Big Bite

“Eating out can never see a decline in this part of the country,” believes Dr Sandeep Arora,managing director of Hotel Western Court as he formally got rolling a Hyderabadi Food Festival at their Panchkula hotel. On till May 3,it’s a plump spread indeed! Bringing the menu together has been Manju Sachdeva,a speciality Chef who brings with her Nawabi fare. “We rolled out a similar festival last year and buoyed by the excellent response,we decided to host one in Panchkula this time,” pitched in the group general manager Rajeev Kakkar as we scanned the menu boasting of popular favourites like Biryani,kebabs and more. “Starters like Chicken Talli,Chicken 65,Paneer 65 were received really well. So we bring them along with some new additions,” mentioned Chef Sachdeva who is best known for her secret herbs and recipes passed on by Khansamas. The main course brings in the likes of ‘Murg Nizam Shahi’,‘Dum Ke Ande’,‘Safri Gosht’ to ‘Mirchi Ka Salan’,‘Baghare Baingan’ and more. “Most of the dishes are yoghurt based and rich in condiments,” we heard the Chef say who had been labouring for hours cooking the meals on a low flame. “There’s no jhatpat cooking when it comes to Hyderabdi food. It’s all itmenaan se,” she admits. Keeping with the festival’s theme,the decor matches up. “Ustad Abdul Hafiz of Punjab gharana accompanied by his son Ustad Fida Hussain will perform all through the festival,” pitches in Kakkar.

Elsewhere,at Sundarams,the popular South Indian restaurant in Sector 26,the menu’s been fattened up. For now,apart from South Indian fare,diners can also choose from north Indian and Chinese vegetarian cuisine. “It’s an attempt to reach out to a wider audience,” admits owner S Sundaram as he offers the new re-worked menu. “Since have a large number of north Indian customers coming in and being a family restaurant,there has been demand for north Indian delicacies and Chinese especially when children accompany the family,” adds the restaurateur. So in come Tandoori snacks,Spring rolls,Chinese combo meals,Thalis,Amritsari Kulcha,Pindi Chana…all in vegetarian options of course. While they have been doing outdoor catering for corporate and family events for a while,the latest is their home delivery and take-away options. “For home delivery we have seven items in the menu which includes mini uttapam,idli,vada,dahi vada,uppama,rawa kesari,sambhar,lemon rice,papad and coconut and tomato chutney priced at Rs 132,” briefs Sundaram. Further,one can avail a 15 percent discount from Monday to Friday,during their happy hours from 4 pm to 10.30 pm,besides 15 percent discount for the kitty parties in the morning!

If these foodie deals have you hungry,then here’s another one to choose from. La Dolce Vita,the all-Italian restaurant in Hotel Rio has timed its first anniversary with an Italian style five-course sit-down candle lit dinner. “As part of the celebrations,we are offering a complimentary glass of beer/wine for Rs 595 per head not including taxes,” informs manager Sandeep Sachdeva who is happy to see the Hard Rock Lounge run to a packed house courtesy the ongoing IPL. “We have various schemes to attract diners,like a 15 percent discount on IMFLs all during the festival. One can also register for complimentary beer coupons at our website http://www.hotelrio.in,” Sachdeva informs. Cheers to that!