YOKO SIZZLERS, MUMBAI

This place is no particular find of mine as it is very well known for its range of sizzlers and has its chain restaurants all over. But the interesting thing is that the very first time I had had a real sizzler was in YOKO's and for that it shall always hold a special place in my heart. Even though I have grown up in the middle east, my parents are more the revisit the same restaurants till the day that restaurant probably shuts down than discovering places. So even though I had had sizzlers, it was by ordering in. Imagine, ordering a sizzler at your home. Its just not the same and for that very reason I never thought much of them till finally one day, I had had it here. Imagine! The very first time it was served at my table, I was like a kid who had been given a foreign and exquisite looking candy. Where were you all this time??!! 

Even though now they have become common place and are available in every part of the town and in almost ever other restaurant, its how when you say Chocolate you think Cadbury. Similarly, when you say sizzlers, can Yoko's be far behind??!! Though I am more frequent at the Bandra Outlet, this was the first time, I went to the Thane outlet in Viviana. One thing that I liked about Yoko's here or rather the way the Mall has set-up the restaurants outside the ring of the Mall ( I am not an architect, so I have no idea, how to define it :P). 

The insides are very spacious and it is divided into two parts, where one part gives more privacy to the customers and I would have personally liked this part more but since it was a weekend and was already occupied, I was forced to settle in the other part which has a more open feel to it. It is like one long seating arrangement with tables situated every few feet. I am very bad at describing interiors, I realize that so kindly over look the hazardous words I use in description. I actually don't prefer this type of seating arrangement as somewhere it robs you of your privacy or so I have always felt. The human mind indeed is weird and boggling. The place is a a fine dine and does a good job of being one with everything prim and proper and the kind of place where you dine and make conversation. Probably why it attracts families and people who like to enjoy their meals in peace and solitude more. That does not mean its boring. Its just a place where conversations flow.

Since we were two and trust me when I say that two sizzlers is a li'l bit too much to be shared between two, we decided to try just one sizzler and a little bit of something else. We started off with the Cheese Onion Soup. I had never heard of this combination before, which is why I was hesitant to give it a try but curious as well. Curiosity is almost always the winner and so was it this time round as well and it indeed was a good decision because I simply loved this unusual combination, The soup had a strong flavor of onion it and the there was melted cheese floating on top and when the mixture reaches the your mouth, your taste will go into hyperactive more. We also ordered extra croutons because the soup does not have any veggies or proteins like chicken to it, so we decided to order carbohydrate in the form of bread croutons and even though they told us they don't serve croutons with this particular soup., I would say its a combination to go and they probably should start serving croutons as well. Next we had ordered the diced beef steak and french fries. I had specifically told them to make sure the meat is soft enough and not very chewy as the first time I had it, it was way too chewy and it loses flavor after a while. I like my meat to be well cooked and not under-cooked and they gladly did so and I had no complaints. If you are a beef eater, then you should try this out. In India, finding places that serve beef and that too one that doesn't disappoint in taste, is a rarity. And finally for the Sizzler we ordered the mushroom and melted cheese chicken sizzler.I have a thing for cheese as I have said so repetitively and it is a weakness of mine. Hence, I am all for trying anything and everything with cheese. I also ordered a side of rice with it, because being of Indian Blood, I can't have just veggies and chicken, I need some thing to go with it - rice, noodles or even roti! But kuch toh chahiye boss!:P and I downed everything with a glass of Iced Tea. I should probably be appointed for promotional campaigns of Iced Teas. I have tried so many different flavors of it, some that you would not have even imagined. :P More on that later. 

By the end of it, we were too full and had no room for dessert. Though I wanted to give a shot to the sizzling Brownie too. But alas! a stomach too full and more than that a movie to catch, stopped us from having it. Though its highly recommended. When the flavors of sizzling hot brownie and cold ice - cream mixes, it creates just another sensation and all you can say in "mmmmmm..."

There are so many variants of the sizzler here, that you are bound to find something that suits your taste buds!

WHAT WE HAD - 

Onion Cheese Soup ( Hatke Combination but fatke wala taste)

Beef Steak & Chips ( Not under cooked, not over cooked. the right balance is what makes this dish stand out)

Sizzling Chicken with sauce, mushroom and cheese(Don't burn your tongue and Enjoy, because its all worth it!)

Iced Tea ( My staple diet) :)

DAMAGES - Rs 1300/- Approx (We were Two)

WHERE - Yoko Sizzlers, 1st Floor, Viviana Mall, Eastern Express Highway, Nr. Jupiter Hospital, Majiwada, Thane (W)