What a gastronomically rewarding experience!
We had some guests coming over from out of town to try the best that Vadodara culinary scene had to offer. Their one requirement was seafood. So like a good netizen, I Googled for seafood places in Vadodara and got a bunch of names. Then I looked at their Zomato ratings and narrowed my list to top 5. A quick look at the menu then helped me zoom into Kali Mirch which had by far the largest of non-veg menu. The name was very unknown to me, having not been to the Sama area since my college days. But the reviews were good so it seemed worth taking a 13 km drive from all the way across the city to reach to the place.
When we reached there, somehow the place seemed familiar. The location of it, the reception area, the stairs to the 1st floor, all had a bit of deja vu feel. Me and my wife were very confused, how come a place that we've never been to, ever, seemed so familiar? (more about this later.)
After climbing a flight of stairs, we were led to a small seating area. Dated, mundane furniture, dense floor plan and a very low ceiling gave a bit claustrophobic feeling. Clearly things were not looking good. "The online menu looked a bit pricey, hope we get our money's worth", both I and might wife thought. Our worries were elevated because we had not just risked ruining our own sunday lunch, but actually also losing our faces in front our guests to whom we had bragged to death about how rich the food scene of Vadodara had lately become. Things were looking grim.
Then came the menus. Street-side eatery style laminated, spiral-bound menus. Errr... This is not going to be a dining experience, but rather a meal, we thought. The order taking was quick. Fish tikkas, tandoori chicken, veg biryani and raita, butter chicken and roti, and a tomato soup & chicken soup. I was very swiftly told that chicken soup is actually chicken shorba even though the menu said "soup". I rolled my eyes, so the maître d' gave me a few more off-the-menu non-veg soup choices, chicken manchow, chicken hot and sour... "If they were really 'options', they'd be on the menu", I thought to myself. Somehow he pressed to try the chicken shorba, and we agreed.
The food came quickly, but in a bemusing order. The tandoori chicken came first, then the raita and then the fish tikka. Our tummies were buzzing with hunger so we dug in. One bite of fish tikka and our guest screamed "Amazing!!!". They had made a 100 Km journey to Vadodara, and that one bite convinced them that it was worth it! I took a bite myself and I immediately echoed their feeling. What flavour, not too heavy on the spices, not too bland. Tender pieces of fish perfectly simmered to a nice golden sheen on the outside and all the flavours locked inside. Absolutely marvelous! My son, who is not a fan of fish, too liked it so much that he asked for another piece. Wow! our hopes started to make an upward climb.
Then the tandoori chicken turned out to be above par. Such succulent pieces of meat, light on its "tandoori-ness", perfectly cooked from all sides, while juicy and tender from inside. My seven year old and I took one bite and just dug in like crazy! Then everyone else took a bite and they too started going nuts over the taste. Another hit! We were in for a culinary treat, it felt. And from that point onward, everything that came to the table was just wow.
The shorba looked spicy but instead was full of flavours and loaded with chicken, the most chicken I've seen in a soup in Vadodara.
The butter chicken was very evenly tasting, a great balance between a refreshingly mild gravy with generous amount of juicy chicken. My son vowed to finish the entire order himself. (and he did!)
"The Veg handi biryani is out of this world", proclaimed my wife who always complains how biryanis in Vadodara are a let-down. So, her seal of approval was the cherry on the cake.
We ordered some more chicken for the table, and an extra order of Fish tikka for our guests. Again, the order came quickly and was consistent in taste and speed of delivery. We gobbled it all up and were left smacking our lips and rubbing our tummies. Everyone was thoroughly delighted and over-the-top full. "No desserts for anyone, just get the bill please." And it was lighter than we expected considering how much of premium tasting, quality non-veg food we had. And surely, the 15% Christmas discount helped.
We pleasingly paid the bill and started making our way down to the exit. "Huh? This feels oddly familiar, doesn't it? What the hell is this place?" both me and my wife gave a perplexed look to each other. And then, as we stepped out of the door, it immediately hit us why this place felt so nostalgic, because it was a blast of our past! This was Hot Stuff, our dear old hangout place from our college days. Anyone who was in college during the last 90's and early 2000's would know Hot Stuff, its cheap yet good-tasting food and its simple seating and secluded location which made for a perfect hangout for college-going kids like us. And who can forget the cute Punjabi maître d' of that place who we all had huge crush on.
We had a quick chat with the manager who told us that the original owners sold off the place to the new owners who have transformed it into a full-menu restaurant. We thanked them for a great meal and a lovely trip down memory lane.
What a great meal! I would recommend it to anyone who's looking for great tasting, not-so-over-the-top Indian food and doesn't mind a bit of tacky and uninspired ambiance.
My earnest request to the management team would be to upgrade the experience so that it is worth for people to drive down to the place and enjoy the food along with the nostalgia. And don't be shy to let people know about the old place, because I'm sure there are plenty of old fellas like me and my wife who would love to come just because of its connection to their good ol' school & college days.
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