Farzi Cafe, Mumbai

Farzi Cafe, Lower Parel

I have been meaning to pay visit to this place since my trip to Delhi. I had dropped in here "galti se" when in Delhi. In one of expeditions around the city, we were looking for a real cafe where you can have cold coffee and some dessert and not being aware of Farzi back then, we forayed here only to return because turned out it wasn't that cafe. But it had intrigued me even then. It looked pretty happening and when I came back to Mumbai fortunately for me, it opened up here as well. Hip Hip Hurrah. Only the right occasion was the need of the hour and that occasion turned out to be a small Bachelorette and send-away for a dearest friend. Can I also tell you it was one epic girls night??!! 

This is another place where you need to pre-book weeks in advance or it's doubtful if you will get a place. I have learnt my lesson with 145, Kalaghoda and hence I made sure that I atleast inquire 2 weeks prior and even then had to compromise at a table of 7.30 pm. 

The day finally arrived. The ambiance of this place is spectacular, especially where we were seated, almost like you are in the clouds. To clarify, they have a projector playing scenic places on the wall and when we were there, most of the times, there were clouds being projected like you are in the skies which is a nice touch, I wouldn't mind just staying there. 

The service? Par excellence. The only place I have been to where the staff (I don't even want to refer to them as waiting staff which I actually did there. Quite an embarassment :P) are in one word - Charming. I don't even know how to put it in any other words. 

We started off our eating affair with some stuffed cheese kulchas, matar paneer with dosa, Tempura Prawns with nimbu mirch foam and chicken tangdi changezi style. The Kulchas were great but I am forces to compare them to the ones we had at 145. The ones over here are over stuffed with Masala and cheese which makes you after one point feel like you are having just masala cheese. Also, the quantity could have been improved but I have felt that is the case in most of their starters. The tempura prawns were my favorite of the lot and I was if a little besotted with the nimbu mirchi foam (Yes, it makes my instagram look good and I don't understand why so many people now a day have started to take offence to it like that it's just for show. What makes me happy, makes me happy) The chicken changezi tangdi was so good that my recently adopting to non-vegetarain food friend, also was like YUM!! The Matar paneer & dosa? Not much of a match made in heaven. All in all the Veg appetizers didn't live up to our expectations. For the main course, we went for the mutton pepper roast or something like that (really dont remember the name) which comes with malabar parota, Chicken Tikka Masala & Paneer Makhani. In order of preference, even though 2 of my friends are not much mutton savvy, they raved about the gravy, I did too. Class Apart. The Chicken Tikka also gives quite a competition (Also, it is brought to you in a London phone booth and a small presentation, did I say charming??!!) served with naan and the Paneer Makhani though yum pales in comparison to others. One point I would make here again is that the serving of the mains are good enough. However, do increase the serving of the bread along with it. Even though, we were full at this point, we had been again "charmed" into ordering the Bailey's lollipops. I loved these. It's fine molecular gastronomy, if anything.

Also, a small mention to the shot's ordered around the table - Bailey's shots. Never have I ever had alcohol before as my tongue repels it, I could get used to these if they are as good as these bailey's shots! I had also ordered a mock-tail of their Farzi's Special or something and then my friends ordered a second because well it was that GOOD! 

Farzi, nothing but a delight. Eating is an experience in itself. Food in itself is more than satisfying but this place understand the importance of this experience and how it all binds together with the right ambiance, service, presentation and the food itself! 

WHAT WE HAD  - Margarita stuffed Kulchas (Yum)

                            Matar Paneer with Dosa (Alright)

                            Tempura Prawns (Delight)  

                            Chicken Changezi Tangdi (Delighted) 

                            Chicken Tikka Masala (AH-MAZING)

                            Mutton Pepper Roast (Show Stopper!)

                            Paneer Makhani (Yum)

                            Bailey's Lollipop (Yumness Personified)

                            Farzi Special Mocktail (Delight)

DAMAGES - Rs 5500 - 6000 (Approx, for food only, we were 6)

                   Rs 10000/- (incl. of 2 rounds of shots 3-4 beers) 

WHERE -  Farzi Café, Kamala Mills., Kamala Mills, Near Radio Mirchi Office, Lower Parel, MUMBAI

Genuine Broaster Chicken, Mumbai

Genuine Bro-aster Chicken, Andheri

Its been a while since I have written up any review. But trust me when I tell you, I have been eating more than ever. It is only today that I have actually gotten a little breathing space at work as well. Else, I have been carrying work home as well. No complaints though, as long as what you do makes sense to you, which now a days does. Yahoo on that front. 

Yahoo on another front as well. Genuine Broaster Chicken has arrived in India and because my sister had made a short visit to Mumbai, I have been dragging her to explore places. Our love food is what binds us together. Though I feel super jealous of the fact that she manages to maintain the weight, meaning stays thin. She works had at that too. I wish I had that kind of perseverance. 

This place will remind you of a baseball club. There are helmets hanging from the ceiling and little bulbs lighted under them. Innovative there. Also, if you look up, the ceiling has sacks adorned all over. Makes for a pretty sight. The place is a little smaller than what I had expected but it's well done. 

Now a days I have started to find that a lot of restaurants have started to realize the importance of interacting with the customer. Or maybe because this place is new and they need to make that mark. Either ways, the service happens to be great. The staff knows their way around the menu and can give you suggestions depending on what you fancy having and suits your palette as well. 

Beginning with the starters, we had asked for the Genuine Broaster Chicken, because what's the point if you haven't tried what they are known for right?! I had wanted to try the cheese chicken pillows, which was out of stock unfortunately. So instead we had the Lucknowi Seekh and Smoked BBQ Franchos. All on Point. The broaster chicken is smaller in size and works more as an appetizer only. Though I was left wanting for more. Both the seekh kabab and BBQ fries were game on point. Within minutes the table was cleared because we jumped on the food. We had ordered for drinks - Iced Tea, Bulbul soda and chocolate milkshake. Bulbul Soda is your Mirinda infused with Caramel, innovative take. The chocolate shake could do with being a little more chocolatey. For the main course, my sister and friend went for their Burger range - Lamb Rogan Josh Burger & Peter Punjab Burger. Served with a side of fries both are filling and have the Indian infusion in it. I had a bite of both and each burger patty has distinctive taste which is also a little rare as in most places, it is the sauce that creates the distinction. So brownie points for that. I had ordered the Ghotala Khichdi which comprised mutton pieces, chicken pieces and fried egg mixed with rice and served with papad and dahi. Ah-mazing is what I would say it was. Also, the amount of protein used in these is on the higher side which tells you they are not stingy. Stay that way. 

I had also wanted to give a try to their Gulkand Muffin which was out of stock, unfortunately. This is where the points of improvement come in. There were 3-4 things that were out of stock. As a customer being told that is disappointing. It is a good thing that you are careful about stocks and not throwing away food at the end of the day. But we came in the evening, and I am guessing many would drop by after us as well because well Saturday evening are peaks hours. Also, I expected more from their actual broaster chicken menu in terms of variety. There should maybe be like breast pieces and stuff served with buns, greens, coleslaw, fries which makes it a complete meal. I had expected something along those lines as well. 

I will be back to try out a few more things that I missed out on this time. But genuinely speaking, this is a place you should drop by. There are many places that are innovating and reinventing their menu, but this place is one where they hit the right notes.

WHAT WE HAD - Genuine Broaster Chicken (Yummylicious)

                           Lucknowi Seekh (Da-Yum)

                           BBQ Franchoes (Game on Point)

                           Peter Punjab Burger (Yumness)

                           Mutton Rogan Josh Burger (Yumness)

                           Ghotala Khichdi (Game on Point)

                           Iced Tea

                           Chocolate Milkshake (A little more chocolate please)

                           Bulbul Soda (Kuch hatke and damn good)

DAMAGES - Rs 2200/- (Incl of Taxes, We were 3)

WHERE -  Broaster Chicken India., Shop 1 & 2, Tirupati Tower, Opp. Thakkar Sweet, Versova, Andheri (w)

Salt Water Cafe, Mumbai

SALT WATER CAFE, Churchgate

A friend staying in the vicinity who was paying visit to the city was the reason we stepped in here. Fortunately, I had a meeting on the same day in the area and hence traveling was no trouble. Otherwise on a working day, I feel just too lazy taking that extra effort to travel from one corner of the city to another.

This would have been his last night in the city in his also otherwise short stay and he wanted to ensure that he well can end it on a high note (high on Alcohol ;) ) and I as always look to be high on food, so this was what we zeroed in on. 

I have always admired this place from afar for the times I would have to drop in for meetings but could never pay visit because of the same meetings and well, I like enjoying my meals and this is not a place for a quick bite. So finally the auspicious day when I made it here.

Wood makes up the theme of the place and in that it is classy. It would befall in the fine-dine category. A place where you can have long meaningful conversations. There is music playing in the background but it's not blaring as such, that if you are in the right company and are talking your heart out, you wouldn't even notice it. I didn't. The service is at par with fine dine qualities with the staff asking you how was the food, providing their recommendations and even telling you to try the apple salad which was served along with one of the dishes, which I definitely didn't have. (Not a huge fan of salad, not their fault much)

For the appetizers we had called for the Grilled chicken with Singh's chutney (An Indian Tinge to it) and Prawns calamari (Did I mention I have a thing for prawns?? :P). The grilled chicken came in skewers along with chutney as we like to call it. The chicken in itself was amazing, the sauce served didn't really do it for me at least. Didn't feel like the green pudina chutney, if that was what they were going for. The prawns were huge pieces, which I appreciate (at the price they charge :P). It had subtle flavors, almost like it was grilled, came with a dressing of coriander, lime and ajilo. Beautiful is what it was. They also serve complimentary bread before getting into the appetizers which consists of all types of bread along with butter on the side. Have it only if you will have room for the real food, else this will feel you half up and yes it sort of goes well with most dishes your order. For the main course we had ordered only pan seared salmon, mainly because I was the only one eating (70% of the food including the bread was consumed by moi). My friend believes in having late late lunch. This is my first time having salmon, had always heard a lot on it, but I have never wanted to spend the money on it (priced at 1000 rs for one filet piece in a restaurant is over priced for and also a little not so affordable) I have also been a little wary as I am very picky with seafood except for prawns. However, since my friend said he would finish it off in case I didn't take liking to it, we ordered for it. We had asked for medium rare, however we felt it was well done. The fish tasted good, but your taste buds need to be developed for it. I almost liked it, only for the part where in the end there is a certain bitterness to it. My friend tells me that generally isn't the case which is why I think it was well done. They had given an apple and barley salad on the side, not a fan of either barley or apple, was not my cup of tea. 

I had actually not ordered a heavier main course for two reasons - I had a lot of the complementary bread and I wanted to have cheesecake!! The cheesecake didn't just look pretty, but tasted extremely well too. This one again was on the lighter side. Not as light as the Japanese ones, though I haven't had the privilege to have that yet. Their cheesecake is served warm, with cookie crumbles on the side. 

This place is date night material. Also, if you feel like living it up, order their Manhattan from the cock-tail section. My friend who has gone back to the Gulf, is still missing it. 

WHAT WE HAD - Grilled Chicken (Yumness)

                           Prawns Calamari (Yumness Personifiied)

                           Pan Seared Salmon (First Time and Yum!)

                           Warm Cheese Cake (Heaven on a plate)

                           Iced Tea

                           Manhattan X3 (My friends raves of this)

                           + Complimentary Bread Basked or sack (Yum)

DAMAGES - Rs 6600/- (With Taxes)/ Rs 5400 (Without Taxes)/ Rs 3000- 3500 (Without alcohol)

WHERE -Salt Water Cafe., 82, Nagin Mahal, Veer Nariman Road, Opp. Gaylords, Churchgate, MUMBAI

145 Kalaghoda, Mumbai

145 Kalaghoda, Mumbai

Visit long overdue. This place is always overbooked and it is a task to even do reservations. I have tried twice and finally got lucky when we booked literally 18 days in advance. Yes, you can step in here anytime, they are not going to shun you but it will be a long long wait, something that I am not a big fan of especially when the wait will extend to an hour or even longer. Impromptu plans might not work here as such.

The ambiance of the place is like most other bars/cafes around the city, dimly lit. Only here, tables have singular lights placed above, in case you don't like things to be too dark. Smart thinking there. It especially helps in taking photos. :P I find this a problem in many other lounges/pubs/bars where you really want to take beautiful photos of the food but you just aren't able to because of the lighting. Well, it's technically not their fault. But still you know what I mean.

My first impression of the service was that it was great. The waiting staff is eager to help you with any food suggestions/ queries but as the night progresses and the crowd begins to increase, it gets to be a little difficult to draw their attention towards you. But once you do, they will make sure to help you out and even be a step ahead. An example of it would be of the dessert we had ordered, which was not available but then was made available or he cross checked and got it done. This particular dessert was also a game changer. You will know what I mean. (I talk like there is some big secret reveal. jaanne ke liye dekhiye...!! :P :P)

We ordered stuffed cheese naan, pavbhaji cones and chhota shawarmas. The stuffed cheese naan ranks the highest. melted butter on top, soft and melt in the mouth naan and stuffed melted cheese. It takes you to another level of heaven. The pav bhaji cones had a mixed reaction. We did like it, but the bhaji to bread ratio was higher, so you end up feeling that you are eating more of bhaji and I and the other girls prefer it the other way round. I scooped out the bhaji with spoon and had it first, so when I had finally the cone, it ain't so bad. Also, something feels missing without the lemon being squeezed on the bhaji. The shawarmas come not in a roll but rather with the chicken pieces in a skewer hanging down and min sized pita bread placed at the bottom. The concept as such seems appetizing but you really don't get the true flavors of a shawarma in there. For the main course we called for the Goan Prawn Curry & Noodles with Honey Tofu. The Goan Prawns Curry in taste was good, the serving size in terms of the prawns was hardly! A little stingy there. Also, I wished it had been accompanied with some condiments like raita/papad/pickle/fryums etc. Not all, maybe just one. I mean it's goan prawn curry, it is meant to be served with that way. The Noodles with Honey Tofu is great on the taste buds. We had requested to not make it sweet as such and they had obliged, which is another brownie point on them. The serving size of this is also good. 

The Dessert - Oreo Milkshake. The mighty Oreo milkshake, which I had been looking forward to from quite some time after going through so many pics of this particular item on social networking sites. Imagine my disappointment when they told me this was not available at the moment. My heart broke and it felt like such a waste coming till here. Yes, I had come here to enjoy this one thing specifically. I had wanted to try out other stuff as well, but this was a non-negotiable. But kudos to the waiting staff, who realized our disappointment and came back 10 minutes later with the news that they will make it. Our hearts leapt with joy! Is it everything I imagined it to be? OH YEAH! I think we went ballistic once it was served. A tall glass filled with Oreo shake and with a biscuit placed on top and the magic of whipped cream topped with marshmallows, kitkats, gems, oreos and also Oreos stuck on 4 sides of the glass (one wonders if they use super glue in this part as we just couldn't scrape it off and eat it up :P). This is something that made all our days and we still keep talking about how very awesome this was! 

Reasons to head here? Their menu is inclusive of VAT charges, which makes you very very happy because you know you are not going to be ripped off. Great Ambiance. Cheap Alcohol. There are very few such places left. That answered my question on why this place is always booked. 

WHAT WE HAD - Stuffed cheese naan (Heaven)

                           Pav Bhaji Cones (Yum)

                           Chhota Shawarmas (Yum)

                           Goan prawn Curry (Increase the serving of Prawns, Yum)

                           Noodles with Honey Tofu (Yumness) 

                           145 Mighty Oreo Shake (H.E.A.V.E.N)

                           Peach Iced Tea (Okay)

DAMAGES - Rs 2700/- (Approx, incl of Alcohol) (We were 4)

WHERE -  145 Kala Ghoda., 145, Kalaghoda, Fort, Mumbai

Grandmama's cafe, Mumbai

Grandmama's Cafe, Lower Parel

Another ticked off the wish-list. Happily so. Date with the best friend for the birthday. We had originally decided upon dinner in vicinity (My home) which had to be replaced to a late lunch. Hence, then nearby to the work place and hence, Grandmama's cafe. Not that I was complaining. On the contrary, leaping with joy on the inside because now it would be on my terms. Bua-hahaha

The ambiance of this place is amazing. I will tell you a little secret, I have a soft corner for such places. Like your grandmother's house. Well, at-least if your grand mother was English. :P It reminds you of the kitchen of Julia Child, from what I have seen of the movie, Julie & Julia (You should if you have a thing for food). I would rate them a five on five on this front. Hues of Pastel colors all over, a book shelf. It's all in the details.

The service is above average, below good. You see the waiting staff attempting to be more courteous, interacting and asking after you (feedback on the food), but I would put it down to lacking confidence. Again, I don't blame them for this. I have realized it is tough for them to even do this, having worked closely with one or two restaurants. 

For a long time, my craving for a good meal has not been satisfied. You know that feeling after a meal where your taste buds, your cravings, your stomach are all in sync and agree that this is Bliss. Well, let's just say this desire was fulfilled here. We started off with two starters - Grandmama's meatballs and Gambas Al Ajillo. One word. Foodgasm. The chicken meatballs are exactly how your angrezi grandma would make it and I just could have ordered one more, but we wanted to try other things as well. The Gambas is Prawns fried and floating in garlic, olive oil and a few other condiments.It is good. I am a little obsessed with prawns, it's rarely ever made at home due to my sister's not preferring it much (She does all the cooking, so I can't really complain :P) and hence almost all the time I step out, I have it. For the main course we ordered Spaghetti Aglio Olio, Home Style Grilled Chicken with a side of fries. I am completely in love with the Aglio Olio. A Pasta dish devoid of gravy and me still liking it is a little rare. The flavors are so subtly infused but the moment it touches your tongue, there is a dance happening on it. *sigh*. The Grilled Chicken was a hit with the friend and as it is said. Home style with BBQ sauce on the side, it makes for heavenly combination. I am generally a fan of the crisp on the out, soft on the inside and thickly cut fries. Here, they had thin cut crisp fries. But you know what? I loved it. It's like where were you all my life???!! Also ordered Passion Fruit Iced Tea and Mint Lemonde. The Iced Tea was nice, the mint lemonade had way too much mint, and didn't feel much of a lemonade. Ended the meal with Red Velvet Pastry which was par excellence as well. I was in the mood for cheese cake, I am always in the mood for cheese cake, but this didn't disappoint either. 

Grandmama's cafe for food for the soul. Feed your soul already. That's about it. 

WHAT WE HAD - Grandmama'a meatballs (Heaven on a plate)

                           Gambas Al Ajillo (Yumness Personified)

                           Spaghetti Aglio Olio (Beautiful!)

                           Homestyle Grilled Chicken (Yumness!!)

                           Masala fries (Where have you been all the time??!!)

                           Passion Fruit Iced tea (Yum!)

                           Mint Lemonade (Too much mint)

                           Red Velvet Pastry (Yumness!)

DAMAGES - Rs 2000/- (With Taxes), Rs 1500 (Without Taxes)

WHERE -  Grandmama's Cafe., Next to Gate 4, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai

Gallops, Mumbai

Well, in one of my friend's words - I now know where I will be giving my retirement party". This place has long been on my list. We have also made plans to head here many a times but they have always had to be reworked. It is the kind of place however I would head for very very special occasions as it tends to burn a hole in your pocket.

The one word that defines this place is royal. We have all seen Titanic, I would assume. Remember the dining halls and ball rooms on the Titanic. This place is well designed along those lines. I even felt a little like "I have come to the wrong place". Well, not wrong place but rather a misfit or an impostor. A little too classy. Not that there is anything wrong with it. It is just I don't generally head to places like these. A suggestion for anyone coming here would be to actually make it here for lunch rather than dinner to really take in the scenic beauty that this place is. I would have, only it is the month of Ramadan and it translates to eating only after sunset.

The service here is par excellence, very attentive. It is funny that way as just for water 3 from the wait staff including the manager (I think!) came asking us if we wish to have regular or mineral. I had at one point dropped the white napkin that they had provided. I didn't even realize that I had dropped it but I was immediately presented with a new one. Something to write about right. The servers were efficient and every time you picked the spoon to serve yourself were immediately by your side (Downside - I couldn't take pictures of the dishes served as well, it just didn't seem I could :( )

The zomato research told us that we just had to, had to order the dori kabab and we indeed did, and with that we also ordered Italian Grilled Chicken. The dori kabab has a thread fit on the outer area of the kebab which you need to remove or else you will be eating the thread as well (I have tried researching why a thread is used and didn't find the answer :/). The kebab is one of the softest juiciest piece of meat I have ever had and by itself is probably the best dish on their menu, they claim it themselves. The one appreciative thing here about the service is they tell you the name of the sauce they serve along side, otherwise I generally never know and always wonder what was that wonderful sauce I had. They had served pesto sauce with the italian grilled chicken. I don't know about Italian, but it was grilled to perfection. For the main course we all ordered different things, I guess the way to go would have been to order the Indian Main Course and not the Continental counterpart. I ordered chicken mexicana, one ordered the Ocean fried fish, the third ordered the Ham & Bacon Lasagna. In order for rating, the Lasagna comes first though I had not tried it for obvious reasons. My friend had rave reviews. The Ocean Fried fish was nothing spectacular, it is your general fish & chips and was good just not extraordinaire. They had served french fries to go with it. Here, I was a little disappointed as the french fries though not bad, it somewhere felt more home-made than the quality it should have been. The Chicken Mexicana was a rather disappointment. I guess it was more to do with the fact that I expected more in terms of taste and quality. This could easily be found in other comparatively cheaper restaurants as well. We had also ordered for garlic and herb rolls and they were FANTASTIC. I think I have a thing for bread, just smear it with butter, herbs, garlic and anything else for that matter and you are good to go. Now, I have kept the best for the last. One of my friends, ordered Keema-Pav. Who orders Keema Pav right? More like why do you want to spend 600 bucks on Keema Pav and I am still indecisive on whether it was worth the money, but it indeed was the best thing on the table. He had then ordered buttered naans to go with it as well 2 pieces of pav is not well, especially with the quantity they give of the keema (Easily serve 3!). The butter naans were heaven. It just melts in your mouth, is that soft.

Also, how can we forget dessert. The dessert that has been written about so many times in so many reviews, the very famous Jalebi Cheesecake. Sounds delicious right?! But it was a tad disappointing to me. The fusion of cheesecake and jalebi is good, I am not saying it isn't. However, the issue I found is that the cheesecake isn't exactly sweet. The reasoning for this is that they give you saffaron syrup to pour on top, which is to add the sweetness factor. Unfortunately, it doesn't do it's job. Just a little of this syrup and it is way too sweet for anyone's tastebuds. Also, the cheese cake on itself would have rated higher if it was just the right amount of sweet.

A classy place. If you have got a special day coming in, this could be your destination, you will not regret. Be prepared to splurge though.

WHAT WE HAD - Chicken Dori Kebab (Heaven)

                           Italian Grilled Chiken (Heaven)

                           Ham & Bacon Lasagna (Yumness Personified)

                           Ocean Fried Fish (Yum!)

                           Chicken Mexicana (Okayish!)

                           Keema Pav (Heavenly!)

                           Garlic & Herb Roll (Yumness)

                           Jalebi Cheesecake (Mixed Feelings)

DAMAGES - Rs 6300/- (Approx) (Inclusive of Alcoholic Drinks)

WHERE -  Gallops., Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai

Tea Villa Cafe, Mumbai

Tea Villa Cafe, Bandra

Not on my list, and I have already been here 4 times in the last 8 months, thrice in Vile Parle & once in Bandra. Even though this review is for the Bandra outlet, one little recommendation would be that they need to refurbish the Vile Parle outlet a bit. I have started to notice little cracks here and there and it is slightly a turn off. 

My major reason for visiting this place was to have their chocolate cake/mousse in a an edible chocolate shaped cup. But we will get to that later.

The trysts of Ramadan. Through out the day all you think of is food, and when you get down to breaking your fast, you eat half of what you generally would. Does this happen to others as well?? I guess not. My sister is a prime example of this. This is where I broke my fast over the weekend. I have learnt to time my shopping sprees and other activities in tune to the sun-setting and reaching the restaurant, being seated, placing orders and the food arriving in the nick of time.

The interiors of their Bandra Outlet, is along the lines of the one in Vile Parle but this one looks slightly more up-beat. Tea cups and coffee mugs laying down the theme and being adorned all across the walls and shelves, even a statute of sorts which is pretty fancy and dressed up in tea-cups. I also appreciate the way they have made use of every little space possible. One interesting thing I witnessed was a small table set up high enough with bar stools facing directly the AC (How did those people manage to sit there with cold air blowing in your face, is something I am left to wonder). We had been seated at bar stool ourselves, but facing the window (If there was a little greenery on the outside and the windows a little higher, and what with the rains refusing to stop, would have been quite the view). 

They have a lot of staff on ground, adding to the already crammed space. Though, I have to say it is a wise decision, since the place is almost always packed and way too many people being seated, I don't think it would be manageable with limited nos. Their service is at par with someone always circling around and asking after you but otherwise leaving you alone.

We had ordered for the Fusilli Pasta in Arabiatta Sauce. This was one heavenly dish. Some times all you need is a little classic recipe to make your day and this pasta did the trick. The garlic bread served along were soft, the garlic and butter both melted on the bread which in turn melts in your mouth. It was so good that I had literally left the last bite of the bread for after my meal was over. We had also ordered one Sizzler in Barbeque Sauce. Well, here I was a little confused. The sizzler was good, just that I didn't really find it to have Barbeque sauce. Barbeque sauce is generally brown in color and has a slight sweet tinge to it. The sauce here felt more a combination of chinese-thai. Also, we were given sauce on the side, which felt more like soup than sauce. A combination of Hot and Sour and Sweet Corn soup. This is why I am a bit confused. Also, the vegetables served were slightly uncooked, at least the carrots. So over all, I felt a bit confused. I liked it, but it isn't what I had ordered as such or what I had expected. We had also ordered a green apple iced tea to share between the two of us, which is a good drink again, on it's own, but I would call it a green apple mock-tail, or a green apple lemonade maybe, not an iced tea from any angle.

Now comes the dessert for which I had made my way till here. The edible chocolate shaped like a mug with whipped cream, hazelnut mousse and chocolate cake being its fillings. Sounds the stuff of dreams right. I know that there is a lot of fancy stuff abroad which we don't get here, edible chocolate mugs being one of them, this is why the fascination I had with them. But now a days I feel like the more I expect out of something, it never really does live up to the expectations. Well honestly, the cup on it is good and is more than good. The problem I found was between the layers of goodness of whipped cream and chocolate cake i.e. the hazelnut. The hazelnut felt off to me, as if someone had mixed a little cough syrup in it. I am not kidding with you when I say that. It feels good when it first makes contact with your tongue then you feel like you are having cough syrup and that's just weird. Something they should work on??!! Everything else was perfection.

Tea Villa, because it's a cool place to hang out with your friend or family!! Also, the place is a pure vegetarian. Who ever says Vegetarian food ain't good enough, should step in here and obviously and the vegetarians? What's stopping you??!!

WHAT WE HAD - Pasta in Arabiatta Sauce (Yumness Personified)

                           Paneer Sizzler in Barbeque Sauce (Yum, but no trace of BBQ)

                           Apple Iced Tea (Good but more like Green Apple Lemonade)

                          Edible Chocolate Mug with Hazelnut mousse (Yumness, except for the hazelnut mousse)

DAMAGES - Rs 1425 Approx (with Taxes)

WHERE - Tea Villa Cafe.,31, Opp. Globus, Hill Road, Bandra (W), Mumbai

The Rolling Pin, Mumbai

The Rolling Pin, Lower Parel

Ahhh. Dessert Heaven and High Teas. Me and my sister had been on a witch hunt for High Teas around town and even though it's not like they are non-existent, it is however like Super Expensive! Both of us being stingy and broke, didn't want to spend 2000 bucks just for tea, no matter how fancy it sounds. Till we discovered that The Rolling pin does high teas themselves! Hip Hip Hurrah and at less than half the rate. So we decided to fulfill our grand desire of having tea like high society ladies at this wonderful place.

I am going to combine my two visits to the place in the past month and a half, one a a post shopping spree sit down with my friend and one the high tea with my sister. I have been often enough at their Ghatkopar Outlet till it closed down almost a year ago and then never went to Lower Parel because well, it is far but now that I work in the vicinity, I can't help but stop-by.

This place reminds me of Europe! In a city as crowded as this is, it is hard to come by a place that is not scared of using every little space available. Spacious is what this place is, High ceilings, wooden walls and ceiling and an open kitchen makes me feel for the short span that I am here, that I am not in Mumbai at all. That is hard to come by. This is why I love restaurants as much as I probably do. Their power to transport you to beautiful places without Visas. Exaggeration, you say? No, not really. Restaurants hold the same magic that books do. I happen to love both. 

The High Tea 

I have always wanted to have food from this plate holder like thing. Looks so classy and I did. Little joys. Cutlets, Chocolate Muffin, Cheese Cigars and rolls, 3 types of cookies, mini vegetable puffs, mini veg burger, mini fruit tart, and another un-named pastry made is what made the high tea's food offerings. They also give you an unlimited option for tea/coffee -cappuccino or espresso. I went for the Espresso. Yes, no tea in the high tea. They should think of introducing Hot Chocolate as another option. I am not a coffee person and this was re affirmed after I poured 3 packets of sugar and yet failed to like the coffee. My sister loved it. Between me and my sister, I was a fan of the savory items and she a fan of the sweeter items. She loved the cookies, cakes, fruit tarts. I loved the mini burger, croissants and vegetable cutlet logs. The food was't out of this world, but it is an experience in itself. Some times it is about the experience.

DAMAGES - Rs 850/- (Approx)

Pit Stop after Shopping Spree

Exhausted after a shopping spree, I swear I wasn't the one shopping. I was the one holding the bags. My dearest friend wanted to shop and I was more than happy to accompany under the pretense of spending some time only because I work near by. :P 

This was pre-dinner and post-luch so we decided to order just enough to keep us happy. We ordered for the Bombay Spice Pizza Pie which is basically Pav Bhaji Pizza. Do not underestimate this Pizza Pie. It might look smaller than you might have expected but it is very very heavy on the stomach. Topped with Cheese (Melt in the mouth, oozing) and the pie is filled with Pav Bhaji and cheese, it makes it delectable till a certain point. Yes, a certain point. After a while you get tired of having so much Masala, because Bhaji of the Pav Bhaji is just gravy and just having gravy after a while gets tiring. So this is where the flaw in the Pav Bhaji pizza lies. After one slice and a little more, I wanted to just eat remove the Bhaji and have the pizza sans it, which would just be cheese and bread I guess, then. But then again these are my preferences, I don't know of the vast majority out there. For dessert, we went for the brownie cheese cake and cookie and cream roll. Cheese cake is well cheese cake and there is nothing quite like it. Dense, cheesy, chunks of brownie, what else does one need. I could have had one more on my own is all I can say on the matter. The cookie and cream roll. Cream Cheese sandwiched between two cookies and smeared with chocolate. Yum. However, I was left a little confused. Was I dreaming the last time I had ordered this?!! or is there a variant of this. I can remember having the same thing with cheesecake stuffed instead of cream. So, there I was left just a wee bit disappointed though maybe no fault of theirs. Even if they don't do it, maybe they should. 

This place is amazing with everything but the prices. I have started to hate paying taxes, well not taxes, but exorbitant amount of taxes. 

If nothing, then come here for the desserts. There are very few places that do justice do desserts quite the way this place does. 

WHAT WE HAD - Bombay Spice Pizza (Yum)

                           Brownie Cheese Cake (Heaven) 

                           Cookie and Cream Roll (Yum)

DAMAGES - Rs 1100/- Approx (30-35% as Taxes)

WHERE - 12, Janta Industrial Estate, Senapati Bapat Road, Lower Parel, Mumbai

Havana Bar & Cafe, Mumbai

HAVANA BAR & CAFE, Colaba

Finding a place on a Saturday evening is a task in itself and after much deliberation we finalized on this. Th criteria for selection was that it should be happening enough but we shouldn't have to stand for hours (I am just not ready to do that!).

Is the place that happening? Not really. We were there till around midnight and I didn't really find the place to be what a Saturday night should ideally mean. The place is done spectacularly. I was especially taken with the interiors. They make really good back ground for photographs (Yes, I am one of those :P). The stair case leading to the main restaurant was surrounded by walls painted in hues of blue which is something else entirely. I am fond of the color blue, if you all are wondering. The main restaurant? Have you seen beauty and the beast? Well, you know when Belle enters the huge palace and it looks mysterious, inviting and a little bit scary as well? Not bad scary, the good scary, like where am I? This is what the place reminded me of. I find it more easy to describe while referring to something than just in plain words. Painting a picture by reference basically.

The service is just around average. Even though I wouldn't complain that we were not serviced or that the service was below par or even that we were not treated well. But it is little things that some times set you off. An example would be that for some peculiar reason everyone on our table felt that they wanted to get rid of us and give the table to some one else. I generally like service to be fast, but the service was just too fast that before we had even finished with our plates, we were asked if we are done with the dish. (Hold up a minute, please??!!) This didn't happen once but just again and again which irked us off a little bit. I get it that people who drink will be more profitable for you considering it is a Saturday night but otherwise you should just hand a sign board saying only if you order so many drinks will we be more welcoming towards you. We felt so rushed the entire time but even then we were firmly seated and just had the we are going to sit here till we want to vibe going on. Also, note that it wasn't like we weren't ordering. We were just having more food.

Well, obviously the next pointer in question is the food! For us non-vegetarians we ordered the non-veg sharing platter and the vegetarians opted for orange, gin and cubano berry marinated cottage skewers. The fanciest name on the menu many a times turns out to be the plainest dish on the menu. Word play helps sell it, I guess. This particular cottage cheese was just dressed with some sticky sweet sauce and had raw vegetables. The only reason why we ate it is because well we ordered it and didn't want it to go to waste. It is something that looks very fancy sitting on your table but is nothing more. The non-veg sharing platter is another story. Consisting of chicken & fish skewers, potatoes, nachos and wings is what you need on a Saturday Night with drinks in hand. Minus the drinks in our case. Next we had Spaghetti with herbs and feta cheese. It's good but not mind-blowing in any which way. We also had bruschetta of some sort which was just topped with raw tomatoes, cheese and some olives. I don't know about others but I prefer my bruschetta to be bakes like garlic breads generally is.The best dish on the day happened to be baked nachos with cheese. The portion is huge! Melted cheese is heaven and topped with salsa,olives and jalapenos makes quite the treat! This was the final dish ordered on the day and the goodness of it can simply be stated by the fact that we were almost full at this point and still devoured this like we haven't eaten at all on the day! For drinks, we had mostly rounds of iced teas around the table. The iced teas were okay enough. Lately, I have started to find that people can go wrong with iced teas as well. This one was just about okay. We also had ordered a glass of Sangria and I had a sip and once again I can say that I don't understand why people drink this stuff. :P

Would I end up here again? When they have a party scene going on a night, maybe. But solely for the food? Not, really. Combine that with the enthusiasm displayed for trying to get rid of us as soon as possible, probably not. Sometimes if your food is average but your service is spectacular, you might be pulled back for the warm welcome received. Here, not so much.

WHAT WE HAD - Non-Veg Sharing Platter (Yum!)

                           Cottage Cheese Skewers (Avoid!)

                           Spaghetti with Herb & Feta Cheese (Average)

                           Bruschetta (Okayish)

                           Baked Nachos with Cheese Sauce (Yummm..!!)

                           Sangria (No Comments)

                           Iced teas - 5 (Okayish)

DAMAGES - 25-30% Taxes on what ever amount you pay. (I have started to calculate Taxes because that's the pinch you really feel)

WHERE -  Havana Mumbai., The Gordon House Hotel, 5 Battery Street, Apollo Bunder, Colaba, Mumbai

Urban Tadka, Mumbai

URBAN TADKA, Ghatkopar

You know what is the USP of places like PopTates and Urban Tadka? (They come from the same chain) Their pricing. They are not as cheap as the dhabas and the local restaurants but the ambiance, service and food they offer, it is as reasonable as reasonable can be. Paisa Vasool in short. 

I was initially vary of going here, because family and even though my family is not traditional by its definitions, they are a little guarded and I still remember my mom's reactions, the last time I had taken her to a place where you see young couples and crowd, her reactions were to laugh at. But, I know she didn't approve or enjoy the experience which makes you realize this city has a shortage of real family type fine dines. Since then I have always avoided stepping in such places with family. Urban Tadka though serves Indian Food, it is supposed to be a place which attracts the young crowd and their music, ambiance, serving alcohol, all might make my family wince. However, I took the risk as my mom or dad were not accompanying us and it was a comparatively younger crowd. (The double life of this Bombay girl might make for an interesting read! :P)

Music improves everything and I am desi at heart, and I would always find myself swaying to Bollywood more than the Hollywood Pop. Listening to the music as we stepped in I knew that the rest of them were okay with it too. Hurrah! The place has an urban Dhaba feel. My fascination for lights makes me admire the chandelier made of bangles placed overhead. If only one could do this in our homes. We can, but imagine the electricity bills if we places so much fancy lights. The bar which is inspired and set like the road side Gola stalls was my nephew's favorite and also mine. Bravo to the interior decorator as restaurants around the city are now even pressurized to offer hatke ambiances, which this place does, yet keeping the Indianess alive. 

You know another thing I have learnt today? It matters how you treat and speak to the waiting staff as well. Courtesy My brother In Law. The waiting staff here were attentive but not intrusive or extra friendly. However, my brother in law made conversation with them, speaking to them in their lingo, pulling their leg even, all in friendly banter. The learning I got here was if you pay a little attention and are a little friendly they will give it 10 folds back.

I love it when I don't have to pay and then I don't even look at prices and I was specifically asked to not look at prices. So Yayy!! We ordered 4 starters - Kalimiri Paneer Tikka, because Paneer Tikka's are a mandatory order as my sister loves Paneer, Tandoori Chicken Lollipop - Tandoori Chicken on a lollipop, like is there anything more perfect??!!, Butter Garlic Prawns ( because Prawns is life), and Butter Chicken Kebab, the name itself triggers emotions. How was it all in reality? Stuff of your dreams. except for the Prawns. A long time ago, I had been to this small restaurant in Goa which served butter garlic fish and four years later, I still have not been able to find that taste anywhere and it still lingers on my tongue, so every time I read butter garlic, I give it a shot. But no, this was not it either. The Lollipop required more meat but otherwise was my favorite on the table. The Paneer Tikka was succulent, not spicy just as my sister prefers it to be. Butter Chicken made into Kebab is what real fusion is all about. For the main course we had Delhiwala Butter Chicken, Punjabi Tadka Murgh with assortment of bread - Roomali Rotis, Naans & Tandoor Roti and some super awesome Zeera Rice ( I tell you Zeera Rice makes everything better!!). The Butter Chicken was on the sweeter side and one of the most authentic versions I have had. The Punjabi Chicken was also standard fare. This place does not do some thing different for each dish. It is serving what it says, Butter Chicken is what Butter Chicken is supposed to be. Naans are soft. Paneer Tikka is well how you would want Paneer Tikka to taste like. This is what their USP lies in, they are not serving you Original things, they did't create anything extra ordinary. They serve you authentic stuff.

You want to down a drink or two with punjabi fare, because even though I have not tried it myself, its been said chicken tikka works best as chakhna when downing a peg or two! Well, you have found your place. Your teetotaler friends wouldn't mind either :D

WHAT WE HAD - Kalimiri Paneer Tikka (Yumness)

                           Tandoori Chicken Lollipop (YUM!)

                           Butter Garlic Prawns (Stick to Indian Fare)

                           Butter Chicken Kebab ( Yumnessss)

                           Punjabi Tadka Murgh (Blissfully Yum)

                           Delhi wala Butter Chicken (Yum!)

                           Butter Roti ( Dil Garden garden ho gaya)

                           Zeera Rice (Yum!)

                           Iced teas & other assorted mocktails (Refreshing)

DAMAGES - Rs 3500/- (Approx)

WHERE -  Urban Tadka., 3rd Floor, R City Mall, LBS Marg, Ghatkopar (W), MUMBAI