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Two days back a bunch of us from work went to the Westin at Raheja Mindspace for buffet lunch. This was a company-sponsored affair so I don't know what it costs (there's a corporate discount for us).

The variety at the place is simply mind-boggling! I loved the breads - very soft and tasty. The biryani and mirchi ka salaan was one of the best I've tasted. The dimsums were OK.

I was too full to try much else out of the main course. I think I need 4-5 visits just to cover all of the dishes that they serve on any ONE day! And I'm a vegetarian :).

But the desserts, especially the mango thingy (I forget the exact name -- this is the one where there's concentrated mango pulp on top of absolutely mind-blowing cream in a small cup), were just amazing.

The Westin lunch buffet is highly recommended.

Regards,
spadix

You got it. The waiter in his heavily accented chinese english said something and now i recall he said "Darsaan". Very tasty stuff

You lucky guys. We dont get such privileges:)

Did you mean Mango Souffle?

I am sure for ~ Rs.1000 for a buffet the spread,ambience and taste has to be supreme.

Darsaan is my favourite dessert in Mainland China. I make sure I have loads of it whenever I get to go there. But I gotta admit that things are a bit pricey there.

BTW, is it still there in Rd# 1. I do know they've opened a new branch at Somajiguda.

Switch, man, switch! lol:

The name was something more exotic than "Mango Souffle". If I remember correctly it was "Manga Panna Cotta". Wikipedia tells me Panna Cotta is a traditional Italian cream. No wonder that heavenly taste!

I think with corporate discount it comes down to around 600. Considering what you get in competing hotels for that price, Westin is truly VFM.

Regards,
spadix

Getting a sweet delicacy daily from our favorite mithai store "Balaji Ratan Lal" in Kachiguda opp to Venkatramana Theatre due to ongoing Navraatri festival.

I can vouch that he makes possibly the best "Ras Malai" in the city. Besides, all his sweets are really high quality with reasonable prices unlike other fancy mithai stores.

Also, undoubtedly the best " Dhoklas" in Hyderabad and Secunderabad has to be from him. Buy it early on a sunday morning and you will agree with me. Soft and fluffy and perfect taste:thumbs up

+1 to the Westing buffet.
Its very very good and the variety on offer is fantastic.

Of course being a Non-Veterinarian, I sampled almost everything except the pork.

The beauty about places like Westin and Ista is the lack of overpowering spices and what we call as garam masala.

IMHO the excess use of oil, garam masala and spice is generally to cover up the ineptitude of the chef.
For instances, prawns on their own have a mild sweetness in them. Fry them up with a lot of turmeric and chilli and all you have left is a carrier for spices.

Why even the humble onion, depending on its cut and length of cooking can change its flavor from a mild spice to a slight sweetener of gravy.

The cut of meat used can alter the taste of and complexity of a dish.

The roast leg of lamb I had at Westin, was a slow oven cooked dish. It was not marinated in a strong agent like papaya. Papaya is a very strong marinade. It literally digests the food by its action. Making it soft. But at the cost of losing the meats texture.

:thumbs up to Westin.

Had been itching to have Andhra food for sometime and yesterday courtesy wife's shopping at General Bazaar, it was decided to pay a visit to Abiruchi for their ethnic Andhra Thali. But yesterday afternoon the entire Park Lane area was in a mess and it took me about about 30 minutes to find a parking spot and that too on PG Road near Autofin.

Food Ordered

1. Andhra Veg Thali - @ Rs 119. Considering its quantity, I think it was overpriced.
2. Mutton Gongura - @ Rs199. Very spicy and well made but quantity and no.of pieces very less.
3. Tandoori Roti
4. Beverages - Sweet & salty Lime Juice respective;y

Total Bill including 14% VAT and 2.5% Card Charges - Rs 507/-

Verdict: The service was slow and the these small thing like card charges just put me off. 3/5.

A few months back I had gone for lunch with Ravveendrra, Sagar, Prabhu and Ram for Andhra Thali to a restaurant in Kukatpally. Can someone please tell me the name as that was the best Andhra Thali I had had till date.

+1

Balaji Ratanlal my Favourite for Rsa Malai. Also his Panneer Jelabi is too good. I like the Open Samosa he has Nice stuff overall there. I travel all the way from Madinaguda to get some good sweets from there :D

Are there any venues in Hyderabad City which serve "Navaratari Compliant
Food" for those who wish to strongly observe the diet plans as allowed during Navaratari but do not have access to home cooked food?

When I visited Bikanerwala in Delhi during Navaratari days in 2008, I found that one section of the restaurant was meant only for those who wanted to stick to Navaratari compliant food and the menu also included a "Navaratari Special Thali" which I sure did enjoy eating.

It's called 'Pongal'.
The restaurant is situated in the One Place building at Kukatpally.
BTW, our lunch yesterday was the same thali. :)

I saw an advertisement in The Hindu that Rajdhani above Big Bazaar, Ameerpet does this.

Bajaj Saab, I really avoid eating out during Navratri 'cos have seen at a couple of restaurants who flaunt JAIN FOOD ALSO SERVED boards but cook in the same utensils as used for other's. The first and foremost thing that comes to mind, when speaking about Navratri Compliant Food is avoidance of Onions & Garlic.

I would prefer sticking to some of the age old outlets, which are housed around the Jain populated areas. These outlets would ensure that only Saatvik Navratri Jain Food is served as opposed to visiting Flashy Restaurants flaunting JAIN FOOD ALSO SERVED boards.

The Thali at Rajdhani is amazing. Always loved it. Would visit post Navratri Season only.

Been to the Natural Icecream outlet on SP Road.Amazing ice creams,INR35 per scoop for any icecream.Milkshakes priced at INR85.I would say the ice creams are indeed VFM.Move aside the Exoticas!!

Thanks, Imran. Spoke to Rajdhani guys and they informed that they have a couple of dishes which are compliant .... but ... as rightly pointed out by Nikhil ... cannot take a chance with such places as there is a high probability of mix up of onionised utensils. Guess, the only choice is now Nikhil's home!!!

where exactly is this outlet on SP road? Does Natural means Natural in real sense that they dont use any essense?

Rs.35 for a scoop is on par with any icecream outlet in city. Good pricing