Wok Express, Mumbai

WOK EXPRESS, BKC

This was a chance taken by me fueled by my sister's good review and for the fact that every other food blogger seems to be advertising it, but some times, just some times, you need to go with your gut feeling and not listen to food bloggers, me included! (Though, I am yet to be a real blogger, whatever that means!). We all have different preferences and some times what I say or some one else says might not be right for. It is kind of like life we live and the choices we make in them! To each his own. Getting philosophical here, aren't we??!!

Well, since the place seemed to be everywhere I looked, I finally decided to give it a shot. Pan Asian Cuisine is the new thing that everyone seems to be doing. Their new outlet opened in BKC, very close to home and convenient too. Hence, one fine evening, me, my darling sister and my dearest friend stepped in here to satiate our taste buds and fill our stomachs. It is more or less designed as a fast food chain. So nothing fancy in decor or otherwise, the basics, but clean and neat place. So that's good enough for the category it falls in.

Their service is quick, their order placement is on the lines of a subway - choose your protein, choose your veggies and the sauces, all laid in front of you and put in a box and handed over to the kitchen to shake it up (cook it as well). Kinda neat that way. Swift and smooth. It is either picked up from the counter or some times they even go beyond the call of duty and actually serve you at your table. Sweet that way.

The food is where I how ever was not completely impressed. As I have said there are many Asian cuisine restaurants setting shop, so you have many to compare with and some times at a lower price range as well. We had ordered a bao - chili basil chicken and I am going to outright say that I was not a big fan. It was loaded with spices and not the one that makes your tongue burn, just too much masala which is very different from the ones I have tried before. From the Woks, I had the Prawns with Teriyaki Sauce, and my friends had Hot Crispy Garlic and Khow Sey. In order of preference, Khow Sey wins. Khow Sey is the dish that would pull me to this place the next time. The balance of the flavors was great. Also, maybe that it is not generally seen on other pan asian wok restaurants. However, the strange thing was that it was little on the spicier side, and this time I mean the hot chili types spicy. You will not feel it while having, but it hits you after you have swallowed a spoon. I didn't mind it being a little on the spicier side. However, I am unaware if Khow Sey is supposed to be on the spicy side. The Teriyaki was fine, it wasn't the best I have had, and the tanginess that I at least associate with teriyaki was missing. The Hot crispy garlic was way too spicy for my taste buds but my friend said it was fine, but then this your regular hot-sweet-spicy garlic, so if you are a fan, Go Ahead! We had also ordered two drinks - Peach Iced Tea & Minty Mojito which are both bubble teas. This is where they actually win my heart. I think I am a little obsessed with bubble teas at the moment, so maybe that could be it but these are freshly brewed and packaged and served. You could take it as a "TO GO" which you can't in many places and priced at just Rs 90/- they are something I would definitely think of picking up. 

Also, they give you complimentary fortune cookies! I think you would want to try this place out even for those if like me, these little perks attract you. It's an add on to the experience after all. Their fortune cookies taste amazing though don't say anything on your fortune.

WHAT WE HAD - Chili Basil Chicken Bao (Not my Cup of Tea)

                           Burmese Khow Sey (Yumminess)

                           Teriyaki Wok (Yum)

                           Hot Crispy Garlic Wok (Average)

                           Minty Mojito (Yum!)

                           Peach Iced Tea (Bubble Tea - Yum!)

DAMAGES - Rs 1100/- Approx

WHERE -  Wok Express, Ground Floor, Shop 1, Urban Plaza, Plot C-5, GN Block, BKC, MUMBAI

KRISPY KREME, MUMBAI

I was unaware for a long time that Krispy Kreme had arrived in India. Quite the sin on my side. But when I did. There was no stopping especially when I found out that they actually have my favorite donut in the whole wide world - The Custard Filled Donut. One of the things I can never have enough of and one of the major reasons why I was a really fat kid. I can never in a billion years forget how it tastes and the effect it has on me every time. 

Unfortunately my sister made it there before me even though it was me who wanted to pay visit to the place and had kept asking her if she wanted to come along as it is one of those rare things that we both understand and love. You do not get the donut taste in India. Not Yet. Not till Krispy Kreme. But I chose to forgive her because she brought me one too and that too Custard Filling. I savored it would be an understatement. The smell, the smell of a freshly baked donut was there. So it had a chance, a real chance that maybe, just maybe, this was it. Then came the first bite. If this isn't foodgasm I don't what is. I was taken back into time, the many times that I have savored this, devouring each bite, never wanting to the taste to leave. But, there has to be a but, always. I always find a but, but then that is why I am here, the filling was a little too less I believe. The filling had the exact same taste but it was hardly there. I might have finished half the donut before the filling could be seen. That is not how it should be. It should come oozing right after the first bite. The fact that Krispy Kreme got stingy with the filling just does not sit well and is hard to believe.

Since then I have picked up donuts from here many a times but never really sat down at the place and so I chose to one day, just to take in the real-feel of the place. One thing I have got to say is that the aroma is all around the place. You step foot in the lane where Dominos, Theobroma, Hagen Daaz and the likes are located, the one that is the most distinct is the one from Krispy Kreme, pulling you towards it and you are helpless and like many a times it happens with me, lets just pick up 1 piece. The place is designed in between a fast-food chain and a cafe. Though mostly you will find people picking up boxes rather than sitting down, hence, you will find plenty of place to be seated and no body in a hurry to get you out, which is a delight because in most fast food chains, you hardly get half hour to sit and eat. 

We had ordered for my favorite Custard Filling Donut, the chocolate glazed and along with it the Espresso Oreo Shake Delight & Kremey Chiller (Red Berry). I have got to say that anything that has oreo in it can not fail, but here, it was even better. I have mentioned this umpteen times but I am still going to do it again, it transported me back to my obese teen years at home and though I do not want to go back to being that again, I don't regret a single thing I ever ate. I still eat all of it. I have always said I just can-not go on a diet, never, ever. But I guess I over-ate then, something that I have changed now. I did not really have Kremey Chiller but my friend finished the entire thing by himself and did not even ask if I wanted to take a sip, so from that I am guessing it might have been GOOD! I am going to make it a point to try the other flavors too on my next visit. I am a food connoisseur, if these is such a thing. :P But there are certain things that I stick to and they have become weakness, Praline n Cream from Baskin Ribbons, I will regret the minute I step out if I have had anything but that. Same is for Roasted Almonds from Naturals and yes custard filled donuts. I like other stuff, but these are tried and tested and I have a strong connection with them. :P But, I will be trying the rest that they have to offer, though I have got to say that the variety they have is a little on the lesser side when I compare it to other well renowned donut places where I actually some times get confused if I should order something else. But, custard wins hands down every time.

So, if you have been kind of enough to read all that I have been writing since the start of this page, you might know of my obsession with donuts and how in all my time in Mumbai, I have not found that flavor, and if you know what the craze was all about, Head to your nearest Krispy Kreme Outlet! There are a quite a few. 

WHAT WE HAD - Chocolate Glazed Donut (Ahh! Bliss!)

                         Chocolate Glazed with Custard Filling ( There is nothing quite like this in the world Yet!)

                           Oreo Shake Delight (Filling & Yum!)

                           Kremey Chiller ( Yum! and Filling)

DAMAGES - Rs 800/- (Approx)

WHERE - Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, G3, City Park Building, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai

BURGER KING, MUMBAI

So we have 1 more International Fast food chain that has arrived in India - Burger King and like always I had been keeping a tab as to when would it open up in good old Mumbai and counting days to the opening even, though I never actually go on the day it actually opens up due to one commitment or the other but I do make it a point to visit as soon as I possibly can. I love fast-food as unhealthy as it is, I have grown up on it and was the primary reason why I was an extremely over weight teen. I have learnt to balance it out but my love for it remains. Bad habits die hard. :) So my joy had no limits when I received news from a friend that Burger King is opening up in India. Names like these remind me of home and there are quite a few others that I am waiting with bated breath for. But for now, I will celebrate with Burger King and yes, I will be doing a comparison with Mc Donalds and also with the place that I have grown up in.

I visited the second outlet that they opened up just yesterday in Andheri, Infinity Mall. I expected to get no seat at all and a waiting outside the mall. Well, Thank God there was no such line as waiting is really not my thing especially on a hungry stomach. Have you seen the Snickers Ad for Hunger? I am that Drama Queen. I am anyways a drama queen and so when I am hungry you do not want to mess with me. :P Though the place was entirely full and not an empty seat could be seen for more than 2 minutes. The moment somebody got up, the seat was taken. Fortunately, some one was leaving just as I was arriving and I just rushed before somebody else got there first.

Their outlet is pretty small, and hopefully the next one will be bigger as most other Int'l fast food chain including MC Donalds, KFC and Dunkin Donuts have ample seating which is always a bonus point if you are looking for a good foot fall, because more than take-aways, I at least prefer dining in. The place is done up like most fast food chains, so the interiors arn't exceptional or something but they are attractive. It has my stamp of Approval with one side having sofa seats ( reminded me of Dairy Queen, if you are aware and happen to belong from the middle east) and the other has normal chairs and tables. I guess, for lack of space. The place is done up in red and white mostly with wooden interiors here and there, and I have a thing for the color red. They say, my mom was extremely fond of it in her younger days and once upon a time I thought it to be a color that was hurtful to the eyes, but it has grown on me and how, that I love everything in red now. I guess, like mother like daughter. Okay, back on track. I seem to drift off a lot. Bad Habit. :D

We scrutinized the menu for at least a full 10-15 minutes not because we couldn't understand what to order but rather because we couldn't decided what not to order. Probably because you finally have another option than Mc D, but I wanted to have a hand at everything. After much discussion, we went for Chicken Tandoori Grill, The Mutton Whopper (Because what is Burger King without the Whopper), Chicken Chili Cheezos and the orange and the raspberry blues. Can I just tell you I am going back again? I don't know if it is because of having a change from Mc D or the taste being actually good, but 1 day later and I am already craving some more. The only downer was the size of the chicken tandoori grill, I expected it to be a little bigger in size where as it was not really medium sized even. But when it comes to flavor, you can-not go wrong with Chicken Tandoori, if nothing, the crowds would be making a bee-line for this one and on that I should also say that, now that is what marketing is all about. I have always complained about Indianizing these fast food meals and how I wish they had stuck to the original, but they proved me wrong. It is about selecting the right product and that is what they have done. Chicken Tandoori will go well with anything, you can wake me up at the middle of the night from my deep slumber and I would happily have it. ( The second most loved thing by me is my sleep, you do not wake me up when I am sleeping) So they have won me over and though I want to complain for the size I can't because I will be having more of these no matter what the price. But it is still a recommendation. The mutton whopper is not such a bad replacement for the original whopper and that too in beef. Though, I was slightly hoping they would serve beef because what is a burger if it does not have beef, but I understand. Its like me having beef bacon because I can't have the original one. So I am going to have a second round of this as well. The chicken chili cheese cheezos are basically chicken nuggets with cheese but very frankly I liked them much more than the nuggets served at MC D. I somewhere, they have been able to retrieve some of the originality of the actual Int'l fast food chain and for that I say kudos! Thank you for not disappointing me. The raspberry blues reminded me of my childhood days, drinking all that ice. We also tried the 180 degrees from the dessert section which is basically blizzard of Dairy Queen fame, at least I call it a blizzard. Again, if you are familiar with the blizzard you will know what I am talking about, it is basically ice cream and brownies( because I opted for brownies), mixed up and made into heaven. :P and the USP of this is that when you turn it 180 degree, it does not FALL!! whatever happened to gravity and I am as amazed by this as I was as a little kid and they will show off by showing this little shin dig and I will always look up with eyes open. *MAGIC* *eeeeeeeeeee.....* :D :D

I guess when it comes to pricing, MC Donalds is on the cheaper end, so it is to see if they will be able to capture that segment but when it comes to taste and quality - I would have to say - "why eat with the joker, when you can dine with the king???!!" 

Well, after reading all this, you are still waiting?? Go and enjoy and ask for the free King Hat like I did, which as soon as I arrived home was taken away not by my niece and nephew but by my younger sister. So very grown up we are!!! :P

WHAT WE HAD - Chicken Tandoori Gril (Going back for more)

                         Mutton Whopper (Going back for more)

                         Chicken Chili Cheezos ( Definitely Going back for more)

                         Mango Orange slush ( I forgot the name, but going back for more)

                         Raspberry blues ( Going back for more)

                         180 degrees- brownies ( Def going back for more)

DAMAGES - Rs 700/- Approx ( Please note that we hadn't ordered the meals but rather individual burgers which could also be another reason why the billing was a little on the higher end)

WHERE - Burger King.

SBARRO, MUMBAI

There is not much of a background story to the place except for tired from a shopping spree and stomach's growling with the hunger and the food courts having no place to stand, forget sit, this place looked inviting enough from its on-display menu and mostly because anything would work for us at this point. That's how hungry we were. I have been here just once before, when they had first started up. But I guess since this time I was also going to be writing up about it, I guess I was paying attention.

The place falls somewhere between a fast-food chain and the semi-classic dining according to me. I say so because, even though they serve the food in plastic containers like most fast-food chains, the quality of their food is a notch higher. In fact I would say its much higher on the scale. I know I constantly compare pizzas served to the likes of Pizza Hut, Dominoes, but I guess that's more or less because that's where my addiction for eating out began. 

Since, its a fast-food chain type restaurants are also designed in a similar fashion. I liked the colorful orange-green chairs. I However, didn't really like the lack of privacy where even a 4 table has to be shared with somebody else if the place is crowded and no seats are otherwise available. But I guess that's how the fast-food chain networks run. So I can't really complain about it but it would never the less be appreciated if this was taken care of.

Well, by default, I should tell you about the food, because that is the primary criteria. I should tell you, be prepared to be amazed. Because the pizzas are well, heavenly is to say the least. The pizzas are more New York Style with bi sliced offered as combo meals. So what we ordered was a Pasta+Pizza Meal and a Pizza meal. The dough let me tell you was the highlight because the right pizza? will have the lightest and softest of dough's which is very hard to find. And even the crust had its own flavor so you don't feel like you are eating a plain bread. The Pasta is made right in front of you so its piping hot, and they get the sauces just right. The balance of flavors is what impressed me here. That at the end of it all, you don't feel overwhelmed and you don't feel you have had too much but sets just about right. The highlight is their stuffed pizza which we had obviously ordered and it truly is heavenly. I have had a stuffed pizza for the first time so maybe I am a little but biased towards it but I would like to tell you that you should absolutely try it. Again I would mention balance of the cheese, chicken and pepperoni chicken is impressive. They have desserts included in their combo meals and we had gotten a brownie and a chocolate mousse. I am not a big fan of chocolate and a little bit of it is generally more than enough for me. But, I wiped clean the mousse here. Because it didn't feel overly sweetened but had just the right amount of sweetness to it that I like and hence one of those rare times when I was actually left wanting more.

Well, all-in-all hop in here next time you feel like having some better tasting as well as what real pizzas should be like. 

WHAT WE HAD - Chicken Delight Pizza ( Yum's the Word)

                         Pasta (Arabiatta Sauce) ( Yumminess)

                         Chicken Stuffed Pizza ( More is Less)

                         Chocolate Mousse (More is Less)

                         Chocolate Brownie ( Yum's the word)

                         Mirinda (Tastes like Mirinda :P)

                         Pepsi (I love Bebsi!)

DAMAGES - Rs 700 (Approx, we were 2)

WHERE - Sbarro - Maharashtra, next to Food Court, R-City Mall, Ghatkopar, Mumbai