Rohit’s Weblog

Great momentum can be gained by just one momentous push. So many polls were conducted on what actually was the turning point of Indian cricket. With all due respect to the cricketers who have achieved a lot in this field, my choice would be the victory of Dada’s men at Lords.

A victory whirl which announced the arrival of the New India on the sports scene. A victory which showed the others that we can also ‘go, see and conquer’ rather than just defend at home. All kudos to Dada to bring in the aggression into the Gandhian team. It is after this victory that we thought experience is not the only thing that counts. Revenge started sounding sweet. The so called ‘obnoxious weeds’ were taking us to a new high!. The Aussies were made to get a taste of their own medicine. A Ranchi star would be the next conqueror of the new format of the game and also would lead and behave like a fresh  MBA grad who has learnt his lessons well.

And of course Flintoff got his due at the so called Mecca of Cricket.

There is food and there is Haleem.  It is seasonal. It is festive. And it is awesome. Sad for me though that this time around that I am approximately 7,193 kilometres away from the best place to get it. 

Atleast I have a gourmet suggestion for this. Do try 555 cafe just around Masab tank Chowrastha corner. It has been my pick of the lot from last time around. If you are looking for ambience then you can stop reading. Haleem is at its best when it is eaten at a cafe( read kayff). Do go and give this place a try.Value for your money. And one more suggestion:

PLEASE DON’T TRY THIS( making it) AT HOME.

If you ask me one good reason why somebody should come to hyderabad, it would definetely be for the food. I have been living all my life over here(except 4 yrs of grad) but I still dont get bored of the food here. So a mention of all the places that have kept me healthy and satiated all these years is worth the effort . Mind you,these are not places I rated based on ambience,service or their intrusion into the pockets. Only one criterion-TASTE.

BIRYANI

Talk about Hyderabad and the first thing that comes to mind is Biryani. There have been lot of contests and debates over which is the best biryani house but my personal favourite is Bawarchi. It has never disappointed me in all my innumerable visits. Need I say more???.

Where: RTC cross roads,just beside the chowrastha.

Also worth a mention: Paradise in Secunderabad ( just for trivia:the owner Ali is a vegetarian ), 4-seasons in Tolichowki,Yatri-Nivas in Begumpet

CHAT

If you consider eating pani puri on a bandi as unhygenic you can skip this part. For chat in hyderabad, Maharaja Chat Bandar is a hot favorite. Ask anybody in jubilee hills and the surrounding areas about Chat and they will be chanting Maharaja. It has already moved three places but has always had its loyalists following its trail. If you are still not convinced check out the community ‘maharaja chat bandar’ on orkut and you will know what I am talking about.

Where: On the road leading to madhapur from jubilee hills, opposite Orchids School

Also worth a mention : Gokul Chat in koti, Hanuman chat bandar in kundanbag and Dimmy’s in Sindhi colony

CHAI (a.k.a Tea)

Hyderabadis love their chai. No wonder you will find a cafe( read kayyff) in every other gully of hyderabad. The eternal combination of irani chai and osmania biskoot is bread and butter for most hyderabadis. Immortalised by the old city style, cafes provides for the best hangouts if ambience is not on your priority. My pick for this category is Madina Cafe in old city.

Where: Pretty close to Charminar,the circle is famous for the cafe and it is called Madina.So just ask.

Also worth a mention : Limrah in Tolichowki, Sarvee in banjara hills(opposite care hospital) , Gaffoor bhai’s chai on road no.10,banjara hills(all through the night)

HALEEM

A Hyderabadi exclusivity!!! only made during the time of Ramzan. This mutton delicacy is high on nutrition and very filling for the appetite. No wonder muslims feast on it when they break their fast in the holy month of Ramzan. This is one good reason for non muslims to await Ramzan and celebrate it in style . My pick for the best Haleem in town is 555 cafe but if hygiene is high on your priority then Pista House.

Where: 555 is near masab tank chowrastha and Pista house is in charminar.(not to worry,it opens its outlets in every gully of hyd)

Also worth a mention : Sarvee in banjara hills, hyderabad house and all the major biryani houses.

ICE CREAM

Ice cream is omnipresent and so is Ohris in hyderabad. For many Hyderabadis like me icecream is synonymous with Ohris. This chain of restaurants started with the name of Havmor offering gourmet sundaes and now it has become a house hold name. It has some signature sundaes which are sinfully awesome. For an icecreamoholic like me,it is a second home. Do try when at ohris- lewinsky,bulls eye and titanic(the biggest sundae in hyderabad).

where: basheerbagh,banjara hills road no.12,prasads,hyderabad central, necklace road.

Also worth a mention : Famous ice cream in mozamjahi market( try all the flavors there and still it wont cost you more than a hundred bucks),amore in eatstreet and madhapur, the kwality walls bandis late in the nite on the empty roads of hyderabad.

CHINESE

Authentic chinese would not go very well with the spice loving Hyderabadis. But there are a lot of places which have incorporated the Hyderabadi flavor. So when you look for good chinese places in Hyderabad don’t be surprised if you don’t find them very authentic. One such place which is an all time favorite among most people is Naan King. It is worth your money and more. Do try the chicken drumsticks there.

Where: Secunderabad,next lane to paradise junction

Also worth a mention : Mainland China in Banjara hills, Ming’s court in ohri’s basheer bagh,Chopsticks in srinagar colony( good for takeaway)

BAKERIES

Mcdonalds,kfcs and pizza huts aside there are a lot of good bakeries which offer good burgers in Hyderabad. The local burgers before the advent of the multi national chains tasted much better. The idea of burger was a lot different and lot better before the advent of mcdonalds. For me a filling burger is the one you get in Universal Bakers. For that matter most of the close-to-home bakeries serve customised junk for local needs.:) If veg pizzas is some thing you are looking for, Pizza den is the place. It is not this hi fi place with waiters doing huddles but it just serves good pizzas. Vac’s pastry house serves some awesome pastries which just melt in the mouth.

Where: Universal bakers in himayath nagar and secunderabad, pizza den and vac’s in thirumalgerry

Also worth a mention: Bakers INN in somajiguda, Midways in banjara hills,Bigbite in srinagar colony

ANDHRA FOOD
The list would be incomplete if I did not mention the traditional andhra food places. I have not been to a lot of these( don’t blame me, I live with my parents) but of the ones I have visited I found Annalakshmi the best. Not a very famous place but I found it had the essentials of a complete andhra meal. Swagath is another hotel which serves very good south Indian tiffins.

Where: Both of them are in Ameerpet( I wouldnt go farther for these I guess)

Also worth a mention: Minerva coffee shop in a lot of places, Chutneys in panjagutta,Spicy venue in jubilee hills.

BUFFETS

For the ideal gourmets, nothing like it. A good spread at reasonable cost and of course good taste is what I would be looking at. There are a lot of places offering buffets at lunch time for very reasonable rates. But I found the most exhaustive spread at Indijoe’s. For me,it is the first place that comes to mind when I am really really hungry and have the appetite to eat a lot.

Where: In city centre mall( do try the other restaurants of bjn group on the same floor)

Also worth a mention: Angeethi in banjara hills, Barbeque nation opposite city centre, If it is late in the nite and you are hungry then OHRIS BANJARA midnite buffet- you may find me there waiting for a place to sit

Caution: All the above are my personal preferences. Extremely addictive, try at your own risk!!!!!