Temples of Gastronomic Seduction: May 2008

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Temples of Gastronomic Seduction

Temples of Gastronomic Seduction is finally on Technorati!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Pasto - Italian Kitchen, Noida - Restaurant Review

Pasto - Italian Kitchen
P-10, First Floor
Sector 18
Noida

Pasto is one of those places which you do not expect to be existent in a place like Noida. Although Noida has become the preferred residential suburb for Delhi, but the need for quality restaurants is still there.
Now, Pasto is a small place done up like a small Italian cafe. The entrance is tastefully done and the staircase leading to the restaurant contributes to the overall ambiance of the place.
Dim lights. Soothing music. More than friendly staff.
I cannot but relish in the time I have always spent at this place. The cozy atmosphere is something that you don't find in many restaurants in Noida.
It is a place for that romantic date or that special dinner with your loved ones, replete with a candle lit on the table.
The menu is not a long fare. It complements the place. Simple and very Italian.
Start off with a mocktail and get in the groove with a serving of delicious pasta, alongwith some garlic bread. We had ordered Penne in Arabiatta sauce and Fettuccine in Spinach sauce. The taste was almost perfect. The whiff of olive oil and a touch of garlic with a slight tanginess of the tomatoes. Just sprinkle a little oregano on the dish and voila!
The pizzas are again better than what you would even think of getting anywhere in this part of the city. Thin crust pizzas with the subtle taste of fine owen baked Italian food.
A simple cheese Margarita pizza followed by a serving of Grilled Vegetables summed up the main course for us.
A point to be specified here is that those who are used to have pizzas at Pizza Hut or Domino's would find the pizzas here to be a bit....bland. That is because the pizza chains offer the American version of a pizza, not the Italian.
We did not delve too much into the antipasti, nor did we have a full five course Italian meal, but the main course and the desserts made us have faith in the chef regarding the full course meal.
We ordered a chocolate mousse and ended up making noises which would justify the title of this blog to the dot.
The whole experience has been great, everytime we have visited this place.
We visited Pasto after a gap of nearly 6 months as I have moved to Bangalore, and to our surprise, the service staff recognized us and treated as special customers! I could never have imagined such a gesture from the staff at such a small restaurant. I have been a fan of Pasto since then, even more than I was earlier.
Another thing to mention is that you can get a piece of cake 'on-the-house', if you are celebrating any occasion.
If I open a restaurant some day, I will never forget to incorporate the human factor that the owners of this place have infused in the service.

Seduction Meter : Seduced. An still begging for more! Great Service (9.5/10)
Environs : Dim lights. Subtle music. Great ambiance.
Platter holders : Eager to help. Ever smiling. Value customer relationship.
Mortals awaiting seduction : Couples. Connoisseurs. Fast movers. Office attire to jeans with smart tops.
Burns a hole : 900 bucks wide for 2 vegetarians
Location : Next to the Vodafone Shop in the Gurudwara lane of Sector 18, Noida

P.S.: The place has been shut down. A big loss to the connoisseurs :(

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Berco's @ Connaught Place, New Delhi - Restaurant Review

Berco's
G-2/43, Middle Circle, Connaught Place
New Delhi - 110 001
Ph: 011-41513541 / 23739533
www.bercos.net

This is the place that has a lot of my Delhi memories attached to it. The first 'costly' restaurant we went to. Holding some one's hand for the first time outside at the car park. Long chats and the desire to gobble up the 'best' Chinese food. Well, I guess, it's better we started exploring 'better' places than this.
Now Berco's has been on the culinary circuit for way too long! It is the first name that comes to mind when you think of Connaught Place (CP), hunger and Chinese.
But it's heartening to see the place become a sort of fiefdom of the staff out there. The food is good, but not great either.
The staff treats you according to your attire. Try and go there looking all ruffled up and you'll get a hard nosed treatment.
But enough for the battering. This place needs some justice to be done on account of the wonderful times that it has given me.

I would not say that the food served here is the best, but it is one of the better places to go for oriental cuisine.
The bill of fare at Berco's is pretty exhaustive and offers a vivid variety of Chinese and Thai cuisines. The spread really leaves you asking for more, in a positive sense.

The vegetarian fare is pretty impressive and the chefs do come out with really finger licking preparations, 'at times'. There have been times when I have licked up every speck of the gravy in my plate, and then there have been times when I could not finish even half the serving.

But the food delights you after a long stroll around CP. The Phat Thai noodles are delicious and prepared perfectly. Go for Chili Garlic Noodles with a serving of Veg Balls in a spicy Manchurian sauce for that hair-raising experience. The chefs do entertain requests to keep the chili on the lower side, though.
The non-veg preparations are better than the veg ones. The chicken is really soft and the portions are sumptuous.
I have not tried the Lamb preparations here. If you have, please do contribute to this post.
Finish off the meal with one of the softest and melt-in-the-mouth desserts, the Death by Chocolate. (The name originates from an ice cream parlor chain in Bangalore, the Corner House). We never stop eating our hearts out of this dessert until we have gorged on (yes its gross to write about desserts in such a manner) at least 3 of those.

The restaurant has recently moved from Inner Circle to Middle Circle, near the Costa Coffee outlet.
The service leaves a lot to be fulfilled, almost every time. But on the whole, it is a fun place to be with your pals and have some real good Chinese grub.

Seduction Meter : Seduced ... not really. The service was a turn off (6.5/10)
Environs : Soft lights. Mirrors. Indian interiors for Chinese loving Indians. Weird music though.
Platter holders : Rude. Need to call them at least 3 times before they respond. Remind you of a Government office.
Mortals awaiting seduction : Families. Couples. Asians. Sarees to jeans with smart tops.
Burns a hole : 500 bucks wide for 2 vegetarians

Location : Between Radial Road 6 and Radial Road 7 in Middle Circle

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Monday, May 19, 2008

Parathas @ 4 in the morning - Authentic Delhi Cuisine

It's 4 in the morning and you have just finished watching that 4th Season of FRIENDS, yet again. And you are hungry. Hungry as a wild hog! What do you do?
Simple, get on your bike, hop into your car, hitch a ride or walk down to Green Park.
This is the place to be on a cold winter morning. You are shivering in the cold and then you have a bite of that 'anda paratha' and you are in heaven! (Paratha: Indian bread made of wheat flour. Fried on the outside in a pan in sumptuous amounts of oil :: Anda: Egg :: Anda Paratha: Paratha with poached egg used as a filling)
There are many many places in Delhi where you can go for grub late at night, or early in the morning, depends on your perception!
These days you get parathas almost anywhere in Delhi, but the best places to have it at 4 in the morning are:
Green Park : Opposite the Gurudwara
South Extension : At the Petrol Pump on the left while coming from Noida
Moolchand : Take a left from Moolchand flyover when coming from Noida
AIIMS : Search around and you will find some parathas being prepared all the time
Noida : Sector 2 - Opposite HCL
Sector 58 - The BPO Lane @ Guptaji's - Parathas, Maggi and lotsa sutta (Sutta : cigarettes)

Almost all these parathawalas set up shop around 11 in the evening and sell till half past midnight. They again begin at around 3 in the morning. This is what the situation was in Green Park in January'08. Update on the scene now.

P.S: Considering the fact that you are effectively eating at a roadside eatery, don't be too hygiene cautious. Think twice before going out with family at these times as we have lotsa people in high spirits ending up here.

Seduction Meter : Seduced and ready for more (9/10)
Environs : U gotta be kidding me!
Platter holders : Well, they play it safe. Its self service.
Mortals awaiting seduction : Cycles to BMWs to da Lexus. Sarees to Mini skirts.
Burns a hole : 120 bucks wide for 2