FOOD & SPIRITS

Spice it up!

Hot Rocks, Hyderabad

If you like North Indian cuisine ? and especially when it comes from celeb Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe books ?, you must head to Hot Rocks, the stone grill, which has a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

There are creative recipes like stuffed jacket potatoes and chilli spinach noodles on the menu and starters are just as interesting ? corn and olive fritters or aloo achari. The desserts are many: take your pick ? kheer and gulab jamun or chocolate shuffle?

But what is unique is certainly the roomy sit-out with diwans spread out with warm hued-cushions on two large cots on the terrace. On the other hand, if you sit downstairs there is the sizzle and aroma of your dinner grilling on a hot stone.

As for the drinks what's original are the juices. There's chilled lychee juice with lemonade or the blend of carrots, tomatoes and red peppers garnished with parsley. And then there's the exquisite mix of apple juice, kiwi crush, and vanilla ice cream! Kimtee SquareE-3, 4th and 5th floor, Banjara Hills, Road No 12, Hyderabad.

Tel: 040-23383836/37/38/39

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oriental delights

Golden Dragon, Chennai

The newly revamped Golden Dragon at Taj Coromandel is delightful. The interiors are spacious and contemporary. The restaurant dishes out delicious Sichuan cuisine but the décor is not overtly Chinese.

The menu is extensive with a variety of meats, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. The dimsum selection is simply awesome ? there's such an amazing range?actually one can just have a feast of dimsums and go away sated! Golden Dragon's Beijing Duck, which is an evergreen favourite, is on the new menu and is a must try. We tasted a variety of dishes with chicken, tenderloin, scallops, pork, prawn, fish and even Chinese greens?and every dish was in keeping with the high standards Golden Dragon is known for. For dessert too, there is an interesting variety of offerings from Chinese desserts like date pancake, malai gao red bean roll and honey noodle with almond flakes and chocolate terrine.

The Tea Bar is a newly introduced concept. Tea is an essential part of the Chinese way of life and Golden Dragon has 14 varieties of tea on offer ? there are specific teas they recommend pre meal, during the meal and post meal. Overall, a meal at Golden Dragon is an experience that is not to be missed!

Taj Coromandel, 37 Nungambakkam High Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai - 600034. Tel: 66002827

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A fishy affair!

Oceanos, Kochi

Oceanos in Fort Kochi is a multi-cuisine restaurant converted out of an old parsonage. No wonder the tag line for the place is ?Seafood Ahoy!' Start with soups, the seafood speciality is a mix of seafood spiced with fresh fennel, there is also a light gazpacho flavoured with mint and a drizzle of olive oil. A popular vegetarian soup is crème of pumpkin, a combo of sweet pumpkin puree and fresh orange for tanginess. For appetisers, crab au gratin is a quick baked dish with vegetables, herbs and cheese. Then there is also a creamy mushroom preparation filled into thin crepes and baked. We tried the squid olarthayathu [although it was not under the appetiser section, but a main dish]. A perfectly prepared Kerala dish. For the main course, we opted for pasta. The spaghetti Bolognese was mild and lightly flavoured even with a dash of crushed pepper, so also the pasta in grilled tiger prawn in aliolio sauce, with a sprinkle of parsley, olives, tomato and cheese. All of these are the Chef's recipes providing a twist by fusing them with local spices. However, if Kerala food is what is preferred, then there is plenty to choose from: green mussels is a Malabari preparation, fish pollichathu a spiced fish wrapped in banana leaf and cooked over a slow flame and mutton vindaloo. The shrimp pakoras is the local seafood version of pakoras, where the shrimp is batter fried along with whole curry leaves and flavoured with jeera.

As for dessert, the choice ranges from brownies, apple crumble to a lemon cottage cheese cake. Coffee and tea to end it well. Oceanos Elphinstone Road Fort Kochi Kochi 682001 Kerala Tel 0484 2218222 www.oceanosfortkochi.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A traditional fare

Ginger House Restaurant, KOCHI

Once a ginger godown, which was turned into an antique store, the space is now a heritage restaurant.

The restaurant begins with the Palliyodam Hall, as they call it, where a large chundanvallom is displayed. The food here is largely traditional. Breakfast starts with dosa or appam and vegetable stew, even puttu with kadala, while lunch and dinner include many a seafood treat in Kerala style. The menu includes fish cooked in spiced coconut gravy and chemmeen (shrimp) slow cooked in masala. Meat includes chicken, either as an ularthu (cooked to a dry consistency and coated in spices) or with gravy. But what is the highlight are the ginger based dishes, to commemorate the spice that once filled the godown. Thus they even have ginger soda and ginger tea, drinks which are in-house specialties. Of course, regular tea and coffee are also on the menu with snacks like banana fritters, an all time Kerala favourite. What's more, guests can visit the open kitchen and learn how to cook the dishes ordered!

Ginger House Restaurant Jew Town Mattancherry Kochi 682002 Tel 0484 2211145 heritagegallery@eth.net