2, Folayemi Street, Ilupeju | 09068008000 | Instagram
Remember our restaurant jaunt of ₦20,000 budget for two experiment? Well, this is the mainland edition, at Pondicheri Restaurant. I spent a little extra because I wanted some ice cream. You can’t blame me for that; It’s ice cream! 😁
In case you missed it, read the island edition here.
Have you ever visited a restaurant and from the entrance you’re like “Nah, I want to go somewhere else“? That’s how I felt when I got to Pondicheri Restaurant.
I arrived a few minutes after their 11:00 am opening time. As soon as I arrived, as is my habit, I decided to take some pictures of the outdoor space and was met with hostility from the security guard. He kept complaining about me taking pictures even after I mentioned that I was there to dine. Another security guard came, asking if I got permission first. I had to explain again that I was there to dine, and I wanted to take a few pictures before heading in.
Trust me, I wanted to walk away and visit another restaurant because, in my opinion, this was poor customer service, but I decided to stay and see how the experience plays out.
The decor at the reception was very Indian. There was a bronze statue of Ganesh and a smaller one of a Buddha behind the reception desk. There’s something satisfying about a restaurant that is intentional about its decor.
I had to sit at the reception for about 15 minutes because the staff was in a general meeting with their manager at the ground floor dining area, which I felt was a little odd considering the fact that they’re open to dining from 11:00 am.
There are dining areas on the ground floor, first floor, and on rooftop. There isn’t much of an ambience in Pondicheri Restaurant. The decor is simple and just a little basic. However, the rooftop dining area was slightly different, with lots of plants around and a rustic sort of vibe going on (the ceiling was decorated with bamboo sticks.)
Anyone can walk into Pondicheri Restaurant and would guess it’s an Indian-themed restaurant, more so because of the choice of decorations and murals on the walls in the downstairs and upstairs dining areas. There was also a mural of two actors from the movie, Badsha, which got me excited.
Now, onto what you’ve been waiting for – the FOOD!
You should know that Indians share the same spice palette with Nigerians. Their food is just as spicy and as heavily seasoned as ours. When I walked into the rooftop dining space, it smelled really spicy.
Starters
I was served two sauces to go along with my starters – green chutney and pepper sauce.
I had the Hara Bara Kebab (₦2,000) and Chicken 65 (₦3,500).
To be candid, when I saw Hara Bara Kebab on the menu, I was expecting something on a stick.
Little did I know it’ll be a cookie-like thing with cashew nuts, and it was AMAZE-balls! When I took the first bite, the taste reminded me of a samosa. I fell in love!
I’m 100% certain I’ll revisit Pondicheri for this starter. It was warm, soft and delicious.
Chicken 65 – This was a tad bit salty and tangy but oddly nice. I can see myself chopping this into little bits and cooking it in a nice pot of peppery noodles.
Oven Hot Bread
Garlic Naan (₦600) – I love Naan bread. Who doesn’t?
It was okay but a tad tough and oily. The naan bread was a perfect pair with the green chutney. As a Yoruba babe, I also dipped the bread in the pepper sauce. lol
Indian Curries
Aloo Dum Kashmiri (₦3,000) – This was made with baby potatoes simmered in Kashmiri red chilly gravy. It tasted okay and felt like eating pottage, but with potatoes, not yam, and less seasoning.
Bhuna Gosht (₦3,800) – This was made with lamb, cooked in an onion and tomato gravy. I quite liked this. The lamb was tender. This will pair well with white rice.
Fish Chettinad (₦4,200) – The fish was well done. There was no issue with this meal, but I didn’t like the taste.
Dessert
Gulab Jamoon (₦1,500) – This was an overly sweet dessert. It looked like puff-puff soaked in an almost syrup-like liquid. I had just a bite and no more because it was just too sweet. Was it good? Yes. Will I have it again? No.
Vanilla Ice Cream (₦1,500) – The strawberry flavour wasn’t available; I went with vanilla. It tasted like regular vanilla ice cream.
I enjoyed my Pondicheri experience and it was certainly a lot of food, even for two. Talk about value for money, huh. My waiter, Charles, was patient, attentive, and he knew the menu; down to some of the ingredients used in the dishes.
The food was a lot; I had to pack most of it to go.
Yes, Indian cuisine is spicy and usually heavily seasoned; they use a lot of natural spices: garlic, ginger, mint leaves, cumin, etc.
Ambience | No ambience per se. Indian and basic, with lots of plants in the rooftop dining space. | |
Food Quality | Apart from the Fish Chettinad, I enjoyed everything else. | |
Location | Easy to find because the name is written boldly on the building. Very limited parking space available | |
Price | Pricing is $$ Total damage came to – ₦20,700 Hara Bara Kebab: ₦2,000 Chicken 65: ₦3,500 Garlic Naan: ₦600 Aloo Dum Kashmiri: ₦3,000 Bhuna Gosht: ₦3,800 Fish Chettinad: ₦4,200 Gulab Jamoon: ₦1,500 Strawberry Ice-cream: ₦1,500 Bottled Water: ₦600 View Restaurant Menus here | |
Service Delivery | Apart from the rude security guards, the staff were polite and attentive. |
Have you ever visited Pondicheri Restaurant? What was your experience like? Tell us about it in the comments.
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2 Comments
Really informative blog. Thanks for sharing with us.
People who are in Nigeria just try the Indian cuisine in Cilantro. Cilantro is the best Restaurant for Indian Cuisine… We assure you will mesmerize.
We are glad you find our review helpful and informative, we are certain our readers would visit.