What a treat I’ve got for you. I’ve managed to visit two new restaurants in the last week, and I’m quite excited to tell you about them.
I’m excited, because both of them break new ground in Hyderabad!! And as a foodie, I can’t be happier.
Prior to Aromas of China opening I had to be content with Golden Dragon at the Taj (since Mainland China has serious hygiene issues… and I haven’t yet tried Shanghai Dice by the Zafraan Group).  Aromas of China is on the 5th floor of the City Centre Mall, right in the same floor as Sahib Sindh Sultan, Indijoe and Firangi Paani. I recently re-visited Indijoe, and I want to say that the food is certainly better than just average. It’s actually fairly good! Anyways, Aromas of China is the second iteration of the Bangalore-based Aromas of China which opened up several years ago. It’s a plush restaurant, which gives the impression of an expensive restaurant. However, if you look at the prices it’s actually quite reasonable. Currently you get 30% off the menu prices since its in trial mode – the menu is vast and I’m guessing it will be pared down significantly once the restaurant is “officially” open.
The menu has a large variety of chinese dishes, and there’s absolutely nothing you won’t find here. Food is good, the service is great as well. If you’re coming in a group, I suggest a private dining room since they’re quite dramatic. The one issue I have with this restaurant is that (like Indijoe as well) it is too smoky inside. Obviously they haven’t spent enough money on getting special air filters installed in the a/c system but it is less of an issue here than at Indijoe (where the sizzlers make the air in the restaurant look foggy!). Overall, a great Chinese restaurant and my current favourite for the cuisine in Hyderabad (after Waterfront of course, but I don’t consider Waterfront a strictly Chinese restaurant).
My second visit was to Zafraan Group’s newly opened Mediterranean restaurant – Laguna. Located on Road no. 2 in the Lumbini Mall, Laguna is a really nice restaurant. The concept is refreshing (with shallow pools of water that snake around the restaurant, and floating candles. Plus a separated bar with an onyx finish), and the food is terrific (order the poached pear salad, or the chicken stuffed with prawns). For those who don’t like mediterranean there is a decent selection of pastas and pizzas also available here. The drinks are quite nice (the litchi-tini is recommended) but its a shame the margaritas were not available when I visited.
There’s valet parking for both restaurants. Zafraan Laguna is certainly one of a kind in the city, and catapults into my top 10 restaurants list of the city….
…. speaking of which… here they are!!
TOP 10 RESTAURANTS IN HYDERABAD (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
  1. Waterfront
  2. Zafraan Exotica
  3. Zafraan Laguna
  4. Chutney’s
  5. Al Fresco (Taj Krishna)
  6. Aromas of China
  7. Ohri’s Serengeti
  8. Peshawri (ITC Kakatiya)
  9. Encounter (Taj Krishna)
  10. Little Italy
The one everyone’s going to ask me about is fusion 9. my take on it – good food, good place. But really crappy service, and to be honest, there are 10 better restaurants in town now. A few years ago and it’d probably be #1 on the list, but the competition is heating up !!!