What is the first thing that comes to your mind when looking for a buffet place to dine in? Well, for me it is the quality of spread and then the price (quantity is the last thing that matters to me). Often there are times when budget doesn’t do justice to price and vice versa. DejaVu is one such restaurant which offers lunch and dinner buffet which overly justifies the price at which it is offered. We were a bunch of 3 friends who set out to explore this place and what a delightful way it was to spend our Sunday afternoon.

LOCATION – Probably the easiest way to explain would be to pin the destination for Gopalan Innovation Mall on Bannerghatta Road. DejaVu is at 5th Floor of this building.

AMBIANCE – The restaurant is spread across the floor and is divided in two sections, one which is casual dining adorned by black and white theme.

Lounge Section

Interiors of restaurant

Other option is more inclined at inviting the younger crowd, it has a pool table and lounge like seating which also doubles up as the smoking zone. Both sections are isolated well and we were not aware of the lounge section until the manager told us about it.

Bar Counter

Bar counter is at the center of the casual dining area and is well decorated by interesting placement of glassware. Beside it you have the Live Chaat and Pasta counter.

BEVERAGES – 8 pages of beverage menu which covers cocktails, shooters, beer (bottled and draught), mocktails and classics are the available options. We started off with Watermelon Front, Irish Trash Can and Elneer Ecstasy.

Watermelon Front

• Watermelon Front as the name suggests is a watermelon drink with double portions of vodka acting as a catalyst. The drink is pretty strong overall and was well balanced between vodka and watermelon flavors.
  

  Irish Trash Can

• Next was Irish Trash Can, we ordered this seeing the number of drinks involved at curating this one. So basically it is a sour mixture of Rum, Gin, Vodka, Triple Sec along with Peach Juice and Redbull.
  

  Elneer Ecstasy

• Elneer Ecstasy is a vodka based drink served in a fancy way. It is a mild mixture of sweet Coconut water, Cointreau, Mint Leaves and Honey. Easy and smooth to drink which can be served a little more chilled to make it taste even better.

APPETIZERS – So the concept here is simple and does not come with extra frills to confuse you. The options are huge, 10 varieties of starters are served on your table (6 Veg and 4 Non Veg) covering the all the possible bases. Notice the heavy usage of sliced cucumber as garnishing for most of the items here 😀

Cajun Spice Baby Potato

Bruschetta (Veg)

We started off with Cajun Spiced Potato and Bruschetta. Bruschetta had lot of cheese over it and the topping was a mix of onions, tomato and corn. Spiced potato was delicious, it has a crunchy texture overall.

Crispy Corn

Mixed Fruit Chat

Crispy Corn and Mixed Fruit Chat arrived next and we liked the presentation of it. Corn kernels are wrapped in a non sticky coating and did not have any uneven lumps. Mixed fruit chat is for the healthier folks, you get Apple, Guava, Pears and Pineapple nicely covered in Chat masala.

Ajwaini Paneer Tikka

Thili Baby Corn

Ajwaini Paneer Tikka was next, Ajwaine flavors was not intense and I somehow preferred it that way. Thil baby corn is sliced strips of baby corn fried in batter laden with flax seeds, it is crunchy and has a mild spicy feel.

Kalmi Kebab

Chicken Manchurian

We then moved to Non Veg options where we were served Chicken Manchurian and Kalmi Kebab. The Kebabs were Juicy and tender, I could easily use a knife and fork to separate the meat from bones, my friends did mock me for that but then it showed that the Chicken was cooked to perfection. Chicken Manchurian was a usual affair, we are so used to getting that sweetish tinge out of this Indo-Chinese dish that we missed it a tad bit on this one.

Mutton Seekh Kebab

Fish Fry

Final serving of starters included Mutton Seekh Kebab and Fish Fry. Again the cucumbers dominated the plate 😀 Fish was a bit soggy, probably over cooked and I hope it was a one off case. Still the marinated part tasted good and we felt like having more of it.

Chaat Counter

Pasta Counter

LIVE COUNTER – Chaat and Pasta is what can be made to order in a tiny stall-like place inside the restaurant. You have fixed options in Chaats whereas the pastas can be customized big time, you can select the pasta base (either Penne, Fussili and Farfalle), choice of sauce (red, white) and the toppings to suit your need.

Dahi Vada

Dahi Puri

Papdi Chaat

We ordered Dahi Puri, Papdi Chaat and Dahi Vada, and they all were served instantly. These items are prepared in North Indian Style which is dominated by cold yogurt topped with other chutneys. Dahi Vada stood out to be the best, tamrind chutney was exactly like how it is supposed to be made- less viscous and had the right balance between sweet and sourness.

MAIN COURSE – The available choices is a mix of North Indian and South Indian curries along with a wide range of accompaniments.

Dal Tadka (L) and Nargish Kofta Curry (R)

Murg Punjabi (L) and Mutton Khichda (R)

North Indian Curries included Murg Punjabi, Mutton Khichda and Goan Prawns Curry in non veg section and Subz Mushkaan, Nargish Kofta Curry and Dal Tadka in veg section.

Paneer Bhurji (L) and Subz Mushkaan (R)

Rasam Rice

Aloo Methi (L) Dry and Bhindi Do Pyaza (R)

There were dishes like Aloo Methi Dry, Bhindi Do Pyaza, Paneer Bhurji & Rasam Rice which adds that homely touch to your meal.

Veg Hakka Noodles (L) and Chilly Vegetables (R)

Now a days almost all buffet places offer Chinese preparations in their main course menu and DejaVu followed the trend by including Veg Hakka Noodles with Chilly Vegetables, which is mixed veggies tossed in Schezwan sauce.

Corn Capsicum Pulao (L) and Mix Veg Biryani (R)

Chicken Dum Biryani (L) and Goan Prawn Curry (R)

Lot of options for rice preparations, you get Chicken Dum Biryani, Mix Veg Biryani, Corn Capsicum Pulao, Steam rice and Curd rice. Out of these, Corn Capsicum Pulao was the best for me, though Biryani was equally good as it had long grained spicy rice, just the way I prefer it to be (Lot of personal opinion here!).

DESSERTS – Dessert section has a vast spread when compared to the price that you are paying, though not a full fledged one but still does so much justice because it is thoughtfully curated covering most of the things. Angoori Gulab Jamoon, Phirni, Mousse, Badam Puri, Ice cream and fresh cut fruits along with two pastries – Chocolate Brownie and Assorted Pastry is offered here. It was all good and we loved every bit of it.

GRUBITIZER’s TAKE – I was literally taken aback by what this restaurant had to offer. Probably because before heading to this place I had glanced at the Buffet prices and it looked very economical and as usual we expected it to offer a similar experience, but that wasn’t the case. Right from the politeness of serving staff to the ambiance and quality of food, you are getting more bang for your buck. And as per my knowledge there are not many places in this locality which can rival the Value For Money factor of DejaVu. Have attached a photo of prices for your reference (note taxes extra, as usual).