Goregaon Social, Mumbai

Goregaon Social, Goregaon

I was happy to be here, as always. It's been a while since I have visited a social and my experience in all of them have always been on a positive note. My favorite by far is the Khar Social. I was super excited to bring my friend here who had never been to these place before, but unfortunately the experience ended on a sour note.

The place is designed to imitate a cathedral and is pretty mesmerizing. The service here is as always good. We actually had luggage with us as my friend had just arrived from out of the city and the staff was kind enough to find place and help us with the seating and everything. 

I have always found their breakfast to be of great value for money and the combinations offered. My friend ordered the Big Apple Breakfast and I ordered the Punjabi Dhingra Breakfast. One thing that irked us here was that the food took more than 30 minutes to arrive and we were the only customers at this point so we were really hoping the wait was shorter. This could be because the day had just started as it was 11 am in the morning. But my experience in the other Socials have not been this way so I can't really say. However, all was hunky dory and finally after a long wait our food made it's way to our eagerly awaiting table. 

The Big Apple Breakfast comes with french fries, sausages, toasted bread, jam-butter, blue berry pancakes with a side of maple syrup and eggs however, you want it. I have always loved this platter except for the blue berry pancakes which some how they never get it right. Some times it's undercooked, some times it's bland, some times it's rubbery. This time around it was almost okay except for the parts where the blue berry was where the batter seemed to be not cooked properly. Yet, as far as pancakes go, I would not recommend Social. Everything else? Wonderful! I even love the freshness of their bread which seems to be right out of the over or something. The french fries are always on point, and seems like they are air fried as you can't detect the oiliness anywhere, which is the best part for me. The eggs were sunny side up and perfectly done. For the Punjabi Breakfast I had chosen Paneer Paratha which comes with chhole, achar, curd on the side. Some lassi, chai and a piece of Samosa too. The Paneer Paratha is heavenly and I was trasnported to Amritsar where I had first had a Paneer Paratha with dollops of butter on the side. I appreciated the fact that they used the kala chana for the chhole which added authenticity to the punjabi breakfast combo. The masala chai was a pleasant surprise as I always find in most non-Indian specialty restaurants that the tea is almost bland. Here, it was exactly like the ones you would find in small tea stalls. I had it with the samosa and I was overjoyed. But as always there has to be a down side, what I looked forward to most was the Lassi. However, the lassi was unsweetened and infact looked and felt exactly like the curd they had given on the side, only instead of in the bowl, they had put it in the tumbler. Too thick and set to be called a Lassi. Disappointed there. 

Now comes the part which questions whether I will ever return to this place. I was 75% through my breakfast that I spotted a very very very tiny little cockroach on the table, on the side of the wooden tray they had served breakfast to us on. Upon closer look, it seemed there wasn't just one but two more. They were extremely tiny ones, almost liked they had just hatched but gave me a nightmare and made me lose my appetite there and then because God alone knows where all they were and I don't even want to talk about it because like I said, where all were they. And this a big NO. We even told this to our attendant, and he seemed to have spoken to the manager and I could see them discussing it but as soon as we called for our bill, they seemed to have forgotten about it and let us leave without asking anything on it. We were just eager to pay and leave at this point and seemed like as long as we were ready to pay the bill and leave quietly, didn't bother them either. From this point on, I don't know if I would want to revisit a social, I am always going to be wondering how many more of these roaches are there. 

WHAT WE HAD - Big Apple Breakfast

                           Punjabi Dhingra Breakfast
  

DAMAGES - Rs 900/- (Approx)

WHERE - Goregaon Social. Third Floor, The Oberoi Mall, Goregaon East, Mumbai

Breakfast at Candies, Mumbai

Breakfast at Candies, Bandra

There are so many new places opening up (and closing as well) that it's hard to keep up. There was a time in between I was trying to keep up and going to every new place if I could help it. I have stopped. The whole point of going out and having these meals was an experience that I looked forward to, not a competition. I had made it into one (I want to be there everywhere). Though I still want to try most places out there in this city at least, I am doing it at my own pace and also paying visits to places I love! Candies is one of them. 

I had actually been inspired to come here for breakfast after seeing frequent posts from a food blogger, one of my favorites, Mr. Kalyan Karmakar and even though I had paid several visits to this legendary place over the years, never really for breakfast and I was pretty tempted to after all the scrumptious posts by the one and only.

I already knew what I wanted to have but my friend decided to add an extra zing to our meal by ordering items, which I generally wouldn't call "Breakfast". But who I am to judge because have had Biryani for breakfast as well. I had ordered the mushroom cheese omelet with a side of persian chicken sausages, masala chai and a plain croissant to go with it. My Friend chose the Chicken Club Sandwich. Also, he want for the non-traditional Tandoori Chicken Afghan Style, Macaroni salad and a peach Iced Tea. I will start off with the omelet which seemed like sorcery because never have I seen cheese ooze out of inside the two sides of the omelet. I now wish all omelets were made like this. I had my reservations with the Persian sausages because my favorite forever remains the one that I have grown up on in Bahrai, which have more reddish color to it and these looked white in comparison. But guess what? They were anything but bland. I almost wanted to bring them home and have some for my next morning's breakfast. The croissant was flaky on the outside and soft on the inside and it is this exact description that had made me want to order it and I was happier than happy. The masala chai served in a kulhad made my morning and this is a pleasant surprise as anywhere I go and order chai with an English breakfast of sorts is never really well the kind of chai that makes my mornings. The Club sandwich that my friend ordered, in his own words were indeed amazing and a good start to his day. The Tandoori Chicken was good, and even though Tandoori chicken happens to be on my Top 5, I didn't really understand the Afghani infusion in it. The macaroni salad came as a side with this and even if it hadn't, I would have still made a bee line for it. When ever I pay visit to Candies, this is the default thing I will always order. Nothing quite like it. The Ices Tea had pureed peaches at the bottom of the drink which lent authenticity and made it even more refreshing.

Candies is one place where everyone will find something to their liking. And it doesn't pinch your pocket. This is one place where all food runs out by 5-6 pm and if you go post this, then you are most likely to find only left overs. Though if you want to just chill and grab coffee, nothing better.

WHAT WE HAD - Cheese & Mushroom Omelet (Yumness Personified)

                           Plain Croissant (Yumness Personified)

                           Persian Chicken Sausages (Heaven)

                           Non Veg Club Sandiwch (Yumness Personified)

                           Afghan Tandoor Chicken (Yumness)

                           Macaroni Salad (Heaven)

                           Peach Iced Tea (Refreshing)

                           Masala Chai (Yumness0)

DAMAGES - Rs 800/- (Approx)

WHERE -  Candies Mac Ronells, Next to Learners Academy School, Pali Hill, Bandra West

Breakfast at Jam Jar, Mumbai

Breakfast at Jam Jar Diner, Andheri

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I have an attachment to breakfasts - getting up early morning, with sleep in your eyes, but with the first bite, and chai maybe, how it just transforms your day. Suddenly it all seems alright! I can handle today. There was a time when I wouldn't eat breakfast, some times to tell myself I am just cutting calories and others because who is going to put in the effort to prepare breakfast. If your mom has been harping about the importance and the charisma that this meal holds, she is absolutely correct. I don't cook generally, but I will always, always make breakfast if I have to now! And it's just improved my outlook on the day. I wouldn't say I feel chirpier, but the crankiness definitely reduces. And knowing me that's a lot. 

Though my friends don't necessarily feel the same way especially if they have to get out of bed to and drive to a place for breakfast, but I did make one of my friends do exactly this and even though he whined about it, when the food finally arrived he resonated my feels. Try it!

I have written about this place before, I am absolutely in love with the quirkiness of this place. The interiors are a class apart and also an example of how a comparatively small space can do so much, things seem thrown in randomness and yet it looks like it belongs there. Also, the juke box lends the much vintage charm to the place and blue indeed is my favorite color! So the place is extremely appealing to me

Yes, it's perfectly okay to have French fries for breakfast. You would know this If you were born and brought up in the Middle East. That's what we did in our Physical Education period. Devour on French Fries.  We went for the savory waffles for my friend and Egg Florentine for me with Oreo SHake and Orange Juice. Also, like I said French Fries. I have always preferred waffles to be sweet but I have always been intrigued of the savory kind and this place does full justice to it. Second to Di Bella's which does the sweet version. My friend wanted to go for seconds. The Eggs Florentine, I like the yellow liquidy eggs, which is why I had opted for this particular item off the menu. For some reason the roasted mushrooms seemed missing from the meal, even though it is mentioned in the description. It was served with roasted potatoes. I happen to love potatoes as well. The egg Florentine looks one of the most easiest things to make technically, but don't be fooled. It is one of the hardest to pull off. I am a times wary as I am not a huge fan of  even a little raw spinach, but here I was more than happy to eat my share. The Oreo shake, I believe no one can go wrong with it, especially if it is me who has ordered it. It is an all time favorite. The Orange juice was refreshing as per my friend, I didn't even bother having a sip, because I am allergic to everything healthy. . The French fries were perfection and I even liked the way the plating was done.

Jam Jar is the city's favorite breakfast spot. It's mine too and it should be yours too, if it isn't already. 

WHAT WE HAD  - French Fries (Yumness)

                            Spicy Jalapeno & Quesso Waffles (Yumness)

                            Eggs Florentine (Yumness Personified)

                            Oreo Milkshake (DA-YUM)

                            Orange Juice (Refrehsing)

DAMAGES - Rs 1200/- (Approx)

WHERE - Jamjar Diner.7A & B, Arram Nagar 2, Behind Washing Bay, Yari Road, Versova, Andheri West

IHOP, DUBAI

IHOP, Dubai

So to my imaginary audience, this is the second time I am writing this. In all my school years I have never rechecked my paper before submission, that's how lazy I have been. So Imagine my frustration when I ended up erasing half of what I had written (Well, typed. But at this very moment, I think writing is a better option, at least it doesn't get erased with no fault of yours. Good Old Days -1, Technology & blah di blah - 0 ). 

This wasn't planned and you know how much I enjoy doing that. It is a journey after all. From searching for places, browsing through menu cards and reviews, day dreaming of what I would want to have and the anticipation of it all till you get there. Okay, I have got to say this wouldn't be possible without the Internet and Technology. So, maybe it's not so bad ). Back to IHOP, I didn't even know there was an IHOP in Dubai, so imagine my delight when while taking a stroll in JBR, what do I see? IHOP!! 

I have come to realize that most International food chains look well very standard, there is no x factor to it when it comes to ambiance. It almost looks the same. Hence, there is nothing much to write about the interiors and ambiance except for that it is a cross over between a fine dine and a Fast Food Chain.  

I can't have too much sweet, I prefer savory items over sweet. Though I need my sweet intake as well, I just can't over do it. Hence, ordering a whole stack of pancakes which is what most people would order when they visit an IHOP is never a good idea for me. Though I did want pancakes and hence, the best option turned out for me to combine my love of English breakfasts with Pancakes on the side. I went for the Breakfast sampler minus the veal sausages. Also, Spinach Mushroom and tomato omelette. Don't ask me why we ordered the Vegetarian Omelette. Clearly not my choice seeing that the only thing I liked about it was the mushroom. Moreover who orders a side of hash brown? Whatever happened to the regular Toast? Clearly, I wasn't happy about the choice made by my friend but I kept quiet. But I loved everything on my plate especially the beef bacon. I like my eggs to be sunny side up, I love the squishy yellow part, and turkey ham. I am a turkey fan. So it was all things I love in one plate plus the pancakes. Though they are known for their pancakes, I have got to say that it wasn't exactly the best pancakes I have had. It's good but not great and I imagined it to be great. The Omelette? If only it had meat. I think that's something my friend will have to be taught over time. Not that I mind vegetarian food but I like my food to be cooked. So it was a good fluffy omelette. No complaints there.

Over time I have come to realize that I like the local- not so local restaurants more than the international chains. Not that I don't like the international chains, I like what more they bring to the table in terms of different interiors, ambiance and their own innovation in the little things.

But yeah, I will definitely want more breakfasts at IHOP! 

WHAT WE HAD - Breakfast Sampler (Yumness)

                           Spinach Mushroom & Tomato Omelette (Yum)

DAMAGES - AED 120-150

WHERE -  IHOP, Next to Movenpick Hotel, The Walk, Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR), Dubai

Villa Vandra, Mumbai

Villa Vandre, Pali Hill

Instead of trying new places, I have been on a refresher course of sorts, where in I am paying my visit to a lot of old ones. It serves as a refresher of why I first fell in love with these places! Villa Vandre is one of these magnificent places. Food for the soul is what I like to refer to it as. 

The best place for breakfast in my books is this place. This is probably my 4th visit to the place in the past year, and that is quite a lot considering I visit new places only most of the time (I need to be a little rational about the money I spend after all, unfortunately ) This time it was for a dinner with a dear friend after a really long time and I thought to myself, let us introduce him to the beauty that this little hidden gem is) 

A few months back they had renovated the place, expanding the guest seating area and their menu as well. Its Hurrah on both fronts. This is still a tiny little place which could possibly accommodate around 20 people at one time. So on a lot of occasions you will find yourself on the waiting list. Though I believe they don't take reservations, so it might be a long wait at times but it is oh-so-worth-it! This place is beautiful as beautiful can be, tres chic, the colors soothing on the eyes, their wall decor simple but tasteful, almost like how I envision my dining room to be some day. 

They don't really have appetizers/ starters on their menu, so you directly sort of dig into the main course which isn't half bad a thing as you will give your 100% love towards this and no half full stomachs. And no, salads don't count.  Its almost like jumping on the food and as they say the first bite is always the tastiest!  Also, leaves ample place for dessert! We ordered for the Chicken Roulade and Sri Lankan Buffalo Chilli. Let's start with the Chicken Roulade, I happened to quite like it but maybe the Buffalo Chili overshadowed it. Boneless chicken stuffed with spinach and pan fried served with noodles and exotic veggies. The plating itself makes your eyes pop out. One of the specialties of the place. The Srilankan Buffalo Chili however takes the crown home. I remember the taste after all this while. In simple words it feels like what you need on a rainy day, what makes the heart feel warm and gives you fuzzy feelings? Has any food ever given rise to such feelings? This is that kind of a meal. Reminded me why I am Villa Vandre fan. Also, the Pav served with it ? I am really interested to know the secret behind this gem. The softest and the most melt-in-the mouth variety of pav I have ever had. It beat even Brun Muska from Kyani, and this didn't even have maska, at least not any visible butter. Though it did feel buttery. Highly recommended to everyone who steps in here. Another thing that deserves a mention is, in all my previous visits, I had always complained about their concoctions from the drinks menu. The only thing that would heavily disappoint me. It is gratifying to know that they have worked on this and how!! IIt was a complete different picture this time. I was in love with the mocktail we ordered and it complimented our meal well. We had both chosen the Blueberry Lemonade, it has tinge and flavor of Kala Khatta and prepared in the form of slush with blueberries. This is something I enjoyed till the end of my meal. They looked beautiful as well and yes, cocktails and mock tails are meant to be easy on the eyes. Since we didn't have an option for appetizers, we had enough room for Dessert and we called in for the Gulab Jamun Tart & Dark Chocolate Mousse. The Dark Chocolate Mousse is really heavy and is recommended only, if you are a die hard chocolate fan. I am not which is why I preferred the Tart. This is actually a very innovative and commendable fusion of food. The Tart is filled with a rabdi kind of mousse. I don't even know if this was actually mousse because it was so soft and as if floating in the tart and  miniature gulab Jamuns in the middle. If I had room for one more and if we hadn't ordered the chocolate mousse, I would have ordered for another one of these.

Villa Vandre because they add that extra punch to your every day meals as well, making it a soulful affair.

What We Had - Chicken Roulade (Yumness Personified)

                         Srilankan Buffalo Chili (Heaven in a pan)

                         Chocolate Mousse (Yum)

                         Gulab Jamun Tart (Heavenly)

                         Blueberry Lemonade (Perfection!)

DAMAGES - Rs 1500/- (Approx)

WHERE -  Villa Vandre.,Shop 1, May Flower, New Kantwadi Road, Off Perry Cross Road, Pali Hill, Bandra West

Theobroma, Mumbai

An Evening at Theobroma

Well, some places as you know keep calling you back, no matter what. Theobroma has always been that place for me. I have tried almost 70% of their menu, have a couple of favorites and even if I don't dine here, I will always pick stuff up to go. Before every third place had a Breakfast menu, there was Theobroma catering to your breakfast cravings. A huge fan that I am of the English Breakfast. Years back, it was here that the search had ended and I still keep coming back for more. 

I generally don't write a review for this place because how many times should I? Something however prompts me this time to do it. I had the good luck of getting free from work a little earlier than usual, called up a friend and said let's go to Theobroma! Comfort food. 

I ordered the French Toast, which I have never previously especially if it is served with fruits. I know, you are probably thinking, isn't fruit an add-on? Not for me. I dislike things that are healthy for the body and some day I am going to pay for it. (Hopefully not! I do other things to compensate :D) The french toast comes with a heavy serving of cream, maple syrup and generously served with apples and bananas. I should have told them to give me only bananas. The only other time I have had french toast was at the Lalit. I am not going to compare it to the one there because that was Magic and you can't have magic in everything. For Theobroma the magic lies in their brownies. Back to the topic, the french toast is case on point. Not too sweet otherwise I would not have been able to finish it off. My friend ordered the Beef Tenderloin Sandwich which comes with a side of their famous fries. It is a complete meal in itself. Generous filling in the sandwich that you won't be able to hold it together. I have always loved the fries served here and didn't disappoint once again. We also ordered from their Today's Special - Chili Garlic Sausages. I have always loved sausages, so I am just going to be partial here and say da-yum!

WHAT WE HAD - French Toast (Da-Yum!)

                           Beef Tenderloin Sandwich (Yumness)

                           Chili garlic Sausages (Da-Yum!)

DAMAGES - Rs 700/- (incl. of taxes)

WHERE -  Theobroma Powai., G8, City Park Building, Central Avenue, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai

Poetry by Love & Cheesecake, Mumbai

Poetry by Love & Cheesecake, Bandra

So the Love & Cheesecake family has to offer more than just cheese cake now. How happy that makes me. Being a regular at their outlets across the city, this place by default made it to my list of places to check out and let me just say it straight away, it doesn't disappoint. 

The place is a little small than I had expected to it, but it still doesn't look cramped and that deserves points to who ever designed the outlet. There is seating even behind their bakery on display. Pastel hues everywhere and wooden elements in other areas is very pleasing and soothing to the eyes, calling out to you as soon as you enter - Sit and take in the aura. It almost feels like I knew this is how it would be. Their Love & Cheese cake outlets itself is designed impeccably. 

This could be because it is newly opened and managers/ owners/ attendants seem a little more attentive in the beginning days but here is hoping they remain as warm and welcome as they were on this day. From making sure you get a table as soon as possible, your attended to and don't have to try to catch some attendant's eye, to recommending what may suit your palette preference. Kudos.

We had landed here after a brief shopping spree and what we ordered was for the Everything Bagel, Chicken & Waffles with an Iced Tea. I am quite surprised at myself and at them. I have never been a big fan of raw veggies, or salads. However, I was pleasantly in love with the bagel which my sister had ordered for. It had nothing but ghaas phoos (no offense, but that's how I refer to it ) - zucchini, bell peppers, lettuce etc. I grudgingly admit to this but it overshadowed my Chicken Waffles as well. I had assumed that the Chicken would come as an add on or something with the Waffles. But it was infused in the waffle interestingly and I find this even more interesting that this savory waffle went quite well with maple syrup. Over all, I am more than happy for what we had. The Iced tea, is another case. I wish, I hadn't ordered it. No where did it feel like an iced tea - the tea was less and the sugar as well too. Bland, almost. Avoid, would be my suggestion. Last but not the least, when at love & cheese cake, have CHEESE CAKE! The brownie cheese cake made it's way to our table and as always nothing short of delight!

Aptly named. Poetry. This is your stop for your breakfast and brunch needs. Also, who needs a set time to have breakfast and brunch? Have it for dinner, but just do. 

WHAT WE HAD - Everything Bagel (Delightful)

                           Chicken & Waffles (Delight)

                           Iced Tea (Avoid)

                           Brownie Cheese cake (A little bit of heaven on your plate)

DAMAGES - Rs 700/- Approx

WHERE -  Poetry by Love and Cheesecake., Pali Darshan, Junction of 16th & 33rd road, Linking Road, Bandra (W)

Khar Social, Mumbai

Khar Social, Khar

I had been meaning to try their breakfast variant for quite a while, however, since most of them were located at far-off locations, it became difficult to do so, owing to my legendary laziness. Yee-Haw. You need to get up early and the only day I get off is a Sunday, I would much rather catch up on sleep in this 1 day that I get to myself. No longer though, since better days are here and also a month log staycation, which means I can compromise on my sleep for just 1 day (My hearts leaps with joy and dreads the end of this blissful period!). I had initially wanted to pay visit to the one in Todi Mills, having already been to the Colaba one. But what a timing, Khar Social opened up just 1 week into my vacation and nothing could have made me happier. (Easy Travelling!)

I don’t remember the last time, I had had a luxurious breakfast on a week-day with no worries about tomorrow, makes me almost, (only almost!) want to not go back to work (Future Boss, I don’t mean it. Well, I do. But I don’t :P) Khar Social is famous for its signature look, the whole grunge way it is done up, reminds me a little of the sets of the movie series – STEP UP! So much, that out of the blue, I think how cool would it be, if a group of dancers just apparated and took to the floor! That would be quite a thrill. They have a skating rink too, I wonder if anyone actually uses it. Come to think of it, maybe they did take inspiration from the streets.

The service this time was in comparison better to my experience in the Colaba Social, this could be owing to the fact that it was still morning, and not really crowded, though I have to tell you, people start dropping in here after 11 am, and I had initially believed I would be the only fool present. Apparently, I am not the only fool, there are a bunch of them out there.

Coming to the orders placed, I went for the Big Apple Breakfast comprising of Sausages, Homestyle Fries, Toast, Butter/Jam, Blue-Berry Pancakes, Eggs and Tea/Coffee. In short, everything I devour. I was undecided between the Traditional English breakfast which consists of Baked Beans and Hash Browns and well this. But after much deliberation, I realized, this has fries and pancakes which could beat bakes beans and fries any day in my books. So that was that. The home-style fries were excellent and though they say how can you go wrong with fries, these are pretty much the best I have had, if I categorize them in the non-sauce laden ones (Who can beat Poutine after all??!). The one thing I have got to give them is that though there was so much on my platter, I still didn’t feel as heavy as I generally do after such a heavy breakfast. Kudos to that. This probably was because almost everything felt baked/grilled rather than deep fried!). I don’t know if that is actually true, but that’s just how it looked on the outside. Oh, and I loved their jam, I wonder which brand they use, I am sure it’s not made in-house. My sister, who is as jobless as me if not more, owing to the end of her Third semester papers, went for the mile-high non veg club sandwich and the Ferrero Rocher Shake. I don’t remember if I have ever seen a club sandwich on the menu in most restaurants here. Again, annoying as it might be, I am going to refer to the middle-east where you get club sandwiches in local sandwich shops and they make it mean, I love them. Here, it is a luxury. The mile-high club sandwich was mile high, a three tier sandwich with fillings of vegetables, mayonnaise, egg, chicken and anything you can think of. Sounds ordinary?? It’s not. It has got to have the perfect blend and medley of the vegetables, the egg and the mayonnaise laid chicken (In the non-veg variant, never tried the vegetarian option). Colaba Social, did it right. Exactly, as it is supposed to be. Even though it is not on their must-try list, I would say, give it a try, you will definitely not be regretting. The Ferrero Rocher Shake, is as good as it gets, at least according to my sister. I especially liked the way it was presented, in a mason jar, with a piece of wafer biscuit, wrapped around it with a rope, and a Ferrero on top. Appeasing to the eyes and the taste buds.

I don’t think I need to tell you, to head here, because people are already flocking this place. If anything it makes the Mumbaikars happy to have one more social, in the city. Especially me, as this one is near-by.

WHAT WE HAD – The New York Big Apple Breakfast (I have a new favorite from the English Breakfast )

The Mile High Non-Veg Club Sandwich (Heavy, Yummy, and drool worthy)

Ferrero Rocher Shake (Yumminess!)

DAMAGES – Rs 900/- (Approx including millions of taxes!)

WHERE – Khar Social. Rohan Plaza, 5th Road, S.V. Road, Khar (West), MUMBAI

Jam Jar Diner, MUMBAI

JAM-JAR DINER, ANDHERI

I have been ticking off places a lot from my bucket list right now which gives me mixed emotions. Happiness because I am getting to finally go to these places, sad because the list is becoming shorter and it makes me wonder, what will happen when all of them are ticked off. Its not that there will not be any places to visit, but when you say Bucket-List, it is those places you just can-not miss out. Hence, I have also started searching for more places to be added in my bucket list. Any suggestions??? Do let me know.

This place is known more for its breakfast menu, so I do intend to revisit. If only it wasn't so far away and I wasn't too lazy to get up early on my day off. I get up at 6 Am in 4 out of 7 days on an average, so on my days off I just can-not fathom getting up anywhere before 10 Am in the least on these days. Actually, I even would have but this was my girls special weekend, and I was reminded of my college days when I would be up and screaming my lungs out for everyone to get-up. get ready, have breakfast, take shower, we need to go out, we don't want to waste the day indoors and it would take a minimum of 3 hours before everyone is finally ready. Chaos, chaos and more chaos. But you know what? As much as it drove me up the wall, it remains the best days of my life. Nothing like having your girl-friends over. So instead of break-fast we went for lunch. Also, reminded me of how far we have come from our Mc-Donalds only days. We indeed have grown up but there is also the realization that though we might stay apart, we have not grown apart. So to all my girls, there is never going to be anyone quite like us! ( I am all mush but I just had to say that! :D)

Without further ado, this place can easily be missed as it is in the insides of Versova, and unless and until you are specifically looking for Jam-Jar, you will not really see it till you realize "oh! its been staring me in the face all this time" :P. This happens quite a lot with me, so I don't even feel foolish anymore. The place looks much bigger in photographs than it is in real. The place is not small, but it is not as big as it is made to look in photographs and it looks to have used up every little inch available. It looks interesting, what with the slanting book-shelf and the old-style jukebox. It has an element of retro to it. A lot of cutlery adorned on the walls with shelf in different angles.I felt like the place was trying too hard to be a lot of things and in the process became a mash-up of it all. Another thing is, is it generally so noisy. The place is super crowded, and for some reason has lots of kids milling around which added to the noise factor. I understand that its a weekend, and almost everyone has stepped out of their homes, but the noise is something that can trigger the off switch in you. Since, there was no place inside, we were seated out-side on their roof-top. Even if there was place inside, and it would be warmer outside,I would still prefer the outside than the inside, at least you don't hear people screaming on top of their lungs here.

One of the things that I have stopped paying much attention to is the service which I have realized is not bothered about at 70% of the places. When you enter, they greet you well, and ask after you, which is a positive sign to begin with but as soon as you are seated, you find it very difficult to draw attention towards yourself. This could also be because we were seated outside and not inside but in that scenario, you should have more staff covering the area rather than just 1. Still not losing heart, we begun by ordering 2 starters - Pan Tossed Chicken Sausages & Melted Queso with Bacon Fries. The sausages was for the non-pork eaters. Though I can't comment on the Bacon, I can say that the sausages were good. In general, whenever I hear the word tossed, I imagine it smeared in spices and sauces, but such was not the case here, so I actually appreciate that. I like Sausages, but kindly do not make a gravy out of it, its just not the same. The Fries, looked good, but I didn't have them, the one thing that however was the expectation 'round the table was that the fries would be wrapped in Bacon (Following too many Food-related websites and instagrams! :P) Such was not the case, it was just fries topped with some bits and pieces of bacon. Ouch! If nothing, so to me it just looked like normal fries, and not worth the amount charged especially since the bacon bits were not that much in quantity even. For main-course, everyone ordered individual dishes, and the favorite was Chimichurri Grilled Chicken as 3 of us had ordered the same, and then there was one Mushroom Spinach Stuffed Chicken. I however had ordered just a Fire-House Chili, a mexican style soup. I would have preferred 1/2 but everyone on the table was intent on having the chicken only and so I decided to go with my choice and if I still had some room left, would order something else as well. Between the Chimichurri and the Mushroom Stuffed, I would prefer the Mushroom Stuffed, the stuffing was par excellence and even the sauce served (cabarnet jus) was da-yum and if my cousin sister, who is hard to please when it comes to food said she l-o-u-v-e-d it and wish she could have some more, then you know it is true. I have always wondered, how do the English and the West Coast survive without rice or Bread in their meals, and how exactly do you feel full without it. But by the time everyone was done with their chicken, they all felt more than just full and didn't have much room for dessert. I on the other hand had ordered a fire-house chili, which frankly is heavier than any soup ever could be and had on its owns, its almost filling. If you give me some bread with it, it would be more than filling, and being quite thick it also is heavy. Served with some Tortilla Chips, I knew I had made the right choice because I liked it more than what was ordered by the rest. Then again, everyone's opinion would be different in this regards. The only downer? Wish it had a little more chili, because I definitely didn't feel it. Since, I was the only one who had still some room left, I ended up being the only person to order some dessert as well - Mess In a Jar. Only thing I can probably say is - "Avoid". I finished it because, no one else probably would and I avoid wasting food but otherwise there is nothing to write home about this one. The Whipped Cream, which is generally my favorite also failed to impress me, the red velvet tasted anything but and seemed a little stale as well. Moreover, the cake was completely soaked in the jelly and everything else that it felt watered down, and who would like to have water-soaked cake, I alone know, how I managed to swallow it all. This truly was nothing but a mess!! Also, I have added one more flavor of iced tea to my list, Pine-apple flavor. Where there is Iced tea, there is me. There was also the Water-melon one which was also ordered, but I can say I was the one who made the right choice as the water-melon flavor just didn't go well.

Looking for a good place to relax for a Sunday Brunch. You have just found the perfect Destination! Though we did a lunch, I am more than eager to try their break-fast variety.

WHAT WE HAD - Pan Tossed Chicken Sausages (Yum!)

                           Melted Queso with Bacon Fries ( Shout-Out for the Melted Queso!)

                           Chimchurri Grilled Chicken (Yum!)

                           Mushroom + Spinach Stuffed Chicken (Yum!)

                           Fire-House Chili (Yum, but share it between 2)

                           Mess in a Jar (Avoidddd!!!)

                           Pineapple flavor Iced Tea (Refreshing!) 

                           Watermelon Flavor Iced Tea (Can't really comment?)

                           Virgin Mojito ( Refreshing!)

                           Cold Drinks.

DAMAGES - Rs 4000/- (Approx)

WHERE - Jamjar Diner, 7A & B, Arram Nagar 2, Behind Washing Bay, Yari Road, Versova, Andheri (W)

Villa Vandre, Mumbai

VILLA VANDRE

I honestly did not know how to pronounce the Vandre bit, I thought it was some fancy Spanish or French word maybe, when I was informed by my local friend that some of the Goans who have settled in the area, choose to call Bandra as Vandre, though I don't know if that is what it actually is, I decided to call it as she suggested. I am good with words, hence, some times when I pronounce some thing incorrectly, it deflates my ego just a little bit. This does not mean that I am over-confident or over-smart, I just like being right but when I am not, I am open and honest about it. 

This was for my pre-b'day weekend where my best friend was coming to town and one of the things that I had always wanted to do with her was to have a good breakfast which did not comprise of idli-sambhar or Mc Donalds, and very luckily on a quick search I landed here. 

As always I did not know the exact location and had to hence call up the place, asking for how can we get there and it is here that I have to say they were really really helpful, so much that I was asked where exactly am I standing (Candies, on my right) and they then told me how exactly to reach with such precision that, me who is directionless did not find any difficulty what so ever in finding it. So points for that.

The place is very small, and is basically just one big room, with just 4 tables, but I have to say that even though it is a small place, it is done up beautifully. The walls done up in blue and the little curtain deco hung up on the wall, this and much more gives you a very pleasant and home like feeling, and one hundred percent gives one the sense that you are sitting in some Bed n Breakfast in some far-away english island and I happen to have an obsession with those. Some day, I will visit one of these real sites. 

Luckily, we got a place and I could understand that people did come here often, some maybe regulars even. If you happen to be residing in Bandra, you are one helluva lucky person. Since we were there for the break-fast, we obviously had to order the traditional english breakfast which comprised of sausages, bacon, Eggs (How-ever you like), beans and some toast. This is another thing I have an obsession for. I had been craving pan-cakes for a while, really good fluffy pancakes, and hence, I by-default ordered them. To ensure that the 3 of us didn't repeat our orders, because we wanted to try it all. We order a sanndwich - Coronation Chicken, which I have to say is one of the best I have had in a while - the ingredient being fresh and not too sagged up with so many sauces as is is the case is generally in Subway. This seemed perfect in every bite. Though my favorite off the three had to be the pan-cakes, which were simply foodgasmic, and if I weren't full, I would probably have ordered for 1 more, in fact for the next 2 days that is all that I craved.I still do. To go with the breakfast, we all ordered our separate fixes, or wake-up calls, the masala chai (strictly okay!), the hot chocolate (yumness) and a cappuccino (heaven, as per my friend). I wish I had ordered for anything else instead of the chai. I need my fix of chai in the morning, but I wish I had rather ordered the hot-chocolate here. 

Another thing that I have, I am guessing they are the staff is the way they are so courteous and the way they give attention to some thing probably, even I would not have minded. For example, after our break-fast, we were clicking a few photos outside, as it made for a pretty back-ground, and the lady who was serving us switched on the table fan for us, even though we were just lingering around. But says something of the hospitality of the staff. I am guessing she is the staff, she could very well be from the family that owns the place. But for once, I am impressed and grateful because its kindness in that sweltering heat.

I am going to be back for their pan-cakes, and the lunch menu soon! You should too, and I can bet you would be going back for more too then.

WHAT WE HAD - The English Breakfast (Yumness!)

                           Pan-cakes with maple syrup (Heaven)

                           Coronation Chicken Sandwich ( Heaven Again!)

                           Masala Chai (strictly okay!)

                           Hot Chocolate (Yum!)

                           Cappuccino ( Yum!)

DAMAGES - Rs 900/- (Approx)

WHERE - Villa Vandre, Shop 3, May Flower, New Kantwadi Road, Off Perry Cross Road, Bandra (W), MUMBAI