Sheesha! A name that attracted all of the hip-hop crowd when Mocha made Sheesha (or the hookah or the Hubble-Bubble pipe) immortal!
With the idea of an exquisite dining place at a happening suburb of Banda in mind - I headed with a couple of pals for my Birthday!
The lady at the reception took us in almost immediately and what followed was a narrow flight of spiral stairs leading to a terrace atop the roof-top. We were made to sit around a huge rectangle table of the British era! They served tap-water (we asked for regular not tap-water!) in rustic but unhygienic looking brass glasses. There was no music playing there and it looked almost deserted up there! (We went on a saturday evening!)
I was quite unhappy and saw my bday evening going to the dogs so I called in for the Manager to switch places downstairs (which is roof-top). It was more promising...after a non-delightful argument with the Manager we were allowed a table down stairs...That looked hopeful! There was music playing..the place was almost fully-occupied and the water served was atleast cold ! Not to forget the greens my male friends could see around! Quite a lot that was (LOL :P)
FOOD:
The soup arrived - with only one choice for the veggies Tomato Shorba...thin, bland and served in brass bowls that looked like finger bowls to me :(
We ordered for Diwani Handi and Corn capsicum with Dal tadka! The food tasted good and fresh :)
However the servings are relatively small...the boondi raita was also yum all of crisp boondis and rightly set curds. The vinegar-soaked onions, fresh out-of-the-oven and unusually huge roomali rotis made the meal delightful.
PRICES:
The prices are little steep (A veg between 150-250 INR and Naan at 40 INR) but considering the food they serve, acceptable!
AMBIENCE And MUSIC:
However, the place is filled with smoke out of sheesha et al and can get disgusting. The ambience was not very well suited to my tastes. I would rather appreciate a clean and posh place with mannered staff. This place (probably owing to its Sheesha theme!) looked rather unclean with wooden cracked tables of British era with dust peepin gout of d cracks! The table mats looked right out of a car footmats!
Also the music played was not were well picked...more like any random current CD picked off the shelves.
Maybe this sounds trendy to some and the in-thing but personally I have a taste for fineness. So u might want to go ahead n indulge if u have an inclination for it.
The manger could take lessons in courtsey and the waiters could be taught to be more responsive and prompt.
In all, a good experience owing to the Food that tasted good and fresh.