Over The Flames
Overall
4.5/5
Ambiance
4.5/5
Food
4.5/5
Service
4.5/5
Over The Flames located in Madhapur in hot and happening sector is owned by Mr. Sanjeev Garikapati. This little tucked in italian diner has been in my list as its near to my area but as a saying goes you dont tend to pay attention closer to you, I always kept ignoreing the visit saying its nearby "bhaad mein dheklonga :) ".
Visit Scenario:
A foodies meet up (ad-hoc) was initiated by Ram Kanchi Thambudu as he was visiting hyderabad and wanted to meet some of us. Plan was immediately made and we locked in this place and headed for a relaxed lunch on 19th Feb 2016.
Ambiance (Decor & Interiors):
The place is on the busy and happening madhapur area where parking obviously is a big pain. Located on the first floor kinda backside, the place as you enter gives you a dull pinkish look with capacity around 40+ pax. The minimal lighting and basic seating looks not so inviting at first but I think it works for the place named "Over the flames" as its basic and fulfills neccessary dining needs. I wouldnt say I was WOWed by the ambiance but I feel this isplace for a group of friends to come down, lay back and have a good meal not much worrying about the decor. I would suggest a bit more brighter ligheting or more ventilation would make it more enjoyable as I felt it was dark though we were in for lunch.
Sanjeev the owner wanted us to provide a complete dining experience so we didnt pick items and he kept sending dishes which he wanted us to taste and enjoi with the pack of foodies company and chit chats.
Starters:
We were first served Garlic Cheese Bread and Garlic Bread to start with. Served hot both were super yummy and vanished in seconds - yes literally seconds. Then came Potato Wedges which also was super hot and drizzled with some pepper and made total justice and again Zoom - vanished in no time. This was followed by Basil Grilled Chicken & Thyme scented Chicken both of which had around 8-10 pieces and with garlic mayo , it just melted perfectly with balance of the sauce and the texturing of the chicken.Lamb Canapese was the final starter we tried which was lamb shreds over garlic bread and nice geneours drizzle of paprika - I LOVED it. This was pick of the startes for me.
Main Course:
We were served an array of their traditional and well famous wood fired pizzas - Spice Cottage Cheese Pizza (veg), Grilled Paprika Chicken Pizza, Pepperoni Pizza. EAch of the pizza were sufficient easily for 2 poeple and everything was on the right balance of flavor, texture, thin crust and nothing to keep you stuffed as other fast food style pizzas do. The thin crust was made to perfection and was super light on our palletes.
Then followed the pasta trials - Spaghetti Arabiata Pasta was amazingly textured and sauce was on the right tone and spaghetti was well cooked. A lil bit of tangy kick on the tomato sauce would have made it even more top notch. Fettucine Alfredo Sauce Pasta (chicken and Veg) both were tasty and well balanced but was a bit more on the cheese side for me and lacked the richness of the dishes. I have had better ones definitely but this wasnt average but definitely delivered but a tad below my expectations.
Desserts:
Blueberry Cheese Cake, Walnut Brownie completed our italian dining experience and I should say blueberry was my pick and had the richness of the blueberry cream and richness but I found the base tart was too hard that I had to keep banging on the plate quite often. That should be worked upon. Walnut browine was average and nothing fancy about it. Served the purpose.
Service & Hospitality:
Sanjeev and his team ensured that we were constantly fed and provided the right amount of support. So for a not so fine dining fancy place, I felt it did right justice. Nothing more to expect but as usual as indian, I would say a bit more organized service would have WOWed me but its just for the saying.
Verdict:
Overall I felt this is a place where you should go as a pack of good buddies, enjoi meals over talks and lauhgs and I felt that right away in this place which I guess is the USP of this place. Not many people would agree ot go by that point but I felt I have enjoyed this as a whole dining experience. NOT THE HYPE SAYNG THIS IS THE BEST ITALIAN FOOD I HAVE EVER HAD BUT FOR THE PRICING THIS PLACE IS DEFINITELY WORTH THE TRY AND PIZZAS ARE THE STARS.
IF I have to suggest anything just to be more appealing and WOW me, they could add some authentican italian drinks or simple mocktails that would go well with the dishes they server as normal soft drinks or sodas wont do justice to the good flavors they deliver. Overall a YummifulTummy experience.