Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) are normally linked to junk food but there are some which rather than offering burgers and pizzas are presenting Indian food in a perfect ambience of a QSR.
Recently I went to Vaango, GIP Mall Noida which has launched its new menu consisting of some really cool refreshing dishes from the south. The décor was done in different variants of green and white which gave the place a fun loving look.
I started with some finger starters such as their special mini idlis rubbed with ‘gun powder’. The nice cute little coin sized idlis were soft and spicy.
The dal vada, again a mini one, was tasty with a crunchy texture which went well with the coconut dip.
Another staple, rasam served with a papad was a tad viscous and didn’t match the conventional texture of rasam.
To take the spiciness from the palate the dahi vada seemed to be the perfect option. Deep fried crunchy vada dipped in yoghurt with chutneys on top was refreshing enough to lift the mood. They also do a chaat version with green mint chutney and tamarind on top in a typical Delhi taste.
One thing worth mentioning is their service as they were really quick and matched to the standards set by some international QSR joints operating in the city.
Before digging into the dosa, a pair of fresh and hot idli was worth a bite. The piping hot sambar with it complemented really well with every sip being worth it as the texture and flavour were bang on.
The idli was fluffy, which I am sure every idli lover would appreciate. I should say even though it’s a QSR, Vaango’s menu was an extensive one, offering paranthas, appams and variants of rice preparations as well.
Done with starters, now was the time for the litmus test of any south Indian restaurant, at least for a Delhi foodie: Yes, the dosa with coconut chutney and sambar.
Instead of trying the regular masala dosa I opted for a cheese masala dosa and a Mysore masala dosa. The cheese variant was something I tried for the first time and liked every bite of. Regular Amul mozzarella cheese grated on top of a crispy dosa and stuffed inside as well with the masala made it really creamy and rich.
The Mysore variant was a tad spicy but a good quality preparation.
Just to sign off on a sweeter note the Oreo chocolate dosa was a delicious innovation.
Meal for two: Rs.400
