Tigers Experience of ZAMBAR - Cyber Hub Gurgaon

And I'm Going to Make you Droooooooooooool!!!!!

Research done on the restaurant , I always do extensive research on every restaurant i go to review - Chef Aruns baby , Lite bites flagship chain , none had a bad word to say - Chef Arun the adventurer - Journalist to a documentary maker , to a chef Wow now thats whats called following a passion is all about . Infact i have done a study during my MBA days about what alternate carriers preferred by professionals, to elaborate alternate carriers they would like to take if they were not doing what they are doing today and trust me the findings were amazing - Lawyers wanted to become Chefs, CA's wanted to be DJ's , Engineers wanted to be artist etc etc .. So i firmly believe that there is a hidden profession in each one of us and it is Passion led . So Chef Arun you have proved my finding right . Thank you . What he enjoys at Lite bites and specifically at zambar is the liberty to experiment - every chefs dream to be given the freedom of experimenting with the menu, his way  ... very few get this opportunity . Kudos that you made full use of it and are living your passion . 

Chef Arun - you are a genius or a magician .... your simplicity , your research and humbleness spells beautifully in Zambar .. was a wonderful experience in total.

The Gorgeous Interiors

This is called adaptability they open in Cyber hub the most swankiest place to be in, all corporate honchos floating around , expats , call center executives , high heeled kitty party ladies , professionals like me fixing meetings there - Zambar launches a all day menu , quick thaali concept , a dosa on the move ... in a chic yet traditional atmosphere , to get the people in . Zambar Cyber hub is done up like houses of the rich society from the  chettinad areas of Tamilnadu hence called Chettiyar Houses of Tamilnadu ,design on the lines of  Karaikudi heritage town declared by tamilnadu government - houses are built with limestone .  Beautiful colorful posters on the walls ,open kitchen , alfresco seating also available to please your eyes while you eat . Very comforting yet zing ambiance . 

The Accompaniments 

Tomato Chutney , Coriander Mint Chutney , gun Powder with Gingelly oil (Sesame Oil ) gawd why was i always under the misconception that they served Desi Ghee with Gun Powder - Thanks Chef for correcting me . The Gingelly Oil is used in almost Chinese, Mid Eastern cuisine as a taste enhancer.  The gun Powder is a proprietary recipe but the basic  is lentil , dry chilies and spices also know as Podi . Freshness , Flavors the essential component of the chutneys , gun powder enhances almost every dish  . 

Fresh Coconut Chutney

Why a special mention and a special standalone pic of this coconut chutney - freshly ground by hand and not the grinder which spoils the fun of the crunchy  coconut - very lil daal , something different and new to me . A very Homey Type of a Coconut Chutney.

T Rasam and Butter Milk

Hot n Cold Shots of Zambar ... the Tomato rasam though tasted very original and authentic would have been even better if it had a few pieces of tomato floating in it  for  the crunch... the butter milk was ok ok .... a bit thick .  I normally skip this to do justice to the main course . 

Kerala Chai Kada (Tea Shop) Chilli Chicken

Nice .. like the  litpita chicken in tangy sauce .. fun finger licking chicken often served at tea stalls in Kerala as claimed by the chef  but essentially a chilly chicken with more tomato in it for the finger licking to happen . Trust me u cant eat the chicken dish with a fork and knife you have to dive into it with all your fours . But actually want to confirm if this is sold at tea stalls , if so .. baby im moving to Kerala.  Well cooked chicken , super textures and flavors . 

Batata Malige

Simble - South Indias answer to Fries - potato wedges sauteed in spices as simple as that . Instead of the regular chinese crispy potatoes try this for a good change .... good starter. A perfect crowd pleaser. Would go amazingly well with a beer.

Squid Rings with Sea food filling

This was a drool - The size of the squid impressive the filling even more impressive - together a chewy squid with amazing flavors of the sea . Im guessing here now - fish , prawn and more squids were the main fillers  tossed in dry masala . The masala essentially had a mix of khada masala - finely chopped  coconut , tomato onions . for a minute thought oh god these are spring rolls until i attacked one of them . Just delicious and innovative . Was quite fed up of fried squids . A very ambitious dish .

Andhra Kosta Salan- Chillies

Flash Fried Large chillies with Seasame , Peanut and coconut served on a bed of the same gravy .. i have a strong feeling that the chillies were soaked in vinegar before being cooked .. they had a sour taste to them ... like the bottled Jalpenos . Loved it .. not much chilly so easy on the tongue .  A very hyderabadi salan. Would love to go back for more.

Achamma’s  Lamb Curry 

Very Very simple Lamb Curry - ACHAMMA’S LAMB CURRY: grandmother’s recipe of a simple, yet tasty, lamb curry. Lamb Simmered in coconut milk with spices....  with the idyappam its a perfect mix -Now this dish is chef Arun Grand mas secret - how did he get the recipe - wonder how many months it took him to master the same .. point to ponder . Well  getting back to the dish lovely spices simple for sure but enjoyable , the palate never got confused .. the lamb soft and succulent . A true homey .

Simble Veg Stew

Who doesn't love appam and stew - i actually prefer the vegetarian one ... becos i love coconut . Smooth as silk , fresh and pure . The appam perfectly cooked , even on all fronts .. i don't like the one which is thick in the centre . Its a technique to get an appam right.  Stew to me means brewed slowly cooked with perfect timing ... yes thats what a good stew shud be .rich coconut flavors drove me mad .

Coastal Prawn Biryani

The Pefect Moplah or  Mappila Biryani - Prawns my lord prawns -  A biryani from the Muslim Community of Kottayam Kerala .... whats different about it .. huh well the original is called Neychoru and with the influences of the Arabs the moguls it got extended to be called a biryani ...  the prawns were succulent , the grains very distinguished , the masala in which they cooked the biryani were very Kerala which made the biryani just perfect in the sens it was not totally dry , slightly wet , spicy and the spices made it very interesting .. this too is served with the raita like back home . Each grain of rice was sperate , the masalas well blended in the dish - the praws absorbed the falvors well and cooked just right.

Mangalorean Chicken

The Parontta

Chef Arun and Chef Vijay hated me for this one - the closest south india can get to the North Indian Palate . hahahhaah the closest they get to the Punjabi Butter chicken Flavor but yet not  there. Thick rich tomato gravy , grilled julienne of chicken  floating in butter awesome with the paronta . Just remember when ever we go out to eat we always have tha one friend who cant look beyond Butter chicken and daal makhni - dont know about the daal but just quietly order this chicken and kep them happy , silent while you enjoy and cherish your fab South Indian Coastal Meal . The paronta was nice and flaky ... thats the way I love it . BTw this chicken dish does not have coconut ... very gassi style .

The Desert Sampler 

Coconut Jaggery Pudding , Payasam/ Kheer, Pongal and Rava Kesari - the best of the best from South India , all home made inthe Kitchen of Zambar .

Coconut Jaggery Pudding with Hot jaggery 

The Coconut Jaggery Pudding is now my favorite for sure in South Indian deserts as it is I love Coconut and mixed with jaggery topped with hot molten Jaggery sauce was DIVINE . The Pudding was well set like a good souffle .. the topping of the sauce gave it the very international feeling LOL 

Chef Vijay amd Rajeev

The men who i praise a lot .. Chef Vijai, Chef Aruns right hand man as im told has learnt all his tricks from the master chef who was not well that day , good in a way , i got a chance to meet vijay who is equally passionate and knowledgeable about the food . Thank You Chef Vijai . Ah yes Rajeev the man who was attending to us ... very courteous friendly like all south Indians .. helped decide what to eat . He was well informed about the cuisine on the menu and explained all dishes perfectly . 

Host Sonali and Of course Tiger

Sonali the head of Marcomm for Lite bites the gracious host ... must compliment her for the choice of bloggers she makes ....she chooses simply the best to taste and write the best ,hahahahahaha doesn't it say a lot about me does it ?  Sonali has been with the food industry and has great  knowledge about food  , very impressive  .....hahahahahaha  good choice sonali and thanks for having me over .  A perfect Host.

Sonali thanks for the Mist Affect hahahahahaha well the story behind this is tat we were eating int he open and suddenly the DLF guys at Cyber Hub have this Mist spray all over the place - though it felt like Simla but they shud realise that the water may spoil the fun of the food .... luckily for us the mains was over and we were enjoying  the filter Kafi . 

Beautifully Designed Menu 

Now this is what a drool menu is all about ... visual  treat , beautifully designed ... you see exactly what you are going to get .. actually i  did compare the two and they matched , very seldom does this happen . This is how a good menu should be made ... big pictures to make the foodie drool . 

Did Ya Droool  Ya ya .. that was the Idea .

Tigers Overall Experience: 

I have done Zambar before with a foodie group , ate a thaali there liked it but was not really impressed , but this time when i ordered ala carte i was blown over .

Ambiance : Chic and traditional - comfortable seating , Indoors and outdoors available 

Food - Full compliments to the Menu for its design , its collection of dishes to cover the coastal regions of India, Great mix of home recipes ,Perfectly spiced , Innovative , Authentic , Traditional and Fresh 

Service - Super Duper

I came back home told family about zambar and its food , and challenged them to find anything better than this in delhi . Incidentally we covered 6 restaurants down south last month to get a feel of authentic south indian cuisnie and trust me Chef Arun you have nailed it. 

Tigers Experience at Kausstubh - South Indian Vegetarian - Saket, New Delhi

Well Kausstubh came to me after i had done three of the top South Indian restaurants in Chennai , so the flavors were still lingering around, the study of South Indian cuisine  was deep and fresh , the authenticity of dishes was well understood and yes yes  the head was also nodding left to right hahahaa .... 

Kausstubh - the South Indian Vegetarian restaurant  serving  authentic South Indian cuisine from the states of Tamilnadu, Kerala, AndhraPradesh, Chettinad and Karnataka located in Saket behind Pollo and TC ... actually an hidden jewel . The baby of Himashu Maheshwari a thorough business man with a vision - he is clear about the business model - hire the best , get the best location , serve limited and pure food , he comes from a Marwari family where vegetarian food rules - i must say his knowledge of South Indian food was impressive. Today he has two outlets one in saket and the other in Noida , both doing well he had nothing to complain about - has great expansion plans into four biggies and then a series of small outlets QSR models .  He and the team take a lot of care in Hygiene and quality of ingredients they source . Simple modern interiors - no agarbati , no carnatic music hehheheheh

The Man behind the amazing conceptualization of the dishes  Chef  K. Paramasivan ya pyar se KP .He spent a lot of time with us explaining his beliefs , his fundas behind each dish , the  closeness to authenticity of each dish , his narration of the dishes  was absolutely divine . He took us to the origins of each dish and shared with us his modification of the dish to match the north India palates - i argued with him till the end on this one .. why change the construct of the dish to suit palates ? how will we ever learn what is the closest to the authentic dish ? Why have north Indian food at all in a South India dining place ? ps yes they do have a North Indian Section which i just ignored-   Market rules , survival wins .  KP is an ex ITC Dakshin chef he was a part of the launch team , KP  huge amount of talent behind him of over a decade , he has spent time in most of the kitchens in South India to understand how to merge the home style cooking inot the commercial band wagon .The Gm Kunal who is from assam but was instrumental in launching Dakshin - every courteous and a well informed person . Kunal knew his food extremely well . KP sources most of the masalas from Delhi but sources the secret masala from back home in Madurai .  Kp is a typical simple south Indian gentleman - humble ,soft spoken,intelligent and FULL of Knowledge on cuisines .

I must compliment Kausstubh for the design of the menu - Big Font , Pictures of the dishes , North Indian translation , easy to understand . Super well thot of  Menu . The menu has regular North Indian dishes also - i didn even bother looking at that section . 

Very interesting starters 

Butter Milk - Freshness galore ; Rasam - could have been better with more bit of tomato floating around ; The Fried cocktail idilis perfect for a sun downer snack - fried with gun powder  eaten with fresh coconut chutney; the cheese Paniyaram - always loved them - soft gooeey and just yum served with a freshly ground tomato chutney. Great starters for sure , building up a story for things to come .

Dosa's they are there just for sake of being there , really not required when you have such amazing South Indian Vegetarian food available . I would never opt for them . But since i ate them my favorite of the three was the Crushed Garlic Dosa ... 

Veg Kothu Parontta 

This is a dish im sure we North Indian would love to try at home - put all the cooked veggies in a pan add the broken down parontta to it try and mash them together and serve with onion raita , as easy as that hahahahaha Nice concept for the fussy veggy eaters . This is a street food of Tamil .

The Gorgeous Multi State Thaali

On  a serious note i have an aversion to Thaalis - i feel they complicate the palate and leave you in confusion .... but then how else would i have tasted all the states delicacy in one go - so made an exception and went for it - trust me it was so worth it .

The Sampling Thaali - Very Elaborate and Regional : had A Malabar Parantha, Idyappam, Potato Kara Kari, Keerai Kuttu (Dal Palak) ,Kai Kuruma (Veg Qorma) ,Kai Stew (Vegh Stew) ,Beans Thokran,Carrot rice , Rasam, Sambar , Plain Yogurt , Kalan Masala (Mushrooms), -- whoops that was a lot - Each zone of South India on one platter what more would you want . Each state of South India so well represented by the dish of the state - amazing colours , original flavors and authentic.

Sambar - Totaly Home Style - thick , perfect combination of sour and sweet 

Rasam - A bit disapoointed - actually am used to the tomatoe rasam with bit of the veggy in it 

Stew - With beans was yum 

Mushroom  Curry - SPicy , nice with parontta

Potato Curry - yet again perfect flavors went well with the parontta

Dal Palak - Very distinct flavor was amazing with the idyappam

but nothing like samabr chawal and beans and carrot rice with a bit of rasam.

What i liked was the instructions by KP what to eat with what .... Parontta with the Mushroom and kara kari; idyappam with veggies , the carrot rice with sambar and rasam - the greedy me asked for extra plain rice to relish the sambar .

Malabar Parontta and Idyappam 

Malabar parontta , flaky and crisp the way it shud be . The Idyappam  or String Hoppers- white noodles stuck together are they hahahaha well if they are like noodles then im sure South India is the inventor of noodles across the world since we are ancient and much before the chiense arrived .The literal meaning of Iyappam is idi which means broken down and appam is the steamed pancake fo the broken down version is called idyappam . Can also ve called nool appaam , nool = string . Not bad at all .

Perfect Appam

Have not seen or had a more perfect appam = just right thickness , evenly cooked and was a pleasure to eat with the Stew . 

Well to be honest my excitement to eat at kausstubh was that they had food from all different states in South India . Went there with no intention of eating dosa for sure . The Experience was super ,very simple place good location , great Chef and Promoter . Next time going and relishing the Ala Carte Menu and not thaali - but for a first time experimenter the thaali is a great option to visit the aromas and flavors of South India . 

I would recommend Kaustubhh to people who want to go beyond Dosa's and have no clue that south indian states make the most amazing vegetarian meals - which are scientific and contain ingredients which stimulate each part of the body .

Overall Tigers Experience :

Food : Superb (I did have two deserts , one of them was delicious - have forgotten the name , forgotten to take pic hence no review , but a must try )

Service : Aiyo , Very Good

Ambiance : Modern , chic and South Indian 

Value For money : Very easy on the wallet 

Going Back : Yes every Month . 

Thank You Team Kausstubh , Thanks Kp , Thank you Kunal and Thanks for having us over Himanshu. 

Tigers Experience at Junior Kuppanna - Chennai

*Disclaimer* - My palate is tuned to the North India style cooking ,I have tried my best to grab each flavor by ordering basic understandable dishes so please excuse me when i write the description of the dish my way .One of the most tough reviews i have written so far .

"Move over Ponnusamy "   yes for sure - for year we have sworn by the non veg food available at Ponnusamy hotel so this time we opted to be different and try Junior on several recommendations and reviews  - was it a good choice YES 100% .. had the most amazing meal after a long time in Chennai . Actually another reason why preferred junior was that the number of dishes compared to ponnusamy are limited - trust me the palate needs to start watering on reading the menu which really doesn't happen when you see too many things on the menu . KISS - Keep it simple stupid, and it belongs to a family chain with home grown recipes .

The review is based on a telephonic discussion with the nephew of the Owner Mr Prabhu. Man was it enlightening. Ok here's how i reached him called up the GM Sarvanan who connected me to Mr Moorthy the son of Mr Kuppusamy, we had a bit of language problem hence he connected me to Prabhu his nephew  who looks after the chennai operation . Very pleasant man to speak to - patient and passionate about Junior Kuppanna

 All recipes are a BIG SECRET , ALL MASALAS ARE A SECRET how mean can that be . Good for me but sad for the people who cook LOL.

Junior Kuppanna — named after Kuppusamy by his son's Moorthy and Arumugan, both of who have Junior preceding their names. Junior' K. Murthy and Junior' P. Aruumgan (as their business card proudly states) reveals that the original restaurant was started in 1960 in Erode by his parents, Kuppusamy and Rukmani Ammal. His mother still supervises the blending and grinding of the masalas that go into the food. When they opened their first branch in Coimbatore, Arumugan's brother ‘Junior Moorthy' excitedly tells us he thought up the name “Junior Kuppanna, since we're the sons of Kuppusamy”.

Kuppuswamy + Anna = Kuppana .

Simple easy to understand menu , well priced .

The Spotless Kitchen

Was taken for a guided tour of the kitchen - man was it impressive YES , systematic , no chaos , everyobe doing their own defined task , all utensils containers shinning so very impressive - a general observation in chennai the kitchens are always spotless , commendable . They took me to a room where all the Master Gravy masalas were being grounded - god was it was amazing - i tasted all the raw masalas to understand the flavors - chicken , mutton , fish were being ground and each was absolutely different from the other even though the colors were almost  the same. So one room for the masalas , the next room where the gravies were being boiled and then came the dosa cum parotta room ... so systematic .And on the side were four quiet women washing utensils at rajnikant speed - they didn let me take a pic of them in action .. All the kitchen team wore face mask and head mask - hygiene is number one .

The big secret of the funda behind jr Kuppana is that there is no chef or head chef - the food is so systematically prepared that even a amateur can have ago at it - guess the masala recipes the process is detailed superbly by Mrs Rukmani Kuppusamy the inventor .

Eating on Banana Leaves

This one is funny as we sat down to eat they plonked huge banana leaves in front of us - then came a man sprinkling water on them and we were what you doing dude - thats when our host intervened and told us that we are to wipe the leaves dry ourselves - not bad - so the stage was set the palate drooling the stomach actually hungry for some authentic south india no nveg food - SERIOUS EATING . Amongst us were some angrez who wanted to eat with fork n knife - they were boooed out and forced to enjoy the meal with their bare hands .

Our host who understand the Punjabi Palate helped us ordering - actually didn need much of  his help as things are simple Biryani or Meal and then some specialty dishes thats it , and those dishes were to die for .

The Complete Biryani Meal 

The Onion Raita and Egg Curry 

Simple cold Onion Raita freshly made .. The Egg Curry was not the loose gravy it was a thick gravy like a sauce poured over the boiled egg. Just mash the egg in the biryani and enjoy .

Chicken and Mutton Chettinad Curry 

See this is what i said above the color was almost the same but flavours were miles apart . SO basically we were served only gravies with the biryani ... choose mix and eat .

Simple Aloo Sabzi

Very basic south indian simple aloo sabzi with bits of cocunt corriander cliantro.

The Armour

The Concept of Junior - Biryani or Meal . I opted for the biryani meal - which is as follows - Banana Leaf - small katoris of different curries - chicken , mutton, fish , egg , aloo sabzi (mind you only curries no meat in them ) onion raita - and Biryani thats it . So u have the choice of mixing any of the gravies with the biryani and relishing it . We opted for the Mutton Biryani . The Meal option i think is steamed rice sambar rasam and vegetables .left it for another day .

Mutton Biryani

The biryani served is with Seeraga samba rice which is traditionally used in TN for Biryani. The taste is also authentic taste from the interiors of TN. Traditional Short Grain rice fat and small grains . Very unsual and flavor full . The mutton cooked well propbaly a yakhni style of cooking where the meat and the rice cook together - closest to a pulao.

Fish Tawa Fry

Had only two portions of this fresh fish - looks more  like a red snapper for sure but it was the Seer Fish  -single bone animal ,  the marination was just amazing - spicy sour and chilly . I actually am not a fish eater for the thorns and the smell - but this one was relished by tiger LOL We all kept complaining about the spice but yet carried on hahahahaha. 

Sukkha Mutton

Well this one was not like the expected Bhunna Ghost - it was dry thick gravy with small slightly fleshy pieces of mutton nicely stirred in the masala - awesome with the parotta. Could evidently see green chillies and Kurry Pata the rest was a secret like all other dishes  The meat pieces had fat on them for absorb the masals and to make the meat juicy . ALso easy to cook .

Pallipalayam Chicken

Named after a town close to Erode - its chicken Pallipalayam is famous across the country . This was country chicken , nattu kozhi -supposed to be the best side dish with a Biryani . Stir fried with mild coconut flavor . A total new experience with a country chicken , always preffered country to broilers for the flavor of the meat .

Prawn Masala

Killer no1 . Prawn Masala with Parotta - Small size prawns , masala slightly khada - like it is in north indian dishes - with coconut and kadi pata flavor .... Our host had told us to must try this dish , it was was so delicious that we ordered couple of extra portions and wiped them off. The flavor was South Indian made the north indian style , slightly sweet , mild spiced . Sorry about the pic next time will use a better camera .

Brain Masala

Killer No 2 - Brain Masala with Egg Parotta OMG this was just too good - the brain was a much better version of  the silken tofu or paneer hahahahaahh...  the masala so nicely wrapped on the brain and together with a parotta it was divine . A very difficult pieceof meat to cook ,so delicate one step and its all over - very nicely done .

Rasam

Very different Rasam - tomato based - Khata / Sour fresh and digestive. I prefer this to the normal regular daal wala rasam .

Egg Veech Parota

As light as feather wonder how do they  this... made like a pizza - wafer thin on the tawa.. Hanky style packing as they call it - four different was of folding the parotta ... egg there but not seen visibly ...  superbly artistically done - a must try . Again a secret how they make it .

In Full Action .. aiyooooo

Sorry for this ugly picture but the truth RULES .... messy , makes u least like a child ,play a little eat making balls ... what a fun meal . Get a bit messy when the bones start collecting on the leaf .... hahahahaah

The Pigs from Delhi 

Hahahaha 24 of us attacked Junior they gave us a separate floor far from the maddening crowd - Serious eaters with some appetite, we all had built our appetites up with some chilled beer before reaching JR. so u can imagine the hunger  .. we ate and we ate and we ate more til there was pin drop silence at the end of it and everyone had the content look on their faces ...  only a 16000 bill for 24 which is not bad at all . All you could hear onthe two tables was "Pass me that"  " You want more" " Isthere more brain "  " Eaten tooo much " hahahahaha.. had promised them that i wont post this picture but couldn resist .

Payasam

Cold sweet milk with coconut , sewaiyan - soothing for the stomach which was blasted by fiery masalas.. thank god for this .

Spotless Floor of the main kitchen

as per industry standard for kitchens , it should be spotless clean - so clean that you can actually eat of the floor . Yes the entire restaurant was spotless including the loo's .

all over the south now they should be Up North Soon

Overall Tigers Experience - Outstanding 

Food : Fresh ,Perfect Flavors , Healthy, a perfect homey , going back to discover the secret of the secret recipes . and no zinetec required after the meal.

Ambiance - Surprisingly not noisy - oh i know why everyone is busy eating non stop - serious eating 

Pricing - as per me it was economical - but as per chennai friends it expensive 

Service - Mind Blowing , the servers stand by your side like hawks on duty , they never give a reason to look up .

It was definitely a great experience to eat at Junior Kuppuna - where the entire experience of Food Service ambiance was well balanced .. certainly going back for more . Definitely going back soon to cover the rest of the Menu .. greedy Tiger