I have a fair idea of my mother's internet habits. YouTube, Google, random browsing and believing everything she gets on whatsapp. Bas. So when I recently told her, I'm heading out for dinner with a bunch of friends, she wanted to know where I was heading.
'Döner Kebab Bistro ma'
She gave me this look you know. I didn't know what to make of it. 'Weird names these days people keep' she said and walked off. I should check if she's also a regular of urban dictionary. Slightly awkward.
My friends were more forthcoming and open about my choice for the place. 'Ennadhu! Boner ah'. They would exclaim and laugh at their own joke and I'll be sitting there face-palming. 'it tastes better than it sounds' I said.
'that's what she said' quibbed one fellow.
Amdist the cacophony behind, I knew I had lost the argument. I hoped the restaurant would save my status as the foodie of the group. Thankfully, it did not disappoint.
Though the place has no car parking of its own, the quiet lanes of Anderson Road were more kind to us. Hence, finding a sport to park your car isn't a hassle at all. The place is pretty small. Huge glass panels, should help natural light enter, and I'm a sucker for good lighting. At night, the place seemed well lit. Seating was thankfully more of the chairs than sofas, which I prefer. There's something romantic about an old fashioned chair you know. To each his own though. 🍷
Food and drink orders included the peanut butter milkshake, chicken wings, arrancini balls, chicken Döner, beef kebab with aromatic rice, a veg burger and a falafel durum. We had no intention of ordering the milkshake in the first place, but the gentleman waiting our table sold it so well to us, that we were convinced to give it a try. It arrived first, even before the starters. The milkshake tasted good, was thick. The decorative peanut and tempered chocolate on the mug could have been avoided. We had no way of eating that part and I almost wiped a tear knowing all that chocolate is going to go waste.
The chicken wings had some additional meat, from the legs I presume. Looked like a double wing. Tasted good, nothing extraordinary. The arrancini balls, were stuffed with mushrooms. Thankfully they didn't stick to the recipe and fill it with peas. Tasted very good. Got the vegetarians excited. The siracha mayo condiment served with the starters was average at best. Didn't have the characteristic spice to it.
A bite of the beef kebab, and I immediately regretted my decision. My decision being, why I decided not to buy the steak. My friend and I thought 2 mains between us would be enough and we skipped the steak. This beef kebab was so absolutelymesmerisinglyunbelievablyfoodgasmenducing brilliant. It was not one bit chewy to start off with. Hence none of that leather feel, that's usually associated with eating beef. My immediate thought was, if they make their beef so good, just imagine their steak. Coming back here again just to try it. Definitely. The aromatic rice, was a good accompaniment to the beef kebab, but it obviously couldn't match the behemoth of a kebab that went along with it.
The chicken Döner was out of this world. They were so generous with the filling inside, that it really won me over. Mayo, purple cabbage served inside were lovely. But it still couldn't reach the level of the beef kebab though. That was on another level altogether. Again, I was left regretting why I didn't order the beef Döner instead of the chicken. Nonetheless, these dishes were worthy of every praise I could give. The veg burger was amazing too! Veg patty fried nicely, and they actually used pickles inside. Most famous burger joints also give the pickle a miss, but the guys here didn't. The last veg dish was the falafel durum. That was a little dull, in comparison to all the amazing dishes we just had. Furthermore, the durum is a tortilla wrap, compared to the semi circular bread of the Döner. If you're confused what to get, buy the Döner. It's better. Definitely. Also a mention to the fries served along with every main. They tasted good no doubt, but a mention has to be given to the quantity. Exceptional. There was so much, that we had some left even after dessert. Wonderful initiative by the folks here. Cheap carbs ought to be in abundance. And they nailed the brief.
Service was excellent. There's always someone there at your call. The small size of the establishment works in their favour. Going to their hand wash is a journey in itself. Something I didn't expect when opening the door. Nothing to complain about though.
Dessert ordered were the churros. Served with 2 dips. We had chosen the caramel (dolce leche something) and the white chocolate. Churros were hot, sugar coated, crispy. The dips, were interesting. The caramel dip was better than I expected and went very well with the churros. The white chocolate dip, according to me looked like wax, but my politically incorrect friends, felt it looked like, well, umm, Post coital genital ejaculate. Lol. Their words, my euphemism.
The entire experience was a bit sticky. As in, there was mayo and sauces falling out of the food and on to our hands at all times. Hence we were using an unusual amount of tissues. Which brought out another innuendo into the discussion. But this time, I was responsible for it. 😄
If you're feeling a bit queasy, at the end of this review as a result of the plethora of innuendos you just came across in a few lines, I would highly recommend you visit this place to cure your stomach. The taste would even make you forget that crass humans such as myself even exist, but after your meal you'd again be back to regretting the fact that you share a world with me. I apologize. But as they say, the more foul your mouth is, the less stained your heart is.
Naah. They don't say it. I just made it up. Lol.
Cheers. : )
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