Villa Vandra, Mumbai

Villa Vandre, Pali Hill

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

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

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

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

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

What We Had - Chicken Roulade (Yumness Personified)

                         Srilankan Buffalo Chili (Heaven in a pan)

                         Chocolate Mousse (Yum)

                         Gulab Jamun Tart (Heavenly)

                         Blueberry Lemonade (Perfection!)

DAMAGES - Rs 1500/- (Approx)

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

Farzi Cafe, Mumbai

Farzi Cafe, Lower Parel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHAT WE HAD  - Margarita stuffed Kulchas (Yum)

                            Matar Paneer with Dosa (Alright)

                            Tempura Prawns (Delight)  

                            Chicken Changezi Tangdi (Delighted) 

                            Chicken Tikka Masala (AH-MAZING)

                            Mutton Pepper Roast (Show Stopper!)

                            Paneer Makhani (Yum)

                            Bailey's Lollipop (Yumness Personified)

                            Farzi Special Mocktail (Delight)

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

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

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

Genuine Broaster Chicken, Mumbai

Genuine Bro-aster Chicken, Andheri

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHAT WE HAD - Genuine Broaster Chicken (Yummylicious)

                           Lucknowi Seekh (Da-Yum)

                           BBQ Franchoes (Game on Point)

                           Peter Punjab Burger (Yumness)

                           Mutton Rogan Josh Burger (Yumness)

                           Ghotala Khichdi (Game on Point)

                           Iced Tea

                           Chocolate Milkshake (A little more chocolate please)

                           Bulbul Soda (Kuch hatke and damn good)

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

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

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

Urban Tadka, Mumbai

URBAN TADKA, Ghatkopar

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHAT WE HAD - Kalimiri Paneer Tikka (Yumness)

                           Tandoori Chicken Lollipop (YUM!)

                           Butter Garlic Prawns (Stick to Indian Fare)

                           Butter Chicken Kebab ( Yumnessss)

                           Punjabi Tadka Murgh (Blissfully Yum)

                           Delhi wala Butter Chicken (Yum!)

                           Butter Roti ( Dil Garden garden ho gaya)

                           Zeera Rice (Yum!)

                           Iced teas & other assorted mocktails (Refreshing)

DAMAGES - Rs 3500/- (Approx)

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

The Spare Kitchen, Mumbai

THE SPARE KITCHEN, Juhu, Andheri

Even though this place is in my list of places to check out. It was not the place that we had decided upon for the day. But I guess destiny had other plans and wanted me to pay visit to this place. It is like my mother dearest says - "daane daane pe likha hai khane wala ka naam". Seems so true as we were stuck in traffic and took almost 2 hrs to pay visit to the other place which I had spent days searching for - in terms of ambiance, food, service. location, view, so on and so forth. But the place was over crowded with a long waiting list, which would mean another minimum of one hour to be seated, we just decided to give up. It was already 10.30 in the night, our stomachs were growling and by the time we would have been seated, they would probably be in a rush to call it a day and its just not worth it then. Hence, the Spare Kitchen. We called in and they told us a place would be available in 15-20 mins as the place is large in terms of space. I didn't mind as the place was already on my list of places to be.

This place also has a good rating on Zomato. I wonder what people like me would do if not for Zomato! Till I discovered Zomato, I relied heavily on just newspaper columns, where they would give weekend specials but you would never know if it is in your budget or not, or if it has the ambiance so it speaks of etc, or on friends and friends of friends who have tried and tested. The likes of Zomato are a boon! Back to the point. This place is pretty popular and is said to have a good ambiance as well, Here, I would care to disagree. The lighting of the place is not really up to the mark, whether you use dim lights, candle lights, tube lights or any other category of light it does not matter. I believe half your game is won if you have thought of how you want the lighting to be. The lighting here is a little shady as per me. In terms of decor, its hardly pleasing. They need to re-do their walls. The entire place had paint coming off and scrapped which does not really seem appealing. They have a huge place to their benefit, which is a rarity in a place like Mumbai. Hence, I really believe they should work on their decor and at least not have paints coming off, scrapped walls etc. You are not a local restaurant to be excused for it. 

Service? Well, a mixed experience at best. When I had called in to check whether there would be a place available, I was told that yes, in the next 30 minutes and they took down my name and number as well. Well, that felt good. Positive. When I arrived? The manager checked and rechecked his register, and my name was no where on their list. Why would you pretend to note down my name & number when you are not really picking up a pen. Gets you down a little. However, the did make a place available in the next 10 minutes, which was a saving grace. So we were seated. I don't know how it makes for an excuse, because I somewhere still find it unacceptable, due to the place being crowded, the staff was having trouble keeping track and it would be a tough task to ask people to provide you service. But, the waiting staff seemed more overloaded with handling several tables than the kind who just are not bothered. Hence, you are left with a mixed feeling.

The food is the talking point for this place. We ordered for a soup - the Dhingri Cappuccino and for starters - Kolhapuri Thecha Paneer Tikka. The Dhingri Cappucino is supposedly a mushroom based soup but weirdly I didn't really find any sign of mushroom in the soup unless and until it was grind and made a paste of which does not really seem the case. Have you had Ragda Pattice? I am sure almost everyone has. The soup felt to be more inspired from the flavors or Ragda, as I had a very eerie sense that I am having Ragda Soup. All of this doesn't mean, I didn't enjoy it. I pretty much did. However, it didn't feel to be extraordinary. The presentation is where they get full points, served in a bread bowl (I am yet to figure out if one is supposed to have the bread as well. If the answer is yes, then its harder to crack than Kadak Pav served with chai, so kindly tell me how??!!). The Kolhapuri Thecha Paneer Tikka is heavenly and is heavy as well. The softness of the insides of the Paneer and the marination is just perfect. A little on the spicier side, you will definitely need to trickle down some drink to let your tongue cool down. We had ordered for a Nizza next, which is a Pizza but on a naan base. Interesting. You need to select your toppings for this one and we went with sun dried tomatoes, jalapenos,, cheese, bell peppers. The taste is indeed unique, the naan base lends the pizza a very unique flavor. Like some thing coming out of a clay-oven. I don't know if I am right in saying this, but when you say naan, you expect a certain softness, as naan is soft, an melt in your mouth. The naan made for hard base here, quite the opposite of what a naan is supposed to be. So a little part of me felt it to be in some ways similar to wood fired pizzas. We had a fresh lime soda and two peach iced teas for me on the side which was nothing out of the ordinary. To me, my iced tea with a meal is like having tea with breakfast. We were too full at this point which is kind of surprising. I would partly say it was because of the soup, as the soup is pretty heavy on the stomach. Also, since we were hungry for a pretty long time and the you eat, you realize that your stomach fills up faster than usual ( Example: Ramadan, after staying hungry for 12 hours, you think you are going to to have everything possible for If-tar, but you end up eating only half of what your appetite on a normal day is). 

If you do end up here, give a go to their fusion meals, rather than the normal food fare, as then you will find it to be paisa vasool. In terms of rating I would give them somewhere between a 3 to 3.5 out of 5 and all of it is only for the food. 

WHAT WE HAD - The Dhingri Cappuccino (Almost Yum)

                           Kolhapuri Thecha Paneer Tikka (Definitely Yum)

                           Make Your Own Nizza (Yum!)

                           Fresh Lime Soda (Yum)

                           Peach Iced Team (Yum Again!)

DAMAGES - Rs 1400/- (Approx incl of taxes)

WHERE - The Spare Kitchen. Ground Floor, Hotel King's International, Compound 5, Juhu Tara Road, MUMBAI

Barbeque nation, Mumbai

BARBECUE NATION, Belapur

Barbecue Nation. Does it need to be even reviewed? They are a well know and recognized name, a chain of buffet restaurants that have probably revolutionized the concept of buffet. Not that you didn't have buffet before that. But the concept of live barbecue is something that appealed to everyone and this is where I guess their USP lies. After saying all this, I need to tell you that this was actually my first visit to the place. I like Buffet, but in weddings and other such celebratory occasions and I rather prefer going to restaurants that serve a-la-carte giving me an idea of what the restaurants distinct flavors are like. It is generally seen that this point is missed out in the buffet system, where the major concern is to mass-produce where in the flavors get lost at times. However, I had always wanted to pay a visit to this one since not just months but years. This is because my brother is a huge fan and used to rave about this place since almost 5 years back. I was simply a college going student whose pocket money was limited and celebrations meant Mc Donalds and Pizza Hut back in the day and very rarely would we step out to a fancier place. 

The whole idea of heading here was for a dearest friend's birthday and as always is the case, One Jain, One Vegetarian and Two Non Vegetarians, there is a lot of issues in finding the right place where we can all enjoy and not have to compromise on our eating preferences (That would mostly be me!! :P). So brilliant of brilliant ideas, we decided to head to Barbecue Nation, because well- we, or rather I will not have to fore-go my meat and can even eat to our heart's content. There was still a small issue. Barbecue nation does not do Jain. Now what?! Now, here is the thing which gives them brownie points, having called and reserved a day ahead, they had gone to the extent of preparing Jain Food especially for One Person. In other restaurants, this is not as big a deal as they can in comparison customize easily. In a Buffet, this becomes a head-ache because the whole concept is to not serve a-la-carte but benefit from cooking on a large scale. So when someone goes to that much pain, they deserve a round of applause. This had already put them in my good books. 

Now, the most exciting part of this is the live barbecue set in front of you. This is where their USP lies as already mentioned, because most people come here to have their grills as compared to the other dishes served. You will see people taking a min of 1 hr and much beyond that to call off the first course of the meal. Did I mention it was Moh'd Ali Road Special on the Day. Now, if you are from Bombay, you would know and understand why its legendary, if not, it is a place that makes into everyone's must visit list during the month of Ramadan (Except for mine, you need to have a strong heart to come here, that story another day, I will vouch for the food though, just not have it live). So there was kebabs, tikkas and other grill items that was laid down on the barbecue and it didn't stop till well, we realized we need to leave room for the main course and dessert as well. From the Non Veg Menu, there was Prawns, Chicken, and Fish Tikka, then there was tandoori leg pieces of chicken, Fish Fry (American Style) and Seekh Kebabs. My favorite of the lot? Prawns, fish tikka and the Kebabs. You will not always get the same menu, in this place, so its a little difficult for me to say that this is what is good or bad in their menu. Having said that, they are known for their cajun spiced potatoes, Chermoula Prawns and Seekh Kebabs and I can definitely vouch for them now. The only disappointment was the tandoori piece of chicken leg they had served, the meat was not soft, there felt to be no spices in it and salt seemed to be non-existent. Except for this. everything else on the grille was ordered atleast 3-4 times. From the vegetarian selection, I did not try much but I am floored by the Cajun Spiced Potatoes. Their Non-vegetarian selection, other-wise was so good that I didn't even look towards the Vegetarian Selection, not even the Paneer. I need to also give a special mention the the pine-apples which was rubbed with spices and grilled to perfection, as this might have been ordered for a minimum of 7-8 times. I however, did not have them but it was a favorite on the table and that too was especially prepared in the Jain section. We didn't have everything full fledged from the main-course but rather were just trying everything out. The shorba/soup was a miss in both and veg and non-veg. The rest of the items were in general good, but like I mentioned, most people head here for the Starters and the Dessert section. Speaking of the desserts, its a heaven for anyone born with a sweet tooth the size of an elephant's. They had Gulab Jamun, Ice- Creams, Kulfis, Cheese cakes (Yes, I had more of those. Don't give me that look! :P), then vanilla cakes, phirni, malpua with rabri, sheer kurma and some more. The only miss I would give is to the sheer-kurma, I am very particular about sheer-kurma, because sheer-kurma is well, food for the soul which is cooked with love by my mother dearest. So you either make it right or you don't and there is no in between. 

Another concept which is very popular here is the birthday cakes they provide free of cost, if there is a birthday in the group. I had thought, kaun karta hoga before, but now I realize that 50% of the people on the day do indeed celebrate loved one' birthdays here, where they bring in a cake and embarrass you by playing Happy Birthday on Loud. I had to ask my friends 4-5 times, if they were playing it for our table or some one else's as that is how many birthdays were there on the day! I guess, heading here on the weekend to celebrate birthdays is not just our idea but every one's! :P

Barbecue Nation because Live Grille, Barbecue Nation because Food Unlimited, Barbecue Nation because there is something for everyone, Barbecue Nation because they go to the extent of customization for your preference though no body tells them to do so. Barbecue Nation because its BARBECUE NATION!! 

DAMAGES - Rs 3800/- Approx ( For 4 - 2 Veg, 2 Non Veg)

WHERE -  Barbeque Nation, G-006, Sharda Terraces, Plot 65, Sector 11, CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai

Kyani & Co, Mumbai

KYANI & CO., Fort

Where was this place when I lived just 15 minutes walking from the restaurant?!! Well, the restaurant was right there, has been right there since time immemorial. No, seriously, it has been there for 100 years or more I believe. So the real question is, where was I??? Sleeping apparently. The foodie in me was very restricted and didn't really know where to go, so my options were limited, access to internet has changed that. So Thank you Internet and Google. So now that I finally made it here, all I can say is why did it take me so many years to find this place? Especially since the place is nothing short of a legend and a legacy. Are the two the same thing? I will have to google. 

The place is located in between CST and Crawford Market, and is easy to find because who hasn't heard of Kyani and Co. Except for me, obviously. The minute you step in, you will be a transported to a different era. you can literally feel the pre-independence vibes in the place. Pre-independence does not mean the patriotism or the "Go-back Simon" phase. It reeks of nostalgia, like visiting your grandparents in the summer and hearing them tell you stories of the their younger days. I am sure my nana-ji must have been here on several occasions himself. He has traveled the world from GCC to Japan to many other places. The place also has a no-nonsense vibe where in you won't find waiters going out of their way to create comfort, this is there on the menu, this is not- you like it, you order, you don't, move on. You will also literally see some of the cooks in their dhotis on a break which was such a LOL to me, where else can you see that??! 

We started off by ordering Chicken Farcha Meal which included Chicken Farcha + Chicken Sausage + French Fries + Baked Beans. Everything on the plate was good except for the Chicken Farcha. I know it is an authentic Parsi dish, but I just couldn't eat it. Infact I didn't, the flavor just didn't sit with me. Neither did it, with my friend. We didn't end up eating it infact. I don't know if it was just here, or I don't have the stomach for the cuisine. I am guessing though, it is just for the chicken Farcha. Next time, I would do a proper research on the cuisine and then give it a try. Besides this we had ordered Kheema Bhurjee and 1 of this needs 8 pieces of Pav to finish it. The Kheema was good, really good and completely worth it for just 60 bucks! Its beyond paisa vasool. Well, this place is known for its bun-maska and chai, and hence, I had to have it. I was actually wondering how Good can bun-maska be? I mean its bun and maska. How very wrong I was. The minute I had the first bite, I knew that no matter how many times I would have had this particular Bun-Maska, there will not come a day when I would be bored of it, I don't know how and what they do with it, but it is worth dying for! Yes, very much so. Have you seen the Five Star - Kho jao Ad? Their Bun- Maska can replace the Five Star in the Ad. Dipped in their Chai, it takes it another level altogether. I also had their Bread Pudding, which again is something I have been craving ever since. I mean it is the not just the cheapest pudding I have had (15 Rs!!!) but also the best. No seriously, it makes me question how do they even afford it. If they had made me may 100 rs for it, I would still have gladly done so, and in this price I can have 6 pieces of it. Its like reverse-rip off, as in we are ripping them off!! :P

Most of you must have already paid a visit to this place and may even be a regular here, even if it is to pick something along the way. This is one of those places that you should bring your friends along on when they are here to sight-see and explore Bombay. In short - SHOULD NOT BE MISSED! 

WHAT WE HAD - Chicken Farcha Meal ( Excellent without the Farcha!)

                           Kheema Bhurjee (Yum!)

                           Bun Maska with Chai (Where have you been all my life?!!)

                           Bread Pudding (Yumminess)

                           Chocolate Milkshake (Yum!)

DAMAGES - Rs 250/- Approx

WHERE - JSS Road, Jer Mahal Estate, Opp. Metro Cinema, Marine Lines, Mumbai

Koyla, Mumbai

KOYLA 

Look who is back??!!! After a really long and uncalled for hiatus, I is finally back in action, or rather back to eating, not that I was not eating before, but it was mostly restricted to eating at home, and though I have no complaints regarding it, because Ramadan is a blessed month in more ways than one. All the fasting seems so worth it when you finally sit down for Iftar, even though that is not the objective behind the fasting, it is an added advantage. So now that the festivities and all the family gatherings have been put aside, I have once my resumed my passion for trying out what is good out there. 

I had originally wanted to go to this place, or any place because of the sheeshe factor, now that the the ban his been lifted on it, how can you not??!! But alas, even though we did end up visiting the place, we had no Hukkah, don't ask me why. The table had been pre-booked and unfortunately sheesha is served in closed quarters, and not at the roof-top where we were seated. So we had to with a very long face let go of our desire for the night. But in all else, it was a wonderful-wonderful night. Having friends has that effect, I believe, In fact having friends and ambiance is mostly the saving grace for this place.

The place though located on a roof-top you have to cross many a barriers to get there, including its kitchen, one point that should be given to them is that the kitchen does not look unhygienic, since you pass through it, everything is in view and the many horrors that generally are said about kitchen of most restaurants, does not fall true for this place at least, not the cleanest, but you know that they have taken care that you are not going to fall sick the next day, not that I generally do, but never the less, you get the idea. However, taking the small elevator and the many steps and everything, is not exactly welcoming either, if there was an elevator that opened directly to the place, would have been nicer, but that has not stopped people from visiting here before.

The ambiance, is where the USP of this place actually lies. The exclusive open curtained seatings, reminds you of dining at the shores of sandy beaches and for effect, they actually have sand on your feet, I realized this when I took my shoes off and was wondering where did the sand come from on my feet, but no complaints as it actually shows the efforts they have gone into to give some authenticity to the place.

Lets talk about the service, nothing to write home about, very honestly but I would give their staff points for compelling you to try a dish which you probably didn't have in mind. I somewhere felt it to be a strategy to increase sales. Why I say this is because, the dishes that we were originally ordering, was of comparatively lower range (as if, there is anything cheap in places like these. :P), but our server was intent on getting us to order, the dishes as he recommended which obviously were marked higher on the pricing scale. If it happened with one, I would take that to be a special, as the server said so, but all? A little difficult to digest, but never the less we actually ordered what he recommended, so I would say that it is a good strategy. Other than this, the service is not even at par because except for taking your orders, the staff is not interested in anything else, and you would hardly get a smile your way and will not customize your order looking into eating preference to a degree of 1%, so that was something that irked me, but not enough to not enjoy the place as such. As I have mentioned, the USP of this places lies in its ambiance, and the sheesha parlour, The price you pay for a decent place, in this city! :P

Coming to the food, which is what this is all about, we began with 4 mock-tails, this place does not serve alcohol ( but serves sheesha! quite the irony, but then go to the gulf and you will see sheesha places at every nook and corner, people smoking broad day light, with kids even running around but alcohol is served but restricted.) We started off with Nawabi Paneer Tikka and Nawabi Chicken Kabab. The Paneer Tikka is Paneer Tikka, so it has to be good. The Nawabi Chicken however, with a stuffing of Capsicum, peppers, onion etc is something I wish I could make at home (I am sure my mom, the super cook can! :P). I love things made in Tandoor, on coals, I believe it adds extra flavour to any food. Even to Gravies, you have got to try my mom's home made Chicken Angaare, to believe it, or even the Butter Chicken for that matter. Since this place is specialized in ethnic cuisine, it fares well. For the main course we ordered, Paneer LazeeZ and Murg Chatpata or the other-way round, I don't quite remember. The one thing that I do appreciate is that the gravies varied in flavor and taste. One thing that is a disappointment in most restros is that the flavor is exactly the same whether you order a kadhai, masala, tikka masala, angaare, lazeer, chatpata or any other fancy name you can come up with. Again, I would mention that even though the food was good here, for the price you pay, you can probably visit Gulshan Dhaba in Bhandup, but then like I said, you pay here for the name that it carries, for the food and mostly for the ambiance. In the end, you will not feel disappointed. My friends however complained that the photos don't come out great here due to the lighting, I on that front have to say, that the lighting is perfect, it is just a place where low-lighting plays a huge role. In the bread that we ordered to go with the gravies, the roomali roti was the best. I have a soft corner for roomali roti, and nothing can quite beat it. The Cheese Kulcha they served comes a close second, and if you have just one cheese kulcha, it is equivalent to your meal, if your appetite matches mine in anyway.

You don't need a reason to be here, but to be here. This place already holds a name, and even though you might fixed reviews about the place, this place is still a must visit, for its ambiance. After all, sitting at a roof-top restaurant in the midst of Colaba with a view of the sea on a non-rainy day, is quite something. 

PS - Special mention for the candle lit in the tomato ( I didn't know you could do that!). Also for their mint-curd chutney, which is very difficult to find and is so common in Pakistani restaurants in Bahrain.

PPS - When? When will that day come when I have room for dessert, I stuff myself so much that even though I always make plans to order dessert, but 80% of the time have to drop the idea. :(

WHAT WE HAD - Nawabi Paneer Tikka (Yum!)

                           Nawabi Chicken Kabab ( Yum x10)

                           Paneer Lazeez (Yum! Yum!)

                           Murg Chatpata (I want more!)

                           Cheese Kulcha (Have only if you are a cheese-lover!)

                           Roomali Roti (My all time favorite)

                           Butter Naan (Soft! and yum!)

                           Passion Fruit Mojito (strictly Okay)

                           Bailey's Shake (Milky & Creamy)

                           Orange & Raspberry Ice Bomb (Good enough)

                           Koyla Thunder (Avoid!)

DAMAGES - Rs 3000/- Approx

WHERE - Gulf Hotel, HNA Azmi Marg, Colaba, Mumbai