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

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

Sammy Sosa, Mumbai

SAMMY SOSA, Andheri

Some places are just so darn worth it! Another strike from the bucket list, and one that had been pre-planned for three months. If this didn't work out, or got canceled or something else came up, I would have been furious. I know that there are quite a few places in my bucket list. But we had already zeroed in on the date as a friend was flying from Delhi and this was planned for then.

I realize I enjoy food the most when there is some one who devours food equally, and more so if they are non-vegetarians. I have been meeting a lot of vegetarians lately and my close circle consists of them a bit too much to my liking (I love you guys but you know what I mean :P). When you hang out with a vegetarian crowd, 70-80% of the food on the table will be vegetarian whether you like/admit to it or not. It's a recent realization. Whereas, when you hang out with fellow non-vegetarian crowd, you will not find any trace of any greens or anything except for probably french fries. Come to think of it, it is we non vegetarians that end up compromising (Haan, theek hai kha lenge, hum toh sab kha sakte hain. How many times has this dialogue been repeated by a chicken lover??!!) This day, it was about two hard core non-vegetarians and one picky non-vegetarian a.k.a. my sis, meeting and sharing our joint loved for food so everything on the table was non-veg barring the drinks. What a feeling indeed. :D

This place is pretty small, a fine example of crammed spaces that is evident of this city, though it doesn't look so from the pictures put up on the internet. In terms of ambiance I would say it's a 3/5. I wasn't all that impressed with the interiors as such. They have attempted to use every possible space and it just ends up looking a bit too crammed up for my liking. However, I would give them full marks for hospitality. I say hospitality and not service, this was truly one of those rare places where I felt a star guest, if you are familiar with the concept of "Atithi Devo Bhava". They took into consideration every request made by us which is absolutely fantastic including our desire to be seated in a particular place (No, we are not one of those people who bring the place down if our whims and fancies are not met with :P). We would just be more comfortable with a little breathing space between us which they easily made available telling us that just give us about 15 minutes. So Kudos! Highly impressive. Also the manager/owner (I have no idea if he owned the place or not, but from the looks of it he probably did) addresses each person coming and takes the trouble to ensure they are actually comfortable, which is another reason why i would give them full marks.

It's all about the food, so let's get talking about it. For beginners we had initially pre-planned on ordering the Nachos - names in the menu as Sammy's Tostatada which is a magnanimous portion of nachos which has everything nachos have plus chicken ham and then baked with cheese. Yes, we know. That's exactly how we felt. But the guy attending to us actually told us that he would not recommend it, not because it isn't great but because the portion is on the higher side and the 3 of us will not be able to finish it. We looked at each other, and went is it really that huge that between the 3 of us we will not be able to finish it and so we went for the downsized version of it called the Texas Nachos which is the same thing only less in portion. It was as good as promised. Only thing? We were left wanting for more and realized they under estimate our appetite. We could have definitely had more but that can only be judged better if we have the mammoth portion. For drinks I went for my regular peach iced tea (I have stopped experimenting in this department, unless and until something different catches hold of my attention). My sister went for the Strawberry Margarita and it was Ah-Mazing infused with actual strawberries and the friend went for the Mojito with mint and lime which was refreshing. For the mains we each ordered ourr own favorite, mine was the Boatman's dream - a mexican dish made with prawns (My absolute favorite. I really wasn't expecting a huge portion for 430 bucks to be frank - like 10 king sized prawns with a huge serving of rice - heavy would be the word to describe, the buttons of your shirt might just pop out after eating this. I however am not complaining. I loved every bit of it. Hot, spicy, zesty are some of the adjectives I can think of while describing this particular dish. I havn't felt this satisfied after having my food in quite some time. My sister went for the Grandma's Lasagna which in her own words " is the best lasagna she has had in Mumbai till date". The balance of the sauce, the cheese, the chicken, the pasta sheets is just perfect creating a medley of flavors that words fail to describe. I don't often order a lasagna, as I always find it to be full of just chicken and cheese and I prefer a little balance, but I will say that I almost wish I had ordered this. The friend in question, order for herself Santa Fe Chicken, another mexican delight. If you are a chickenatarian - consider this your wish granted. I have to given a special mention to the potato wedges served as a side to this sizzling dish, out-of-this world. I believe the world is divided into two kinds of people - the ones that like potato wedges and the others who prefer french fries. Not that you can't like both. But you will always like one a little more. Me? I am a potato wedges person and this place has the best potato wedges I have tried till date. 

Their menu is extensive and I actually wish to head back soon, to try their other offering because this place truly deserves high rank for the quality and taste of food that they bring out. You need need need to pay visit here. AH-MAZING is what it is. There is not one thing, that I could say lacked something anything in flavor. They will go to the extent of understanding how you like your food prepared.

WHAT WE HAD - Texas Style Nachos ( Redefining Yum)

                           Grandma's Lasagna ( Redefining Yum)

                           Santa fe Chicken ( Redefining Yum)

                           Boatman's Dream (Redefining Yum)

                           Strawberry Margarita (Yumness!)

                           Peach Iced Tea (Refreshing)

                           Mint and Lime Mojito (Refreshing)

DAMAGES - Rs 2700/- , approx. incl. of taxes ( Rs 550 as Taxes, taken as a pinch of salt but the only thing that got me thinking - I am paying 20-25% as taxes, and that is more than just a pinch of salt) 

WHERE -  SAMMY SOSA RESTAURANT., Shop 18, Meera CHS, Near Mega Mall, Oshiwara Link Road, Oshiwara, Andheri (W), MUMBAI

The Treesome Cafe, Mumbai

THE TREESOME CAFE, Andheri

Another place off my bucket list. I have been travelling to far-off places for a change. This is the second time I have been to Andheri in Two Weeks! That is quite an achievement for me because generally I travel to any far-off places unless and until some one is driving me, once in a very blue blue moon. 

What had caught my interest when it comes to this place were the very quirky names they had used for all the dishes on the menu. Also, the way most of it was presented, especially the mini-burgers or sliders, whatever you wish to call them. I am still to learn to differentiate between the two as I have recently discovered that the two are not the same. These guys serve their mini-burgers with a fancy name in bird's cage. Wohoo! Just knowing that you have got to order it, even it is for the sake of putting it on Instagram! (Because we all love to show off on Instagram! I generally claim I am a food blogger and I have hence the right to click pictures. But really, who am I kidding, I love showing off as much as the next person :P). So the quirky names, the quirky settings and reasonably priced, and I was getting a treat (It has been a blessed month indeed! :P) was why I chose this place.

I genuinely have now started taking an interest in why people choose the name they do for a restaurant, I mean treesome cafe?Its different, but what went through the owner's mind to give it this particular name. Maybe, I should start asking questions to these eateries too. Some day when I have the courage. My friends keep telling me to try and advertise my page by introducing myself when I step in to any restaurant, but I can never gather the courage to. After all, I am practically a no-body! In the food-blogging world. 

We arrived here around 4 pm in the evening, and the place was more or less vacant as the sun had not gone down yet, I guess and we were looking for a little quieter place anyhow, so didn't matter too much to us. However even in the early evening, there was loud music being played which you get accustomed to after a while. We were there to eat, converse and make merry. The place has both an outer-seating which is more spacious than the inside I suppose. I would have wanted to be seated out, only the sun was shining down upon us and I can't bear the heat. (One full day in the sun and i get a case of the prickly heats! *big fat sigh*). They have used wood elements in their decor and once again the lights are amazing. I have become obsessed with lights I suppose. The painting of one huge tree on one side of the wall indoors is the only element that I found to be a little hatke. I would want to know the story behind that. Is it named treesome cafe because of that painting?! 

The servers are friendly enough and though they don't go out of their way to attend to you, they make sure they are right there when they are called upon. Lets get to the matters of the stomach. We started off with ordering 2 starters i.e. the mini burgers. They were of the mutton/beef variety, I really don't recall the name right now, I cant find the bill anywhere (misplaced it as always I guess! I keep telling my self I will keep it safe till the post is up but I keep it so safe that even I don't even remember where it is. :P) and it is not listed on their menu on zomato either. There are only 3 types of mini burgers on their menu, so its cool, in case you are going to go by my recommendation, it is definitely to be had! Just in my last post, I had mentioned that I had been to a place that is known for its burgers, yet there felt to be something missing in their burgers, here it is just the opposite, almost perfect. I would give full points to them when it comes to the food served, right from the innovative presentation to outright making your taste-buds come alive, they have nailed it, I would say. The mini burger is served in bird-cage. It feels like food for the bird, come to think of it the quantity is given accordingly even. Appetizers are like that, so no complaints. You know how they serve water in a little bowl in the cage i.e how they serve you french fries here with 2 dips to go for it. One is the normal mayo-type thing, the other nameless dip, that I couldn't recognize is what I liked much much better, almost fell in love with it. The other starter we ordered was Chicken Gangam Estyle (Yes! They are very innovative in their names as well!). I don't know how Korean it was, but it was definitely yum. The best chicken-satay, if I were to not use the quirky name, I have had. So definitely thumbs-up. I had also ordered a mock-tail, now here is where I went a 100% wrong. The drink turned out to be baby pink in color, with cream and pineapple and God knows what else and was a complete disaster. It was like having milk that had gone sour. Yeah, that bad. So then I played safe and ordered an iced tea next because you can-not go wrong with an iced tea. For the main course we ordered Sri-Lankan Prawns. I generally prefer ordering one main course at a time as some times I find that I am not able to complete it. (I absolutely hate wastage of food!). This turned out to be a good thing because the quantity of both the prawns gravy and the rice turned out to be enough for two! In general, you find a very small side of the rice , and few grilled/boiled veggies on the side with the gravy. Here, they had served the gravy in 1 container which is the size of a big bowl and similarly for the rice. Let me just say that the dish is a total paisa vasool, close to 15 pieces of prawns is served that too, medium sized, so you know that they have not been stingy. The rice which has an exotic touch as the veggies used are baby corn, zucchini etc. Herbed Rice is slowly becoming my favorite. The gravy is licked clean by my friend who had it even minus the rice. This is the first time I have got a taste of the Sri-Lankar Cuisine and I must say that I wish to try more of it. Its spicy, how I liked it and yet retains the flavor of the gravy served. Some dishes sometimes are so spicy that all you can taste is the chili and not the gravy. Over - all, I would want to be back for more probably in the evening, as I hear they have a dj set up as well. So this could be a fun destination for a night out with the girls. They don't display any dessert on their menu and I feel a little incomplete without it, so we asked if there was anything available. They had cheesecake - Blueberry on the menu, or rather off the menu, they magically made it appear. It was very similar to the one I had had at Sassy Spoon strangely, only the cherries were replaced by berries here and yes I devoured it and it was light as well. I have started to wonder if it was diet cheese-cake, if that's even possible. :P

Near Perfection when it comes to food and presentation along with a picturesque ambiance. Add some good music and this makes for a fun destination for your next night out with the girls or boys. They even have a DJ in the evening I hear, what else could you ask for?!!

WHAT WE HAD - Mini Burgers (Delectable!)

                     Chicken Gangam Style (Lives upto the name, beyond delectable!)

                     Sri Lankan Prawns (Finger Lickin' Good!)

                     Blueberry Cheesecake (Perfection!)

                 Pink-Creamy Mocktail (Don't remember the name, but STAY AWAY!)

                 Iced Tea (Its Iced Tea!)

DAMAGES - Rs 2200/- (Approx inclusive of 2 beers)

WHERE - The Treesome Café., Jewel Shopping Center, 7 Bungalows, Andheri (W), MUMBAI

Colaba Social, Mumbai

COLABA SOCIAL

One down from My To-Visit list. This place had been on my must-visit list for a long time and I have even attempted to get in here, but the place being over crowded on weekends such that you don't have standing space, I left looking for greener pastures. I am not one of those people who can stand in a corner and gulp down drinks, I always always always want to have a table. I was met with similar luck this time, even though it was hardly around 3.00 PM, the place was still full but it looked like if we waited for a while, we might just find a place to be seated, so we decided on staying or rather I, leaving no option for the rest of my companions though they did give me several looks. :P So after almost a 30 minute wait, all of us feeling awkward, one group felt pity on us and were kind enough to finish their meals comparatively a little quick and emptied their seats for us! ( Thank You Stranger! :))

Colaba Social is famous for the quirkiness it has implemented in it design, where we were seated the couch was designed like the trunk of a car with tail lights, the ceilings are adorned with egg containers, and above the bar you can see Wine Bottles and even spoons and all hanging, There is a little swing set up in the middle of the place and I was almost tempted to sit there, only it would look a little stupid, and even though I have done a lot of stupid stuff, I did not want to look even more stupid than I generally do, so I dropped the idea. 

The servers are courteous enough but it can be a task some times, to get their attention. So the service though was not bad, was nothing to write home about. We were five in total, and having had a very light break fast were hungry as hell, so it did not take much time in placing our orders. A round of Margaritas for the Drinkers and good old Iced Tea for me, I have to say I was disappointed with the iced tea, not in flavor, because quantity wise and even my taste buds approved, but I was seriously expecting a very mini-tub, if you have gone through the many reviews and photos on Zomato of the place, this is one thing that sets the place apart from others, the quirky ways they choose to serve their drinks but for some reason, I received it in an over-sized glass reading Beer in Hindi. For Starters we ordered Jalapeno Cheese Nads, Prawn Sesame on Toast and the Sausage Fest. My favorite of the lot was the Prawn Sesame on Toast, which was made of minced prawns and other stuff toasted. I think I have developed a taste for Mashed Potatoes or maybe recently, I have been visiting places that do it just right because this place sure as hell serves good mashed potatoes with their sausages. The Sausage was chicken as well as pork, I chose to have chicken as I am a non-pork eater. The Cheese Jalapeno bites I did not actually try but I have been told they were a knock-out. This must be a first, cheese bites on the table and me not eating it. We had a Vegetarian on the table and would not have liked to see her go hungry. :P For the main-course, we ordered traditional items, but did not regret it, because it was oh-so-yummy. I have always liked Prawns, liked would be wrong, loved. Even loved would be an understatement but recently I have been ordering it around a lot. We went for the Mac N Cheese, Goan Prawn Curry & Lamb Massaman Curry. The Mac n Cheese was supposed to have a hint of jalapeno as was written in the decription, but very honestly I could't find any trace of it. The Star Dish for the day was the Goan Prawn Curry because the gravy hit the right note, even they way it was served, was impressive. I especially loved the way they made a hash sign from the cucumber served. The lamb was equally good, but the prawns was the clear winner. Even the Fish Flavored Papads tasted like it had been made my next door Goan Aunty (I don't actually have a next door neighbor who is Goan but that drives the point home). There was one dessert ordered - The Layer Cake, all was good with it if only it was a little bit bigger in size, the only complain from my dearest friend who had had nothing but that.

If you are ready to stand in queue, or even if you don't mind moving around with your drinks, or just being by the bar, this place is definitely not to be missed. The Music, the ambiance, the food and the drinks make one helluva combination, truly a place for getting your hair down. 

PS - They have some pretty mean break fast as well, something I look forward to trying out soon! 

WHAT WE HAD - Jalapeno Cheese Nads (Yum!)

                           Prawn Sesame Toast (Delish!)

                           Sausage Fest ( Sausage is a weakness for me!)

                           Goan Prawn Curry (Yum!Yum! Yum!)

                           Lamb Massaman Curry (Yuminess!)

                           Jalapeno Mac N Cheese (Yum but no trace of Jalapeno)

                           Iced Tea (Tasty but for the Presentation)

                           Lemon Margaritas (Hits the right spots!)

                           Layer Cake ( Delish!)

DAMAGES - Rs 4000/- Approx ( We were 5) (The Drinks Bill is generally on the higher side, but then it always is :P)

WHERE - Colaba Social 24, Ground Floor, Glen Rose Building, Behind Taj Mahal Palace, Apollo Bunder, Colaba, MUMBAI

British Brewing Company, BBC

BBC, BRITISH BREWING COMPANY

My third visit in 2 years to this place. Some times I really wish, I could go out more often, eat out more often and most importantly not having to watch my weight. I love food and I have found a balance between eating and not gaining weight. At least not any extra weight. Then key in the "money" factor and well, the fact that I go out at all is a blessing. :PWhy did I say all of this? Because otherwise I would have been to this place more often than I do. Many places for that matter. 

Three Visits and I still have not got a chance to be seated in one of the Beer Barrels. They have Barrel shaped little structures, and seating made inside which I think is very cool but unfortunately, only if you happen to be more in numbers can you get this place to yourself, that is how crowded the place generally is. We were lucky this time around to get a place in under 5 minutes as otherwise generally it takes a minimum of 30 minutes of waiting time. 

I admire the speedy service they have and as to how you don't have to be involved in the hassles of attracting some server to note your order down. Why? They have integrated their entire menu on i-pads which are very swiftly handed over to you as soon as you are seated where you can order with a click and it the order directly reached the Kitchen. The only thing the servers have to do is get it on your table as soon as the order is ready. The place is divided into seating as well as a bar, where either you can be seated right at the bar and enjoy your drinks and if you are looking for a full course meal, then there are aplenty seating everywhere. The bar is in the center of the room and all around it are the tables set. Most places generally have the bar in one corners and is very divided from the dine-in area. They have integrated the two in one which makes for a good change. Add in the beer-barrel at the 4 corners, makes for quite interesting interiors for lack of any better word (:P)

So as soon as we received our i-pads, we started browsing through the menu.Its little things that add the x element to a place, and even though most of us today own smart phones and tablets, still using it to order your meal, does bring in a certain level of excitement like when you were a kid and saw something different. So with that energy we scrolled through the menu and took our own sweet time in analyzing the menu and finally placing our orders. I must be one of those few people who visits pubs/lounge/bars etc and not have a single drop of alcohol. I do love the vibe that these places hold and obviously the food! We began by ordering two mock tails - Virgin Mojito & Peninsula. For starters we order Chicken Cigar Rolls - Which is a long spring roll filled with cheese and a log of chicken rubbed in spices unknown, maybe because I happen to also be hungry but the though of it still makes my mouth water. We also ordered for some Britsh Style Sausages, the name of which I seriously am unable to recall right now but sausages are my favorite thing after Shawarma, Cheese cakes and French Fries/Potato Wedges. So you can-not go wrong with them, I could eat them in any form, and they did actually do a really good job. I should give a special mention to the veggies and mashed potatoes served with it. I generally am not a huge fan of Mashed Potatoes. They are just a bland version of our Aloo ka Bharta. But the one thing I could say was, I finished the entire mashed potatoes here and not because I don't appreciate leaving food on my platter. ( I don't, I feel very strongly on this and many of my friends have been the victim of my angst in this regards). I was confused between ordering a Pizza or a Sizzler, but having just had pizza the day before, we decided upon the Prawns Sizzler. Ordering sea-food when eating out is a bit of a risky business, as if they don't get rid of the stench, I for one one can-not bear the smell, forget eating it and it has happened to me a few times. But since, I did not want to have chicken and I do actually like sea food (in a limited way, and am choosy of the type of sea-food). It was not extra-ordinary but it wasn't ordinary either. It was just the way a Sizzler should be and well, Sizzlers are no longer a dish that you have to seek out. even small places do them now. 

All I can say is BBC is one place that should be on your list for your next hang-out, because the ambiance sets the mood like no other. Whether it is just for a round of drinks or for a proper meal, you will definitely not regret stepping in here, even if you have to wait for a minimum of 30 minutes. 

WHAT WE HAD - Chicken Cigar Rolls (Yumness!)

                           British Sausages in BBQ Sauce (Yumness!)

                           Prawns Sizzlers (Yum!)

                           Virgin Mojito (Thirst Quencher)

                          Peninsula ( I did not try it out, but my friend finished it in one go!)

DAMAGES - Rs 1700/- (Approx), We were Two.

WHERE - British Brewing Company - BBC, 3rd Floor, Oberoi Mall, Film City Road, Goregaon East, MUMBAI

WATERS PUB & GRILL, MUMBAI

It is quite a task searching for even a slightly happening place in this part of the city i.e. Thane, and it has become pretty crucial for me as I spend more time here than anywhere else and its convenient to travel directly after office hours. As it is after office hours, you feel dead tired and if you have to go out and about, the thought itself is dreadful because it involves traveling by trains and who wants to ruin a good outfit by doing that. Hence, as a rule I avoid pubic transport on holidays and Sundays but there is no option if its after office, but fortunately for me, it was a car day. The joys of having a friend with a car in a city like Mumbai is truly a blessing.

The occasion was a colleague cum friend's birthday and since this particular friend likes happening places more as such, it was quite a task. After shortlisting 3 places, this is one she settled down for and we were va-va-voom to go! 

Since it was not a weekend, the place was didn't have much of a crowd, but that didn't get us down anyway, because the music just gets you going, so I can imagine what it must be like on the weekends, and we did indeed ask, and we go to know there is mot much of seating arrangements on the weekends as everybody is on either on the dance floor or near the bar. Today there were a few other groups enjoying their dinner. 

The place I hear is probably the only decent pub in this part of the city and the first one if I am not wrong. This place is located in Mulund, and having a car to our aid, I did not mind at all. The place is all grey, yet it creates the right ambiance and does not actually make your mood grey in any which way which I expected so. I was particularly in love with the way they had done u their ceilings, using these white rods (I have no frickin clue what they are called) and the little light bulbs and it makes a good background for photos (Yes! you can capture them in the back ground for the many photo sessions you will have, as it does, when there a gang of girls! ). Infact even, the server was kind enough to get a group shot of ours with ensuring that the background as well looked good and added to our photo. There a re very few who do so, mostly it seems like a bother to ask them, so I was mighty impressed.

We wanted to use the high bar stools in the middle rater than the corner normal sofa-type seats, but because the table would prove to be small and it is idle when you are there to enjoy your drinks more than the food, and for atleast the night, we had decided to avoid drinks. I know most would go, what is the point of going to a pub then, but for at least me, the teetotaler, I can say that I can say that you don't need a drink in hand to get the rhythm flowing. 

We started off with starters and some mock tails, and as again, we had a vegetarian and a Jain one amongst us, so it was once again quite a task, I love those days when I can order what ever the hell I want, but this was not that day. :P The poor server had a hard time as well customizing our order and was really confused but he did the best he could and the food at the end of the day was totally worth it. So we had ordered cheesy Paneer Kabab and Spicy chicken Sliders ( I have developed a thing for sliders, I guess :D). For mock tails we ordered, a senorita, which was spicy and tangy at the same time. then a red ruby which was tangy and berrylicious like moi ( Finally a drink named after me), thought the one I ordered was a pink lemonade ( I think! :P) , but what ever it was, was gooood and finally the bar tender special which for the night was the mojito with an an apple twist. 

Lets talk about the food now!! The starters - the paneer cheese kabab? I have never had anything like it. The paneer and cheese were grinded and made into kababs, like the seekh kababs we have, and its like more is less. You get the whiff!! :). The spicy chicken sliders was exactly that. Spicy. You know when it comes to sliders or burgers, its all in the pattice I believe and to say I had been bowled over is an understatement. For the main course we had a pizza, wood fired, and cheeeeesseeeyyyliciousss!!! You can see the amount of cheese from the pic, it had so much cheese that with every bite, the cheese kept stretching, you know the way they show in advertisements and the way it is supposed to be! This was also Jain by the way, and next was sizzlers- Paneer in BBQ Sauce. Again, I was floored, on a bed of rice which was buttery and flavorful, I think it was the rice which added favor to the entire dish. I have always said, rice can change the game!! :P and once totally non-jain and non-vegeterian Pasta. Oh-the-joy. But to be honest, even thought the Pasta was great, I think I loved the other items more. Am I soon going to convert into a vegetarian??!! Hell, No! I am not going to let that happen -_-

So be it a weekend, or a week night, whether you want to gulp down some hard drinks or just sit down and have dinner to some lovely feet tapping Bollywood music playing in the background, the place will live up to all your expectations.

WHAT WE HAD - Paneer Cheese Kababs (Yum!)

                           Spicy Chicken Sliders ( Yum! Yum!)

                           Pizza ( Customized, Yum to the Power of 10)

                           Paneer BBQ Sizzler ( Yum! Yum!)

                           Chicken Pasta in Red & White Sauce ( Yum!)

                           Senorita ( Green, Yum)

                           Pink Lemonade ( Berry Lemony, Yum)

                           The Bar Tender Special ( Yum!)

                           Red Ruby ( Berrylicious, Yum)

DAMAGES - 2300 Rs/- Approx (We Were 4 )

WHERE - Waters - Pub & Grill, 36/37 Avior, Opp. Johnson & Johnson, LaL Bhadur Shastri Road, Mulund West, MUMBAI.

KINARA DHABA, MUMBAI

I have visited this place after a really long time. It does not have a fancy set-up or even walls for that matter. Open Space all around is what sets it apart. One of my friends who had come in here for the first time, looked spellbound as well and I completely understand because I feel the same way even after being here 2-3 times before.

This is one place that makes me wish I had fancy camera to show the place off in all its glory, because the pictures that I take from my smart phone does no justice to it in any which way. Since, its a dhaba and evening, even though you can see the magic the place holds, the flashes of the camera are no where able to capture it. Some day! I will have a fancy camera and I will show off the beauty of this place.

There are swings and other play ground stuff for the kids, there is a mini bar, where you can also order fancy drinks or it could be brought to your table which ever you prefer.This place is huge and looks like a garden where people from all walks come and enjoy some good time. I have never unfortunately yet been to the set-ups they have made on roof tops, kind of like a tree-housy only it is not actually on a tree but made with bamboo shoots. This place is where you can enjoy hookah. I believe it has now been shut down though, didn't ask. It has place for couples as well as places to seat 20 at a time. You can see how awestruck I am of this particular place?!

The staff here is super excited to serve you and will make it a point that you don't have to list your hands to serve. You know since, I like, blog or have this not-so-fancy page, I tend to take photos of the food which can be super annoying to my friends and also for the staff because I always tend to either tell them that we will serve ourselves or I tell them to come back in 5 mins, in a very nice manner, mind you. I am super sweet :P Well, since the dishes were not so complicated, and easy to serve, I thought we would do it ourselves and told the guy we will help ourselves. Only as soon as I was done taking the photo and was just about to take the spoon and serve, the guy comes forward and is ready to serve. Now, that is a quality that I find to be missing many a times, even in fancy little places. My last review was about one such. In case you haven't read it yet, go read now! :P

I have been here a few times before and order had up til then been pretty standard. Something that i would order blindly as they had become my fast favorite but since this time around I had vegetarian, that too jain one and then another who only has chicken and no other kind of meat, it was quite a task ordering as I always end up ordering seekh kababs and other meats here rather than chicken. So ended up being quite a task even though they do have ample variety. For starters we ordered, paneer tikka and chicken Chicken Kalimiri Kabab. They had ensured that the Paneer Tikka had what-so-ever Non-jain in it, though I don't know what items are traditionally excluded from it, but I have got to say that it tasted da-yum good. The chicken kalimiri is on the spicier side and I actually thought, these hotel walas only say its spicy but it never actually is. But I was proved wrong here, as I had to gulp down quite a lot of water. That's no reason to not order it though, because spicy it might have been, but then I have always said ki jab tak aankh aur naak se pani na nikle tab taka mazaa kahan (Till your eyes and nose don't water from the spice, its not really spice :P ). We went for normal cold-drinks like 2 bottles of Thums-up rather than ordering some fancy mock-tail, must be a first, but then that gives you an actual dhaba feel. For the main course we ordered, Paneer Handi and Chicken Rara Masala. It had a typical punjabi touch to it, even though the paneer was jain and for one I wouldn't mind being jain if only they ate meat. Because I could give up on a few veggies, I can-not give up meat by any means. :D Both the dishes go perfectly with butter naan and naan you should order rather than Tandoori roti. Because their naan can be had all on its own over here as well, I believe.

All, this while all sorts of 90s and some catch current Bollywood favorites playing in the back ground is enough to make an evening rangeen!! They have singers in shifts or something I believe, because I had really liked the singer last time around as compared to the day's. Oh, you can also give requests and they will be sure to dedicate it to anyone you wish.

Oh while, I am still here, you should give a try to their boondi raita and mutton seekh Kabab masala, if you like red meat. That was part of my staple order previously. Also, at the entrance you will find, rabdi-jalebi, give that a shot too. It is one of the best I have had. Also, the meetha pan. And if like me, you want to fore-go the leafy part, just ask for the paan masala, they have that ready to serve as well. They also have several other small shops, so if you are here with the kids, you will find them pointing to lots of stuff in different directions. Come prepared! :D

WHAT WE HAD - Paneer Tikka ( Super wala Yum)

                         Chicken Kalimiri Kabab ( Spicy, have lots of water handy)

                         Paneer Handi - Jain ( Jain or Not, we loved it)

                         Chicken Rara Masala ( Yum)

                         Butter Naan (Soft and it can be had on its own, that good0

                         Cold Drinks

DAMAGES - Rs 1500/- (Approx) (We were 3)

WHERE - Kinara Dhaba, Mumbai Ahemdabad Highway, Ghodbandar Junction, Vasai, Mumbai

BORA BORA, MUMBAI

1 down on my list of restaurants to visit and I am glad for that. Some times I really think my wish list will never be fulfilled, because living in Bombay alone, my list increases every week and it makes me wonder, there are just way too many places and how every nook and corner has something stored. Magical it

is to me. 

This place was again not the place I originally intended to visit, as it was a birthday treat from a friend who is more like a younger sister. But since that place was temporarily closed down and Bora Bora happened to be nearby and also was on my list, I was more than happy to head here rather since this place was recommended to me by one of my teachers. Its quite something when teachers recognize your passion and share it too. So, finally here, I did a little joy of somersault in my heart. Whoopppyyy!!!. and even though it was mid afternoon, this place was very lively, where most such other places come to life more after the sun sets.

This place is one of the ventures of china gate. I should seriously consider having a membership card for China Gate restaurants, I land up there more often than any other place. (Is China Gate listening?). Okay, coming back, this place is AWESOME. and you might get lost on your way. I did. Twice. Inside the restaurant. Finding my way back to my table. Probably since they have other restaurants of their joint to these. But this place alone has 3 different floors. Its dark in here, even in daylight so that sort of sets the mood for the place and has quite a catchy playlist playing. I guess it is another specialty of China Gate ( If you have read my Red Box review, you should know Red Box is also under China Gate and I have spoken quite at length of their music choices over there too). The place also has different types of seating available (see Pictures). I loved the bar-stools with the small round table concept more. Probably, because I have a thing for it. What I mean to say is I LOOOUVE this place. ^-^ I am becoming a little biased towards China Gate now.

We started off with ordering a small Shawarma plate and Classic Cheese Fondue. Both were Fantastic. Couldn't get enough of the cheese. In the Shawarma Platter, first let me say I was delighted by the presentation. But instead of using Tahina, which is a variant of mayonnaise , they had used Hummus and since I love hummus, I did not mind at all. But this is just to let you know as I have found many a times that people who have not grown up in the middle east, they tend to not like it all that much. But to me it is A-okay. and as it is we had quite a lot of cheese, so it made a good variety. For the main course, we had each individually ordered different meals. My sis went for Char grilled Chicken, I went for a traditional Malaysian cuisine which Wikipedia tells me is the National dish of the Country - Nasi Lemak. It consists of rice made in coconut milk, a coconut based Chicken Gravy, some fried peanuts, a side salad, half a boiled egg, onion pickle (I personally loved this the most and want to have it with every meal probably - I love pickles, if you didn't know and cuttlefish. The only thing, I didn't like in the entire meal was the cuttlefish. I do like fish, but this did not sit well with me. My other friend also went for a Malaysian variety, a type of noodles with crab meat, i I unfortunately don't remember the name. Its quite difficult to memorize Malaysian names. I didn't try much of it, because I had to much on my plate already, but it was good and my friend was not at all disappointed. So thumbs up again. For drinks we had ordered mock tails, and the same one at that.

You could head here anytime, and since they have a variety of cuisines available - you will almost always find something to your liking. :)

WHAT WE HAD - Shawarma Platter

                           Classic Cheese Fondue

                           Nasi - Lemak 

                           Chargrilled Chicken

                           Malaysain Noodles with Crab Meat

                           3 Mocktails

DAMAGES - Rs 2777/- Approx ( We were three)

WHERE - Bora Bora, 155, 1st Floor, Caravan Serai Building, Waterfield Road, Bandra Talao, Bandra (West), Mumbai.