Place: Sahibaan
Location: Alipur Trust Building, 2nd Pasta Lane, near Colaba Market, Colaba, Mumbai.
Seating: Any where between 20-25 people; maybe more.
Ambience:
Poster Red interiors, with inviting photos of some of the food they serve. Their prices and deals and put up in loud colours and fonts, for corresponding photos. Large tables are partially confined in booths, which also accommodate facing couches(comfortable) along the length of the tables. Reflecting surfaces make up the upper half of the walls here. Tables here have a big bowl with a previously estimated number of pairs of Forks and Spoons. The lighting is otherwise dull. But a good place to sit down for a friendly meeting, a chat, and hopefully a good meal.
Food:This place serves Chinese and Moghlai eatables primarily, and they also do some Sizzlers. I have always eaten Chinese here, since it always is the best/safe bet. I had been here not less than a year back. The food I had had then was genuinely good, if not thoroughly impressive. I remember having a good time enjoying the food in particular. But, my last visit to this place, which happened in the previous week, did turn out to be a shocker. I was accompanied by a friend. Due to money constraints, we ordered what they called a “Chinese Thaali”, per head, and a starter of 'Crispy Thread Chicken'. Till the time our 'Mains' arrived on our table, we were served some complimentary Crispy Fried Noodles, with 'Szechuan' sauce(a combo of which I cannot get enough of). The best aspect of this deal is that you can ask for seconds, and perhaps thirds, but we didn't go that far. Then came the 'Thaali', which basically was medium sized portions of all the courses in a Chinese meal, though we have no option but to go for the simpler dishes, as they have a set menu. You get soup, I got myself the notorious 'Manchow', which seemed to be just another soup, didn't jump out of the bowl to pack a punch, as it should. Rather , this one seems to be a shy member of the family. The rice was a plain Egg Fried Rice, nothing much one can say about it, it is self-explanatory. We had it with some Chicken Chilly, which was, for some ambiguous reason and ordeal to finish. It perhaps lacked taste, and certainly the texture was missing. The Thaali also included three(not even a single more), pieces of fried Won-Tons, which were so floury, that I didn't realise when my Iced Tea had touched the bottom of the glass. Nothing that I tried worked out to counter the dryness. Not to forget, the Won-Tons were more flour and less chicken, so less that you might end up thinking that you had a chicken flavoured Pappodom. I was hoping that the Crispy Thread Chicken would save the day. Sadly, Lady Luck is a senile, schadenfreude witch, who cackles at your littlest misery. The waiters mistook our order of 'Crispy Thread Chicken' with a more expensive, for reasons unknown, 'Crispy Basil Chicken'. It, funnily had a unique taste of a particular two minute noodle tastemaker, whose roughly ground also gave a pretty coarse texture. It was over-seasoned with salt and M.S.G.s, and the basil was nowhere to be found. I wonder if basil “disappears on wilting”. Anyways, the lunch ended with a scoop of chocolate ice-cream, which I can't criticise, as it was obviously out of a box. Over-all, we stepped out sour.
Presentation: The presentation is good enough to make you go for all of it. The looks of the place and the food are appealing. That's that.
Service: The service is a desperate attempt to be prompt, but this pursuit results in discord. Out waiter couldn't get our order right, which we realised after inspecting the bill. Consequently, we had to shell out more than what we had planned for. To add insult to injury, the waiter was not apologetic about his err, forget a refund.
Cost: The damages done were worth around 550-600 bucks.
"Worth" factor: I would treat this particular incident, as one of Sahibaan's blue days, 'Cause, I have had better food here, and at another of its branches, more than once. The service is just alright, the prices have certainly gone up, which will further keep me away from it. The food can be better. I'd recommend a research before a visit. But, otherwise I do not mind it.
Verdict:
Pros:
1.> Good setting, pretty looks, and comfortable; certainly a place where you might lose track of time
2.>My past experience with the food here has been great, so there is hope for the future
3.>Decent crowd and rarely is the place packed. So one can expect to sit comfortably and experience the place at one's leisure
Cons:
1.>I personally hate places that lack consistency in providing quality, and now Sahibaan falls in that category
2.>The food, now, is a bit overpriced
3.>The service is painful, and the waiter can be convincingly daft
-Gaurang(Gabo)
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
The one chinese place you can always depend on....
There are quite a few chinese joints in mumbai. Most of them can be categorized as either authentic, or adopting the more "desi" style. You'll either be having some weird dish that you've never heard about, or some fried rice at a food stall, that you might have become bored of. But there's this other category, called semi-authentic, which does not fall in between the two, but one which adds a different dimension to the cuisine. There are very few places which adopt this style of cooking, which is sad considering how good the results can be. 5spice is one such place which falls under this category. Its a franchise with multiple outlets in the city, and has made quite a name for itself with their semi-authentic style.
Ambiance-Pretty much your standard fare. A bit tawdry for my liking. Its your standard restaurant decor with the occasional chinese relic thrown in between just to justify the cuisine. Its like they took the semi-authentic concept too seriously. Other than that, its pretty well maintained with comfortable seating and well presented tables. A tad too small, considering the crowd it attracts, resulting in queues waiting outside for most of the day. But even so, they provide chairs for the people waiting outside so that's good enough.
Food - Most of the dishes found at this place can range from good to very good. If i had to suggest a good combination, i would say have the crab meat soup, kung pao chicken for starters, Forture rice with fish hunan for the main course, and top it off with a death by chocolate. But you can trade any of the above dishes with any other on the menu and still have a very enjoyable experience. And there's a lot of variety to choose from. They have separate sections for chicken, fish and lamb, and each one of them have a lot of dishes to try. And its not just the quality of the food thats praise worthy, but also the quantity. Its the textbook definition of 'bang for the buck'. One portion of rice or noodles can easily serve up to 3 people. So if you're planning to go solo, don't. That brings me to my main complaint, the lack of half portions. They should have been introduced a long time ago and would make life easy for a lot of people. And its a bad business decision in itself. I can't recount the number of times i had to cancel my plan of going to this place because some friend of mine had some other matter to tend to. As soon as you think of going alone, the quantity comes to mind along with the potential wastage, which is a turn off. But other than that, the food gets no criticism from me.
Service - Depending on the time you visit this place, it can either be very good or disastrous. If you go only to find a huge number of people waiting outside, don't expect to get a table any time soon. The waiters are lousy when it comes to keeping a note of who came first, and you might lose a table to the person who came after you. Other than that, the service is decent. It doesn't take much time for the food to arrive once you place the order, but the time it takes to actually reach this phase can be variable. Do not order food from home. It will take ages. You're better off going there and getting the food yourself. Plus if you go there to take the parcel, they give you a 10% discount, which is a nice motivating factor.
Conclusion - As the title for this article suggests, 5spice is a chinese place which you can always depend on. Although not completely authentic, it has built up a name for itself by serving something different, and it has done this very well indeed. Building up reputation with a high level of quality and then complementing that with awesome quantity; how many places can boast of that? Not many i'm sure. It does have its problems. The service is haphazard, and the ambiance is an afterthought. But when it comes to the food, it hits the mark. And that's the best indicator of a good place. But i wouldn't give it the credibility it deserves until they start serving half portions. That's an absolute must.
Pros-
-Good quality of food
-Good quantity of food
-variety
Cons-
-Ambiance cant keep up with the other aspects
-Can be really difficult to find a seat given the huge crowd it attracts
-service is passable
Final verdict - A must try!!!
Ambiance-Pretty much your standard fare. A bit tawdry for my liking. Its your standard restaurant decor with the occasional chinese relic thrown in between just to justify the cuisine. Its like they took the semi-authentic concept too seriously. Other than that, its pretty well maintained with comfortable seating and well presented tables. A tad too small, considering the crowd it attracts, resulting in queues waiting outside for most of the day. But even so, they provide chairs for the people waiting outside so that's good enough.
Food - Most of the dishes found at this place can range from good to very good. If i had to suggest a good combination, i would say have the crab meat soup, kung pao chicken for starters, Forture rice with fish hunan for the main course, and top it off with a death by chocolate. But you can trade any of the above dishes with any other on the menu and still have a very enjoyable experience. And there's a lot of variety to choose from. They have separate sections for chicken, fish and lamb, and each one of them have a lot of dishes to try. And its not just the quality of the food thats praise worthy, but also the quantity. Its the textbook definition of 'bang for the buck'. One portion of rice or noodles can easily serve up to 3 people. So if you're planning to go solo, don't. That brings me to my main complaint, the lack of half portions. They should have been introduced a long time ago and would make life easy for a lot of people. And its a bad business decision in itself. I can't recount the number of times i had to cancel my plan of going to this place because some friend of mine had some other matter to tend to. As soon as you think of going alone, the quantity comes to mind along with the potential wastage, which is a turn off. But other than that, the food gets no criticism from me.
Service - Depending on the time you visit this place, it can either be very good or disastrous. If you go only to find a huge number of people waiting outside, don't expect to get a table any time soon. The waiters are lousy when it comes to keeping a note of who came first, and you might lose a table to the person who came after you. Other than that, the service is decent. It doesn't take much time for the food to arrive once you place the order, but the time it takes to actually reach this phase can be variable. Do not order food from home. It will take ages. You're better off going there and getting the food yourself. Plus if you go there to take the parcel, they give you a 10% discount, which is a nice motivating factor.
Conclusion - As the title for this article suggests, 5spice is a chinese place which you can always depend on. Although not completely authentic, it has built up a name for itself by serving something different, and it has done this very well indeed. Building up reputation with a high level of quality and then complementing that with awesome quantity; how many places can boast of that? Not many i'm sure. It does have its problems. The service is haphazard, and the ambiance is an afterthought. But when it comes to the food, it hits the mark. And that's the best indicator of a good place. But i wouldn't give it the credibility it deserves until they start serving half portions. That's an absolute must.
Pros-
-Good quality of food
-Good quantity of food
-variety
Cons-
-Ambiance cant keep up with the other aspects
-Can be really difficult to find a seat given the huge crowd it attracts
-service is passable
Final verdict - A must try!!!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Soam-any things, such little choice...
Place: Soam
Location: Sadguru Sadan, Ground Floor, Chowpatty (Girgaon), Girgaon, Mumbai. (opp. Babulnath temple)
Seating: Can hold 42-45 people at tables and 10-15 more at the waiting area(which is an ordeal).
Ambience:
One of the very few things that I was pleased with was the look of the place. The colour schemes, selection of furniture, the heavy cutlery, and the general cleanliness is really good here. The look of the place is somethings that might just tempt you to have a bite here. The place is very pretty looking.
You also will witness a few “Burrp!” certificates, and a couple more Times Food Guide certificates, hung on one of the walls. A few of these certificates go to the extent of awarding Soam with “the best vegetarian food in Mumbai”. I further ask the reader to let your palate be the judge, perhaps you'll not end up agreeing with me on this one by the end of the post.
Food: For me, this place lost out on its more crucial factor: its much hyped food. One might come to a conclusion from my previous posts, and even from our blog description, that we guys are hard-core carnivores. But lets get this point straightened out, I prefer sticking to a motto-If it's good, it's on my plate. I think you have a fair idea where this is going. Yes, Soam is a vegetarian outfit. And I have been to many vegetarian restaurants, and have had a few favourite places too, but Soam, like Swati Snacks, falls in the category-”seemingly homely food served at obnoxious rates”. I was there with four other people and we ordered an array of different dishes, and since then, I can safely say that I have tried every style of food they have to offer, in one visit. We began with the farsaan platter, which included their famous, spinach and paneer samosas. All the elements of the platter, collectively and individually disappointed me. Specially the much hyped samosas, they were filled with spinach alright, but there was no sign of cottage cheese, instead there were specks of Mozzarella, not even ricotta, Mozzarella?! They totally lacked balance of flavours. The rest of the platter was simply bland, and better left avoided. We were quick to jump to the main course. Soam has these compact meals which quantity-wise fit a normal appetite perfectly. So I called for Stuffed Paranthas, which came with a serving of Chole, whose quantity seemed to be mocking me, and some basic salad. You get two options to choose for your stuffed paranthas, mint and paneer, or corn and potato. I chose the latter, while one of the people who had joined me opted for the minty option. Both of these were strictly mediocre. Another person who was with us, called for the “Kand ke Chillay”. No matter how tempting or otherwise it sounds to you, it is not tasteful. She had to resort to some mango pickle to make it takes better. The fourth person called for paneer butter masala with parathas, and never have I been so disappointed with it. The quantity is decent, but I guess, they were having a bad day, when a seemingly soft paneer, turned out to be terribly sour. I wonder, how can a wonderfully set paneer taste so bad? The fifth person who was with us called for the rather daft sounding option of Paav-Bhaaji, which on the contrary was the best thing we had on the table that day. Perhaps, we can't go wrong with Paav-Bhaaji in Mumbai, be it a Gujrathi speciality resto. I almost forgot to mention the drinks we had called for, while two of us chose to order a rather odd sounding “guava panna”, two others called for a “Chaas” and a “lemon and basil punch”. While the chaas was as it should have been, the Panna was superb, very different, very much like a guava slush with some chat-masala in it. The “lemon and basil punch” was a waste of money, and the name was a very snooty attempt to re-christen “nimbu-paani”. It barely had any taste of basil to it, and it was overly sweet. In conclusion the food as a whole was a disappointment , and it ruined the rest of my day.
Presentation: Despite the chic look of the place, they try hard to make the food and the presentation look as bucolic as possible. You are served in Brass plates, that have an old-world appearance to them. Perhaps they belong to the owner's great grand-mother, but don't bother yourself with that.
Accompaniments:You are provided with 4 different types of relishes on your table, and a few more that you will be served are specific to the dish you order. It basically is 2-3 different types of pickles, and the standard coriander-mint chutney. Nothing great.
Service: We went there at peak hours, so I didn't expect the maitre d` to be very hospitable. But even then he seemed a bit commanding towards the patrons as well as the other waiters. But then again, he was kind enough to pickup our used plates when he saw that no other waiter/bus boy was available. The waiters seemed to be in a rush at all times, which gave this otherwise comfortable looking place a very busy air.
Cost: for the entire fair it came up to 1500-1700 rupees for the five of us.
"Worth" factor: In all honesty, there is no secret as to how the food is made here, perhaps your mum makes it better. If your mum doesn't know how to, then make friends with different cultural backgrounds, and do visit their places for traditional food. Places like Soam and Swati Snacks are a lame excuse to promote traditional cuisine, in a “New Avatar”. We don't want food re-incarnated, instead we want good food, and common sense to preserve its value and integrity. There are many small -time joints which do a better job of the mentioned, and they guarantee gratification.
Verdict:
Pros:
1.> Good setting, and very hygienic.
2.>Traditional beverages are good
3.> The quality of the Paav Bhaaji amongst the dishes Soam is much talked about, is surprisingly good.
Cons:
1.>Such food is better eaten at home.
2.>Quality of food is not worth the money spent, at all!
3.>Over the weekend, the place is terribly packed, and filled with a noisy crowd. And there seems to be no end as to where they come from.
Location: Sadguru Sadan, Ground Floor, Chowpatty (Girgaon), Girgaon, Mumbai. (opp. Babulnath temple)
Seating: Can hold 42-45 people at tables and 10-15 more at the waiting area(which is an ordeal).
Ambience:
One of the very few things that I was pleased with was the look of the place. The colour schemes, selection of furniture, the heavy cutlery, and the general cleanliness is really good here. The look of the place is somethings that might just tempt you to have a bite here. The place is very pretty looking.
You also will witness a few “Burrp!” certificates, and a couple more Times Food Guide certificates, hung on one of the walls. A few of these certificates go to the extent of awarding Soam with “the best vegetarian food in Mumbai”. I further ask the reader to let your palate be the judge, perhaps you'll not end up agreeing with me on this one by the end of the post.
Food: For me, this place lost out on its more crucial factor: its much hyped food. One might come to a conclusion from my previous posts, and even from our blog description, that we guys are hard-core carnivores. But lets get this point straightened out, I prefer sticking to a motto-If it's good, it's on my plate. I think you have a fair idea where this is going. Yes, Soam is a vegetarian outfit. And I have been to many vegetarian restaurants, and have had a few favourite places too, but Soam, like Swati Snacks, falls in the category-”seemingly homely food served at obnoxious rates”. I was there with four other people and we ordered an array of different dishes, and since then, I can safely say that I have tried every style of food they have to offer, in one visit. We began with the farsaan platter, which included their famous, spinach and paneer samosas. All the elements of the platter, collectively and individually disappointed me. Specially the much hyped samosas, they were filled with spinach alright, but there was no sign of cottage cheese, instead there were specks of Mozzarella, not even ricotta, Mozzarella?! They totally lacked balance of flavours. The rest of the platter was simply bland, and better left avoided. We were quick to jump to the main course. Soam has these compact meals which quantity-wise fit a normal appetite perfectly. So I called for Stuffed Paranthas, which came with a serving of Chole, whose quantity seemed to be mocking me, and some basic salad. You get two options to choose for your stuffed paranthas, mint and paneer, or corn and potato. I chose the latter, while one of the people who had joined me opted for the minty option. Both of these were strictly mediocre. Another person who was with us, called for the “Kand ke Chillay”. No matter how tempting or otherwise it sounds to you, it is not tasteful. She had to resort to some mango pickle to make it takes better. The fourth person called for paneer butter masala with parathas, and never have I been so disappointed with it. The quantity is decent, but I guess, they were having a bad day, when a seemingly soft paneer, turned out to be terribly sour. I wonder, how can a wonderfully set paneer taste so bad? The fifth person who was with us called for the rather daft sounding option of Paav-Bhaaji, which on the contrary was the best thing we had on the table that day. Perhaps, we can't go wrong with Paav-Bhaaji in Mumbai, be it a Gujrathi speciality resto. I almost forgot to mention the drinks we had called for, while two of us chose to order a rather odd sounding “guava panna”, two others called for a “Chaas” and a “lemon and basil punch”. While the chaas was as it should have been, the Panna was superb, very different, very much like a guava slush with some chat-masala in it. The “lemon and basil punch” was a waste of money, and the name was a very snooty attempt to re-christen “nimbu-paani”. It barely had any taste of basil to it, and it was overly sweet. In conclusion the food as a whole was a disappointment , and it ruined the rest of my day.
Presentation: Despite the chic look of the place, they try hard to make the food and the presentation look as bucolic as possible. You are served in Brass plates, that have an old-world appearance to them. Perhaps they belong to the owner's great grand-mother, but don't bother yourself with that.
Accompaniments:You are provided with 4 different types of relishes on your table, and a few more that you will be served are specific to the dish you order. It basically is 2-3 different types of pickles, and the standard coriander-mint chutney. Nothing great.
Service: We went there at peak hours, so I didn't expect the maitre d` to be very hospitable. But even then he seemed a bit commanding towards the patrons as well as the other waiters. But then again, he was kind enough to pickup our used plates when he saw that no other waiter/bus boy was available. The waiters seemed to be in a rush at all times, which gave this otherwise comfortable looking place a very busy air.
Cost: for the entire fair it came up to 1500-1700 rupees for the five of us.
"Worth" factor: In all honesty, there is no secret as to how the food is made here, perhaps your mum makes it better. If your mum doesn't know how to, then make friends with different cultural backgrounds, and do visit their places for traditional food. Places like Soam and Swati Snacks are a lame excuse to promote traditional cuisine, in a “New Avatar”. We don't want food re-incarnated, instead we want good food, and common sense to preserve its value and integrity. There are many small -time joints which do a better job of the mentioned, and they guarantee gratification.
Verdict:
Pros:
1.> Good setting, and very hygienic.
2.>Traditional beverages are good
3.> The quality of the Paav Bhaaji amongst the dishes Soam is much talked about, is surprisingly good.
Cons:
1.>Such food is better eaten at home.
2.>Quality of food is not worth the money spent, at all!
3.>Over the weekend, the place is terribly packed, and filled with a noisy crowd. And there seems to be no end as to where they come from.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Best Pizzas Ever....
..Ok that's a bit biased at my end without tasting everything that is to be tasted. But since an opinion is something which keeps changing, hence 'ever' in this context shouldn't be taken with a grain of salt. Then again, considering the quality of food which is offered by PIZZERIA(or 'Not just Pizza by the Bay' as they call it now), there's a fair chance that my claim will stand true for a long long time. Being the oldest pizza place in the city, it has built up quite a reputation for itself, and for good reason. Everything from the ambiance, location to the quality of food reeks of greatness and the experience isn't one to be missed.
Location usually isn't the best indication of how good a place is. But it does help to create a good initial impression. If its a good place at a bad location, you won't really get your hopes up till you taste the food. So a good location does help to curb some of the skepticism that almost always arises whenever you visit any new place. In this particular case, you'll fall in love the minute you spot it. Located near Churchgate, its at the very end of the road leading towards the seaside from Churchgate station. And if you are a Sobo-ite, and if this is not one of your favorite areas in the city, then you really don't deserve to stay in "Sobo". And the seating is such that you will always face the seaside. So, its one of those rare cases where the location actually adds more to the ambiance than the actual presentation of the place. Easy way out, some might say. But its one those things that you can't complain about. The Ambiance is pretty straight forward; what you might expect out of places serving similar cuisine. But the location adds a lot to it and gives it another dimension. On the downside, if its too sunny, or if the rain gods are a tad too happy, then it can be an issue. Also, though the place can seat around 40-50 people, it does feel a bit cramped.
Now lets get to the food. This is the easy part actually. Its usually easy when everything is good, or nothing is good. And i can happily say that in this case, its the former. I must have tasted almost all the non-veg Pizza's over here and all of them are very, very good. Saying this makes me sad, cause i found all the pizzas to be amazing, but putting it that way sounds too good to be true, so i have to be modest. Its all in the base! In contrast to the other pizza outlets, this is one of the few places which serves the 'sloppy' pizzas. Add to this the delicious sauce they add to the base, and the toppings are just a formality. Also try out all the mocktails. They're awesome. Especially 'Mango Tango' and 'Alice in Wonderland'. Also try the apple pie over here. Its not the best you can find. But its decent. In starters, try the Jalapeno poppers. They're overpriced, but they're praiseworthy. I haven't tried any of the pastas or the veg pizzas. But from what i've heard, they're a mixed bag. So be wary of that while ordering.
The Service is not one of the strong points of this place. While certainly not bad, they're often overwhelmed by the huge crowd at this place. Hence it is very easy to be ignored. But once the order is placed, it doesn't take much time for it to arrive. So patience is the best virtue. The food really is worth it.
A meal for two would cost you rs 600. Completely worth it if you ask me. After 15-16 visits to this place, i am comfortable enough to say that am completely sold. Even though this place is a bit expensive, still its the same as some of the other competing joints such as Pizza hut and Domino's. So it all boils down to taste, which it has nailed perfectly. And all the qualms i have are not enough to deter from the many good things i've experienced. And i really don't mind writing an overly positive review. Because it is served for a place that is actually worth it. And very few places are actually worth such acclaim. And in my opinion Pizzeria is one of them.
So what do you people feel? Does my review hit the right chords with your opinion about this place? Or am i just another plain fanboy who hasn't had the good stuff in life? Comment on this article and let everybody know.
-Mambo
Location usually isn't the best indication of how good a place is. But it does help to create a good initial impression. If its a good place at a bad location, you won't really get your hopes up till you taste the food. So a good location does help to curb some of the skepticism that almost always arises whenever you visit any new place. In this particular case, you'll fall in love the minute you spot it. Located near Churchgate, its at the very end of the road leading towards the seaside from Churchgate station. And if you are a Sobo-ite, and if this is not one of your favorite areas in the city, then you really don't deserve to stay in "Sobo". And the seating is such that you will always face the seaside. So, its one of those rare cases where the location actually adds more to the ambiance than the actual presentation of the place. Easy way out, some might say. But its one those things that you can't complain about. The Ambiance is pretty straight forward; what you might expect out of places serving similar cuisine. But the location adds a lot to it and gives it another dimension. On the downside, if its too sunny, or if the rain gods are a tad too happy, then it can be an issue. Also, though the place can seat around 40-50 people, it does feel a bit cramped.
Now lets get to the food. This is the easy part actually. Its usually easy when everything is good, or nothing is good. And i can happily say that in this case, its the former. I must have tasted almost all the non-veg Pizza's over here and all of them are very, very good. Saying this makes me sad, cause i found all the pizzas to be amazing, but putting it that way sounds too good to be true, so i have to be modest. Its all in the base! In contrast to the other pizza outlets, this is one of the few places which serves the 'sloppy' pizzas. Add to this the delicious sauce they add to the base, and the toppings are just a formality. Also try out all the mocktails. They're awesome. Especially 'Mango Tango' and 'Alice in Wonderland'. Also try the apple pie over here. Its not the best you can find. But its decent. In starters, try the Jalapeno poppers. They're overpriced, but they're praiseworthy. I haven't tried any of the pastas or the veg pizzas. But from what i've heard, they're a mixed bag. So be wary of that while ordering.
The Service is not one of the strong points of this place. While certainly not bad, they're often overwhelmed by the huge crowd at this place. Hence it is very easy to be ignored. But once the order is placed, it doesn't take much time for it to arrive. So patience is the best virtue. The food really is worth it.
A meal for two would cost you rs 600. Completely worth it if you ask me. After 15-16 visits to this place, i am comfortable enough to say that am completely sold. Even though this place is a bit expensive, still its the same as some of the other competing joints such as Pizza hut and Domino's. So it all boils down to taste, which it has nailed perfectly. And all the qualms i have are not enough to deter from the many good things i've experienced. And i really don't mind writing an overly positive review. Because it is served for a place that is actually worth it. And very few places are actually worth such acclaim. And in my opinion Pizzeria is one of them.
So what do you people feel? Does my review hit the right chords with your opinion about this place? Or am i just another plain fanboy who hasn't had the good stuff in life? Comment on this article and let everybody know.
-Mambo
Monday, June 6, 2011
An Ode to an Old Friend.....
All this time, we had been writing about different places that we had visited, and breaking down food to the last fragment with our critique. For this one though, I was compelled to pay homage to an art form(I find calling it “cuisine” pretty insulting), that has satiated us over many year, with it being one of the very few styles that constantly has had something new to offer to us. Quite a few will beg to differ to the following statement but, its as Indian as it can be. I wish to honour the flamboyant and ever bold art of Indianised-Chinese food.
All of us have Fried rice and Manchurian(chicken/veg/paneer/gobi is up to you) a good deal of times in our yet small life. Many versions of these delicacies and more, have intrigued us and appalled us simultaneously. But there certainly is something about this mode of preparation that keeps us going back more and more. Some say its the MSGs, maybe that is the case, but I think ajinomoto just helps and that's it. My acquaintance with “punjabi-chinese” goes back many years. My earliest memories of watching a guy doing acrobatics with a wok whilst tossing and catching rice/noodles in it, as the shades of the contents of the wok kept changing from something subtle to something angry in a matter of seconds, surprised me which rather made me curious about glowing red rice(its a story, so it can glow), this dates perhaps of when I was a mere toddler. But ever since that first morsel of schezwan rice(not szechuan), the first bite of that Chicken Chilly and the sip of the Manchow soup, I haven't looked back.
Constantly on the prowl for anything new these guys who we all are certain have not been in any tangible proximity of china, have to dish out, I have come across a wide hilarious, obnoxious and amazing variety of things in this so called exploration. Almost every six months there is something new on the menu of these places, with references to places to which the dishes might belong to, like KOREN CHICKEN, MALESIAN CHICKEN, SINGAPUR CHICKEN. Mind you the mistakes in the names are deliberate to emphasise on the fact that the names do not matter, they are there just to provide entertainment, unintentional though. Even though the tentative certainty says that the guy making is not even remotely aware of the food of the region, he does manage to pull of something really interesting, sometimes just ugly. This had made us wonder on many occasions”i wonder if I 'll get this in singapore”. Even though the probability of that happening is negligible, I'm amazed as the number of things a local chinese chef can make out of the same raw-materials, are infinitesimal.
Although I have eaten at many places, enough to be unaccountable, there are certain places and their dishes that do stand out for good as well as bad reasons:
1. Mamamia's has quintessentially been a pizza place, but their venture into the chinese domain has been a decent success. I strongly recommend the “Mama's special rice”, which will seem exactly like the ever popular”triple schezwan rice”, but some magic ingredient/s makes it taste particularly and surprisingly different.
2. 5Spice and Gypsy are two places that have completely blown my brain. These are the still upscale chinese restaurants, which subtly claim that they are authentic, with either the waiters that seem indigenous to china or the some really fancy names for their dishes. But even then I can't but be in awe for the meals offered. Out of these gypsy remains to be my favourites, where I could go gaga over the condiments and the main course alike. 5Spice scores with exceptionally good quantity and decent food at a yet nominal charge.
3. Gulshan/Snowpoint is a good place for chinese eatables, but I think the chef is very moody. One can be certain about most of the things ordered there(try crispy chicken, and the rice+gravy combos), but one ghastly experience when I had ordered for “stewed rice”(or something like that), which when was on the table looked really weird. It was bland, thats that! But the look of it was quite amusing at first, then it didn't seem just right. The sauce, not very remotely resembled some kind of an ejaculant. Imagine wiping your lips and chin after that!
4. This was a more recent event at Noorani. I had been there with two other friends, craving for “crispy chicken”. Noorani which otherwise has a reputation of dolling out decent chinese foods in generous quantities at nominal rates, presented us with the most uncanny crispy chicken. We generally have an understanding that crispy chicken is when shredded chicken is batter fried and served after being tossed in a red tangy-spicy sauce. What we got was quite funny, it was deep fried chicken in a green batter, which gave it the look of a herbivores' turd. This was served with cucumber dip(?) which just didn't go well, and it looked more like slime. Never again!
5. This was at a very small shady place in Malwan. I had been there with two other cousins of mine, one of whom was a local. When he placed the order for a Chilly Chicken, he told the guy to put more noodles. I didn't ask, the wait was worth it. It was the normal chilly chicken, only with fried noodles in it, lots of them. The sauce was just laced to it, to give it that perfect consistency and bind. Superb is a small word for that experience.
These instances talk about a miniscule fraction of what I have experienced over a decade and a half. But these restaurants are always out there to top themselves, in either the good food category or about being simply outrageous. Nonetheless we are always welcome to such things, because I strongly feel that indians are very open-minded about treating culinary skills as art forms.
There is something about indian-chinese cuisine that makes it so indian, but with an outsider's appearance. Even then it has gracefully transcended in our lives, and we have accepted it like we do with our blood relatives. We have let it grow, and have made use of it on more than many occasions, mostly to our convenience owing to its flexible nature. And we further watch it spread, rather flourish. I always thought of it to be the indian version of soul-food, with a little foreign inspiration, for it captured the very essence of soul food: the requirements for this cuisine are minimalistic, the portions are gigantic, the ingredients are cheap and local, the meals are far from being considered bland, texture-less, tasteless and insipid, and lastly it has always satiated you, and it always will.
Now every vada-paav wala has “chinese bhajji”, jumbo king has “shezwaan chutney”, and a chinese bhel stall outside every western railway station. Who knows what can be excepted in the future, perhaps idlis dipped in hot-n-sour soup....we'll never know, and then we will.
-Gabo(Gaurang)
All of us have Fried rice and Manchurian(chicken/veg/paneer/gobi is up to you) a good deal of times in our yet small life. Many versions of these delicacies and more, have intrigued us and appalled us simultaneously. But there certainly is something about this mode of preparation that keeps us going back more and more. Some say its the MSGs, maybe that is the case, but I think ajinomoto just helps and that's it. My acquaintance with “punjabi-chinese” goes back many years. My earliest memories of watching a guy doing acrobatics with a wok whilst tossing and catching rice/noodles in it, as the shades of the contents of the wok kept changing from something subtle to something angry in a matter of seconds, surprised me which rather made me curious about glowing red rice(its a story, so it can glow), this dates perhaps of when I was a mere toddler. But ever since that first morsel of schezwan rice(not szechuan), the first bite of that Chicken Chilly and the sip of the Manchow soup, I haven't looked back.
Constantly on the prowl for anything new these guys who we all are certain have not been in any tangible proximity of china, have to dish out, I have come across a wide hilarious, obnoxious and amazing variety of things in this so called exploration. Almost every six months there is something new on the menu of these places, with references to places to which the dishes might belong to, like KOREN CHICKEN, MALESIAN CHICKEN, SINGAPUR CHICKEN. Mind you the mistakes in the names are deliberate to emphasise on the fact that the names do not matter, they are there just to provide entertainment, unintentional though. Even though the tentative certainty says that the guy making is not even remotely aware of the food of the region, he does manage to pull of something really interesting, sometimes just ugly. This had made us wonder on many occasions”i wonder if I 'll get this in singapore”. Even though the probability of that happening is negligible, I'm amazed as the number of things a local chinese chef can make out of the same raw-materials, are infinitesimal.
Although I have eaten at many places, enough to be unaccountable, there are certain places and their dishes that do stand out for good as well as bad reasons:
1. Mamamia's has quintessentially been a pizza place, but their venture into the chinese domain has been a decent success. I strongly recommend the “Mama's special rice”, which will seem exactly like the ever popular”triple schezwan rice”, but some magic ingredient/s makes it taste particularly and surprisingly different.
2. 5Spice and Gypsy are two places that have completely blown my brain. These are the still upscale chinese restaurants, which subtly claim that they are authentic, with either the waiters that seem indigenous to china or the some really fancy names for their dishes. But even then I can't but be in awe for the meals offered. Out of these gypsy remains to be my favourites, where I could go gaga over the condiments and the main course alike. 5Spice scores with exceptionally good quantity and decent food at a yet nominal charge.
3. Gulshan/Snowpoint is a good place for chinese eatables, but I think the chef is very moody. One can be certain about most of the things ordered there(try crispy chicken, and the rice+gravy combos), but one ghastly experience when I had ordered for “stewed rice”(or something like that), which when was on the table looked really weird. It was bland, thats that! But the look of it was quite amusing at first, then it didn't seem just right. The sauce, not very remotely resembled some kind of an ejaculant. Imagine wiping your lips and chin after that!
4. This was a more recent event at Noorani. I had been there with two other friends, craving for “crispy chicken”. Noorani which otherwise has a reputation of dolling out decent chinese foods in generous quantities at nominal rates, presented us with the most uncanny crispy chicken. We generally have an understanding that crispy chicken is when shredded chicken is batter fried and served after being tossed in a red tangy-spicy sauce. What we got was quite funny, it was deep fried chicken in a green batter, which gave it the look of a herbivores' turd. This was served with cucumber dip(?) which just didn't go well, and it looked more like slime. Never again!
5. This was at a very small shady place in Malwan. I had been there with two other cousins of mine, one of whom was a local. When he placed the order for a Chilly Chicken, he told the guy to put more noodles. I didn't ask, the wait was worth it. It was the normal chilly chicken, only with fried noodles in it, lots of them. The sauce was just laced to it, to give it that perfect consistency and bind. Superb is a small word for that experience.
These instances talk about a miniscule fraction of what I have experienced over a decade and a half. But these restaurants are always out there to top themselves, in either the good food category or about being simply outrageous. Nonetheless we are always welcome to such things, because I strongly feel that indians are very open-minded about treating culinary skills as art forms.
There is something about indian-chinese cuisine that makes it so indian, but with an outsider's appearance. Even then it has gracefully transcended in our lives, and we have accepted it like we do with our blood relatives. We have let it grow, and have made use of it on more than many occasions, mostly to our convenience owing to its flexible nature. And we further watch it spread, rather flourish. I always thought of it to be the indian version of soul-food, with a little foreign inspiration, for it captured the very essence of soul food: the requirements for this cuisine are minimalistic, the portions are gigantic, the ingredients are cheap and local, the meals are far from being considered bland, texture-less, tasteless and insipid, and lastly it has always satiated you, and it always will.
Now every vada-paav wala has “chinese bhajji”, jumbo king has “shezwaan chutney”, and a chinese bhel stall outside every western railway station. Who knows what can be excepted in the future, perhaps idlis dipped in hot-n-sour soup....we'll never know, and then we will.
-Gabo(Gaurang)
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Sandwich Meals
Place: Bembos - The South American Grill
Location: Opp. Indian Bank, S. V. Road, Bandra (W).
Seating: Accommodates 15-20 smoking and non-smoking crowd separately. I strongly suggest sitting in the non-smoking zone, for its air-conditioning and availability of adjustable tables and booths. Smokers can sit in a separate area near the entrance, but again sit there only if the other area is full, or if S.V. Road isn't providing you ample smoke to satisfy your needs.
Ambience:
There is a two part description to this one, with reference to the Seating and a few other constraints:
Non-smoking Area: Certainly the better place to get yourself seated, but strictly from the hygiene P.O.V. But its a confused arrangement otherwise. The attempt to take the metropolitan-coffee-shop-interiors concept, really bothered me. To make things clear, it has different and loud colours(perhaps to point out the South American bit in its name) which I found pointless and confusing at points, circular tables don't quite justify the size and shape of the rectangular food trays, and chairs with narrow seating are not apt for the people who come over there, seriously, if you are a big person, get a booth. There is a radio station on at all times here, and a TV at another end playing music videos with no sound, which again can be a bit comical. Not all the time are the tables clean, have seen flies in the AC section too many times(not an alarming number though), and tables are often sticky because of spilled cola.
Smoking Area: If you thought that the description of the Non-smoking area was not great, then the smoking area is simply a disappointment. The location is not in the cleanest of places, the smoking area is pretty much open except for a collapsable shed. It is adjacent to S.V. Road, near a traffic signal, so pretty much all different types of vehicles are blowing into your food at the same time. This area for the similar reason concludes to be relatively neglected if cleanliness is considered.
Other than all the negatives mentioned, the place is awkwardly comfortable, so it wont be that bad a first visit for one, on the contrary it will be quite pleasant, and there are other things to this place that would make you visit it on multiple occasions and perhaps even recommend it to others. Pretty much ideal for the college crowd flowing out of the institutions in the vicinity.
Food: This place serves a potpourri of burgers, for both vegetarians and otherwise(chicken and lamb) and also chicken and lamb steaks. Non-vegetarian's can rejoice for its almost plethoric amount of chicken and lamb burger varieties and these are available in regular and large sizes. Further, you can jazz your burger up with cheese or a fried egg(charges extra). Having visited this place many times I can safely say that I have tried almost every grilled chicken breast burger variant here, where the hawaiian version with pineapple discs in it remains one of my favourites till today, maybe i'm a sucker for the chicken and pineapple combination. They also have the relatively economical chicken burgers(crispy chicken patty they say) which are good, but I personally find them equivalent to those pre-breaded you get out a deep-freezer. My advice, go for the grilled chicken breast burgers, they are exceptional. Now, describing the lamb burgers gets me salivating. People loving red meat should, no must try the “Argentina”(burger name). I honestly don't know if such burgers are indigenous to its namesake country, but certainly one should not care about such trivia when the burgers are that good. I was happy that it really was lamb and not mutton, that is a general obfuscation. The cut of the lamb is pretty lean and well done, and very tender and juicy. At least the food here is hygienic, preparation-wise too. Thankfully all the burgers here have a distinctly independent tastes, textures and flavour, and they are sufficiently large in size, so for any normal appetite a regular burger and fries can be a meal. But for people with monstrous gastroesophageal/gastroduodenal capacity, try different burgers and make them large!
Another thing, they provide not just unlimited ketchup, but also mayonnaise, so those cribbing about your favourite burger joint not providing you enough condiments, Bembos doesn't let you complain about that and a lot more.
I don't know which is the best place for such sandwiches in the city, but for now, i'd like to keep that fanciful title held for Bembos.
Presentation: Not much to talk about here. Most of us have been to places standardised like McDonald's, and this one is not too different. Only difference is that whatever you order is made after you place your order. Its all served in paper wraps on food trays we are all familiar with.
Accompaniments: Accompaniments served include fries, cola(and the soda variants) and a soft-serve sundaes. The fries are in different sizes, so are the sodas. Sundaes can be found in different flavours there, but they don't update this section so much. They might have taken a few items off the list. All of these plus the extra cheese and/or the fried egg are charged separately.
Service: Self-service. You are informed when your order is ready via intercom, or otherwise err..shouting out(not professional).The people working there certainly seem like they would desperately need something that would cheer them. As I had mentioned in one of my previous posts, “A smile goes a long way”.
Cost: The last time I went there was with three other people, we ordered 3 large and one regular burger(all non-vegetarian), one serving of fries and three colas and all this was for not more than Rs.530, maybe lesser than that .
"Worth" factor: Certainly worth the visit. The place is deserted mostly, so there is virtually no queue. If u can put up with the staff, get a spot in one of the booth, and not careless about the music and the muted television, then this place is certainly worth it.(Word of Advice: Visit with a group of friends, otherwise this place can give you the gloomy vibes.)
Verdict:
Pros:
1.> Good food, with bang on flavours.
2.>Generous portions with free unlimited condiments.
3.> Good quality of meat cuts.
4.> Very reasonable rates and decent accompaniments.
Cons:
1.>Utterly bored staff, can be hostile at times. Get your anger management done before coming here.
2.>As hygienic as any other popular fast-food joint in the non-smoking section. The smoking section can just be avoided.
3.>People who bother themselves with ambience will be left confused by how the place is done.
-Gabo(Gaurang).
Location: Opp. Indian Bank, S. V. Road, Bandra (W).
Seating: Accommodates 15-20 smoking and non-smoking crowd separately. I strongly suggest sitting in the non-smoking zone, for its air-conditioning and availability of adjustable tables and booths. Smokers can sit in a separate area near the entrance, but again sit there only if the other area is full, or if S.V. Road isn't providing you ample smoke to satisfy your needs.
Ambience:
There is a two part description to this one, with reference to the Seating and a few other constraints:
Non-smoking Area: Certainly the better place to get yourself seated, but strictly from the hygiene P.O.V. But its a confused arrangement otherwise. The attempt to take the metropolitan-coffee-shop-interiors concept, really bothered me. To make things clear, it has different and loud colours(perhaps to point out the South American bit in its name) which I found pointless and confusing at points, circular tables don't quite justify the size and shape of the rectangular food trays, and chairs with narrow seating are not apt for the people who come over there, seriously, if you are a big person, get a booth. There is a radio station on at all times here, and a TV at another end playing music videos with no sound, which again can be a bit comical. Not all the time are the tables clean, have seen flies in the AC section too many times(not an alarming number though), and tables are often sticky because of spilled cola.
Smoking Area: If you thought that the description of the Non-smoking area was not great, then the smoking area is simply a disappointment. The location is not in the cleanest of places, the smoking area is pretty much open except for a collapsable shed. It is adjacent to S.V. Road, near a traffic signal, so pretty much all different types of vehicles are blowing into your food at the same time. This area for the similar reason concludes to be relatively neglected if cleanliness is considered.
Other than all the negatives mentioned, the place is awkwardly comfortable, so it wont be that bad a first visit for one, on the contrary it will be quite pleasant, and there are other things to this place that would make you visit it on multiple occasions and perhaps even recommend it to others. Pretty much ideal for the college crowd flowing out of the institutions in the vicinity.
Food: This place serves a potpourri of burgers, for both vegetarians and otherwise(chicken and lamb) and also chicken and lamb steaks. Non-vegetarian's can rejoice for its almost plethoric amount of chicken and lamb burger varieties and these are available in regular and large sizes. Further, you can jazz your burger up with cheese or a fried egg(charges extra). Having visited this place many times I can safely say that I have tried almost every grilled chicken breast burger variant here, where the hawaiian version with pineapple discs in it remains one of my favourites till today, maybe i'm a sucker for the chicken and pineapple combination. They also have the relatively economical chicken burgers(crispy chicken patty they say) which are good, but I personally find them equivalent to those pre-breaded you get out a deep-freezer. My advice, go for the grilled chicken breast burgers, they are exceptional. Now, describing the lamb burgers gets me salivating. People loving red meat should, no must try the “Argentina”(burger name). I honestly don't know if such burgers are indigenous to its namesake country, but certainly one should not care about such trivia when the burgers are that good. I was happy that it really was lamb and not mutton, that is a general obfuscation. The cut of the lamb is pretty lean and well done, and very tender and juicy. At least the food here is hygienic, preparation-wise too. Thankfully all the burgers here have a distinctly independent tastes, textures and flavour, and they are sufficiently large in size, so for any normal appetite a regular burger and fries can be a meal. But for people with monstrous gastroesophageal/gastroduodenal capacity, try different burgers and make them large!
Another thing, they provide not just unlimited ketchup, but also mayonnaise, so those cribbing about your favourite burger joint not providing you enough condiments, Bembos doesn't let you complain about that and a lot more.
I don't know which is the best place for such sandwiches in the city, but for now, i'd like to keep that fanciful title held for Bembos.
Presentation: Not much to talk about here. Most of us have been to places standardised like McDonald's, and this one is not too different. Only difference is that whatever you order is made after you place your order. Its all served in paper wraps on food trays we are all familiar with.
Accompaniments: Accompaniments served include fries, cola(and the soda variants) and a soft-serve sundaes. The fries are in different sizes, so are the sodas. Sundaes can be found in different flavours there, but they don't update this section so much. They might have taken a few items off the list. All of these plus the extra cheese and/or the fried egg are charged separately.
Service: Self-service. You are informed when your order is ready via intercom, or otherwise err..shouting out(not professional).The people working there certainly seem like they would desperately need something that would cheer them. As I had mentioned in one of my previous posts, “A smile goes a long way”.
Cost: The last time I went there was with three other people, we ordered 3 large and one regular burger(all non-vegetarian), one serving of fries and three colas and all this was for not more than Rs.530, maybe lesser than that .
"Worth" factor: Certainly worth the visit. The place is deserted mostly, so there is virtually no queue. If u can put up with the staff, get a spot in one of the booth, and not careless about the music and the muted television, then this place is certainly worth it.(Word of Advice: Visit with a group of friends, otherwise this place can give you the gloomy vibes.)
Verdict:
Pros:
1.> Good food, with bang on flavours.
2.>Generous portions with free unlimited condiments.
3.> Good quality of meat cuts.
4.> Very reasonable rates and decent accompaniments.
Cons:
1.>Utterly bored staff, can be hostile at times. Get your anger management done before coming here.
2.>As hygienic as any other popular fast-food joint in the non-smoking section. The smoking section can just be avoided.
3.>People who bother themselves with ambience will be left confused by how the place is done.
-Gabo(Gaurang).
Saturday, April 16, 2011
A reason worth going to matunga for....
Thats what Gulshan is. This place has been there for i don't know how long, but it has made a very nice reputation for itself, especially among the college crowd of Welingkars and Ruia. A very down to earth place with reasonable prices and great food. What more could one ask for? Its located right besides Welingkars college and is at a walking distance from both dadar and matunga(central) stations.
There is nothing special about the ambiance of this place, but theres nothing bad about it either. If anything i would say it feels a bit cramped up. They've tried to fit in more seats than they can accommodate, and although in the end they've been able to fit the 10 extra people, it all feels a bit squeezed up and uncomfortable. The waiters are generally helpful but some of them might(and at least one of them will) turn hostile every once in a while. And some of them do have attention deficiency. The last time i visited this place, there were times that i had to place my order twice or the waiter got something totally different than what i had ordered. In general the food doesn't take much time to arrive, but if you're ordering chinese it might take a while. So be wary of that if you go there after fasting for a month ;)
As far as food goes, i don't have many complaints about this place. Not that i don't have any complaints, they're just not that many compared to the other aspects of this place. Most of the stuff that you get here can range from decent to very good, and only if you order something really weird(like the chicken stew rice gabo ordered), then you might be disappointed. The chinese that you get at this place is really good. Try the gulshan special, or any of the triple rice varieties. In particular try the triple rice with roasted chicken. Its delectable. Don't try the crispy chicken, and if you've had this before, then this goes out specially to you. Don't try it. They've turned a good dish into a very bad one. Its less chicken and more about the crispy coating. Maybe they took the wrong leaf out of KFC's book(of wrong leaves. That place cannot get anything right). The real hero of this place is the kheema pav. Every place has that one special dish which is the main selling factor for that place. For Gulshan, its their kheema pav. You can get much better chinese elsewhere, but the kheema pav doesn't have that many rivals. For 120 bucks, You get a handi full of kheema and 4 pavs and you're set for the day. The only bad thing about it is that its really oily. But given the awesome taste, thats excusable. Other dishes include biryanis, sandwiches, moghlai dishes and desserts. All of them are pretty decent and except for a few disappointing ones, non of then will leave you dissatisfied.
Overall i would say its one of my favorite joints to hang out with friends. The ambiance is decent. The prices are reasonable. And the food is great. If you're in a college, then theres no better place to have right besides the college building. And i really envy the welingkar and ruia crowd for that. If you ever happen to be in matunga for any reason, and if you're stomach isn't packed to the brim with food, then i would highly recommend going to this place. If nothing, parcel a handi of kheema pav and feast on it whenever you're hungry. Its totally worth it.
-Mambo
There is nothing special about the ambiance of this place, but theres nothing bad about it either. If anything i would say it feels a bit cramped up. They've tried to fit in more seats than they can accommodate, and although in the end they've been able to fit the 10 extra people, it all feels a bit squeezed up and uncomfortable. The waiters are generally helpful but some of them might(and at least one of them will) turn hostile every once in a while. And some of them do have attention deficiency. The last time i visited this place, there were times that i had to place my order twice or the waiter got something totally different than what i had ordered. In general the food doesn't take much time to arrive, but if you're ordering chinese it might take a while. So be wary of that if you go there after fasting for a month ;)
As far as food goes, i don't have many complaints about this place. Not that i don't have any complaints, they're just not that many compared to the other aspects of this place. Most of the stuff that you get here can range from decent to very good, and only if you order something really weird(like the chicken stew rice gabo ordered), then you might be disappointed. The chinese that you get at this place is really good. Try the gulshan special, or any of the triple rice varieties. In particular try the triple rice with roasted chicken. Its delectable. Don't try the crispy chicken, and if you've had this before, then this goes out specially to you. Don't try it. They've turned a good dish into a very bad one. Its less chicken and more about the crispy coating. Maybe they took the wrong leaf out of KFC's book(of wrong leaves. That place cannot get anything right). The real hero of this place is the kheema pav. Every place has that one special dish which is the main selling factor for that place. For Gulshan, its their kheema pav. You can get much better chinese elsewhere, but the kheema pav doesn't have that many rivals. For 120 bucks, You get a handi full of kheema and 4 pavs and you're set for the day. The only bad thing about it is that its really oily. But given the awesome taste, thats excusable. Other dishes include biryanis, sandwiches, moghlai dishes and desserts. All of them are pretty decent and except for a few disappointing ones, non of then will leave you dissatisfied.
Overall i would say its one of my favorite joints to hang out with friends. The ambiance is decent. The prices are reasonable. And the food is great. If you're in a college, then theres no better place to have right besides the college building. And i really envy the welingkar and ruia crowd for that. If you ever happen to be in matunga for any reason, and if you're stomach isn't packed to the brim with food, then i would highly recommend going to this place. If nothing, parcel a handi of kheema pav and feast on it whenever you're hungry. Its totally worth it.
-Mambo
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Seekh Kebaba
Place: Babubhai’s Seekh and Paratha’s
Location: Tardeo area, near Rusy Mehta Chowk, Arabgulli.
Seating: On a busy night can seat maximum 35-40 people.
Ambience:
A: There is nothing as what you would like to call ‘Ambience’ at this place. It is an epitome of ’Shady’ for a food joint. A rusty old place, with chipped paint who seems past its glory days at the turn of the century. Their motto is to just serve you the cheapest and the best (at that price) seekh and paratha. For a shady place they seem quite hygienic, as I have never fallen sick after eating there. The sigdi (barbecue) is located outside joint, but is covered, they serve the food in stainless steel plates which are clean (I checked).
R: The ambience is a mess. The place is outright dirty, to the point that anyone who expects even a very basic level of cleanliness from a place will refrain from eating here. The tables are dirty, the place is dirty and no one bothers to clean it every once in a while. Also the waiters serve chatni in a mug one would use to take a bath, which is frankly a bit disgusting and a huge turn off.
G: I have been to some really nasty places to eat, for never has the look of a place attracted me, rather I depend on word of mouth, or where my nose takes me. But even for the ones who are tolerant enough, I would not recommend this place for its location, crowd, seating, hygiene and well almost everything, but take-away.
Food:
A: It once served a variety of grilled and barbecued preparations but those days are history now. Since the last 10 years they have been what we would call, a specialty restaurant, as they serve only seekh and paratha’s now.
The first thing I want to inform you all is, they ONLY serve beef seekhs. The mince they use is awesome, it has a proper amount of fat and grind to a level that it just disintegrates in your mouth. The flavor is very simple and consistent like a basic kheema (minced beef preparation). The seekhs are al dente which bodes well for the lack of hygiene. In our last visit though, the beef was pretty lean and hence resulted in drier seekhs than usual.
The seekhs are served with the paratha, a deep fried roti made of maida (flour). Don’t get turned off by the ‘deep fried’, the parathas are not at all oily or too much fatty. They are rich and very crisp.
R: All you get at this place is seekh kebabs with paratha, and its well worth it. I've been to this place around 4 times, and barring the last time, my experience at this place has been simply sublime. The seekh kebabs are well marinated, well cooked, and go very well with the paratha. The paratha by itself it nice and crispy.Although i must say i was a bit disappointed with the kebabs the last time i went there. Not that this hampered the experience though.
G:This is a speciality place, they serve beef seekh-kebabs and parathas, and nothing more. Out of my many visits here, the last one was the first time I got kebabs which were dry. The flavors were spot-on, it used to be one of my favorite joints for seekh-paratha, but I guess we'll have to stick to “you are as good as your last performance” policy. Maybe, a little more fat would have given the seekh a different dimension all together, overly lean mince meat is not all that good, or perhaps all the fat got wasted on the charcoal . The paratha is typically a white-flour paratha, deep-fried in dalda(weight watchers, stay away). The combo used to be a winner, but its a pity that the quality of the seekh kebab refrains me from complimenting its past glory. Despite the criticism, we ended up having a quick snack of two parathas and two plates of seekh each with a half liter bottle of cola in the middle.
Presentation: The place is made so as to cater to people who find eating meat luxurious, hence its cheap, and works little on how the plate, or even how the food is to look to the consumer once presented. The guy attending to your table will provide you 3 quarter plates, one for the paratha, one for seekh kebabs, and one for the relish. Also if you want to avoid getting turned off about the food, even before it is served, avoid looking at the way you are served the mint chutney, and from where.
Accompaniments:
A: This is served at side of sliced onions with a watery green chutney and bunch of mint. The way they serve that mint though might make u feel like cattle(made me feel that way). None the less it compliments the dish very well.
R: Along with the kebabs and paratha, they also give you a very generous serving of chatni and pudina leaves which complement the kebabs perfectly.
G: Every visitor is provided with a plate of relish, which is a generous quantity of sliced onions with a runny mint chutney poured on top of the heap. Also we are provided with chillies, lemon wedges, and a bunch of mint leaves.
Service:
A:The service is quick, since there are no other items on the menu. Once you sit on the table, a plate of onions and the watery chutney (in a mug) are served to you. The order takes somewhere between 5 – 10 minutes to reach your table. The only issue anyone would face is the hygiene.
R:The service is pretty good. When the food ordered by you arrives at your table within five minutes, you know the service is upto the task. They should really clean the place once in a while though. The tables are never clean, and the place is always dirty. Its understood that you're in a bad area and your target crowd is different, but that does not justify not trying to keep your restaurant clean.
G:Its rapid, even before you place your order, the waiter knows exactly what you want, so we just have to do our part of getting ourselves seated, everything else works like a machine.
Cost:
2 pieces of seekhs in a plate and paratha cost you 21 bucks.
"Worth" factor:
A:The worth factor is the value for money and the taste of the seekhs. 2 pieces of seekhs in a plate and paratha cost you 21 bucks. Yes, it will cost you just that.
R:Totally worth it, that is, if you're ready to completely overlook the lack of cleanliness and absence of any kind of ambience. One the money side, its very light on the wallet and is worth every penny you spend and then some.
G: For the money spent, I felt it was well worth it, the food was tasteful, and service was fast, only thing is that this one visit was a little disappointing for me, for I have had much better seekh kebabs at the same place.
Verdict:
Pros:
A:
1.>Value for money.
2.>Delicious seekhs.
R:
1.>Great food
2.>value for moneyR:
G:
1.> Cheap, ultra-affordable food.
2.> The food is good, just that this had been one bad experience, but I have been here too many times to strike this off my places to visit, clinging on to a thread of hope that it will be much better, the kebabs, will have the same texture, same melt in mouth quality that they always had.
Cons:
A:
1.>Cleanliness and basic hygiene.
2.>The first timers may have a hard time finding the joint.
R:
1.>dirty as hell
2.>no ambience whatsoever
G:
1.> A big NO!! for the people who are even slightly conscious about appearance, presentation and hygiene.(emphasis on this point)
2.> This place is best enjoyed with an open mind, but the issue is the magnitude of open-mindedness needed to digest this experience might be collosal.
P.S.:
A: I will really suggest take out to people with weak stomachs. But overall it is really worth a visit. You wont find that good a seekh at that price anywhere in the town.
Location: Tardeo area, near Rusy Mehta Chowk, Arabgulli.
Seating: On a busy night can seat maximum 35-40 people.
Ambience:
A: There is nothing as what you would like to call ‘Ambience’ at this place. It is an epitome of ’Shady’ for a food joint. A rusty old place, with chipped paint who seems past its glory days at the turn of the century. Their motto is to just serve you the cheapest and the best (at that price) seekh and paratha. For a shady place they seem quite hygienic, as I have never fallen sick after eating there. The sigdi (barbecue) is located outside joint, but is covered, they serve the food in stainless steel plates which are clean (I checked).
R: The ambience is a mess. The place is outright dirty, to the point that anyone who expects even a very basic level of cleanliness from a place will refrain from eating here. The tables are dirty, the place is dirty and no one bothers to clean it every once in a while. Also the waiters serve chatni in a mug one would use to take a bath, which is frankly a bit disgusting and a huge turn off.
G: I have been to some really nasty places to eat, for never has the look of a place attracted me, rather I depend on word of mouth, or where my nose takes me. But even for the ones who are tolerant enough, I would not recommend this place for its location, crowd, seating, hygiene and well almost everything, but take-away.
Food:
A: It once served a variety of grilled and barbecued preparations but those days are history now. Since the last 10 years they have been what we would call, a specialty restaurant, as they serve only seekh and paratha’s now.
The first thing I want to inform you all is, they ONLY serve beef seekhs. The mince they use is awesome, it has a proper amount of fat and grind to a level that it just disintegrates in your mouth. The flavor is very simple and consistent like a basic kheema (minced beef preparation). The seekhs are al dente which bodes well for the lack of hygiene. In our last visit though, the beef was pretty lean and hence resulted in drier seekhs than usual.
The seekhs are served with the paratha, a deep fried roti made of maida (flour). Don’t get turned off by the ‘deep fried’, the parathas are not at all oily or too much fatty. They are rich and very crisp.
R: All you get at this place is seekh kebabs with paratha, and its well worth it. I've been to this place around 4 times, and barring the last time, my experience at this place has been simply sublime. The seekh kebabs are well marinated, well cooked, and go very well with the paratha. The paratha by itself it nice and crispy.Although i must say i was a bit disappointed with the kebabs the last time i went there. Not that this hampered the experience though.
G:This is a speciality place, they serve beef seekh-kebabs and parathas, and nothing more. Out of my many visits here, the last one was the first time I got kebabs which were dry. The flavors were spot-on, it used to be one of my favorite joints for seekh-paratha, but I guess we'll have to stick to “you are as good as your last performance” policy. Maybe, a little more fat would have given the seekh a different dimension all together, overly lean mince meat is not all that good, or perhaps all the fat got wasted on the charcoal . The paratha is typically a white-flour paratha, deep-fried in dalda(weight watchers, stay away). The combo used to be a winner, but its a pity that the quality of the seekh kebab refrains me from complimenting its past glory. Despite the criticism, we ended up having a quick snack of two parathas and two plates of seekh each with a half liter bottle of cola in the middle.
Presentation: The place is made so as to cater to people who find eating meat luxurious, hence its cheap, and works little on how the plate, or even how the food is to look to the consumer once presented. The guy attending to your table will provide you 3 quarter plates, one for the paratha, one for seekh kebabs, and one for the relish. Also if you want to avoid getting turned off about the food, even before it is served, avoid looking at the way you are served the mint chutney, and from where.
Accompaniments:
A: This is served at side of sliced onions with a watery green chutney and bunch of mint. The way they serve that mint though might make u feel like cattle(made me feel that way). None the less it compliments the dish very well.
R: Along with the kebabs and paratha, they also give you a very generous serving of chatni and pudina leaves which complement the kebabs perfectly.
G: Every visitor is provided with a plate of relish, which is a generous quantity of sliced onions with a runny mint chutney poured on top of the heap. Also we are provided with chillies, lemon wedges, and a bunch of mint leaves.
Service:
A:The service is quick, since there are no other items on the menu. Once you sit on the table, a plate of onions and the watery chutney (in a mug) are served to you. The order takes somewhere between 5 – 10 minutes to reach your table. The only issue anyone would face is the hygiene.
R:The service is pretty good. When the food ordered by you arrives at your table within five minutes, you know the service is upto the task. They should really clean the place once in a while though. The tables are never clean, and the place is always dirty. Its understood that you're in a bad area and your target crowd is different, but that does not justify not trying to keep your restaurant clean.
G:Its rapid, even before you place your order, the waiter knows exactly what you want, so we just have to do our part of getting ourselves seated, everything else works like a machine.
Cost:
2 pieces of seekhs in a plate and paratha cost you 21 bucks.
"Worth" factor:
A:The worth factor is the value for money and the taste of the seekhs. 2 pieces of seekhs in a plate and paratha cost you 21 bucks. Yes, it will cost you just that.
R:Totally worth it, that is, if you're ready to completely overlook the lack of cleanliness and absence of any kind of ambience. One the money side, its very light on the wallet and is worth every penny you spend and then some.
G: For the money spent, I felt it was well worth it, the food was tasteful, and service was fast, only thing is that this one visit was a little disappointing for me, for I have had much better seekh kebabs at the same place.
Verdict:
Pros:
A:
1.>Value for money.
2.>Delicious seekhs.
R:
1.>Great food
2.>value for moneyR:
G:
1.> Cheap, ultra-affordable food.
2.> The food is good, just that this had been one bad experience, but I have been here too many times to strike this off my places to visit, clinging on to a thread of hope that it will be much better, the kebabs, will have the same texture, same melt in mouth quality that they always had.
Cons:
A:
1.>Cleanliness and basic hygiene.
2.>The first timers may have a hard time finding the joint.
R:
1.>dirty as hell
2.>no ambience whatsoever
G:
1.> A big NO!! for the people who are even slightly conscious about appearance, presentation and hygiene.(emphasis on this point)
2.> This place is best enjoyed with an open mind, but the issue is the magnitude of open-mindedness needed to digest this experience might be collosal.
P.S.:
A: I will really suggest take out to people with weak stomachs. But overall it is really worth a visit. You wont find that good a seekh at that price anywhere in the town.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
....and the pompous neighbor is humbled by the Big Daddy.
Place: Bagdadi
Location: Colaba(Mumbai), near Regal Talkies, next to "Bade Miyan", opp. "Gokul bar"
Seating: Accommodates 75 people at a time with ease.
Ambience: The place, by the looks of it has nothing to offer. If one has been to a kebab/bhuna/kheema joint anywhere in the ghetto areas, then this place is pretty much it, with perhaps larger seating area. Certainly, it is not a place that directly draws you towards it. But it is miles ahead of its much hyped neighbor when it comes to the matter of hygiene, and seating. otherwise its strictly a minimalistic joint. One thing that people will notice is the number of "Burrp!!" certificates that are hung on their walls, which are in a way testimonies for many things that u can anticipate.
Food: We started off with the chicken soup, which turned out to be the stock in which all the chicken Bagdadi gets is cooked in. to my surprise, it was a delightful broth, and it got my belly ready for whatever they had to offer .I had always craved a traditionally done mughlai beef preparations. Since most restaurants in Mumbai don't serve beef, it was a pleasant surprise to see a one-too-many beef preparations. We called for the "Beef Chilly Fry", of which I was initially skeptical, for I didn't want to eat its south-indian namesake at a self-proclaimed authentic "mughlai" restaurant. Along with that we called for the Butter Chicken, on a friend's suggestion, who had once mentioned to me that it was "the best butter chicken ever!". Along with that we asked the guy to get two roti's for each of us, to which he kindly replied,"ek hi khaao, bahut bada aata hai"(just have one, its very big). So considering his advice, we asked for a roti each. The guy not only forgot the chicken, he got us two plates of the beef, which after tasting, I really didn't mind. it was delightfully succulent and moist, not overly chewy, it still had a little gristle to it which added to the taste. These guys know how to choose their meat. Now, the waiter was right about the rotis, they re freakishly huge, which got a big smile on my face.The combination of the really well done "garam masala" and fried onions infused beef with the roti was superb. we asked for our butter chicken, which he promptly got in no time. To my surprise, it was not the run-of-the-mill butter chicken, with the masala overdone and the sparse quantity of the chicken. It was quite the contrary, simply to describe it in relation to anything is like describing a good pasta, where the sauce is just about perfect, so as to coat the chicken and not something that will supercede the quantity of the chicken. Only difference between the pasta and the chicken, apart from their respective sauces, was that the chicken was not al dente, it was perfect! the sauce too was not heavy, with the cashew/melon seed paste, it was surprisingly subtle, which how I think it should be. I was beaming after the main course. We ended up calling for the Caramel Custard. This was going to put the perfect end to a delightful meal. The caramel prepared till it gets a toffee-like flavor, and the Custard perfectly set so that it literally disintegrates on your palate.
Over-all the experience was sublime and immaculate.
Presentation: The presentation was nothing great, every dish was just served directly off the skillet, without any garnish or anything that would perhaps make it look any more appealing. Everything is served in the Orange-ish plastic plates that we must have seen all across Mumbai, if not Maharashtra at local Chinese food stalls.
Accompaniments: The chicken and the beef dishes were provided with a helping of sliced onions and lime wedges, the standard fare.
Service: The service was quick for certain, and that perhaps lent to clumsiness, which led to us getting a extra plate of beef chilly fry, which I honestly do not regret.
Cost: 2 bowls of chicken soup, 2 plates of the beef, 1 Butter chicken, 2 butter rotis, 1 plain roti, 3 servings of the caramel custard, and 2 soft drinks came to a grand total of 320 rupees.
"Worth" factor: For the amount eaten, the quality of the food eaten, and the grand total of the money spent, I think this place is definitely worth more than a few visits. I won't be surprised if certain people call it one of their favourites after their first visit itself.
Verdict:
Pros:
1.> The most important part of being in the food business is to deliver great food, and Bagdadi does the exact.
2.> It's not just the Quality but also the Quantity that is excellent here.
3.> You are assured a full stomach within 150 bucks. People interested in rice items can select from a variety of them. They also have daily specials, so watch out for those too.
Cons:
1.> A big part of the negative things that I can think of are mostly personal. People who have issues with "shady" looking places, mediocre(or worse) plating and crockery, might not appreciate this place so much, but then again, the million dollar question is: "do you like the food and service at it's much regal(in stature) neighbor?"
2.> Another thing that might bother you(for it did bother me just a little bit), that the caramel custard is for 25 bucks, which i felt that in comparison to the other dishes, and for a dish that vanishes so soon, is a tad bit too much.
3.> I really don't know how authentic is the food here, but I think that we should stick to how it tastes than analyzing what it is.
P.S.: Try the Beef Bhuna over there, I had had it on another occasion, and was delighted for it seemed like a tailor made dish for me, with good deal of chillies and tomatoes, and that brilliant roasted texture it got from prolonged exposure to the hot skillet. That sealed the deal for me.
-Gaurang(Gabo)
=======================================================
Place: Bagdadi
Location: Colaba, right opposite Gokul's bar
Seating: Can easily seat upto 50 people at a time
Ambiance - Not much in the way of ambiance. If anything, it feels like your typical irani place where the owner doesn't care about renovations. The walls are crowded with all the commendations from various websites which review such joints such a burrp. And deservedly so.
Food - As far as food goes, this place doesn't have much competition. Although i haven't tried all the dishes this place has to offer, whatever i've had has been simply awesome. The butter chicken is probably the best butter chicken i've had. The beef bhuna was really good. The roti was a big win. You pay 10 rupees for 1 roti which is equal to paying a lot more for 3. Its that big. While placing our order, we called for 2 rotis. But the waiter told us to call for just 1 and then decide whether we want to order more. We ended up having more than 1 roti, but then we do have a huge appetite. But for someone who eats moderately, one would suffice. So the waiter doubting our capacity to eat was justified. We also had soup which was basically just normal chicken stock. One word i would like to highlight here is simplicity. The soup was your basic soup which your mother would serve you when she makes chicken. But it tasted awesome. Even the butter chicken and beef bhuna were nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to preparation. But as they say,"keep it simple but do it right". And this was reflected in each and every dish we had. To top all this we had caramel custard for dessert. To put it simply, the best caramel custard i've had. Again, nothing too extravagant, but yet so good.
Presentation: Nothing great. But then you wouldn't expect anything great when it comes to places like these. Its just the food that matters.
Service: The service was pretty decent. The waiters were pretty helpful, which is accentuated by the fact that the waiter warned us about the size of the roti when we ordered for 2 of those. Also the dishes didn't take much time to arrive.
Cost: Taking into consideration the prices for a similar quantity for food at other places, this felt like one awesome bargain.
"Worth" factor: One of the most under-appreciated places in the city. A must for any food lover.
Verdict
Pros:
-Great food
-Decent service
-Not heavy on the wallet at all. If anything you'll come away feeling as if you've spent your breakfast money on lunch and dinner combined.
Cons:
-Not much in the way of ambiance
-Presentation goes a long way to curb some competition. And with all the undeserved hype that its neighbor gets, this place needs to up the ante as far as ambiance and presentation are concerned.
-I really don't have a problem if a place is shady, which in this case is irrelevant, specially after considering the prices they're charging. But it can be a bother for some.
-Rahul(Mambo)
Location: Colaba(Mumbai), near Regal Talkies, next to "Bade Miyan", opp. "Gokul bar"
Seating: Accommodates 75 people at a time with ease.
Ambience: The place, by the looks of it has nothing to offer. If one has been to a kebab/bhuna/kheema joint anywhere in the ghetto areas, then this place is pretty much it, with perhaps larger seating area. Certainly, it is not a place that directly draws you towards it. But it is miles ahead of its much hyped neighbor when it comes to the matter of hygiene, and seating. otherwise its strictly a minimalistic joint. One thing that people will notice is the number of "Burrp!!" certificates that are hung on their walls, which are in a way testimonies for many things that u can anticipate.
Food: We started off with the chicken soup, which turned out to be the stock in which all the chicken Bagdadi gets is cooked in. to my surprise, it was a delightful broth, and it got my belly ready for whatever they had to offer .I had always craved a traditionally done mughlai beef preparations. Since most restaurants in Mumbai don't serve beef, it was a pleasant surprise to see a one-too-many beef preparations. We called for the "Beef Chilly Fry", of which I was initially skeptical, for I didn't want to eat its south-indian namesake at a self-proclaimed authentic "mughlai" restaurant. Along with that we called for the Butter Chicken, on a friend's suggestion, who had once mentioned to me that it was "the best butter chicken ever!". Along with that we asked the guy to get two roti's for each of us, to which he kindly replied,"ek hi khaao, bahut bada aata hai"(just have one, its very big). So considering his advice, we asked for a roti each. The guy not only forgot the chicken, he got us two plates of the beef, which after tasting, I really didn't mind. it was delightfully succulent and moist, not overly chewy, it still had a little gristle to it which added to the taste. These guys know how to choose their meat. Now, the waiter was right about the rotis, they re freakishly huge, which got a big smile on my face.The combination of the really well done "garam masala" and fried onions infused beef with the roti was superb. we asked for our butter chicken, which he promptly got in no time. To my surprise, it was not the run-of-the-mill butter chicken, with the masala overdone and the sparse quantity of the chicken. It was quite the contrary, simply to describe it in relation to anything is like describing a good pasta, where the sauce is just about perfect, so as to coat the chicken and not something that will supercede the quantity of the chicken. Only difference between the pasta and the chicken, apart from their respective sauces, was that the chicken was not al dente, it was perfect! the sauce too was not heavy, with the cashew/melon seed paste, it was surprisingly subtle, which how I think it should be. I was beaming after the main course. We ended up calling for the Caramel Custard. This was going to put the perfect end to a delightful meal. The caramel prepared till it gets a toffee-like flavor, and the Custard perfectly set so that it literally disintegrates on your palate.
Over-all the experience was sublime and immaculate.
Presentation: The presentation was nothing great, every dish was just served directly off the skillet, without any garnish or anything that would perhaps make it look any more appealing. Everything is served in the Orange-ish plastic plates that we must have seen all across Mumbai, if not Maharashtra at local Chinese food stalls.
Accompaniments: The chicken and the beef dishes were provided with a helping of sliced onions and lime wedges, the standard fare.
Service: The service was quick for certain, and that perhaps lent to clumsiness, which led to us getting a extra plate of beef chilly fry, which I honestly do not regret.
Cost: 2 bowls of chicken soup, 2 plates of the beef, 1 Butter chicken, 2 butter rotis, 1 plain roti, 3 servings of the caramel custard, and 2 soft drinks came to a grand total of 320 rupees.
"Worth" factor: For the amount eaten, the quality of the food eaten, and the grand total of the money spent, I think this place is definitely worth more than a few visits. I won't be surprised if certain people call it one of their favourites after their first visit itself.
Verdict:
Pros:
1.> The most important part of being in the food business is to deliver great food, and Bagdadi does the exact.
2.> It's not just the Quality but also the Quantity that is excellent here.
3.> You are assured a full stomach within 150 bucks. People interested in rice items can select from a variety of them. They also have daily specials, so watch out for those too.
Cons:
1.> A big part of the negative things that I can think of are mostly personal. People who have issues with "shady" looking places, mediocre(or worse) plating and crockery, might not appreciate this place so much, but then again, the million dollar question is: "do you like the food and service at it's much regal(in stature) neighbor?"
2.> Another thing that might bother you(for it did bother me just a little bit), that the caramel custard is for 25 bucks, which i felt that in comparison to the other dishes, and for a dish that vanishes so soon, is a tad bit too much.
3.> I really don't know how authentic is the food here, but I think that we should stick to how it tastes than analyzing what it is.
P.S.: Try the Beef Bhuna over there, I had had it on another occasion, and was delighted for it seemed like a tailor made dish for me, with good deal of chillies and tomatoes, and that brilliant roasted texture it got from prolonged exposure to the hot skillet. That sealed the deal for me.
-Gaurang(Gabo)
=======================================================
Place: Bagdadi
Location: Colaba, right opposite Gokul's bar
Seating: Can easily seat upto 50 people at a time
Ambiance - Not much in the way of ambiance. If anything, it feels like your typical irani place where the owner doesn't care about renovations. The walls are crowded with all the commendations from various websites which review such joints such a burrp. And deservedly so.
Food - As far as food goes, this place doesn't have much competition. Although i haven't tried all the dishes this place has to offer, whatever i've had has been simply awesome. The butter chicken is probably the best butter chicken i've had. The beef bhuna was really good. The roti was a big win. You pay 10 rupees for 1 roti which is equal to paying a lot more for 3. Its that big. While placing our order, we called for 2 rotis. But the waiter told us to call for just 1 and then decide whether we want to order more. We ended up having more than 1 roti, but then we do have a huge appetite. But for someone who eats moderately, one would suffice. So the waiter doubting our capacity to eat was justified. We also had soup which was basically just normal chicken stock. One word i would like to highlight here is simplicity. The soup was your basic soup which your mother would serve you when she makes chicken. But it tasted awesome. Even the butter chicken and beef bhuna were nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to preparation. But as they say,"keep it simple but do it right". And this was reflected in each and every dish we had. To top all this we had caramel custard for dessert. To put it simply, the best caramel custard i've had. Again, nothing too extravagant, but yet so good.
Presentation: Nothing great. But then you wouldn't expect anything great when it comes to places like these. Its just the food that matters.
Service: The service was pretty decent. The waiters were pretty helpful, which is accentuated by the fact that the waiter warned us about the size of the roti when we ordered for 2 of those. Also the dishes didn't take much time to arrive.
Cost: Taking into consideration the prices for a similar quantity for food at other places, this felt like one awesome bargain.
"Worth" factor: One of the most under-appreciated places in the city. A must for any food lover.
Verdict
Pros:
-Great food
-Decent service
-Not heavy on the wallet at all. If anything you'll come away feeling as if you've spent your breakfast money on lunch and dinner combined.
Cons:
-Not much in the way of ambiance
-Presentation goes a long way to curb some competition. And with all the undeserved hype that its neighbor gets, this place needs to up the ante as far as ambiance and presentation are concerned.
-I really don't have a problem if a place is shady, which in this case is irrelevant, specially after considering the prices they're charging. But it can be a bother for some.
-Rahul(Mambo)
Monday, February 28, 2011
A flawed gem
These are the words i would use to describe Mama Mia. It was originally just one outlet located besides the Opera House theater, but now it has shifted to a comparatively remote location near French bridge and also has a number of other outlets all across Bombay. It was one of the first pizza places in Bombay and for those of you who have been frequent visitors to this place right from the time it started, you would understand me when i say that it holds a special place in my heart. Describing an extremely good or extremely bad place is simple, but one thats somewhere in between is a bit tricky. But i'll give it my best shot.
Right from the time you enter this place, it'll give you a feeling that it going to be a hit or miss. Theres not much in the way of ambiance. Its just a simple place with no uniqueness to it. When you enter a place which serves one kind of food, it has a sort of character to it which is completely different than a place which would serve some other kind of food. But thats totally absent here. This is a place which might put up a banner that it serves pizzas, but might get away with serving South Indian or even Moghlai food. You're sure to get negative vibes if you're visiting this place for the first time on the recommendation of a friend who told you that you get pizzas here.
Even the service can be a hit or miss. I've been here so many times, that the waiter knows what i'm going to order before i place my order. But thats a big disadvantage. Because according to them, if a customer is loyal to you, then he can wait a while while you serve the people who are visiting your place for the first time. So if you like this place and plan on visiting it again any time soon, wear a disguise. The one good thing about the service is that everybody is very hospitable. They'll greet you with a smile, and they'll bid you farewell with a smile. But this might be because they always make me wait so long. So individual experiences may vary.
Now the food. Well if i had to say one thing about the food in general, i would say that its not great, but it is good. The pizzas are really decent. The subs are quite nice. The chinese is good. The salads are awesome. The burgers are awesome. If i had to suggest some of the stuff you just cant go wrong with, i would say try the pizza dello chef, the partita quattro, the chicken royal burger and the chocolate mousse. All of these are simply awesome and are reasonably priced. Although most of the things you get are pretty decent, there are some dishes you just shouldn't touch. A shining example of this is the garlic bread. Its just bread with cheese and will hardly leave a good impression on your taste buds. Also, the frankies are disappointing. Actually they were good before, but now the quality has dropped somehow. Thankfully thats not true for the other dishes. If you're ordering chinese, go for the American chopsuey which is quite nice. Also if you're having anything in chinese, be sure to order a serving of the shezwan sauce. Its pretty good.
As a whole i wouldn't say the Mama Mia is one of the best places in town. Its not even the best place in the area in which it is located. If you take into account the ambiance and the occasional lapse in service quality, one might even say that its not a place you should visit often. But still i would give it three and a half stars out of five simply because its the one place where i can order anything and not be disappointed with it. Thats because even though theres nothing great about the food at this place, theres nothing bad about it either. They've maintained a level of consistency with the food, which is quite a rarity these days. Add to this the fact that its very reasonably priced and you have a very nice package. Even though they've raised the prices quite a bit compared to what they were before, still they're still probably the cheapest pizza place in town. Even though its overshadowed by places like Pizzeria and Pizza Hut, still Mama Mia is worth at least one meal of your life. Just don't expect something extra ordinary and you'll have a pretty good time there. Cheers!!
-Mambo
Right from the time you enter this place, it'll give you a feeling that it going to be a hit or miss. Theres not much in the way of ambiance. Its just a simple place with no uniqueness to it. When you enter a place which serves one kind of food, it has a sort of character to it which is completely different than a place which would serve some other kind of food. But thats totally absent here. This is a place which might put up a banner that it serves pizzas, but might get away with serving South Indian or even Moghlai food. You're sure to get negative vibes if you're visiting this place for the first time on the recommendation of a friend who told you that you get pizzas here.
Even the service can be a hit or miss. I've been here so many times, that the waiter knows what i'm going to order before i place my order. But thats a big disadvantage. Because according to them, if a customer is loyal to you, then he can wait a while while you serve the people who are visiting your place for the first time. So if you like this place and plan on visiting it again any time soon, wear a disguise. The one good thing about the service is that everybody is very hospitable. They'll greet you with a smile, and they'll bid you farewell with a smile. But this might be because they always make me wait so long. So individual experiences may vary.
Now the food. Well if i had to say one thing about the food in general, i would say that its not great, but it is good. The pizzas are really decent. The subs are quite nice. The chinese is good. The salads are awesome. The burgers are awesome. If i had to suggest some of the stuff you just cant go wrong with, i would say try the pizza dello chef, the partita quattro, the chicken royal burger and the chocolate mousse. All of these are simply awesome and are reasonably priced. Although most of the things you get are pretty decent, there are some dishes you just shouldn't touch. A shining example of this is the garlic bread. Its just bread with cheese and will hardly leave a good impression on your taste buds. Also, the frankies are disappointing. Actually they were good before, but now the quality has dropped somehow. Thankfully thats not true for the other dishes. If you're ordering chinese, go for the American chopsuey which is quite nice. Also if you're having anything in chinese, be sure to order a serving of the shezwan sauce. Its pretty good.
As a whole i wouldn't say the Mama Mia is one of the best places in town. Its not even the best place in the area in which it is located. If you take into account the ambiance and the occasional lapse in service quality, one might even say that its not a place you should visit often. But still i would give it three and a half stars out of five simply because its the one place where i can order anything and not be disappointed with it. Thats because even though theres nothing great about the food at this place, theres nothing bad about it either. They've maintained a level of consistency with the food, which is quite a rarity these days. Add to this the fact that its very reasonably priced and you have a very nice package. Even though they've raised the prices quite a bit compared to what they were before, still they're still probably the cheapest pizza place in town. Even though its overshadowed by places like Pizzeria and Pizza Hut, still Mama Mia is worth at least one meal of your life. Just don't expect something extra ordinary and you'll have a pretty good time there. Cheers!!
-Mambo
Saturday, February 19, 2011
A Cha(a)tty Encounter with Two Unsung Heroes
Many a times we come across eateries which we are certain that not many people know of, and wished that your friends were there with you when you had what u had at those joints. this post is dedicated to describing two such, perhaps obscure, places which are my absolute favourites(specially when it comes to chaat).
1.> I accidentally had stumbled into "New India Dairy", for i make frequent visits to lamington road, and hey, I WAS HUNGRY!! So this is the best part of visiting any place without any expectations: you can be completely honest to yourself while appreciating the food.
The place looks a bit shabby, a mess towards the ends of the two rooms. they somehow manage to accomodate a cooking area, a display section, and seating for roughly 35-40 patrons and a couple of refridgerators in these two rooms. it seems very crammed up, which further adds to the "not the most hygenic place to eat" look of it.
now that the negatives are out of the way, lets get down to where it all melts down. on the waiter's recommendation, i had asked for a plate of Samosas(no Paav please), and a glass of Lassi. Simply put, in my mind it has silenced all the other places in SoBo i have been to for the Samosas exclusively, and certainly one of the best placesfor Lassi. the portions are generous, but dont expect something magnanimous. the Lassi has a slight rose-water hint to it, which provides a different dimension to the taste of the same, and never in my many visits there have i been served stale/overly sour lassi, or cold samosas. they are fresh and sell insanely
quick in that locality, its a serious pity that not many people know of this place. a lesson is learnt here that appearances should be one of the last criterion when it comes to eating at places. over my multiple visits, it is safe to say that i have eaten almost every snack/beverage this joint serves. From Kachoris to the jalebi-paapdis, and from the lassi and other buttermilk variants to the masala milk, everything is a pleasure for your senses. personally, the samosas and the lassi are still the first things i call for when i'm there. there is no limit to how much one can spend here for the food is downright tasty, but i feel 75-100 Rs. will easily fetch you a heavy snack or dinner perhaps.
it is a great treat, make it a point that the next time you are at lamington road, you are thinking about things other than computer, amplifiers, LEDs, hardware equipment,and errr.. cheap(in more than one aspect) porn, add this place on your must-visit checklist rightaway.
2.> Opposite the grim boundaries of Bhatia Hospital, right between a BEST bus-stop and "Sparkle Dryers and Cleaners", lies a small little Red reason to live. A Sev-puri walla(s) which perhaps would have been just another vendor in the great invasion of the North, which has now resulted in such small make-shift stalls to have dotted all roads and lanes of Mumbai. One of the few aspects that sets this stalls manned by two brothers, is the service. Never have i seen such great co-ordination between brothers(seekho ambani seekho!!), the speed at which your order is made is quite mindboggling. after that one might expect them to goof up, courtesy the haste, the consumer is gladdened by the quality and quantity of the material used and how it collectively tastes phenomenal. all of this served with a smile and generous nylon sev. since its strictly a chaat/snack-only place, their item list is very limited, like every other sev-puri walla. the usual fare of Bhel, Sev puri, and Batata Bomb are probably the only things that this place serves, but they work really hard at the "less is more" factor and are successful at it. for people wanting something else, there usually is a sandwich stall adjacent to it, which in my honet opinion is better left un-noticed.
to basically seal the deal, this vendor is completely worth the visit. one shouldn't be so narrow minded to think that Girgaum Chowpatty serves the best chaat. ofcourse it is a different experience all together, but then again this place has always been one of those few where i can count on all the aspects of a catering joint. and yes, "service with a smile does go a long way".
-Gaurang(Gabo)
1.> I accidentally had stumbled into "New India Dairy", for i make frequent visits to lamington road, and hey, I WAS HUNGRY!! So this is the best part of visiting any place without any expectations: you can be completely honest to yourself while appreciating the food.
The place looks a bit shabby, a mess towards the ends of the two rooms. they somehow manage to accomodate a cooking area, a display section, and seating for roughly 35-40 patrons and a couple of refridgerators in these two rooms. it seems very crammed up, which further adds to the "not the most hygenic place to eat" look of it.
now that the negatives are out of the way, lets get down to where it all melts down. on the waiter's recommendation, i had asked for a plate of Samosas(no Paav please), and a glass of Lassi. Simply put, in my mind it has silenced all the other places in SoBo i have been to for the Samosas exclusively, and certainly one of the best placesfor Lassi. the portions are generous, but dont expect something magnanimous. the Lassi has a slight rose-water hint to it, which provides a different dimension to the taste of the same, and never in my many visits there have i been served stale/overly sour lassi, or cold samosas. they are fresh and sell insanely
quick in that locality, its a serious pity that not many people know of this place. a lesson is learnt here that appearances should be one of the last criterion when it comes to eating at places. over my multiple visits, it is safe to say that i have eaten almost every snack/beverage this joint serves. From Kachoris to the jalebi-paapdis, and from the lassi and other buttermilk variants to the masala milk, everything is a pleasure for your senses. personally, the samosas and the lassi are still the first things i call for when i'm there. there is no limit to how much one can spend here for the food is downright tasty, but i feel 75-100 Rs. will easily fetch you a heavy snack or dinner perhaps.
it is a great treat, make it a point that the next time you are at lamington road, you are thinking about things other than computer, amplifiers, LEDs, hardware equipment,and errr.. cheap(in more than one aspect) porn, add this place on your must-visit checklist rightaway.
2.> Opposite the grim boundaries of Bhatia Hospital, right between a BEST bus-stop and "Sparkle Dryers and Cleaners", lies a small little Red reason to live. A Sev-puri walla(s) which perhaps would have been just another vendor in the great invasion of the North, which has now resulted in such small make-shift stalls to have dotted all roads and lanes of Mumbai. One of the few aspects that sets this stalls manned by two brothers, is the service. Never have i seen such great co-ordination between brothers(seekho ambani seekho!!), the speed at which your order is made is quite mindboggling. after that one might expect them to goof up, courtesy the haste, the consumer is gladdened by the quality and quantity of the material used and how it collectively tastes phenomenal. all of this served with a smile and generous nylon sev. since its strictly a chaat/snack-only place, their item list is very limited, like every other sev-puri walla. the usual fare of Bhel, Sev puri, and Batata Bomb are probably the only things that this place serves, but they work really hard at the "less is more" factor and are successful at it. for people wanting something else, there usually is a sandwich stall adjacent to it, which in my honet opinion is better left un-noticed.
to basically seal the deal, this vendor is completely worth the visit. one shouldn't be so narrow minded to think that Girgaum Chowpatty serves the best chaat. ofcourse it is a different experience all together, but then again this place has always been one of those few where i can count on all the aspects of a catering joint. and yes, "service with a smile does go a long way".
-Gaurang(Gabo)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Never again..
Those were the thoughts that were resounding in my head as we left Kyani. Am sure gabo shares the same sentiment. Here we have what is supposed to be one of the best bakeries out there. Burrp gave it a resounding thumbs up and called it one of mumbai's gems. Well i strongly disagree. Personally i believe it to be one of the worst places a food lover can go to.
For those that have never been to this place(lucky sobs), Kyani is located near metro besides Furtados(the music hardware store) and was once the best place for breakfast one could find. They have a very big menu ranging from sandwiches to puffs to cakes and a variety of omelettes. There was another bakery exactly in front of it(can't remember the name) and both had a very fierce competition between them. But as soon as it got closed down, it seems the kyani staff got so full of it that customer satisfaction totally fell off their radar.
Before delving into the ugly, lets first deal with the bad. The service at that place is pathetic. On a crowded evening, don't be surprised if you feel ostracized. Add to this the grim look on the faces of the waiters and you might just be tempted to not order anything at all. Its as if they really really hate you. On the bright side, you can bitch about them all you want without feeling any regrets about it. And don't try arguing with the waiters if a particular dish turns out to be kind of incomplete or undercooked. I once ordered a mayonnaise sandwich over there. When it arrived, there was no mayonnaise. Actually, there was mayonnaise, but it was made in a way so that it would appear that there was no mayonnaise at all. Such fun \s. When i complained to the waiter about it, he took the sandwich to the chef who got pissed and started cribbing loudly about it(another fine example of how to keep cordial relations with the customers). When i finally got the sandwich back, it had enough mayonnaise to make 3 proper mayonnaise sandwiches. But i did not complain further. No point arguing when nothing is to be gained from it :|.
Now the food....well what can i say. I already talked about the sandwiches. The club sandwich is an absolute joke. Its bout the thinnest club sandwich you'll ever see and they charge 65 bucks for it. The puffs are cold and they hardly taste good. Even paying 10 bucks for one feels like a sham. If you feel the kheema is good, then you obviously need to visit more places(thats for you Date). The cakes are tawdry. They might look good but they're harder than they should be. Even the icing on the cakes tastes bad. I can go on and on about the food but thats just beating round the same bush. Take whatever i said bout the food and apply it to nearly all the dishes over there. Thats kyani for you.
But wait!!! Thats not even the worst part. The last two times i've been to kyani i've been down with stomach flu. I normally don't care bout hygiene that much but when the food is this bad, hygiene matters a lot :p.
For the above reasons, i feel that theres really no point going to this place. But if you're really really hell bent on giving it a try, have the cherry cold custard. It still hasn't lost its glory and is easily worth having twice :p. Also have the frankfurter with fried eggs. Its about the easiest thing to make and even kyani doesn't fuck it up :p. But for those of you who like trying new things, refrain from going to this place. Rather go to sassanian which is just a couple of minutes away from Kyani. It is a far far better irani place and serves some pretty awesome food. So all i would like to say is enjoy your life, try out different places, maintain some level of hygiene, find a life partner(??), fall in love(???), have kids(????), work hard(???????)....but don't go to kyanis(!!!!!!!) lol
For those that have never been to this place(lucky sobs), Kyani is located near metro besides Furtados(the music hardware store) and was once the best place for breakfast one could find. They have a very big menu ranging from sandwiches to puffs to cakes and a variety of omelettes. There was another bakery exactly in front of it(can't remember the name) and both had a very fierce competition between them. But as soon as it got closed down, it seems the kyani staff got so full of it that customer satisfaction totally fell off their radar.
Before delving into the ugly, lets first deal with the bad. The service at that place is pathetic. On a crowded evening, don't be surprised if you feel ostracized. Add to this the grim look on the faces of the waiters and you might just be tempted to not order anything at all. Its as if they really really hate you. On the bright side, you can bitch about them all you want without feeling any regrets about it. And don't try arguing with the waiters if a particular dish turns out to be kind of incomplete or undercooked. I once ordered a mayonnaise sandwich over there. When it arrived, there was no mayonnaise. Actually, there was mayonnaise, but it was made in a way so that it would appear that there was no mayonnaise at all. Such fun \s. When i complained to the waiter about it, he took the sandwich to the chef who got pissed and started cribbing loudly about it(another fine example of how to keep cordial relations with the customers). When i finally got the sandwich back, it had enough mayonnaise to make 3 proper mayonnaise sandwiches. But i did not complain further. No point arguing when nothing is to be gained from it :|.
Now the food....well what can i say. I already talked about the sandwiches. The club sandwich is an absolute joke. Its bout the thinnest club sandwich you'll ever see and they charge 65 bucks for it. The puffs are cold and they hardly taste good. Even paying 10 bucks for one feels like a sham. If you feel the kheema is good, then you obviously need to visit more places(thats for you Date). The cakes are tawdry. They might look good but they're harder than they should be. Even the icing on the cakes tastes bad. I can go on and on about the food but thats just beating round the same bush. Take whatever i said bout the food and apply it to nearly all the dishes over there. Thats kyani for you.
But wait!!! Thats not even the worst part. The last two times i've been to kyani i've been down with stomach flu. I normally don't care bout hygiene that much but when the food is this bad, hygiene matters a lot :p.
For the above reasons, i feel that theres really no point going to this place. But if you're really really hell bent on giving it a try, have the cherry cold custard. It still hasn't lost its glory and is easily worth having twice :p. Also have the frankfurter with fried eggs. Its about the easiest thing to make and even kyani doesn't fuck it up :p. But for those of you who like trying new things, refrain from going to this place. Rather go to sassanian which is just a couple of minutes away from Kyani. It is a far far better irani place and serves some pretty awesome food. So all i would like to say is enjoy your life, try out different places, maintain some level of hygiene, find a life partner(??), fall in love(???), have kids(????), work hard(???????)....but don't go to kyanis(!!!!!!!) lol
Taaze-garam, Garma-garam !
That is their motto, its embossed on their windows and adhered by them. The place im talkin about is ' Vinay Health Home'. Its our friendly neighbourhood breakfast place, located on the Business end of Fanas wadi, (whatever that means) opp. Jawahar Mansion in Thakurdwar area. Started in.................. well long ago, by the Tembe family, this snack place was passed down through generations. I can vouch for the generations part coz my grandpa used to take my dad, my dad took me and if it is still running when i have kids, i am gonna take them. Now us friends usually meet up there for a good breakfast.They say breakfast is the most important ,meal of the day ;).
Done with bragging...... now lets get serious shall we (haha, i know). It is divided into two sections, as most of the restaurants are nowadays AC nd non AC..... (thankfully the non AC section is bigger). I just dont like my food getting cold, dats all. It has 15 tables entirely nd though they are all 4 seaters u will always find ppl cramped up on 1 (maybe ul catch us only). It doesn't have reservations (so dont bother calling), u will have to stand outside in a line to enter. Trust me on good day it will take almost an hour to get in. Opens by 8:30 am and closes by 9 pm, and it is closed on wednesdays.
Ahh YESS!!!! FOOD !!
It serves Maharashtrian cuisine, in its best form. Quick, Hot & Spicy. With recipes handed over by their Grandmothers, they can give any delicacy in the world a stiff competition. It is known for its 'Puneri Misal' (this one dish can take up the entire blog) and they probably put out 600 - 800 servings of the misal alone. Then follows your usual Usal Pav, Sabudana wada (the best part of this is the potato chutney), Kothimbir wadi,Kanda Batata bhajji, Thalipeeth, Kanda Poha....... i can go on & on.
When i visit i usually have more than one dish always (no surprise there, i know). They also have an option of South Indian food (the idli vada sambar is delicious) and some Sandwiches, which are decent, I would go with the Marashtrian stuff. They also have an option of fresh fruit juices, u know for those "health concious ones". They also have a 'Diet misal', which is an insult to the hardcore misal lovers (aaarrrrgggghhhh !!!!!!).
The one thing you cant get out without having in Vinay is their own coffee aka 'Saadhi Coffee'. It is awesome and even after hogging on all that food the first sip of that coffee just makes it disappear (hmmmm..... good business strategy). No other coffee tastes like theirs and after the Puneri (thats what they call the misal) is their most guarded secret.
The service is good, not always with a smile but still appreciative of your existence :P. The one thing i like about them is...... they let you have a conversation (directly aake bill table par nahi rakh dete). We have overstayed our welcome quite a few times (were all a chatty bunch), still they ask us if we want anythin (with a smile here). They have adopted the no hassle way of cooking so ur order will be at ur table in max 15 mins.
Conditions Apply* :P.
Word to the wise people, Do not (i repeat) Do not go there in your car, u will not find a place to park (even the residents dont always get one). catch a cab or just walk it up (it'll make room for all the food).
Since it was renovated a few years back, ALL the Gujjus in my area have a 'Vinay Sunday'. It is flocked all day long. So i would suggest avoid it on a Sunday if u dont want someone yapping in your ear.
To summon it all up, Vinay is a place where generations after generations have preserved their memories. You wud always see someone telling their kids or wives "we used to sit in that corner or that table". The homely atmosphere and ambience makes u feel welcome and tempts you to return and re-return. So when are you going ??
- Date.
Done with bragging...... now lets get serious shall we (haha, i know). It is divided into two sections, as most of the restaurants are nowadays AC nd non AC..... (thankfully the non AC section is bigger). I just dont like my food getting cold, dats all. It has 15 tables entirely nd though they are all 4 seaters u will always find ppl cramped up on 1 (maybe ul catch us only). It doesn't have reservations (so dont bother calling), u will have to stand outside in a line to enter. Trust me on good day it will take almost an hour to get in. Opens by 8:30 am and closes by 9 pm, and it is closed on wednesdays.
Ahh YESS!!!! FOOD !!
It serves Maharashtrian cuisine, in its best form. Quick, Hot & Spicy. With recipes handed over by their Grandmothers, they can give any delicacy in the world a stiff competition. It is known for its 'Puneri Misal' (this one dish can take up the entire blog) and they probably put out 600 - 800 servings of the misal alone. Then follows your usual Usal Pav, Sabudana wada (the best part of this is the potato chutney), Kothimbir wadi,Kanda Batata bhajji, Thalipeeth, Kanda Poha....... i can go on & on.
When i visit i usually have more than one dish always (no surprise there, i know). They also have an option of South Indian food (the idli vada sambar is delicious) and some Sandwiches, which are decent, I would go with the Marashtrian stuff. They also have an option of fresh fruit juices, u know for those "health concious ones". They also have a 'Diet misal', which is an insult to the hardcore misal lovers (aaarrrrgggghhhh !!!!!!).
The one thing you cant get out without having in Vinay is their own coffee aka 'Saadhi Coffee'. It is awesome and even after hogging on all that food the first sip of that coffee just makes it disappear (hmmmm..... good business strategy). No other coffee tastes like theirs and after the Puneri (thats what they call the misal) is their most guarded secret.
The service is good, not always with a smile but still appreciative of your existence :P. The one thing i like about them is...... they let you have a conversation (directly aake bill table par nahi rakh dete). We have overstayed our welcome quite a few times (were all a chatty bunch), still they ask us if we want anythin (with a smile here). They have adopted the no hassle way of cooking so ur order will be at ur table in max 15 mins.
Conditions Apply* :P.
Word to the wise people, Do not (i repeat) Do not go there in your car, u will not find a place to park (even the residents dont always get one). catch a cab or just walk it up (it'll make room for all the food).
Since it was renovated a few years back, ALL the Gujjus in my area have a 'Vinay Sunday'. It is flocked all day long. So i would suggest avoid it on a Sunday if u dont want someone yapping in your ear.
To summon it all up, Vinay is a place where generations after generations have preserved their memories. You wud always see someone telling their kids or wives "we used to sit in that corner or that table". The homely atmosphere and ambience makes u feel welcome and tempts you to return and re-return. So when are you going ??
- Date.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Barbecuing for an entire nation!
Thats what we felt as we entered this popular restaurant. Its located in bandra and the other end of pali hill in a nice and quiet area(compared to the rest of bandra). The people at BBQ nation advice you to reserve a table one day prior to going there, and now we know why. There is so much food to explore at that place that you can easily end up spending upwards of 2 hours over there. So people don't let go of their tables that fast. Well luck was not on our side and we couldn't get a reservation, but the manager told us to come anyways and try our luck. After waiting for almost an hour, we finally got a table. The first view we got as we went inside was that of the grill. It is located right in the center of the restaurant and is surrounded by almost 20-25 tables. The restaurant has a seating capacity of around 100 people(but don't let this make you think that you don't need to make reservations :p ).
If service is an indicator of how good a place is, then BBQ nation would rest comfortably at the top. There is no A la carte over there(except for drinks), just the buffet. We sat down and had just barely started looking around when the first round of starters arrived. Shocking yes, but one of the people accompanying us was a regular, and he was acting as if it was no big deal. So we played along ;).
The starters are comprised mostly of kebabs of various types. We had seekh kebabs, fish kebabs, prawns, drumsticks, broccoli(and it was awesome), mushrooms etc. Not one starter i had over there made me feel that there was something missing in it. And the amount of starters we had is a testament to that(we had a lot). To keep the starters from getting cold each table has a mini grill(!!!). After spending around 2 hours just feasting on the starters, we finally decided to try the main course. For the main course they had crabs in manchurian sauce, chicken hyderabadi, kheema and biryani. You also have rotis which you have to order. In addition to this, you also have a variety of soups(crab meat and chicken). The main course was simply great! In particular, the chicken hyderabadi and the crabs made me regret spending so much of my storage capacity on the starters.
The thing about this place is that you lose track of time too easily. When we finally got the table it was 9. We thought we would be out of there by 11. When we got done with the starters it was almost 10.45. And you have to take it easy over there. Our main strategy was to let the food digest to make room for more. And it was being executed perfectly. After having so much of the starters and the main course, we still had room for desserts.
Please don't leave BBQ nation without having the desserts. They're really the fitting ending you deserve for having such great food. We had mango mousse, strawberry cheesecake, gulab jamun, ice cream with chocolate sauce, cake, rum brownies and firni! Nuff said ;)
By the time we were done it was already 12.15, but we didn't care. Time is not a factor if the food is this good. And the more time you spend here, the more you'll be able to eat. So for once, being lazy is a good thing. Bodes pretty nicely for me ;). The funny thing is before entering the place we thought 600 per person for a buffet is too much. By the time we were leaving, it felt as if it was a discounted deal. I will not divide the review into parts rating each part individually; thats for places which aren't this good. I'm sure i must have left out some negative aspects. The strawberry cake, as good as it was, could have been better. The booze could have been cheaper. But as a complete package this easily trumps anything else out there. If you don't like one dish, you can just have something else without having any regrets since you payed for one unlimited meal, not just that one dish. And the menu is huge enough to discard one faulty dish. Not that i had the misfortune of having to eat one though. Thats the best thing about BBQ nation. Its just awesome!
-Mambo
If service is an indicator of how good a place is, then BBQ nation would rest comfortably at the top. There is no A la carte over there(except for drinks), just the buffet. We sat down and had just barely started looking around when the first round of starters arrived. Shocking yes, but one of the people accompanying us was a regular, and he was acting as if it was no big deal. So we played along ;).
The starters are comprised mostly of kebabs of various types. We had seekh kebabs, fish kebabs, prawns, drumsticks, broccoli(and it was awesome), mushrooms etc. Not one starter i had over there made me feel that there was something missing in it. And the amount of starters we had is a testament to that(we had a lot). To keep the starters from getting cold each table has a mini grill(!!!). After spending around 2 hours just feasting on the starters, we finally decided to try the main course. For the main course they had crabs in manchurian sauce, chicken hyderabadi, kheema and biryani. You also have rotis which you have to order. In addition to this, you also have a variety of soups(crab meat and chicken). The main course was simply great! In particular, the chicken hyderabadi and the crabs made me regret spending so much of my storage capacity on the starters.
The thing about this place is that you lose track of time too easily. When we finally got the table it was 9. We thought we would be out of there by 11. When we got done with the starters it was almost 10.45. And you have to take it easy over there. Our main strategy was to let the food digest to make room for more. And it was being executed perfectly. After having so much of the starters and the main course, we still had room for desserts.
Please don't leave BBQ nation without having the desserts. They're really the fitting ending you deserve for having such great food. We had mango mousse, strawberry cheesecake, gulab jamun, ice cream with chocolate sauce, cake, rum brownies and firni! Nuff said ;)
By the time we were done it was already 12.15, but we didn't care. Time is not a factor if the food is this good. And the more time you spend here, the more you'll be able to eat. So for once, being lazy is a good thing. Bodes pretty nicely for me ;). The funny thing is before entering the place we thought 600 per person for a buffet is too much. By the time we were leaving, it felt as if it was a discounted deal. I will not divide the review into parts rating each part individually; thats for places which aren't this good. I'm sure i must have left out some negative aspects. The strawberry cake, as good as it was, could have been better. The booze could have been cheaper. But as a complete package this easily trumps anything else out there. If you don't like one dish, you can just have something else without having any regrets since you payed for one unlimited meal, not just that one dish. And the menu is huge enough to discard one faulty dish. Not that i had the misfortune of having to eat one though. Thats the best thing about BBQ nation. Its just awesome!
-Mambo
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Never thought eating in Paradise will be as such!
A few days ago i had the privilege (or thats what i thought then) of visiting the famous Colaba eatery "Paradise". I was glad that i was visiting a so-called institution of Parsi cuisine. Located near the landmark Kailash Parbat, just before Colaba market, its a small, quaint and well lit place. From the outside, one can easily miss this place if ur driving at a decent speed(keep your eyes open!). at the entrance itself we got to see Mumbai' stamp of recognising a decent restaurant , the"Burrp!" certificate(and another one inside). A Grade I restaurant with a seating capacity of around 8 families of four.
many-a-man has made a big deal out of certain dishes at this place, and i thought its better to stick to the house specialities for it was ofcourse my first time at paradise. one look at the menu card can be a bit frightening for the layman, or can get ones hopes really high, which it honestly did in my case.
we began with the "scotch broth"(chicken) which we decided to share 2 bowls by four. the quantity of the same was perfect for one, although it was the price that compelled us to call for two between the four of us. now u know the service is good and well prepared or the dish has been a favorite when the dishes come to your table within 2-3 mins. this was evident at paradise. about the broth, i was really pleased with the flavours, very simple and basic yet so full of 'em. it made me forget about the quantity. content with broth we ordered three more stalwarts of paradise, the mutton cutlets with roast potatoes and grilled onions, the Salli Boti, and the chicken Farcha. all these three were heard of and were also recommended by our host, saying "its good enough for the four of you."
i'll cut the chase and get to the food, the salli boti , taste-wise, was exceptional, the mutton was just how i like it, boneless yet maintaining its robust texture and flavour. but wen it cam to quantity, it was very difficult to share it within two people, let alone four. also they could have been more generous with the Salli, for it is Salli-Boti and not Boti-Salli. the Farcha was just a single leg of chicken deep fried in some mild spices, which we guys couldn't quite decide as to how it was to be split four ways. the chicken was underseasoned, the spices subtle, and lets not get started with the quantity. the mutton cutlets were probably the heroes of that night, one plate was good enough an appetizer for two, but again WE WERE FOUR!! the grilled onions in the brown sauce were a superb example of how a brown sauce should taste. a complete delight for the palate. the Salli Boti and the Farcha were had with roomali roties(one each), which were again a bit under. i could taste the flour and were extremely chewy. but sine they were generous with the size of the roomali, we were faced with a dillema as to wat to do with the remaining roti, for our appetizer and main course dishes were done with, and we were miles away from being full. so we called for what they called the chicken chilly-paradise special, expecting something new. sadly, that too was another disappointment, for it was the chicken chilly which u must have certainly had for ever since the indianised chinese cuisine exploded on the indian palate, only difference being u get the same thing outside for better rates, better taste, and even more, generous quantities. that chilly chicken was blasphemous, salty, and the soy sauce was overly done. completely avoidable.
to summarise
the good: the broth, mutton cutlets
the bad: salli boti(solely on the quantity issue)
the ugly: the farcha, the chilly chicken(paradise special!?), and the roomali roties
even more ugly: the quantity, the value for money factor(WE PAID Rs.1275 including a round of soft drinks for the four of us).
Verdict: Go to paradise for only certain dishes like the scotch broth and the mutton cutlets, and if u think that your heavy wallet is making your ass-cheeks go out of alignment, and if that bothers you.
two and a half chicken drumsticks out of five. :|
- Gaurang(Gabo)
many-a-man has made a big deal out of certain dishes at this place, and i thought its better to stick to the house specialities for it was ofcourse my first time at paradise. one look at the menu card can be a bit frightening for the layman, or can get ones hopes really high, which it honestly did in my case.
we began with the "scotch broth"(chicken) which we decided to share 2 bowls by four. the quantity of the same was perfect for one, although it was the price that compelled us to call for two between the four of us. now u know the service is good and well prepared or the dish has been a favorite when the dishes come to your table within 2-3 mins. this was evident at paradise. about the broth, i was really pleased with the flavours, very simple and basic yet so full of 'em. it made me forget about the quantity. content with broth we ordered three more stalwarts of paradise, the mutton cutlets with roast potatoes and grilled onions, the Salli Boti, and the chicken Farcha. all these three were heard of and were also recommended by our host, saying "its good enough for the four of you."
i'll cut the chase and get to the food, the salli boti , taste-wise, was exceptional, the mutton was just how i like it, boneless yet maintaining its robust texture and flavour. but wen it cam to quantity, it was very difficult to share it within two people, let alone four. also they could have been more generous with the Salli, for it is Salli-Boti and not Boti-Salli. the Farcha was just a single leg of chicken deep fried in some mild spices, which we guys couldn't quite decide as to how it was to be split four ways. the chicken was underseasoned, the spices subtle, and lets not get started with the quantity. the mutton cutlets were probably the heroes of that night, one plate was good enough an appetizer for two, but again WE WERE FOUR!! the grilled onions in the brown sauce were a superb example of how a brown sauce should taste. a complete delight for the palate. the Salli Boti and the Farcha were had with roomali roties(one each), which were again a bit under. i could taste the flour and were extremely chewy. but sine they were generous with the size of the roomali, we were faced with a dillema as to wat to do with the remaining roti, for our appetizer and main course dishes were done with, and we were miles away from being full. so we called for what they called the chicken chilly-paradise special, expecting something new. sadly, that too was another disappointment, for it was the chicken chilly which u must have certainly had for ever since the indianised chinese cuisine exploded on the indian palate, only difference being u get the same thing outside for better rates, better taste, and even more, generous quantities. that chilly chicken was blasphemous, salty, and the soy sauce was overly done. completely avoidable.
to summarise
the good: the broth, mutton cutlets
the bad: salli boti(solely on the quantity issue)
the ugly: the farcha, the chilly chicken(paradise special!?), and the roomali roties
even more ugly: the quantity, the value for money factor(WE PAID Rs.1275 including a round of soft drinks for the four of us).
Verdict: Go to paradise for only certain dishes like the scotch broth and the mutton cutlets, and if u think that your heavy wallet is making your ass-cheeks go out of alignment, and if that bothers you.
two and a half chicken drumsticks out of five. :|
- Gaurang(Gabo)
Hello there! This is rahul. Welcome to our blog. Here we'll be reviewing all the so called best food joints across the city of mumbai and giving our own views about them. We will also be talking about all the lesser known places, some that you should absolutely make it a point to visit. The harsh critics that we are, don't take it personally if one of the places you love has been cast in negative light by us. We're just sharing our personal opinions, and you are entitled to your own. So feel free to comment on our posts and share your own views. Cheers!!!
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