San’s Sizzlers

I visited San’s Sizzlers, a favourite of my family, after almost 4 years. My sister had been visiting India and we had to go to her favourite places. Though I do not like sizzlers much, I didn’t regret later having had them at San’s.

The warmth of the green and beige interiors greet you when you enter the joint. Small wooden tables and chairs are set up cosily inside. We were lucky to have got a place because we reached early. Even though it was a weekday, the place filled up quickly with chirpy NRIs soon.

We order for a Stir Fry Vegetable Sizzler and Chicken Sizzler and some mocktails to go along. I look at the stained glass ceiling while waiting for the order to arrive. The interiors are the same as they were before; no changes have been made. You might even find some furnishings being worn out.

We do not have to wait much and our order arrives soon. All 4 of us attack the 2 dishes almost together. I, obviously, go in for the chicken one and get lost in eating. The spices are just right and vegetables are lesser. We finish the chicken and crave for a little more but we move on to dessert, which invariable has to be Sizzling Brownie with Chocolate Sauce. Despite being a non-bakery or coffe joint, San’s Sizzlers boasts of this excellent dish. It can very well compete with brownie of any popular coffee joint chain. Surprisingly, Sizzling Browinie is all that is available for dessert here. Guess, they have made it clear that this is what their speciality is. Apart from sizzlers, of course.

        

The food was light and the chocolate was divine. The ambience was sunny and crowd was good. The owner is friendly and warm and the company was enjoyable. What else can a normal human being ask for?

San’s Sizzlers is a place I would like to hit periodically – say, once in 3 months. Move aside, Yoko, San’s Sizzlers is here to stay.

Momo Station - Review

Momo Station is perhaps one of the best things that happened to me in Surat. In terms of food, that is. This colourful joint, located on the third floor of Iscon Mall, is a quiet little place and is usually empty and peaceful and hence, I like it there. Another big plus point is that non vegetarian food is available here.

They have a small menu of 3 vegetarian and 3 non vegetarian momos, some soups, some side items and soft drinks. I ignore the rest and focus only on momos. 

 

I don’t know when I got to love momos. My first memory of momos is having them sitting down on the grass on one of the slopes in Himachal Pradesh during a school trip (some time in 1999). This was introduced to me by one of our teachers who were an Assamese. She went drooling over the spicy momos, made by a hawker, that were gleaming in the winter sun. I had looked curiously at the mushy, off white coloured dumplings. 

 

When I came across Momo station on one of the many visits to the mall, I squealed with delight. And hence after, I have been a regular customer there. Momo Station has never failed to delight me. I order any of the 3 momo styles offered – Spicy Chicken Momo / Masala Momo / (don’t remember the 3^rd one) (either fried or steamed) and prefer having the whole basket (6 momos) to myself. A soft drink goes well with it. 

 

I and a dear friend, who had never been to MS before, went there some weeks back and she ordered for Thupka (spicy, tangy noodle soup) and I fell in love with it. 

 

I have tried a vegetarian momo once, which has minced cabbage, cauliflower, etc filling and didn’t quite like it. It had no charm.

 

Whenever I am undecided about where I should go for food, Momo Station is usually the place I end up going to. Since it is usually scantily crowded, I can sit there peacefully, with no urgency to empty the table for waiting customers. A single basket of momos costs Rs. 65 – Rs. 80, which means a wholesome, healthy, delicious meal in less than Rs. 100! 

 

Try Momo station if you are looking for something different and unusual than your daily diet and want to tease your spicy taste buds a bit!

Surat Central Food Court–Mela

I have been shopping a lot lately. I know, I know, I am a shopaholic and can’t help but shop, but this lot fas for my sister. Anyway, I happened to get a Rs. 50 off coupon of the newly opened food court on the top floor of Surat Central. I just need an opportunity to eat out (especially if the joint is located in a mall!) and decided to use the coupon. 

I food court, named Mela, has started barely 20 days ago. Maybe thats why they are handing out the coupons – so that people know about it. 

Mela, written in Gujarati 

There was just another family present when we reached there. They have taken up a huge space for this – with some 100 colourful tables to accommodate the several hungry, enthusiastic Suratis, I suppose. I loved the colourful, village school type furniture and the walls. 

I know. Bad photo quality. Taken from 2 mp camera on my Blackberry 

The colourful furniture

My favourite piece of furniture!

There are 5 restaurants functional right now – Journey to Jalandhar, the Punjabi cuisine restaurant. Misumisu, the Chinese place. Sanskar, the Gujarati place (I love it already), Cheerz with Cheese, the fast food place, Vadilal Happinezz, ice creams and Cafe Bollywood, the Indian fast food. So, I can sum up that the variety is good. There is a lot to choose from, depending on your mood and appetite. 

The prices are reasonable. We took a Chilly Corn and Cheese sandwich from Cheerz and Cheeze and it costed us Rs. 50. Since we had to spend Rs. 150 to use the coupon, we went in for noodles and a gravy dish at Misumisu. I must say that they are not fully functional and all the counters may not have all the items on the menu available. I am sure they will start everything once th crowd starts pouring in, which would be soon, I am sure, since Suratis get attracted towards food like butterflies come pulled towards flowers. 

The various wall designs 

The glass work on pillars. We give the Gujarati artwork everywhere. A proud Gujarati! 

I ambience was lovely – huge space, colourful furniture and cool writings on the walls. They have tried to make it look like a sort of a village place. The ceiling is beautiful, with bandhini drapings and lanterns. Sad, couldn’t click those. 

I wonder what will happen once the place gets packed with Suratis possessing mammoth diets. 

Since the place is very close to my place and isn’t very expensive, I don’t mind coming here once in a week, to get a change from the routine roti-sabzi. Moreover, Happinezz menu showed some 50 sundaes. Need to try all of them one by one!

Restaurant Review–Village, Surat

I will never get bored of Village. Maybe because it is such a fun place. Maybe because the food is so yummy there. Village gives you a experience you won't be disappointed with. Its interiors made up to look like an actual village, the staff dressed up like cute, local village folks and the music and dhol to go in the background. A fantastic way to experience the true, traditional Gujarat.

You are greeted by the jovial staff at the entrance, who will politely ask you for Rs. 250 per person (the entrance charge is fixed and you get to eat unlimited food inside!). A second staff member is collect your coupons and put blue ink stamp on your hand as a token. A lady staff, dressed in ghaghra welcomes you with the thali and tilak (the Indian way!). A dash of colour and music hits you as soon as you enter. A ‘banyan tree’ stands right in the middle, with a bangle seller, a mehendi designer and a jyotish (palm reader) with a fancy laptop sits below it. The banyan tree is decorated with colourful and glittery crepe paper. When there is reasonable crowd, the staff comes up with a dhol and garba (the traditional dance of Gujarat) music. The music is irresistible for garba lovers and the several customers join the staff members to dance around the banyan tree. Heaven knows that we just need an excuse to do garba!

You are made to sit on low cane chairs at wooden tables and served water in brass tumblers. Colourful posters of actors and film posters adorn the walls.

Several food stalls are lined along several portions of the walls. Stalls offering a wide range of delicious food items make your willpower go weak and you give in to the magnetic pull of Gujarati delicacies. Chats, Sweets, Sugarcane juice, Chana, Southindian dishes, Chinese (Yes, Chinese too), Pav Bhaji – all invite you to their stalls. You may choose to try a little bit of everything because it is hard to say no to ANYTHING. You are required to go to the stalls, order to the cooks and pick up your food but the staff is more than willing to help. And, oh yes, masala chai wala and chaas wala will also come round to your table on their cycles!

The main course consists of Gujarati and Rajasthani dishes. The vegetables keep changing but the Kheechu, Kadhi, Dal-bati and khichdi are the standard items because they are staple gujarati dishes each meal is incomplete without. These dishes can be had with different types of rotis – Tandoori, Naan, Chhapati or Bhakri – my favourite. The cherry on the cake is always bhakri with ghee-gud (jaggery). Wind up the meal with yummy cool falooda or hot, melt-in-mouth jalebis or the irresistible gulabjamuns. Or, the favourite Indian drink – Masala Chai (Spicy tea) and you conclude only one thought – Heaven must be serving food like this.

Village is economical and fun. Go here for the whole experience, not just the food. The place can get noisy, with the dhol and music and the excited, hungry customers. Best for big groups, parties and gatherings and good for people with voluminous diets!

Coffee Culture–The hip, trendy joint

I'm thinking loud music. I'm thinking hep youngsters. I'm thinking teenagers with fancy hairstyles and flashy clothes. I'm thinking watching cricket on the big screen. I'm thinking trendy couches. I'm thinking Coffee Culture.

Coffee Culture – the latest, hip youth hangout place in Surat. Coffee Culture happens to be an all vegetarian and a little expensive eating joint located opposite Sargam Complex. The foodie Suratis don’t seem to be minding this as I always find the place full, especially with teenagers.

Coffee Culture boats of a huge range of hot and cold coffees, mocktails, pastas and pizzas. Their coffees are nice. Don’t miss their interesting non-alcoholic mocktails. They keep the orginal names like Mojito, Dead Woman Walking and Pinacolada, but it is obvious that they are all virgin drinks. I’ve tried their Mojito and fell in love with it instantly. Mojito is a lemon and mint drink which acts like a superb refresher, especially in this hot, humid weather.

I called over a small group of friends there for a get together and we had an excellent time ordering drinks and snacks at leisure, while watching the IPL on the big screen. In case the group is big, you can order a particular drink in their pitcher (in the pic). It looks beautiful (as does the rest of their crockery) and is quite fun. We ordered 2 Indian flavoured pizzas (Punjabi Addiction & Desi Culture) and a continental one (Farmhouse Feast). I cannot decide which amongst them was the best. The Desi pizza had garlic and peas topping, apart form the usual paneer, onion, capsicum and tomatoes. We were left longing for more. I strongly recommend their pizzas.

I did find the place a tad expensive. With a group of 7 people, we got a bill of Rs. 2,500, which is a bit too much for a coffee joint. I recommend this place for couples or trios, intending to spend easy time without ordering much. Maybe, just a coffee or a drink. Definitely not a place to give treats at!

Well, they also have a small room for kids or group parties.

This is a fun place catering to tastes of all age groups. Come to this place and you will be infused with vibrancy and zest.

Average price per person, in case you go for coffee / drinks only, would be Rs. 150. In case you like to order food too, price may go upto Rs. 350/400.

I would categorize Coffee Culture as a lavish coffee joint but worth each penny. Perfect for a once-in-a-while visit.

The Real Taj of Restaurants

Dinner at Taj - always gives a plush, prestigious feel. Taj is still considered to be an expensive affair, meant only for the rich and glamorous. A meal at Taj may still be considered as an illustration of extravagant living. Well, it definitely is good to spoil oneself once in a while. In my case, it has started happening a little more than ‘once in a while’, though.

My love for food and the wide plethora of food offered at Taj is what pulls me there again and again. Any celebration has to be at Taj. Well, eating out without any reason also happens at Taj frequently. I hit Taj Gateway, Surat recently, on occasion of my birthday, and had a memorable meal.

I started off my meal with the juice of the day called Fruit nectar. It was a mixed juice with heavy flavour of pineapple and passion fruit. I decided to head for salads, before taking the second helping of Fruit Nectar, as the salads looked very inviting. Cold Chicken and Fish salad, Pineapple and Mayonnaise salad, Bean salad, Brazilian Veg salad, Chicken Hawaiian salad could be had by adding salad dressings and oils like Rosemary oil, Basil oil and Thousand Island dressing. I could easily ignore the main course and go on with salads.

Before the main course, there were soups and pastas to try. Various types of plain and flavoured breads and croissants can be had with soups. The Chole-Aloo chat got me hooked on to it. I didn’t even want to leave out the 4 types of raitas and pickles there.

Pastas are made to order. You can ask for vegetarian or non-vegetarian pasta in sauce of your choice. We ordered for a veg pasta in red sauce (in the pic) and it was heavenly.

Though I am a non vegetarian food lover, I found the vegetarian dishes interesting. Vegetables in green Thai curry. Spicy Noodles, Mixed vegetables cooked in Avadhi style, Brinjals cooked in South Indian style were some of the dishes I couldn’t say No to. One of the up sides of Taj is that it caters to all kinds of tastes – Various national specialities, Asian and European. No wonder, you see Gujaratis, North Indians, Muslims, Japanese and Europeans regularly flocking into the place in good numbers.

Main course included fish in white sauce, Chicken in Sarso Saag, Lamb Masala, Hakka Noodles and Singaporean Noodles. I wish I could eat more. But I was already full and we were yet to attack the desserts.

Desserts. My favourite part of the buffet. Taj always offers around 10 variety of unique desserts during each buffet. This time they had Pineapple Crumble, Doodhi Halwa, Lemon Soufle (in the pic), Mango Blueberry Mousse (in the pic), Strawberry Burfi, Strawberry Swiss Pie, Rasgulla (my favourite), Kiwi Catalana (in the pic) and Chocolate Cheesecake.

I didn’t even know unique combinations such mango and blueberry make up such wonderful, yummy foods. My tummy were at the optimum level by this time and I could eat no more. Alas. All good things come to an end.

Taj Gateway is a spacious, peaceful, elegant place witnessed by the upper crust crowd of the city. A buffet at Taj means a getaway from the usual, daily humdrum and to rejuvenate. The staff is courteous and you are sure to have an undisturbed, balmy time here.

Buffet dinner costs Rs. 650 per head.

I am already waiting for the next occasion when I can celebrate at Taj.