Cafe Zoe, Mumbai

Cafe Zoe, Lower Parel

 

A place that has been raved about by most of my friends and colleagues, yet I never made it till I absolutely had to. When there is somebody like you who doesn't mind going to places not in the vicinity for meals is a blessing and I happen to have at least one such like minded friend. The others, they want the good meal but not at the cost of seeking them out. So I finally made it to Cafe Zoe when my friend was back from her vacation. On a side note, I wish I could take month long vacations too. Kahan gaye woh din??!! 

Getting to here was a task though, the place is almost hidden between narrow lanes. Ironic as once you step it's completely spacious and you wouldn't really believe that it is placed in such a location. I almost felt like I am in Europe or some equally beautiful destination and not my much loved Bombay. As much as I love Bombay, we do stay in matchboxes fighting for space everywhere we go. This place on the other hand is humongous. Also, plenty of natural light seeping through. It has an upper and a ground level as well, and we took to the upstairs. I think if nothing else, the ambiance of this place is what is going to be pulling me back here. 

The service is very mechanical and there is no personalized touch to it as such. Why I say this is because I regretted ordering a certain dish and though the error was on our end, it would have been nice if they had educated us on it as is the case whenever there is some thing off beat or not much heard of on the menu. So you should either google what you are planning to order if it sounds very new to you or ask them for it. Moreover, it was just limited to placing your orders and the same being brought to you. I didn't spot much of a smile either.

The food, I  will start with what we shouldn't have ordered  - Tenderloin Carpaccio. It sounded and looked very fancy but I wish I hadn't ordered this. I for one don't have a stomach for meat that looks almost raw and tastes a little too. This was indeed like that (See the fanciest one from the photos). To top it looked almost like a  Salad and you know how much I love salads. Not! So over all, this wasn't my cup of tea and I wish I knew that before I had ordered it. I was expecting some juicy tenderloin patties or something and this was just some thing else entirely! Moreover, it didn't seem value for money to me if you see the serving size as well. We decided to play safe for our next order the mini lamb burgers it was! This was high on flavor. I enjoyed it every bit, the patties was one of the best I have had and the bread seemed equally fresh. Though I do wish the serving size again was a little better. This was 2 mini burgers further broken down into half. Not so fair. So it's 2 mini burgers only, priced at 350 + Taxes, kind of brings the mood down. Next we went for the mains. I went for the Chicken Ravioli and my girl decided to go for Tiger Prawns Risotto. Now this was worth every penny. Well, as much as it can be in a place like this. The ravioli stuffed chicken came with a cream sauce with thyme was comforting like having something hot on a rainy day. Coincidence as it was actually raining. I can safely say they weren't stingy and the ravioli pieces were big rather than what I have come across till now which has always been smaller in size. The quantity is good for one. For the risotto, they were out of Tiger Prawns but they more than made up for it with the portion size of the prawns. I automatically hold a place in high regard if they serve good portion size when it comes to this sea food delight. Most places, even when it's priced steeply some times don't and that just leaves you disappointed. Here, I was more than happy. The risotto in my friend's word is the best she has had in this city and that's something. I agree with her. It's light, not too heavy as such but doesn't compromise on flavor. 

I would proably want to come back here in special circumstance where I am absolutely okay to splurge. This place after all doesn't exactly come cheap but if you know to order right it's value for money. The ambiance is actually the key here.

WHAT WE HAD - Tenderloin Carpaccio (Avoid)

                           Mini Lam Burgers (Yumness)

                           Chicken Ravioli (Yumness)

                           Tiger Prawns Risotto (Yumness Personified)

                           Iced Tea (Refeshing)
                           

 DAMAGES - Rs 3000/- (Approx) inclusive of wine 

WHERE - Café Zoe., Mathuradas Mills Compound, NM Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai

 

D:OH, Mumbai

D:OH!, Lower Parel

The sort of not so steep pricing, the ambiance and the freak shakes is what had attracted me here. Everyone around seems to be doing freak shakes and this place's looked insane and had a mention in quite a few articles for where to go for freak shakes. Me being me, had to try it out. 

Located in the Kamala Mills Complex (How many restaurants does this place have? and every few weeks you see one more opening up? Where do all of them fit??!! ). I love the ambiance of this place, and if you love taking photos of your good self, second favorite hobby of mine ), then you will too. They have huge jhulas (swings) for seating against the walls. They also have high chairs on another side, but it's the jhoola that is what attracts me and that is where we chose to be seated. The place has a little raw appeal with uses of wooden elements, bricks, white and hues of blue. 

It's self service where you order what you require and they hand you over a buzzer and will buzz you once your order is ready to be whisked away. A pretty clean system. The one thing that I am not a fan of with self service is long queues (I would crib if the long queue even led to Shahrukh Khan! So queues not my thing, And even worse is no queues which leads to chaos). Hence, I appreciate this slick buzzer system. Hassle Free. 

When Ordering a freak shake, it's always for two, because well it's quite a lot on your own, but my friend wanted to have the chocolate and I wanted to have the caramel (majorly because it was garnished with a slice on cheese cake on top. Ek teer se do nishana types ). I am going to admit to it and say that was a mistake on my end. Or rather on theirs. It didn't really blow me away and after reading all the articles I had, I had expected it to. The caramel on it's own seemed good, but wasn't wow. The cheese cake, as much as I had to say it, is probably the worst I have had. It was hard, stale, lacked taste, the softness was missing. Definitely didn't seem fresh either.  The chocolate one was better, but then again, didn't wow either. Since the freak shake on it's own is too heavy, we ordered somewhat lighter food. We ordered the crispy sriracha chicken tenders and peppered mutton stew. All items on the menu are designed for one. The chicken tenders were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, exactly how they said it would be and for that I am grateful. If it's fried, then I prefer the outer parts to have that crunch. (I liked even my bread to have a little crunch. A little lunatic, that way). The star of the day was the Peppered Mutton Stew. It was like a home-coming meal. After a long journey home, when your mommy dearest serves you fresh food cooked with her own hands. It evokes those kind-of feelings when you have the very first bite. Mixed with exotic veggies (So exotic that I was left guessing what it was, though all good!), served on a bed of brown onion pulav. On a side note, I love brown onion or what we call Biryan. It elevates the flavor of the rice. The mutton pieces were melt in the mouth. The mutton gravy was served on top of the rice itself which can go wrong if one is less or more. Here, the ratio is perfect. 

The more I be to places, the more I realize I should stick to my own gut feeling than go with what dozens of articles. I liked the place quite a lot, but I would avoid the freak shakes and rather dig into the food.

WHAT WE HAD - Choco Freak (Okay)

                           Freak Cake - Caramel (Below Average)

                           Crispy Sriracha Chicken Tenders (Yumness)

                           Peppered Mutton Stew (Yumness Galore)

DAMAGES - Rs 1500/- (Approx)

WHERE - DOH All Day.Ground Floor, Unit 2B, Trade View, Kamala City, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai

Three Chicks and a Bear, Mumbai

Three Chicks and a Bear, Lower Parel

Long Long over due. I had been trying to drag almost everyone I knew to this place and no body just seemed interested. Mostly because of the location. Situated in Lower Parel and most of my friends staying on the other side of town. I am the only one who would cross oceans for a meal.  Well, maybe fly over the ocean.  On a completely different note I just traveled for the first time in my life out of India. Well, I have lived in Bahrain, but that's home and who counts that. So what if it's Dubai and it's just next door.

So how did I finally get to a pay visit to this place? My college buddy was in town and she was staying in Mahalaxmi and then I just ganged up and told her that if she has to see me she has to drop by her and since it was near by to her, she didn't complain much. Also, I Dragged another friend with emotional blackmail of long had reunions to get her out of bed and come all the way here. I can be persuasive if I want to. Mission accomplished.

The place is another offering from the famous Theobroma offering more in ranges of burgers. The limited burgers etc that they offer in Theobroma gives you a good enough idea of what to expect when they provide you with a full blown menu for the carnivore lover. There are vegetarian options but a little limited and I don't know anyone who has tried it out to be able to comment on it. This place is much more spacious in comparison to their Theobroma outlets, and less crowded too. The latter is surprising because a Theobroma on a week day, forget weekend, you would be lucky to find a place. Also, their dessert aisle will transport you to Christmas Charlie and the chocolate factory type feel. I was besotted and taken away with just the aisle itself.

The service is warm as is always with Theobroma. The menu, confusing, because you want to have everything. However, I had as usual, come decided with what I would have. My hobby includes browsing through restaurant menus and day dream of what I would be eating. (No, that's not weird. ) So we called for the meatballs and Canadian pulled BBQ chicken burger. Even though I over all had liked the meatballs, I had expected the tomato basil to be more cooked tomato sauce than on the raw side. I think it would have tasted better if the tomato was sautéed to a point where you don't really see the tomato even, the meat balls would have soaked the flavor from the sauce better then or maybe I prefer it that way. It has the potential to be a 4/5 but it was a 3.5/5. The burger is another story. HUGE! and messy, just how they are supposed to be. The burger was actually ordered by my friend so even though I can't give my complete view on it, it was appetizing in the one bite I tried. Moreover, I have always felt that you can't go wrong with BBQ sauce and chicken. I would definitely want to come back and try more.

Okay, now for the main reason I had dragged my friends here - The Red Velvet Freak Shake. If you are ordering this, please note that this is a meal in itself. It is also not something you would want to share and if someone dared to you would resent them. And even if you tell yourself, you will just have a bite, you CAN'T! So, even though we had thought initially we would share this, I completely regret my decision. I wish I hadn't used that word. You know that the red velvet used is rich and also they haven't been stingy in their usage of it is because of the color of the shake. I have always seen most red velvet shake to be a shade of baby pink or lighter, this was reddish-pink. you can taste the richness of the red velvet in every sip you take of the shake. Add to that the generous amount of whipped cream. And who doesn't like whipped cream??!! That is not it. It has an entire slice of red velvet creamcheese cake on top. If you have had red velvet from here, you know it's second only to their luscious brownies which I think the world also should know about by now! So share, only at your own risk and regret.

WHAT WE HAD - Meatballs (Yumess)

                        Canadian Pull BBQ Chicken Burger (Yumness Personified)

                           Red Velvet Freak Shake (Another reason to Live)

                           Masala Chai

DAMAGES - Rs 1400/- (Approx)

WHERE -  Three Chicks & A Bear.Lodha Supremus, Survey 453, Senapati Bapat Marg, Railway Colony, Lower Parel, Mumbai

Chili Flakes, Mumbai

Chili Flakes, Lower Parel

A little celebration in the office and well, Pizza Time!! I like the fact that we now have started to have more options than just Dominos and Pizza Hut. This was a place in our locality, and the prices seemed reasonable, and so we decided to order in from here this time. 

The service is a little slow, where in it took more than an hour for the Pizza to be delivered, which is a long long wait. Also, this is one thing that is very very dangerous for them because I don't know how many vegetarians would prefer to order from them, at least the ones in my office won't. Not because they don't have veg options but rather that they weren't careful enough. One of the Pizzas we ordered was for BBQ Paneer and it turned out to be BBQ Chicken. The guy who first had it, didn't realize it because the pieces were small and the BBQ sauce was over powering and well, he has never had chicken before and he was not aware if it was paneer or tofu or what, as we had just kept the veg and non veg different. It was when one from the Non Veg Clam had it that they were like OMG! So Yeah. You need to check with them that do they keep their veg and non-veg separately. Else, you could be in trouble. To me, it's fine. I actually liked the BBQ chicken pizza.

Talking about the food we ordered - 2 Bombay Masala Chicken, 1 American Pepperoni, 1 BBQ Paneer (or rather chicken), 1 Margarita Pizza, 1 Exotica Pizza. My favorite of the lot? The Margarita. Ahh. Bliss. I was very tempted to try out the Pepperoni and the pork eaters in my office, kept raving about it. Apparently, it was the best of the lot. So, if you indeed eat pork, then you defintely need to order this one. The BBQ chicken was good as well, if only the moment had not been spoilt by the mishap that happened. (The only nice thing was that we got a full refund on it or rather a free pizza the next time we order. However, that still doesn't make up for the blunder and the dharm bhrasht of the poor guy). The Bombay Masala Pizza topped with chicken keema was good but I would have actually preferred some other on it. Too much masala. The exotic I hadn't tried but the Vegetarians gave a thumbs up. So there you have it. 

The pizzas here have a thin base, like the wood fired ones, and the large Pizzas are LARGE! So it could easily make a really good meal for two without any add-ons. 

WHAT WE HAD - Bombay Masala Chicken (Yum!)

                           American Pepperoni (Yumness Personified)

                           BBQ Chicken (Yumness)

                           Margherita Pizza (Yum Yum Yum)

                           Exotica (Yum)

DAMAGES - Rs 450-600 per Pizza 

WHERE - Opp. Kamala City, Lower Parel, Mumbai (Only Delivery)

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

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

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

Howra, Mumbai

HOWRA, Worli

Have you watched the movie called, "Ek Chaalis ki Last Local" starring Abhay Deol. Do you remember the dialogue from it, "Woh kehte hain na jo hota hai acche ke liye hota hai, sahi kehte hain" Well, the dialogue was fairly famous even before the movie's release, passed down from generations. The dialogue delivery and the context in this movie, had given it much more leverage and you could hear every one around trying to imitate it. Why am I making reference to this dialogue? I would like to change it just slightly - "Woh kehte hain na, kuch bhi deep fry kar lo, accha hi lagta hai, sahi kehte hain". Actually, sirf accha nahi lagta hai, bahut accha lagta hai, bahut bahut accha lagta hai." Still don't get it? Read on!

This was a place that has been on my list for a long time, for their epic burgers, at least it claims so and vouched by the many reviewers. Always in the look out for burger places, I couldn't help but visit this place. The only problem being, the location which is in Breach Candy and this is one area I have never really set foot in as it is far-far from where I stay, even if I hire a cab. I should give a special mention to my friends who have their vehicles and handle my tantrum by driving me to such places, I shall always be obliged to you even though I don't say it. :D 

The place reminded me of a barn in a certain way, and looks interesting. But there was one small disappointment, that the place has 3-4 outlets jammed in together with a common seating area giving it the feel of a mini-food court. I had expected it to be a place dedicated only to burgers. My friend, seeing the other options went you have the burger, I will try some thing else, which left me in a dilemma. It defeats the purpose. After all, how do you expect me to judge a place by just trying out 1 little burger. So after much cajoling, I convinced him to have the burger (I do get my way :P) 

So from their wide range of burgers, we ordered for the Sheesh Taouk and Surf-N-Turf. I know, I know we should have ordered their legendary Burgers under the Titan Selection, but it was something I knew that at least on this day, I will not be able to finish, as I had had a heavy lunch, even though I knew better. Where as I had opted for the cheesy fries, my friend went for the regular. This might have been the first time in history, that I have to say, I wish I had gone without the cheese. I liked them, but some where I felt the flavors of cheese has over taken the fries, and I couldn't enjoy the fries completely. I could cheese on its own, but if I am ordering fries, the fries should also have a distinct taste, which was lost here. For the burgers, I did enjoy the burgers, but not as much as I had hoped. This could be owing to the fact that I had had a heavy lunch or it could be because there is this small place called Between Breads in Bandra which has left such a lasting impression on me that I by default make comparison. (Check out the review in this same album!). What I have said is true more for the Sheesh Taouk than the surf-n-turf. The surf n turn consisting of a lamb and fish patty, were almost on point and didn't disappoint. (Maybe I had just opted wrong?!). We had also ordered for a BBQ Chicken Craver, which is a small sandwich consisting of well BBQ Chicken, here I think I felt satisfied the most, but I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that this is only for Rs 80!! So a quick fix and great on the taste buds (I believe how you price your items also has a role to play when some one orders from your place, because the expectations change with it). 

I still haven't made reference to the small dialogue that I had mentioned in the beginning of this post. You know what had really pulled me to this place?? Like really really? Oreos. Deep Fried Oreos. I am obsessed with Oreos. So Imagine when I read Deep Fried Oreos. Do you see the big heaves coming from my chest, I need deep fried oreos! I need deep fried Oreos. DEEP FRICKIN' FRIED OREOS!! And what had I said before? "Anything deep fried is by the rule, always good". So Imagine, when you are presented with Oreos, the deep fried way??!! Beyond Bliss. I almost, or maybe actually did forget cheese-cake for a minute. I never forget cheese-cake, never. like literally NEVER. Have I made that clear enough??!! I guess, I have. :P 

The point is they have a wide range of burgers, all you need to do is choose well. If you happen to have an appetite, go for their Titans. But by default, without putting any thought to it, order the deep fried oreos and come back and tell me Thank You and to express your gratitude, send some my way! :P

WHAT WE HAD - BBQ Chicken Craver (Yum)

                           Sheesh Taouk Burger (Okay!)

                           Surf 'N' Turf Burger (Yum and yum!)

                           Deep Fried Oreos (Taking Foodgasm to another level!)

DAMAGES - Rs 1000/- (Approx)

WHERE - Howra. Mafco Warden Road, Next to IOC Petrol Pump, Breach Candy, Mumbai