day of our visit, life went on as usual.

Happy hours on drinks seem to never end at the Kebab County and accompanied with huge platters, the restaurant may not be serving a gourmet meal but is surely a value for money for satiating the post-office thirst of the working population in this part of the town.
  
Meal for Two: Rs700 (without alcohol) |Alcohol: Yes |Credit Card: Yes

Address: UGF, Building No.10B, DLF Cyber City, Gurgaon | Phone: 0124-4368994/5

-Pawan Soni

Phirni

Veg Platter

Non Veg Platter

Dimsum Bros, Ambience Mall, Gurgaon

[Rated: 5/5]
The concept at Dimsum Bros. is brilliant and executed with loads of passion, energy and research. It is a 78-seater restaurant offering 37 varieties of steamed, baked, shallow and pan-fried dim sum served with complementary green tea. After each dish I and my companion would look at each other and silently convey the depth of taste we were both experiencing. The beautiful presentation of dim sum in Radish, Bunny (popularly called play boy) and Pear shapes among others made them look even more appealing. There were options galore, but unfortunately our XXXL sized tummies did not allow us to taste them all in spite of wanting to.

Side Wok, Connaught Place, New Delhi

[Rated: 4/5]

In our quest to find the hidden and new treasures (Read: Restaurants), Sumeet & I tried the new East Asian restaurant, Side Wok, at Connaught Place. I must admit this is one of our decent finds in the recent time.

The interiors are nicely done in oriental style with deep red and deep blue chairs on the first floor. Though the large Buddha statues are reminiscent of Shiros at Samrat Hotel, but Side Wok has its own unique charm. The second floor is even better and has both covered seating done in resto-pub style and open area offering an excellent view of central Delhi. Side Wok which looked modest-sized from outside has seating capacity of almost 100 guests including a private dining room. They have researched their food and drinks well and offers one of the largest collections of wine for a restaurant in its class.

Dining Room

Resto Pub Setting

Private Dining Room

I can be a big snob when it comes to food and service. But I didn’t find much to complain other than the complementary served Kimchi, which was under-fermented, and the service delivery time which was a tad longer. Since I was sitting on the terrace floor and Kitchen is on the first floor, I can understand the slow delivery. Service otherwise was friendly and non-intrusive.

The excellent prepared dim sum were as authentic as it could get, and included Pakchoy rice flour dumpling (255; stuffed with Pakchoy, water chestnut & black mushroom), and Harkao (295; steamed prawn rice flour dumpling). Our starters, The Crispy fish Piquant sauce (375) and the Stir fried mint lamb (275) were soft, juicy & flavorful.  In the main course slow fried prawns (475) and Mix Veg in black bean sauce (235) were a delight. The flavors from spices helped us appreciate the taste of main ingredient rather than camouflaging them. Another point going in restaurant’s favor was they did not mellow down the hotness of original recipe to suit the taste of tourists. The Veg Hakka Noodles (155) could be eaten on its own without any main dish. After a great meal, the desserts, Blue Berry Cheese Cake (145) and the Caramel Custard (125) acted like an icing on the cake. 

Pakchoy Dumpling

Caramel Custard

Blue Berry Cheese Cake

We friends met after a long time, and the ambiance, food and service all came along to create moments that we shall long remember. We are definitely going back and suggest you try it too.

Meal for Two: Rs1800 | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes|
Address: 21/90, Outer Circle Connaught Place (Near McDonald), New Delhi | Phone: 011-43509122/ 33

- Pawan Soni

Earthen Oven, Fortune Hotel, Sohna Road, Gurgaon

[Rated: 2/5]
After reading review on another website about the awadhi food festival buffet, I was waiting for an opportunity to visit Earthen Oven. Except the pricing (Rs499 for a buffet) nothing seems to be going their way.

Service was shabby. After serving the first helping of starters nobody came to ask for repeat. Finally after reminder the waiter did come, but all the appetizers in his plate were cold (Left over portions after 15 minutes were still being served)

The food was no better except the biryani, which was the only saving grace. Though the menu was regular awadhi but the preparation was poor. We just couldn't taste the Shorba. This one will make the soup served at the hospitals proud. In the main course, Mutton was hard and the fish was over salty. The Shahi Tukra in dessert was absolutely soggy and had already mixed like a pudding.

My earlier experience at this hotel wasn't pleasant either. Looks like apart from the above average interiors nothing else is going in favor of Earthen Oven.

Nostradamus, Fortune Hotel, Sohna Road, Gurgaon

[Rated: 2.5/5]
The recession seems to be long over, at least in the hospitality sector. The plethora of new hotels, restaurants and bars seems to imply as much. We visited the Nostradamus bar in the newly opened Fortune hotel on Sohna road, Gurgaon.

This modest 40-seater bar seems to be a Vodka specialist, with 15 variants of Absolut and 42 overall options to choose from. Apart from this, they seem to have fallen into the Millers Trap what with nearly everything seeming quite run of the mill. The bar stocks average options in wine and whisky and offers commonly available cocktails lacking innovations in this area. Nostradamus’ snacks menu is still to be published and so is the promised iPod in the smoking room. In the interim snacks may be ordered from their 24-hour coffee shop, Zodiac and nicotine inhaled as normal. I felt premium beers like Hoegaarden, Peroni, Amstel lite should be available at this prestigious hotel chain but alas and woe, they aren’t.

The drinks, LIIT (Rum, vodka and gin on a coke base), Mojito, Caiprinha (Cachaca, demerara sugar and lime), Kir Royale (crème de cassis and dry white wine), each for Rs 299, were nice though the Kir Royale was served at nearly room temperature whereas it should be chilled. The food and service has a long way to go before it can match the expectations of the well-travelled denizens of Gurgaon. Apart from Makai Paneer ke Kebab (Rs 349) which was exceptional; soft, tender, and nice, and Mutton Kareli Kebab (Rs 349) which was cooked to perfection, nothing else could hold our attention. Nachos with premix Salsa (Rs 199) lacked sufficient salsa to go with the Nachos, Mutton Seekh Kebab (Rs 349) and Chicken Nuggets both were chewy and hard; even the frozen varieties taste better, Lasooni Jheenga (Rs 699) was cooked-well but had packets of salt within. The dips that go with starters - Tartar sauce with Fish Fingers (Rs 349), Mint Chutney with Murgh Afghani (Rs 399), Ketchup and Mustard sauce with Chicken Nuggets (Rs 299) were not served. We were told that accompaniments are served only if asked for. We couldn’t understand that line of reasoning.

Veg Kebab

Chicken Nuggets

Chicken Tikka

Fish Amritsari

Fish Finger

Lamb Kareli Kebab

Lahsooni Jheenga

Nachos

 Nostradamus has a long way to travel before it can be opened up to public scrutiny. It would be an apt expression to call it a body without a soul. Since the hotel is new, we understand the empty bar on a Saturday evening, but unless the hotel pulls up it socks big time it will be difficult to change that pattern in times to come.

Virundu, Gurgaon

27th May 2011: Due to non standard quality control at Virundu, the rating is dropped from 4 star to 3.5

[Rated: 3.5/5] 

There are times when the restaurant fails to impress upon their guests, and the owners are not happy with the results. This is especially true when one is invited for a review with the belief that it will spread a positive word for their restaurant. My last visit at Virundu wasn't too great in terms of ambiance and service. The owner who became a friend by the time I finished my work, was obviously not happy with the review which was published else where. Unlike many others, he remained polite and never mentioned it in our conversation, speaking highly of him.

In an anonymous visit, I again visited Virundu yesterday with my family. The owner wasn't present and the staff, that didn't recognize me, courteously welcomed us. I am happy to report the ambiance was much nicer and they have expanded to accommodate over 50 guests. The wash-basin and the towels were clean and the new menu was printed to rectify the errors reported in the last menu. I was certainly pleased as I was honest in giving a frank opinion and the outlet made an attempt to improve their offering. Wish everyone can take the criticism in their stride.

During Navratras I try to be a vegetarian but still couldn't resist the Egg Appam (Rs 100) and the layered super-soft Malabar Parantha (Rs 80) both of which were served with well-made vegetarian Korma. The food was never an issue at Virundu and we immensely liked the items. The Appam’s at Virundu is like a benchmark for me on which I gauge the same at other restaurants. My 3 year old immensely enjoyed the Appam and wanted another piece and the staff obliged by serving a single piece and charging for the half plate.

Kesari

Appam

Accompaniments

I didn't like the runny coconut chutney which otherwise has always been of a better consistency at Virundu. But the Kesari (Rs 25) completed our meal on a happy note. The accompaniments on the table included Gunpowder, crushed sugar, Garlic Chutney, and Til ka Tel (sesame oil).

In Gurgaon, there are few choices for authentic South Indian food served at modest prices, in a clean air-conditioned environment served with efficient service. The rates are inclusive of government taxes and they do not include extra service charge in the bill, against the normal practice these days. Do not miss Virundu for an authentic budget meal.


Meal for Two: Rs200| Alcohol: No| Credit Card: No| Parking: Free
Address: 1185, Golf Course Road, Near Technopolis Building, Sector-54, Gurgaon
Phone: 9650130583/84/ 0124-2578175


-Pawan Soni

Food Mill, Cyber City, Gurgaon

[Rated: 2/5]

The sun never sets in Gurgaon. Numerous 24-hour call centers ensure life goes on 24x7. Realizing the potential here, Food Mill has come up with the first 24x7 restaurant in the city. The concept is brilliant, though I wish the food matched.

The name ‘Mill’ gives one an impression of a huge place, but it turned out to be a modest 20-seater restaurant with an in-house bakery. Uncomfortable seating, tardy service and food that didn’t meet expectations spoilt the experience despite my liking the concept and the innovative menu.

The Fattoush salad served along with the Shawarma wasn’t a Fattoush (No pita bread) and the chicken in the Shawarma (Rs225) had hardened due to over cooking. The Passion Fruit, Mint & Honey Juice (Rs135) was overdosed with honey and the glass was sticky too. I was overjoyed to see the All American Tenderloin Hamburger (Rs 255) on the menu, which is otherwise difficult to find in Gurgaon. My joy was short-lived as the patty was dry and lacked seasoning. The dominant flavor was of the omelet present within the burger. The Doughnut (Rs 45) was chewy enough to make a bagel proud. The Grilled Chicken topped with Peri Peri sauce (Rs 110) was just as tangy and hot as I would have liked it to be but the chicken left much to be desired as it was a little raw

We enjoyed the thin crust Greek Pizza (Rs 195) which was perfectly cooked in a wood fired oven. The Bean Sprout Salad (Rs 155) served with sweet chili dressing and The Broken Brownie shake (Rs135) were also nice, but the Junk Food Platter (Rs 125) was our discovery of the day. It consisted of an Ice-cream Shake, Ice-cream Sandwiches, Rice Crispies, White Chocolate Muffins, Jam Sandwich and a Chocolate Muffin. Even if one ignored the ordinary muffins it was a steal at the price. I particularly liked the well-made shake and Ice-cream sandwiches served in the platter.

By the time the post went to print, I am told Food Mill has discontinued the Junk Food platter, the only saving grace at the restaurant.

To conclude I love the concept but Food Mill has a fair distance to travel before it is able to deliver on its promises.

Meal for Two: Rs600 | Alcohol: No | Credit Card: Yes|
Address: Building no 9B, Ground Floor, DLF Phase III, Gurgaon | Phone: 0124-4811800

-Pawan Soni

Gung, Gurgaon

[Rated: 5/5]

Acknowledged. I am not an authority in Korean cuisine. But I still wanted to write about my experience at Gung, the Korean restaurant. Two reasons – One I Could not find any earlier review of this place on the net through which I could get an idea of the food and ambiance of Gung, and Secondly, I believe most of the people who will read this review would be experimenting with Korean food for the first time and they would like to read the review from the eyes of a person who (like them) is an amateur in this cuisine.


Gung (pronounced ‘goong’) is an experience in itself. No sooner you enter the restaurant you are awed by the beautiful décor which is done in traditional Korean setting which oozes elegance. The words can not do justice to convey the efforts that have gone behind putting up this beautiful place, hence do have a look at the enclosed pictures. As they say, picture is worth a 1000 words. Gung, Gurgaon has a huge cover of over 200 guests with area demarcated for private dining rooms, kids play room and 2 Karaoke rooms. On a Thursday, Gung was already full with Koreans, Japanese and Indian guests by 8pm. The private cabin has the traditional style of seating on the floor

Brown Sahib, New Delhi

[Rated: 2/5]
After waiting for over a month, we could finally manage to visit Brown Sahib yesterday evening for Dinner. With so much hype created over websites for this restaurant, the expectations were obviously high.

Accessability: The restaurant is easy to locate but lifts on the side of the restaurant were not operational & one had to use elevators.

Ambience: Good, small setup with enough elbow space without letting you over-hear the conversations on other tables. Staff was well groomed & welcomed each guest individually.

Food: Though the menu was extensive & portions good, but the food was a big let down. My favourite Bekti Paturi lacked the taste. Salt was more than required. For Rs450 for 2 pieces of this dish, it was really exhorbitantly overpriced. My wife enjoyed the watermelon soup which was the only welcome change. Even the Mishti Dohi which is a regular in any Bengali outlet was stale. Other dishes that we tried were French onion soup, Veg Moussaka & Begun Kumro Bhaja were average. Though I did not had cocktails but the feedback from the group was not encouraging on this front as well.

Service: Lesser said about service...the better. In last 10 years of my married life only time I have seen my wife lose her patience was yesterday. After asking for Luchhi 3 times and waiting for over 20 minutes...she finally exploded on the waiter serving us. Obviously food was already cold by the time Luchhi came....& we had lost our cool & appetite by then. Finger bowls were served cold, dirty plates kept lying on the table for over 10 minutes after the food was finished, the empty dishes were not removed from the table even though there was no place for the new dishes to find place on the table. Even waiters kept bumping into each other throwing stuff on the floor. With so much happening around us nobody came to apologise or tried to make it up by offering a complementary dessert or a discount.

All in all, I am never going to this place again.

-Pawan Soni

Zambar, Ambience Mall, Gurgaon

[Rated: 3/5]

Dosa, sambhar, idli, vada, curd-rice, rasam and lemon rice are some of the dishes that north Indians relate to south Indian food. They aren’t wrong as this has been the perception built over the years by most south Indian chains that operate in this part of the country. Further, most of us never looked for stand-alone South Indian fine dining options as none existed in Gurgaon. The best one could hope for in Gurgaon were Sagar Ratna, Coco Palm and Naivedyam among others. These, as I’m sure you’ll agree, cannot be called fine dining by any measure.

When we were invited to review the food at Zambar, I did not expect much. On entering Zamabar however, I gave full marks to the interior designer. Zambar has a beautiful house boat theme that uses all available space without compromising on the space and privacy of its patrons. The house boat has special significance in Kerala where people want to show off the beauty and length of boats, and take regular part in boat races. The lighting, seating, music and setup can accommodate over 90 guests and reminds one of sitting in a Kerala style house boat. A glass covered kitchen gives a picturesque view of chefs working in south Indian attire. Three kitchen exits ensure smooth movement of waitstaff.

There were many options in cocktails and mocktails. Zambar is one of the few south Indian restaurants with a bar license; a fact I found quite endearing; probably a first for Gurgaon. We tried a few mocktails like Coastal Iced Tea (Ginger ale, coconut water and cola), Banana Banshee and my personal favorite, Zambar Cool (a Khus based drink) – a cool and refreshing after a hard day at work. The Rasam was well made too.

In the starters, Potato Chettinad Roast was tangy, spicy and excellent. Equally good was the Madras Onion Dal Vada, the taste of which was further enhanced by the mint, garlic, and onion chutney it was served with. The Tamil Mutton Roast was avoidable as the meat was a bit dry, though I’m sure seafood lovers will enjoy the Prawn Vepudu.

Our main courses were Chettinad Chicken Curry, Veg Stew, Viruthu Nagar Mutton Kozahambu and Madurai Chicken Biryani all of which tasted good. The Valleappam (crisp and lacy borders with a spongy, thick centre) was a trifle under-cooked. I was awed by the super-soft, rich and multi layered Malabaar Parantha and the excellent Brinjal Gingelly that I felt deserved a second serving.


Dessert saw us stuffing our faces with Moong Dal Payasam, Ellai Panniaram (a mixture of banana, jaggery and coconut wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed) and ogling the Coconut and Jaggery Pudding. Called Watalappam, a dessert from Sri Lanka, it was presented beautifully and tasted wonderful – a must try when you’re at Zambar next.

Zambar is trying to carve a niche for itself in the fine dining segment, and offers the ubiquitous dosa only between 4pm – 7pm to induce guests to try the other dishes it has to offer from the states of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. For some body who would like to try a prix fixe, Zambar also offers a vegetarian and a non-vegetarian thaali (sea food and chicken). Zambar’s Executive Chef, R Chenthil Kumar, who is a Tamilian, tries to make the food as authentic as possible, but confesses to keeping spice levels low to suit the north Indian palate.

Zambar is a great concept offering lovely food in an excellent ambiance though I wish it would just a little more attention to service levels as expected in a restaurants of its class.

Meal for Two: Rs2000 (without alcohol)
Alcohol: Yes
Credit Card: Yes


Address: 3rd Floor, Ambience Mall, next to Funcity / Haldiram, Gurgaon
Phone: 0124-4665639 / 9311520729

- Pawan Soni