Peter Cat - Kolkata!

This legendary place in Kolkata does not need an introduction. Every kid to grown-up in the city will have some or the other memory attached to the place and will definitely be nostalgic about it. Celebrities frequenting the place, movies being shot every now and then, and needless to say, the history that goes back to decades, each goes in making the restaurant a must visit eat-out destination. The place is always huss and buss with visitors and managing a table in 15 minutes of waiting in queue is no less than an achievement.
So what makes it so different and special! The unique range of food they serve of-course, with their secret recipe. To my surprise their menu is literally shaped in the form of a cat. And what tops it all in the menu is – ‘Chelo Kabab’. I had heard so much about this particular dish that could not wait to order this. This is a platter with set of utterly soft chicken kebabs and two steaks of mutton kebabs. They like to serve these around fragrant rice wonderfully slithered in ghee. It is topped with a nicely done poch. Baked tomato and smashed potato also accompany these. If you are done with this dish and still left with some appetite, then prawn cocktail is a must try. Betki Muenier from their seafood section also makes it to my recommendation list. Very soft fish is battered and served smeared in white sauce. Before you realize what all went in, the soft chunks just dissolve. The buzz of sizzlers being served was aloud. When it comes to dessert, I can bet if the fullness of the dishes spares you a corner. The range is good though. Here I will also put a disclaimer; the place may not live up to its name but for the placid ambience. Every table lit by a dim hanging lamp enough just to see what you are digging in. Rest all kept dark deliberately to cut aloof each table of the other.
In your next visit to the city buzzing with yellow ambassadors, don’t forget to book one straight to the heart of Park Street and gorge on to be part of this awesome food odyssey.

Taste buds: Jumping with joy
Pocket shouts: Little heavy
When I look around: No point taking your eyes off table when it is kept dark around
Waiting time for tummy: Not very long if you manage a table

Keep gorging!
- Foodie Panda

Ri Kynjai - Shillong!

Ri Kynjai is a heritage resort one should stop by before planning to enter Shillong to experience the best in Shillong in terms of stay. Though it’s 20 km away from the city, right beside Umiam lake, still stealing some days from the trip planned in Shillong is bound to leave you longing to be back at the place, just to be there. The resort is very extensive built over some 45 acres, with a walk through the resort taking you from pine groves to paddy fields, stumbling onto some tea and vegetable plantations. Every nook and corner of the resort is inspired from traditional Khasi architecture. The best part about the resort stay are the suites, each a separate hut, whose roofs are thatched and beautifully adorned with bamboo, red pine and local stones. During twilight, the skyline seen through the suites is simply mesmerizing. Apart them they also have rooms, facing the lake. The dining space has both indoor and outdoor set-up. The pristine view outdoors stretches from resort fence to dense forest to lake, to mountains to the infinite blue sky thereafter. The indoors again have beautiful wooden architecture, with fire place and bar again reflecting inspirations from Khasi traditional interiors. At night, they light beautiful hanging lamps in the lawns and the lawn fence lighted up by flambeau, sending flames that screech aloud in the dark back-drop. This place offers authentic Khasi spa and massage as well. The have showrooms exhibiting Khasi handicrafts, where you can sneak in to indulge in some shopping also.

A wonderful place to relax has to come with an equally diverse range of food to explore for the foodie in us. Yes they specialize in the north-eastern cuisine. They deserve a shot specialy for the non-vegetarians. Fish fillets in tartar sauce is a must try. They also serve Chinese, North-Indian and continental. It is advisable to keep North-Indian aside for a while, when you are in North-east. The drinks are also average. Desserts have a wide range, but one should not expect the food here to surprise if you are not exploring typical Meghalayan Khasi menu.

An immaculate stay here in nature’s lap will send you into a trance of contentment for quite some time, if not forever!

Taste buds yell: Happy
Pocket shouts: Very heavy blow
When I look around: Pristine and serene
Waiting time for tummy: Long as clock ticks equally slow here for both guests and hosts

Keep gorging!
- Foodie Panda

Mist N Creams - Hyderabad!

For the late, late very late night ice cream cravings Mist n Creams is an exciting haven. Get ready to

be surprised if you are expecting a fanciful pretty set-up serving the clichéd list flavors and blends.

Many of us must have read about liquid nitrogen freezing at room temperature. Most of us must have experienced the fun working in the midst of fumes disbursed suddenly some odd chemical reaction. I must be sounding quirky while discussing like mad scientist instead of talking about strawberry, mango, chocolate, xyz flavors. Yes, the first time you visit “Mist n Creams” I bet you can do without these thoughts. To put a pause to all the anxiety about this whimsical world of creamy ice creams, Mist n Creams is not an ordinary ice cream parlor serving frozen ice cream with toppings. They will actually take down order from you and instantly cook your ice cream in a blink of an eye, right in front of you. How is that possible? Liquid nitrogen, I was talking about, comes to aid. And in no time, not only your ice cream, but you too would be hemmed in fog.

All said and done how is the ice cream? My personal favorite is Kiwi-Kick. The kiwi flavored with the ice cream is served with fresh cut Kiwi which brings the right tinge of sour. I will also recommend all the other options in the menu which are served with fresh fruit. Reason being, there is not much when it comes to ingredients that go into the core flavored cream base. The extra creaminess of this particular variety is its USP, which you would not miss if you pick the right set of fresh fruits, I believe. Though black current, chocolate and coffee variants are also available for the coffee and chocolate freaks. They also serve a range of shakes with touch of extra creaminess again.

Situated in a calm location, any time after the sun sets is perfect for this magical dessert experience.

Sweet tooth yells: My favorite 

Pocket shouts: I am OK 

When I look around: Calm outdoors and magical indoors 

Waiting time for tummy: You long to see it right at the blink of your eyes 

Keep gorging!
- Foodie Panda

Menchie's - Hyderabad

Dessert can be yummilious, classy, sophisticated, traditional, creamy, hot, cold or just the perfect way

to end your meal. But hardly ever anyone said, it can be fun and engaging and be more than just a way to end you meal on a perfect note. You can end rather a day or an entire week on an awesome note. If this seems an exaggeration, be here once. “Menchie’s “ – the destination for awesome self-assembled FroYo in town.

It is a small place, with both indoor and outdoor set-up. The walls are painted in bright colors to give a peppy feel to the place. Staff is extremely humble and ready to introduce you their unique mode of helping you assemble your bowl of yogurt, the way you want it. On one side of the store, you have chain of 8 vending machines with 8 different flavors all set to get in you bowl the moment you chose them. The set of flavors change every 10 days. The fatigue of same old set every time is never going to occur even if you are a frequent visitor. You can taste every flavor and make an intelligent choice of the blend you want. Then there is range of exciting fun toppings to choose from – brownie, marshmallow, choco-chip, choco-rice, gems, wafers, jellies, nutties. You name it and it is there. To add on to the taste and healthiness, a range of fresh cut fruits, with even more vibrant range of colors – Strawberry in its pink, Kiwi in its green, blueberry in its blue, cherry in its red and what not. The journey does not end without a slurp of yummy syrups – caramel, strawberry chocolate. If you are a pedant who identifies yogurt with the tinge of sourness that tickles your tongue, might get surprised a bit, because that sign is absent because of the cream base. When it is time to pay, they will just weigh your bowl, no matter what you fold up, they will just charge you, Re 1/ gm. 

You would have definitely have had frozen yogurt before. But the sight of such colorful beautiful bowl and the satisfaction of you having done it all yourself, just ensures the feeling is like never before. Now of course you can just pull chairs and I would recommend sit outside. They are open till 11 at night, so that they be there to satiate even your late-night sudden urge for FroYo.It is basically a no fuss, self-service set-up. Have it your way!!!

Sweet tooth yells: My favorite 

Pocket shouts: Little on heavier side 

When I look around: Fun and peppy 

Waiting time for tummy: It’s you, you have to wait for 

Keep gorging!
- Foodie Panda

Truffles Café - Hyderabad

Been here for a lazy Sunday brunch and ever since raring to go alone on a quite romantic dinner with the cool breeze making all the talk. Yes I am a foodie and I should jump straight onto the plate served. But the calm of the place is such that it will just hold you still for a while to think about nothing, but loving nature around. The café is built very simply keeping the rocks and boulders of Jubilee Hills as is. Surrounded by bamboo bushes, a little spring guzzling in the middle of the dining area and the simple retro interiors just ask you to sit back and relax. And going right with the theme, just when you climb stairs, you stumble a blackboard screeching aloud in the

silence – “Before I Die, I want to….“ forcing you to suddenly wake up to harsh reality. You can actually spend some great time in resurrecting yourself and reminding of your cherished forgotten wishes and dreams.

Having said that, comes the menu and the time to place our order. If you are craving for light English breakfast it’s a thumbs-up. Vegetarians might feel a little left-out in the menu. Plating and presentation is also decent as they do not want to go over-board with anything. Char-grilled items are worth a try. There is a decent range of dessert as well. Expect your thirst be quenched only by just any run-of –the –mill drink. Nevertheless the menu makes sure that you feel light, no matter how much you intend to stuff, again in line with the lightness offered by the well thought through set-up.

All said and done, since you are at the place to relax, the waiters kind of take you for granted. They in

fact leave you with ample time to relax before you get to see the food. And god save you if you intend to ask for a change in the order.

Be here just to let the calm breeze caress you and get you a much deserved break from stereotypical Eat-out day!

Taste buds yell: Happy
Pocket shouts: Little heavy
When I look around: Nature at its best
Waiting time for tummy: Way too long 

Keep gorging!
- Foodie Panda

SardarJi's Dhaba - Hyderabad

Feeling the tickles at the name of Chaat, Chhole Bhature, Golgappe, Dahi Bhalle, Shikanji, Lassi,
sitting at some corner of Hyderabad?
What can assure you better of the authenticity of these North Indian Chat marvels than a ‘Sardar’ sitting at his dhaba by the side of the road with his battalion every day at 5.30 pm with an amazing range of lipsmacking snack. You stand in a queue, you order, you pay, you pick-up, you find a place to stand or sit, you eat, Sardarji bothers the least! All he bothers about is the blend of the innumerable flavors, green chutney, red chutney masala, so they set the right tone at the very first dig. When you ask for any customization, it is strictly denied. Might seem rude, but I feel it is more of an operational constraint that they need to abide by because of the demand!
If the clock strikes 9, be prepared for a sorry cut out, owing to stock-out! If it is a weekend, you would have to literally earn your plate fighting through the long queue, and this is just the beginning as the fight for the concrete road-side stairs is no different than getting a table in a posh food court. But the authenticity of dishes, unadulterated by cultural differences even though it has traveled down to Hyderabad from Delhi and Punjab, makes it all worth it.
You start with Panipuri, almost the one you gorge upon in the streets of Delhi , not its South Indian cousin. Pav Bhaji with extra butter and balloons of Bhatura will just push you into gluttony. The heat of these dishes is evenly soothed by Dahi in Dahi Bhalla, Dahi puri, Dahi samosa, Dahi kachori, so on and so forth. Samosa Cheese Sandwich, a unique blend of Samosa and Sandwich is a must try. If your throat has dried up and still you cannot get enough of it, keep a glass of Lassi as your eternal company.
I will suggest you to drag a bunch of friends along, hold one plate a friend, keep digging into and snatching from others plate and make Sardarji one of your best hangout place that reckons with sips of sweet or salty Shikanji (lemonade).

Taste buds yell: Happy
Pocket shouts: Very light
When I look around: Dodgy
Waiting time for tummy: Long on a weekend

Keep gorging!
- Foodie Panda