Istanbul Grill's and Cafe (in pictures)

First came the fruit juices, large tumblers these!

Without hummus, there is no Middle-Eastern meal (Hummus, not humus, with Pita bread)

The lovely ambiance

Thasneem posing with the main course: Istanbul Kebab, which is a platter of chicken, lamb and beef kebabs served with aromatic rice and brown sauce

The showstopper: Bucklava, for saccharine endings! :D

This was my first Turkish dining experience. Though my pocket is much lighter, my stomach and soul are satiated! 

I'm like the brand ambassador of Thai Express

Bonding with new roommate? Thai Express. Take mother out for a good meal? Thai Express. Meet up seniors after a long gap? Thai Express. Too tired to find something else? Thai Express. Dinner with friends? Thai Express. I have researched extensively and aspired several times to experience new delicacies, cuisines, eateries and invariably landed in Thai Express. There's something magnetic about this place that draws me towards it each time. Maybe it's the Scandinavian decor, or the taste and flavor of the scrumptious dishes, or the balance between humility and grandeur.

Thai Express, is a chain of restaurants, in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Australia, Vietnam and now has opened an outlet in Hyderabad, India. Its original joint was established in Holland Village, Singapore by two classmates (now a married couple) from NUS, Singapore. I've till date been to its branches in Jurong Point, JCube Mall, Clementi Mall and Esplanade by the Bay and never been disappointed. Some of its dishes have won international awards. My favorites so far are the Roti Krob, Thai Stuffed Chicken Wings and the coconut ice cream with ruby jelly (Tub Tim Krob). Some of their other dishes approved and highly recommended by myself are the seafood noodles, olive fried rice, jade green seafood curry. Thai sukiyaki soup noodle is the item to slurp on if spices rule your world. A hint of Kaffir lime, crushed peanuts, lemon grass, ginger and thai red chillies are the ingredients that bring the essence of Thai cuisine and Thai Express fulfills that goal. A hearty meal will cost you about 15-25$.

Thai Express makes you believe that there's more to Thai Cuisine than Tom Yam Soup.

Ratings:
Taste: 4.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Service: 3.5/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Persuasive power to make you visit again: 999/5

Here are some visuals from Thai Express:

Roti Krob

Already dug-in olive fried rice with ice lemon tea

A Thai Express selfie

Seafood jade green curry

Mom helping herself to some seafood noodles with a plate of Thai Stuffed Chicken Wings in front

Seniors wondering whether they should get another coconut ice cream