When Habanero first opened up in the ever so popular area around Cyber Gateway area, it had a tough task ahead. Create a name in Hyderabad and then compete with the other biggies near them. They managed to do that with ease, given the Tex-Mex cravings of the yuppie crowd around and the ambiance to lure people in. The music, karaoke nights, dance floors, all kept making it stronger. Even with all this, out comes the New Menu at Habanero.
Keeping their old hot-shots intact, they have added a lot of new stuff. More on the lines of Mediterranean with a dash of Peri-peri. The drinks are still top notch and go really well with the whole affair running with the New Menu at Habanero.
A little backdrop about the place, Habanero is the creation of husband-and-wife team Griffith David, a native of India, and Elizabeth Bowden-David, a native of the US. Together they spent years in the American southwest, soaking up the region’s cheerful culture and the flavors of Mexican border cuisine. Bangalore residents for the last six years, Griffith and Elizabeth understand the high-energy, fun atmosphere and authentic tastes that residents and travelers are looking for.
New Menu at Habanero –
Starting with Nachos seemed the thing to do and that was accompanied by the usual Humus and the new Black Bean Humus. It seemed just like any other humus, but a shade darker. But the moment you take one nacho dip into this, it hits like crazy. Tastewise it’s way more flavourful than the usual humus. The South Western twist on this one pays of really well.
Next up at Habanero was the Sesame Lime Shrimp Tostada. Crispy tortilla chips topped with Salsa fresca, lettuce and then loaded with some fresh grilled Shrimp coated in sesame seeds. Feels very light and fresh and looks amazing too.
Grilled Chipotle Skewers looked juicy and fiery. But spicy level was just perfect and now overpowering. Served along with sour cream which keeps the fiery level in check. They also have a chicken option with the same dish at Habanero.
In came the Salads to soothe the palates. Fajita Salad with grilled chicken, on a bed of veggies tossed with avocado and lime dressing.
Raj Salad seemed an intriguing name for a salad on a tex-mex menu at Habanero. The twist here was the addition of chunks of Tandoori chicken to a normal salad. Tossed with ranch sauce on the usual bed of fresh veggies.
Drinks were on offer a plenty too. Hola Salsatini, Beer-Rita, Tamarind Margarita seemed the favorites. I even got a chocolate shake spiked with some Baileys shot.
The new addition on the burger menu at Habanero was the Mahi Fish Burger. The usual burger setup tweaked with a grilled Mahi Mahi fish between the buns.
The Monterry Burger had the beef patty and this was topped with Fajita veggies for the twist.
Pizza section on the menu was a welcome surprise, because whenever in doubt, Pizza is always the correct answer. Mexi Grilled Pizza had the meats mixed in with Fajita veggies. Topped with some cheese and then grilled.
The Fired up Grill Pizza was with a lot of grill veggies and choice of meat topping to go with it.
Peri Peri twist was the one which was most anticipated. Finally it made the draw. Peri Peri Fish, Steak and Chicken, all grilled to perfection. The Peri Peri touch was smooth and perfect.
In no way did the Peri Peri glaze over power the dish or fired the palate. My favourite was the steak and chicken one.
The Grilled Seabass in Banana Leaf is one of the most sought after dish from Habanero and it totally lived up to the hype around it.
Fried Icecream is a new addition to the menu. The point is to eat it ASAP, with the crisp outer coating the interior melts real quick.
No Tex-Mex affair can be done without Churros and Tres Leches. The Churros were crisp with right amount of sweet. The dark chocolate dip along with it was like a match made in heaven
A lot of people had raved about the Tres Leches on offer here. The cake on the whole was nice, but then the milk had gone a little sour. Wish we hadn’t poured it over the cake.
Overall the new additions bring in a lot of twists and tweaks to the usual Tex-Mex affair. If you are a purist then it would almost offend the palate. But take in a few more drinks, soak in the atmosphere and then maybe it will just grow on you.
Where – Habanero, Second Floor, Phoenix Tower A, Opposite Trident Hotel, Hitech City, Hyderabad