Cygnet-- Food to enjoy; Place to relax

 

Hungry in Ayodhya

BY APURVA RAI

THE Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has become a major attraction for most people. My family too wanted to pay obeisance at the Mandir and visit the city of Ayodhya. I have passed through the highway ever since we started living in the Siddharth Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, bordering Nepal.

With time our curiosity grew and one day we got the opportunity when my wife Prof. Prakriti Rai was invited to Awadh University to conduct a Ph.D. viva as an external examiner. Both of us drove to the city and she did her task at the university after which we had free time to go to the temple and have the darshan at the Ram Lala Mandir. In the evening this was also done without much hassle. 

This time I had a chance to have some good food in the city of Ayodhya. Bang opposite Awadh University is a hotel/ restaurant called Cygnet KK. Impressed by the quality of food and rich ambience I visited this place again along with my family. So, within one month, I visited Cygnet twice and enjoyed lunch both times.

The rooftop restaurant is called the Pavilion which overlooks a medium size swimming pool, normally occupied by the young ones splashing water on each other.

FIRST TRIP: During our first trip my wife and I came to the restaurant after she had finished her work at the university. Not willing to have anything heavy we decided to settle for Chinese food. So fried rice, noodles, paneer Manchurian and Kung Pao vegetables were our first choice. Before the food arrived we asked for Manchow soup too.

Cygnet makes big claims on Chinese food. When the food arrived on our tables I found the restaurant had lived up to its reputation.  I liked the Kung Pao vegetables. These were well-cooked and had a good combination of carrots, broccoli and other veggies. Piping hot, it made my day. Perfect for me. Nothing was too spicy and the taste was enjoyable. Overall, It was a good, sumptuous Chinese meal for all of us. Let me mention that we were accompanied by a group of other people too. 

SECOND TRIP: Impressed by their Chinese food, I visited the restaurant for a second time accompanied by my wife and son. This time it was a completely family affair.

Though we wanted to try Indian food this time, our second visit too kicked off with a Chinese Sizzler. Once again, it was superb. The presentation too was quite impressive. We liked the noodles, fried rice, Manchurian balls mixed with a few pieces of paneer (cottage cheese). This time we skipped the soup.

Next was vegetarian a Thali as we were keen to taste our own Indian food. The menu had many items and it became difficult for us to settle down on a couple of dishes. The Thali has an advantage as you get to savour a few dishes on one plate. With this thought, we ordered two.  

It didn’t take much time for the two Thalis to reach our table. It looked lovely. The presentation was superb as the sparkling stainless steel thalis and steel bowls grabbed our attention. A steel glass full of buttermilk (chach) stood tall in the Thali. Every dish was carefully placed. The chef had done his job quite well. We all were losing patience, so, lost no time to get started. We had a idea that two Thalis would suffice three people. It did, but, would have failed if there was no buttermilk.

The Thali contained one bowl of yellow dal (lentils), paneer dish and one dish of sliced potatoes. One bowl contained rice which was supported by one baby naan and one baby tandoori roti. How can I forget to mention that small piece of Hara-Bhara kebab. Of course there was a small potion of salad fitted within the Thali. We certainly missed the papad, pickle, chutney and raita/curd. All these are essential ingredients in our Indian food. We thought that Cygnet management gave them a skip to check growing cost. Anyway, the cost of each Thali was approx Rs. 550/-.

HIGH COST: I was slightly disappointed by the high cost of food that you get at Cygnet. The quantity that you get in return does not justify the price. Can you imagine getting one small bowl of potatoes or two baby chapatis in the Thali which would cost in excess of five hundred bucks? Even the steel bowls had deceptive appearance as they looked big but had a shallow base which would accommodate much less quantity that you think.

My opinion is that do not order a Thali if you are too hungry or you are a voracious eater like me. Not only Thali the food at Cygnet costs much. The Chinese food that we enjoyed was not reasonable by any means. The cost of lunch for two people would stand somewhere around ₹1500/- to ₹2000/- depending on your choice. Be ready to shell out more if you want to have hearty meals. Definitely yes to Cygnet if you don’t mind budget while dining, otherwise, you feel disappointed.

NICE AMBIENCE: The plus point of having lunch or dinner at Cygnet is their ambience. The entire restaurant is tastefully decorated, good lighting is done, the view is great as you sit facing the rooftop pool and so on. The service is good and people are polite. They will make you feel special as they offer to serve you food on your plate. Very professional job done. 

I have no regrets about visiting the place even though it affects my budget for the simple reason that I felt much more relaxed and enjoyed the food away from the noisy surroundings that you get at other places. I think I paid the price for a peaceful corner too !!