Hotel Le Dupleix - Pondicherry

Hotel Le Dupleix was once the former home of Governor Dupleix during the French occupation. The hotel still maintains much of its old-style architecture and it's restaurant serves both Indian and Western cuisine. It is located on Rue de la Caserne, off Suffren Street in the Pondicherry French Quarter.

We were served complementary Bread while waiting. The bread was unfortunately tough and unusually cold - absolutely ridiculous for a restaurant of its kind. It was served with a Tomato Salsa, Butter and Hummus, which were pretty good (when eaten alone without the shitty bread).

The Classic French Onion soup priced at Rs140 (RM9) was a let-down. The consomme was flavorless, and the cheese croutons it was served with were barely hard at all. To me, it tasted like old, reheated, flavourless soup.

The Poulet Sauté Chasseur worth Rs350 (RM23) on the other hand, was divinely cooked. The lovely boneless cut of chicken was mildly flavored with herbs, and placed on a bed of smooth mashed potatoes and crisp sauteed vegetables.

The Grilled Lamb Rack worth Rs350 (RM23) was pretty good too. The tender meat easily came off the bone, but came with a measly two slices of grilled zucchini. The couscous that came with it was cooked wonderfully, but barely had any flavor. Slightly disappointing.

My grandfather had himself Chicken Biryani priced at Rs265 (RM17). The biryani here had an incredibly strong aroma from the spices, so strong that I could barely take more than two spoonfuls of it. Furthermore, the pieces of chicken were slightly tough and were hard to eat.

The biryani was served with a side of curry which helped merge all the flavors of the rice together, and sweet raita which extinguished the spiciness and cooled our mouths. Additional bowls of raita are priced at Rs100 (RM6.50)

In conclusion, our experience at Le Dupleix was somewhat good, but disappointing. Supposedly one of the best restaurants in Pondicherry, it fails to live up to its name. If ever you do come to Pondicherry for some fine dining, I recommend you try Carte Blanche instead.

Presentation: 7/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Service: 6/10

Overall Taste: 5/10

General Impression: 6/10

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BrianandRepublic

India - Day 5

Lunch:

My grand-aunt prepared, once again, a feast for lunch. She had been busy prior, preparing since early morning - and indeed, all the preparation proved worth it. The centre of our feast was the Lemon Rice which she had made. The yellow rice had a nice citrus 'ping' to it, which had livened our taste-buds. The rice also contained the lovely smell of lemons, which I enjoyed.

To the side of my lemon rice, I had Turmeric Flavored Mushrooms. These mushrooms were incredibly succulent and moist, just the way I like them. There were also shards of ginger throughout, which added a bit of spice to the dish itself.

She had also made for us, Chicken 65 which was back by popular demand. The deep-fried chicken was still succulent as ever, flavored with a hint of turmeric and a hint of spiciness from the chili powder. Once again, putting KFC to shame.

And right next to the Chicken 65, I helped myself to some Fried Capsicum with Egg. This dish, though not exactly Indian in nature, did follow the cardinal Indian culinary rule - which is to entice the senses. The sweetness of the capsicum contrasted drastically with the tartness of the rice and the texture of the succulent chicken.

Dinner:

Another grand-aunt of mine treated my family to an incredible feast. Her hospitality was incredible and the food varied with it's different smells, sights and tastes. Dining with her was a pleasant experience, and despite her age - she never allowed me to get off my seat or serve myself.

One of the main dishes was Mint Rice with Cashews. This refreshing dish added an edge to our meal which was truly unique, as mint served as the base flavor to all the other condiments. Furthermore, there were plenty of cashews to go around, and that added a lovely crunch to our meal.

Then, there was a simple Tomato Salad. The dish - essentially made of tomato and coriander - was plain, but beautiful in terms of its simplicity. It was good enough even to be eaten on its own, and there was nothing to complain about this straightforward and simple dish.

There were also Mutton Cutlets which my grand-aunt had made. These cutlets, spiced with a bit of ginger and turmeric, were a bit too spicy for me - though I enjoyed the mutton's texture, flossy yet firm, inside a crisp crust which was fried till golden-brown.

There were also Chappatis which were made for the occasion, as well as Indian Noodles. As to why I would go to India and eat noodles? I don't know. Though these noodles were downright spicy, and I was sweating myself while eating it. This dish is an acquired taste - that is all to be said.

The bright yellow stuff is known as Kaseri. Kaseri is a sweet accompaniment to Indian meals, and is one of my favorite comfort foods. This heard attacking stuff is essentially ghee-laden sugee with raisins and cashews. It tasted something like couscous, though with smaller grains, more moist, dense and sweet.

Lastly, another one of my favorites that night - the Mutton Curry. The mutton was tender beyond words, and the curry was slightly spicy - though it did not overpower some of the natural flavors of the mutton. These flavors are not liked by some, but loved by me - and this dish was fantastic.

We ended off the meal with some Indian Ice-Cream with Seasonal Fruit such as mangoes and bananas. An amazing combination of two quality items - a perfect way to round off the meal, and a lovely way to end the evening which we shared together.

BrianandRepublic