Good Eating Places Around?

Sports enthusiasts in the city never had it so good. In the past couple of years, the Millennium City has become a hub of pubs and cafes based on sports themes, which have become a platform for sports lovers to eat, drink and have a kick.

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The latest one to enter the growing league of high-end sports bars in the city is Manchester United Café Bar (MUCB) in Central Mall Gurgaon, an official café of the Manchester United Club.

Enter the bar -a riot of red and black-and you could be in Old Trafford. There is giant screen on the wall showing a English Premier League match, a dugout area, (a place where the reserves and managers sit during matches), a Sir Alex Ferguson Table, The Players Table, a Manager's Bench and adorning the walls are pictures of Manchester United Red Devils footballers from the legendary Bobby Charlton, George Best to contemporary ones like Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and Ryan Gigs.

The bar follows many traditions of the Manchester United Club. Every morning and evening, the staff, dressed in red and black, lustily render the team's anthem Glory Glory Man United -and the guests are addressed as players.

"India has about 20 million Manchester United fans. The bar follows many traditions of Old Trafford.

Source: Hindustan Times Sports fans flock to league of theme pubs

" We have a distinct elite class of consumers who understand the fineness of taste. We want to convey that wine is just as good as a cup of coffee and can be enjoyed any time. So, it is more suitable to club it with coffee and other regular drinks than with alcohol. We hope that this move will not only boost the sales of wine among true connoisseurs but will also increase the overall sales of the company.

It will also promote wine consumption and provide a wider consumer range," a person in the know of this agreement told Mail Today.

After the initial launch in Bangalore, the company plans to take it to 20 outlets in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Goa and Hyderabad within two months.

Barista will serve a variety of wines including Four Seasons Barrique Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Four Seasons Merlot, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Rosé. Each glass would be priced in the range of Rs 190- 210. Barista will also offer pizzas, pastas, different types of wraps and other snacks to go with the wine.

According to Sanjay Coutinho, the newly appointed chief executive officer ( CEO) of Barista Coffee Company, the company will be aggressive in its expansion plan and will open about 40 cafés this year at an investment of about Rs 40 lakh per café.

Normally, a Kashmiri food promotion wouldn't qualify for this page, but the one that is on at The Trident Gurgaon's Indian restaurant, Saffron, gets as close to an authentic showcase of the Kashmiri table as it is possible in Delhi. The menu has the celebratory character of a Kashmiri wedding meal, and it does not compromise the integrity of the ingredients.

For instance, the mutton for the meat balls in the rista and the gushtaba -- one comes bathed in a rich saffron- based gravy and the other in a yoghurt gravy with a gentle hint of mint -- is drawn from a goat that has been killed not more than an hour ago so that it retains its warmth.

If I were to plan your menu at Saffron, I'd start with the silky Kashmiri Seekh Kebab ( Rs 725) and Nadir ( lotus stem) Kebab ( Rs 625), and move on to Rista, Nalli Roganjosh and Aab Gosht ( where the mutton is braised in milk and the result tastes like manna from heaven) -- all Rs 895 -- or the vegetarian dishes my children keep demanding from my mother- in- law: Ruwangan Tsaman ( paneer in tomato gravy; Rs 725 -- no one makes paneer better than the Kashmiris), Tsok Wangun ( the sweet and sour aubergines; Rs 450), Manje Haakh ( yes, kohlrabi can become a delicacy in the right hands; Rs 725) and the unequalled Rajmah ( Rs 375).

If you choose to OD on mutton, have a lot of the radish raita that comes for free. It's a great cholesterol- buster that makes you feel light when you go to bed. You need it after a Kashmiri feast -- what you get at Saffron is no less than one.

With value-for-money becoming the new buzzword among diners across the country, restaurateurs are rolling out offers. International casual dining chain TGI Friday's, which has nine outlets in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, certainly wants to keep those watching their wallets happy. Three months ago, they introduced a `Recession Bonus' -- customers buying two Bacardi cocktails would get three free. Rohan Jetly, GM, development of Bistro Hospitality, which has the TGIF franchise, says business is already showing signs of recovery. ``We lost out to fast food outlets, but we also benefited from people switching over from five-stars,'' he says.

Varun Tuli of Delhi's The Yum Yum Tree (TYYT) says affordable pricing has helped him attract customers even in these hard times. To suit the post-crunch palate, TYYT offers four-course dinners, including unlimited beer on Tuesdays for Rs 500 and dimsum lunches for Rs 499, taxes not included.

The upside for customers is that even luxurious establishments suddenly seem affordable. Ramola Bachchan's fine-dining restaurant Manre, which opened in the Capital in July, no longer seems so expensive. It recently introduced two lunch deals at Rs 650 and Rs 1,000. The first offers soup, salad, pizza/pasta, dessert, coffee and a soft drink and the other a cocktail, soup, unlimited salad, choice of main course and dessert. Bachchan believes the slowdown has forced restaurants to become more conscious of pricing. ``The consumer can shop around for deals, so value becomes very important,'' she says.

 With diners replacing the Moet with the Absolut and skipping dessert, restaurateurs are doing a rethink on pricing. Nikhil Chib, who owns the Asian eatery Busaba in Colaba, introduced the crunch lunch after he read about the one-dollar lunches available in the US.

It's called the Corporate Crunch Lunch but it doesn't skimp on anything -- Rs 349 (plus taxes) buys a starter, a buffet spread of six main course dishes, two salads, a pint of beer and dessert. One a la carte dish would cost more than the whole crunch meal. The deals are win-win for both diners and restaurant owners. The hip and the hungry get to eat and restaurants make smaller profits but don't go empty. And with more urban Indians eating out -- six times a month in 2008 compared to 2.7 times a month five years ago -- the deals may get crunchier still.

As I entered Bavarian, the pub at Rockman's Beer Island (RBI), I figured that since it was the mall's day off, my friends and I would be the only ones there that evening. However, by 7pm, it was clear that people in Gurgaon have a taste for freshly brewed beer.

The good stuff
If, like us, you don't want a half-litre glass of beer, ask for free samplers of each. For me, the Wheat Beer, or Weissbeer, won hands down. It had a slightly sweet taste. We were told the secret lay in the fact that it was brewed with 100% wheat malt. The Lager Strong with the highest alcohol content (around 7%) had a sweet top note, but left a bitter aftertaste. Yet most people on our table gave this a "thumbs up", too.

The appetizer menu at Bavarian had a few German specialities such as Nürnberger sausages served with sauerkraut (pickled cabbage), two types of mustard sauces and pretzels, and Munchnerteller (cold cuts served with sausages, cheese and pretzels). The dishes were a welcome change from the usual chicken tikka or kebab starters, and the mustard sauces were to die for.

The not-so-good
Of the four beer varieties on the menu, only three were available. That's unacceptable when you only have four options to pick from because the place only serves house brews.

The Rockdome, the prized zone (our table attendant insisted on giving us a tour) of RBI, was, to put it bluntly, tacky. Do you seriously want to see two false flame moulds in bright red on either side screen while watching a match or have bright green and red laser lights dance all over you and your food?

The biggest problem at Rockdome, though, was the screen. It was a white projection screen typically used for PowerPoint presentations. The seating arrangement is in the shape of a "D", which means that if you are seated anywhere from 0-40 degrees or 140-180 degrees, you have no chance of getting a glimpse of the match on a "large" screen.

Also, at Bavarian, there were no munchies such as chips or peanuts. With each glass of beer costing at least Rs200, and the starters menu priced from Rs400, Bavarian is not a place for someone on a tight budget.

Talk plastic
At the Rockdome, you get two half-litre glasses of any beer for Rs995, plus you have access to the buffet which has two starters, a biryani and a pasta dish. A half-litre glass of lager is priced at Rs205, Lager Strong at Rs210, and Wheat Beer at Rs230. Taxes and service charges extra.

For bookings at the Rockdome, call 0124-2700000.

The famous parant/Te walas in the by-lanes of Chandni Chowk should be worried, for food safety more than lip-smacking taste, will decide which shops find a place in the government's directory of 1,000 recommended eating places.

This will be the first time that the Indian government publishes a food guide for tourists visiting Delhi. In all, 1,000 eating places small and mid-size - will be identified all over the city in partnership with the Delhi government.

The idea is to ensure tourists have a happy and healthy stay in the Capital, minus the nifamous 'Delhi belly'.

"Standards of safety and hygiene would be developed and training would be imparted through professional agencies," says Dr Yoganand Shastri, Delhi's Minister for Health. "The process to shortlist eating places is yet to begin," he adds.

Consequently, in the recent past, there has been a mushrooming of restaurants, food joints, dhabas, liquor bars, upmarket state-of-the-art shopping arcades with fine dining facilities, PVR Cinema Halls and other recreational centers. In fact, restaurants have become a flourishing industry in this town. Faridabad was originally set up to settle the refugees who had migrated from the NWF Province of Pakistan. An industrial complex was set up in the NIT (New Industrial Township) to provide employment to the migrants. Since the Pathans were hard working and persevering, they did odd jobs and eventually rose from penury to plenty. Therefore, there are many rags-to-riches stories in this industrial town.

Over the years, the population of Faridabad proliferated from 55,000 in 1955 to over 15 lakh now, which comes to about 30-time increase. Commensurate with the increase in population have increased restaurants and food joints. Everybody gets some sort of employment. Therefore, none of the inhabitants goes without food. Even the lowly of the loweliest does not remain hungry. In the local parlance, there goes a saying about this town: "You come here as a pauper, and go back as a millionaire." And rightly so!

Obviously, man is the artificer of his own happiness. In wet Haryana, a large cold bottle, and a small hot bird, make one rejoice in a cozy bar, or in a well-furnished drawing room. The artificers of happiness have now hit upon sources of entertainment and recreation. Several entertainment joints, restaurants, dhabas, fast-food eateries - such as Guddu Kachoriwala, Chicknet, Epsha, Green Channel, Subhash Bar, Little Paradise, Twinkle Twinkle, to name a few - have come up in Faridabad.

In Faridabad, both the Indian and the foreign (Continental, Chinese, Italian, Afghani) cuisines are available in plenty to suit the pockets of everybody and satisfy their taste buds and palate fine. Guddu Kachori Bhandar is the fancied destination for the residents of Old Faridabad and the neighbouring HUDA sectors, especially shop-keepers, traders and officials, who crowd this food joint every morning for breakfast. Devinder Kumar, a business tycoon of Old Faridabad enganged in Henna trade, said that Guddu Kachori Bhandar was famous for its stuffed kachori and stuffed puri, a speciality, served with green chilli pickle, sauce and specially prepared 'raita,' a real relish. Each stuffed kachori / puri is priced at Rs.5 a piece. And same is the per glass rate of 'raita'. One can enjoy a sumptuous and satisfying breakfast with just Rs.20. There is so much rush of the morning foodies that everyone has to wait for 30 to 40 minutes for his turn. Guddu shuts shop by 2 pm everyday.

Along with the traditional chaat papri shops the city is peppered with Gujarati, Punjabi, South Indian and North Indian restaurants. There are several places in old and new Gurgaon for Punjabi cuisine. However, people prefer to go to Punjabi-by-Nature at Infinity Tower, DLF-III.

"I prefer Punjabi-by-Nature to any other place in Gurgaon. We go there at least once or twice a month. My husband has also found the place reasonable in terms of both quality and price," said Indu Gupta, a resident of Sector 45. She says they find this place so nice that they have even thrown parties here for friends. She visits this place whenever she feels a change is the need of the hour.

Another favourite for Punjabi food is the Baluchi, at Leisure Valley, known for its quality food at reasonable prices. "We are regulars at Baluchi. We have a special feeling for this restaurant. Other members of our family too share our views," say Shivani and Pankaj Gupta, residents of Sushant Lok Estate, Sector 52.

For those who like grilled-chickenover-Greek-salad, Pankaj Gupta says the food court at MG Mall is the place to go to. "I personally like grilled-chickenover-Greek-salad, and my favourite place in the city is MG Mall and Mega Mall. But since my wife loves Punjabi food we often visit Baluchi," he says.

No food talk is complete without mentioning South Indian cuisine. Gurgaon has Madrasi restaurants to Udupi to Naivedyam for a lavish South Indian spread. Many prefer Naivedyam to the others.

The boom town spirit of Silicon Valley, which has made Gurgaon its makeshift home, has not only brought with it the offices of world-famous business names, glassy gaudy malls and swanky skyscrapers but has also globalised the culture and lifestyle of the natives.

Thus, the very trend of international tastes is fast making its way to the Millennium City. Providing gastronomic adventure and great delight, international cuisine is a big hit among Gurgaonites. Hoteliers and food experts say the globe trotter Gurgaonites are not just enjoying the trend but are themselves bringing home new tasting sensations.

Going by chronology, it all started with the deliciously cheesy burgers of Mc Donalds, the finger-licking tasty fried chicken of KFC s and yummy balmy pizzas of Pizza Hut. Soon the CCDs and Baristas mushroomed. The utterly butterly boiled baby corns, the sinfully pleasurable chocolates and cookies and the steamy spicy Tibetan momos followed it fast to the list of our munchies.

"We're looking to promote ourselves as a fine dining and upmarket restaurant, which is not exorbitantly priced. Luxury and exclusivity is going to be a key to the service offering at 56," says Vineet Taing, Vice President - Hospitality, Vatika Group.

Chef Mario Paolillo from Italy will be the Executive Chef of the restaurant. "We felt that people in Delhi had not yet experienced authentic Sicilian cuisine. This is the reason I have come up with an innovative menu that brings with it the taste of original home cooked Italian food," says Chef Mario Paolillo.

The main attractions at the restaurant for the guests will be the `Show Kitchen' where everything is cooked in full view of the customers and `Stone hut oven,' which is a new technology to make pizzas and pastas.
The interiors at the restaurant have been designed by Delhi based interior design firm - Innovations, and the space has been given a Mediterranean feel with a judicious use of space and a high ceiling structure playing an important part. The total built up area of the restaurant is 5000 sq ft and it seats 78 covers.

When five star hotels and restaurants are too expensive for their pockets, the food courts are the best option left for them. It is a heaven of gourmet for the food lovers where they can chat with friends while enjoying delicious food of their own choice, as variety of food dominate food courts. The rates are also not exorbitant and above all the lively environment makes them feel at home.

This makes the place most happening one. People doing shopping at malls prefer to go to food courts. I think the food courts are the best option available to all budget people and their families. The government should join hands with private entrepreneurs and come forward to open more food joints, as this would attract domestic tourists.

Work at the restaurant at Time Tower, Gurgaon has started and it will be ready for opening within the next three to four months. The General Manager of the hotel, Aubrey Mullerworth said that the hotel was looking to co-brand Sakura and Craft House. Craft House is the hotel's exclusive shopping store that sells Indian handicrafts such as pashmina shawls, jewellery, ayurvedic spa and bath products and unique tea selections.

Mullerworth did not divulge details, but said that the hotel was looking to put in a large investment in this venture. "Almost 90 per cent of our business comes from corporate clients and business travel. We have realised that with the growth of corporate parks and commercial centres, there is a huge scope for the restaurant to do well, even as an independent entity," says Mullerworth. Every standalone Sakura will have a Craft House in the same space, and this in turn will also help promote the Craft House.

The co-branding of the restaurants and the shopping centre is based on the concept that the Craft House will act as a place where guests can go to, when they are waiting for a table in the restaurant. The hotel is also looking at investment opportunities for restaurants in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. They are also scouting for locations for new hotels in South India. The Metropolitan Hotel, New Delhi, is a member of Summit Hotels and Resorts, an international luxury business hotel brand and is a five star deluxe full service hotel.

Gurgaon is a great place to enjoy North Indian food. Though there are many restaurants in the city, I find that only few of them really offer a good balance between price, quality and good service.

Galaxy Hotel just behind 32 Miles, is a modern hotel. I recently visited Axis restaurant which claims to be a kind of fusion restaurant. This place is terribly expensive and prices on menu are misleading. A buffet dinner for Rs. 1150 + taxes is a major rip off especially if it is served by poorly trained staff. If you are really hungry and you can afford to spend this much money on dinner then go to Great Kabab Factory at the Hotel Park Plaza, Sushant Lok1. I have been visiting this place for past two years. I appreciate that they are able to maintain the quality and service. Park Plaza also has another buffet restaurant which is also very good and clean.

Galaxy Hotel has another Chinese restaurant called The Monk. This place is a bit expensive ( like a 5*) but you do not feel cheated as you do when you eat your dinner at Axis. I am not a big fan of  Yo China kind of Indian Chinese food but at The Monk, I feel the Chinese food is good.

Barbecue Nation at Sushant Lok 1 is a great place to eat unlimited kababs followed by a great buffet dinner if you are still hungry. They offer the best value for money, good ambience and great food for Rs. 500 plus taxes. You would like to visit this place again and again. You need to worry a bit about your waste line.

I do not know why restaurant fill wine glass just half when you order a glass of wine. A glass of Indian white wine costs Rs 250 typically and if for that money you do not get a full glass of wine then it is a shame.

(According to PTI, the new policy provides for introduction of "Ice Bars" and "Micro Beer Brewery Pub" to provide liquor at zero degree Celsius and beer after being brewed in front of the customers. "Ice Bars" would function at zero degree Celsius providing a new experience to the customers while the "Micro Beer Brewery Pub" would provide the customer of seeing his order being brewed in front of him on the small beer plant. The license fee for Ice Bar and Pub has been kept at Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2.50 lakh respectively.)

The policy also allows imported liquor through the Canteen Stores Department for defence personnel. However, an assessment fee of Rs.200 per bottle would be levied, he added.

To prevent smuggling and adulteration, a hologram will be affixed on country liquor (CL) bottles and for maintaining quality, 25 per cent of the free quota of C.L. will be allowed. Also, the permit fee of one rupee per bulk litre on ethanol would be abolished.

Mr. Hooda said the number of vends had been reduced from 4,000 to 3,800.Wine and imported foreign liquor would be allowed to be sold in department stores located in shopping malls. The government agencies would try to provide space for running of vends in urban areas of Gurgaon and Panchkula at reasonable rates in pre-fabricated structures wherever available.

Tulleeho organises workshops for consumers and corporates related to Alcoholic Beverages. To this extent we have entered into a tie-up with Barrique @ DLF Cyber City Gurgaon. We intend to make these workshops a regular affair.

Tulleeho Cocktail Gurukul

1. Detail : Amateur Bartending Workshop for consumers
   
2. Date : Feb 16th 2007
   
3. Time :  3 PM -  6 PM
   
4. Address of venue: Barrique , GF 03 A, Tower 9A, DLF Cyber City, DLF - III, Gurgaon - 122002, Haryana, India. Tel no. - 0124-4147550
   
5. Fee : INR 800 per person, INR 600 Groups of 4 or more , INR 550/- Groups of 10 or more

I am looking for good chaat and golgappa places around Gurgaon. I want the REAL stuff, not the Delhi'ised version of tikki where they stuff it with every dry fruit possible.

Similarly the golgappa guy should have Imli paani (instead of Amchoor or Jaljeera powder), Spicy Masala and Shells made of Aata not Suji.

I would be eternally grateful to the person who points me to such a place!

I planned an afternoon on Mexican food with my family. In good 15 minutes, even a waiter did not appear on the scene to ask for complimentary water, forget about taking the order. On inquiring, I found to my surprise that on a busy Sunday afternoon, there was just 1 waiter for the entire restaurent.

In spite of the obvious lack of staff and service, it was surprising that the waiters were not refusing any customers, but inviting them to sit and wait. It would have been fine if it was a roadside restaurent with nominal costs. But it pinched me to see that this is a very expensive restaurent with most of the dishes not less than 300 rupees in cost.

To expect pathetic and insipid customer service at such extortion-like prices, I was not a game., I immediately left the restaurent after complaining.

The Address is
Quicky`s
N K KAkkar: phone 9911968741 , 0124-3200030
S94, Grould Floor, PAlam Vyapar Kendra, Palam Vihar
Gurgaon

Courtesy to Mukul Gupta for help

They Have in their Menu :

To complete the recent thread on Wine tasting, there will be a first event Friday, Oct. 21st at the Bristol Hotel's "Hunter Bar" 7PM to 9PM

Please dress business formal and bring a bottle of wine. The event will NOT be snobbish, so don't worry if you know nothing about wine - the prupose is to taste the stuff and talk about it a bit as you meet other Gurgaon-ites.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions: KLegg@glgroup.com