Takeaway #1 - Mr.McCone'z , Chennai

As I was going through the Newspaper a really big flyer dropped out that had Actor Vijay’s full blown up poster. Below the image was the Bio data of the actor. I initially thought it to be a promo of his upcoming movie when suddenly the name of the foods at the back of the flyer stopped me. It was undoubtedly a menu card.

It was a delivery only restaurant, I understood. I thought of giving it a try as accompaniments for dinner. I ordered French fries and Chicken Popcorn for the kids. The person who took the order was very polite and professional and asked me if I had any special instructions. I told them that its for the kids and asked them to make it less spicy.

They brought my order in half an hours time with the exact instruction of mine duly followed. Everything was less spicy and the kids enjoyed it well.

The popcorn chicken were like a half kola ball and were well cooked and crispy in every bite. I usually consider popcorn chicken to be a defrosted fast food but I felt this place gave a traditional touch to the otherwise western food. Fries too were done to perfection. Overall highly satisfied.

Forgot to mention , I got a cashback of INR 20 on my order of INR 200 as it was my first. They promise to do customizations too and I am really looking forward to try on their burgers and wraps.

Name - Mr.McCone’z

Online Order – mrmcconez.com

Phone number - 8072404255

Listing - Not yet so far

Happy Eating !!!!

Hop and Hog #2 - Axpress BBQ , Karapakkam

“Where there is a Grill There is a way…” The Employee of Axpress BBQ had this on his Tee as he showed us the way to the restaurant which was on the first floor of the Srikanth Tower at Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Karapakkam. The story of how I landed at this restaurant is a big story.

I got a call some days earlier welcoming me to this newly opened restaurant Axpress BBQ as I had expressed interest to taste the food and review. Frankly, I did not set much expectation to the invitation and thought it to be just an outing with the kids after a long time. But I was happy that it turned to be much more than that.

The Restaurant is located on the service road very close to the Karapakkam TCS office. We were given a very warm welcome and led to a very comfortable dining table. The experience of taste started from the ambience itself.

High chairs at one end, aesthetic dining sets with the salt and pepper shakers matching the tables are a must mention. A shining thermos and 4 paper cups greeted us delightfully.

We were then given a menu card and the people out there helped us choose the House’s special and gave many options for the kids as well. Finally we ordered a Bang Bang shrimp Combo , A Volcano Chicken Combo and a Masala rice with grill fish and chicken curry combo.

My kids were given a candy and a balloon that made them settle and I was left free to gaze around. The bill counter said loudly, “Worth waiting for….” And I know now that’s not a lie.

The arrival of the food was royally announced by the people who garlanded us with a paper apron that read “The Bone Collector”. Quite a novel idea that was both memorable and easily replaceable. 

The food finally.

The Feast started with a Tomato soup which was quite delicious but nothing out of ordinary.

First about the Singaporean dish. Bang Bang Shrimps really bangs you down with the taste. 15 Perfectly sizzled prawns sits between a crispy fried egg and a bunch of golden French fries.

Second comes the masala rice and the chicken gravy. The masala rice was a flavorful one packed with the usual masala of a biryani but with the consistency of a fried rice. It tasted good but not unusual.

Finally here comes the King. The Volcano Chicken. A loud whistle suddenly brought us back to reality as we were enjoying the great culinary delight and a guy in a cowboy hat brought a trolley while dancing on merrily. A Volcano shaped furnace flamed bright orange on the already smoked and barbequed full chicken so brightly that you will feel full just by seeing it.

The base of it contains boiled eggs almost at the consistency of poached ones on a keema sauce. The taste was just yummm. Once the royalty arrived with all its pompness, the waiter cut the chicken into edible pieces and served us. It was accompanied with unlimited Kulchas too. Kulcha was bit thick and tough otherwise, no complaints.

This Volcano chicken had been inspired by the custom of Hawaiian People getting together every six months and cooking and eating together to strengthen their relationship with each other. To create the mood even further, the folks at Axpress BBQ has created a sauce in honour of this dish which they have named the Lava Sauce. As the name goes, it is really fiery but a tasty accompaniment. It was a bit tangy too.

As we started, we found that we had two choices for extra flavor on the table. It was a Sriracha Sauce and Peri Peri seasoning. The Sauce was too spicy and tasted more like the chilly flakes seasoning of pizza made as a a sauce. And the peri peri sauce was very much the usual one.

They had live entertainment too at the midst of this awesome dining experience where the waiters came in and broke a leg for an English number.

We couldn’t really do justice to the food as we felt full by the sight of all and left many food unfinished. The people there were really good enough to pack everything of it for my takeaway. When we called it quits, they just wouldn’t let us go without tasting their wonderful cloud ice cream.

The name attracted us and being foodies couldn’t say no to a food. We ordered a Choco Magic and a Thunder Bomb Icecream. Cotton Candy formed the cloud with the wafer cone base and a yummy ice cream at the top. It had an unusual flavor that’s worth a good mention. Choco popcorn. Popcorn was dipped in chocolate sauce and was added to the icecream. Though I found the popcorn soggy because of the Ice cream the kids loved it.

Forgot to mention a great great thing I loved. They have Goli soda for beverage which I simply adore.

Pyarelal, one of my favourite characters in TINKLE Digest says in a story, Where the Food is so good, it tastes every mood. This Place can definitely be the literal example for the quote. Finally when we were about to start back home, we were given a gift of tomato and marigold seeds. This was a simple measure to do their part for the nature, they said which was highly commendable.

To Summarize,

My rating :

Ambience   -  8/10

Hospitality  - 10/10

Food – 9/10

Kid Friendly - Yes

Elder Friendly  - In a quite while once the lift is ready

Party Hall – They said they can accommodate a small party upto 15 members on their premises

Average cost for Two – INR 900

Listed in  - Zomato

Address - Axpress BBQ, 

                1-16, Srikanth Tower,

                 Rajiv Gandhi Salai,

                 Karapakkam,

                 Chennai 

P.S They have got some really good discounts going on now and they do delivery through Zomato. They cater to corporate orders too.

Concluding by Anton Ego’s words, I will definitely go back to Axpress BBQ hungry for more.

Hop and Hog#1 - Thotathu Virunthu, Erode

Hi all,

This is my first restaurant review. Hope you all like it. 

Thottathu Virunthu - Meaning Garden feast. The name says it all. 

We were on the way from Erode to Madurai by car when we heard about this restaurant. We were really hungry and when we enquired about a restaurant nearby, we were informed that there is a place for yummy food but will be crowded and may have to wait. On hearing tasty food nearby, we decided to wait and had a watermelon juice on the way to satify the hunger prangs temporarily. 

On reaching there we saw a great sight. Not just the name, the restaurant is actually situated in a huge garden. There were neem trees, Coconut trees and Guavas and lots and lots of flower plants. The aroma from the freshly watered soil, the occasional calls of the birds and the satisfied smile from the customers leaving was really so much satisfying to watch as we waited for a table.

 

We finally got a table and we were greeted by waiters all clad in green to add their touch of greenery. We were fiddling with the menu and deciding what to do when the owner came in and advised us to try the restaurant's specials. Here comes the mouth watering part. 

We ordered an unlimited meals. They have options for Veg and Non veg. We opted for Non veg obviously. 

Veg meals - One thaniya sambar, Rasam, poriyal. This one thaniya sambar has different thaniyam everyday. One day it is toor dal, one day it's moong dal, one day it's horse Gram and so on. It's a real healthy option. 

Rasam is also a special one. It was called Pacha pulli Rasam, meaning Raw rasam. It is never cooked, they said. Soak the tamarind and take its juice. Take small onions or Shallots, green chillies, dhaniya, jeera and hand blend it and add it to the tamarind water. That's it. It's very good for digestion it seems. 

Non veg meals - Rasam, poriyal and Non veg gravies. Chicken gravy and mutton gravy. They were so watery but that is the speciality of Kongu cusine, we got to know later. But the taste was so good and they were good with rice. None were too spicy. Everything was done to perfection.

Now comes the real speciality of Thotathu Virunthu - The side dishes. 

The options were Thotathu Virunthu Special, Pichu pota kozhi, Pichu pota mutton, Thalai curry, Eeral or liver fry, Chicken sukka, Mutton sukka, Andhra egg special, Pallipalayam Chicken. 

Thotathu Virunthu Special - Nattu kozhi or country bred chicken was cut into very small bite sized pieces and fried with spices. The aroma of ginger and tangines of onions were really so alluring. It was little spicy and the tongue could say it all came from the red chillies added.

Pichu pota kozhi - When we ordered they informed us earlier that it comes from broiler chicken. We agreed and decided to try. It was like a kothu parota. Onions, green chillies, curry leaves, and the black dots here and there by pepper all added to the flavour. It was almost fried.

Pichu potta mutton - It was same as Pichu potta kozhi but it was like a kothu parota with salna. That is , it came as a thick gravy.

Andhra egg Special - It was really tasty. It was a combination of half boil, kalakki and a little less than omlette. A different taste but can try once more but have to eat while it's hot. When it cooled down, I didn't like the taste. But that usually happens with all the egg dishes. So no complaints.

Pallipalayam Chicken - This is an usual Kongu cusine dish and we found it the same taste as we had in a different hotel. But as they claim, it's a healthier version with no extra unwanted masalas added for taste. 

Service is really good and very much kid friendly too. Quantity is also more than sufficient. If you order one portion, one person cannot finish it. Curd was not served with the meal and you have to pay extra for it. We ordered and when it came it was worth the pay. It was too thick and sweet. They do not serve dessert too with the meal. You have to buy payasam if you want it. We didn't try.

It was bit economical too. Meals were 70 INR and the side dishes were all below 200. 

They serve nattu kozhi biryani on Sundays alone. We were there on a Saturday , so we couldn't get a chance to taste it. 

Overall, a very satisfying experience for the mind and tongue and for the purse as well. It is rated No. 1 family restaurant of Erode in the TripAdvisor. 

Location - Approximately 3 to 4 Kms from Erode. It is situated at Villarasampatti four road junction.

Address - Duraisamy Gounder, Near, Thindal - Villarasampatty Rd, Erode, Tamil Nadu 638112

Timings - Only for lunch. 12 to 4 PM. 

P.C. Google. (As I lost all my previous clicks when my phone crashed)

Uppukandam

TRING.

The Bell loudly announced the Lunch Break. Aarav and Shane were studying in the II Std of a reputed school at Chennai. They both usually get up late and have only one glass of milk before coming to school. So they were very hungry now. They were so happy to hear the bell. Both were very good friends and they shared their food and played together. They both lived nearby too.

As soon as the bell was heard, they jumped in joy and took their tiffin boxes out. They opened them and started having. Aarav had brought Chapathis with Paneer Gravy and Shane had brought Sambar rice with some fry. It looked like chicken fry and very tasty. Aarav loved chicken and he wanted to try this. He asked Shane.

“Shane, what is this? Is that Chicken fry?”

“No Aarav, this is mutton. “ Replied Shane.

“But it looks like chicken. It looks so yummy. Can I taste some?” asked Aarav.

“Definitely Aarav. Sorry to have not offered you first” Said Shane.

Shane took a big chunk of the yummy looking fry with his spoon and gave it to Aarav. He popped it in his mouth and slowly started chewing. The meat was so tender and fried to crisp. As he was chewing, it melted in his mouth. He really loved the taste so much and was very happy.

“Shane can you tell me the name of the dish?” Asked Aarav excitedly.

“It’s Uppukandam, Aarav. Mom makes it often as I like them so much.” Replied Shane.

“Oh great. I will ask my mom to make it for me too. I too like it so much.” Said Aarav.

In the evening when Aarav went back home, he excitedly told his mom about the yummy dish.

“It was red like a chicken fry Mummy. When I started eating it, it was so juicy and tender and was very crisp. I really loved it mummy. Please make it for me.”

His mom smiled and said, “Ok fine. Tell me the name of the dish and I will make it.”

“It’s called Uppukandam mummy. It is really yummy. You too will love it.” Aarav was still very much excited.

“Now who wants Uppukandam here?” Called out Aarav’s dad as he entered the house coming back from office.

“Aarav wants it badly. He has tasted it from one of his classmates and he wants to have it now.” Replied his mom.

“It’s been ages I had Uppukandam. I will try to get it here and you cook it.” His dad said.

“But what is this Uppukandam? I have never heard of it. “Replied his mom.

“Uppukandam is one of the delicacies in the Non vegetarian food. It’s dried Mutton. Mutton is cut into small chunks and you apply necessary spices, salt and lots of turmeric and dry it. Some dry in the sun and some dark dry it. Once all the watery content is dried, it gives a chunky flavorful salty mutton. It’s stored in air tight containers and will be safe to eat throughout the year.”

“The spices and salt soaked mutton by itself will be very tasty to eat. You can make fry or semi gravy or gravy from it. Everything will be very tasty.”

Mummy looked excited now. She felt her mouth water. She too wanted to try this dish now.

“You tell me where you get this Uppukandam. I will prepare it.” Asked mom.

“I don’t know if it’s easily available at stores now. I will try to find it out.”

Daddy tried several places but could not get any. He then asked Aarav where he tasted it from.

“I tasted it when my friend Shane brought it dad.” Aarav replied.

“Fine then. I will ask his dad.” Dad said.

Daddy calls Shane’s house and asks to call his daddy. Shane passes on the phone to his daddy.

They both talk and finally Aarav’s dad gets to know the location of the shop that sells Uppukandam.

Daddy and Aarav visit the shop that evening and asks for Uppukandam.

“Sorry sir, our stock is over. It’s being prepared now. Please come back next week.” Said the storekeeper.

Aarav and daddy feels dejected. But there is no other way now.

“Can you please reserve some for me so that I don’t miss it out in the next stock too?” asks daddy.

“Ya sure sir. Please give your details to our master so that he will keep it reserved for you.” Replies the storekeeper.

The owner of the shop comes in and starts taking down the details when he stopped seeing the name of Aarav’s father. He looks at him seriously and then breaks into a big smile.

“Hey don’t you remember me? I am Salim. Your schoolmate. I have started this shop now. It’s been long. How are you? How is your family?” He shouted excitedly.

Aarav’s daddy has found his old friend now. They both started talking happily and after all pleasantries, they shared their number and Salim promised Aarav’s daddy that he will reserve Uppukandam for him. Daddy was so happy and was smiling all the way. On reaching home, seeing his face, mom asked him what had happened.

“I met a dear friend of mine after many years.” Dad replied happily.

“How did you find him?” Mommy asked.

Aarav shouted at the top of his voice, “Uppukandam”.

Pics Credits: Google

P.S. I had a craving for Uppukandam and wrote this story out of blue. J

P.P.S. Uppukandam’s recipes in the upcoming blog.

P.P.P.S. If you want Uppukandam, ping me. I have got a nice stock. J