This review is dedicated to my dear friend bhuwan whose love for Chinese tappri food made me develop a taste for this cuisine and also introduced me to this place.Thanks Bhuwan:-
The first thing that came into my mind when I walked into batlois a year ago was that batlois is different. This thought sprang up probably because the owner and the staff strive hard in their struggle to prevent being categorized as just another Chinese place. Of late(Batlois has reopened after renovations) you can spot the "the only place to fine othentic north eastern and chinis fud" on the menu. Previous to the renovation, Batlois had a small and concise menu but as the crowd started growing, so did the menu.
The ambience is done up with a complete bamboo look inside. And outside..oh well the fence is made up of bamboo if that counts. Outside is a beautiful blanket with "Nagaland" emblazoned on the front. Inside there’s small toy train hung up on the wall and a couple of home made posters done up on the chart paper, the seating inside is a tad bit uncomfortable. The place is great for a visit with friends but try to stay away if you are with the family. The music played by the place is usually rock, semi-rock and bollywood remixes. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys rock music over a plate of fried momos, Well this place is the for you:p.
Now on to the food. The food at batlois is definitely not healthy, it suffers the same drawbacks as any other Chinese place. The hygiene at the place may not be worth talking about but the food definitely gives us something to say. Although many Chinese regulars such as chowmein, american chopsuey are served up by the place, the best dish served by them are the Fried momos. Be warned though, they are not for everyone. One needs a strong palate to be able to take on these oily monstrosities. To order a momo serving one has to undergo 2 choices. 1st choice - whether you’d like it steamed or fried, 2nd choice is half plate(3) or a full(6). I personally love the fried version. The place has a variety of momos apart from the veg, chicken variety, they also do something called chopsuey day dumpling and cheese dumplings(to be ordered 1/2 an hour in advance). Momos are 2nd time foods meaning people usually hate them on their 1st but usually your 2nd attempt will be rewarding. If not, do keep trying!! The place also serves up your favorite chaddi snack, "Maggi" at an exorbitant Rs.45 for the fried variety. Apart from that the wei-wei’s are also worth a mention. There is a also a giant momo called the tai-poe, not listed in the menu . I have found the batter to be raw at times on the tai-poe. The chicken garlic with bone was recommended to me by Bhuwan. but unfortunately it was not available when I had last visited the place.
Although batloi’s has the potential to become a great place, there are several things that put you off. Firstly is the inconsistency. The food never tastes the same and quite often they suffer from being short on supplies so many dishes on the menu are unavailable at times. Secondly, the slow service, and the waiters are usually so damn polite you don’t even want to give it off to them. Lastly, the confusion, the waiters are usually from eastern India, and at times have difficulty understanding orders. They quite often bungle up orders. So be sure to be very specific and clear when placing your order. Batloi’s is worth a try if your in the area. It is situated opposite to homi bhabha hospital between deep bungalow chowk and Dominoes chowk on S.B. Road. Any opinions or comments on the place or the review would be appreciated.