Sunday, January 3, 2010

Pearl MGM

Just few months ago, I had a chance to go to Las Vegas. I have been there before during my student days but it was a huge change to see the strip again. Most important of all, there was the analysis of the restaurants I have been before and checking out new ones. One night, I had dinner in Pearl Chinese Restaurant at MGM grand.

Name: Pearl MGM
Time of Visit: September 2008
Location: MGM Grand
Style of Cuisine: Chinese
Dress code: Business Casual (I did see one or two Jeans with T shirts but Flip Flops- a complete NoNo)
Reservations: We managed to get a place by just walking in, but reservations are recommended.
Cost of Dinner/couple : Around $60
Overall Ambiance: Good

So, as we walked into the restaurant, the first thing I noticed was the interior decoration. It was thoughtful to decorate with soft colors and matching lights along with a wonderful table setting with delicate arrangement of flowers.

If you happen to get a booth, I'd say you've got yourself a winner. The seats were designed to give the back a nice support and it was relaxing sitting there after all the walking and sightseeing. The menu had both veg and Non veg options, but us being veggies stuck to what we could eat.

We checked out the Mushroom soup which was light, yet filling. This is the first place I guess where I have had three waiters serve me each course, and explaining what the dish was. I would say the service was excellent in the way the food was presented and how we were greeted.

For the main course we had Singapore style rice vermicelli noodles and garden fried rice. Both dishes were presented in classic white dinner plates along with sauces in their own special cups. I felt the food was like an art and it blended well with the overall settings of the restaurant. The noodles was cooked well but not mushy or dry and was lightly spiced up. The rice was also cooked with a blend of sauces and the vegetables were crunchy, yet cooked thoroughly. The best part was that it was not served piping hot that you couldn't taste the ingredients and had to wait, but it was served at a proper temperature that we could enjoy.

Overall, I would say check it out if you are going to Vegas.

Addis Red Sea, Boston

Name: Addis Red Sea
Time of Visit: November 2007
Location: Tremont Street, Boston
Style of Cuisine: Ethiopian
Cost of Dinner/Couple: Above $50
Dress code: Formal /Casual

First suggestion: Remember is book a place in advance. There is always a long line of people waiting to get in so reserve a place. Second suggestion is drive to Tremont street at least 20 minutes early and try to find a parking spot. The street is always crowded so its better to arrive early and find a place than going around the block.

The restaurant reflects the Ethiopian decorations and even the table, chairs and place settings are made out of coir mats/bamboo chairs. The table is decorated with a colorful table cloth stitched with beads and painted with various designs.

The appetizer section features sambusa, which is similar to samosa but it is less spicy. There are also variety of salads and non vegetarian appetizers. The main dish is usually Ingera, a dosa like pancake which also serves as a plate. On top of Ingera, different condiments are served. We chose a combination of Butecha(chickpea paste with oil) ,Atakilt ( vegetables with herbs), Kinche(Cracked wheat) and Yesmir Wot(lentils).

The dishes are not spicy and it also not fried food. Most of the food is steamed with some herbs and it tastes good. The place also has a good selection of wine list. You can also take your friends to this place for a weekend/ get togethers.

Verdict: Check it out, its a different cuisine for a change and its tasty.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Woodlands, Orlando

Think about this situation. You are in Orlando for a nice vacation with the kids(or to revisit your childhood). You havent had anything inside the disney park and studios except pizza, noodles, salad and french fries. You yearn for the steaming bowl of rice and fluffy rotis. You miss the taste of authentic home cooking and you are wondering what to eat for tonite. Have you been in that situation before? Well, I was in Orlando, Florida and was driving around, trying to locate a Indian place with my GPS and the place that served me the authentic indian food was Woodlands.

Name of the place: Woodlands, Orlando(Opposite lakshmi plaza)
Time of visit: December 2007
Style of Cuisine : Indian
Cost of dinner/Couple : Less than $50

So, hand in hand my hubby and I walked into Woodlands and sank into a seat. We had been walking all day in the parks and being vegetarians, we havent had anything except fries and pizza. There comes the menu from Woodlands, filled with a complete menu of the typical indian dishes. We ordered rotis, dosas and rice and it tasted heavenly. I guess the place is vegetarian and the service was also good.

The next day as we were checking out places near by, we decided to have brunch at Woodlands again. We were informed that it would be a buffet. It was an amazing sight to see so many dishes in a weekday lunch. And trust me, the place didnt cut any corners. It was tasty , authentic, home cooked food, quality food and you could taste the cleanliness with which it has been prepared. Starting with Salads, Keer, Gopi Manchoorian, idlis, vadais, naan, gravies, poppadams, pickles, variety rices, yogurt rice and kesari, we were also served masala dosai. So literally speaking, for a buffet containing 20 dishes or more, with such an amazing taste, we paid less that $8/person.

Verdict: Dont miss this place. Totally worth the taste and a winner.

Tamba (Las vegas)

Just two days after landing in Las Vegas, I was longing for Rice and Rotis. We walking on the strip trying to find a Indian Restaurant when I saw the restaurant Tamba, situated just a few minutes walk from MGM grand and approximately opposite to Monte Carlo Casino.

Name: Tamba
Time of Visit: September 2008
Style of Cuisine: Indian
Dress code: Casual
Ambiance : Good
Cost of Dinner/Couple: Around $50

I was hoping to see a small restaurant with seating capacity of 20 people or so when I walked in to Tamba, but I was surprised to see atleast 50 places inside and the same number of tables on the patio. The overall mood inside the restaurant was pleasant and the decorations were Indian but not too traditional. I saw huge statues of Indian gods and other decorations that blended with the statues.

Not wanting to stick to just one dish, we ordered the Buddha's feast(Vegetarian version). The feast had a sampler from all courses from soup to dessert. I opted for samosa while my wife ordered soup. When out feast arrived, I was impressed by the presentation. The dishes were arranged on a square dinner plate with little square boxes holding the gravies and a matching cup holding the soup. The total white arrangement showed off the colorful gravies so well that it was elegant and appetizing.

I would also say that the dishes not only looked good, but also tasted good. The feast consisted of samosa(or soup), palak panner, dhal, malai kofta, rice, dhal and palak , roti and carrot halwa. The Malai kofta was one of the best I have had in my travels around the globe.

The taste was so good that we had dinner in Tamba again the next day and ordered rice and variety of gravies. Again the Panner Masala and Kofta were pure winners.

Verdict: Check it out, its worth the money.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Chutney Villa

Name: Chutney Villa
Time of Visit: March 2009
Style of Cusine: Indian
Location: 147 Broadway East
Vancouver, BC V5T 1W1, Canada, (604) 872-2228
Cost of dinner/Couple : Less than $50

When Hubby and I had planned on a vacation to Canada, we did not think that we were going to have an authentic South Indian food with home made taste and also rustic in Vancouver!! But we did find such a place and it is called Chutney villa!
True to its name the place had amazing chutneys to welcome us. The menu was nothing less than a feast, their specials being village feast consisting of all the yummy delicacies from the villages in South India to an authentic dosa-coffee sunday breakfast. Just seeing the items offered on the village feast made our mouths water as it was the food we used to eat when we were in India.

We decided to try egg dosa, vegetable korma with egg and a traditional thali. The thali had rice, kara kozhambu, rasam, vadai and payasam. Each dish was served with a chutney to increase the taste of the meal. Earlier I had my doubts about mixing chutney with kara kozhambu but the combination was made in heaven. They also serve the madras special marina beach style "Thenga Manga Sundal". Give it a try and you will feel like you are in your relatives house and not in a restaurant.

Verdict: Should visit atleast once for the variety of chutneys offered.