Cascade

Rating :3/5

The Cascade is an extension of the main lobby of the Ramada Manohar. One walks into the hotel and is somewhat taken aback by the 15 massive pillars, potted plants all over the place, two large aquariums and artificial creepers suspended from tall windows below the high ceiling. The restaurant is a crescent shaped arrangement of tables and chairs at the far end of the room. It has a red carpet and a garishly decorated buffet bar. One cannot help feeling that the Cascade is making an attempt to project itself as something that does not come to it naturally. Ambience is not its strong point. However, all is not lost. Some of the fare is A class. For starters — with a perfectly chilled Kingfisher beer — I had the Szhechuan Chicken (Rs 150). Succulent nuggets covered lightly with batter and cooked with onions, shallots, ginger, garlic and capsicum were so good that the accompanying hot sauce was quite unnecessary. In fact, it detracted from the flavour. The prawns in the Shrimp Cocktail (Rs 95) were well done and made a generous serving, but the sauce was tart, somewhat heavy and excessive in quantity. Honey Rum Chicken with Mushroom Sauce (Rs 155) was a disappointment. Breast of chicken was served with buttered vegetables, Basmati rice and Mushroom Sauce. The rice eaten with the sauce was excellent in itself, A class. But the beans were stringy, and the carrots, baby corn and cauliflower left an unpleasant after taste in the mouth. I was offered three items from the dessert table. The Kala Jamun and the Rosagolla were passable. The Lemon Souffle, delicately flavoured, light and creamy, was absolutely marvellous and A Class. There was not much of a crowd during the two hours I was at the Cascade — two singles, two couples and four small groups of businessmen. We were seated at comfortable tables on upholstered chairs, with steel cutlery, bone China crockery and cut flowers in small vases making the adornment in front of us. The air-conditioning is well regulated. The waiters are polite and smartly turned out in crimson waistcoats and dark trousers. Despite the pleasing impression they create, the service, alas, can be inordinately sluggish. Between the Schezwan Chicken and the Shrimps, I had to wait for 40 minutes! I was thanking my stars that the restaurant did not provide piped background music, when my orisons were shattered by a barrage of discordant notes. As I was at the end of my visit, I did not protest. The Cascade calls itself a coffee shop and multi-cuisine restaurant. It serves a buffet for lunch (Rs 210) and dinner (Rs 230) everyday. The Friday, Saturday and Sunday buffet (Rs 250) is more elaborate, with canned beer from the Alcove bar thrown in. Two affable, well-trained Restaurant Captains are in attendance — Maloy and Reddy. Do have a chat with Executive Chef Sushanto Gomes, a very busy man. He is knowledgeable, caring and proud of the job he is doing, but perhaps overtaxed! He is keen to help, and open to suggestions.