Chefs of Hotel Green Acres display South Indian delicacies . (Prashant Mitra)

What: 10-day South Indian food festival

Where: Coffee shop Aranya at Hotel Green Acres, Ranchi

When: On till May 20, from 11am to 11pm

Tired of the same ol’ non-vegetarian spicy cuisine? Hotel Green Acres is offering Ranchi residents a taste from the south. And, people are only saying Romba nandri!

Still confused what it means? Thank you, silly!

Table tourism: Apart from regular dosas and idlis, delicacies like Hyderabadi korma idli, cheese idli, spicy manchurian idli are on offer. And you thought south Indian cuisine lacked variety! Among the dosas, choose from paneer chilly, honey, pepper dhaniya, strawberry, orange and pineapple variants. Still not done? There is the Green Acres special uttapam. And, if everything else fails, a big fat house special thali will certainly turn you into a staunch South Indian food votary.

Keep the best for the last. Lavanga latika, Mysore pak, pesara pappu payasam and more are part of sweet endings

Food apart: The spread tastes better, thanks to the right ambience. Waiters in spotless white dhotis and shirts are on their toes to serve you the meal on nothing else but banana leaves

Pocket pinch: Your wallet will smile too! Items range from Rs 80 to Rs 100. The dearest is the thali, which costs Rs 150

Hostspeak: “It gives me immense pleasure to be part of this food festival. The major attraction is the thali that allows guests to get a taste of almost every item,” said Manoranjan Jena, chief chef

“The event has been conceptualised to give every visitor a wholesome experience of the south, be it decor or dishes. It is the third edition of the festival, as the previous ones proved very popular,” Arunava Bose, manager (operations) said.

Surprise draw: Guests can take part in a lucky draw and the winner’s name will be declared on the last day of the festival

Arti S. Sahuliyar

Chinese treats

Momos and jumbo prawns are on offer at Dayal International. (Bhola Prasad)

What: Gong Xi Fa Ka (Dragon’s Year), a Chinese food festival

Where: Hotel Dayal International, Sakchi, Jamshedpur

Where: Month-long from May 10

Who does not love Chinese food? But what's special about this festival is that lesser-known dishes are cooking up a storm. To start with, there are appetisers like spicy and sour pad ghupda ghai with chicken and neu yow shia with butter prawns. The vegetable platter offers kampsung and kon chieu maati with crunchy water chestnuts for company

For main course a-la-carte, nam khao chee (chicken and pumpkin with black bean sauce) and gai sarm rode (fried chicken in tangy chilli sauce) are must-haves. The seafood section has jumbo prawns and stir-fried king crab cooked in sauces. Also available is crab in Singapoori chilly sauce. Not to miss, the soups and choice of rice, noodles and dessert

Freebie: For every child out to dine, there are Chinese fans to keep the heat at bay

Pocket pinch: Rs 1,200-Rs 1,500 for two

Hostspeak: “We have tried to keep the Chinese dishes authentic. The names speak for themselves,” said James Bernard, general manager, Dayal International

Antara Bose

Krazy for kebabs

Kebab and biryani beckon foodies at Zodiac restaurant. Pictures by Bhola Prasad

What: Royal kebab festival

Where: Zodiac restaurant at Fortune Park Centre Point, Jamshedpur

When: On till May 26

Mixed menu: One does not need to go to Himachal Pradesh or Varanasi to know how they cook their kebabs. A visit to Zodiac will do. Starting from Kashmir to Hyderabad, kebabs from almost all parts of the country have found a place in the special menu of Fortune Park Centre Point’s restaurant. So if it is paan ki khumb, a mushroom kebab stuffed with betel, from Himachal Pradesh and Varanasi, Charminar ki seekh is a speciality from Hyderabad. Galuti kebab is quintessential to Lucknow while surkh kalmi kebab brings the taste of old Delhi and zaffrani mahi tikka of Kashmir.

And in case too much of meat is too much to take, go for the innovative dudhiya kebab made from milk, khoya and dry fruits with a coating of mashed raisins and cashew nuts.

Veggies’ delight: Though kebab platters are usually ruled by chicken and mutton, ITC chef Nawab Alwa, who specialises in Mughlai preparations, has given equal attention to the vegetarian fare while planning the menu. The tarkari subzi kebab with fruits and vegetables like pineapple, apple, broccoli, mushroom and baby corn is one such option

More the merrier: Don’t be fooled by the name, the kebab spread, four veg or non-veg, are only part of a buffet menu that also has naan, dal, a paneer preparation, biryani and dessert — hot gulab jamun, ras malai and hot brownie with ice-cream — as part of the main course

Pocket pinch: Rs 699 per person

Hostspeak: “The emphasis is on kebabs, but since it is mainly a starter, we also decided to include main course and desserts for a complete meal. The kebab menu is being changed every two days for variety,” said Rajesh Roy, general manager, Fortune Park Centre Point.

AB