Located on the 12th floor of Mercure KCP Hyderabad, the newlyopened rooftop lounge and bar, Terrace, offers an impressive view of the city lights. A rather interesting mashup of Baby Doll and Counting Stars played in the backg round, while we explored the 80-seater. We were greeted by their executive chef, Ganesh Gongoni, who took us through the menu which spans Asian, Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian, Italian, and Indian cuisines.
As we sipped on Bees Knees (a gin and soda-based cocktail), our food began to arrive. We first sampled the Som Tam Salad and Classic Caesar Salad. The former came with raw papaya shreds and cherry tomatoes and had a hint of spice. The latter prepared with iceberg lettuce, olives, pickles, and cream was comforting and subtly-flavoured.
For the petit fours, we picked the Tex Mex Way, quesadillas stuffed with beans, potatoes, and carrots had sweet notes. We also tried a Thai-style fried fish called Pla Rad Prik. The fish fillet pieces were tossed with tiny garlic bits and chilli basil sauce. This dish was decadent owing to the basil and chilli sauce flavours.
We also recommend you try their Satay Kai. This Indonesian-style chicken satay not only came with a peanut dip, but the chef added an Italian twist to it. The appetiser came with vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, and bell peppers that were cooked in olive oil and garlic. Inspired by Aglio e Olio, this was an interesting twist to the dish. For Indian starters, we picked the Achari Murgh Tikka. The tikkas were well-seasoned but the lack of chutney or sauce made them a little dry.
After sampling the starters, we moved on to the main course and chose the Chicken Pepperoni Pizza. Made in-house, the thin crust pizza, with a fine layer of tomato sauce, was on the tangier side. A plate of Warm Chicken Breast with Mashed Potatoes was the next to arrive. The deep-fried chicken slices were crispy and worked well with the sweet and chilli sauce served alongside.
Dessert was the classic Thai dish, Tub Tim Grob. Also called Red Rubies, it comprised crunchy water chestnuts in sweet coconut milk. Served in a shot glass with ice cubes, this one was a delight!
Rs 2,500 ++ for two. At Banjara Hills.
— bsuchitra@newindianexpress.com