{ TriedAndTasted } : Wendy's India
Where: Main Market, Sec 29, Gurgaon { Opens May 6th, 2015 for public }
Cuisine: American fast food
Cost: 500 for two
It is known for it's delicious square burgers and boasts of serving fresh food like home. Wendy's, one of world's largest restaurant chains has finally set foot in India and I am more than happy that it did. As foodies, we can never have enough choices, can we? Even though the first outlet in Gurgaon is a little too far from where I live, I did manage to attend its first Blogger's Meet in India on 3rd May that gave me an insight into the delicious world of Wendy's.
So, the protocol for placing your order is pretty simple. You enter, slip into one of the comfy seats, scan through the menu and place your order on the billing counter. You pay and get a numbered token to put on your table, and they will bring your food to your seat once it's prepared- the service is quick. Jasper Reid, who will be heading Wendy's operations in India, explained to me that they have really tried to give ample choices to the vegetarians. The current menu is an introductory one and the brand will keep adding new options for their Indian customers.
Coming to the food, Wendy's burgers lived up to my expectations. Here's a quick run-through of all that I had:
Burgers
Much to your disappointed- I am a vegetarian so I can only talk about the veg varieties. The very first burger I ordered was Crunchy Aloo. Before moving forward, let me tell you- this one is hands down Wendy's best burger- and even my non-vegetarian blogger friends agree with this. It is simple, yet delicious. There's no patty- just crushed and double fried (hence, super crispy) baby potatoes dabbed with the most flavourful spice rub. The potatoes are then topped with some yummy ghost chilli sauce, onion rings, and coriander leaves. This one comes without any cheese but it doesn't even matter- yes, it's THAT good.
Next up, the Cheese Mushroom burger failed to make an impact on as I am not a very big fan of mushrooms. The patty is made up chopped mushroom, cheese and some onions. This one comes with a slice of cheese, lettuce and a sesame bun. You will like it if you are fond of mushrooms- plus, it is not very common to find mushroom burgers. Full points for novelty.
I love corn and spinach together and loved this next one. Wendy's Spinach and Corn Burger is a treat- the stuffing of the patty is delectable and melts in the mouth. However, Crunchy Aloo gets the top spot in the burger department. Also, quite a popular choice among the bloggers was the Paneer Salsa Burger- one in the premium range at Wendy's. Might give it a try when I visit next.
Drinks
I just had a cold coffee to go with my burger and it was a delight. I mean, a cold coffee is pretty standard for a giant American restaurant chain, right?. So, yes, there's no going wrong with it. You have a bunch refreshing coolers to choose from. There's Cucumber, Lychee and Watermelon in Fruitails, Ice Tea and the regular packaged drinks sold at MRP. There's masala chai and a good variety of hot coffees as well. I am keen on trying the Hazelnut Latte when I visit next.
Sides & Fries
For sides, you have two varieties of baked potato- Chilli Cheese (vegetarian) and Bacon and Cheese. I tried neither. So, I am going to talk about the Cheese Fries. Everything becomes better with some cheese, right? Wendy's doesn't soak your your fries in cheese, though. It is only a drizzle that's enough to add some fun to the fries, without making them too soggy. If you are not a cheese person (really, though? ) , you can go for the regular sea salt fries as well.
Desserts
As of now, Wendy's only serves ice creams for dessert, or Frosties, as they call it. There's two variants of a Frosty- plain ol' Vanilla and Banana with Caramel; and you can choose between a cup and a cone. I had a banana and caramel frosty in a cup and it was super tempting to look at! It was a little too sweet for my taste but with each bite, I was reminded of a banoffee cake. The flavour is very real, very strong- so much so, that apart from the texture, the icecream tastes exactly like a banana. Caramel goes wonderfully with it.
This particular outlet can accommodate around 40-50 people, and is quite spacious. Cute mason jars full of colourful and signature Wendy's ingredients are used as decoration on various shelves. You can have a good time chilling at Wendy's- even though the concept is that of a QSR, the seating is comfy and pretty ok for casual dining as well. There is ample and warm lighting, some tables even have personal lamps. It is a good place to be at, with satisfactory burgers at excellent prices and I hope an outlet opens up near my place soon.
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