Dinner at the Mercy...

I had heard lots of great things about the Chinese Restaurant (Golden Dragon) at the Mercy, MG Road, Kochi and that was the reason we chose to dine at the Mercy last Sunday after catching a movie. There we were at 9 PM- me, my mom, my sis and a cousin of mine- hungry, tired and excited about the Chinese food! Unfortunate we were, since the Golden Dragon was filled up and there were no tables available for the next 20 minutes. Cursing our luck, we opted for the Orion Restaurant at the same hotel and we realized few minutes later that our luck was not that bad!

The Orion Restaurant is located on the first floor of Hotel Mercy. The recently revamped hotel looked posh, stylish and comfortable and the restaurant which was located in a corner of the first floor looked neat and appealing. The ambience was good, styling was minimalistic and very pleasing. Circular tables with semi circular couches and chairs were arranged- they were plush and comfortable. Service was prompt and the menu boasted about a wide variety of food- both vegetarian and non- vegetarian. The restaurant also served wines and spirits.

We started with Canadian Cheese soup and Fried Vegetables. The soup was awesome- more so for myself since I have always been a great fan of cheddar cheese. Grated cheese in cream with the right mix of seasonings served piping hot made for a good starter. The accompanying Fried Vegetables was chutpata with the right amount of spices.

Pudhina Paratha, Aloo Paratha, Vegetable Hakka Noodles and Schezwan Fried Rice with Paneer Butter Masala and Gobi Manchurian adorned our tables in a short while. Pudhina Paratha was surprisingly soft, fluffy and tasty. Noodles and Fried Rice were good and the curries were also equally appealing. What was particularly noticeable was the right amount of spice and oil- there was nothing in excess in any of the dishes!

After the tasty and sumptous meal, we decided to wash the food down with sweet lassy- the cold, creamy and tasty lassy was exactly what we wanted- my sister and cousin really enjoyed their milk shake and ice cream respectively. The bill was not very heavy on the purse. It was reasonable and good value for money! We left the hotel as happy souls with tummies fully loaded:-)

Did I tell you that the Hotel has ample parking space as well?