The Farm

I was wondering where to head to on Christmas day for a decent meal, and at the same time avoid the usual noisy, loud, packed ambiance you would expect to find on Christmas day. So I saw the add for the Christmas lunch at The Farm and instantly decided to go for it. I have been there three times before, but my wife hasn't. So what better day than Christmas day.

I also heard that it was a buffet, so all the more reason to go. I was quite bummed when they cut off the buffet previously. Anyways, I think they still usually have only an A la carte menu, but being Christmas, it was a buffet. Now before I get started, let me give a small disclaimer stating that the lighting at my table was really really bad. With all the covering, it was quite hard for enough natural light to get in. Hence the photos are not really up to my satisfaction.

(Baked Potato Skins)

The menu itself was quite impressive. Now there wasn't like a lot of stuff, but there was just enough so that you would get to have a taste of all of them. It's quite a bit to mention here so to know more on what was on the menu, check this out. One of the best things about this place is that you are really made to feel welcomed. The setting is casual and you are told that you can just chill out for as long as you want to. For those of you who haven't been there, they also have a decent pool and a few other games and not to mention enough wide open spaces where you can just roam around on a normal day. A nice way to build up your appetite.

(Stuffed Tomatoes)

We were told that the starters would be brought to our table and as for the mains, we could help ourselves. From the starters, the winners for me were the Stuffed Mushrooms, Stuffed Tomatoes, Beer Can Chicken, Achari Chicken and even the salads. The flavor on both the chicken dishes were unique and good. Not to mention that both were grilled to a nice juicy texture and there was no dryness. The mushrooms were also creamy and melt in your mouth types.

(Paneer Tikka)

The dishes that didn't quite work for me were the Paneer Tikka, which was surprisingly a little dry and hard. I was surprised because on a different occasion I had had the most amazing paneer here but this was a let down. The Garlic Butter prawn was surely not on my favorites list. It was dry and overcooked, and very tiny. It was more like a salad shrimp. I also did not give a second thought to the chicken and beef satay dishes. I wont really judge these two dishes because I am not really a satay fan and hence didn't give it a fair chance.

(Aloo Tikki Chat)

Dishes like the Aloo Tikki Chat, Garlic Bread, Potato Skins were decent though not outstanding. Now what was outstanding there was the Lassi. This is something you really have to try. Thick, rich and everything else a good Lassi should be. So it's a no brainer that the farm fresh Buffalo Curd would be quite exceptional as well.

(Farm Special Pizza)

Another fun activity at The Farm is that you get to make your own Pizza. Yes, you really get to do that. Of course the dough is made by them earlier but you get to flatten it, add the sauce, pick and add your toppings and cover it with cheese as well. Quite a popular activity with most people who come here. Once its all set, its pushed into the open over right in front of you and in maybe 5 minutes, your pizza is ready. The sauce, cheese and the crust were awesome.
Other winner of the day for me were the Naan, Dhal, Chicken curry and of course the mighty Pork Vindaloo which was super duper and had a very home made feel. Very similar to the way we make it at home.

(Mutton Biryani)

The Biryani was decent. In fact it was way better than what I expected it to be, knowing how fussy I can be about Biryani. The mutton pieces were slightly hard to find, but when found was tender and juicy. From the main course what did not work for me was the Fish Fry. It was dry and the marinade was not to my liking. So excluding the fish, it was quite a decent and impressive spread.

We spent a good 2 and a half hours having the starters and main course. We had eaten so much that there was no space left for any dessert, which I was quite tempted to try, but wisely avoided. The apple pie did look good though, but no idea how they tasted.

So YES, it was a good Christmas indeed. The Farm is a good place to go for a relaxed day off. Don't go there just to eat. Go prepared to roam around and relax or even jump into the pool. The Farm is located on OMR, a little after Sathyabhama University, on your left side.

Ambiance: 7/10 (Not your usual hep setting but a different feel)
Taste: 7:10 (closer to a home cooked feel)
Service: 9/10 (really excellent hospitality)
Quantity: N/A (this was a buffet so cant comment on that)