Toshali Sand resorts is one good looking and calm little place in Puri, Orissa. But my review is not on that resort but a mutli cuisine restaurant PhulPatna situated in this resort. And this place is one rotten of a place in terms of service and food.
I visited this restaurant on my last summer visit to Puri. One fine evening we decided to take our meal in “PhulPatna” about which we had heard a lot. Great traditional dishes and great service with cool ambience.
We were greeted with a cool ambience, no doubt! We settled in one corner table although it wasn’t much crowded that evening. The waiters were quick to attend us and take orders. All this seemed good and fine. But the problem started just after we were beginning to think that we made the right decision.
We had ordered Machha Haladi Pani (Fish Curry), Pakhala Bhat(Curd rice), Kukuda Tarkari (Chicken tarkari), Chungudi Tarkari (Prawn Curry) and few other dishes.
Almost half an hour passed and we were just waiting for the food. We reminded him 3-4 times about it, he said something grumbling, I don’t know what! However after almost 45 minutes the food was served. It looked like they imitated hard to serve it in traditional Orriya way, but failed miserably. Not minding much about it, I took the first bite and was wondering what am I chewing. The food had almost no taste!
I tried other dishes but almost all were lacking those traditional taste and aroma. I complained about it to the waiter but he simply said that’s what the real taste is. Whatever they serve is the real thing, others just copies them! LOL
Only the Pakhala Bhat was good. But I didn’t feel like eating that too. We got up and visited the cashier, he seemed polite and asked us to place a fresh order and specify the taste we want. But we were really bugged and bored after having wasted our evening there just staring on those tasteless food. We left the restaurant without eating much but paying more.
Folks ever visit to Puri just avoid this restaurant. Naam Bade Darshan Chote(Tall claims little service)