The New BBQ and Grill Menu at Infinity, Novotel Varun Beach Vizag

One of the reasons that I love staying at Novotel Varun Beach in Vizag is the superb view of the seafront that it offers. And best of that view is from the roof top where you can see the vast expanse of the seashore as well as end to end of the busy beach road. The location qualifies as a sightseeing point in its own right. The added attraction on the rooftop is Infinity Bar and Grill, which serves some good continental food and heady cocktails. With both indoor and outdoor seating, and a glass partition separating it, you can have a majestic view from any point in the restaurant.

Infinity Novotel Vizag
View from the Restaurant

Read more ...

The Gujarati Food Festival at Hira Panna Vegetarian Restaurant

The Paigah Colony-Sindhi Colony area in Secunderabad is a vegetarian food lover’s paradise. We get quite a selection of vegetarian delicacies of many cuisines ranging from street food carts to dine in restaurants. Hira Panna, a new restaurant on the main road between Paradise and Rasoolpura has started operations a few months back and I had been hearing some good feedback about the place. Though the place is known for its multi-cuisine buffet, the highlight of which is North Indian and Chinese vegetarian food, they are currently hosting a Gujarati Food Festival, presenting a buffet of dishes from the Gujarati cuisine.

Gujarati Main Courses

Read more ...

Novotel Bheemili: An Ideal Weekend Getaway by the Sea

Last year when I had travelled to Vizag on a break and was staying at The Novotel, Varun Beach (Read here: Novotel at Vizag), I was told by one of the hotel staff that another Novotel property was soon to be inaugurated at Bheemunipatnam, and this new place would offer a breathtaking view of the rustic sea. So, this time when I was planning a weekend getaway to Vizag, I checked about this hotel from the Accor Plus website and booked myself in for a night there.

Novotel Bheemili
Sunrise from the Hotel Room

Read more ...

Punjab Grill’s Rangla Punjab brings Rustic Punjabi Cuisine to Hyderabad

Rangla Punjab refers to the lively and colourful rural roots of the state, and the name has been made famous by a decade-old song from Sarbjit Cheema.  Using this concept, Punjab Grill is showcasing recipes from rural Punjab and across the border through a promotion called Rangla Punjab at their restaurant in Jubilee Hills Hyderabad. The corporate chefs of Punjab Grill have done a great deal of research into the cuisines of interiors of the state to discover hidden recipes.

Chargha Murgh
Chargha Murgh

Read more ...

Olive Tree Trading: Premium Ingredients for Your Kitchen

   
Restaurants in India often have a serious issue in sourcing quality ingredients, especially for continental or oriental dishes. The problem is more acute in smaller cities with a limited number of suppliers dealing in this. Some recipes need special ingredients and there is no way to get it from the common suppliers. Olive Tree Trading, an online portal is addressing this need to some extent and is making quality imported items available to the chefs all over India through their online store. The company started about a decade and a half ago when a star hotel was interested in sourcing better quality olive oil. Today, the company presents a range a range of items used by chefs and homemakers all over the country.


If you visit the Olive Trading portal, you are overwhelmed by the choices available. Starting from Bread Toppings, Fish Fillets, Biscottis, Cereals to Truffle Butter and Oil and Sundried Tomatoes the list is extremely huge. But, first, let us talk about their signature offering – imported olive oil. The company markets their Olive Oil under the brand name Olive Tree. They have two versions of the olive oil they market – Olive Oil for Everyday Cooking (priced at Rs 810 per litre) and Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Rs 950 per litre). The latter variant comes from the first pressing of the ripened olives from Tuscany in Italy. The first cold pressing retains most of the nutrients of the olive and the acidity level is lower. Stored in dark glass bottles (as it should not be exposed to heat and light), the product is becoming extremely popular for its ability to provide freshness to the dishes cooked with it, as well the properties of anti-oxidants in it to prevent diseases.

Olive Tree in use at Prego, The Westin Mindspace, Hyderabad This brand of Olive Oil is widely used by the top Italian restaurants in the country. Recently at Prego, the Italian restaurant at The Westin, Hyderabad, I watched as the Italian Chef used Olive Tree Olive Oil to prepare some great Italian risotto and tiramisu.

The portal has also some exquisite handcrafted gift boxes of Olive Oil, in case you want to send it to someone you know who has interests in culinary science.




The Cereals and Grains submenu has some interesting products – Quinoa is one of them. As we are aware, Quinoa is popular as it is healthy and rich in proteins. This has led to people, especially vegetarians and vegans to adopt it as the cereal of their choice. Olive Tree has a brand called El Olivo for their quinoas which come in three variants – Black, Red and White quinoa. Whereas current recipes with quinoa are mostly occidental, a new trend has set in where there has been a fair amount of experimentation with this grain even in Indian cuisine.



Europaea Full Cream and Low Fat Milk Olive Tree also has a subscription offer for the Europaea brand of dairy milk. The dairy milk imported from Ireland is offered in two variants - Full Cream (3.5% fat) and Low Fat (1.5% fat). The USP for this product imported from Ireland is that it is the pure milk of grass-fed cows, which is processed through advanced techniques to ensure the highest levels of sterilization. Apart from the above products, one can navigate the site to find many other useful offerings. Exotic ingredients like Whole Black Truffle in Brine, White Truffle Butter, Organic Tahini, Savoiardi and a range of pasta sauces. The online site is useful both for chefs as well as homemakers especially those who are involved in preparing Italian and continental style dishes.

Web Site Details:
Olive Tree Trading (Gourmet Online Store) http://www.olivetreetrading.com/
Read more ...

Glocal Junction Unveils a Brand New Menu

In a short span of since opening in Hyderabad (Read: Glocal Junction comes to Hyderabad), Glocal Junction has become popular for their dishes with exquisite looks and delicate taste. After one year of operations in Hyderabad, the restaurant has now revamped their dine-in menu to provide a refreshing change to their loyal audience.

Kachapuri
Kachapuri, the Georgian national dish

Read more ...

Delizioso Lasagna Promotion at Tuscany

While Italian food festivals have become quite common in Hyderabad, niche promotions are not too many in number. Tuscany at The Trident, Hyderabad brings to us a Delizioso Lasagna, a festival planned around Lasagna, one of the traditional Italian dishes which also has a significant fan following in India.

Trident Lasagna
Crisp and Fresh Pasta with Sous Vide Pork Belly

Read more ...

Cook-Off at Prego Hyderabad with Singing Chef Antonello

Prego at The Westin is one of the Italian restaurants in Hyderabad that strives to serve authentic food. In this endeavor, from time to time the restaurant organizes promotions by chefs from outside Hyderabad. After Chef Boggio from Pune, it is now Chef Antonello from Prego Mumbai to present his favourite dishes to the food lovers of Hyderabad.

Prego Westin Hyderabad


Read more ...

Paradise Hosts Zafrani Biryani Festival

If there is one restaurant which is named simultaneously with Hyderabadi biryani all over India and even in parts of the world, it is Paradise Restaurant. Savouring the biryani in this iconic place has emerged into a must-do when tourists and delegates alike visit Hyderabad.  The restaurant has set off a massive polarization in Hyderabad itself, with many admirers and detractors in this city. But as they say, you can love it or hate it, but you cannot ignore it.

Paradise Biryani

Read more ...