Bombay Kulfi: Kochi's Kulfi Destination!

Bombay Kulfi Review

As we were driving down Kaloor-Kadavanthara road, this sign managed to catch our attention. Being kulfi [explained in the next paragraph] lovers and not having a dedicated joint in Kochi to this point, we were excited to check out what this place had to offer.

In case you do not know what a kulfi is, it is effectively the Indian version of Ice Cream, albeit slightly denser as it incorporates less or no air, more like Italian gelato in a way. It is most traditionally served in small clay pots called 'matka' but sticks are also available and more common. Traditional flavours include pistachio, saffron, 'malai' which is cream etc. Fruit based ones are also not uncommon, possibly being based on both dry and/or fresh fruits.

In case you were wondering, kulfi in general and Bombay Kulfi's products specifically are stated to be completely vegetarian. However the use of milk means vegans will have to look elsewhere.  

Bombay Kulfi is situated on Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road, next to Cake Hut. The walls were painted in bright colours and we noticed some old-school Bollywood Hindi movie posters hung up but the ambiance was not that great. It is a really small shop, with a few stools to sit on. There was a counter displaying the various flavors available with a blackboard listing the flavours available. The flavors on offer included: Malai [cream], mango, kesar-pista [saffron-pistachio], butterscotch and a few unconventional ones like chai masala [spicy tea!] and so on.

After some deliberation, we decided to try out their kesar-pista  and butterscotch flavors. One point to note is that the kulfis were absolutely frozen solid and took a while to soften. Both turned out to be very good choices and provided some much needed relief from the blistering Kochi summer heat. Once softened, they had a nice creamy texture and good flavour, especially the kesar-pista one.

The staff recommended the kulfi pot or 'Matka Kulfi', but we opted for the sticks as they seemed bigger and we wanted to eat outside where it would be way more comfortable.

They were pretty price friendly too, the butterscotch being slightly more expensive.

I guess you could put it this way: we found that the perfect choice for the Kerala summer was (the?!) Bombay Kulfi! They may not have the best seating arrangements in place but the quality of the product is what matters most and on that aspect, they deliver pretty well.

Type of Cuisine: Frozen Desserts, 'Kulfi'

Location

Next to Cake Hut, Kaloor Kadavanthra Road, Kathrikadavu, Kaloor.

Parking: Few cars in front.

Ambience: Bright but very cramped, extremely limited seating.

Service: Good, quick.

What we liked/Recommended for:

Generally decent quality Kulfi, refreshing.

Potential Shortcomings: 
Cramped.

Taxes: Included in price

Phone Number: +91 484 430 2010

Timings: 11:30 - 23:00 

Restaurant Website: bombaykulfi.com

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Have you tried anything from Bombay Kulfi? Tell us down in the comments below!

Udupi Bhavan

Udupi Bhavan Review

Searching for the elusive Mysore masala dosa which is our favourite and a must-have on every visit to Bangalore, we came across Udupi Bhavan; which is a restaurant on Kaloor-Kadavanthara road. It is a two storey building and claims to have typical South Indian fare like dosas, idlis, puris etc, to North Indian & Chinese(!) dishes too. We were most interested to see whether they could serve a mean Mysore masala dosa and stand up to its name, so did it? Read on to find out!

A flight of stairs leads up to a sweets counter & the entrance is to the right. The restaurant has good seating capacity & in spite of that, the tables were full, which of course is always a good sign. The place is neat, with attentive service.
We were hoping to get our favorite Mysore Masala Dosa and were thrilled to find that it was listed on the menu! so we wasted no time ordering it. 


Suggested Reading: Not familiar with  South Indian food? We have just the right article to get you up to speed: South Indian Breakfasts!

Mysore Masala Dosa

The traditional Mysore masala dosa is easily recognized by its thickness yet crisp and soft textures at the bottom and top respectively. The most defining characteristic is that a red chutney of red chili, chickpea and garlic must be spread on the suface of the dosa before adding the quintessential potato masala. That gives it a distinct taste which no other Kerala style masala dosa has. Now onto the dish served to us.

The Mysore masala dosa turned up, with a twist however. They added mint chutney instead of the typical red chutney which traditionally accompanies the Mysore masala dosa. It was not brown & crisp like it should be. We were slightly disappointed that we still had not found a place to enjoy an authentic Mysore Masala dosa but decided to give it a chance anyway. 
What a good decision that was.
The dosa itself was nothing particularly remarkable but the chutney inside was actually very tasty and even the spiced potato inside was perfectly cooked and well seasoned. We would say it is more akin to 'Mysore-style masala dosa' but who cares: on the whole, it tasted great and we look forward to trying this one again. This dosa is recommended if you have had masala dosas from every other restaurant in the city and wish to taste something slightly different from the rest. 

Uzhunu Vada

The uzhunu vadas [savoury donut] here were superb, being crisp and light as they should be. They are easily among the best we have had at any restaurant in the city. Worth mentioning is that their chutneys tasted great, being thick and tasty rather than watery in many restaurants.

We confronted (read: spoke to!) the person in charge there about the inaccuracies in the Mysore masala dosa, he knew exactly what we were talking about and admitted that it should use the red chutney as is traditional. We told him the food was otherwise good. 
Udupi Bhavan is good South Indian joint serving up delicious Udupi food and pretty budget friendly too, highly recommended. We hope to go back soon. 

Type of Cuisine: South Indian vegetarian, Udupi 

Location

Kadikkal Buildings, Kumaranashan Junction, Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road.

Parking: Few cars in front + dedicated parking lot. No problems here.

Ambience: Good, even for families unlike most similar restaurants. Well lit.

Service: Good

What we liked/Recommended for:

• Good, tasty Udupi/vegetarian food. 
• Quality chutneys unlike many veg restaurants in the city. 
• Decent ambiance for a veg. restaurant. 
• Parking area. 
• Cleanliness.

Potential Shortcomings: 
Our quest for an authentic Mysore Masala dosa continues! The one here [though tasty] is not the way it is supposed to be. Will update this section after another visit. 

Taxes: Included in price, no fat tax applicable.
Phone Number: +91 94959 98199
Timings: 07:00 - 23:00

Have you been to Udupi Bhavan? Share your experience in the comments below!

New Dragon Chinese Restaurant: Enter the [New] Dragon!

New Dragon Chinese Restaurant Review

New Dragon first caught our attention when their ad came in the newspaper, boasting a complete lunch meal at an unimaginable price. Chinese food [though mostly Indianized!] being one of our favourite things to eat out, we just had to pay a visit to see for ourselves. 

We ordered three of the said lunch menus, which entitled us to a soup, a side dish, ‘Chinese Chapatti’, a main dish and lemon juice each. 

To clarify how this works and help you order, we have summarized the choices below:

• A soup
• One set of Chinese Chapati
• Choice between Egg noodle or Egg fried rice
• Choice between Chili Potato or Chili Cauliflower
• Choice between Chicken Manchurian or Chicken Hong Kong
• A glass of Lime Juice

Yep, you are entitled to all of the above. We discuss the options we chose below, mostly based on their recommendation:

Manchow Soup

First up was the Chicken Manchow Soup, which came with crispy noodle on top. 

The soup itself was delicious, with a decent quantity of vegetables and chicken to speak of. The crispy noodle brought an additional dimension to the texture.

Crispy Chili Potato

Then for starters, we went with Crispy Chili Potato. This saw fingers of potato not unlike fries[AME!]/chips[BRE!] coated with a light batter and fried super crisp, then tossed with some spring onion, bits of garlic, a few bits of green chili.

Probably something the Chinese would frown upon but it certainly tastes interesting! The crunchiness of the coating and softness inside the potato complement each other. Think of it as taking Fries/Chips and tossing them in a little ketchup mixed with the aforementioned condiments and you can kind of figure out what this dish is about, though it tastes better than I just described!

Chinese Chapati

Next up, they brought the Chinese Chapatti, which was something like a thick tortilla that was lightly fried. It was slightly chewy and was fine to eat with the dishes that follow; it isn’t meant to be eaten on its own. 

People accustomed to eating Indian foods like chapattis will feel right at home here!

Hong Kong Chicken

Next, we had Hong Kong Chicken, which saw pieces of crispy fried chicken tossed with green capsicum [pepper], onion and a few green chilies here and there. 

It was not spicy however and the dish worked fine. This was a good accompaniment for the Chinese Chapatti.

Egg Noodle

Next up, we decided to mix things up and order a different thing, one of which was the noodle. 

This had green capsicum [pepper], some spring onion, bits of carrot and a small piece of red chili, though it was not spicy.

Egg Fried Rice

We also got a portion of fried rice for one of the lunch menus, which came with perfectly cooked rice where each grain was separate from the other. 

It had beans, some spring onion, bits of carrot and a small piece of red chili, though again it was not spicy. This had a nice flavour and a good aroma.

To finish things off, they provide a rather big glass of refreshing lime juice. This was perfectly salted and would have been really good to whet one’s appetite, maybe they could serve it at the start of the meal instead.

The portions of each part of the meal are really adequate to actually enjoy rather than just getting a taste. It provides just the right quantity to prevent oneself from getting bored. It all adds up to a full experience: this is a meal that will satisfy the hungriest and has plenty of variety to keep you engaged. In this day and age, it is hard to come across a place that offers such good food, in a clean setting, at such a low price. If you have never experienced Indo-Chinese food and wish to try it, this menu is the best ticket; it encompasses everything that defines Indo-Chinese cuisine [except maybe dimsum, which you will have to order separately]. This is definitely one of the most value-for-money meals in town, especially for Chinese and even in general. Highly recommended to at least give it a try: if you like it, you just found yourself a new place to go to when you don’t feel like cooking, want to have variety, or want to spend as little as possible on Chinese food but walk away with a full stomach. We know we will return soon.

Type of Cuisine: Chinese [Indo-Chinese]
Location

 

Opposite Naval Quarters, First Floor, Elamkulam, Kadavanthra. 

Parking: A few cars in front, should be sufficient but easily gets full on very busy days, area nearby has other commercial areas so it will become difficult. We only had trouble once.

Ambience: Typical dark and red, not too bad though. If you need light, get a seat closer to the windows at the end of the room. If you prefer a darker setting, there are tables with wooden paneling. 

Service: Good

What we liked/Recommended for:

• Lunch menu is incredible value for money, even a reasonable amount of choice is provided for each dish. 
• Food is also tasty and well made. 

Potential Shortcomings: 
A bit too similar to Golden Dragon in terms of variety; but not necessarily a bad thing.

Taxes: Included in price, no fat tax applicable
Phone Number: +91 9656470007, +91 9746855222
Timings: 11:00 - 16:00, 19:00 - 23:00

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Have you Entered [The!] New Dragon? Tell us about your experience in the commments below!