Thai Express

Nicely perched on the first floor just beside Q Mart in Banjara Hills, this restaurant is one of those that really serves different kind of food, that is very close to the authentic cuisine of Thailand. For a change, we asked the waiter only to guide us through the entire menu and suggest what we should have. The coconut flavoured soup with mushrooms and chicken in it was simply superb. I am not a fan of coconut at all, but this soup was just brilliant! Fried squid as a starter was just an apt combination for this soup.

I realise now that I should have actually noted down the names of the main course items I ate. That's because they all unique Thai names that sound funny to the core! Alas, the concetration was on eating and hence no real names for now :( . Have the noodles in some kind of green soup, that has the right amount of spice, and it will surely make you feel like you are in Thailand! And for desserts, there is this soft rectangular white coloured thing that they wrap in a banana leaf and give it you....ahhhh... eat it to experience it! That's all I can say! For sure, we are going back there again.

Location: Adjacent to Q-mart, opposite Hyderabad House, Banjara Hills Road no.2

Needs Dhaba

Which fool will walk into a Punjabi hotel and just order Chicken Fried Rice and Chicken 65? Yours truly :D :D ... but boy I don't have any regrets for doing so! I have heard so much about this place, located in Kundanbagh, Begumpet (beside the lane of Lifestyle building) that I really did not know what to order to take back home. First I thought, will take naan and butter chicken but was really not in a mood to eat them that day. Hence the wierd order, but believe me, it was worth it. For sure am going back to this place to have more!

Location: Kundanbagh Lane, beside lifestyle, Begumpet

The Westin

This was our first foray into a big star hotel! Westin opened up right in the campus that we work, and we wanted to go and try see how a 5 star ( or is it 7 star) hotel serves its buffet! One thing is for sure - their hospitality is too much to take ;-) .. it's like, for every 25 steps you take, there's someone greeting you and trying to guide you :D.

Anyway, let's get down to business. Given that it is a star hotel, the spread iust lavish. I mean, mind blowingly lavish.

Was not too much impressed with the first outing, but must say the subsequent outings have been very good! The taste of pretty much every item is very good :). There are items from pretty much every continent in their menu! 

Various types of bread, cold starters, hot starters, cold salads (both veg and non-veg) are really very good. We spend most of the time eating on this rather than the actual main course :). 

Deserts section is also vast and varies everytime we go. I am not a big desert fan but each time I went I ended up liking atleast two deserts! 

This place is a must visit atleast once a year :) 

Burgerman

The concept behind this small kiosk outside big retail stores is really good. Read about the founders and how they expanded their businesses here. That said, I must say the taste of the burger is not superb. The main problem is that the bun is not fresh and soft! That takes away the fun of eating a really yummy burger. Also, the bun is small and a lot of sauces +cutlet+onions are crammed in between the two small buns, making the burger look larger (than life :P) ! All said and done, the concept is innovative and maybe the place is worth trying out once. I wouldn't go back there, for sure.

Location: Outside Ratnadeep super market, Somajiguda (and at many such places in the city)

Celebrations

Tucked away amidst 'dense' cocounut and other trees, Celebrations is just a few metres away from the famous Vennela mess in Hitec City. Simply put, this is again one of those restaurants we would not be going back to. The buffet is just ordinary, and worse it serves "mutton with dosakaya". Sorry people, but I consider it a sin to coo any vegetable along with chicken/mutton. Robs the chicken/mutton of their taste, and that I consider sacrilege!

Location: Near Vennela Mess, Hitec City