Skip to main content

The East

Asian food is something I can never get bored off. Well technically, food is something I can never get bored of and Asian food is at the top of that list. Being a fan of it, I was more than happy when I was invited to the soft launch of The East. I haven’t been lucky enough to try Bobby’s Bistro but I’ve heard good reviews about that place. So when this is right next to it, my expectations were set a bit high. So on a fine day, a huge gang of foodies met here and we got to taste their buffet. Given below is my review on The East, T Nagar.

The East is located in North Boag road and shares the building space with Bobby’s bistro. Fortunately they have parking facility, as finding a spot in this road is hard. And that too its valet parking. So, that’s definitely a plus point. The East is at the basement which is accessed past a beautiful black door and staircase. Down there, it’s an aesthetically done ambience which perfectly suits the oriental cuisine tag they have. Beautifully designed semi wall dividers, black walls, golden coloured lights with contrasting red coloured table clothes, it was quite a perfect setting for a nice fine dining experience. When we visited, they were barely days old and it was obvious that things were taking it’s own sweet time to settle down. They specialise in buffet and as usual, starters were said to be served at the tables. This is where I usually pin down a list of what all we had and how they fared but if I do it then most of the dishes would be list of items I didn’t like.

To begin with, service was super slow. Dishes were taking eons to reach our tables but it was obvious that it wasn’t because of the service staffs. Though these guys were being visibly inexperienced, I’d guess the delay was because of the kitchen staff. We were served a clear seafood soup which was very OKish. Starters were decent enough with chicken, prawn and fish. The mains were a major let down. I tried as many small portions of what all they had but all I liked was a fish dish called Pla Prik (which was spelt as Prick in the name card holder) and Khao Pad Nam Prik Pao Gai (Thai fried rice with chicken) and they tasted really good together. But I barely got a few tablespoons of the rice as it was almost empty by the time I got to mains. I waited for as long as I could and when I realised it wasn’t going to get replenished, I didn’t have a choice but to have plain white rice with Pla Prik. Desserts weren’t that great either and for me the salads were the best part of my meal. The way they presented it was really good.

Overall it was a very average experience let down by inept staffs and mediocre food. But considering it was their soft launch I hope they would’ve improved based on feedbacks from customers and fellow reviewers. I also hope to try them again soon sometime and wish to see the changes I expect there to be.

RATINGS BREAK UP:-
Location:- 4.5/5
Parking:- 5/5
Reception:- 2.5/5
Food:- 1.5/5
Customer Service:- 2/5
Ambience:- 4/5

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi shoulder a mediocre film: Master Review

A flawed protagonist and a powerful antagonist have always proven to be successful tropes in the world of cinema. The hero, when being anything but perfect, makes way for a beautiful story arc as he convalesces and a strong villain makes the hero’s triumph at the end larger. Despite having both of these, Vijay’s Master feels far from a perfect flick thanks to succumbing to irregular pacing and a middling screenplay. Master follows the trials and tribulations of JD (Vijay), an alcoholic college professor whose valiant effort towards the student community plants a belief in his colleague Charu (Malavika Mohanan) that he would be able to do the same to the kids in a juvenile correction centre that needs… correction. Armed with a just kada, a classic four-wheeler, a Persian cat and a cool pair of sunglasses, JD embarks on a journey that will collide with that of Bhavani’s (Vijay Sethupathi). On paper, Master looks like a failproof star vehicle – the story of a ...

Munna Bhai Dhaba, Sullurpet, Andhra Pradesh

  This time, we rode almost 100 kms to discover this hidden gem. Located at the ever busy NH16, Munna Bhai Dhaba is one of those places that dishes out some delicious food for you to cherish en route to your destination. Just that, this time it was our destination. After starting at 8:30PM from Chennai, we reached here around 10ish and by that time some items were unfortunately sold out. Out of 10, 6 of us were hardcore carnivores while the rest of them were Eggetarians. We opted for a couple of Chicken dishes which included Munna Bhai special chicken (a yummy starter with sauteed chicken and cashews) and a couple more Chicken dishes which are named after the states of our country. One such dish was the which had an egg base with piping hot Chicken curry on top which was the star of our dinner. A surprise show-stealer was the Onion Pakoda which looked bleh but tasted great. Rotis were so warm and fluffy that we finished 40 of them in no time. Egg Bhurji was apparently good too. Obv...

Sowcarpet Food Walk

The primitive man wandered through forests in search of food to satiate his cravings and I suppose it’s the same primal instinct that makes the modern man wander through concrete forests searching for delicious quick bites in order to satisfy his hankering. This is the essence of a food walk and as far as Chennai is concerned, Sowcarpet is the Mecca for food walks. Sowcarpet is the most tried and tested place for these walks and thanks to a number of foodies who are seniors and predecessors in this topic, we were able to plan our trip perfectly and we executed it flawlessly.   The options of commuting: 1. Parking is a huge issue during weekdays but not a problem on a Sunday morning in the Sowcarpet area. You can drive your cars through those narrow streets and you would be able to find a sidestreet where you could park. Alternatively you could park near the Flower Bazaar police station and walk down too. Just be aware of the one way roads in the area. Mint Street is one way s...