Mumbai Spices, Adliya, Bahrain

When I had put up my last post on Mumbai Spices with some criticism, I hadn't expected the chef himself to get in touch with me to see if he can change my mind about it. It's quite a privilege (for me)and it speaks wonders of the management and service style when a restaurant (or for that any matter any business) personally reaches out to a single customer to turn around your experience. It shows they want to change things and what better way than customer feedback.

I got my friend along with me who we refer to as our human trash-can. He knows it's out of love. I finally admit to growing old and unable to eat as much as I did 5 years back! Two amateurs acting as if we were the judges on Master Chef Australia - rating the food out of 10 made for good camaraderie and lots of laugh as well. 

Dahi Puri - The best Dahi Puri on this small Island City. This is what had won my heart the first time round and with the Chef's close attention to detail it shined through. Like my friend said and I would like to steal his line - I would give it an 8 8 out of 10. Why not more? Jab tak thele pe khade hokar haath gande na karo na tab tak woh baat nahi banti. (Until You stand at a street hawker's cart and savor these something still feels missing. It sounds so sophisticated in English but emotion saddi hindi mein hai  ) 

Cheese Barbecue Puri - This the chef informed us is his own little innovation and for that alone we were impressed. I have always been curious about this whenever I have browsed through their pages but slightly unsure of how this would turn out to be. This is a fusion I approve of and  I think everyone else would too. Puri filled with vegetables mixed with some barbecue sauce topped with cheese and sev! Everything came together so very well, no over powering of flavors nor there seemed to be a mish mash that you don't understand what you are eating. There is just the slightest hint of pani puri wala pani in it and that to me was a game changer. 

Misal Pav - I had made much ado about the Misal pav on the previous visit but it was all about nothing. And in a good way. In my own words that chaska that was missing the previous time, seemed to have reappeared and made it's presence felt in every spoonful. The gravy was a little more soupy, a little more spicy and worked well with the pav. Unlike the misal pavs that I have been fed, this was served with buttered pav. Though we found it a tad bit odd, we were more than overjoyed because buttered pav is some of the simplest luxuries in life. The farsan served on the side could have been plenty. The misal to farsan ratio is almost equal in most cases. 

Galouti Kebab -  If you don't know the legend behind how Galouti kebab came to be, then you probably don't love food as much as you think you do. I happen to love stories around food and these galouti kebabs did transport me for a while to the by-lanes of Lucknow itself. Some day I hope to be blessed enough to have them from the gullys of Lucknow but till then this is what I envision the perfect galouti kebabs to be. Meat filling almost like a paste, so delectable, you don't need your teeth!  

Parsi Biryani - I had asked the chef if this was their take on the Berry Pulavs of the Parsi Community. He answered yes and took our feedback in the right spirit when we said that this isn't anything like a Berry Pulav and while you can have your take on it, the essence has to be retained. This was Biryani rice with Chicken Kebab on top. What I did feel was that the Chicken Kebab which I was later informed was Jari Mari Kebab, a chef specialty on it's own held a lot of merit. I would suggest that if the rice retained the flavors of this Kebab or complimented it, it could be new dish and a fab one at that. I would order these kebabs next time for sure. 

Shahi Tukda - We hadn't ordered dessert and wasn't really expecting it either, and when this was brought to our table, I was probably the happiest person in the room. It is in the name. This is the royal in desserts and something I don't easily spot on menus and when I do, I don't pay heed to it. Not because I don't think much of it but because I think EVERYTHING of it! This dessert has my childhood attached to it. It reminds me of summer vacations, of my mom and my aunts frying pieces of bread, soaked in ghee and the stirring of the pots of rabri.  (Milk cooked on slow heat for hours and flavors from nuts etc). The numbered times I have tried it at restaurants it hasn't been the same and this was what they mean when they say foodgasm. 

I would want to give a short introduction to the Chef - Mr. Haribilasha, hailing from Orissa (I have never tried Oriya dishes - but would love to see and suggest him bringing something on the menu for the likes of me! )who has joined the Mumbai Spices team a mere 7 months prior and I can already see the results of that. This wasn't the first few times I had visited Mumbai Spices but it was the first few times it compelled me to write. The good, the bad and the Ugly. But here mostly Good. Almost great. He is also a keen listener and takes every bit of feedback seriously. I am awaiting to see what other wonders will he create in his kitchen and I sincerely hope that it trickles down to his support kitchen staff so there is no one sour experience. It's never a one-man army and you are only as strong as your team is. 

DAMAGES - Between BHD 1 to BHD 3 per dish. 

WHERE - https://g.page/Mumbaispicesadliya?share

Goregaon Social, Mumbai

Goregaon Social, Goregaon

I was happy to be here, as always. It's been a while since I have visited a social and my experience in all of them have always been on a positive note. My favorite by far is the Khar Social. I was super excited to bring my friend here who had never been to these place before, but unfortunately the experience ended on a sour note.

The place is designed to imitate a cathedral and is pretty mesmerizing. The service here is as always good. We actually had luggage with us as my friend had just arrived from out of the city and the staff was kind enough to find place and help us with the seating and everything. 

I have always found their breakfast to be of great value for money and the combinations offered. My friend ordered the Big Apple Breakfast and I ordered the Punjabi Dhingra Breakfast. One thing that irked us here was that the food took more than 30 minutes to arrive and we were the only customers at this point so we were really hoping the wait was shorter. This could be because the day had just started as it was 11 am in the morning. But my experience in the other Socials have not been this way so I can't really say. However, all was hunky dory and finally after a long wait our food made it's way to our eagerly awaiting table. 

The Big Apple Breakfast comes with french fries, sausages, toasted bread, jam-butter, blue berry pancakes with a side of maple syrup and eggs however, you want it. I have always loved this platter except for the blue berry pancakes which some how they never get it right. Some times it's undercooked, some times it's bland, some times it's rubbery. This time around it was almost okay except for the parts where the blue berry was where the batter seemed to be not cooked properly. Yet, as far as pancakes go, I would not recommend Social. Everything else? Wonderful! I even love the freshness of their bread which seems to be right out of the over or something. The french fries are always on point, and seems like they are air fried as you can't detect the oiliness anywhere, which is the best part for me. The eggs were sunny side up and perfectly done. For the Punjabi Breakfast I had chosen Paneer Paratha which comes with chhole, achar, curd on the side. Some lassi, chai and a piece of Samosa too. The Paneer Paratha is heavenly and I was trasnported to Amritsar where I had first had a Paneer Paratha with dollops of butter on the side. I appreciated the fact that they used the kala chana for the chhole which added authenticity to the punjabi breakfast combo. The masala chai was a pleasant surprise as I always find in most non-Indian specialty restaurants that the tea is almost bland. Here, it was exactly like the ones you would find in small tea stalls. I had it with the samosa and I was overjoyed. But as always there has to be a down side, what I looked forward to most was the Lassi. However, the lassi was unsweetened and infact looked and felt exactly like the curd they had given on the side, only instead of in the bowl, they had put it in the tumbler. Too thick and set to be called a Lassi. Disappointed there. 

Now comes the part which questions whether I will ever return to this place. I was 75% through my breakfast that I spotted a very very very tiny little cockroach on the table, on the side of the wooden tray they had served breakfast to us on. Upon closer look, it seemed there wasn't just one but two more. They were extremely tiny ones, almost liked they had just hatched but gave me a nightmare and made me lose my appetite there and then because God alone knows where all they were and I don't even want to talk about it because like I said, where all were they. And this a big NO. We even told this to our attendant, and he seemed to have spoken to the manager and I could see them discussing it but as soon as we called for our bill, they seemed to have forgotten about it and let us leave without asking anything on it. We were just eager to pay and leave at this point and seemed like as long as we were ready to pay the bill and leave quietly, didn't bother them either. From this point on, I don't know if I would want to revisit a social, I am always going to be wondering how many more of these roaches are there. 

WHAT WE HAD - Big Apple Breakfast

                           Punjabi Dhingra Breakfast
  

DAMAGES - Rs 900/- (Approx)

WHERE - Goregaon Social. Third Floor, The Oberoi Mall, Goregaon East, Mumbai

Mumbai Vibe, Mumbai

Mumbai Vibe, Bandra

Another tick off the list. I had wanted to visit this place mainly because of it's name, Mumbai Vibe. Like any other Mumbaikar would tell you, Once a Mumbaikar, always a Mumbaikar. If you have made this city your home, no place is good enough. Hence, when a cafe bar opens up and calls itself Mumbai Vibe, you definitely want to check out how much of the Mumbai Vibe does the place make you feel. I was finally here to find out.

One of the things that I find very interesting is the way photographs can manipulate with what you see. No, no bad vibes. But I had assumed the place to be much bigger having a look at the photos than it actually is. It is spread over 2 floors - ground and upper, so it does have space, but vertically so. Also, they have a garden area outside which looks very beautiful. But the start of the rainy season and the heat doesn't make it ideal for the weather and we decided to sit inside as well. If  you like me, enjoy conversation as part of your meal be wise enough to sit down stairs, as here the volume of the music is comparatively low. If you go upstairs, it's more a bar and if that's your scene then your well set. Overall, they can cater to different moods. You will see the walls painted with things that define Mumbai including the the red BEST bus. They even have board games if you want to play. 

The service is something that will bring a smile to your face. Even though the sofas are reserved for groups of 4 or more, and we were 3, upon requesting, they let us sprawl ourselves over them instead of resorting to sitting on high stools on the upper floor or the garden area which was relatively empty. They know their menu well and are ready to customize it to your preferences if required and also recommend dishes which is a big plus from me. I always say this many a times, you don't know what will work for you from the menu and what not. Not everything that looks good may be and every Kitchen has their highly recommended and some not so much. Knowing that and letting your customer be informed can do wonders for your business.

We ordered for the Chicken 65 tarts and butter Garlic Mushroom with Crostini to begin with. We also ordered mock-tails and a green tea for one of the friend (Never, ever order Green Tea at a Restaurant, unless and until they are brewing it themselves. My middle class upbringing shows up in things like these. Why would I pay 200 Rs for a teabag, when I can buy the entire  20 for the same??!! I may be wrong, but I really want restaurants serving tea to brew it rather than provide a tea bag. It is not at all value for money). But my friend never the less went for it. The chicken 65 tarts come in mini tarts and is served on top of a toy truck. Fancy. They are good to look at and are good to eat. The chicken 65 is rather authentic and that's a rarity I have found, because this delicacy is my mommy's special as well. The butter garlic mushroom is creamy and is almost like a thick soup served with crostini or let's just say a version of garlic bread and makes your stomach feel warm and fuzzy. The mock-tails we ordered were had some fancy names paying ode to Mumbai - I think one had a Bandra in it's name and another Mumbai. I can't seem to ever remember mock-tails names. Both of them were refreshing and tangy. Though the second one which I had ordered was a little different from the mock-tails I have had till now. It had a strong flavor of cinnamon in it and drinking it almost felt like you were eating a cinnamon roll. It really grows on you and I almost want it now. For the mains we ordered the Spaghetti Bella Roma and Chicken Makhani Plate with Oven Baked Naan. The Spaghetti was devoid of any sauces, a little like Aglio Olio, and initially I would never like Pasta without sauce it it seems to have grown on me and I almost find the subtle flavors of spaghetti preferable. they are many a times lighter on the stomach and yet flavorful. The Chicken Makhni came with naan and some dal makhni on the side as well. All the 3 are technically my favorite things and even though over all it seemed good, it was too sweet for my palette. Almost like someone had accidentally put a cup of sugar in it. 

Over all my experience was a little above average at the place. Though it's named Mumbai Vibe, I couldn't find myself completely jibing to it. A good place to hang out with your friends but if food is your focal point, then it's nothing extraordinary.

WHAT WE HAD - Butter Garlic Mushroom with Crostini (Yumness)

                           Chicken 65 Tarts (Yumness)

                           Spaghetti Bella Roma (Yumness)

                           Chicken Makhni (Yumness)

                           Mocktail

                           Mocktail

                       Green Tea (Avoid ordering Green Tea unless and until it's freshly brewed)

DAMAGES - Rs 2400/- (Approx)

WHERE - Mumbai Vibe., Ganga Jamuna Block, 14th Road, Linking Road, Bandra West

Bombay Food Truck, Mumbai

Bombay Food Truck, BKC

YAY! Food Truck! Finalllllyyyy...! I have had a string of  misfortune with this place. or vehicle, I guess. The first time I wanted to try this out, they had yet to set up at the event due to some exigencies and it would take up 2 extra hours or so. The next time, some thing similar. Then it was at the location on Day 2 and not Day 1, which meant I missed it. Though I have had the Butter Chicken Fries from their other venture Poutinewalla. I had almost thought maybe it's not meant to be, till my BIRTHDAY!! 

This place operates from BKC and is parked in one of the many business parks here and you will find it operational only till 7.30, Monday to Friday. I happen to live in the vicinity and yet I have never been able to try it out. The concept of hanging by a truck seemed interesting to me as you mostly see this in the West and we are not very acquainted with the concept here. Hence, it added to the intrigue to for me. 

Their food is actually what caught my fancy because it is all about the food after all, ain't it?! Even though you will find fusion food everywhere, there seems to be an authenticity in the food here where in the local flavors are returned and well baanced with the fusion. It gives you the feeling that you are having not one but two variety of dish in one! Such is their Bombay Dog. We ordered the Bombay Dog which is a Hot Dog but infused with Keema Pav. Basically the bread roll used is smeared with Keema (One of the best keema or minced meat masala I have had till date) and then topped with your chicken frank, then it has your sour cream sauce and all, and mustard if you please. The First bite and I knew the wait was worth it. And that I wasn't wrong in wanting to try this out. I am smitten, if that's possible. I wanted to have their actual Keema Pav as well, but they change their menu every month, and it wasn't on this month. Then I wanted to have the Hummus because it's my Go-To meal, but my friend wasn't so keen on it. Hummus, some times is an acquires taste and she doesn't enjoy it all that much. So, in the end we ordered the Nachos. Huge fan of Nachos that I am, I sometimes feel after a while it gets soggy and the chips lose their crunchiness and that's when I lose my appetite for it as well. I like all my food to have crunch, even bread at times . However, it was how good nachos should be otherwise. And my friend finished 70% of it and the other was my contribution. 

We also had two lemonades and it was pretty refreshing. I would recommend having 2-3 more options at least in the refreshment category. 

WHAT WE HAD - Bombay Dog (Yumness Personified)

                           Nachos with House made Salsa (Yumness)

                           Lemonade/ Fresh Lime Water (Refreshing)

DAMAGES - Rs 470 (Approx)

WHERE - Bombay Food Truck., One BKC, G Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai (Monday to Friday)

For Weekend Updates, follow them on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/foodtruckbombay/?hl=en

Papacream, Mumbai

PAPACREAM, Churchgate

My third time in the shop, and my second review. The thing that had pulled me back here this time around was a particular ice cream that is being much publicized on social media. While I had wanted to have this before as well, but somehow felt wary about it. I know I love food but some times it's difficult to wary from what you already know of. 

The one thing, I have to say is that the place looked just a tiny bit shabbier from my previous visit. The sparkle that the place had seems to have been robbed somehow. It doesn't look dirty or unkempt but that sparkle seemed to be missing. That extra mile you go to make a place look beautiful. The daily upkeep. The walls and tiles had lost its sheen. And I say this because my first trip here had me in awe of the decor of the place.

So coming to the ice creams we ordered, the much talked about Pani Puri Ice cream and red velvet bubble waffle sundae. There is so much talk on the Pani Puri Icream and this is what I had come to try. Little baskets of puri, though not as thin as the original puri, topped with some Potato mousse (which has a little bit of a mayo taste to it as well), and provided separately a sorbet made out of teekha pani from which Pani puri gets its identity. Be cautious here, and don't overload your puri with the teekha sorbet. Remember this is ice cream and your teeth are going to feel the chill. This is exactly what I did. All I had in my head was pan-puri so I just swooped it in my mouth till I felt the cold hit my teeth and I regretted it almost instantly. Otherwise, it's quite innovative and should be in your list of things to try out. This is probably the answer to all those pani puri lovers who go ''bhaiyya, aur pani do na". There is more of the sorbet than the puri baskets, so you will have a lot of pani to yourself. 

The other item we ordered was the Red Velvet Bubble waffle sundae with Blue Berry Ice cream, topped with some whipped cream, blue berry compote and garnished with cheese cake crumble. Dreamy right? It is or was. The waffle had a crunch at the sides and was soft in the middle which is exactly how I like my waffle. The downer? Didn't really taste like red velvet. It seemed to be almost like a red velvet, because you could find a subtle flavor of it, but then that's not what red velvet is right?! If I had ordered a normal waffle and received this, I would have said on point, but for the red velvet. And I especially minded this a little because my sister who I had brought here is a huge fan of red velvet and keeps telling me to get her some red velvet cupcakes, cakes and everything in red velvet out there and I had wanted to treat her to this delight. But she couldn't even tell it was red velvet and that's how I say that it was slightly disappointing. 

Even though Bombay has gotten innovative in it's dessert and ice cream scence in the recent past, the pani puri ice cream from this place is not to be missed. They also have various other quirky flavors. I would also highly recommend the bubble waffle sundae, the doughnut-wich, the guava sorbet. Next I want is to try is the hummus. 

WHAT WE HAD - Pani Puri Ice Cream (Delighted)

                          Red Velvet Bubble Waffle Sundae (Yumness)

DAMAGES - Rs 500/- (Approx)

WHERE -  Papacream. 18, Cambatta Building, J.T Road, Churchgate, Mumbai

Morselo, Mumbai

Morselo, Powai

Powai is considered to be one of the most posh location of the city, what with it being designed by seeking inspiration from Venice. Glamorous as it is, I some how don't always find myself very keen to pay visit here. I like Colaba for it'd old alleys and Bandra for it's shopping and night life, it's always buzzing with life. So is Andheri for that matter. Powai? A cross over between a Corporate Jungle and a Residential town doesn't have much to offer to some one like me. Maybe I find myself out of place here. And still, I find myself coming back here at least once in a month. 

Mostly, when I am in the vicinity, I drop by Theobroma, but this time I decided to skip it and I try something new. Morselo, is what caught my eye upon browsing through Zomato, seemed economical as well. 

It's a small joint and you might almost miss it since it's situated in Galleria's Food Court. But Thank God that it isn't actually situated in the Food Court. (Here is where the parallel dies between the likes of Italy, everything in the Food Court Area is unkempt and unhygienic, I would much rather go to a Dhaba than have food here). Morselo, however, is a smal outlet with it's own dining area and hence you can manage to have a meal here. Though, I would still recommend getting a take away as it's pretty tiny and can seat maybe 4 people. 

The service is quick and warm, as should be the case of fast food joints and you can see they are eager to please. The concept they have is of serving baked bread with fillings inside. You can make an entire meal out of it and they seem to have quite a few options from Indian to Continental. They have ranges from light to full meal and you can decide as per you appetite, what would you want to go for. We went for one Full Meal which comprises of Brownie, Potato Wedges, Chicken Nuggets (for lack of another name), a micro salad and the Baked Fill of your choice. The other one we ordered was the light meal which had hasselback potatoes, baked fill and a micro salad. The two also comes with a refreshing drink called the Lemon Twist. I had ordered the Chicken Florentine and my friend ordered the Exotic Italian Veg. The Chicken Florentine had a mix of spinach, corn and Chicken with creamy sauce. The Exotic Italian Veg had assorted veggies topped with cheese and had more tomato tangy type sauce. Even though both were equally good, I personally can't have too much of sauce, I like it being balanced with bread, but here since it was the filling, there was more filing than bread and it becomes a little too much for me. Hence, it is a good thing that I had other stuff to change taste in between. The wedges seemed a little dry in flavor and even though I prefer wedges always, this is one time I didn't find it up to the mark. The hasselback potatoes which came with the other meal was what I attacked. To anyone it would seem like these are just boiled and sprinkled with some spices on top. But in it's simplicity lied it's magic. I wish I could recreate them at home. The chicken nuggets were good too and the brownie was exactly how I like it, not over sweetened, topped with chocolate sprinkles (the kind that look like Hershey). 

If you are in the neighborhood or if you are simply looking for something different for your office lunch (After all Corporate Hub), then you should give this place a shot and give the Burger-Fries Combo a miss.

WHAT WE HAD - Exotic Italian Veg Combo (Yumness)                

                           Chicken Florentine Full Meal (Yumness)

DAMAGES - Rs 800/- (Approx)

WHERE -  Morselo., 164, First Floor, Galleria Shopping Mall, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai

D CREPES CAFE, MUMBAI

D Crepes Cafe, Thane

I had discovered this little gem of a place more than 2 years back. It features in one of those places that I can't help but keep coming back to. Food that is truly delightful and the reasonably priced is a rarity in this city. I generally don't mind as Food is my guilty pleasure and is not about to change any time soon, but, it's always nice dropping by places like these that are the very meaning of value for money!

They have a new branch opened up at Hiranandani Estate I believe, though, I always end up at Meadows. Infact I think I could be the unoffical ambassador of this place with the way I have promoted and made sure people from my friends and family pay visit to this place. They always come back with rave reviews! 

The service here is something that has been well maintained over the years, recommending dishes to your liking. They know their menu, something that I actually find in a lot of places that the attending staff may lack knowledge of the items on their menu. It always adds a nice touch when the person serving understands your taste palette and can recommend what would best suit you, making it a good expeience on both sides and strategically avoiding bad reviews!

It is obligatory to order a crepe when you step in here. After  all, the place is names "D'Crepes". So we began with a generous serving of the Barbeque crepe. I should also mention here that the serving size of the crepe has increased or so I felt. Previously the filling inside the crepes wasn't as generous as it was this time. Where most other places you will find it decreasing, here it is the opposite. Kudos.  Chicken and veggies mixed well with BBQ sauce stuffed in the crepe is the stuff of your dreams and it can get down and dirty, so forget your table manners at home to enjoy it the way it should be! Next on the item was some Pasta. The pasta range is under Do It Your Way with giving you selections on how you want it to be prepared. We went for Fusilli Pasta in Portugese sauce as recommended by our attendant. This is supposed to be a very spicy sauce and we had asked him to turn down the spiciness a little and we are glad we did that. Even after the spiciness being reduced, it still ended up being spicy, so eat if your heart, stomach, ears and nose are prepared for. (You know running noses, heart bun, smoke from your ears ) The sauce is a tangy sauce and takes a little after the Arabiatta, though not an arabiatta sauce. I would order it again. However, the one thing that I would want to change about it is the serving bowl. Previously, the pastas were surved in a wooden bowl which has been changed to plates. I always felt it gave a unique touch to the plating with the wooden bowls. We had also ordered some garlic bread on the side and let me just say this is one of the best cheese garlic breads I have ever had the honour to have. Cheesy, soft breads, retaining the garlic flavors. Life couldn't get better. 

I am going to take a paragraph break here. I am a very lazy writer but once I start typing, I think I over write. But it's food!  For drinks I had called for the Iced tea, because nothing like it and truly, over here, I can most definitely say - NOTHING LIKE IT! I order iced teas because it is the safest bet on the menu and I don't spot a lot of creativity in this section in most places. However, the iced ea here is one of the best I have had. Refreshing, tangy, sweet and the perfect balance of flavors. I could order one more. My friend had ordered the Red Velvet Shake and even though I was a little wary of this, because most places screw up the red velvet shake and it feels more of a chocolate shake itself (Arey bhaiyya chocolate shake order kana hota toh chocolate shake order karte na - is something that some people don't get!). Here? You can feel the red velvet taste in every sip you take and I was just in another kind of heaven. A must if you enjoy red velvet as much as I do. The only disappointment - we had ordered for chocolate cheese cake to end our order and this is the first time that I have been let down. The cheese was too heavy, dry and wasn't even exactly sweet. Something I hope they look into. Their dessert range has never disappointed me before so I was a little surprised. 

Go for D Crepes! Go for D' Crepes and in case you still haven't gotten the message - Go for D'Crepes! or well, live to regret. Perfect place for meeting a friend, or for your work from home or rather cafe days and even for a date where you want to impress the said date! 

What We Had - Barbecue Crepe (Yumness Personified)

                         Pasta in Portugaise Sauce (Yumness)

                         Cheese Garlic Bread (More is Less)

                         Iced Tea (Very very refreshing!)

                         Red Velvet Shake (Fantabulous, yumness personified)

                         Chocolate Cheese cake (Let Down)

Damages - Rs 1100/- (Approx)

Where - D'Crêpes Café., Shop 2, Avila Building, Near Godrej Nature's Basket, Hiranandani Estate, Thane West

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)