November 21, 2011

And the winner is...

November 21, 2011 1
It's time to announce a winner of the giveaway contest for the free meal vouchers to Hyderabad House!

Thank you to all those who entered. There is no need to be disheartened if you lose because there are many more giveaways to come! Most of all, many congratulations to the lucky winner who happens to be:


Congratulations Maheen Meenai! Please send us your details as soon as possible via the Contact tab. 
Enjoy your free food!!!


November 14, 2011

Win Dinner for Two at Hyderabad House

November 14, 2011 11
Hyderabad House has decided to sponsor a giveaway for all its fans right here on The Kanwalful Food Chronicles! So one of you lucky people will be visiting the restaurant to be treated to an AMAZING, FREE dinner for TWO! That includes 2 starters, 2 main courses and 2 desserts/drinks!


To know a little more about menu served there click HERE.

As for the giveaway – entering it is simple. Just answer the question below and follow the rules to get a chance to win dinner for two at Hyderabad House.

Question

What was the review author's favorite main course at Hyderabad House?


A. Vegetable Lukhmi
B. Paneer Makhni
C. Dumpukht Chicken Biryani


Rules:

1. Only fans and followers are eligible to participate in this giveaway. Sign up now by clicking on the "Follow" tab OR on the Facebook Fan page on the right.

2. Write your answer, along with your full-name and email address in the comments section below (Click on Post a Comment). Only correct answers will be carried forward for the lucky draw.

3. Winner will be announced on 23rd November 2011 - Wednesday at 10.00 pm. Entries will close at 9.00 pm on the same day. The winner will be contacted through email. If there is no response from the winner within 24 hours of contacting him/her the prize will be canceled and will be passed on to the first runner-up instead.


4. This contest is only valid for those residing in The Kingdom of Bahrain.

Tell as many friends as you can about this AWESOME giveaway!

Good luck! =)





Win Dinner for Two at Hyderabad House


Being a hot favorite for me right now, Hyderabad House has decided to sponsor a giveaway for all its fans right here on The Kanwalful Food Chronicles! So one of you lucky people will be visiting Butlers to be treated to an AMAZING dinner for TWO! That includes 2 starters, 2 main courses and 2 desserts/drinks!


To know a little more about menu served there click HERE.

As for the giveaway – entering it is simple. Just answer the question below and follow the rules to get a chance to win dinner for two at Hyderabad House.

Question

What was the review author's favorite main course at Hyderabad House?


A. Vegetable Lukhmi
B. Paneer Makhni
C. Dumpukht Chicken Biryani

Rules:

1. Only fans and followers are eligible to participate in this giveaway. Sign up now by clicking on the "Follow" tab OR on the Facebook Fan page on the right.

2. Write your answer, along with your full-name and email address in the comments section below. Only correct answers will be carried forward for the lucky draw.

3. Winner will be announced on 23rd November 2011 - Wednesday at 10.00 pm. Entries will close at 9.00 pm on the same day. The winner will be contacted through email. If there is no response from the winner within 24 hours of contacting him/her the prize will be canceled and will be passed on to the first runner-up instead.



4. This contest is only valid for those residing in The Kingdom of Bahrain.

Tell as many friends as you can about this AWESOME giveaway!

Good luck! =)

November 12, 2011

A taste of Hyderabad

November 12, 2011 2
Since my arrival to Bahrain ten months ago, experimenting with different cuisines has been a routine. This is mostly because Bahrain is home to one of the most diverse populations I have ever seen, paving way to a multitude of cultures - each expressing their own delicious glory by means of eateries. For someone who is still in the process of learning about traditional food, it is always a delightful experience to taste new things and discover the rich history behind the place it hails from.

It is for this reason my husband and I visited an upcoming restaurant in the city - one that is rich with symbolism of the Indian metropolitan city Hyderabad. Known globally for its iconic monument of Charminar, Hyderabad is a city that has a 400 year old history of cuisine that is highly influenced by Mughals and also by Turkish, Arabic, French and Irani food. These references itself speak volumes about the proposed grandeur of the food. 

Before trying out the food I was sure that Hyderabadi food would be very much like the typical Pakistani food I am accustomed to. After all, India and Pakistan were one nation not so long ago and I expected food variety to be on the same page. I was very wrong.

A trip to Hyderabad House was a real eye opening treat where I was pleasantly surprised with the difference in Pakistani and Hyderabadi (Indian) food. As we started off our meal with Vegetable Lukmis - which were, broadly speaking, a finely mixture of vegetables with Indian spices folded into pastry dough (similar to those of samosas) and fried to a soft perfection - I noticed that Hyderabadi food had a tinge of sweetness to it.

Malai Tikka, was the other set of starters that we ordered, and these cubic pieces of chicken were not only tender with spice, but creamy enough to justify the name they were given. In contrast to the Malai Tikka I am used to, which usually turns on the spice alert, this Malai Tikka was not nearly as vicious with the taste-buds. This definitely makes it a must-try for locals in Bahrain, who I have known to prefer minimal spices in their food.

Our Malai Tikka was served with a basket of Laccha Paratha, which unlike regular parathas that are a layer of kneaded and fried white flour - has several crispy layers over a smoother, softer base. Dipped in the minty green sauce and topped with pieces of Malai Tikka this Paratha was really a praise worthy delight.

The first of our two main courses was the Dumpukht Biryani. Dumpukht is one of the most intricate designs to cook meat, whereby the chicken is allowed to cook on very low heat in its own juices and bone marrow. While this technique is only 200 years old it is one of the most popular labels of Indian food and has been incorporated into various recipes - one of which is the famous biryani.  Even though it was my first time trying it, the dumpukht biryani at Hyderabad House was heaven. The grains of rice were long and evenly cooked, steamed to perfection with the chicken pieces - that were simply bursting with flavor. The spices used, which were a secret according to the chef, were a whole trip to what one can imagine to be an Indian Bazaar. The Dumpukht was served with a thin gravy, for those who prefer further spicing up their food.

We also ordered Paneer Makhni, as one of the main courses, which was by far my favorite item in the menu. The soft blocks of cheese cooked in tomatoes, butter and cream were a fantastic combination with the garlic nan (bread) that we had it with. While I have had Paneer Makhni on several occasions, this was by far the best version and kudos to the chef who prepared it. In my opinion, a trip to Hyderabad House would be incomplete without trying out the Paneer Makhni.

The meal drew to a close with some traditional Hyderabadi dessert - Double ka meetha - which is essentially fried bread soaked in cardamom syrup, cream and saffron, and topped with nuts. Even though I am not a fan of such sweets, this dessert was a breath of fresh air in the typical Indian/Pakistani sweets variety. In fact, just thinking about it makes me crave for more!

Overall, the trip to Hyderabad House was a pleasure and a must try for those who are looking forward to a quick trip to India and back! 

Some ratings based on my experience are noted below.

Favorite Items on the menu:
Vegetable Lukhmi
Paneer Makhni
Double ka Meetha

Price
Reasonably priced. Not too expensive.

Portions
Big enough for two, with ample left overs.

Ambiance and Service
Excellent. Hospitable waiters among a contemporary restaurant get-up with life size images of Hyderabad's landmarks and upbeat Indian Music in the back ground.

Children Friendly
Yes. 

Overall Experience
4.5/5

Location
66 Nouf Plaza
Um al Hassam
Opposite Ithmar Bank


Hyderabad House is going to be sponsoring a giveaway next week on this blog so make your presence felt by commenting on their review!




October 23, 2011

Coco's Restaurant - Bahrain

October 23, 2011 7
Those who have not been to Bahrain often make the mistake of comparing it against the more happening city in the region – Dubai. But to put the serene culture of this Arab island in the same hustling shoes as other apparently enthralling cities is a sin of the highest degree. For, even the shortest of trips to Bahrain opens one’s eyes to a world that serves as the classic example of the word: diversity. And within the diverse, twining categories of individuals who constitute the population of Bahrain lies its contemporary civilization – one that is categorized by deep urbanity and profound sophistication.

Like any other, such a culture sprouts to life in places where it is allowed to thrive the most and in this petite kingdom the eateries are where it dominates the most. Being an aspiring connoisseur, much of my little time in Bahrain has been spent in the exploration of the various restaurants that embellish the town and have been pleasantly surprised by the availability of a variety of cuisines – most of which live up to the original, ethnic taste and are tastefully dished out. However, the place that really stood out, not only for its sensational menu, but for artfully depicting the avant-garde life of Bahrain was Coco’s Restaurant.

Situated in Adliya, Coco’s is built within the bounds of an old renovated house and sports an ethnic Parisian interior complimented by a breezy outdoor seating arrangement beneath parasols and sun chairs decked out on pebbled flooring. Dimly lit, most of the glow seems to emerge from the glitzy crowd that throngs to this restaurant and one can almost breathe in the posh ambiance. The wait for a table can last up to a couple of hours and that being, despite the fact that the entrance does not even hold a sign-board. Nor does it take pre-scheduled reservations.  To be eating at Coco’s one has to be prepared with a good GPS, patience and a taste for extraordinary food.

Speaking of my personal experience, once I had found myself a table, I started my meal with the mushroom and chicken soup and chicken avocado salad. While the soup was creamy and blended perfectly, to warm the otherwise light chill in the night air the chicken avocado salad lived up to being one of the best things on Coco’s menu. The salad was served with a tangy dressing that happens to be Coco’s signature item and makes every other salad I have tried – ordinary. The sugar-free iced tea I was served was the perfect treatment for my taste-buds at this point as it provide the calm after the delicious storm.

The next item on my list for the night was the Samoa, which was filets of hammour seasoned with lemon and mild spice, served on top of creamy rice, topped with tingling herbs and wrapped in a bamboo leaf. This delicacy was light on the stomach yet did justice to the appetite and proved to be a hit with my taste-buds. I chose to sweeten up the meal towards the end, by ordering a slice of date and caramel cake which was served warm with scoop of vanilla ice-cream. This combination in a cake is popular across the island, but the layers of pureed dates, caramel and nuts I experienced at Coco’s definitely outwit all others.

And the dessert was not the only remarkable thing about the end of this experience at Coco’s. Unlike other places, where one often feels too full to move at the end of the meal, here I was already looking forward to the next time I would be in the vicinity and able to indulge again. Moreover, the constant influx of guests was enough to make those of us craving some sort of vivacity, in this otherwise serene city, feel satisfied. In a nutshell, my brief rendezvous with this restaurant was definitely one that has immense potential of becoming a regular feat. In fact, my mind is already wandering off to plan another trip to Coco’s as I struggle to sum up my experience!

Some pictures of the must-tries as well as the restaurant!

The grilled sandwiches, served on a chopping board
Amazing salad - topped with fresh Goat cheese and the special dressing!



Their signature jacket potato!

 The general outdoor ambiance of the restaurant

Image Courtesy: Faiza Farees
 
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