Lots at steak?

A hot day usually calls for some creamy ice cream or some frozen, frozen yogurt. Funnily and ironically enough, on a blistering summer afternoon, with the sun throwing spears at us, we head out for sizzlers! 

Kobe, our destination, is a famed sizzler and steak joint that enjoys a staunch following in Mumbai and some other metros, and the joint at Chennai is located inside a inconspicuous building. Sitting in functionally done interiors, sipping on some extremely welcome iced tea, we ponder over the menu, which is exhaustive. Considering it is supposed to be an out and out steak joint, we are sorely disappointed to see manchow soup on the menu. Originality anyone?

The starters section again, offers everything from aloo chat to Weiner Schintzel (thin lamb strips with chips), and then there are the pizzas, sandwiches and pastas. The soup menu is pretty global, while the salad section offers options ranging from the staple Caesar salad to the innovative macaroni and fruits, and to the not-so-healthy fish mayonnaise. This leaves us confused, so we decide to rely on our trusted steward’s advice. Unfortunately, he also doesn’t seem to have a clue and suggests that everything is ‘yexxxellent’ so we must try as much as we can! I look at him irritated and wonder to my self if our not so petite frames have anything to do with his wise-ass suggestion, till the logical part of my brain takes over.

We begin our meal with sausages and chips; while the sausages are tasty enough, they are a tad dry. We had a real problem with the chips…or the lack of them (almost). A few more (or a lot more) fingers thrown in wouldn’t hurt so much, would it? Next up, we bite into the famed chilli cheese toast and pretty much get why the item is so popular up North. The toast is delightfully good, with a creamy sauce and just the right bite of fresh green chillies that makes our taste buds stand up at attention. We have a problem with the portions again though.

The small talk done with, we are ready to get to the point finally. Bring on the sizzlers. Now, the sizzlers are the titans in this eatery and they clash and crackle merrily in tune with your raging appetite. The chicken satellite (boneless chicken with mushroom sauce, mushroom, fresh cream and cheese) is just about okay. Topped with oodles of cream cheese, it smacks of no originality. The vegetable sizzler with pepper sauce and mushroom also disappoints. The only redeeming feature? The wine and mushroom sauce, which is spicy and light, with a nice full-bodied flavour. Maybe the seafood and lamb options in the section will help change my opinion, but that will have to wait for another day.

Not wanting to be deterred, we optimistically opt for the sizzling brownie. An utter disappointment, the brownie is too hard and tastes a bit burnt. The food at Kobe is smokin’ and sizzlin’ all right, but just for all the wrong reasons.

Don't do the dew!

After much hype and hoopla, a couple of friends and I decided to check out Dewberry's one sunny afternoon. Ravenous, and wanting to vent about office woes, all of us were geared for coffee, cheese steaks and more.

With a vast and extensive menu, what I will give the team at Dewberry's is that they have come up with a menu, which has something for everyone. However, that, sadly, is also their shortcoming. Because not one, and I repeat NOTHING that we tasted on the menu was worth its salt (In my case, I got salt only after I went up to the counter and got it myself).

We ordered a portion of cheesy, garlicky bread, an alternate topping on bruschetta and a portion of fries. Both were extremely small in terms of portion and absolutely lacked ANY taste. In fact, the bruschetta bread was soft and the cheese dry. The banana and oats shake that a friend ordered smacked of absolutely no originality and had a crust of bournvita on top. Determined not to let our initial impression leave a bitter taste in our mouth, we ordered a portion of pesto penne and a chicken steak, which was supposed to be stuffed with something, I don't remember what (but then again, it was not worth remembering either).

My penne was overcooked, the pesto was gooey and runny (quite a feat to achieve both at one go, don't you think) and had exactly three sliced black olives. Even though we did manage to finish it, we were terribly disappointed. Our friend on the other hand got a chicken steak that was uncooked (on asking they said it was poached and hence it had that flavour and colour), insipid and he REFUSED to finish it. We did complain to the manager who merely said 'Ok', did not present us with a comments card, just our cheque. Now that I have vented, I will tell you my basic problem with a place such as Dewberrys.

• Staff that looks absolutely disinterested in serving you and are trained to say just a few words: No, Can't, Not Available.
• A beautiful setting that could have people flocking by the droves, if only the food were palatable.
• Prices that do NOT justify the portions.
  
  I really hope the management does something to improve the quality and standard of the food at a place that I personally believe has the potential to become a success, if only it had something substantial to offer on the plate.
  
  (Note: Pictures are for representative purposes only, and bear no resemblance to any of the food we ate that day)