Kebab Street - Landons Road, Kilpauk

Kebabs are an all time favorite at the household. More than often, it is a common accompaniment at meals prepared at home. I'm sure you all will agree that nothing like a good kebab can compliment home made rotis and dals. Owing to the sudden dearth in quality and taste with the shops providing yummy kebabs in the locality, we begun preparing them by marinating our own meat and doing it at homes most of the time. But this needs a lot of preparation and nothing can beat take away's. While we were struggling to find the right shop to get our kebabs popped a new restaurant in the locality. Aptly named as Kebab Street, they were very simple in their offerings. A huge variety of kebabs, limited variants of gravies and desserts and a single variant of Shawarma's (I'm happy it is just one as this is the best that is available in the city).

Situated on my route back from office, it would constantly strike me to stop and check it out. But thanks to the traffic woes, getting back home quickly was a priority. But all changed one day during the holy month of Ramzan when I was asked to buy some kebabs from outside for the Iftaar. Instantly, Kebab Street came to my mind and ever since, it is the only place in the locality where we get kebabs or shawarmas from. 

Having savored their yummy shawarmas and grilled chicken for a long time and being confident in their consistency, I was now convinced that I can strongly recommend this place to fellow peers. This review is based on my latest take-away from Kebab Street. The order for this time was a full grilled chicken and a portion of Butter Chicken Masala.

(Grilled Chicken in take away containers)

The grilled chicken was the usual. Juicy and perfectly grilled. The skin of the chicken was intact at some places and added to the taste of the meat. The accompaniment that is provided is one of the best garlic mayo I've ever had. It just adds an additional tinge to the taste of the chicken. Unlike other restaurants serving grilled chicken, the ones at Kebab Street are well cooked and still retain their juiciness. Only let down is the rumali roti that they provide. But this could also be attributed to the fact that it has always been a take-away for me and it is really difficult to keep the rumali fresh. Probably the rumali would taste better had I dined in.

(Garlic Mayo Dip) 

The Butter Chicken Masala was equally nice. Though this was the first time I had bought a gravy based dish from Kebab Street, I was thoroughly impressed as unlike other places, the use of food coloring was very very minimal in my butter chicken masala. The number of pieces of chicken were comparatively more and were also very tender to bite. This has given a precedence to try their other gravy based dishes too.

(Butter Chicken Masala)

As this was a take away for lunch, there was another dish, which is a household favourite, that could not be ordered. For all those who guessed it correct, It is indeed the Chicken Shawarma. Having been in the middle east for a good part of my life, I have tasted the best and the worst of shawarma's. The scenario changed in India in the early 2000's with a few restaurants serving up the famous street food of the Arabs  the Chicken Shawarma. Although the scenario was sad as it could hardly be called a shawarma for those who had been to the middle east, something was better than nothing. But again the scenario slowly changed. More and more outlets began to crop up. But most of them were serving shawarma's that were dry and lacking a few basic ingredients like french fries and stuffs. Fortunately, the shawarma at Kebab Street is just too good. Though it doesn't resemble the original middle eastern shawarma, this is as close as it can get. Juicy, crispy, crunchy and most importantly long and yummy. If not for anything else, Kebab Street is a must visit for at least their shawarma's.

Their pricing too seems to be in line with what the others charge. A full grilled chicken costed Rs. 320 and the Butter Chicken masala costed Rs. 140. For those curious about the Shawarma's, it is priced at Rs. 80. Don't be taken back, the shawarma's are filled with chicken and much longer than those available else where.

I just hope and pray that they do not compromise on quality and taste. If that doesn't happen, I'm sure it will become a very successful restaurant in the neighborhood. 

Kebab Street is located at Landon's Road, Kilpauk. It can be reached from both Ega theatre as well as Taylor's road.

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Pizza Republic - Tharamani

Who wouldn't want to have fresh Pizza's... That too on a Saturday night with friends...

After a quick plan-up with fellow CFGians, a bunch of us planned to spend the Saturday evening at the recently opened Pizza Republic in Tharamani. Having plenty of time between end of office and the planned meet up at Pizza Republic, a fellow CFGian and myself decided to head out to the Thai Food workshop which was organized by CFG. The mentor for the workshop was Mrs. Sara Koshy about whom I've heard heaps and was curious to taste her cooking. We were lucky enough to have a taste at the excellent Thai food that was prepared. The Buoroy dessert was out of the world. I was secretly gulping the stuffed lychees one by one after everyone left. How I wish I had really attended the entire workshop. Folks you can keep checking out the CFG events page Chennai Food Guide - Events to know more about their upcoming events.

Pizza Republic

Outlet + Kitchen

After having a sample of the wonderful Thai food, we promptly returned to Pizza Republic for the meet up. Having heard a lot about Pizza Republic, I was really waiting for an opportunity to visit this place. First impression was a bit intrigued. I was wondering how is it possible to make pizzas for so many customers in such a small place. But what I loved most was the seating. Albeit being small (considering this set up was more of a test kitchen turning main stream owing to the instant hit amongst customers), the outdoor seating was wonderful especially with the night time weather in Chennai of late being really enjoyable.  

Mr. Rama Krishnan

We were met by the co-owner of Pizza Republic, Mr. Rama Krishnan, who was very courtesy and kind enough to introduce us to the concept of Pizza Republic. The differentiating factor between Pizza Republic and other pizza joints in the city is the fact that Pizza Republic offers you the option of the fun filled D-I-Y (Do It Yourself) method of making your Pizza's. If pizza making really interests you, you just need to follow the following steps.

1. Pick up a 9" or 12" pizza box from the counter top.
2. Select your choice of crust [Italian, Soft Pan, Multigrain, Thin Crust and Stuffed Crust].
3. Select how spicy you would like your Pizza [Not Spicy, Medium Spicy, Extra Spicy].
4. Select how much cheese you would like [Not Cheesy, Normal, Extra Cheesy].
5. Select all the toppings that you would need according to your preference.
6. Hand over the box to the cashier for billing and inform him that you would like to make your pizza.

You may be asked to wait sometime in the event of the kitchen being busy but this is not the case often as their turn around time is pretty high for a pizza joint. You'll then be asked to wear the head cap and hand glow before entering the kitchen to keep up with their strict quality control standards. 

Now the fun begins. You will at first hand see how the pizza base dough is being made and spread on the pizza pan following which you will be able to add the sauces, toppings and cheese as per your order. The process is pretty much the same in case if you would like to have a salad before you pizza. Mr. Rama Krishnan can also customize his offerings to your requirements if you can check with him before hand. Once your pizza is placed on the conveyor oven, your job inside the kitchen is over and you can get back to your table and relax (rather anticipate with excitement  for the arrival of your pizza, which shouldn't take more than 15 minutes. 

Choose your pizza

Dough being prepared

Freshly made Pizza base

Selection of toppings

Making my own pizza

Here it goes at one end

The pizza's were the best of all. They were fresh, juicy, cheesy and light on the palate. Yes a pizza being light on your palate. I believe the reason could be the freshly prepared dough for the pizza base rather than those pre-made ones you get at other pizzerias. The pizzas were so yummy that we were on an ordering spree and infact lost count at the total number of pizza's the group had. My rough estimate would be close to 6 pizza's among a group strength of 8. I'm sure this gives an idea about how tasty it was. The pizza's kept coming and disappearing in a jiffy.

Deliciously out the other end

Fresh and Hot

So Yummmmm!!!!

During the course of the evening, we were also told about a very unique ability of their pizza box. The pizza box at Pizza republic is a custom design that ensures that a couple of pizza slices can be effectively packed and carried by ladies inside their clutch. If you are wondering how, check out the picture below which is the base of the box converted for a easy carriage of leftover pizzas.

Easy takeaway for the leftovers

Prior to my visit their, I was informed that this place was a real pocket friendly, value for money pizza outlet. True to the opinions, it hardly costed Rs. 300 per head for an enormous serving of pizza's and salads. The point to be mentioned is that most of us even took takeaways that evening. Am not too sure about what others felt [I've not heard anything against so far], so presuming it was the same with all others, the pizza's when reheated taste as good as how it tasted fresh from the oven. Folks at home have become an instant fan of Pizza Republic and its concept such that the nagging for a family visit started of instantly.

Bottom-line....

This is one pizza joint that is gonna stay here forever.. True to its name, this is indeed a Republic to true Pizza lovers...

Pizza Republic is located on CSIR Road [off Rajiv Gandhi IT Expressway], Tharamani. It is before Ascendas on the left and is located within the same compound as Copper Chimney.

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Marrybrown - Ispahani Centre *A CFG Showcase*

Not been more than a week since I started my food blog and here I am at my first CFG showcase. Thanks to Marrybrown for inviting members of Chennai Food Guide to their Ispahani outlet in Nugambakkam. The moment I knew the showcase was at Marrybrown, I was delighted. Marrybrown has been in Chennai for a long long time and as they rightly said, Marrybrown was the first to introduce Fried Chicken (sans masala style) in Chennai. While in school, Marrybrown used to be a regular when we wanted to have chicken KFC style. 

Coming to the showcase, members of CFG were all present at the said time and the marketing co-ordinators of Marrybrown gave a short introduction followed by a list that contained their complete menu. There was close to 17 items on the menu as was shocked that I haven't realized it so far being a regular at Marrybrown.

Alongside their regulars, the main objective of having a showcase by Marrybrown was for them to know feedback about their new additions, viz. Extreme Burger (Veg/Non Veg), Jigger Fries & Mango flavoured Smoothers Shakes. Initially it was thought to highlight what each of us wanted on the menu, but it soon turned like a we want all. So we left it to Marrybrown to stuff us with all the food goodies that were in their arsenal.

So while we were eagerly waiting for the starters to start arriving, we were discussing about how Marrybrown has fought through the big daddy of fried chicken KFC and still has a good customer base. Also laurels to the bold efforts taken by Marrybrown towards inviting us to showcase their food. I'm sure every restaurant would think twice before asking for a showcase. 

Chicken Poppers

The first to arrive amongst the starters was the Chicken Poppers. I had a glee on my mind when I saw it as it has always been my favourite at their competitors. But when the tasting begun, I was disappointed as the poppers lacked the popping a.k.a crispiness. It was just bland boneless chicken rolled in a batter and fried. The dip provided was some kind of chilli BBQ sauce which didn't suit it either. But with the Mayo, it was edible. The vegetable lovers got their equivalent called Chilli Poppers. The case was the same. No Chilli in their poppers barring some chilli flakes which were present more from an aesthetic point of view. 

Chicken Lollypop

Buffalo Wings

Chicken Nuggets

Following the poppers, arrived the Chicken Lollypop, Buffalo Wings (Really don't know why the world calls it Buffalo Wings) and Chicken Nuggets. We didn't have much difficulty tasting these as they were basically the same as the Chicken Poppers except not being boneless. The taste was the same, the texture a little crispier and seasoning was zero. It made in mandatory to sample it with a dip and once again mayo stood out. I really wonder if there is anything special in their mayo. The Chicken Nuggets was in no way comparable to a Nugget. It was more like a chicken kheema shaped in the form of nuggets, coated with batter and fried. The vegetable lovers had their own variant viz. Cheese Tease and Smileys. Based on food shopping experience in Chennai, I know exactly from where both of these were purchased. The cheese tease is nothing but Cheese and Jalapeno poppers from McCain and the Smileys are from the same brand as well. But eventually Marrybrown is specialized in Chicken and hence cannot put them down for this. Atleast they have an alternative to the vegetable lovers.

Jigger Fries

Jigger Fries Box

Then came the Star dish of the evening, the Jigger Fries. Aptly named, the Jigger Fries is their take on french fries seasoning. Packed in a neatly designed box filled with french fries and either Mexican Cheese or Sour Cream and Onion seasoning, the box needs to be Jiggered (slang for shake in Tamil) for a coating of seasoning on the fries. Unanimously it was a hit. Everyone just loved it and we even requested for more servings. A fellow blogger was so impressed by the seasoning that he suggested we season all the chicken with it. 

Fried Chicken

Hot Touch Burger

Mango Smoothers Shakes

The star was followed by the significant, the one and only Fried Chicken. The chicken tub was presented in all its glory. Nothing to compare as they seemed to have had a consistence approach towards this dish for a long time. It tasted the usual and was comparatively less oily even though I found some oil accumulated between the flesh and the bone which was not very desirable.  This was followed by my favourite, the Hot Touch Burger. Again the same, they have really been consistence with their hot touch burger too. The positive today was that the burger bun didn't crumble on to the plate which used to be the case most of the times. The vegetarian substitute was the newly introduced Extreme Burger. Those whose had a taste of said that it had a touch of zing, thanks to the black pepper in the burger patty. We were also served their new Mango flavoured Smoothers Shakes. This was a surprise winner. Majority of us liked it and felt it to be really heavy with a subtle taste of vanilla and a dominant taste of mango. Although being made out of mango pulp, there was no stickiness or roughness in its texture. This is a must have if you visit them.

Strawberry Jello

Brownie

Being really stuffed with all their offerings so far, we had to politely refuse further dishes. We were then requested to sample their desserts. Strawberry Jello with Vanilla Ice Cream and Brownies with Vanilla Ice Cream. The first one had mixed reviews with myself personally liking it. The flavouring of Strawberry was not too heavy and gelled well with the ice cream. But the Brownie was the most disappointing dish of the day. A fellow blogger broke his spoon trying to have a taste. It was rock solid. I somehow managed to smoother it with the ice cream to make it soft and finally sampled it ignoring the warnings of fellow companions. I was wrong, the brownie was crunch like a biscuit and was like eating something that in no way would be comparable to a brownie. 

Being a showcase, we really didn't expect that we would have both positives and negatives as the food is usually served at its best at such events. But hats off to Marrybrown for delivering to us the same that they deliver to their regular customers. And also their encouragement and boldness for having them reviewed by us should be appreciated. One more thing I would like to add here is that, just a day prior to the showcase, Marrybrown had conducted a food carnival for around 250 children who were infected with HIV. This is really a good initiative from them to show their solidarity with the under-privileged. Towards the end of the showcase, the entire team conveyed their individual feedback to the Marrybrown team which was delightfully acknowledged by them. 

Marrybrown is located across Chennai with outlets in almost all areas. Please check on their website for their locations. The one where the showcase was held is located on the Ground Floor, Ispahani Centre, Nungambakkam.

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