La Cucina, Kilpauk (2.5/5)

A bunch of my foodie friends were raving so much about the food at La Cucina that I was compelled to try it out during my recent visit home. 

Food (2/5)

1. Ferrero rocher shake- Since I had my lunch not too long before the visit, I ordered myself a ferrero rocher shake to start with. My initial thoughts on the drink was very positive but as I had more of it, I felt it was too creamy and sweet. Also, I have a very low tolerance towards the presence of ice cubes in milkshakes and this made this a poor order for me.

2. Some veg thin crust pizza

The restaurant took the word 'thin crust' way too seriously. The crust was wayyy too thin and that killed what could have otherwise been a good pizza. 

3. White sauce pasta

The pasta was cheesy but flavourless otherwise. 

The restaurant serves only vegetarian and thats another motivation dropper for me. 

Service (3.5/5)

The staff were friendly and reasonably quick with their service. They dropped in to know our feedback and seemed genuinely interested in customer views. 

Pricing (3/5)

Pricing is moderate 

Ambience (3/5)

When I entered first there was a bunch of kids celebrating one of their birthdays. Was way too noisy that I decided to get back in half an hour. When I revisited, the floors were strewn with burst balloons and party poppers. 

Considering the above as an exception the interiors are done up well. Their lighting is dim and the pull down hanging lights is something I haven't seen in other restaurants (interesting!). There is a lot of empty space in the outlet and this is something they could work on - more tables perhaps. 

Parking - The parking space seemed adequate for just one car; however, the restaurant offers valet parking to its customers.

Hotel Crescent, Nungambakkam

After an evening mallu movie with family was looking for some quick food before boarding my night bus back to Bangalore. After eliminating some of the regular south Indian restaurants due to non-availability of seats we decided to dine at Crescent.

Ambience (2/5)

The place is for hardcore non vegetarians and my SIL, who is a vegetarian had trouble dealing with the aromas of non veg food that was floating around. We sat at the non AC dining area- the seats were not too comfortable and the place could use a dullness check.

Pricing (4/5)

The food is priced very economically and I would definitely recommend this place if you are looking for a budget Kerala non vegetarian meal.

Service (3/5)

The staff was initially very cold and did not respond appropriately when we asked regarding availability of the dishes. However, thereafter he was forthcoming in letting us know about the delay in preparation of dishes and otherwise.

The egg curry and parotas were served in no time. However, the chicken roast took around 10-15minutes to be served.

Food (2/5)

We were visiting after 10PM on a Sunday night and there was no fish/prawn dishes available.

1. Classic parotas that was adequately crispy and soft. They were served warmed and was enjoyable.

2. Gravy - the gravy (salna in tamil) that accompanied the parota tasted ok. It had no traces of meat and was served in limited portion – that’s unusual.

3. Egg curry - was basically a few boiled eggs dropped in the curry mentioned above. Was surprised to find a slice of chicken in it (egg-etarians beware)

4. Chicken roast - we had requested for a dry/semi gravy dish. What we were served was a dry flavourless chicken (whatever limited flavour the dish had was limited to the outer layers) that had an overpowering taste of coconut oil. There was very little or no gravy at all, resulting in the lack of flavour.

Overall, a less satisfying experience except for the parotas; definitely expected better from this veteran Kerala restaurant.

Amethyst Cafe, Gopalapuram (3.5/5)

Have been visiting Amethyst ever since its presence in the old premises near lloyds road to as recently as last week. However, have not been a frequent visitor of this place on account of in-affordability (was in college when I first visited them) and less enjoyable food menu (did not quite appreciate their pizzas the last time I visited - back in 2012). 

Ambiance (4.5/5)

Very clearly things have changed and I now better appreciate a calm and cozy coffee shop which is out in the greens. Such places are a tough find in our city; so much so that if you tell a non-chennaite, they would be astonished to know we have an outdoor seating top notch coffee shop like amethyst (at least considering the city's climate ain't really conducive for outdoor seating). And yes, on a intolerable summer day you could choose to sit indoors in their air-conditioned seating area (the option of this seating arrangement seemed more for large groups though)

Pricing (3.5/5)

Well, I am not a college kid anymore and neither is this place much beyond my reach. I would call this a necessary luxury for an experience in such ambiance. 

Service (4/5)

Despite the huge and wide seating area the staff are easily available to take your requests. That's commendable. 

Food (3/5)

Not a big fan of their food or desserts. Like I mentioned earlier, do not have a particularly fond memory of a pizza I had back in 2012. However, quoting a more recent visit I did not quite like the blueberry cheesecake - the blueberry compote had a overpowering effect on the cheesecake. 

The hot chocolate (warm as if was served) was however delectable. If was foamy and much unlike the milo tasting hot chocolates served at other coffee shops. 

Would love to revisit for a calm evening and when there is a lot to catch up with the person I am meeting.

Green Dot Cheesecake, Nungambakkam (3/5)

Five of us visited this place on what could be described as a dessert mission. We had earlier visited la cucina and followed this up with ETC. 

Ambience (1.5/5)

Though located in a luxurious bungalow I would consider the ambience as non existent. Even the display counters were wrapped and due to be dispatched for service - made us think if we had entered a non-functional place. 

Pricing (3/5)

Their desserts are priced moderate. 

Service (3/5)

Nothing exceptional about the service- but nothing to complain about either. 

Desserts 

We ordered the following:

1. Red velvet cheesecake- it was spoilt and that was quite shocking (biggest let down of the day)

2. Blueberry cheesecake - tasted good and definitely unlike the RV cheesecake. 

3. Nutella and chocolate cupcake- the cupcakes were finger licking good. 

I would ideally rate such an experience (2.5/5) if not for the blueberry cheesecake and their cupcakes.

Cream Stone, Alwarpet (4/5)

2010- the first time I visited cream stone - in hypercity at Hyderabad. After a full meal I had ordered a willy wonka for self and I remember this to be one of the best ice creams I have ever had- the quantity was extremely overwhelming and the richness of the chocolate almost knocked me out.

Ever since, have recommended this ice cream to everybody who visited Hyderabad. I was extremely delighted when it opened in Bangalore and Chennai, that too in neighbourhoods I frequent. Finally got to relive willy wonka at the Alwarpet outlet yesterday.

Despite being a huge fan- tried to not expect too much considering I have had most of the better ice creams in the five years that followed my first round of willy wonka. However, this ice cream was definitely as good as I remembered and still finds a place in the list of best chocolate ice creams for me. Ordered a choco-reo to follow up and that was quite delicious as well.

Among other offerings, tried Belgium royal, dry fruit delight and fresh fruit and nuts. Relatively. these three were just ok.

Presentation is an area for improvement.

Ambience (3/5)
Themed in pink (I am sorry- my color palates does not include too many colors- so please don't judge me if am wrong)- the outlet had extensive seating space. The seating arrangement is not too comfortable and the circular wall corner tables are not easy to sit around.

The outlet has valet parking but it's not available during all working hours. Parking could be a constraint if you are driving down.

Service (4/5)
The staff are extremely courteous and brisk in their service. The ice creams are delivered pretty quick and the tables also are cleared without delays.

Pricing (4/5)
The pricing is nominal and relatively cheaper when compared to the other cold stone ice cream joints.

Must visit for their chocolate ice creams.

Eatalica, R.A Puram (2.5/5)

Was here for dinner with a bunch of foodies. Having studied in Loyola this is a place that was quite prominent and accessible from college (that was their second branch which is no longer open). In all of the last decade of their existence I have visited both their outlets exactly once each and both these experiences have not been something I enjoyed. Considering the same I was slightly reluctant to revisit; nonetheless, the restaurant proved to be a mixed bag with few dishes proving the revisit was not too bad after-all.

Ambience (3/5)

They have done an internal renovation and the new look of the place is definitely more attractive. But if I were to judge I would say its just a simple outlet adorned with superhero and comic character pictures and logo'ish designs.

Service (3.5/5)

The management was actively involved in service and it was quite prompt. They were running a full house so the order took a short while longer to be served.

Pricing (3/5)

The food was moderately priced. If you ask me was whether it was VFM- I would say maybe not 100%.

Food (2/5)

Most of the dishes are inspired by Hollywood movies. stars, singing icons, etc. There was a lot that was ordered on the table but I am rating purely based on my orders.

1. Jeniffer cupriati - an oregano chicken soup - thick white soup with few chunks of chicken. Tasted ok!

2. Ethan Hawke - spicy chicken wings

Probably the worst wings I have had in recent times. The wings were burnt fried and sauce was salty.

3. Maria carey - mixed chicken sub - the sandwich was presented well and was quite filling. However, one of the layers of chicken was too rubbery/chewy and hard to bite (assuming it was roast chicken ham).

The french fries that accompanied was totally sub-standard.

Unlikely that I would revisit.

Natural Ice Cream, Indira Nagar (4/5)

Ever since I moved to Bangalore from Chennai I have been wondering why is a 'Naturals Ice Cream Parlour' so highly rated. Only today did I realise that this is not the chain you find across Chennai but a Bombay based ice cream chain that serves unique fruity flavours. 

Ice creams (4.5/5)

Was here as a result of a serious dessert craving and decided to try out why this place was hyped so much. Checked a few review and based on several recommendations decided to check out the tender coconut flavour. This was a classic and nothing like I have ever eaten before. Loved it! 

Also tried their mango ice cream in a waffle cone. The cone was fresh and crispy (not a big fan of waffle cones- but surprisingly liked this). The mango ice cream was thick and had rich flavours. 

Sampled the following flavors:

- jackfruit : have never tried a jackfruit ice cream before and if I would ever crave for it - this would be the place to try it. 

- malai khurma: was unique and something I might wanna try during my next visit

- chocolate fruit and nut: didn't quite like it due to the overpowering taste of cocoa. 

Pricing (4.5/5)

The ice creams are quite cheap and affordable. The tender coconut cup cost me INR. 55 and the waffle mango flavor cost me INR.65 (inference is waffle costs ten bucks). The portions are quite small, but that gives room for trying more than one flavor in a visit. 

Service 

The outlet follows a self service model and you need to bill before you collect the ice cream. Nothing to comment on the service otherwise. 

Ambience (3.5/5)

Not much to glorify in terms of ambience. Considering the economical pricing - ambience need not necessarily be a judging criteria. 

However, there is inadequate chairs and seating space and would best recommend a take away or to eat in your parked cars. Car parking could also be an issue on busy days. 

Must try if you wish to have FRUITY ICE-CREAMS!