Please note: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant to taste their food, and no bill was presented to the author. While the author assures you of objectivity, the review may be influenced by the personalized attention the author got.

Seventeen year old Coco Palm is one of the old timers of Gurgaon that is still surviving the onslaught of time, in a city where the average lifespan of a restaurant is rarely beyond a year. Loyalists still swear by the appams here and Chettinad chicken, and the spread of dosas. So when Manjree Kapoor, the marketing and operations head of Moet’s group invites us to come and check out the food at City Centre’s old reliable Coco Palm, we admins gladly land up there.

We start with a delightful Koji Chicken Rasam with papad (Rs 190). This is the first time that I taste chicken rasam and I wonder why more places do not serve it. The meatiness of chicken broth adds a delicious depth to rasam and makes it a delicious experience. Not sure I would say the same for Thanjavor Prawn Varuvel (Rs 665) which is a dish with deep fried spicy prawns in onion tomato sauce, because the prawns are overfried and hence have lost their succulence. 

Chicken 65 (Rs 525) served here is not a dry dish that I am used to in the bars of Chennai or Hyderabad, but with a bit of gravy. While the dish is tasty, I miss the typical crunch that one associates with this Southern fried boneless chicken. 

Chappa fry (Rs. 665) or Andhra style fried fish is pretty good. The fish is fresh fillet of Kingfish (surmai) and the spicing is exciting and well balanced.

In the mains, my favourite Chicken Chettinad (Rs 530) is perfect with a delicious hit of fresh pepper. And so are the accompanying Appams (Rs 90 for two).

Govi khamber besuli (Rs 290), a tangy cauliflower preparation from Andhra is an addictive dish. The iconic Andhra dish, Chappa pulusu (Rs 665) or fish in tomatoes and coconut gravy is a bit of a disappointment because it is too tart. The mutton dish, Veinchina mamsam (Rs 570) tastes similar and suffers again from over-tartness.

Vegetable ishtew (Rs 330) is competent but could have been cooked longer so that the veggies impart their taste to the gravy.

The desserts however are a treat. The piping hot kesari bath (Rs 110) is semolina halwa with a twist with pineapples flavouring it and is a treat.

 Tila kulfi & Matka Kulfi (Rs 95 each) are delicious  and a befitting end to an enjoyable meal.

Some good food here. And of Gurgaon old timers, a walk down the memory lane is an added bonus!

Ratings (Out of 5)

Food: 3.5 | Ambience: 3.5 | Service: 4.0 | Value: 4.0 | Overall: 4.0

Meal for two: Rs 1500 | Alcohol: No | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel chair friendly: No

Address: 204, 2nd Floor, PVR City Centre Mall, MG Road, Gurgaon. Tel: 089293 87385