Souq Bistro & Grills, Ahmedabad

Souq Bistro & Grills
BG 10, Ground Floor
Acropolis Mall,

S G Highway,
Thaltej
Ahmedabad
079 6555550


I've been wanting to visit Souq's newest offering - Bistro & Grills, ever since I got invited for their soft launch, but couldn't visit as I was out of town. We do enjoy the food at the Souq at Vijay char rasta, but are not so keen on the food at Alpha One Mall food court.

The call of fusion African, Mediterranean and Arabic food was quite irresistible and the glowing reviews on zomato, only increased my anticipation. Since we finally left home on Saturday at a decent hour to be able to eat lunch at a regular restaurant (only coffee shops are open after 3pm), there was absolutely no hesitation in heading straight here.

The minute we walked in, we fell in love with the place. The overally shades of blue, the mason jars filled with pickled vegetables and spices along one wall of the restaurant, the lentils/dhals filled glass compartments were all so beautiful, as were the lovely patterned tables, that you can see in my pictures.

For starters, we ordered the mezze platter (390/-), which had a selection of pita stuffed with falafel, brown bread, lavash, veggie crudites, garlic mayo, green pea hummus and babaghannoush. The falafel was much better than that served at the Vijay charrasta outlet and the green pea hummus was an interesting twist, the babghannoush though is better at the original location.

 The fried calamari rings (395/-) were average and not something we would order again (not enough added flavour and served with a very simple mayonnaise).

The honey mustard chicken bratwurst (295/-) was interesting, but the roast garlic mashed potatoes they were served with, was divine.

For main course, I had the hammerred bistecca (buffalo not beef - 440/-). the meat was soft, but it still needed a sharp knife to be cut and surprisingly they said that they did not have any steak knives in the restaurant. If you are serving steak, then you need to supply customers with steak knives, otherwise the meat gets really messy, a regular knife just can't cut into steak.

The prawn custard with Indian salmon (550/-) was something different and had an unusual presentation and my sister and husband quite enjoyed it (I'm allergic to prawn veins and don't have prawns outside the house). My husband loved his peri peri chicken (410/-) It was not as spicy as the original recipe calls for, but I guess it has been toned down for the Ahmedabadi palate. Next time, I will request them to make it extra spicy for us.

For desserts we had the chocolate molten cake (210/-) which was decadently gooey, but slightly salty, I suspect they used salted butter instead of white butter in the recipe.

 The creme brulee (210/-) was tasty, but the crust on top didn't have enough sugar and wasn't freshly torched, so it didn't crackle the way a good creme brulee does. Also the sutard was slightly more scrambled than it should have been. (which happens when you use too much heat when cooking the eggs in a custard)

The vanilla panacotta (220/-) was served surrounded with a citrus reduction. A very mild dessert, low in sugar, so great for people who are watching their weight or their sugar.

The desserts were quite good and a departure from the Upper Crust desserts served at the Vijay Crossroads outlet.

The food is expensive (around 3000/- for 3 people), but its worth it to be able to sit down and enjoy a great tasting meal in this lovely restaurant.

Rating : 4.5 / 5


Edited on 26 Jan 2014 to add:
We visited them on Sunday for their heavily touted brunch. The brunch was partly served at the table and partly as a buffet with one or 2 live counters. The best part of the brunch was the live music.

The worst part was that they only served brunch and nothing a la carte, so if you are going in a group and one person isn't hungry enough for a full meal, that person has no option but to choose from the brunch and pay full price. (649/- for veg and 749/- for non-veg)

There were 4 hot veg and 4 hot non veg starters served on the table including prawns. But service was horridly, horribly slow, the veg items would appear rather quickly but the chicken legs and prawns took almost 20-30 minutes between servings.

The brunch included 6 salads and 6 dips of various origins with a variety of breads. There were also some mini burgers and mini sandwiches at the buffet table with some grilled vegetables as sides.

There were 4 veg and 4 non-veg main courses including lamb, chicken, fish and a seafood paella. Eggs and pasta were being freshly prepared at a live counter.

The menu listed 6 desserts, but most of them were over by the time we were done with our meal. The chocolate brownie was the only one worth eating. The chocolate fondue and Mehlabeyya custard were over by the time we got to dessert.

Its a large spread, but it makes sense to go early and go hungry, if you really want to appreciate the whole brunch.

Mark Pi's Crazy Noodles, Ahmedabad

Mark Pi's Crazy Noodles,
4, Freeway Mall,
Ambli Bopal Road,
Off S G Highway,
Bopal,
Ahmedabad
079 26920203, +91 8733910387

Edited on 29 Jan 2014:
Location has now shifted to
Crazy Noodles
7, Campus Corner 2,
Opposite Auda Garden,
100 Feet Road,
Prahlad Nagar,
Ahmedabad
+91 9426365801, +91 8460722175

I wanted to drink something hot after stepping out of Crossword this evening. But did not want anything sugary (Chocolate Room is my normal choice) So I headed next door to Crazy Noodles and ordered a lemon coriander soup (100/-).

This was my first visit to Crazy Noodles and I was surprised at how good the quality and taste was. Much less Indianised than Momoman and not as expensive as Mainland China.

Just to try something else, I ordered a mushroom black pepper (120/-) and the mushrooms were cooked to perfection. Will go back to try the crispy noodle salad that has been heavily recommended as have their Japanese Soya Butter Noodles and Pepper Cottage Cheese

The interiors are bright and cheerful and make you feel good, even on a cold winter day

Note : - the size of the soup is really large and can be easily shared by 2

Rating : 3.5 / 5

Momoman, Ahmedabad

Momoman
3 Advait Complex
Sandesh Press Road
Bodakdev - Vastrapur
Ahmedabad
92271 20120, 92278 50250

The non veg momos aren't bad. The spicy mutton and mutton + cheese aren't traditional, but still quite tasty. They are among our favourites.

The regular momos have a thicker skin than what you get in Delhi & North East India, so the fried versions are definitely better tasting, than the steamed ones.

Some of the noodle dishes aren't very good. They are made straight with common sauces out of a bottle. The dishes we have found rather decent are the Chilly Chicken for 200/- and the dragon chicken manchurian at 190/-.

Steamed chicken mince momos are 70/- for 5 pieces, but the fried version is much better, given the thick skin.

The street style thai chicken noodles are extremely average and at 200/-, its much more expensive than what you would pay at a roadside cart.

If you are looking for street style Chinese with a decent seating option, then you will be happy with momoman. This is not the place to go for an authentic Chinese experience.

Rating :  3 / 5

Fresh Roast, Ahmedabad

We had a lovely mini Zomato Foodie Meet Up at Fresh Roast today and none of the foodies who attended had visited Fresh Roast before. So it was as new and exciting an experience for each and every one of us.

Fresh Roast is set in a 90 year old Heritage Building that has been loving restored and now the 33 room house has the option of 18 rooms for rent (like service apartments) too.

However, we were there for the food and the food gossip, so after we were shown around the place, we all began a series of foodie discussions with each other and the wonderful team of Zomato Ahmedabad.

We were given a special menu to choose from, culled from the best dishes that Fresh Roast offers.

There were at least 7 varieties of mocktails and milkshakes to choose from. A similar choice of soups, salads, starters and main courses were also offered. We were all so busy talking away, that I don't think any one of us took any pictures of the food.

I tried the Lemon Blazer - Fizzy Lime and Mint Twist with Cranberry and Pineapple juice that was really refreshing and also had a bite to it. I suspect a bit of green chilli was thrown into the mix. But it just enhanced the taste.

I did consider ordering a soup, but for some reason I didn't and I didn't notice anyone else order a soup or a milkshake either.

Our table tried the Lettuce Wrap salad that was interesting, but although the menu said it had an oregano lemon dressing, for me the overwhelming flavour was a sweet and sour imli sauce kind of taste (that was interesting). The other table said the Fettuce Salad was also very good.

Given my special dietary requirement of non fried, non cheesy, non carb food (for today), I couldn't taste the really exciting dishes on the menu. I was told that the Jalapeno Cheese Wraps were very good. I did however try the Sauteed Mushrooms and the Pesto Malai Paneer and I have to confess that I loved the Paneer. This may be the first time I want to go back to a vegetarian restaurant to have a veggie item all over again. The paneer was really yummy.

The spinach cheese balls, bruschetta, quesadillas, Milanese Pizza and Ravioli all looked good, so I guess I will have to try them when I return to Fresh Roast.

For dessert, there was a choice of ginger, rose and kiwi ice cream. The ginger ice cream was rated the best of the lot. So that's another item on my wishlist, for when I return.

The service was lovely. Non intrusive but served with warmth and care. The open air seating outside was lovely and with all the garden umbrellas, we did not even realise how hard it was raining.

Rarely do Pure Vegetarian Eateries feature in my "visit/visit again" wishlist, but Fresh Roast is firmly in that category.

Food Product Review : Mint-O-Ultramintz

About 2 weeks ago, I was contacted by Blogadda, asking if I would like to review mint-o Ultramintz as a part of their Product Reviews Program. A few days before that, a friend of ours had been heavily recommending ITC's mint-o-ultramintz to my husband and also complaining about how difficult it was to find it in the open market.

So I obviously jumped at the chance to review the product. Sigh! the things one does to keep ones husband happy! LOL

Within a week or so, the package arrived by courier and I was quite impressed with the personalised gift wrapped packaging.

On opening the first layer, the packaging inside was almost like a jewel case, with the ultramintz box resting in a hollow, lined with silk.

The courier I received, actually had 2 such boxes.

Ultramintz are supposed to be made with imported peppermint oil and sugar substitute, so they are supposed to be a low calorie mouth freshener / refresher / instant pick me up / low calorie sugar fix.

As a low calorie sugar fix, I like the product. It is mildly sweet, not too strong and works perfectly for me when I am working late into the night and have a sugar craving, but don't want to binge on something unhealthy / fattening.

As a ultramintz, I was expecting much more. The name, the icy look on the box, the packaging - all made me expect a much much stronger minty flavour, one that would almost burn away my taste buds, like Big Red Chewing Gum. But, on this count, the product failed for me. Its a very mild peppermint flavour. Its a good flavour, but just not strong enough. Even tic tac seems to be stronger than ultramintz. Brands like XXX and Altoids are at a different strength level altogether.

Now, if I had bought ultramintz as a regular mint box to keep in my handbag, I wouldn't have been disappointed. But the sheer build up to the product, the way it was launched in the market, the way it is packaged, the way it is being marketed, the way it is being talked about. All of this compounded together, made my expectations skyrocket. And it was these expectations that were dashed when I tried them at home.

Everyone else in my family, also felt the same way. That the final delivery, did not meet the product expectation build up. Ultra to us implies "more" and we all expected much more strength to the peppermint part of the product. The sweetness was ideal and no issue at all.


Will, I buy it off the shelf? I honestly don't know. I'm not sure of their price point yet. The box is convenient and not as fiddly as a tic tac box, which often opens up in the purse, but is that enough, for me to switch brands and products?

Overall, ultramintz is a nice mint to have handy in your purse, to refresh the taste in your mouth or as a low-calorie sweet fix, but its not even strong enough to work as a breathmint.


I am reviewing mint-o Ultramintz as a part of the Product Reviews Program at BlogAdda

Pure Drinks - Real Fruit Sorbets, Ahmedabad

I met the husband-wife couple behind Pure Drinks at their stall at a recent exhibition at Rajpath Club.

They sell frozen blended fresh fruits. While they have labelled their products as sorbets, they can be used to make fresh fruit juice, fruit sodas or milkshake or even as toppings for ice-creams. The sorbets are 100% pure and natural with no added flavours.

They can't be used in tarts because once they melt, the consistency is completely liquid.

Most of their products have added sugar, but they also have some sugarless options. They also promised me that if I order in advance, they can make me sorbets in whichever flavour they offer without any added sugar.

They offer over 50+ varieties depending on the season. The Sorbets are sold in 1/2kg and 1 kg bottles. Fast selling variants like Faalsa are sold in 5kg bottles too. They don't just offer simple flavours, but also a gamut of combinations like Kiwi Pina (Kiwi + Pineapple), Kiwi Heart (Kiwi + Apple), Herbal amla, Muskiwi (Musk melon + kiwi) among others.

The product is frozen and they say that as long as you keep it frozen, it can last for a year. When you want to use, just take it out of the freezer, scoop as much as required and return the jar to the freezer.

They can be contacted at
Pure Drinks
B 1004 Prernasikhar Apartment
B/s Bodakdev Fire Station
Judges Bungalow Road
Vastrapur
Ahmedabad

Phone: 079 2685 7082, 97129 78724

Email : enquiry@puredrinks.co.in and puredrinks@rediffmail.com

Eat At Lucknow, Lucknow

Eat At Lucknow
Chowdhury Charan Singh Airport
Lucknow

Eat at Lucknow is the only sit-down option at the new airport terminal. Smartly, while it has a common kitchen, it has entrances on both sides, separated by a divider, so that visitors to the airport and travellers who have checked in, can both partake of their offerings. However, since the eatery is located before security check, travellers do need to keep their eyes on the clock.

The menu has about 30 items. Breakfast options being bread omlette with a complimentary chai, parathas, puris and dosas. They have a range of sandwiches for the day, in both vegetarian and non vegetarian options. Meals include some standard North Indian/Punjabi gravies and rotis/rice.

After the 2 hour drive from Kanpur and a looming 4.5 hour flight to Ahmedabad on Jet Connect (no hot meals provided), we stepped in for a quick bite. They promised to provide quick service, so we ordered a bread omlette 106/-, chicken tikka 207/- (I'd been on a vegetarian diet for a week) and  cappucino 69/- and seated ourselves.

The eatery was clean enough and tables were being wiped frequently during the steady stream of customers who mostly took away a hot drink.

The bread omlette had a chai bundled with it in the menu. While ordering, my husband had asked if it could be swapped with a cappucino and they said it couldn't. So he told them to skip the chai and just bill us for the cappucino.

It took about 10 minutes for the bread omlette to arrive and the server brought us the chai too and when my husband said he didn't want it, he was quite upset
"iske saath mein aata hain saab, aap pi lijiye"
"nahin chahiye bhai, humne coffee mangaya hain"
"par saab, yeh aapke order ke saath aata hain, aapne iska paisa diya hain"
"toh aap pilijiye bhai, hume nahin chahiye"
I'm sure he must be still retelling the story of the mad couple who pays for food that they have no intention of consuming.

While the cappucino wasn't bad, the omlette and chicken was undercooked. The omlette was pale yellow with no browning at all and the chicken was raw in the center. The chicken was also a little salty for me, but then I also find most food in UP, on the saltier side.

Service was average, but the food we ordered wasn't good. Maybe we should have stuck to sandwiches or something. The dosas that were going out to neighbouring tables looked quite good too.

Prices are average for an airport eatery. Prices mentioned above then have 12.36% ST and 14%VAT tagged on before final billing.

Its an ok option to grab a cup of coffee/tea before a flight. But you'd be better off eating something at home or waiting to arrive at your destination to have a meal.