Monday, August 8, 2011

India trip 2010- My fork's view


Indian Thali - Chutneys Hyderabad




















Buffet - Golconda Hyderabad

 



Chiken Biryani  - Mutton Biryani  Combo Golconda Hyderabad



 Kababs - Persis Hyderabad

 



Chicken Curry - Cochin


 




Chicken Kothu Parrota - Singapore



Home Made Truffle Pudding



Creamy Lobster - Singapore



 

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

All Spice - Indian Fusion @ Bay Area

Location - SanMateo, CA ( Bay Area
Cuisine - Indian Fusion
Ambiance - Semi Formal
Price - $$$
Recommendation - Recommend for Special occasions and celebrations

Bayarea is the best place to eat Indian food in the west coast and I believe that many would not argue with my statement above. Our host was a huge food enthusiast and had made reserveration for 4 of us on a warm friday Night .I always wanted to try an Indian fusion restaurant and was very excited about the dinner that night  .

We parked into a house , not a very typical ambiance for a restaurant and were comfortably seated in what would be a dining room of a house . The decor was good , but I would have preferred more bigger dining area with patrons seated far apart .

Menu contained an international selection and had dishes that any american restaurant would be proud of . The drinks were one of the highlights we had passion fruit lassi and ricemilk drink .

What we ate

Really well done Lavendar/Cumin Scallops and  Chicken wings for appetizers. Flavors were spot on both subtle and at the same time had boldness of Indian spices.


For the main course we picked Bacon crusted rack of Lamb , Thai inspired Pork Belly , poached black cod and chikpea paste. Each one had unique flavors and were cooked to perfection.



Among other things I would have preferred a more creative name for a restaurant than All spice and though the waiter was nice I did not feel that he cared much about our e experience , it almost felt like reading a script .

I left satisfied with the food and would definitely return back if I am in the area again . This restaurant is definitely my recommendation for Indian fine dining .




All Spice on Urbanspoon

Friday, April 22, 2011

Thai Curry Recipie

Unique flavors of thai food had always fasinated me . A few years ago I had attempted green curry and it turned out ok . Having discovered a new chineese market in Bellevue , I was motivated to try thai curry again . While I started cooking with mixed skepticism the end product was something I was really proud of .

Recipie Insipration - Combination of recipies from the book -  Modern Thai Food .

Here are my quick steps to get a perfect Thai curry dish

Curry Spice Mix
3/4 Lemon Grass Stick
4 Green onions
1/2 Onion Chopped
4 Garlic pods
Fresh Ginger cubes
2 Kafir Lime Leaves
Galangal - 5 gms cut into pieces
Coriander seeds
Coriander Leaves
5-6 Thai red chillis
Salt

1.  Grind the spice mix dry and keep it aside.

Vegetables
( 1 Carrot , 6-7 pieces of sliced mushroom , 1 Capsicum , 6-7 green beans , Bok Choy/Fennel ( 1 Bunch)
 2. Boil sliced Vegetables such that they are not fully cooked little raw
 3. Preserve the Vegetable broth

Meat / Prawns
4. Boil Chicken/ prawns in a separate pot until they are fully cooked

Final Preparation
5. In a pan pour oil and once the oil is hot add  2 Spoons of ginger garlic paste ( 2-3 Garlic  + ginger)
6. Add two tea spoons of Sambal Olek  or any chilli sauce and 2 Kaffir lime leaves
7. Add the dry spice mix and fry it for 10-15 minutes until the rawness of the spice goes away and you get a flavorful smell . Add salt according to taste . You can add 1 spoon of palm sugar for sweeter flavor
8. Add boiled vegetables and meat , stir fry the mixture  with spice mix , adding vegetable broth often
9.Once the vegetables/meat  has absorbed all the spices add 4-5 spoons of thick thai coconut milk
10. After the curry boils  turn off the pan

Serve with Jasmine rice/brown rice and fried egg.

Thai Curry over Rice + Fried Egg + Fried Tilapia



Enjoy !!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Tropea - Italian - Redmond

Location - Redmond, WA
Cuisine - Italian
Ambiance - Casual
Price - $$
Recommendation - Recommend

Eastside restaurants lack the originality and creativity of the seattle counterparts. Very few places in redmond deserves a special mention and Tropea is definitely one of them .

Located in a strip mall in redmond downtown , unassuming restaurant entrance leads into an dimly lit romantic ambiance . Tropea boasts of wide selection of wines , pasta and pizza . There are daily specials on entrees and dessert which are definitely worth a try .

Pasta dishes are my favourite ;sauces,vegetables and cheese are married together delicately making a tasty and a sumptuous dish . With more than 20 pasta dishes to choose from you are sure to find a combination that suits your taste . Chef is very open to customizing your dish .

What we ate ?

Cozze and Vongole  , Fettuccine and Pecoraio , Pollo Diavolo and House red wine + House made special chocolate cake .  Cost - 65$

Restaurant is vegetarian friendly and definitely worth a try if you are meeting someone on the eastside.

Tropea Ristorante Italiano on Urbanspoon



Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Spice Route - Bellevue

Location - Bellevue , WA
Cuisine - South Indian
Ambiance - Casual
Price - $$
Recommendation - Highly Recommend

If you Visit a restaurant every week for the last five years ,It demands being first review on your food blog .

Spice route goes beyond your typical Indian food. For those who like to live the small world of Kabab's ,Chiken Tikka masala and Naan. Spice route is not the place for you .

Spice route specializes in Southern Indian food specifically Tamil Nadu. Service is one more feather in Spice routes cap. A very attentive owner always walks the floor ensuring that every guest is satisfied before he leaves the restaurant.

Here are my recommendations .

Always go to the Lunch buffet between 1130-1 PM . If you go later than that , you might not experience their superior quality as dished are re cooked on the fly.Avoid traditional fare like chicken tikka masala , tandoori chicken .

For Dinner here are my favorites

Dishes
  • Mutton Sukka
  • Chicken Biryani
  • Chettinadu Chicken
  • Andhra Chicken
  • Idly Vada Pongal Combo
  • Rava Dosa
  • Parotta Korma
  • Sambar Vada
  • Chilli Chicken
Drinks
  • Madras Coffee
  • Haywards 5000 Beer
Bon Appetit !!

Spice Route Cuisine on Urbanspoon

Eating out..

I love eating out at restaurants , detest food chains and leave no opportunity to talk about the new restaurant I went to and how amazing the food was . This blog is a window to express my truly biased opinion about food .


Yes I did say biased , because I believe every food critique compares and contrasts his liking of food to that served in the restaurant. 


I hope you enjoy taking the culinary journey with me . What can I say ? This blog is my first attempt to bridge the gap between Anthony Bourdain and me.