Rannoosh

Rannoosh - Hillcrest, San Diego

Searching for some good mid eastern cuisine one weekend night, we came upon Rannoosh. Its made up to give off an exotic feel, with rich vibrant fabrics decorating the walls, small artifacts and hookahs reminiscent of the arab world placed here and
there. They have a limited wine selection (try the Lebanese wine), and a exotic sounding drinks like Lebanese coffee and Mint tea. I liked the Rannoosh cocktail .. a mixture of milk, bananas and honey (3 of my favourite substances to eat).

The menu is similar to what you'd find in any other Lebanese / Mediterranean restaurant .. hummus, pita, baba ganoosh, kababs, falafel, shawarma and gyros. The food might take some time to arrive and all of it is worth the wait. The Chicken Shawarma plate and the Mjadara (rice mixed with lentils and sauteed onions) are worth a mention, so are the lamb kababs that come with some kind of garlic sauce. Rannoosh also offers a well sized selection for people preferring vegetarian stuff, and which it turns out is quite delicious too.

The prices are okayish .. not too expensive, but not on the cheap side either. Overall a very pleasing experience.

Food: **** Ambiance: *** Price: $$$

Glass Window

Glass Window - Deccan, Pune

Glass Window is an upscale dining restaurant in the Deccan Rendezvous hotel, off Apte Road, Pune. Deccan Rendezvous is the new name of the erstwhile Hotel Surya. Its back with a bang with new ownership and classy new restaurants.

I had heard a lot about this place .. namely that the food and ambiance is good and that its expensive. The restaurant is on the ground floor .. which rather disappointed me .. somehow I was expecting it to be on the top floor .. or at least ground+. Its bang in front of you as you enter the hotel. Not too good a place for an upscale dining experience. Anyways, the seating area is well spaced and has simplistic but tasteful decor. They have managed to pull off an upscale sort of ambiance, though not on the romantic side. The service is courteous, and the crowd is almost dressed for the occasion. Weekends should be packed.

The menu is good, with selected contents. They do try to offer something from everywhere (Indian, continental, Asian) .. something I am not a big fan of ... but they haven't gone overboard with the culinary breadth of their chefs unlike other places. (read Flags). Each item is explained which is essential, considering they are serving European and East Asian cuisine in Pune. Wine and cocktail prices are outrageous.

We settled for a soup and some vegetarian Ravioli. Service was surprisingly quick, and our soup arrived in minutes. The French Onion soup was one of the best I have ever tasted. I used to think the coffee shop from The Blue Diamond had the best French Onion soup .. but I probably have to revise that ranking now. The ravioli was excellent .. though I had hoped for a larger quantity. For dessert we had the peach-chocolate pie .. which was just perfect. And apparently so is the cointreau sorbet.

A delightful experience, definitely recommended for the special occasion.

Food: ***** Ambiance: **** Price: $$$$