ZAIKA, INDIRANAGAR- A REVIEW

BY PRIYA JAIN

Planning an evening on a Friday night is a literal nightmare, not only do you fight colleagues and others to ensure you get out of work, but even land up at a full restaurant and are forced to make an exit because it’s too full or too noisy!

This strange experience actually happened to me a week or two ago when I tried to plan a surprise for a friend of mine. We walked into the latest, crazily popular watering hole to find it too full and we walked out. Amazingly enough, my friend was quite a sport and agreed to find another place to wine and dine.

The very normal décor!

Considering we were in Indiranagar, it wasn’t too hard to find another place to eat. But that did not happen before we walked in and out of two other restaurants. One was closed for renovation and the other was, well, just closed!

We finally, grudgingly, trudged into ZAIKA. Considering I was red-faced from all the closed restaurants (and the plan going out of the window), I insisted we eat right there. I realized later and again much later that it was a pretty bad idea. The reasons will come one by one. 

The two of us were welcomed warmly and asked to choose a seat. Well, the whole restaurant from any angle looked the same to me; anyway we chose a seat right around the middle.

We were given rolled & roasted papads to nibble on as we decided our orders. While we chose our order, I noticed that the décor is fairly similar to most other restaurants. There was nothing very memorable about the restaurant or the décor.

Dal Dhaniya Shorba

We chose a soup to begin with. Dal Dhaniya Shorba priced at Rs 85 by two. The first taste of the soup which had dal and coriander tasted a lot like my mom’s homemade dal. It grew on us with a few more sips later. But not enough to try it ever again.

Karara Palak Patta Ka Chaat

The starters of choice were Karara Palak Patta ka chaat & Mil Jhol Subz kurkure. Karara Patta Palak Chaat priced at Rs 175 was a very refreshing starter, unlike any I have ever had before. The spinach leaves were fried to a crisp and topped with several vegetables along with a generous helping of curd and spices. Quite nice. A definite re-visit!

Mil Jhol Subz Kurkure

Mil Jhol Subz Kurkure priced at Rs 195 were just spring rolls with a different name! Really average and not really something that I will ever try again. I expected a tangy flavoring with a lot of vegetables and a sprinkling of condiments, but never mind that.

Description of Kehkashan

After the disastrous beginning, we cautiously ordered just one dish and two parathas for the main course. Kehkashaan was the subzi priced at 190 and Bharwan Amritsari Kulcha at Rs 50 and Lachcha Paratha at Rs 45 were our super cautious orders.

The parathas were perfect, but one was quite enough for each of us to feel overfull. Kehkashaan was very edible and we actually ate the leftovers without bread!

Drinks were cool!

Drinks of choice were Pineapple and cinnamon martini at Rs 295 and Tequila sunrise 275. Both were quite decent and not too many complaints there.

Now the thing is, we are good eaters. On a good day, we have easily polished off 3 starters and at least 3 main courses. And this was a good day. But the food gave us a bloaty feeling. Most people say, that happens thanks to the food additives like soda. Now I am not sure what they added in the food, but I have never had a harder walk down the stairs and then to the parking!!

Added to the absolute nightmare of the bloaty feeling was- the bill! The bill was, as it is nearly 1400. But the taxes were the real back breaker. An additional 300 bucks! I could have had at least 3(much nicer) meals at a local Darshini.

Incidentally, as I was writing this- I got a call from Zaika- asking if friends and I would like to come to the restaurant for a New Year buffet on 31^st. I decided then and there, a big no!

All in all, it is ok if the cost of the food is worth it. Here I found neither the worth nor the satisfaction of blowing up nearly 2000 rupees on a dinner that could have easily been 4 other meals.

ELEMENTS HERITAGE- A REVIEW

BY PRIYA JAIN

A happy Friday afternoon, a friend and I set off in the pursuit of great happiness. In simple words, we were two hungry souls looking for food that will please our tummies while not denting the wallet too deep.

Cosy seating in Elements Heritage with intricate detailing on cushions

Cruising around Frazer town, we stumbled across the Elements Heritage restaurant. Situated on Mosque Road, the restaurant actually looks like somebody’s house from the outside. After a double take, I did figure that it is indeed a restaurant.

The menu with the same embroidery
 as the cushions!

 Having parked, we walked in a bit uncertainly. The whole place was so empty, we were not even sure they were functional. A very sweet gentleman greeted us at the entrance and seated us in one of the dining rooms. 

One thing that really stood out is the fact that the place was extremely cool. And not an AC in sight! The house/ restaurant was built in such a way that it had plenty of air and light without resorting to artificial means. The interiors seem plastered with mud, reminding me of all the village homes I have lived in!

 While the person who attended to us was extremely warm and welcoming, he did not really give us a choice of different seating, even though the restaurant was absolutely empty. Only later did we discover a much prettier seating area outside in the restaurant!

 Coming to the food, Elements Heritage serves up a delightful mix of Awadhi, North Indian, Malabari & Peshawari cuisine. We moved a bit cautiously as we have had some bitter experiences in the past where the décor is so good, but the food is the exact opposite.

Dum Tarkari: Unlike any soup we have eaten!

 We started tentatively with a Dum Tarkari shorba priced at Rs 60. The shorba is served up in a small brass cup along with a piece of Naan (a type of bread) and a salad. The helping, though small is very rich and kind of filling. The thick soup has an ample collection of vegetables and is delicately flavored.

 Next we moved on to Paneer Misfira which was priced at Rs 160. Served up with fryums and two types of salad and chutney, this Paneer dish is as succulent and melt-in-the-mouth as it gets. Not only is the paneer marinated, the delicate flavoring of the herbs and the garnishing adds to the overall delight of the dish. The paneer is all at once tangy, spicy and soft. 8 huge chunks of Paneer are served in one dish and can be quite filling for two people.

Paneer Misfira: Has to be eaten to be believed!

 We chose vegetable stew and appams for the main course at Rs 200. The presentation was quite interesting with the stew being served in a long boat like dish along with a small helping of rice and salad along with fryums. The stew was delicious. There is something unmatched about eating vegetables along with the lovely flavoring of coconut. We were given 3 appams and split it between the two of us. Having eaten to the level of pleasantly full, we were quite pleased when we saw that the bill was still worth less than 700 rupees!

Appams and coconuttttty stew. Still drooling!

 Along the way, we had also ordered for two drinks to go with it. I opted for a regular sweet Lassi while my partner in crime opted for a Heritage special drink. The heritage special drink was quite yummy with a mix of three different fruity flavours.

Airy and Roomy without an AC!

Lassi and Heritage special drinks!

A special mention to the décor and the service: The menu and the tiny cushions in the seating area have the same embroidery as the logo of the hotel. I personally quite liked the touch showing the attention to detail. Also the service was prompt, but it was not too detailed on what to expect from the restaurant on request.

All in all, it was a totally worth it lunch for under a 700 rupees and must be tried if you are in Frazer Town and hungry!