Tea Villa, Mumbai

Tea Villa, Thane

Another place I keep coming back to. I think I have been doing that a lot lately and and happily so. Well, this time was actually because there aren't too many options that you can explore in Thane and I was looking forward to have a good meal. Hence, wanted to skip the entire location scout. I am never disappointed with this place and it's one of my safe bets.

This outlet actually has an outer area as well and if it was Winter, then it would make for great ambiance, with the winds blowing and all. However, summers in Bombay are nothing short of hell and hence, I chose to be safely seated indoors. The ambiance is a mix of quirky and raw as is the case with all their outlets, tea cups hanging from the roof and little lights hanging from colorful tea kettles (the kind you would find at cutting chai stalls and not royal english inspired. I prefer the former in this setting). The walls are left unfinished with bricks which gives it the raw appeal.

The service here is actually slightly better than my experience at their outlets though. I have always found their service in need of improvement as they seem a little absent and you have to grab their attention. Also, a little forgetful. Though I would say there is an improvement, but it's still not at par. This time the reason was we had asked for whipped cream with their waffles (To be honest, we hadn't even been asked. It was along the lines of would you want whipped cream or ice cream with your waffle, like a choice is being provided to you and when you say whipped cream. They tell you there is an extra charge. It's a sales tactic and hence, I still didn't mind it much). However, they had forgotten to serve it. We pointed it out half way through completing our waffles, "hadn't we ordered whipped cream on the side?". When asked the attendant about it, and since we were half way through we wanted to cancel it. However, the attendant requested us not to as apparently, it would be deducted from his pay. So we didn't. However, it troubled me. Not because I had to pay that extra amount. But if the management is making use of this approach to curb errors, then it's not exactly correct and something to be looked into (And I hope if you are reading this, you do!). This is the part where I found it to be a little questionable. Otherwise, all seemed in place.

For what we had. We first called for two mock tails - Passion Fruit Mojito and Peach Iced Tea. For a change, it was not me who had ordered the Iced tea but my friend. I went for the mojito. Some times change is good. Turned out, change is actually good because I thoroughly enjoyed it. Along with the drinks, we called in for the Villa Special Hummus Platter which comes with three kinds of hummus and assorted goodies like lavash, pita bread, cucumbers and a salad. I still can't differentiate between all the different kind of hummus out there, as in what ingredients go into except the basic ones, but I do know one thing, I LOVE HUMMUS! The one thing I would have preferred it is being served more accompaniments with this, also pickled veggies. We then called in for the goodness called the Shroom Burger. A patty made of nothing but mushroom, cheddar cheese infused and soft cheese. As soon as you take a bite, cheese comes oozing out and there is nothing better than that. I at very rare occasions choose to have a Veg Burger, and this was one of those rare times, when my decision to do so did not fail me. The bun could be improved upon though, didn;t have that traditional burger bun feel to it and seemed a bit oiled. The same I would say for the onion rings served on the side. I am generally not so fond of onion rings and would always prefer fries, and even though I actually took a liking to the onion rings here, it was only after using tissue to soak some of the oil. This was something that should have been taken care of in the kitchen. Finally, we ordered for the Oreo Waffle as dessert for ourselves. I chose Oreo as too much of chocolate is off-putting to me and I get tired after a few bites. Oreos, though are my favorite and I am always eager to have them - shakes, cheesecakes, cakes, deep fried (Yeah, deep fried! This one I can actually share the recipe of). So Oreo waffles seemed ideal to me and that's what we had. Happily so. The waffles were fresh, I loved the mix of white chocolate and milk chocolate drizzled on top and also served on the side (You really don't need to even order the whipped cream on the side, if you have this).

I was elated after this meal. You would be too, if you dropped in here. There are so many outlets across of this place around the city now, so you can choose your pick. 

WHAT WE HAD - Villa Special Hummus Platter (LOOOOVEEE)

                           Mushroom Burger (Yumness Personified)

                           Oreo Waffles (Yumness Personified)

                           Peach Iced Tea (Refreshing)

                           Passion Fruit Mojito (Refreshing)

DAMAGES - Rs 1200/- (Approx)

WHERE - Tea Villa Cafe Thane. ,Shop 1& 2, Y-Building, Flower Valley, Opposite Viviana Mall,Eastern Express Highway, Majiwada, Thane 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

D Crepe's Cafe, Mumbai

D Crepe's Cafe, Thane.

This is one of my most visited places, and now even more because it's literally at a walking distance from my office. Only, most of the times, I order my usual which is why I don't feel the need for a blog update. Though there was something that had caught my eye and I had been meaning to have that and hence the update!

I still prefer the Meadows outlet, because this contains less space and is very tightly spun. The meadows outlet has a more bright vibe to it and spacious (even before the expansion, because I have been coming here since then). Even small spaces can be made to look bigger with the right arrangement. However, since I do love the food, I make do with it. One huge turn off however is the towels drying on the outside. Though no fault of D Crepes because this is actually courtesy the next door saloon I believe, but still a little shabby. Not really welcoming for the saloon either. There are racks and racks of towels. 

The main, which is the food here is par excellence. So this time I called in for the Bangers and Mash which is what I had been eyeing and we also ordered Garlic Bread topped with Tomato, Olive, Pesto and Cheese and also Mexican Paneer Pita with Potato wedges. This summed up our mains. The Bangers and Mash came with a cheesy-alfredo type base where as I was expecting the Onion gravy which is more common. It has mushrooms grated and a base of mashed potatoes with garlic bread and sausages (Divine) laid on top. Maybe this is a new take on Bangers and Mash but it definitely delighted me. I anyways have a soft corner for creamy alfredo sauce. And it had sausage! Aur kya chahiye life mein??!! The garlic bread is another divine story, overloaded with cheese and topped with olives, the thing that actually brings the flavor up a notch was the pesto sauce used at the base. The Mexican Paneer Pita, however was another story. Unfortunately, disappoints. We expected it to be bursting of mexican flavors, wrapped in a pita wrap. But all this was a thick pita bread some paneer and veggies mixed as a filling. Didn't look great, neither tasted great. It honestly was like some one had just tossed some veggies in the frypan added some haldi-mirch and put it in the bread. Not really what I was expecting. 

We also ordered a small dessert treat, the berry crumble crepe. Happiness Personified! I am a huge fan of their crepes and till now I had only had the savory ones, so I ordered the sweet ones because that's what crepes are supposed to be right? Sweet?! The crepes as soft and melt in the mouth always, what was beautiful about it was that the filling was made up of blue berry compote, some oreo, some cream cheese, and some toffee sauce. It was a cheese cake crepe! They should rename it cheese cake crepe! Because that is what it was! And I LOVE CHEESECAKES! So cheese cake crepe? DIVINE! We ordered two mocktails on the side - Blue Bay Driver and Kokum Mint Soda. I am not a huge fan of Kokum, but I loved mine and they looked pretty as well like summer colors! Will make you thirsty immediately.

D Crepes is one of those rare places, where the food is worth more than what you pay for because it's not steep priced, doesn't have too many taxes etc and the food is mind blowing except a miss or two! 

WHAT WE HAD - Bangers & Mash (Yumness Personified)

                           Garlic Bread with Tomatoes, Olives and Pesto (Divine)

                           Mexican Paneer Pita (AVOID)

                           Berry Crumble Crepe (DIVINE)

                           Blue Bay Driver (Refreshing)

                           Kokum Mint Soda (Thumbs up)

DAMAGES - 1200/- (Approx)

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

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

Breakfast at Candies, Mumbai

Breakfast at Candies, Bandra

There are so many new places opening up (and closing as well) that it's hard to keep up. There was a time in between I was trying to keep up and going to every new place if I could help it. I have stopped. The whole point of going out and having these meals was an experience that I looked forward to, not a competition. I had made it into one (I want to be there everywhere). Though I still want to try most places out there in this city at least, I am doing it at my own pace and also paying visits to places I love! Candies is one of them. 

I had actually been inspired to come here for breakfast after seeing frequent posts from a food blogger, one of my favorites, Mr. Kalyan Karmakar and even though I had paid several visits to this legendary place over the years, never really for breakfast and I was pretty tempted to after all the scrumptious posts by the one and only.

I already knew what I wanted to have but my friend decided to add an extra zing to our meal by ordering items, which I generally wouldn't call "Breakfast". But who I am to judge because have had Biryani for breakfast as well. I had ordered the mushroom cheese omelet with a side of persian chicken sausages, masala chai and a plain croissant to go with it. My Friend chose the Chicken Club Sandwich. Also, he want for the non-traditional Tandoori Chicken Afghan Style, Macaroni salad and a peach Iced Tea. I will start off with the omelet which seemed like sorcery because never have I seen cheese ooze out of inside the two sides of the omelet. I now wish all omelets were made like this. I had my reservations with the Persian sausages because my favorite forever remains the one that I have grown up on in Bahrai, which have more reddish color to it and these looked white in comparison. But guess what? They were anything but bland. I almost wanted to bring them home and have some for my next morning's breakfast. The croissant was flaky on the outside and soft on the inside and it is this exact description that had made me want to order it and I was happier than happy. The masala chai served in a kulhad made my morning and this is a pleasant surprise as anywhere I go and order chai with an English breakfast of sorts is never really well the kind of chai that makes my mornings. The Club sandwich that my friend ordered, in his own words were indeed amazing and a good start to his day. The Tandoori Chicken was good, and even though Tandoori chicken happens to be on my Top 5, I didn't really understand the Afghani infusion in it. The macaroni salad came as a side with this and even if it hadn't, I would have still made a bee line for it. When ever I pay visit to Candies, this is the default thing I will always order. Nothing quite like it. The Ices Tea had pureed peaches at the bottom of the drink which lent authenticity and made it even more refreshing.

Candies is one place where everyone will find something to their liking. And it doesn't pinch your pocket. This is one place where all food runs out by 5-6 pm and if you go post this, then you are most likely to find only left overs. Though if you want to just chill and grab coffee, nothing better.

WHAT WE HAD - Cheese & Mushroom Omelet (Yumness Personified)

                           Plain Croissant (Yumness Personified)

                           Persian Chicken Sausages (Heaven)

                           Non Veg Club Sandiwch (Yumness Personified)

                           Afghan Tandoor Chicken (Yumness)

                           Macaroni Salad (Heaven)

                           Peach Iced Tea (Refreshing)

                           Masala Chai (Yumness0)

DAMAGES - Rs 800/- (Approx)

WHERE -  Candies Mac Ronells, Next to Learners Academy School, Pali Hill, Bandra West

Busago, Mumbai

Busago, BKC

I have a love-not like (hate is too strong a word, and for food? Never ) with Pan Asian Cuisine, some of it I absolutely love and some of it is I just can't manage to stuff down my throat. I guess, it's about development of taste buds and what you are and aren't used to. If it is a little too authentic with clear broths, or has no spices what so ever, then I can't eat it. If it has some hint of spices whether it is the use of coconut, coconut milk or tangy Chinese style sauces, I will devour it. Like is the case of Lemon Leaf, I was fascinated with it for a long time but when I finally did try the food there, not my cup of tea. But that doesn't mean the food was bad, I could tell it was qualitative, just not suitable for my taste buds. And hence, even though I had been pay visit to this place, I always had second thoughts but like always I made it! Der aaye, durust aaye! 

This place is pretty near by to home and hence became a lunch spot for catch up session with a dear friend who worked in the vicinity and I having an off. I was almost doubtful if even she would like it. It's a small joint, so expect it to be full, but you will find a table just as quickly. Basic interiors but I loved the little wall hangings. Quirky. Simplicity some times works wonders.

You will find the staff to be very pleasant and accommodating. However, be prepared for a good wait when you place your orders. We had wanted to try the baos as my friend hadn't had it before but it was unavailable on the day and they didn't have many options in the Appetizers section and hence, we were left no choice but to order the Tibetan Momos. But turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because these were definitely the best I have had yet. It looked so delicate, I had thought it would break apart if you so much touch it but not so much. It was made of stronger stuff and even beautiful flavors. Then for the mains we ordered the Cambodian Chicken Curry and from their Specials menu - Spicy Prawns Curry. Both were served with steamed rice on the side and were delectable. The Cambodian curry had made use of coconut milk and seemed a little borrowed from Thai food or at least the Thai food I have had before. If I had to choose my pick between the two, even though it's pretty darn difficult, i would go for the Cambodian curry, it makes your heart warm. However, there is one thing that takes away from it, is the chicken pieces used. We only ate the veggies from the curry and avoided the chicken pieces as it seemed under cooked. Way under cooked. I am thinking this was an honest mistake because the same was not the case with either the momos or the prawns. The Prawns were perfectly cooked and very spicy. So spicy it will make smoke come out of your ears. Probably why steamed rice works best in combination with it. My friend though favored the Prawns dish over the curry. Though we both loved all the items as such, but don't we all have our preferences. For the dessert we went for the Flour-less Chocolate cake  because I needed some chocolate in my life right then and it was so good that if I wasn't full already, I would have wanted to order another one. Dark dark chocolate, melted away, and oozing with chocolaty goodness. I was truly in heaven. If all chocolate cake tasted like that, it would give tough competition to my obsession with Cheese cakes.

Also, this place won't pinch your pockets. What more reason do you need?! I would definitely be paying more visits to this one.

WHAT WE HAD  - Tibetian Momos (Heaven)

                            Cambodian Chicken Curry (Yumness minus the chicken)

                            Spicy Prawns Curry (Yumness)

                            Flourless Chocolate Cake (Heaven)

                            Peach Iced Teas (Refreshing)

DAMAGES - Rs 1200/- (Approx)

WHERE - Ground Floor, FIFC Building, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai