Side Wok: Oriental

Side Wok: Oriental

Khan Market, New Delhi


Visited: Regularly since 2008; Last time in Apr 2012

Don’t be fooled by the new menu cards, they might project a fast food / pub style look but the food remains largely oriental (with some exceptions – the wasabi prawns come coated with a wasabi mayonnaise, very TGIF!).

Try the salt and pepper prawns, the kothe dimsum (veg), crispy lamb and if you crave meat the spare ribs are really good (and usually they have very little fat), they also seem to be popular since a couple of times when we have gone for a late meal they have run out. Keep in mind though that the portion of the starters is generous and can easily be substituted for a main course.

Avoid the pan-fried and go for the phad thai noodles, but definitely try the black bean clay pot with sticky rice. The good thing about Side Wok is that they have been consistent with their quality and are always improving – their honey chilly chicken and lotus stem honey chilly used to be extra sweet (tried multiple times) but now the sweetness and chilly are well balanced. Further, the staff is professional, well informed about the menu and service has always been good. One of my favorite places especially given the excellent value for money.

Food Quality: 4/5
Food Quantity: 4.5/5
Service: 4/5
Value for money: 5/5
Ambience: Welcoming & Cozy, nothing special
Meal for two (with sea food): INR 1100 – 1400


As published on Trip Advisor

The Golconda Bowl : Andhra

The Golconda Bowl : Andhra

Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi

The Golconda Bowl: Stingy service, over priced, excellent service…

You feel you deserve excellent fare only for finding the place after completing a search in the by (and back) lanes of Hauz Khas village! As for the food, to put it simply the Biryani is over rated, the rotis too thick and overall the place is over priced. Wouldn’t have minded the prices, actually, had the helpings not been so miserly. 

Having said that I will probably be going back very soon for the Gosht Haleem, which is simply outstanding, though a little too greasy (but worth visiting the restaurant only to have this). Unfortunately, of the other 5 dishes (Nalli Nihari, Kacchey Gosht Ki Biryani, Subz Chowgra, Maki 65, subz biryani) we ordered last time, only one is worth recommending – the chowgra (mixed veg) - it has a different, very unique flavour. 

All in all, an OK place for a dinner, but really wish they were not so stingy with the portions of meat in their curries and biryani (4-5 small pieces), even the Haleem is a tiny helping; in case of sharing be prepared for dirty looks from your fellow diners!

Food Quality: 3/5

Food Quantity: 2.5/5

Service: 4.5/5 (the manager is excellent!)

Value for money: 2/ 5

Ambience: nothing spectacular, acceptable for family outings and small get togethers.

Meal for 4 (without alcohol): INR 3300 – 4000

No. of Visits: 1

As Published on Trip Advisor

Moets – Sushi : Oriental

Moets – Sushi : Oriental

Defence Colony Market


From the food to the service everything was a let down, which was sad because we had high expectations from the place, given that it has been around for ages. The menu is very extensive with plenty of options for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians and we decided to try a bit of everything – soup, sushi, pork, chicken, vegetables, rice and noodles; and sadly everything was most forgettable!

The pan fried noodles were all crisp noodles topped with a small portion of veggies dipped in some strange sauce, sushi was dry, the pork ribs had more fat than meat (despite having requested for pieces with less

fat); but the biggest disappointments were the talumin soup which was served in the smallest soup bowl ever seen and the chicken in peanut sauce which reminded me of peanut butter! To make matters worse the

service was terrible. The only decent dish of the evening, the vegetables (do not remember the exact name but was something with chili and basil) was rendered completely inedible by our waiter, who at the time of serving had his thumb nail deep in the gravy…. I do not think we will visit again…..

The evening began badly as we were subjected to dirty looks by a couple who had been requested to wait while we were ushered in because the restaurant did not want 2 people occupying a 4 seater table! In fact the lady was most unhappy and let the manager know it. Very strange behavior by the establishment since they had empty tables, which remained unoccupied all the time we were there.

Food Quality: 2/5
Food Quantity: 3.5/5
Service: 1/5
Value for money: 2/5
Ambience: Usual Delhi Chinese restaurant, maybe a little cramped
Meal for two without wine (with sea food): INR 1400 – 1700
Moets, Defence Colony Market


As Published on Trip Advisor

Don Juanito : Argentinean Grill

Don Juanito : Argentinean Grill

Corso di Porta Vigentina 33, Milan

Satiate your Argentinean grilled meat craving with excellent service at reasonable rates…

If you crave quality meat at affordable prices – this is the place. From the pleasant and service oriented staff to the excellent portions of well-cooked meat, Don Juanito is delight to visit. Though an Argentinean restaurant the menu is focused on beef, with a few pork and chicken dishes. The salads are okay but the main courses and the all potato accompaniments are excellent (try the one with bacon & cheese). The mixed grill for 2 is highly recommended as it has samples of all their best dishes and is more than sufficient for 2 hearty appetites. The

most popular dish though appears to be the grilled steak. The Sangria is nice and refreshing but wish they did not limit the beer to only Argentinean brands. Most nights, it is packed; so be sure to make a reservation.

Food Quality: 4/5

Food Quantity: 4/5

Service:4/5

Ambience: Peppy

Meal for two (without wine): 50 - 80 euros

Value for money: 5/5

No. of times visited: 5

As published on Trip Advisor 

Diva Café : Café fare, mainly Italian

Diva Café : Café fare, mainly Italian

N Block Market, Greater Kailash - I

2^nd visit in 3 weeks, and the experience has been great both times. 

The service is excellent - the staff is well informed about the menu and highly attentive and the food is exquisite (as to be expected from Ms. Dalmia!).

The La mia Preferiat salad is defiantly worth trying, only time I’ve ever liked beetroot, the sweetness is well balanced by the grilled goat cheese and the tahini like dressing. 

The Parma pizza with rocket is as good as I had in Parma; the base is light, thin and perfectly cooked and the fact that they are not stingy with the Parma ham helps. If you like garlic, go for the Angle Hair Pasta with chili and garlic but make sure you sprinkle some Parmesan on top. Along with our food we had some nice Montalcino (since it was available by the glass), overall the wine list is large enough for a café, including some nice Sicilian wines.

The only issue is that the menu is a bit limited on the Italian dishes; personally I would have liked (and was expecting) the menu to be authentic Italian café fare and not have dishes like Goan and Sindhi curries, noodles and spring roles. That aside, the Italian stuff is delicious and I will defiantly be re-visiting.

Food Quality: 4/5

Food Quantity: 4/5

Service: 3.5/5 (sometimes the staff can be a bit officious)

Ambience: Suitable for a quiet evening

Meal for two (with table / house wine): INR 3000 – 4000

Value for money: 3.5/ 5

No. Of visits: 3

As published on Trip Advisor

Dongio : Calabrese

Dongio : Calabrese

Via Bernardino Corio 3, Milan

Excellent home style food, brilliant service...

The 1st thing that stands out is the friendly service with a smile, a thing sadly lacking in most Milan restaurants. The Calabrese menu offers a variety of pastas, 2^nd courses and a handful of salads. 

Don’t miss the chili pistachio ice cream to finish your meal.

Overall it’s a nice place for family gatherings or even semi formal meetings, with good food, excellent service,

but very home type plating and food presentation. Be sure to make a reservation.

Food Quality: 3.5/5

Food Quantity: 4/5

Service:4/5

Ambience: Rustic home style Dinning room

Value for money: 4/5

Meal for two without wine: 25 – 40 Euros

No. of visits: 3

As Published on Trip Advisor

Chilis: Tex- Mex, Bar & Grill

Chilis: Tex-Mex, Bar & Grill

Ambiance Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

The 1^st time we went here was when the place had just opened and again nearly 2 year later; the service, which was pathetic, then (which I had attributed to teething troubles) has gone further downhill. It took 20 minutes and 4 reminders to get mustard, the same problem for refills of coke, 50 minutes to get the wrong main course dishes and when we asked for a rare steak, were told ‘we have only well done’, and these are only the screw ups I remember! Obviously after being subjected to all this, we asked to speak with the manager; strangest thing, for 25 minutes he refused to come to our table and communicated via our server!!

Coming to the food, the classic American fare is unfortunately not that classic. I assume their signature dish would be the burgers, but with stale dried out buns with grainy dehydrated meat it’s a wonder how they are surviving. We ordered a total of 3 dishes; the burger was a massive let down, the veg quesadillas were decent and the 3rd, a grilled beef dish we sent back since the meat was like rubber; besides, it looked nothing like the menu description. After 20 minutes, our server brought the dish back, but it did not look or taste like anything we were initially served. Clearly the dish we sent back, was hurriedly slapped together after we created a fuss.

Just because Chilis is a big brand, the franchisee thinks he can get away with dishing out crap with service to match. It’s really something that the franchisor should look into. I have had many a memorable meal at Chilis in Dubai and the west, but was most disappointed with the bad food and the lackadaisical service in Delhi. It speaks volumes about the brand and the blame should not be placed only on the franchisor; TGIF and Hard Rock have similar menus and have done an excellent job of maintaining their standards of food and service quality.

Like me, if you enjoy your American tex-mex cuisine, head to Hard Rock, Rodeo or even TGIF, but definitely stay away from Chilis – it just gives the cuisine a bad name in Delhi.

Food Quality: 2/5

Food Quantity: 3.5/5

Service: 0/5

Value for money: 1.5/ 5

Ambience: Peppy bar

Meal for two (without alcohol): INR 1100 - 1300

No. Of Visits: 2