Mamma Mia at Mamma Mexicana!

Nice and crisp, loaded with corn and cheese. That’s how I like my nachos! I don’t mind more toppings, obviously, but the nachos have to have the crisp which Taco bell nachos are highly deficient in.

Since its inception in 2010, Taco Bell has been desperately trying to satisfy the appetite of people who crave for Mexican food. Mind you, it had been successful in doing so until the city suddenly turned into a landscape where restaurateurs wanted to grab the best spot in the city and spoil us with all the lavish grub.

With coming in of restaurants offering Mexican cuisine, one realizes how pathetic Taco Bell nachos are. Yes, nachos are my weakness and after having the yummiest one at Plan B Loaded I still haven’t come across a place which serves nachos equivalent in taste to the one in Plan B, until I visited Mamma Mexicana.

When Bob and I meet, we eat and we eat like pigs. Last time, after a fail movie plan and desperately trying to escape from the heat, we (well, actually I) decided to head to Mamma Mexicana and pulled Bob along who was not in his usual chirpy mood. 

Ambience

My annoyed expression turned into a gleeful one as I entered. Why? Well, firstly because of the AC and secondly, the thought of having nachos got me mouth-watering already!

I have to say, this place has gone to great lengths to get the typical ‘Mexican’ look. From the music to the tile work, it screams Mexican all the way. The ambience is not pompous. It’s not trying to be something it isn’t. It isn’t in your face classy but the sophistication of the place gradually seeps in as you sit back in comfortable chairs/sofa and relish your food.

What I love the most? The fountain! Right at the entrance. So serene, so beautiful, I tell you. 

Quite fancy, what say?

Grub

Unlike every time, Bob was shying away from being a glutton. So we just settled for one drink, nachos for starters and New York style pizza for main course.

You know what happens when you are so busy in a conversation and the sight of a drink that can quench your thirst can make you forget that it contains little bit of alcohol?  Oh and you drink it up, straight? Throat burn and brain freeze. This is what happened when I had Cosmopolitan. Damn I can still feel that aching burn when I think of it.

This pink lady is dressed with cranberry juice, freshly squeezed lime, triple sec and vodka is quite a drink! I took it real slow after my disastrous first sip or rather many sips at once.

Standin' pretty in pink

Next came the nachos. Having this insatiable crave for them, I was somewhat sure to be up for a treat. When it arrived, my eyes were glowing as if they had spotted a pot of gold and the first bite of those loaded nachos made me go ‘Oh my god, this is sooooo good, finally!!!!!’ Yes, that’s how it was. Moments like these are when you experience true happiness.

Sluuurrp

If there is something I really like, then I have it as slow as possible, trying to delight myself with every bit of its taste. This is exactly what I was doing with these Nachos when the pizza arrived.

For people aren’t well acquainted with the different types of pizzas, New York styled pizza might sound oh so fancy to them, expecting a fully loaded colourful set of toppings, perhaps. But New York Style Pizza is completely the opposite of it. It has little or rather no toppings at all. The crust is all that it has to offer. The bloated outer crust tapers down to a soft and extremely thin crust. Luckily for me, the one in Mamma Mexicana had corn as its toppings, but the crust was thin throughout. 

See what I mean? Thin crusted and loaded with cheese. 

The pizza served to us had eight slices, each were big ones, sufficient to fill two hungry stomachs. Or rather one, because like I mentioned before Bob wasn't in a mood to stuff himself!
The service is attentive, something which is hard to find in restaurants these days. Prices are quite reasonable for the experience Mamma Mexicana provides. Taxes is what hits you the most.

However, if you are planning on going here go with a group, billing per head that way doesn't really feel like you are going to be broke after an extravagant lunch/dinner here.

Oh and make it Saturday night because they have a Columbian singer named Viviana singing some perky tunes throughout the night. So along with good food and the very Mexican ambience you get entertained too.

Will I visit this place again? Definitely and this time it will be a Saturday night to watch Viviana sing because my friend Rohit claims to be in love with her after listening to her voice. Really got to see what’s so amazing about her. :D 

Quick Takes 

Rating – 4/5

Cost for two – 1000/-

Why you should go here – For a Mexican experience.

Address – 5^th Floor, 1 M.G Mall, Trinity Circle, Bangalore.

Landmark – Opposite Park Hotel

P.S – They have Sunday brunches too!

P.S.S – Bob is srini aka Srinivas. We call him Bob. Why you may ask, well, it’s just because we like to call him that. :D

Chung Wah, yay or nay?

For food to taste good, it should first look and smell good. That is what I have been told and I believe. It’s the sense of sight which should be pleased first, if it does, then 80% of the time it will taste good too. No wonder restaurants these days are paying close attention when it comes to presentation. That said, there are many ways to cheer me up. One of them happens to be Chinese food. When I was a kid, Kim Lee used to be my favourite but then I visited Chung Wah. The aroma of Manchurian ball curry and the freshness of wantons, it’s yummy in the tummy all the way.

Chung Wah happens to be one of the places which don’t really bother about presentation of their food because the aroma of it does the trick for them. So when my friends and I were discussing where to go, Chung Wah came as the answer from Moni. I was delighted, for obvious reasons, but then she said Chung Wah Opus.

Chung Wah has a number of outlets across the town and as one may come to believe that if food served in one outlet is scrumptious the same follows for the other outlets. In case of Chung Wah this does not stand true. 

Ambience

Chung Waah Opus boasts of its rooftop ambience. I don’t really understand, why would you boast about something which is below average? It is natural human tendency, you tend to hide or not even speak of something that isn’t your best attribute, but these guys have got it all wrong!  Your excitement of a rooftop ambience will come crashing down as you step in here.

However I consider myself to be very forgiving. I was all set to forgive them for lying and their lethargic service only if they offered me good food. Food, that can make me go gaga and sing about it. (I can’t sing for nuts, but I do sing when I am really happy, not giving a damn about what others have to say about it. :P)

Grub 

Have you ever seen Wantons shaped like a fish which you used to draw back when you were just a tiny tot? I was expecting a triangular wanton which screams crispness but, I am guessing it just wasn’t my day. Oily and tasteless, we couldn’t stop bragging about how epicly this dish had disappointed us.

I can eat chicken sometimes, that sometimes is very rare unless its peking chicken from Beijing bites. One of those rare instances was on this day when my friends had ordered a chicken starter and asked me to give it a shot. Honestly I can’t judge correctly on how good chicken should exactly taste like because i haven’t tried enough of it but I can say with affirmation that this one positively doesn’t fall under that category.

Wantons, only if they tasted like one!

Chicken. Unfortunately it didn't taste as good as it looks!

Then came the main course! Szechwan rice, noodles, potato pepper curry and something vegetable paneer graced the table. I don’t even remember the name, that itself says a lot about the dish. Szechwan fried rice and potato pepper curry is something standard which I order every single time. Why? Because I love it, trust me there is nothing like it. From the look of it you might wonder how can soggy fries bathing in curry taste good? Well, all I can say is you got to try it to know it. Oh and the fries don’t really taste soggy, so no worries there, I say!

Szechwan rice

Szechwan Noodles

Curry for the sweet tooth!

Szechwan Rice at Chung Wah, Brigade road. See the difference?

And my all time favourite, chilli potato curry.

The first time I visited Opus, the food was average, but the second time, it turned out to be below average. The place is going from bad to worse. *Sigh*.

The waiters here give lethargy a whole new meaning. Must say, they are very inconsistent when it comes to serving their customers.

The entire grub made me think why would opus do this? I mean, when it comes to Chung Wah I speak highly of it. I have enjoyed a hearty meal at many Chinese restaurants across the city, but even till this day I would regard Chung Wah as the best one. They know exactly how to please the customers with their food. Be it Chinese or Thai they know their food well.

But one bad outlet can make other outlets run out of business too. Thankfully the bill didn’t burn a hole in our wallets or I wouldn’t have stopped complaining at all.

So here’s what I am going to tell you, if you want to get back at someone and that someone happens to be a foodie,I recommend this place. Revenge is way sweeter when the person (foodie) is having the worst time of his/her life.

I still say Chung Wah is one of the finest Chinese restaurants in town. The Brigade road outlet has great food and a decent ambience, which will do a whole lot good to you.  Avoid Chung Wah opus and visit the Brigade road one, you won’t be disappointed. J

Quick Takes

Rating – For Chung Wah Opus – 1/5

               For Chung Wah, Brigade road outlet – 4/5

Cost for two – 500/- for a scrumptious two course meal.

Why you should go here – Like I said avoid opus but the brigade road outlet, go for the value for money it offers.

Must Haves – Manchow soup, Vegetable wantons, Veg Manchurian ball curry and Potato pepper curry.

The not so glorious comfort food at Fried Potato

Food is the most primitive form of comfort. Sheilah Graham said that a few decades back, a fact which is known to all but not quite acknowledged. Psychologists are of the belief that food has psychological and physiological healing powers, but don’t we know that already? The sight of a spongy, soft cupcake topped with glossy frosting can instantly make us feel better or a crunchy, juicy and flavoursome piece of basa can turn your mood around as it tantalizes your taste buds. So, how exactly does food make us feel better? The answer is our emotional association with food and positive reinforcement.

If you ask me, indulging in comfort food is a sin, but it’s a sin I don’t mind committing, often! If something makes you feel better then why not, right? That said, after my first visit to Fried potato I was assured that finally there is a place near my dwelling which can gratify my low moods, at least to an extent.

A newbie in town, Fried Potato is a saviour for gluttons in Vijayanagar. Located in the part of the city where there are hardly any ‘significant’ cafes/joints, I screamed with joy on first sighting it. Ahh, the bliss I tell you! 

Ambience

Speaking of the ambience, there is nothing really to speak of, seriously! This place has no sensuous aura that you might be hoping for. But if you seek tranquility, then you shall get that. It’s a small place (take that as an understatement) with 4 tables, each having space for 4 chairs. Menu is proudly hung on the wall, screaming for attention.

You’d be surprised to find the variety you get here. You name it and its there on the condition that it falls under comfort food category. Pizza is the only exception which isn’t available here but if you crave for pizza, there is Dominoes on the same lane, why not just go there?

On a fine evening, just a day before my exams were about to begin, I took my brother along and headed here. With a wide grin on my face, you can only imagine how excited I was to indulge in committing a sin! 

Grub

After a lot of debate (with myself, inside my head) this is what I ordered – French Fries (my favourite comfort food), Hara bhara kabab (because the picture of it on the menu got me drooling), cheese corn triangles (because it looked something different), potato wedges and burger for my brother (because he loves it). Eagerly seated I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the food.

Being a sucker for cheese, the winner amongst all was Cheese corn triangles! Oozing with cheese which is apparently from Sweden according to the owner, the crispness was just what I needed. I would order this again and again and relish it, not bothering about the orgasmic expression on my face. Yes, it is that good. That’s why I have been going to this place at least twice a week to get my hands on these delicious piece of joy only to be disappointed because after my first visit every time I go here, it isn’t available. I mean seriously, it is one of the best things that you offer and you can’t provide that?

All this for 140/- bucks, cheap or what? 

I visited this place again with a friend, the taste of veg nuggets and masala fries were inaugurated this time. Masala fries were too masala-fied and nuggets were plain bad.

You can be assured of quick service because there is hardly anyone who visits the place. Don’t take it as a rude comment, all I am saying is that the place is hidden in an area that can be difficult to locate. Yes, you’ll be playing treasure hunt if you aren’t well acquainted with Chandra Layout.

A thumbs up when it comes to value for money. But, here’s the catch – the food is cheap, very cheap and this is clearly reflected in the quantity offered. 25 bucks for 2 hara bhara kababs and sweet corn triangles! However, you wouldn’t really mind since you can always order for more and be sure of not spending more than 300 bucks.

That said, I will recommend this place for a quick indulgence in not so glorious comfort food. The joy experienced while munching on cheese corn triangles has reinforced my behavior to go to this place again, unfortunately I have faced utter disappointment because of its unavailability. Never the less if you are broke and in the vicinity of Chandra layout, you know where to go.

Quick Takes

Rating – 3/5

Cost for two – 200/-

Why you should go here – Cheese corn triangles! Apart from that, potato specials available at a price that can spark the need to eat!

Address - 1, Nanda Ashirwad Complex, 2nd Main Road, Canara Bank Colony, Chandra Layout, Vijay Nagar, Bangalore