Chit Chat - Teynampet

The Waiter With ADD!

This legendary place on anna salai has always been on my list of must-trys and i finally got to go here for lunch. Pretty impressed with the ambiance for a place this old, its completely refreshing and Americanized in its looks, with a blackboard menu like a typical countryside eat-out with class. I was half expecting a dirty old chaat shop as the name suggests.

The menu is mostly typical American-Italian fare with a bit of the mandatory Indo-Chinese required in any restaurant in the city. I so loved the place at first site. But seeing the north-eastern looking waiters (don get me wrong, its jus my experience with many many restaurants having such ppl for service tht has made me stereotype) scared me a bit cos i know conversing and comprehending will be a problem in the first place. I dono why, they dont even smile in most places.

Bingo! i was so right, same problem here too. We ordered for a vegetable clear soup, spicy curls (or something like it), burger and a corn on chilli cheese toast. The soup had a big plastic bit inside it (microwaved from package?) and when we showed it to the waiter, he gave a surprised smile (looked excited to me) and said something like 'yay its plastic!' well...huh? and he asked me if i like anything else in the soup :P i hope he meant if i need another soup..

Again, the corn was missing on the toast and he brought it after asking for it. The spicy curly thing he said was vegetable fries which sounded innovative but what came was usual potato curly fries, never mind, its still a vegetable rite? We laughed it off too. But when he brought a watermelon juice instead of my orange juice and said 'oh i forgot!' it really got on my nerves, since watermelon was the last thing my health needed now and i had to have it cos of him! The burger brought out mixed reactions, the pattie was crispy and yummy reminding me of marrybrown burgers, but the bun was old and stale, bad combo, in the end ur confused if u want to take another bite or not...

The worst part of the entire dining experience was the bill. Around 700 bucks is almost star hotel rates and the food really isnt something out of the world or anything. The watermelon juice costed 70 bucks! For god sake, we are in chennai where we can get it for 10 bucks in the juice shop outside. I kept wondering what can be the reason for this expensive rates and really couldnt figure it out, neither the location nor the food or a high-class ambiance or even brand value, it felt like they just priced the dishes as per their random wishes and we dont have a choice but to pay it! Unreasonably and ridiculously expensive is my verdict.

Ambiance - 4/5
Food - 4/5
Service - 1/5
Price - At least 500 bucks for a couple
Will i go back again? - Considering the pricing, not very often, unless if its too late at night, when not many eat-outs are open. (guess they are open till 1 or something)

Chit Chat
No 532 Ground Floor,
Opposite AGS Office, Anna Salai,
Teynampet, Chennai - 600018
Phone 24349880, 9380033300

Considering the ambiance and food, it ll be great if they can improve on service and pricing, to make it totally worth it!

New Tandoori Tadakka - T. Nagar

Where is the 'lounge'?

Another new restaurant thats been on my hit-list due to its promotions saying a 'NEW PUNJABI LOUNGE', now what could that be? they dont serve alcohol, so i was hoping the place has a classy ambiance with booths and couches to laze around. And was soo badly hoping to hog on some exotic, authentic, rich and mouth watering Punjabi food like never before, trust me awesome marketing guys, u almost got me!

First came the disappointment when i had a look at the ambiance. Typical restaurant seating, typical menu items and a typical buffet for lunch. Its nothing more than an average North Indian restaurant in the city. I would've definitely been less disappointed and more impressed with the place if not for the too much hype and false picture depicted. So when u build up expectations, its easier to go down on the scale if ur not planning to meet them.

The buffet is a total waste for 300 bucks if ur a vegetarian. They should start charging differently for the veg and non-veg sections so the customers don feel cheated. It had a tomato shorba (very average), starters - 2 or 3 types of kebabs (best part of the buffet), few gravies (loved the mughlai one, the dal and paneer butter masala were very average), safron rice and naan or roti served on the table. The aloo-gobi fry needs a special mention., yumm. Desserts were gulab jamun, kheer and a fruit-in-cream salad. Ice-cream was served after we were done with desserts, wud've been better if served along with the gulab jamun.

Waiters are a bit rude, i asked for coffee and he had to say 'no coffee! that will be charged separately!" like i didn't know? A bit expensive for sure (each menu item costs minimum of 160 bucks or so). The food is pretty good and definitely worth giving a try. The kebabs are a must-have here. Hope they maintain this.

Ambiance - 2.5/5 (a -.5 for disappointing)
Food - 3.5/5
Service - 3/5
Price - Around 600 bucks for a couple.
Will i go back again? - Maybe when i run out of choices, only to try a la carte

New Tandoori Tadakka
No.5 North Usman Road ,
T.Nagar, Chennai - 600017
Phone 9790707600, 42123961, 42125162

Bur otherwise there is nothing 'new' or 'lounge-y' about the 'New Tandoori Tadakka - Punjabi Lounge!"

Grand Sweets & Snacks - Ashok Nagar

Nothing Can Beat It!

Warning: if ur watchin ur weight, don even go anywhere near this place, its sinfully addictive! Anything u buy here, makes u wanna give up any thoughts of eating healthy, ur attitude goes something like 'wat else am i living for if m not gonna eat this!' Seriously try it once and u ll know wat m talkin bout!

Fortunately (or unfortunately?) grand sweets opened up near my house and its now impossible to have any meal without their impossibly awesome potato chips or go to anyones house without buying their mini-jangri!

Other must trys are the vethakozhambu thokku -makes u eat anything and everything jus for the sake of havin the thokku along side! One bottle which is supposed to be used over a year, disappears in a week or two! simply irrestible!

I heard the Wheat Halwa and Kaju Katli are also very good, tho m not a big fan of sweets (mini jaangri is an exception). But obove anything else, try their mixture, u wud never ever buy mixture anywhere else after this, it is the best one i ve ever had in my life!

Ambiance - 4/5 (its a store, well kept and displayed tho!)
Food - 5/5 for sure!
Service - 3/5 (Dont expect a smiling sales guy)
Price - It too reasonable but very much worth it!
Will i go back again? - Almost every other day!

Grand Sweets and Snacks
Jeevan Super Market,
No 52, 10th Avenue,
Ashok Nagar, Chennai

Yumm is the only word i can think of!

Rhapsody, Courtyard by Marriott - Teynampet

Where Beer is Cheaper than Water!

Rhapsody inside Courtyard Marriott, always wanted to check this place out since its considered the best Italian lounge in the city and more than anything i wanted to try the food! First impression was a real let down, the place really didnt seem as happening as i imagined it to be. Most of all, the decor and ambiance was very very ordinary to our disappointment. Unfortunately when we went there it was almost 11 30 and only the bar menu was available and most of it was unavailable too.

At first sight, the place seemed really inexpensive for a lounge inside a star hotel. We were all overexcited! Even the cocktails seemed to be cheaper than 'The Park'. Thankfully one of us saw the 60 percent tax thingie written in small print in the end of the menu, which made a lot of sense then!!! What a way to market, shud appreciate, wud ve been heartachin if we had noticed this at the end of the nite.

The shooters were named very funnily, enough to make us feel embarrassed to spell it out to the waiter. But i shud agree 'lick' which is white chocolate based was yumm! Otherwise the rest were typical, no complains. Tequila was available only in a bottle, no shots! The worst part is the waiter had a problem communicating this to us, wonder how they handle firangis!

The service is very biased, the non-indian group near us received more and faster attention than we did, we had to actually get up and bring the waiter to our table everytime, quite pathetic for a star hotel. Bar snacks was brought only after request. Also, around 11 45 they switched on the lites indirectly askin us to get out.. cant blame them for it tho..they had to show subtle signs..sad that even star hotels need to close their pubs at 12!

Ambiance - 3/5
Food/drinks - 4/5
Service - 2/5
Price - as much as u can drink + 60 percent tax for imported liquor (an average of 300 bucks per drink excluding tax) beer costs around 150 bucks only.
Will i go back again? - not with as much enthusiasm as the first time!

Rhapsody
Courtyard Marriott,
564, Anna Salai,
Teynampet, Chennai
Phone 66764000, 66764499

Beer seemed the best option since Kingfisher was priced much lower than Evian mineral water to our delight!

Murugan Idli Shop - T. Nagar

All Hype No Stuff!

I was taken aback having eaten here after years! Seeing the popularity of it on burrp! and even otherwise everyone wantin to try it out more than HSB now wen they come to chennai! I mean HSB deserves the name this place sure doesnt!

At 8 30 in the morning, the Vadas were not hot and fresh, seemed from yday. Big and bulky, not crisp at all. And 15 bucks for it is day-light robbery just for the brand name! The Idlis were half-cooked, it was jus batter in fact! Seirously disappointed to the core with IDLI on their name, that the first thing they shud learn to make! The Pongal was ok, nothin great. Coffee for 16.50 was jus 3 sips and was fulla sugar!

Overall horrible experience, the guy at the bill-counter wasnt very friendly and it took them 20 mins to parcel the already made and displayed dishes. Worst is the bill was around 125 bucks for just this, which i wouldnt have mind paying in ID where the vada and pongal are awesome!

Ambiance - 3/5
Food - 2/5
Service - 3/5
Price - Close to 150 bucks for a couple
Will i go back again? - Phew! Never!

Murugan Idli Shop
77/1 A, GN Chetty Road,
T.Nagar, Chennai - 600017
Phone 42025076

Wanna try out their first branch in Usman Road once before i write em off completely!

Flamingo - Besant Nagar

This is worse than death sentence!

By far, the worst restaurant i have ever been in the city of chennai until date. The min we entered the restaurant, there was a stale smell that hit us. I begged my group that we shud return, smelling trouble already, but they din act wise and take a true foodies advice! who can save them? The buffet table looked pathetic, like a dirty kitchen after a lot of cooking is done by an clumsy chef. The booth we took was full of sand from the beach and when asked to clean up everyone frowned and did a reluctant job at cleaning. We decided to go a la carte but the menu seemed to have almost the same dishes as in the buffet priced more than 100 bucks each and the buffet seemed a better option at 200 bucks.

Very bad idea! Once the plates were taken, we realized none of the items were refilled, everything looked like leftovers, mayb they were jus refilling and we came at the wrong time. Soup and starters served at the table, we had to call out for it a million times. By the time starters came, we almost finished our main course. The starter mentioned in the buffet was cauliflower but we received a babycorn fry, nobody told us why it was changed or if it is our starters or not. We were quite doubtful if they served us instead of the next table wrongly. Nevertheless, we din bother to call and ask cos it was the only edible item on the menu and by the time the waiters respond we know it will go cold. We also ordered crumb fried idli which was nothin but normal idlis with a chilli powder overdose. Chutney was stale.

The buffet still seemed empty when we went back. Every single dish was cold and dry including mushroom fried rice and kothu paratta, we couldnt eat more than one spoonful. The Paneer gravy din have any paneer in it. neither did it have any gravy, leftovers again. The buffet table looked so dirty with rice and gravy spilt all over that we lost appetite jus lookin at it. The spatulas that we had to use to serve ourselves - the lesser said the better. I wud just say i din feel like touchin it, it had food all over!

The breads that were supposed to be served on the table never arrived. When asked the manager and he said "i thought u mite not be interested in having rotis!!!" what the hell man! They brought it wen we went for desserts and we left it rite there. The appam counter was the only saving grace. Although the stew was like maida water! Desserts were horrible to say the least, the spatula was inside the milk in the pal paniyaram which was almost never refilled even after asking. So we ordered it on the table and what we got was nothin close to pal paniyaram and was very much puke worthy.

The ada pradaman was over but we din kno it cos anyways all the other counters also looked the same way. They brought us payasam instead to the table, after all the pain u put us thro, this din impress at all. Finally, the curd rice was yummy and was filling for our growling stomachs dying in hunger and frustration. i had 2 servings of it and felt happy. 200 bucks plus tax for curd rice isn't really my idea of a happy sunday dinner.

Worst was yet to come, a waiter leaned over our table and poured a glass of water into my brothers plate when he was eating, din even apologise! There were so many waiters around arranging chairs around tables and none of them came to us for anything we wanted, even the appam was served so late, that we had to sit n stare at our plates for a long time.

Seriously, what do they think they are doing? I felt like suing them for treating customers with reluctance and giving us food like we are prisoners. I asked for the feedback form and the waiter smiled and brought it after 10 mins. Am sure they wouldn even read the feedback. They seemed to be happy with what they are doin, more like they are doin it on purpose. Are they planning a mass murder of sorts? i hated their gutts and their attitude!

i ve been to horrible restaurants that deserve less than 1 star. But this one i felt is a disgrace to even have a star even in negative. even a minus 5 wouldnt suffice. i feel helpless i cant do anything about such places! I felt the foodie in me boiling, disrespected and offended badly!

Flamingo
No 35/3 1st Floor Ramaniyam Arcade,
2nd Avenue 16th Cross,
Besant Nagar, Chennai - 600090
Above Spencer
Phone 45587221

For god sake, these ppl shud b punished for doing this to the society, inhumane is the word!

Wonderland -The Coffee Experience - Anna Nagar

Wonder Where the Wonderland is

oh well, m not used to being in anna nagar much so wen i knew m goin there, i had to search all over burrp for a nice cafe to spend the evening in. And this place with a 4 star sounded pleasing enough and i called the place to make sure they are open until late. The person who picked then phone was more than inviting, sounded desperate! should ve known right then :)

After we reached shanthi colony, the creamy inn did seem more bright, attractive n crowded. But since we decided on an open-air cafe and were imagining to have a relaxed conversation, we went up to wonderland crossing a half-constructed shady building.

The place was long and huge with absolutely noone but the owner sitting in a corner and 3 waiters sitting at the counter watching something on the computer and having a laugh among themselves. They had a bored attitude seeing us. We sat in the outside area, where use-and-throw cups of water with cigarette buds in it appeared in the form of ash trays on tables. Looked sick enough to make us want to walk out immediately.

None of the cold beverages were available, seems the fridge wasn't working. So we had to order plain water, which was cold i donno how. We decided to just make one order and rush outa this hellava place asap. So ordered a burger so that it ll be filling for two, now that we don have anything to drink other than water.

The waiter looked north-eastern and din understand a word of english and sure didnt understand tamil either. He gave a blank look for everything we asked and to make a conversation with him and make him bring a burger and some water was a pain in itself. There were two other local looking waiters who didnt bother to even walk out and ask us what we need, they were too busy watching something with mouth-wide-open in the comp on their counter.

And finally this guy ends up bringing us a spicy chilli wrap, while all the time we were waiting with a desire to munch on some yummy burger and when asked he said plainly that we ordered wrap only. He didnt make an attempt to apologize leave alone change the order for us. He very rudely dismissed our argument, twas like if u want eat this or get out attitude.

Worst to come, the wrap was made with red chilli powder overdose and mouth was burning for something sweet and cold to drink. What a way to torture ourselves going all the way to Anna Nagar. Thank you wonderland, for the wonderful experience.

Wonderland -The Coffee Experience
No.139, Shanthi Colony Main Road,
Shanthi Colony, Anna Nagar,
Chennai - 600040
Phone 42170629, 9944008080

No wonder this place is empty at peak hours with a sleeping owner at the corner, time to close down folks!