Foodhist Journey

A Weekend Getaway to Nature’s Bliss Review of The Byke Brightland Resort, Matheran

2026-01-29T12:43:00.019+05:30

Matheran, the smallest hill station in India, is a car-free zone that promises a peaceful escape from city life. If you’re looking for a resort that offers both a retreat into nature and a dash of adventure, The Byke Brightland Resort is a popular choice. Here is a balanced look at what a stay here offers.

Location and Vibe

The resort boasts a good, convenient location within Matheran, which is almost 25 mins long walk from the main railway station and within walking distance of several popular scenic points. If you have any elders with you, you may better opt for a horse ride or cart to carry your luggage which will be a 10 min distance by horse ride from the Matheran main market. If you don't have too much luggage and enjoy walking then it's recommended that you walk up till the resort. The property itself is large and nestled amidst lush greenery, creating a tranquil and scenic atmosphere that is perfect for a family or couple's retreat. It has a swimming pool party, small adventure activities, a table tennis space, restaurant area, live performance activity area etc.. to enjoy the space.

Accommodation and Comfort

The resort offers different room types, including deluxe, duplex rooms and we had opted for the luxury executive rooms which were very spacious and very comfortable for the family stay. Even the Washroom sizes were very spacious and clean, with both AC and fan available. The beds, particularly the spring mattresses are very comfortable for resting after a long day of trekking as some of the view points of Matheran are very close to The Byke Brightland Adventure Resort. There was also 1 wardrobe, many charging points were there, Television with normal cable network was there, Resort Wifi is available on scanning but none of the phone networks work here - be is Airtel , Jio or Vodafone so your networks will be jammed and if you need to make important calls you will have to walk 10 mins till a chai point where you will get little Airtel network. The Wifi calls work fine for connectivity and you can order and seek room service support through wifi whats app where the resort team responds promptly for room service. There is also a relaxing seating area outside in the balcony of each of these rooms.

In the washrooms you will get towels, dental kits with toothbrush and toothpaste, moisturiser, handwash, body wash, shower, bucket here again all your basics are covered.

There are no kettles in the room (due to misuse) but it can be requested.

What I loved about this place is the vegetarian meal during lunch and dinner. Food is Pure Vegetarian Delight. Though I relish both Veg and Non Veg meals, but I found the restaurant of this resort better than the market place restaurants where the taste was too good. We enjoyed a simple meal: Paneer Butter masala gravy, steam rice, dal fry and chapati's for lunch and dinner. The Paneer gravy , dal was outstanding and the food was nice and super hot. Clean delicious meals which are good for kids as well. You can even order the food in your room or enjoy it in the dining area space. The breakfast buffet arrangement was also decent with sabudana khichdi, fruits, bread pakoda, bread butter, tea, coffee, dal pakwaan they prepare different breakfast on different days. But this was also a decent morning breakfast and both tea and coffee were nice and refreshing. If you have a toddler along they will also provide milk or anything you need for the kids on request.

One of The Byke's defining features is that it is a pure vegetarian site, and outside food or alcohol is strictly prohibited. Overall the food is good, simple, tasty, and offered in a buffet style (breakfast was included in our package) for lunch and dinner there was no buffet arrangement as we had visited off season and the crowd was less. This is mostly available on weekends. The cuisine is known to cater well to vegetarians and even includes Jain options. The restaurant is managed by Mr Dinesh who is very welcoming, friendly and ensures you are comfortable enjoying your delicious meal.

Meal's per dish price is between Rs 200 to Rs 320 depending on your order.

Evening Tea and Snacks are priced at Rs 150 per person.

Snacks are starting at Rs 100 onwards.

Buffet meal option per person is also between Rs 250 to Rs 300 based on your order for lunch and dinner.

It is not a super luxury arrangement for breakfast so don't come with too many expectations of variety. Some guests may find the breakfast spread to be limited. The cutlery is plastic plates, and not heavy ceramics which is practical given there are too many monkeys at the resort who can break cutlery. Your basics will be covered.

Also the staff is always on the watch and alert to ensure your safety while feeding the monkeys and close proximity with the monkeys. The staff are there to extend constant support. There are also dogs at the property who are over friendly and if you are scared of them you can inform the staff to take care of the distance from the dogs. In the night these dogs get overly excited and howl and bark till 12 pm so you may hear these random howling in the night.

Activities and Amenities

The resort is an excellent choice for a fun-filled break, offering a variety of amenities and activities to keep you and your companions entertained:

Adventure Park: It features outdoor activities such as Zip lining, Archery and a Sky Walk to name a few. You have to walk inside in the adventure area. Please check the timings of the activities before visiting to ensure proper safety harness while performing them with the resort adventure team. We did not personally do the activity as our lunch time only got over by 3:30 pm and the kids were tired then.

Recreational Facilities: There is a swimming pool (complete with a waterslide), indoor games, and a children's play area. Pool Party timings you can check before visiting and there is live music. Though in my personal opinion the music can be much better with relaxing bollywood songs. For a children's play area it is best to use it in the day time. In the night time the kids play area with slides is little towards the bushes hence not advisable to take your kids there. The children's slides are also rusted and dirty hence the kids may not be very comfortable on them.

Other Services: Wi-Fi is available and you can seek staff support to activate it.

Live Performance: There is also a live performance activity space though it was non functional during our stay but they mentioned that it is active on weekends but since we didn't get to experience the activity I will not be able to comment on it.

Live music and disco: In the night there was disco music being played for live dancing experience you can also request your song choice to the DJ. The music is very loud so if you want to enjoy the disco experience with family and friends you can dance it out. Service and Areas for Improvement

The staff is friendly, well-behaved, polite, and supportive, creating a warm and welcoming environment.

Mr Ashish was at the reception and there were other staff too, during our stay who were prompt in responding to the queries.

Mr Dinesh at the restaurant.

However, a few critical points for improvement:

Hot Water for bathing: Because this is solar, the hot water takes little time to come and you may have to waste 1 or 2 buckets of water to get the hot water.Light pleasant Music: The ambience can be even more elevated with light melodious music in the evening for the guests but they also have activity timings which can be checked on your arrival as they don't perform all activities on off season days.

Overall Review -

The Byke Brightland Resort in Matheran offers a compelling package for a fun, pure vegetarian, nature-based getaway, especially with its great location and range of adventure activities. However, if the kids play area and hot water issues are improved this will be an even more perfect stay. If you prioritize location and activities, it can be a great stay, but don't come with 5 star high end expectations.

For Resort prices it keeps changing as per the season so you may check online for best booking options to acquire your desired package depending on your budget and members travelling. They charge extra for any extra person stay where you may need a mattress. All charges and be confirmed prior with the staff. Do also ask for the receipt menu for any food bookings.

Ostaad Mumbai - Experience The Taste of Royalty | Food Review | Lower Parel

2020-11-23T03:51:00.015+05:30

Enjoy lip-smacking Royalty Food at Ostaad Mumbai

Ostaad is a Fine Dine Restaurant located at Kamala Mills Compound in Lower Parel Mumbai. It has an extensive menu of Traditional Indian Veg and Non-Veg Dishes. It serves delicious mouth-melting kebabs, Afghani, Iranian and Indian Cuisine. Ostaad has a beautiful chic elegant decor and on specific sufi nights it also has live music performances for entertainment. Pre Reservations for table booking is a better option as on special days this restaurant can get very busy. The staff is very friendly since each dish served here has the traditional taste of India the preparation takes time hence service takes time here.

You can try a whole variety of exotic delicious variety of breads like Afghan Khameeri, Sheermal, Bakarkhani, Taftan etc... Ostaadi Polao, Zeresh Pulao, the delicious royal biryani's, Korma's, iron grill kebabs, Murg Pashtooni Seekh, Chapli kebab, Sultani kebab, Adana kebab and more... scrumptious salads and starters, haleem and so much more... It has well-sanitized kitchen.

I tried these below items and found them extremely delicious in taste:

Baghdadi Murg Tikka

Rs 395

5*/5

Rich and creamy Baghdadi Murg Tikka are succulent, tender well marinated kebabs. They were just perfect in taste, served with fresh salad and sauce.

Turkmani Dal

Rs 395

3.5*/5

Green gram dal with all Indian spices and desi ghee taste.

Ostaad & Adasi

Rs 455

4*/5

Creamy delicious black gram dal loaded with butter and tomato puree.

Raan Ostaadi

Rs 1875

5*/5

Marinated leg of lamb braised in delicious spices, the meat was really tender and delicious. This is a star dish of the restaurant and its a must-try. Though it's a very expensive dish too and can be tried once with a group of friends. Highly Recommended!

Sheermal

Rs 145

5*/5

I loved the breads served here. Sheermal was so so delicious.

My Experience

Taste: Awesome

Service: Great

Staff: Excellent

Presentation: Excellent

Ambiance: Great

Seating: Comfortable

Quality: Excellent

Quantity: Excellent

Good Music

Crowd: Trendy

Price: Very Expensive

Wheelchair Accessible Available.

Overall Value for Money 4*/5 as the food is delicious but it is very expensive on pocket.

Bookmark us on Zomato

Homemade Veg Cheesy Tawa Pizza Easy Recipe 2020 | Foodhist Journey

2020-09-26T18:32:00.007+05:30

Homemade Veg Cheesy Tawa Pizza Easy Recipe 2020 | Amul Garlic & Herbs Butter | Foodhist Journey

Follow these simple steps to make delicious quick pizza at home.

The main taste comes from the Amul Garlic & Herbs butter.

Simply Delicious!

Try it out.

For more food updates Follow @foodhist.journey on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter

Homemade Easy Caramel Pudding Recipe

2020-05-30T19:47:00.001+05:30

Homemade Easy Caramel Custard Recipe

Cooking Time 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

3 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 Tbsp Custard powder

11/2 cup sugar, divided

Directions for cooking:

Step 1: Making of Caramel -

In a nonstick saucepan, take 3/4 cup of sugar and on low flame melt the sugar, until it gets a golden glaze.

Step 2: Add caramel in custard bowl

Once you get a golden glazed caramel start pouring it in custard bowls and let it set and cool down for 10 mins

Step 3: Custard Mixture

Now in a pan add 3 large cups of milk and heat it till it is medium hot, do not bring it to a boil. Switch off the gas and now in this lukewarm milk, add remaining sugar and eggs and whisk it well then add custard powder and vanilla essence. Whisk till you get a nice creamy smooth texture with no lumps at all. The mixture should be super smooth.

Step 4: Pour this mixture in the custard bowl and allow it to set for 2 - 3hrs. Refrigerate for better taste.

Indulge and enjoy creamy caramel custard.

For more exciting updates and recipes follow @foodhist.journey on digital platforms.

HAS South Bombay at The ORB Mumbai | Food Review

2020-03-11T01:54:00.001+05:30

Enjoy Luxury Experience With Budget Friendly Local South Indian Food at The ORB Mumbai

HAS South Bombay is located in the vicinity of a luxury hotel JW Marriott Sahar near Chhatrapati Shivaji Mumbai International Airport, at the finest mall The ORB in Mumbai. The ORB has one of the best food courts in the city and HAS South Bombay is on the ground floor. The ambiance and location of the restaurant are really elegant and beautiful. It's a spacious restaurant with simplistic seating arrangements.

The staff is courteous sweet and very friendly, they guided us throughout the menu to select the best pick and the prices are also good. The service was also very quick. The presentation of the food can be improved but looking at the simplicity of the place I still felt it was good. This particular outlet has both HAS juices and South Bombay - which serves the best of south indian cuisine food so you can enjoy delicious juices and shakes along with your meals and snacks.

Now coming to the food this is what we tried:

1. Spicy Peri Peri Dosa
5*/5
Rs 199
Dosa with a twist of spicy Peri Peri creamy sauce and delicious fresh stir fried veggies like corn, onion, bell peppers, capsicum, tomato, baby corn, paneer and spring onion. Very delicious and highly recommended! can be improved in the presentation aspect.

2. Mini Malgapudi (Podi) Idli
5*/5
Rs 132
This is one of the signature dishes here and trust me you must try these Mini Malgapudi idlis. The Malgapudi masala was next level, which is traditionally prepared with a mix of sesame seeds, chana and urad dal, dry red chilies, salt, and hing. The mini idli's were soft and fluffy coated with these delicious malgapudi masala. I couldn't help myself finish the entire plate and even requested for more podi. Highly Recommended!

3. Bombay Uttapam
5*/5
Rs 150
The Bombay style Uttapam with all your beautiful veggies chunks capsicum, onion, tomato perfectly spiced. The best thing was it was very light and fluffy and wasn't oily at all. Recommended!

4. Cheese Garlic Roast Dosa
4*/5
Rs 150
Again Dosa with a twist of Garlicky chilly masala layer in the dosa, ghee roasted just to give that flavour and covered with grated cheese on top and few spring onion for garnish.

Has Juices & Shakes

1. Ferrero Rocher Shake
5*/5
Rs 199
This is one of the signature shakes of HAS. Extremely delicious in taste and it was very thick creamy shake with a whooping layer of chocolate whipped cream, chocolate syrup, amazing Ferrero Rocher chocolates all blended together into this yummylicious drink. Highly Recommended!

2. Natural Cleanser
4*/5
Rs 141
3 hydrating Fresh fruits watermelon, muskmelon and strawberries blended together in a power pact drink of natural cleanser. Delicious and its more water based not thick texture.

3. ABC
5*/5
Rs 141
ABC is my on the go juice, I have always loved this combination of Apple, Carrot and beetroot juice. It tastes yum has a beautiful gorgeous color and great health benefits. Especially good for your hemoglobin. Highly recommended!

4. Exotic Gauva
4.5*/5
Rs 181
A delicious indian street Gauva taste with a tangy punch of Orange, Chaat Masala and Black salt. Very unique taste and thick juice.

My Experience

Food: Delicious
Juices & Shakes: Delicious
Quality: Great
Quantity: Great
Prices: Inexpensive to Moderate
Ambiance: Great
Hygiene: Good, you can actually see the kitchen while your food is being prepared
Wheelchair Accessible Entry: Yes
Restroom: Available
Parking: Available
Overall Value for Money 5*/5

#Zomato #FoodReview #HASSouthBombay #FoodhistJourney

MonQo - Serves The Best MilkShakes Ever!

2020-02-26T17:59:00.001+05:30

Milkshakes Just Got A Brand New Makeover

at MonQo

MonQo is one of the popular brands for serving some amazing variety of shakes in India. Their journey started from Kerala where alone they have around 6 branches which grew in no time. Now the brand has extended further to cities like Hyderabad and Mumbai. Recently I had the opportunity to visit its Mumbai outlet and I must say I was definitely impressed with the quality of food and beverages.

Located in a narrow lane near the Bata store, Hill Road Bandra West Mumbai, MonQo does have a great curated menu that serves continental, Fast Food & Beverages even the steaks, burgers, snacks, sandwiches, Kathi rolls are extremely delicious. What you will really enjoy about MonQo is the casual relaxed vibe of the place which is mainly because of its sweet welcoming staff. The staff is really cool, you can actually have a conversation with them, plus they also guide you through the menu to help you pick your meals.

Even though the place might not be so spacious but the ambiance is quaint and its made interesting with entertainment elements like Guitar and board games. So you can enjoy some music and a chess game with your friends over great meals and shakes. The seating is comfortable/cozy and the place is very popular amongst the millennials crowd. The highlight of the Ambiance is the fantastic 3D Red Indian wall art and apparently, the MonQo name has also been inspired by it.

Now coming to the Shakes and Food this is what I tried:

1. MonQo Exotic Shake - Red Velvet

Rs 199
5*/5
Oh guys, this was such a mind-blowing thick milkshake. All their shakes are very filling quantity-wise. Red Velvet pastry, rich chocolate shake is one of its best sellers which you must try. Presented in a beautifully branded Monqo bottle with a thick flowing Red syrup. I loved this drink and Highly Recommended.

2. MonQo Exotic Shake - Caramel PopCorn

Rs 199

5*/5
Rich Caramel Popcorn milkshake with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream is another best seller here. Do try this exotic shake. Highly Recommended!

3. Amritsari Butter Chicken Kathi Roll

Rs 295

5*/5
Perfectly marinated creamy boneless chicken pieces in Amritsari buttery gravy, wrapped in light egg rotis, served with side salad, fries and 2 variety of ketchup one the normal tomato ketchup and second one is a local tamarind kerala dip. Again a really great and filling snack. Highly Recommended!

4. Moroccan Potato Wedges

Rs 125

5*/5
Delicious Potato wedges basket with Moroccan spices and freshly ground pepper served with 2 variety of dips. Loved it!

My Experience:

Food & Beverages: Amazing

Quality: Excellent

Quantity: Excellent

Hygiene: Great

Staff: Friendly

Seating: Comfortable

Ambiance: Great

Entertainment: Board Games, Music

Cuisine: Continental, Fast Food, Beverages

Price: Moderate

Parking: Not Available

Wheelchair Accessible Entrance: Not Available

Overall Value For Money 5*/5

Women's Car Rally 2020 #DriveToDiscover at Ananta Ecostays Resort

2020-02-05T01:54:00.001+05:30

Celebrate The Spirit of Womenhood At This

Weekend Getaway Destination

If you are an avid follower of my blog then I am sure you remember My First Camping/Glamping trip blog post at Ananta Ecostays Resort in Khodala Village. Recently I revisited this resort for an all Women's Car Rally #DriveToDiscover event which was organized by the Ananta Ecostays team. At this event around 25 women driven cars participated in the rally from Mumbai till Khodala which was held on 1st and 2nd Feb 2020.

The flag of the race was done by the gorgeous Actress/ Writer Nivedita Tiwari who motivated the participants before the rally. There were local Indian drummers to cheer and raise the energy levels of women participants.

All these power women were so up their game and used the perfect skills and techniques to win the rally. Every participant had to follow the map and complete tasks on the go to make the event more exciting. Sanjjari Kashyap and Falguni Parmar were the winners of the rally, each of these individuals represented strong successful independent women of today.

After the rally there was an entire line up of fun activities and adventure, where the ladies got this great opportunity to come together, break free from normal routine life and connect with successful leaders and women entrepreneurs. "A woman is the full circle - within her is the power to create, nurture and transform!" To celebrate this spirit Ananta had organized this event.

The event included an overnight stay in camping /glamping tents, Motivational inspiring talk on Discovering your own divinity by Eika Banerjee, Unleash your potential - Firewalk with success coach Kalyani Kamble followed by DJ night by DJ Paps, barbecue, Star Gazing by Parag Thakker, bonfire, Awakening Conscious Living talk by Suri Mangat from School of Awakening and being a Google Crowdsource Representative even I had the opportunity to share brief insights on Google Crowdsource - Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning with these successful women entrepreneurs who came from different fields as some were Archaeologist, someone was a lawyer, CA, CEO's, healer, Conscious Consultants, fitness trainers, owners, founder's, influential powerful personalities and much more... The event was covered by the local media as well and it also had sponsors and partners like 104.8 Ishq FM Radio channel.

Captured the Beautiful Moon at Star Gazing Event Ananta Ecostays

About Ananta Ecostays: Ananta Ecostays is situated on a serene mountain top of the Sahyadri ranges. Ananta is set in a peaceful rural landscape, beautifully carved out of a mountain amidst 15 acres of mango and cashew orchards located at Khodala village, Palghar District, Maharashtra. The resort is surrounded by natural forest and waterfalls. There are home grown organic vegetables, crops and multitude of fruit trees and wild flowers amidst the property. Ananta has 6 air-conditioned super luxury tents, 14 Glamping tents with modern amenities.

A special thank you to Pallav Nagar and Anjali Gulati the founder of Ananta Ecostays and People Konnect for organizing this amazing event.

So friends if you wish to attend future exciting and relaxing healing events by Ananta Ecostays then do Email - anantaecotel@gmail.com

or you can even connect with me foodhist.journey@gmail.com

Indulge In Drooling Temptations At Caramel Patisserie - The Park Hotel Juhu Mumbai

2020-01-22T01:18:00.002+05:30

Amazing Desserts You Can't Resist At The Park Hotel Juhu

Whenever you are craving for something mindblowing and out of the box desserts then Caramel Patisserie & Cafe is the perfect place to go. Located at The Park 5 Star Luxury Hotel in Mumbai Juhu, this Patisserie is a hot spot to enjoy delicious macarons, signature handcrafted exclusive chocolates, cakes, pastries, freshly baked breads and much more... They also have customized seasonal passion fruit desserts menu, like right now for all strawberry lovers they are hosting Strawberry Specials - strawberry basil macaron, dark chocolate strawberry truffle, handmade chocolate bars with dried strawberry, strawberry dome mousse cake etc...

Be it the service or staff everything is top class here, where the entire team is extremely humble, polite and friendly. The ambiance is beautiful and the place attracts elite sophisticated crowd. In terms of prices, it is moderately priced and hence adds more value to your overall experience at The Park. The seating is very comfortable, there are luxury couches to help you relax over a cup of coffee and favorite choice of your dessert. Overall making you feel cozy in an elegant dining space. The quality, hygiene, and quantity of the food are of an amazing standard.

Now coming to the desserts this is what I tried:

1. Strawberry Cheese Cake
5*/5
A delicious salted crumb base with a fine creamy cheesy texture fresh strawberry cake topped with beautiful glazed strawberry pieces. Do pick this one from the seasonal treat. Highly recommended!

2. Opera (Gold Dust Chocolate Pastry)
5*/5
A gorgeous disc shaped layered pastry with dense gooey soft and cream layers. Lovely Gold dust tempting toppings made with the finest quality chocolate. Highly Recommended!

3. Red Velvet Cake
5*/5
This deep red colored beauty is a must-have. Nice spongy fluffy fresh cake with delicious buttery velvety texture of the cream. Topped with The Park Hotel branded chocolate logo mark. Highly Recommended!

Overall Value for Money 5*/5

I hope you found this review helpful, for more such food and travel discoveries/ reviews subscribe and follow my blog journey.
@Foodhist.Journey on Social Media Platforms.

#Zomato #TheParkHotel #Juhu #Mumbai #Desserts #Cafe

Try Freshly Baked Drool Worthy Cakesicles at Vanilla Beans

2020-01-04T17:29:00.000+05:30

Start Your 2020 With These Sweet Treats Curated by A Passionate Home Baker and Founder of Vanilla Beans

Mumbai is the hub for fastest-growing food industry and it does have some mindblowing bakeries, cakes, patisseries, dessert shops. What's even more amazing about the city is that it has so many hidden gems. The city has great home chef's and being a food blogger I love exploring the city's talent and I feel really happy to find people who convert their passion into a full-fledged successful profession.

One such amazing soul I recently met and the star of this week's feature is Deepa Desai who is the founder of Vanilla Beans India located at Bandra West Mumbai. Deepa is a home baker who lovingly and passionately creates these rich premium quality beautiful sweet treats, cakes, confectioneries, desserts and masterpieces.

This delivery outlet has a very extensive menu ranging from customized cakesicles and Premium Products Noir collection which I really loved. Deepa and her family are very sweet humble people to even work with you to create some unique thoughtful customized cakes as per the occasion and your requirements. In terms of service and food packaging, it was great quick service and the product branding was very elegant too. The price range is moderate to expensive depending on your order.

Now coming to the food this is what I tried:

1. KitKat Cakesicle
Rs 250 each
4*/5
So this cakesicle was so yummilicious and even in presentation it was great. It had an amazing Kit Kat chocolate covering with some roughly chopped kitkat pieces used for presentation and the inside filling of the cakesicle there was a dense sponge cake, coated in creamy milk chocolate and I could even taste the nice rich buttery flavor in the filling. Recommended!

2. Brownie Cakesicle
Rs 250 each
5*/5
Oh, I loved this flavor it was rich dark chocolate covering with a fine dust of brownie powder. The brownie was very gooey and every bite was bliss. Highly Recommended!
My Experience:

Taste: Amazing
Quality: Amazing
Quantity: Great
Service: Great
Type: Home Delivery {Home Baker}
USP: Made to order - Customised Cakes & Sweet Treats
Price: Moderate to Expensive
Timings: 10 am - 9 pm (Mon - Sun)
Highlights: Cakesicles, Mini Pizza, Cupcake, Dutch Truffle, Brownie Chocolate, Eclair, Donut, Chocolate Ganache Cake, Custom Cakes.
Founder: Deepa Desai
Website: http://vanillabeans.co.in/
Overall Value for Money 5*/5

They are also serving some seasonal fruit delicacies so do check it out on their menu.

Luckily, thanks to Vanilla Beans I started my 2020 with this delicious sweet treat, when are you starting yours?

Hope you enjoyed this review and found it helpful.
For more food and travel discoveries and amazing lifestyle findings follow my journey @foodhist.journey on social media platforms.
Do subscribe to my blog to get the latest updates.

Lots of Love
Ambreen
Aka @Foodhist.journey

#Happy2020 #HappyNewYear #Cakesicles #VanillaBeans
#FoodhistJourney #Zomato #FoodReviews

Birdsong Cafe The Organic Cafe, Hill Road Bandra West Mumbai Food Review

2019-12-05T21:29:00.001+05:30

Interesting Decor and Organic Food at Birdsong Cafe

If you want to spend quality time with yourself and enjoy some delicious healthy organic food then Birdsong Cafe is the perfect go-to place. What attracted me the most about this cafe was it's unique under construction site look, beautiful ambiance and decor. The bricked wall, long arched windows and fairy lights give you a feel of Goa which was pretty interesting. Oh! and you must check out the washroom which had old vintage light switch buttons.

The entrance is gorgeous with a graffiti wall and some freshly baked food products placed beautifully on the display counter. This Cafe is favorite amongst celebrities as it is located in a very narrow quiet lane at Hill Road Bandra West Mumbai, in an isolated space near old heritage cottages. There is seating created on a level up which has a very cozy appeal. Here people can sneak in spend me-time without getting noticed or bothered by the crowd.

Birdsong Cafe is an organic cafe which has a very extensive menu, that includes fresh organic foods and bakery items like cookies, muffins, cakes etc... The seating is very comfortable here, the furniture was classic and has a table service set up. This place is great for coffee and fresh bakes. In my personal experience, I feel the cafe lacked a bit in service as I felt the waiters could have known the menu better. As compared to other cafe's it also lacked a bit in presentation as all recommended signature beverages and signature dishes didn't stand out for me. I feel the way the entire decor is made interesting even the signature dish or beverage could have been made equally interesting.

Now coming to the food this is what I tried:

1. Lemonade
(Birdsong Cafe Signature Lime Juice)
3*/5
Rs 160
Decent drink

2. Birdsong signature Lemon Ginger
4*/5
Rs 200
Strong flavour of Ginger and lemon very refreshing but it lacked any fresh elements or simple presentation.

3. Vegetable loaded homemade quesadilla
(whole wheat homemade quesadilla served with vegetable and tangy fruit salad.)
4*/5
Rs 350
This was very delicious. The vegetable quesadilla had tasty Rajma (beans) filling. The fresh fruit salad was tangy and spicy there were diced apple and pineapple flavor with a hint of chili. Loaded with a spoon fill of Avacado paste and freshly chopped tomatoes covered with hung curd. Good dish.

4. We love Plantain Chips
4*/5
Rs 300
Lovely crispy and tasty Plantain Chips served with a tangy tamarind dip and sprinkled with dry chilli spice.

My Experience:

Place: Birdsong Cafe - The Organic Cafe
Parking: Valet Available
Price: Moderate to Expensive
Taste: Good but vs expectation it was not extraordinary
Quality: Good
Quantity: Good
Wheelchair Accessible Entrance: Not Available
Restroom: Available
Seating: Comfortable
Presentation: 3*/5
Ambiance: Amazing
Crowd: Attracts an affluent crowd
Table Service
All Day Breakfast
Indoor Seating
Vegan options
Service: Quick
Staff: Friendly but needs to be trained more in terms of food served
Gluten-Free options and Fresh bakes
Wifi Available
Overall Value for Money 4*/5
Location: https://goo.gl/maps/NDtNLeK4ZpxvpkHA6
Timings: Mon - Sun: 9 am - 11:30 pm

#BirdsongCafe #Zomato #FoodReview #OrganicCafe #BandraWest #Mumbai

Best Heritage Bakery J. Hearsch (Since 1920) Bandra West Mumbai

2019-12-02T03:01:00.002+05:30

J Hearsch Best Heritage Bakery is a

Must visit in Mumbai

Grab the best freshly baked puff's, patties, croissants, samosas, pastries, hot dogs, sandwiches, rolls, chocolate balls, burgers and other delicious savoury items just under Rs 100 at J. Hearsch Bakery which is extremely economical, budget-friendly and of great quality. Located near Holy Family Hospital this is no less than any other old heritage destination to visit in Mumbai as it is a century old bakery with a rich history and background.

When Great Britain declared war on Germany in 1914, the German baker J. Hearsch who was the owner of this bakery decided to lease out his bakery to a Colaba lady Sophia Liberata Fernandes in the 1920s who was previously running Connaught Bakery on Colaba Causeway. The Hearsch bakery is now being run by Melvin D’Sa (although the proprietorship remains with the Fernandes) whose father took over the bakery in the 1960s with the support of the Fernandes family.

J Hearsch bakery's ambiance has a retro heritage look, the food is well managed and clean. The bakery starts at 7 am and it's very popular amongst the locals. The entire staff is fast, busy and well organized. There is a coupon system here, so you stand in a queue, pay for your meals and you will be given a coupon. Wait for your order and your coupon number will be called out by the staff. Most people enjoy eating these snacks on the rocky ground outside the bakery.

There are no seating arrangements so either you can take the support of your bikes or just use one of the stones to sit under the tree and finish your meal. Another interesting thing about this bakery is that there are absolutely no signboards around and you cannot easily locate this bakery from a moving vehicle because this bakery is inside a bungalow surrounded by walls. Honestly the bakery doesn't even need signboards because its very famous and any local will be very happy to guide you in the bakery's direction.

The bakery attracts youngsters, local bandraite's and people of all age groups that's why the bakery is always busy. The staff is constantly preparing delicious fresh food in batches and placing them on the counter and even the neighborhood cats are regular visitors here.

Though there are a whole variety of items you can try here but this is what I tried at Hearsch and are my all-time favorite:

1. Veg Burger

Rs 80

5*/5

2. Veg Roll

Rs 30

5*/5

3. Veg Puff

Rs 20

5*/5

4. Veg Patties

Rs 25

5*/5

5. Spring Roll

Rs 40

5*/5

6. Chicken Chilli Croissant

Rs 70

5*/5

4. Veg Schezwan Noodles

Rs 90

5*/5

All the food items served here are of great quality, quantity and packaged with flavours.

Place: J. Hearsch

USP: Heritage Bakery

Price: Very Economical

Taste: Delicious

Seating: Not Available

Quality: Excellent

Quantity: Excellent

Coupon System

Wheelchair accessible entrance: Available but rocky ground.

Self Service

Staff: Busy and very focused.

Service : Quick

Parking: Available for 2 wheelers

Overall Value for money 5*/5

Timings: 9am till 10 pm - Tuesday Closed

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/oyUzYZXpXtB4xfQU6

Hope you found this review helpful

Do subscribe and follow @foodhist.journey for more such food discoveries.

Lot's of Love

Ambreen Shaikh

Aka @foodhist.journey

#Zomato #JHearsch #HearchBakery #bandrawest #heritagebakery #BestbakeryinMumbai

Khow Chow Bandra West Mumbai Restaurant Review

2019-10-31T05:03:00.001+05:30

KHOW CHOW
TASTE THE DIFFERENCE - PAN ASIAN CUISINE

Khow chow is your one-stop destination to taste and experience a variety of Pan Asian Multi Cuisine food. Every dish served here is bang on presentation and it is packed with outstanding flavours. This restaurant is located at Waterfield, Linking Road, Bandra West and it attracts a very affluent crowd. It also tops the list in being one of my favorite restaurants for Asian cuisine. If you are a Chinese Thai Asian food lover and looking for something light and healthy then you will definitely love the food here. Even though this is not a very spacious restaurant, still there are smart interiors and spaces created. The ambiance of this place is also very pleasant, with light music playing in the background and attractive graffiti on the walls to enhance the elements of the traditional Asian cuisine atmosphere.

The restaurant has table service where the staff is very welcoming, friendly and courteous. It's good if you have pre reservations or else there can be 15 mins waiting time. The seating is comfortable here and the service is also quick. They have an extensive menu of mouth-watering Veg and Non-Veg dishes as well as you can get some lovely exotic beverages, hot pots, teas, and gorgeous mocktails.

Now coming to the food this is what I tried:

1. Signature Dish: Tab Tim Krob Dessert

Rs 350

5*/5

This was such a unique mindblowing dessert. There were these translucent red rubies which were basically water chestnuts coated with tapioca flour and red food color. So the base was these red rubies which were infused with interesting pandan leaf flavour served in nice smooth coconut cream bowl and ice cubes, finally garnished with a mint leaf. Highly Recommended!

2. Thai Cooler

Rs 250

5*/5

A refreshing mix of passion fruit and lychee muddled with lemongrass top up with sparkling soda. This was sweet and tangy. Presented beautifully with lemongrass stick and fresh lemon twist curl. Recommended!

3. Grape fruit berry lemonade

Rs 250

5*/5

A wonderful vibration of triple balance with sourness, bitterness and sweetness. Nice bright red color grape fruit refreshing drink and lemonade. Recommended!

4. Sizzling Platters

Base - Veg Fried Rice

Chicken with Chilli Oyster Sauce

Rs 750

5*/5

Fresh Fries, Exotic veggies (bell peppers, Zucchini, mushrooms etc..), Stir veg fried rice, delicious cubes of chicken in chilli oyster sauce. The quantity was very good and would serve 2.

5. Assorted Vegetable Dimsum Basket

Rs 860 (8 pieces)

5*/5

All the dumplings in the basket were gorgeous and perfectly cooked.

- Edamame truffle oil dumpling - This was such a smooth filling and just melts in your mouth. The beans were extremely delicious. One of the best dumplings you must try.

- Shitake and Straw Mushroom dumpling

- Vegetable Chinese dumpling

- Crystal dumpling - with baby corn filling

Highly Recommended!

6. Taronest (Paneer)

Rs 400

5*/5

Delicious fresh paneer pieces tossed in Thai chilli sauce and exotic veggies served in beautiful crunchy noodle nest. Highly Recommended!

7. Som Tam Salad

Rs 350

5*/5

Som Tam is a world-famous popular Thai Green Papaya Salad, literally meaning pounding of sour ingredients. This Thai dish served at khow chow was extremely amazing in taste it had shredded raw green papaya, cucumber, beans, cherry tomatoes, peanuts, garlic, chilli, lime and it had a lovely spicy, tangy, sweet and sour taste. Highly Recommended!

My Experience

Restaurant: Khow Chow

Cuisine: Pan Asian

Taste: Excellent

Presentation: Excellent

Quality: Excellent

Quantity: Good

Seating: Comfortable

Service: Quick

Staff: Friendly

Price: Moderate to Expensive

Ambiance: Good

Table Service

Home Delivery
Live Sports Screening
Indoor Seating
Valet Parking Available

Free Wifi
Reservation preferred
Overall Value for Money 5*/5

Hope you enjoyed reading this review

For more amazing food discoveries follow @foodhist.journey on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter.

Lots of Love

Ambreen Shaikh

Aka Foodhist Journey

#Zomato #FoodReview #AsianCuisine #PanAsianCuisine #KhowChow #Thaifood #bestchineseinbandra

My Froyoland - Land of Your Frozen Yogurt Dreams Food Review

2019-10-10T15:20:00.002+05:30

Make Your Own Mix of Froyos at MyFroyoland

Indulge in drooling guilt-free premium quality Froyo's at MyFroyoland, a swirl filled with health and happiness. There are various benefits of eating froyo's such as it is a good source of calcium and protein, it is relatively low in fat and calories to help promote healthy weight loss, it contains enzymes that help in digestion, it has 'good bacteria' to boost your immune system and many more such health benefits. One such brand that serves amazing froyo's is Myfroyoland where you can get a variety of flavours along with unlimited toppings. The brand has many stores across India and recently I had the opportunity to visit its Khar West outlet located at the main Linking Road opposite Citywalk.

The ambiance of this store was very pleasant, the decor had subtle pastel colors to give you a feel of the froyo dreamland and the store attraction is the beautifully painted wall with colorful angel wings. There was both outdoor and indoor AC / Non AC comfortable seating area space built on the ground level and on Level 1. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The order counter was centrally located and the best part about myfroyoland is that you get to order and customize your own Froyo in just 3 simple easy steps - (It's Self-service.)

1st Step - Swirl it - where you get to pick from this unimaginable list of unique flavours like litchi, chocolate cake, Tiramisu, cookies and cream, cake batter, strawberry banana, kiwi tart, Greek yogurt, NSA salted Caramel or even sorbets like orange and lemon etc...

2nd Step - Top it - where you can select unlimited toppings be it cookie dust, fruit jelly, jelly tips, sour punks, chocolate sprinkles, rainbow sprinkles, white chocolate chips, butterscotch, twin chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, waffle fans, choco balls, rice crunch, granola, kit kat bits, almonds, chocolate wafer sticks, snickers, gems, oreo's and apart from these there are even unlimited sauces chocolate sauce, peanut butter, fruit fillings, crunchy Kellogs, fresh fruits, etc... etc...

and 3rd and final Step is - Weigh it - after you have loaded your froyo's with your personal choices and toppings you then finally weigh it and depending on the weight of the froyo's you need to pay the prices accordingly.

Most of the flavours were also sugar-free, low fat and gluten-free.

Now coming to the froyo's taste this is what I tried:

1. Blueberry (Non Fat + Gluten Free)

Price: Depends on the weight of your froyo

Toppings & confectionaries: Marshmallows, waffle fan, canned cherry, popping boba green apple flavour, blueberry fruit filling.

Loved every bit of this Blueberry flavour, the froyo smelled and looked delicious. The texture was smooth and slightly grainy it just melts in your mouth. The waffle fan was fresh and crisp, Popping boba which is prepared through the spherification process and had green apple flavor (it's basically gel-like skin with juice inside that bursts when squeezed) and I added yummy blueberry fruit filling on top of it. Highly Recommended!

2. Strawberry Banana (Non Fat + Gluten Free) and Salted Caramel NSA (No sugar added)

Price: Depends on the weight of your froyo
Toppings & confectionaries: chocolate chips, waffle fan, rainbow sprinkles, red velvet cake crumble , chocolate sprinkles, and peanut butter.
I tried mix up of 2 swirls Strawberry banana flavour and salted caramel, both were extremely flavoursome. Strawberry banana had a very fruity flavour and salted caramel had a subtle taste of saltiness. I enjoyed both flavours with peanut butter topping, rainbow and chocolate spinkles and red velvet cake. Highly Recommended!

3. Cookie & Cream and Tiramisu
Price: Depends on the weight of your froyo
Toppings & confectionaries: Cookie dust, Oreo Dust, Double chocolate chip, Oreo, Chocolate Waffle Fan
This was an oreo cookie and cream flavour and Tiramisu was rich strong coffee flavour again both were super delicious and I tried these with some of the listed amazing toppings. Recommended!

My Experience:

Brand: MyFroyoland
USP: Healthy Frozen Yogurt (Gluten free, Sugar free, low fat options) Make your own mix
Taste: Awesome
Outlet: Khar West
Service: Quick
Staff: Friendly and helpful
Seating: Indoor & Outdoor AC / Non AC
Price: Based on weight (different sizes are available) 150g = Rs 225 up till 450 g = Rs 675
Extra for each topping.
Self Service
Restroom: Available
Wheelchair Accessible Entrance
Hygiene: Excellent
Parking: Not Available
Overall Value for Money 5*/5

Hope you found this review helpful, for more such amazing discoveries follow @foodhist.journey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Blogger.

Lot's of Love
Ambreen Shaikh
Aka Foodhist Journey

#Zomato #Review #MyFroyoland

Night Owl? Try This Natural Home Remedy To Get Good Night Sleep

2019-09-29T04:02:00.001+05:30

Turmeric Milk Remedy To Help You Relax And Get Better Sleep

Are you struggling to sleep in the night? Personally, I am a night owl myself, I love to watch the stars, the moon and I enjoy the silence in the night. All my reading, writing, listening to music, catching up on daily news/events, watching Netflix and planning my routine for the next day happens late at night. Even if i am in bed by midnight, i don't tend to fall asleep too easily and my energy levels are kind of high even in late hours where normally people are fast asleep.

So one of my Ayurveda doctor friend suggested this remedy, I tried and it worked for me so I thought of sharing it here for all you lovely souls out there who are struggling to sleep in the night. Well, you will need to do alot more than just having this remedy which I will be suggesting. For example: you will need to disconnect with all digital devices such as your TV, Mobile phones, laptops etc... atleast an hour before you are trying to sleep. Prepare your self and make your room comfortable in the sense on the dim lights if that helps you relax, don't drink too much water before your going to bed otherwise we all know it's sooo frustrating to fall asleep and then get up in the middle of the night just to pee, try to relax and if you like you can even meditate few mins before going to bed. Also no social media before going to bed, because there are way too much irrelevant mixed good and bad information on social media which kind of makes your mind wander.

So here is the remedy (prepare and drink this an hour before you plan to go to bed)

Ingredients:

1 Glass - Milk

2 tbsp - Jaggery

1/2 tsp - sonth (dry ginger powder)

1/2 Cinnamon stick (Dalchini)

2 - Cardamom (Elaichi)

1 tbsp Turmeric powder

Preparation

Mix all the above ingredients in a pot and bring it to a nice boil for 4 to 5 minutes. Once all the flavors are infused in the milk strain it in your favorite mug and have it. All the above herbal natural ingredients will help fight inflammation and supply good amount of antioxidants. This will help you relax and have that nice Good night sleep.

This remedy worked for me but if you are going through any other serious challenges in life which are giving you any kind of stress and that is not allowing you to have that peace and rest. If your mind is constantly thinking, then I would recommend that along with this remedy also have a friend who you can talk to, share and release all your negativity and stress. If you don't have a friend to talk to then you can even talk to your own self or take professional help. Because nowadays mental fitness and health are extremely important, sometimes even people who go to the gym and claim to be fit are actually suffering from depression, stress or anxiety. You can even download Zoom App and Dial 352 367 242 which is a global 24X7 free care helpline number run by a London based School of Awakening. If you still can't find that person to talk to then please don't let that negativity harm you instead feel free to email me and share your challenges in life at foodhist.journey@gmail.com I am not an expert but I am a good friend and good at keeping secrets. So friends work on yourself, stay happy, be positive and nothing is more important than your health so please do take care of yourself.

Hope this remedy will help you in getting that desired sleep.

Lot's of Love

Wish you more Sweetdreams

Ambreen Shaikh

Aka Foodhist Journey

Do Support & Follow my social media FB, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram @Foodhist.Journey, so that I can continue to share and contribute more such helpful tips.

What is Conscious Food and how can it change your life?

2019-09-23T18:17:00.000+05:30

What is Conscious Food and how can it change your life?

Food for thought!

Are you feeding your soul, or just feeding your body?

In this digital age we are caught up in our fast paced busy lifestyle, where we tend to ignore our health and imbibe unhealthy eating habits, constantly increasing levels of unnecessary stress, depression and become more prone to diseases. We have stopped feeling our inner soul light and listening to our natural inner consciousness, which keeps knocking every time we tend to knowingly or unknowingly harm ourselves. Our poor choices and not being consciously aware is the root cause of all our problems.

So it’s really important to ask yourself how aware are you? Will, you only take action when an illness arises in your body and it’s too late? Or will you make a decision now and be responsible for your overall well being? Remember when you fall sick or go through your low’s it’s not just you alone who suffers but also the people who truly love you; they suffer equally with you. Hence, for you to help your loved ones you need to help yourself first. Apart from other essential components, food is undoubtedly one of the most important factors which has a great impact on your health. Since the beginning of time, many proven pieces of research have shown that food and its natural healing properties are being used to help improve our health and lifestyle.

A year back I got introduced to this amazing new world of Consciousness through a friend’s friend at School of Awakening which is a Global 24X7 online school that teaches you a natural way of Conscious Living. A team of students from London School of Awakening had visited the Mumbai city for the first time. Since I happened to be their only point of contact in the city, I started hanging out with them. We all quickly became great friends and when I met these people I learned new things which got me interested in understanding what exactly they do? Later in our discussions, I was introduced to some amazing concepts which were very fascinating and new for me.

The entire perspective of looking at life and my body completely changed after that. For example: We have some pre-conceived notions and assumptions about life and about situations we deal with on a day to day basis, that are setting limitations on ourselves without us realizing that we have so much more potential beyond these cultural boundaries. To help you understand the very basics, I had always heard about Yoga, 7 healing chakras, Meditation and its benefits, but once you start learning and understanding these concepts it’s a much more advanced way of living life than just enjoying a physical exercise like Yoga.

"Everything is Energy and that's all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not Philosophy. This is Physics." - Albert Einstein. Most Scientist research clearly shows that everything is energy at the most fundamental levels. Apart from other energy sources our body get's energy from the food we eat. Knowing your energy frequency and eating toxin free natural foods, working on your immunity, your gut can help you raise the energy frequency helping you draw closer to harmony. Everytime you eat a piece of food, you absorb that food's energy into your body. The quality of that energy has an impact on your overall health and wellbeing. YOU ARE WHAT ENERGY YOU EAT.

One such concept of the School of Awakening that attracted me the most was Conscious Food (Moody Foody Diaries) – Health in your hands. How food is responsible for your mood. With the help of ancient wisdom and tested research, the teachers assist you to effortlessly embrace this whole new lifestyle journey by bringing back the inspiration, reinventing your kitchen and food diaries.

Conscious Food program by Moody Foody’s of School of Awakening is an experiential journey to help you unlock your true natural inner potential. It makes you consciously aware of your food and its significance on your overall health and wellbeing. Conscious food aims at shifting to a healthy lifestyle which doesn’t only focus on the wellbeing of your body but also focuses on the core issues of your inner self – the wellbeing of your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual body. For example: if you follow many celebrity lifestyles - they go to the gym every day, they eat healthy to stay fit and young and they spend millions on their dieticians and trainers who strive hard to make them look good, but still, most of them go through phases of depression, land up getting diseases and even become victims to Cancer. So it’s not only about taking care of your body but it’s also important to be consciously aware of your emotional and spiritual self. Your intentions, your subconscious mind, your feelings towards your food, the prayers, the blessing’s, the people around, etc... All of them are equally important and responsible for your health.

When our intention is right and our consciousness is engaged where we are not distracted by needs or self-critic, we can overcome unconscious eating habits. This can really help enhance the whole experience and our concepts around the value of food.

To understand these concepts deeper I interviewed some of the practicing students at the School of Awakening and asked them how conscious food and conscious living has changed the way they live life? And what improvements have they personally experienced in their life? Below I have listed some of their answers:

The Principal of School of Awakening

Farseea - "The best thing I learned at SOA is no matter what is happening in your life, there is always love and support at hand from the seen to the unseen realms. I am never alone. I have made the 9 principles of SOA my trusted companions on this journey of self awareness, because it not always an easy walk to the other side.

In essence SOA stands for Source of Acceptance. Self development was keeping me stuck in ME. Wonderment helped me open up to the wealth of new people, new knowledge and new ways of being together as WE. Acceptance of ALL and learning together."

Sheriff (Student of School of Awakening): "I've been a fan of eating healthily for many years, but learning about conscious food has completely changed things for me. I understand that its not always my physical body that's craving food and I'm more lenient about the food I eat. I enjoy my food more and am happier and healthier as a result."

In the program Moody Foody, which encompasses natural alternative holistic healing, you will learn how you can master and be conscious (aware / have knowledge) with the most simple cutting edge tools and techniques and guided master classes on conscious food, conscious cooking, and recipes which can help enhance and uplift your mind, body, and soul. This is like a guilt-free zone where they make you aware that health and fitness is not just limited to your body. It doesn’t matter what your weight, color, size, etc… is. Here at the School of Awakening they celebrate the unique YOU and help you get inspired, resolve a lot of your health and wellness issues through Food and Love.

Apart from Conscious Food the School offers various other courses to uplift and empower you, be it Conscious Business, Conscious Relationships, Conscious Living, Conscious Parenting etc... You can join their Free Light memberships or Advance Paid Gold memberships. They also host Global Yoga and wellness retreats to rejuvenate your mind, body and soul called Soul Spa. Detox and reset yourself on these amazing experiential retreats.

To learn more about the School of Awakening and for any further query you can email your questions/ requests to them at: FirstLady@SchoolofAwakening.com

They also run a 24X7 Free Helpline Care Platform Called Zoom Flo where you can directly ask guidance on any challenges you may be facing in life.

Simply download Zoom App and Dial Meeting ID - 352 367 242.

To listen to their programs and daily live podcasts -
Dial 352 367 242 on Zoom App.

For queries on Soul Spa Retreats/ Destinations

Email - SoulSpa@SidraJafri.com

For Sidra Jafri Keynote Speaker Request,Interviews, PR and Media Inquiries Email - PR@SidraJafri.com

Social Media Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/SchoolOfAwakening/

So friends, hope you enjoyed reading this article on Conscious Food and all thanks to the wonderful School of Awakening team who guided and helped me to understand these concepts better, if you want to learn more about healthy Conscious living feel free to connect with them.

Lot's of Love
Stay Healthy
Share Positive Vibes
Ambreen Shaikh
Aka @Foodhist.journey

Boojee Cafe Review- A Brand New Chic Cafe at Carter Road Bandra West Mumbai

2019-09-08T19:59:00.000+05:30

Only Good Vibes at the Boojee Cafe

Normally I and my colleague, we meet up for evening walks, meetings, and light-minded conversations to help expand our business. Well, this time when we were deciding our next meeting spot, we agreed to explore and try a new cafe joint which we had recently spotted in our area called the Boojee Cafe.

At first, Boojee sounded like a very interesting new word for me, and even the look and feel of the cafe was like an underground nice quaint cafe look with a beautiful combination of simple Black and White. So as soon as i entered the cafe, I and my friend were very curious to know what Boojee exactly means? and what we learned from the staff that it actually means a luxurious lifestyle yet with humble beginnings. In terms of ambiance, the entire cafe had these beautiful graffiti on the walls and it had these inspiring quotes of wisdom which was the perfect food for thought.

Boojee Cafe had both AC indoor and Non AC outdoor limited seating areas, the entire space though small is utilized wisely. It had high and low rise seating arrangements which are good for small groups. This place is located in the quite Kantwadi lane near Carter Road, Bandra West Mumbai and it is a great pick for brunch, coffee, quick bites and nice relaxing conversations.

Now what I really loved about this place was the people, the staff, I mean literally there are very few places you walk in and feel such a good vibe. The staff of this place are like Teddy bears, they are damn cute sweet people who are genuinely nice people and they welcome you with so much respect and care. Well it wasn't just that, but they definitely know their job well, they were well informed about the menu and knew exactly what the ingredients were being used in the dish. I feel even if you walk in alone the staff is super friendly to have great conversations with and you will definitely not get bored. The cafe has a limited menu and serves snacks, juices, sandwiches etc... with great coffee.

Now coming to the food this is what I tried:

Greek Salad at Boojee Cafe

Greek Salad Boojee Cafe

1. Greek Salad
5*/5
Rs 220
A beautiful greek salad with fresh cucumbers, salad leaves, feta cheese, black olives, cherry tomatoes, and a lovely dressing with light seasoning. Yummyy.... Highly Recommended!

2. Espresso Dark Chocolate Mousse
5*/5
Rs 150
Awesome! This was sooo amazing it made me speechless. The mousse was so light and it just melts in your mouth. Every bite was so satisfying. Highly Recommended!

Apple Beetroot Carrot Juice Boojee Cafe

3. ABC Apple Beetroot Carrot Juice
5*/5
Rs 220
So refreshing juice. Recommended!

Mushroom Bruschetta

4. Mushroom Bruschetta
5*/5
Rs 250
I think this was beautiful crimini mushrooms sauteed with onions and tomatoes, topped with delicious creamy cheesy and lovely pesto sauce. Mushroom Bruschetta had this delicious crispy Italian bread and extremely cheesy texture. Loved it! Highly Recommended!

And hello hello guys the prices are inclusive of all taxes and there is no service charge.

My Experience

Place: Boojee Cafe (New Cafe started on 1st August 2019)
Location: Carter Road Bandra West Mumbai
Food Taste: Awesome
Staff: Extremely Cute and friendly
Service: Quick
Ambiance: Great
Hygiene: Excellent
Quality: Amazing
Quantity: Great
Seating: Comfortable high and low rise (AC/NonAc)
Price: Moderate (No extra charges)
Presentation: Excellent
Free Wifi
Great for Breakfast, Brunch & Coffee Chats
Open Hours: Mon - Sun 8 am till 11 pm
Overall Value for Money 5*/5

#Cafe #BoojeeCafe #newcafeinbandra

Hope you found this review helpful, keep supporting and spread love Follow @foodhist.journey on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more discoveries.

Lots of Love
Ambreen Shaikh
aka Foodhist Journey

#Zomato #FoodReview #FoodhistJourney

How Traveling While You Work Can Change Your Life

2019-08-27T22:07:00.000+05:30

How Traveling While You Work Can Change Your Life

By Kelly Long

Guest Post

As an entrepreneur, you have the creativity and ability to find ideas that need a solution and to turn those solutions into a business. Those abilities are not bound by being in a specific geographical location, and can actually be enhanced by traveling. Here we will look at how travel can change your life as an entrepreneur.

Being an entrepreneur means finding solutions to problems and turning them into a business. Traveling while you work is in and of itself a solution to a problem. That problem is stagnation. When you stay in the same area you tend to fall into the same routines and day to day life becomes monotonous. By adding travel into the mix, you will be forced to leave your comfort zone. Once outside that zone, you will be forced to look at things through a different lens. This will allow you to see different solutions to problems that may be occurring in your business.

The change of scenery may be good for both ends of your business. Many entrepreneurs have a difficult time letting go of control of their existing businesses. This can also lead to stagnation. By forcing yourself to go on the road, you will be forced to delegate more responsibility to the employees you have at the business. This can be a liberating experience for everyone and can be one of the best things you can do grow your company or to find new areas to expand into.

When you are on the road you will experience new things. Every region has a different way of doing things. We know these as cultural differences and they represent a regional set of ideas on how things should be done. By getting out and experiencing these things, you will open up yourself to new ways of looking at problems and how to solve them. This can be life changing because it is often a novel solution to a problem which makes it the most viable in a business setting.

Traveling will also expose you to new problems to solve. Simply the act of traveling has been an inspiration for many large entrepreneurial projects which have resulted in things like the major travel websites, hotel chains, private property peer to peer rental services and others. These ideas may not necessarily be that intuitive and may only become apparent while you are actually traveling. How you travel can also have a bearing on this. RV travel is clearly different on many levels from plane or car travel. RV travel is one of the best ways to travel for entrepreneurs because it forces you to experience more on a day to day basis. You don't just skip over large swaths of the world as you do in plane travel. Instead, you are on the ground experiencing everything an area has to offer. While doing so, problems needing solutions will come up frequently and applying your entrepreneurial spirit to solve those problems can be a life changing event.

Finally, traveling allows you to meet new people. Travelers, particularly RV travelers, are a very friendly group. They tend very willing to share their stories with anyone who will listen. This can impact you as an entrepreneur in multiple ways. First, anyone you meet can become a customer for any business you have already established. Many RV travelers love to support their fellow RVers in any way they can. Patronizing the business of a fellow RVer is a common way they do that. In sharing their stories you can often find common issues that need to be solved so these interactions can often lead to new business ideas. Follow RV travelers also tend to be extremely resourceful. They will often share with you what they have done to deal with specific problems while traveling. They will let you know what has or has not worked for them which may be helpful in developing solutions to these problems. The fellow travelers that you meet can be an excellent networking resource. Many of these folks travel a lot and know all kinds of people from all over the world. You never know who you may meet that can be a resource themselves, or know someone who can help you out in your business endeavors. These connections can definitely lead to life changing events.

For entrepreneurs, traveling while you work can be a life changing experience. The experiences you will have outside your normal comfort zone will allow you to find new problems to solve, new ways to solve old problems or give you a different perspective on how you run your businesses in general. It can also allow you to step back from any existing business and let them thrive on their own with less direct input from you. Any of these things can lead to life changing events.

About Author Kelly Long:

Kelly Long works on the content development team at Outdoorsy, an RV marketplace connecting RV owners to travelers. She loves exploring the world by campervan.

Bombay Chowpatty - New Chaat and Snack Corner in (Khar West) Mumbai

2019-08-24T18:47:00.001+05:30

New Place Alert!
Bombay Chowpatty - A Takeaway Joint Serving Chowpatty Style Chaat's, Snacks and more...

The word Chowpatty brings back memories of one of the most famous Chowpatty beaches in Mumbai city. Every Mumbaikar loves the local delicacies, chatpata chaats, snacks and beverages at the Chowpatty beach. Bombay Chowpatty is an attempt to make those flavours of chowpatty style food locally available to you.

It is a new small takeaway joint located near Khar West Station Road, Mumbai. This place serves chaats, sandwiches, milkshakes, inhouse kulfi's, juices and more... it has very limited seating for 2 to 4 people incase if you want to eat at the outlet or you can stand and enjoy the food. The service was very quick and the staff is polite and friendly. Since they are located near Khar West station they can make their prices more competitive as per the market, because in that area you will find many street food stalls selling chaats, sandwiches,pizza, juices etc... at a lesser price but people looking for better hygiene and quality can definitely choose Bombay Chowpatty as their evening snack go-to place.

Now coming to the food this is what I tried:

1. Chowpatty Chaat:
Rs 55
Rs 4*/5
This was a delicious mix of puffed rice, potatoes, chopped onions, puri (paapdi), spicy chana dal, sweet tamarind and spicy green chutney, sev and some spice mixes. It was more towards a sweet bhel mix and tasted yummy. I missed the tanginess in the chaat but overall it was yummy.

2. Veg Grilled Cheese Sandwich:
Rs 100
5*/5
They have really delicious Veg Grilled Cheese Sandwich, you won't be disappointed at all. It was so cheesy and the best part was that the cheese was not just grated over the top of the sandwich even the filling had that melting cheese inside along with regular veggies served with 2 types of sandwich chutneys. The quantity was also excellent. Highly Recommended!

3. Pani Puri
Rs 35
5*/5
Really amazing Pani Puri. I loved the freshness of the puri's they were excellent and crispy. The filling was sprouts and potatoes both sweet and spicy pani puri water was very delicious. Highly Recommended!

4. Kesar Badam Pista Milkshake
Rs 150
3*/5
So personally for me, this was an ok milkshake. I didn't get any much flavor of the saffron milk and even the dry fruits taste almonds and pista was missing. The texture was good just the taste was way too subtle for me.

My Experience:

Price: Inexpensive
Quality: Good
Quantity: Good
Taste: Good
Service: Excellent
Staff: Polite and Friendly
Type: Takeaway Joint
Serves: Chaats, Sandwiches, Pizza's, Lunch meal boxes, Kulfis, beverages etc...
Home Delivery: Available
Parking: Not Available
Seating: Limited only for 2
Hygiene: Good
Overall Value for Money 4.5*/5

#Zomato #FoodReview #Chaats #IndianSnacks #BombayChowpatty #KharWest #Mumbai

The Bohri Kitchen -Bohri Food Coma Delivered at your doorstep (Khar West) Mumbai

2019-08-18T18:50:00.000+05:30

Enjoy Authentic Homemade Bohra Muslim Recipes at the comfort of your home.

The Bohri Kitchen is one of those brands that absolutely needs no introduction for any Mumbaikar. Since past few years TBK has been in news for all good reasons, with multiple accolades this place has been promoted and endorsed by various media networks, food critics and even celebrities. The journey of this brand started off with a very simple yet out of the box idea, of having an exclusive weekend Home dining experience for a very selected closed and verified group of people. These lucky exclusive invitees get to enjoy a variety of outstanding Authentic Traditional Bohri Muslim food, cooked by home chef Nafisa Kapadia (A Bohri Mother) where she infuses the food with all her love. It's her love and passion for cooking and also remarkable efforts by her son Munaf Kapadia (who quit a lucrative job at Google to 'take Bohri food to non-Bohris') that has helped this brand reach new heights of success.

Along with the continued exclusive home dining experience, they now have more than 6 delivery kitchen outlets in Mumbai located at Andheri, Worli,Juhu, Flea Bazaar Cafe, Colaba and Khar. TBK is available on digital platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, Scootsy, FoodPanda and UberEats serving North Indian and Mughlai cuisine. So recently I had the opportunity to taste some amazing food from it's Khar West outlet. The food delivery was on time and the packaging was excellent with no spillovers. Trust me when the food arrived it got me drooling and excited to taste the food because it had this really tempting heavenly aroma.

Now coming to the food this is what I tried:

1. Pakki Dum Murgh Bohri Biryani (Chicken Boneless)

5*/5
Rs 260
I have to say being a Muslim I am very particular and choosy about my choice of biryani. I normally don't enjoy eating biryani outside in restaurants and only eat at few selected places, because I feel most restaurants ruin the flavour of authentic biryani with too many Indian whole Garam Masala, over cooked spices and overcooked meat. Also, I am too addicted and love the way my mom cooks biryani. I have to say the biryani at The Bohri Kitchen was definitely a star dish and it was packed with flavours. I felt like I was eating my mom's homemade cooked chicken biryani because it tasted almost like my mom's cooking and even better. It was so aromatic, mouth-watering and had such beautiful marinated boneless tender succulent juices pieces of chicken, cooked to perfection in an authentic dum biryani style. The rice was also nicely separated, soft and fluffy. Also, the masala was perfect, it wasn't too dry and the best part was that the biryani was not at all too heavy or oily. It was garnished with caramelized onions, coriander, and mint leaves. Served with fresh curd kachumber (Indian Salad) - which had onions, lots of finely chopped cucumber mixed with fresh curd. Highly Recommended!

2. Cheese Corn Cutlets:
4.5*/5

Rs 100

I could taste a very nice creamy texture of mixed vegetables - corn, carrots, beans, capsicum, potato and some cumin seeds, fresh coriander and these balls were rolled and deep-fried in bread crumbs. Making these cutlets crisp from outside and soft from inside. These cutlets were very delicious and they were a little oily too.

3. Smoked Paneer and Peanut Samosas:
5*/5

Rs 125

Personally, I am a fan of Bohri Muslim's mini samosas, be it both meat or vegetarian version. So this samosa had a very light simple Non Spicy filling of Peanuts, Dil leaves, Chopped Onions. Cottage Cheese which was infused with smoky charcoal flavour. Served with 2 varieties of chutneys - Spicy Green Chilli Chutney and Sweet Tamarind Chutney which was extremely awesome chutneys. Loved it and Highly recommended!

4.Mom's Caramel Custard
5*/5

Rs 80

This caramel custard was so creamy light texture caramel custard. It wasn't too sweet and just melts in your mouth. Highly Recommended!

My Experience:

Restaurant: The Bohri Kitchen
Location: Khar West
Type: Delivery Kitchen
Platforms: Swiggy, Zomato, Scootsy, FoodPanda and UberEats
Delivery kitchen Outlets: Andheri, Worli,Juhu, Flea Bazaar Cafe, Colaba and Khar.
Taste: Awesome
Hygiene: Excellent
Packaging: Great
Service: Quick
Staff: friendly
USP: Homemade Authentic Bohri Muslim Food - By Award Winning Home Chef Nafisa Kapadia.
Price: Moderate
Party orders: Available
Quality: Good
Quantity: Decent
Delivery: On Time (food arrived fresh and hot)
Halaal Meat*
Website: www.thebohrikitchen.com
Overall Value for Money 5*/5

So friends, Hope you found this post helpful. Also just like The Bohri Kitchen make sure to believe in your dreams. It's always great to read such success stories who convert their passion into business and TBK is the perfect inspiration to all those mothers, housewives,homemakers etc... who love to cook delicious mind blowing recipes and feed others. It's also an inspiration even to those children out there who believe and know that their mom is one of the best cook in the world. Hence I guess that most of us just Loveeeee Ghar ka khaana.

If you enjoyed reading this post then do support my work on various social media platforms @foodhist.journey for more such amazing food, travel and lifestyle discoveries.

Keep Sharing Positive Vibes
Lot's of Love,
Ambreen Shaikh
Aka Foodhist Journey

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Kaitlyn's Beer Garden Bandra's Iconic Pub Gets a Relaunch | Food Review

2019-07-28T00:51:00.001+05:30

kaitlyn's beer garden create's Buzz for it's All-New Look

Kaitlyn's Beer Garden Bandra's favorite nightout pub has ditched its old look and it is back in an all-new Avatar. Located in Hill Road, Bandra West, Mumbai, Kaitlyn's is an all-day dining experience which serves Bar Food, Continental, Mexican, finger food, Italian and desserts with top-class beverages. They have even revamped their menu with a contemporary twist. I must say the brand has invested enough time and resources to bring this place to life. Personally, for me, they really nailed it with the beautiful ambiance. I loved the whole vibe and the unique Chic French Countryside Decor, it had pastel pleasing colors, elegant furniture, beautiful floral theme, large picture glass windows, and an outstanding bar area with subtle elements to bring in the garden feel placed smartly in the restaurant.

Once you step into Kaitlyn's Beer Garden you will experience the great ambiance, lovely trendy crowd, lively music and dishes cooked brilliantly in an extraordinary space in a true British style. Here you can pop in for a quick business lunch or hangout with your friends, take your time and enjoy a scrumptious weekend brunch or even bookmark this place as your go to spot for those post office shenanigans. The service was quick with a good well-trained staff. The restaurant had table service with high and low rise comfortable seating areas for private dining experience. They also have tall seats to enjoy your #metime at the bar with light nibbles and special drinks showcasing inhouse cocktails, tap beers and mocktails. Even if you are a non-alcoholic person like me you will still get great but limited options in mocktails which you can try.

Now Coming to the food this is what I tried:

1. Homemade Cheesy Nachos

4*/5

Rs 145

I adore appetizers. Homemade Cheesy Nachos had nice and crisp tortilla chips garnished with cheddar cheese, herbs and presented with creamy Cheese Sauce and Salsa dips. Delicious!

*Note: This is My Personal Vegetarian Plate Appetizers

2. Cajun Baby Potatoes

5*/5
Rs 325

Mashed crispy fried baby potatoes tossed in cajun spice, lemon juice and chilli and it had a drizzle of spiced mayo. Lip-smacking. Highly Recommended!

3. Hass Avacado Toast
5*/5

Rs 355

The Hass Avacado Toast had garlic toast topped with beetroot spread, guacamole and feta cheese. It had a subtle sweetnees of the beetroot spread and the base was perfectly crisp. Packed with flavors in one single bite and amazing presentation. Highly Recommended!

4. Soy Paneer Chilli

5*/5
Rs 355

Stirred fried soy paneer tossed in soy chilli sauce. The paneer was fresh nice and moist and the sauces were extremely yummy.

5.Homemade Indian style soy paneer tacos
5*/5

Rs 355

Soy paneer cooked in Indian spices served on hung curd topped with onions and soft tortillas. The taste was medium spicy and again a beautifully presented dish. Recommended!

*Note: This is My Personal Non-Vegetarian Plate Appetizers

1. Soy Chicken Chilli
5*/5

Rs 375

Perfectly cooked chicken pieces. Stirred fried and tossed in soy chilli sauce. Garnished with fresh spring onions. Recommended!

2. Chicken 65

5*/5
Rs 375

Chicken 65 is normally too hot and spicy and but this version of Chicken 65 is medium spicy. The chicken pieces were crisp, tender and juicy. Well marinated chicken pieces in Indian spices served along with tempered yogurt.

3. Masala Chicken Tacos
4.5*/5

Rs 375

Chicken cooked in Indian spices served on hung curd and soft tortillas. Really liked the gravy of the chicken.

4. Black Pepper Chicken Wings

4.5*/5
Rs 375

For Wing lovers, there are hot black pepper chicken wings. These are spicy wings with a dominant taste of black pepper.

Beverages Mocktails:

1. Minty Lemonade:
Rs 199

5*/5

I made a request to the restaurant of trying something refreshing and minty. The bartender was too kind to twist the normal lemonade into a Minty lemonade and wow look at that beauty. I literally fell in love with this drink. I could have endless refills of this. Highly Recommended!

2. Spiced Basil:
4*/5
Rs 275

Spiced Basil is a very spicy drink. It had prominent hot Thai spices and a strong flavor of Basil. If you like your drink spicy, then this is a must-try. Loved the presentation.

3. Virgin Pinacolada:

5*/5
Rs 225

Fresh pineapple juice, cream of coconut and fresh coconut milk. Amazing taste and very refreshing. Highly Recommended!

My Experience:

1.Taste: Excellent

2. Presentation: Excellent

3. Ambiance: Revamped (Excellent)

4. Entertainment: Live Sports Screening, Music

5. Type: PUB (Nightlife)

6. Parking: Valet Parking Available

7. Seating: Comfortable Indoor Seating

8. Service: Excellent

9. Staff: Good

10: Quality: Excellent

11. Quantity: Good

12. Wheelchair Accessible Entrance: (Through Lift 2nd floor)

13: Restroom: Available

14. Table booking recommended

15. Keto Options

16. *LGBTQIA Friendly
17. Prices: Moderate to Expensive.
Overall Value For Money 5*/5

#Zomato #FoodReview #RestaurantReview #KaitlynsBeerGarden #FoodhistJourney

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The Frozen Den - Best Premium Quality Kulfi Ice creams and desserts at your Doorstep, Dongri Mumbai | Food Review

2019-07-27T21:06:00.002+05:30

Best Premium Quality Kulfi Ice creams at

The Frozen Den, Dongri Mumbai

The Frozen Den is a brand new dessert shop which offers lip-smacking premium quality ice creams, kulfi's and desserts at an affordable price, delivered right at your doorstep. The Frozen Den is a new venture by Quadri Ice Cream's (Dongri, Mumbai) which has a brand legacy of more than 30 years. Made with 100% pure milk and milk products the frozen den has more than 60 flavours of unique kulfi ice creams including fresh seasonal fruit ice creams. Their products are not icy hard powdery kulfi's but instead the churning of their ice creams are made in the old traditional style and hence it has the most creamy rich texture and flavour. All their flavors are super delicious and they even have sugar free options. They serve the highest quality of Exotic Sundae's, Falooda's and Natural Ice Creams to tantalize your taste buds. The packaging is good and the service is also quick.

Now coming to the flavors this is what I tried:

1. Mango Kulfi Slice:
5*/5
Rs 85
This had a classic rich pure Alphonso mango fruit taste. Highly Recommended!

2. Roasted Almond Slice
5*/5
Rs 85
Lovely chunks of roasted almonds in chocolate ice cream. Perfect taste. Highly Recommended!

3. Strawberry Cheese Cake Slice:
5*/5
Rs 90
Delicious fresh strawberry ice cream with pieces of cheese cake, it had a subtle sweetness. Loved it. Highly Recommended!

4. Sugar Free Belgium Chocolate Slice:
5*/5
Rs 100
Scrumptious Belgium chocolate taste and no sugar. If you love chocolates you will like this flavor which is available in sugar option as well.

5. Peanut Butter Slice:
5*/5
Rs 120
Creamy and crunchy classic peanut butter flavor with a subtle salty nutty flavor.

6. Green Gauva Slice:
5*/5
Rs 100
This flavor had a lovely green color and it will make you feel like you are actually eating a gauva, loaded with chunks of chopped gauva pieces. Recommended for Gauva lovers.

7. Thandai Paan:
5*/5
Rs 100
This flavor looked very attractive and felt like I was eating an actual sweet paan with betel leaves, gulkand, cherry etc...Must try.

8. Shahi Pista Kulfi:
5*/5
Rs 60
Rich pistachio nutty taste.

9. Zaffran Meva Kulfi:
5*/5
Rs 65
Finest of dry fruits and saffron flavor meva kulfi.

10: Plain Malai Kulfi:
5*/5
Rs 60
Simple plain rich milk kulfi ice cream.

11. Nutty Mava Malai:
5*/5
Rs 90
This flavor is all-time favorite and you must have eaten this flavor at several wedding functions. Highly Recommended!

My Ice Cream Box full of Happiness from The Frozen Den

My Experience:

Taste: Amazing
Type: Delivery kitchen
Service: Quick
Quality: Excellent
Quantity: Good
Prices: Inexpensive
Delivery: On Time
*Great for bulk orders/parties and wedding functions.
Overall Value for Money 5*/5

#Zomato #FoodReview #Icecreams #Kulfis #TheFrozenDen

Aroma's Cafe & Bistro - Tantalize Your Taste Buds | Restaurant Food Review

2019-07-20T21:44:00.003+05:30

Soulful Soothing Food at Aroma's Cafe & Bistro

Relax, Unwind and Enjoy

Aroma's Cafe & Bistro is a very elegant enthralling cafe. In 2009 this leading Australian coffee chain ventured into the Indian Market. Our perception of flavor of the food comes from all our 5 senses working together when we eat food. Mainly these flavors are highly dependant on the texture of the food, taste, and Aroma. The sense of taste and smell is the most crucial to help us enjoy the different flavors of a dish. To produce an extraordinary dish chef's master the art of balancing these flavors and Aroma's to soothe our senses and satisfy our taste buds. Since the sense of smell is so closely tied to the sense of taste, the cafe simply ensures that you experience the best of everything related to the aromas of food & beverages served around hence the brand name Aroma.

This cultured coffee shop with stylish decor has multiple chains across the city and recently I had the opportunity to visit its Bandra West outlet in Mumbai. The entrance had a lovely welcome garden arched gate with a small quaint outdoor hangout zone for friendly chitter chats. The indoor ambiance here was a unique style of European Coffee house with a high and low rise comfortable seating areas. There was enough space between tables to give privacy to groups, couples, friends, etc... in the main dining area. As you go inside and explore the restaurant you discover a beautiful desserts corner of freshly made items and opposite that I saw out of the box seating area where there were folding tables on the wall which you could pull out and enjoy your dessert in that space. Further more, there was a segregated space for small parties, gatherings, and get-togethers. The entire restaurant space has been smartly utilized and I found the ambiance to be really pleasing to the eyes.

Aroma's serves cuisines like Continental, Italian, American, Mexican along with a wide range of desserts and beverages which has been tempting, scrumptious, & palatable. It has a very extensive detailed menu ranging from - best of coffee including 18 original blends, exotic teas, Breakfast Menu, Unlimited Breakfast Buffet, All – day dining. The service is quick and the staff was friendly too. The cafe attracts a trendy affluent casual crowd. The only drawback of this cafe I felt was that all of this comes at a high price and the quantity is still for 1 serving portion. You can instead go for their unlimited breakfast buffet which is a great option to choose.

Now coming to food this is what I tried:

Aglio Olio Pepperoncini Spaghetti at Aromas Cafe Bandra West Mumbai

1. Aglio Olio Pepperoncini

5*/5

Rs 449

Perfectly cooked spaghetti tossed in Bell peppers, black olives, garlic, oregano,chilli flakes and parmesan cheese. I loved the taste of this particular dish, it was simple but yet had such amazing flavors. Even the slices of Garlic bread were delicious. Highly Recommended!

Aromas own pasta at Aromas Cafe Bandra West Mumbai

2. Aromas Own Pasta

Rs 449

4.5*/5

Mixed fresh Exotic veggies like zucchini, bell peppers, broccoli, oregano, chilli flakes, tossed in a chef's special red sauce garnished with parmesan cheese and basil leaves. The penne pasta was cooked to perfection and the taste/texture of the sauce was also excellent. I liked it but it wasn't anything unique. Recommended!

Veg Submarine Sandwich at Aromas Cafe Bandra West Mumbai

3. Veg Submarine

Rs 399

4*/5

A wholesome sandwich with a crispy veg patty, freshly baked herb bread, tomatoes, onions, cucumber, lettuce and pesto mayo spread with salad, fries and ketchup. Good in taste.

Exotic Teas at Aroma Cafe Bandra West Mumbai

4. Exotic Teas

5*/5
I would recommend trying their exotic teas, it's very relaxing and soothing.

Watermelon Juice at Aromas Cafe Bandra West Mumbai

5. Watermelon Juice

Rs 199

5*/5

Very refreshing fresh watermelon juice.

My Experience:

Taste: Amazing
Staff: Well trained & Friendly
Hygiene: Excellent
Service: Good
Quality: Excellent
Quantity: 1 serving portions
Type: Cafe
Home Delivery: Available
Food Presentation: Great
Ambiance: Excellent & chic
Seating: Comfortable
Crowd: Trendy
Wheelchair Accessible Entrance
Price: Expensive + Taxes
Parking: Valet
*Great for Desserts
*Great for breakfast, unlimited breakfast buffet, exotic tea, and coffee
*Great for Italian
Overall Value for Money: 4.5*/5 (Overall the restaurant has a very relaxing classy ambiance, excellent food but the prices are too high with only single-serve portions hence 4.5*)
http://aromas.asia/

#Zomato #FoodReview #AromasCafe

My first Camping/Glamping trip in the Wild at Ananta Ecotel Resort | Weekend Monsoon Getaway trip 2019

2019-06-28T18:03:00.000+05:30

Enjoy the silence of Nature at this beautiful Eco-Village.

Ananta Ecotel Resort

~All good things are wild and free~

I have always been fascinated with the life of backpackers, bikers, wildlife explores/photographers and these aimless travellers who just go out there in the wild and enjoy the silence of nature. Sleeping under the stars, camping in the wild was on my wishlist since a very long time but I never really knew how I would survive in the forest and spend a night in the tent. I didn’t even know about camping rules you need to follow to be in harmony with the nature around you, so that you don’t disturb anything. A week back I was browsing through different adventure activities near Mumbai and I was astonished to discover Ananta Ecotel Resort which is a newly launched eco village resort to experience Wild Camping near Mumbai city.

The entire concept of living with the wildlife, beautiful landscapes and in the heart of nature, really got me excited and I was looking forward to experiencing this kind of adventure. I instantly connected with the resort checked on all the facilities available and planned a visit with two of my gorgeous friends from School of Awakening who were equally enthralled with the idea.

*About Ananta Resort

Ananta Ecotel is a conscious luxury tent resort located on one of the oldest Sahyadri ranges near the spiritual land of Trimbakeshwar in Khodala village, Palghar district, Maharashtra. The resort is surrounded by mesmerizing views of natural landscapes, mountains, forest, waterfalls, wildlife, organic fields of vegetables and fruits, local villages and the area is one of the world’s ten “Hottest biodiversity hotspots” and has over 7,402 species of flowering plants. This earthy resort is spread across 15 acres of land and it’s a huge space where different activities are scattered in different areas. The area has many trekking trails around and is also known for spiritual awakening spots surrounded by all elements of nature, making it a perfect place for healing, meditation and relaxing your mind, body and soul. They have even build shacks for people to have some me time where they can reset themselves. They have camping tents with common bathrooms, luxury tents with private bathrooms and modern amenities, conference room, open dining area with barbecue arrangements, activity area etc…

The place is very peaceful and relaxing and it also has Agri Tourism certificate which basically involves bringing visitors to farms so they can learn, appreciate and experience first-hand agricultural technologies and practices of the community. Because somehow many of us have lost our souls, we may claim that we love our land but we hardly give back to our Mother Earth and hence experiences like this will help us get connected to our roots again. To closely understand these concepts I spoke to Mr. Pallav Nagar who is the owner and founder of this beautiful resort. While talking to him I experienced the amount of passion he had towards building this entire community project where his idea is to closely work with the local villagers and poor farmers to help boost their agricultural produce in this area. He is also working on steps to conserve the resources through water conservation projects and he wants people to come visit appreciate natural beauty, get healed in the natural environment and switch to healthy organic lifestyle. He simply said that he wants to give back to the Mother Earth today so that our future generations can benefit from it.

Wild Camping in most cases can be dangerous e.g. wildlife, crime or risk of severe weather conditions, but this resort just makes it all easy for you and that too in a very luxurious way. Being a Mumbaiker, wildlife for us is limited to surfing through the various Discovery channels, National Geographic’s etc… where you see these amazing power of nature and think how fragile we humans really are. It’s sad that today in 2019 we don’t even have a decent Zoo in the city where we can go relax and really appreciate wildlife and nature. Our unnecessary stressful busy lifestyle has become such that we are only trained to use and exploit our gifted natural resources and instead of using our intelligence and benefitting the mother earth, we are bringing it to a stage of irreversible destruction. Mostly only when we see a long weekend arriving that’s the time we create an escape plan to go back to the Mother Earth which we popularly call as the Weekend Getaway trips. Otherwise, for many people, it’s even difficult to throw their own garbage in the bin, while on the other hand we run - save the environment campaigns.

Finger Millet Crops of local farmers at Ananta Ecotel Luxury tent Resort Khodala Village Maharashtra

How to Reach at Ananta Ecotel Resort?

The best and fastest route to reach the resort from Mumbai is by road. It is approximately 3 hour drive from Mumbai till Ananta Resort at khodala village. You can also have a halt at Food highway and Food hub for quick refreshments. You can even book private vehicle to reach here.

If you wish to book an Uber cab it will be approximately Rs 3000 / Rs 4000.

Another option is to travel by Train – Rs 150 approx (Bandra – Dadar- Kasara) till Kasara Railway Station and from there you can take a cab or local jeep till the resort, prices of which will vary depending on the time of your arrival.

Do check Google maps depending on your location for fastest route options and also download IRTC app for train updates.

We travelled by car and it was a smooth drive from the Wada – Khodala road which is really beautiful and because of the monsoon season we experienced heavy rainfall throughout the way which was spellbinding and made our journey even more fun.

* My stay at Ananta

After a smooth exciting journey we all received a very warm sweet welcome by the owner of this resort and his team of local villagers. We were first taken in a stunning shack which had natural wooden seats, hammock, resting chairs and catchy welcome sign boards. We were then given a welcome drink which was a scrumptious glass of black tea with a slice of lemon in it. Followed by a great lunch which was prepared by the local villagers. The tea was soothing herbal tea with Indian spices, ginger and lemon. The mountain has been precisely crafted for different activities and you have to keep going doing the hill to find different areas in the resort. For example: at the entrance there was kitchen and shack which was also like a lobby area and conference rooms, pool etc… were being constructed near this area, then you go down the hill towards your general camping, super luxury, playground and luxury tents and then again you go down the hill where you can reach the main activity and dining area. From there you can go ahead for trekking towards the waterfalls and explore other adventure sports.

Me Enjoying my stay at this beautiful Ananta Ecotel Resort

Outside my luxury tent at Ananta Ecotel Resort

There are just endless options available here. Once we reached the luxury tents we were jumping with joy because it was like a dream come true. I couldn’t believe that the tents had almost everything we needed, it had all the modern amenities but there were definitely some rules of camping you had to follow to be safe in those tents. Like we were asked to always chain our tents completely so that no creepy crawly insects enter the tent, also the area has snakes, scorpions, and other wild creatures around, what we heard fox, leopards, and other wild animals. Also, there are peacocks, rabbits, owl, and beautiful birds so it’s always best that whenever you go out you always chain the tents. We had a really nice big comfortable proper mattress, bedsheet and pillow to sleep, our tents also had 2 folding chairs, mirror, water, towel, toiletries and cooler. We also had charging points available to charge our phones or laptops. We had private bathrooms behind our luxury tents, the bathrooms were still under construction but it was like bathing out there open in the jungle :D It was like open bathroom with curtain and modern commodes, there was enough privacy and still you would feel you are in a village.

Me with my friend enjoying our stay at the resort

Me with the owner of Ananta Ecotel Resort, having great conversations

My caring friend with the resort guard dog- Tiger

My friend enjoying some me time at the trekking point

Art Therapy Beautiful Sacred Healing Arts Clicked at Ananta Ecotel Resort

The tents were weatherproof and have guaranteed protection from moisture, insects, and other unsavory bits of nature. The ambiance of the resort, views, and landscapes was awesome. It had all the facilities we required. The services were also excellent where we really didn’t have to wait for long hours to get our meals as everything was prepared on time and served fresh to us. The owner of this place is a really cool person and extremely friendly, he will share all the knowledge and insights about the place and he will make sure that you have everything you need. You will never feel bored with such an amazing company. There was an old caretaker and local villagers who constantly came and kept a check on us. Initially, night in the tent was little scary, it was very dark and there was this constant buzzing of insects, we had even spotted few wild creatures but if you chain your tents well then you will have absolutely no problem at all. There were even coolers in the tents, I slept really well and the next day woke up to that amazing mystic foggy view.

Night View inside the tent at Ananta Ecotel Resort

Amazing Nature at Ananta Ecotel Resort

The super luxury tents, kitchen garden, farm produce of mangoes and cashews, adventure sports, AC conference rooms, tree house, tree tents, machan , etc... are still under construction. We experienced the rainfall, wildlife, nature and even fireflies in the night. The entire place phase 1 is expected to be ready in the next 2 months and by October 2019 the resort is expected to be completely ready with exciting other attractions. This place is great even for offsite meetings, corporate training, and spiritual quest for people looking for inner peace and self-development. When we visited there was already a team who had come for corporate training.

Beautiful Tents and hangout spaces at Ananta Ecotel Resort

*Weather and Best Time to Visit?

I love Monsoon time in Maharashtra and hence we visited this resort during End of June 2019. The climate was nice and pleasant with moderate rainfall. It was such a great experience, if you visit in July you can spot some mind-blowing waterfalls in the resort itself where you can even sing with thousands of different species of birds around or do bird feeding. This is like an undiscovered isolated area and trust me I feel really blessed to be one of the few who could witness this heavenly sight. The land is red mud clay road and when it rains you will just love the fragrance of the earthy mud. During heavy rainfall trekking in the forest can be difficult hence if you want to go on these long trekking trails then November to May will be the best time for you to visit this place. During this time the temperate drops to almost 12-15 degrees, perfect for bonfire and barbeque.

Tiger checking out the view at Ananta Ecotel Resort

Beautiful Fig Tree at Ananta Ecotel Resort Khodala Village

* Food at Ananta?

Oh wow, the food is so delicious out here, you will get authentic local village organic food cooked by the local villagers. Enjoy the local Maharashtrian cuisine, there is a buffet for all the meals - bhaakri, rice roti’s, local chutney’s like thecha, dal, roti, organic rice, chicken curries, poha, barbeque treats, etc… try the fresh fruits and vegetables from local farm produce. I would really recommend this place for people who are going through health challenges, you will naturally be eating and enjoying your meals in this kind of environment. Also, you follow nature, hence you tend to sleep and wake up on time, you can get a really good sleep here. I slept like a baby ate healthy food and this time I used to really reset my body. I feel so good even when I have come back from this trip.

Local Village Black tea at Ananta Ecotel Resort - Indian spices, ginger and a slice of lemon

Fresh Fig from tree at Ananta Ecotel Resort

Local Village Thecha at Ananta Ecotel Resort

* Must Haves and Camping Rules.

The most important aspect of camping in the wild is keeping yourself safe from blood sucking insects around in the forest. There are millions of insects around and they get attracted to light, so our best practice was that in the night we used to switch on the lights which are away from us. You should carry odomos cream and apply it properly during the evening time to keep yourself protected from the insects. I had applied it, so luckily I didn’t get any crazy bites. To move around in the resort we used torch in the night. The tents have lights but we preferred to switch them off and enjoyed the moonlight. One of the most awesome experience was when the electricity went off in the night and all we could see were these fascinating fireflies twinkling like stars. At first for me it was little scary in the night because we could hear creepy sounds but in the end it was all absolutely worth it. Do also wear proper footwear (trekking shoes for the forest and a regular slipper to hangout around the tents) and try wearing clothes which are full length to keep you covered and protected.

Other things you can carry are your essential toiletries and rest is all taken care by the resort. Actually we didn’t really need many things, we had all the basic facilities we needed.

There are also camping rules you need to follow which you will learn once you reach there. It’s basically the dos and don’ts when you come across wildlife and how you must take care of the tents.

* Activities and things to do at Ananta

There are endless activities, sightseeing and things you can possible do at Ananta Ecotel Resort. It has facilities like Conference Room, Restaurant, Amphitheatre, Hammocks, Library, Bonfire, Barbecue, Playground, Trekking, Play area for kids, Indoor Games, Stargazing, Rappelling, Fishing, Canoeing, Kayaking (water activity – at a site close by) and many exclusive secluded pergolas/huts to enjoy the natural and peaceful environment. For outdoor games they even have a proper playground for sports like cricket, volley ball, football, badminton, Lagori, marbles, tug of war, carom board, table tennis, carom, dart, archery, etc. you can even play board games here. There is also Campfire and music where you can enjoy Ghost stories, Truth or Dare, Singing/Antakshari/Dumb charades, Dance around the fire or Relax in hammock with your friends and family.

Trekking at Ananta Ecotel Resort

For Adventure sports there is Rappelling near the waterfall, Jungle trail at Night, Treasure hunt, Water sports. (Nearby Site kayak and canoeing), Archery in Jungle, Slake Line, Burma Bridge- under Construction, Zip Line- Under Construction. Learn Kayaking, River Raft Boating or just relax by swimming. The life jackets are given to all during water sports adventure. This is also a great place for wildlife photography lovers.

For Stargazing and Educational camps: There is Stargazing for the Astronomy enthusiast. They have world-class telescope for stargazing, Celestron Telesopes, Guided tour of planets, Wilderness Survival techniques, Information about Flora and Fauna, Children Educational Camp & related activities.

For Events & Entertainment: You can check with the resort for Band & Live Music*, Dance floor & DJ*, Rain Dance and local Cultural Entertainment.

Trekking Trails near Ananta:

Discover historic and spiritual locations on your trek to ANJANERIHILL, RAMSHEJ FORT, TRINGALWADI FORT, HARIHAR FORT, DABHOSA WATERFALL, VIHIGAON/ ASHOKA WATERFALL, DUGARWADI WATERFALL, SANDHAN VALLEY, KOHOJ FORT, GHATGHAR DAM, RATANGAD TREK, KALSUBAITREK, BHANDARDARA CAMPING, ALANG MADAN KULANG TREK, ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY BHANDARDARA, GHATGHAR KOKANKADA, WILSON DAM, BOATING AT BHANDARDARA LAKE

Overall Value for Money? (Review of Ananta Ecotel Resort)

Ambiance: 5/5*

Service: 5/5*

Staff: local villagers: 5/5*

Hygiene: 5/5* (for jungle standards)

Food: 5/5* (Buffet meals)

Accommodation and Stay: Perfect tents 5/5*

Prices: Depends on the packages you pick

Facilities & Amenities: 5/5* as the place is under construction and we had absolutely no issues in the jungle.

Restrooms: 4/5* this could be a new experience for people and just needs a few fixes. But I enjoyed it :D

*Pet Friendly

*Great for Family Outdoor Vacation

*Great for Backpackers

*Great for Wildlife photographers

*Amazing for Camping in the Wild

*Amazing for Adventure sports and trekking

*Amazing for Spiritual healing, yoga and meditation

*Kids Friendly

*Parking: Available for private cars

*Wifi: A Technology free zone hence no wifi, but networks like Jio and Vodafone work fine over here. Airtel doesn’t work here.

Overall Value for Money 5/5* it was one of the best adventurous experience of my life and even when I was in the jungle I didn’t feel I was missing anything which wasn’t available at the resort.

To learn more about the Ananta Ecotel Resort visit website - http://www.ananta-ecotel.com/

#BestCampingplacesnear Mumbai #campingnearMumbai #ecovillage #campinginthewild

#Weekendgetaway2019 #campinginthewild #khodalavillage #Anantaecotel #Travelblogger
#HotelReviews #foodhistjourney #lbbmumbai #letsguide #googlelocalguides

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My Adventurous trip to Amazing Gulmarg, Kashmir - Never Say Never

2019-06-19T01:02:00.001+05:30

One of The Most beautiful place in the World

Gulmarg, Kashmir

About Gulmarg and why I feared to go to this place?

Never say Never, was a note to self when I visited one of my most feared but always top on my wish list places Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir (India). This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in the world. Gulmarg hill station is a popular skiing destination and a notified area committee in the Baramulla district of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The town is situated in the Pir Panjal Range in the western Himalayas. In the 17^th Century when Mughal Emperor Jehangir visited Kashmir he said that “Gar firdaus bar-rue zamin ast, hami asto, hamin asto,hamin ast.” Meaning (“If there is a heaven on earth, it's here, it's here, it's here.”) and till date, this quote holds true for all the tourist who visit and get mesmerized by the beauty of this place. But during the 1990s due to the rise of militancy and terrorism in the area the tourism of Gulmarg was majorly affected. Till today there are cases of unrest in the area and hence I always had this fear to visit this beautiful hill station which is located very close to the border. It is the heartland of winter sports in India and rated as Asia's seventh best ski destination.

Over the years Gulmarg attracts a large number of tourist. It also has Asia’s largest and world’s second largest cable car project called Gulmarg Gondola where it connects Gulmarg with Apharwat Mountain, from where one can ski down on a long snow-trail. Gulmarg is also known for its longest Golf Course in India.

This trip made me aware of how ignorant I was and how I believed negative news in the media about this beautiful place and its people. Mystic Snowclad Mountains, scenic beauty, mesmerizing views is how I had seen Gulmarg in Bollywood movies and it was exactly what I saw even in reality. I always wanted to go there, experience and perform famous Romantic Shahrukh Khan style Bollywood songs in the snow, which eventually I did: D Because of its larger than life landscapes and awesome mystic views, so many Bollywood movies are shot in Kashmir like Bobby, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Haider, Highway, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Heropanti, Student of the Year etc....

The time when my colleagues were planning to visit this place I have to be very honest, I was extremely scared. I had always told myself I will never visit this place. First of all I couldn't imagine myself in -14 degree temperature, I wasn't even sure I will be able to breathe in that kind of temperature, then I wasn't sure with all that snow around will we get any decent food to eat? , with so much of regular negative news run by Indian media on unrest in the area, I wasn’t sure what the actual condition was and will we be safe there? Then I couldn't think of a good reason that why are we shifting our business meeting to Gulmarg? To experience adventure sports?

To make our business meeting fun and adventurous, we planned this trip and can you believe it, learning a sport was part of our KRA. :D

View from the plane of the beautiful Himalayas

How to reach Gulmarg?

So without much choice then I packed my bags - mentally, physically, emotionally prepared myself for this trip, went to the Mumbai airport, met my colleagues and got on that plane (Mumbai – Delhi). We had more people joining us at the Delhi Airport and then we caught the final destination flight (Delhi – Srinagar). My excitement by now was on another level and just when our plane was about to land in Srinagar airport my heart started to beat fast and I was just all geared up and ready to experience the adventure.

That was the new beginning of first time discovering an adventurous me. Not because I had never traveled before? I have traveled to Indian and International Locations but this place, so close to the border was a first time thrilling experience for me.

To reach Gulmarg, Kashmir you can catch a flight from Delhi airport which is the sole departure point for flights to Srinagar. If you are traveling from an International location you can stay for a night in Delhi city and next day catch a flight. It takes about 1 hr 45 mins to reach Srinagar from Delhi and if you have a window seat, you will love the view of the Himalayas. It’s always better to pre plan and book your packages much in advance to get the best rates. Otherwise during the season the rates and charges are really high. So plan and pre book it during off season to get the best deals.

The journey from Srinagar airport till the hill station Gulmarg Kashmir is 60 kilometers by fully paved road. This is a (2 to 3 hours’ drive). There are Snow-blower as well during heavy snowfall to keep the routes accessible and help you reach your destination faster. This drive is just so amazing crossing the forest hilltop of pine and fir. The private tourist cars also have chains tied on the tiers to protect the tiers in snow.

One thing you must know about Kashmir is that there is very high security in this area and you will find Army men with arms at every other location. Once you cross the checkpoints, the rest of your journey is really smooth.

We had to go through 3 or 4 check points to actually pass through at the Srinagar airport and even get our luggage checked everywhere.

Imagine you see movies with Army forces, all these men with guns in every locality and now you actually see all of that in real life. Very Unreal.

My stay at Nedou’s Hotel: “Home away from Home”

After crossing all the pine and fir forest and villages and after all that curiosity, excitement, and fear we finally reached our destination Nedou’s Hotel in Gulmarg :D

The average annual snowfall here is 14 meters/1400 cm; 45 feet /550 inch snow per year. So imagine the entire hotel was just covered in this amazing white snow. The view from every corner of this hotel was just so magical. I had a big wide smile on my face when we reached the hotel. The temperature was freezing. We all were super excited, our inner child had suddenly woken up, we didn’t even bother about our luggage and just got out of the car, running in random direction speeding towards the snow, we instantly started playing, rolling and jumping in the snow.

The hotel staff was extremely sweet and helpful. We received such a great welcome and we were first taken in a warm main dining room space which was also the lobby area, we were given some warm water the staff was too kind to take our jackets and place it near the Bukhari for us to dry up and get normal.

Me Enjoying the Traditional Bukhari at Dining Room Nedou's Hotel Gulmarg Kashmir

It has a very spacious lobby, dining area, fireplace with a bar and hang out zone with great music, kitchen and then the rooms are located on top of the hill so you can have a lovely nice walk in the snow and reach your rooms. There is also a secret passage incase of heavy snowfall. They have luxury rooms, suites, executive rooms as per your requirement. They also have accommodation for groups.

Our wooden rooms were very comfortable, cozy, warm and nice.
There was a bukhari in each room and electric bed warmer.

We had very good service, everything was very clean, and we had all the basic facilities required. We played music, indoor board games, also shared some ghost stories, our voices echoed in the night and we had great fun. There was a caretaker always around our room to keep a check on the Bukhari and keep adding the wooden logs in the bukhari so that our room remains warm. Trust me you can’t let that bukhari die off even for a second it’s so freezing cold.

For me the worst place to go to was the bathroom, :D we did get warm water in the bathroom but during heavy snowfall, we lost the electricity and the heater machines were not working because of that, one night we only got cold water in the room. That was crazy as even for a split second you can’t keep your tiny finger under that tap water, the water was so cold it was an extreme level of cold. I tried washing my hands under that water and I couldn’t move my fingers after that for a few minutes. So whoever went to the bathroom that night we could only hear people’s screams. :D

Fireplace at the hangout zone in Nedou's Hotel Gulmarg Kashmir

The breakfast at Nedou’s is excellent, we had almost everything served to us. It’s a huge variety and you won’t be disappointed with the breakfast. Rest of the food is ok here nothing was extraordinary, we mainly survived on soups and actually the street food near the hotel is quite delicious.

Me on my way to the room in the night at Nedou's Hotel Gulmarg Kashmir

The weather is mind blowing and extremely cold. There is one very sweet uncle who is one of the oldest staff at Nedou’s, you will mostly find him near the dining area, he is such an amazing person and so caring, whatever you need just inform him and he will arrange it for you. I did survive here without falling sick and everything was perfect.

We Enjoying the Heavy Snowfall in Gulmarg Kashmir

The prices are moderate to expensive, depends on your pre-booking packages which you can check online and book before you arrive here. All the sports activities are just 10 mins walk away from this hotel, so definitely a great safe place to stay.

This hotel is a historic location and was launched in 1800’s by its founder Micheal Adam Nedou , it became a popularly holiday destination for the British Aristocrates, Colonial Goverment officials & Foreign travellers who would spend the entire summer in the hill station playing golf, fishing & trekking in the Pir Panjal mountain ranges. The hotel has hosted numerous dignitaries, royalties, future world leaders from across the globe. They had renowned visitors, from Mahatama Gandhi, Prime Minister Nehru, Mountbatten etc…

At present, the hotel is still managed by the Nedou family. Mr. Omar Nedou the Great Grandson of Micheal Adam Nedou is the Managing Director of the property & continues the 130-year-old legacy of the Nedous hotels.

Overall stay at this hotel was like a dream come true. The most memorable awesome experience of my life. Highly Recommended!

On my way to get some sports gears in Gulmarg

Things to do in Gulmarg, Kashmir:

So while you are traveling to Gulmarg, you can actually halt at the gorgeous Dal lake first in Srinagar.

Me at the Dal lake Srinagar, Kashmir

Snow fight in Gulmarg Nedous Hotel:

1. Skiing:

There are many places in Gulmarg for sightseeing, it is known as a world-class Skiing destination and in the 1960’s the Department of Tourism of the Government of India invited Rudolph Matt to develop Winter Sports in India and In 1968 due to the efforts of the Government Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering was established in Gulmarg to train ski instructors. Today many winter sports competitions are held during peak season and it is also considered to be the cheapest in the world to learn skiing.

Finally learned some snowboarding

Winter sports like skiing, tobogganing, snowboarding, and heli-skiing take place on the slopes of Mount Apharwat reachable by a Gondola lift. There are many shops near Nedou’s hotel from where you can rent gears and boards for skiing. They also give good training and make you practice so that you can learn the skills quickly. I managed to learn the very basics of snowboarding in a few hours’ time. I did fell a lot and Snowboarding was definitely very tough sport to learn. My day ended practicing on small slopes but we really enjoyed a lot and I am glad in the end I did learn the basics of snowboarding.

2. Trekking:

April to November is the best season to trek. There are so many limitless adventures in Gulmarg which begin from the three trekking trails- Alpather Lake, Khilanmarg and Apharwat. Gulmarg (60km from Srinagar), from which treks can be made to Apharwat and Alpather, the upland lakes of Vishansar and Gangabal and the Thajiwas Glacier.

3. Gulmarg Gondola: You can enjoy the Gondola Cable Car ride, which is one of the world's highest operating cable cars. It can carry 6 people at a time. This ride is mainly dependant on the weather, during extreme climate conditions which is very common here, the rides are shut. When we visited there was heavy snowfall and hence the Gondola ride was shut down.

4. Golfing: Gulmarg Golf Course:
The Golf course at Gulmarg is unbelievable, most of the time I couldn’t believe my eyes with all that beauty around. Situated at an altitude of 2,650 m, it is one of the highest green golf course in the world. The historic Gulmarg Golf Club was started in 1911 by the British who used the place as a holiday resort. In the late 19th century a 6-hole golf course was made by Colonel Neville Chamberlain - the greens were known as browns in those days. The first Golf championship was played at Gulmarg in 1922. The Nedou's Cup was introduced in 1929. The course remains covered under snow from December to April.

5. Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary Reserves:
It is famous for retaining several rare and endangered species. Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve is a dreamland for nature lovers, adventure lovers, ornithologists, and all the travelers. Musk Deer, Hangul, Brown Bear, Leopard, and Black Bear are some of them.

Me at View Point in Gulmarg Kashmir

6. ViewPoint: On the way to Gulmarg many tourist halt at this point to check out the magical view.

Apart from this, you can also get snowbikes, sledge, etc… for some fun activities in the snow. You can even visit Baba Reshi Shrine and St. Mary’s Church in the valley.

Weather & Best time to visit Gulmarg?

The weather is minimum – 8 degree Celsius from December till March. If you love adventure sports and wish to experience complete snowclad mountains then mid Jan to mid Feb is a recommended time to visit Gulmarg Kashmir, when there are heavy snowfall and extremely cold weather.

Gulmarg in Summer Season (April-June): Temperature is approx 13 to 29 degree Celcius is the perfect time to visit when the flowers are in full bloom.

Gulmarg in Monsoon Season (July-September): During this time the crowd is less and there is not so much of monsoon but you will get to notice the waterfalls and greenery.

Gulmarg in Winter Season (October-March): Perfect for Skiing and adventure sports but the temperature is too much to handle.

Food in Gulmarg:

The food in Kashmir is really delicious especially the bakery items are yummy and fresh. I think they have the best quality of bakeries. They have a great variety of food and the quantity of food is huge. Kashmiri’s just love feeding you and they are so loving and caring. We tried the local Nadru Chips, Goshtaba, Kashmiri Dum Aloo, Wazwan, the famous Kashmiri Qahwah, Kashmiri pickle was also delicious, the sheermal roti was yum, we also had so many items for Morning breakfast, aloo tikki, mushrooms, waffle, eggs, variety of breads, local apple jam etc… their street Maggie is a hit, I loved eating Maggie here and had lots of soup in that crazy climate.

You will also get very good continental food, Chinese and even the pizza’s are so good out here. It was difficult to capture pictures in freezing climate so whatever shots I have are really not the best of the collection but sharing here to give you an idea of food :D

Local people

One thing which is so impressive about this place is that despite the level of unrest the local people are very hardworking and they are actually very well educated, it’s like almost 70% of the population is educated here. We mostly met people who spoke good Hindi and English and also knew the local Kashmiri language.

It’s important that before visiting this place you have a local contact or a local friend who can guide you well. Our driver was a really great guy, he took care of us and spoke to the locals in Kashmiri to get us to different places. He also had a great music collection which he played in the car, we never got bored he was a pretty cool guy.

There are good and bad elements in every society and this place was no different. It’s like any other tourist attraction spot. Surprisingly I found the locals to be extremely sweet, kind and very helpful people, in fact, they were just so peaceful and nice to talk to. It’s lovely to watch them speak in local Kashmiri language. Yes of course there were people who were kind of salesmen trying hard to sell you things but tourism is their source of income and you can't really blame them, it happens at every tourist destination in India. So without getting into all the political controversies, I have shared my experience just as a tourist.

Another thing about Kashmiri’s is that they are naturally so good looking. I mean these cute Kashmiri kids they actually had that pink natural blush on their cheeks and rosy lips :D At the airport me and my friends we actually shot a video where every other guy was so handsome and even the ladies are so pretty. They really have a natural style and always talk in a nice soft tone. But I did also see a few youngsters near Srinagar who were very loud and scary. But overall good crowd.

Shopping:

There are very few places to shop in Gulmarg, you can do most of your shopping in Srinagar or at the airport.

How to Survive in -14 Degree Celsius Temperature in Gulmarg, Kashmir

Things to carry while packing for Gulmarg:

1. Clothes & Footwear:

It’s important that you come prepared for the climate in Gulmarg mostly if you plan to visit this place in the peak season of Jan and Feb. Have thermals, few sweaters, Waterproof snow jacket, tights, jeans socks, hand gloves, woolen, and synthetic clothes. There are places from where you can rent warm jackets and shoes as well, but I had gone prepared with shoes I can trek in and which had a good sole grip. My friends did buy the shoes from local shops but they were slippery and my friends slipped and fell very often.

This is what I did to really stay warm, I wore thin layers of clothes. I used to wear thermal wear first and then add 2 layers of long sleeve thin cotton tees, then wear a thin sweater and on top of it, I used to wear the double jacket. To keep my legs warm, again I used to wear thermal, then tights and over that, I used to wear jeans. At times when I used to feel extremely cold, I used to wear these long length socks too. I used to even wear 2 layers of socks to keep my feet warm. We all used to actually take 5 to 10 mins to wear so many clothes. Trust me it’s really crazy out there and beyond 10 mins in the snow, you start shivering. So it’s better to walk or do some physical activities to stay warm. Also, get a jacket which has a hood to cover your head and ears.

2. Heaters/ Bukhari:

There are heaters in the car to keep you warm while traveling and there is also traditional Bukhari. The Bukhari is fired by wooden logs which keep the entire area nice and warm.

3. Kashmiri Kangdi: This is a traditional pot to keep you warm which you can carry along with you.

4. Woolen caps: Carry some woolen caps too, for more protection.

5. Have Hot drinks and meals: Drink warm water, warm drinks, soups, Maggie, etc…I mostly survived on really hot soups, hot chicken fried rice, and Maggie.

Heavy Snowfall in Gulmarg - me at Gulmarg Adventure sports center

6. Do sports activities or trekking: It will actually make you sweat when you do these activities in the snow.

7. Make sure to go to a warm place every 15 to 20 mins. We had a car around which had a heater or there were shops around. I would usually sometimes even run back to the hotel because my legs would really start freezing.

Do smart packing, so you don’t carry heavy luggage, you won’t look like a fashion disaster and you can really enjoy your time in the snow. :)

Is it safe to travel to Gulmarg Kashmir?

Yes, it’s very safe to travel here if you have a local contact or know a local good family. Usually, there is no threat to the tourist, but you can get caught up in an unpleasant situation. It’s best to know a local tour guide or a friend, there is a lot of security in the area. But it’s very important to be aware of your surroundings. For Example when we visited Srinagar Dal Lake area everything was shut. It seemed there was a stone pelting incident which had happened, people were protesting and most of the shops were closed and there were hardly any people around. We took quick pictures at the Dal lake and did quick shopping at few of the shops, then our driver instructed us to leave from that location.

I made a few friends in Kashmir and the people are so welcoming they invite you to come to stay with them, they have really beautiful homes with that old heritage architecture. The family is so sweet, they feed you some amazing home cooked food and they even become your guide and show you different places around. They eat a really huge quantity of delicious food and they eat very frequently so you won’t be disappointed at all with all the love and hospitality.

On our way to Gulmarg, some Kashmiri local guys stopped our car and they were saying something in Kashmiri which we didn’t understand but our local Kashmiri guide spoke to them and took care of them (no idea what that was but it didn’t look good). We just spend a few minutes there and left for our journey. The local People were helpful to guide us and they are generally sweet. When we reached Gulmarg we found no trace of unrest and we had absolutely no issues there. It was all worth the risk if there were any.

Overall it was the best trip of my life and definitely one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Highly Recommended!

Hope you enjoyed this post and found the details helpful.
You know i overcame my fears by going on this trip and each moment was something so special and magical, to walk on that snow is a feeling i can't even express. It was all thanks to my friends who kept motivating me throughout the trip. All i could do is Thank God for creating such a beautiful land like Gulmarg and making me witness heaven like place on earth.

Meet my little snowman Snowy :D

To discover more such adventures, do follow @foodhist.journey Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. :)
#Travelblog #Gulmarg #Touristattraction #Thingstodoingulmarg

Lot’s of Love
Ambreen Shaikh
Aka Foodhist Journey
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Havmor Candylicious Premium Ice Cream - HavFunn Store Bandra West, Mumbai

2019-06-09T18:03:00.000+05:30

HAVMOR ICE CREAM REVIEW

SCOOP FOR ALL SEASONS

A journey from a small candy shop handcart where Ice Creams were painstakingly churned all night to a now complete full-fledged branded company Havmor Ice creams has an amazing 70 years old legacy. Today Havmor ice cream is one of the most popular brands in India serving a whole variety of interesting yummylicious products which are today available across 14 markets in India with a network of restaurants, eateries and Havfunn parlours. They have also started one of the most premium brand Huber & Holly boutique oﬀering a combination of amazing ice-creams freshly churned right at the outlet, ice-cream based cakes & desserts in their most inventive form. Endless customization through toppings – all made in-house and service options as scoops or a make your own blockbuster Combined with fresh food such as croissant sandwiches, pizzas & pastas – all made using high-end ingredients.

Havmor Ice Creams is a complete #Icecream Wonderland. It all began in 1944 when Satish Chona, a young engineer working at BOAC (now British Airways), decided to set up a pop up ice cream shop in Karachi, Pakistan, called Havmor. What he started as a part-time venture to supplement the family income soon grew into a popular local ice cream brand. But the year 1947 proved to be a tumultuous one with the partition of India and Pakistan. Mr Chona and his family were forced to leave everything behind in Karachi as they migrated to India overnight in search of safety.

After attempting to set up a base in a couple of Indian cities including Dehradun and Indore, Mr Chona eventually decided to start his ice cream business in Ahmedabad. Here, the weather would stay warm for a better part of the year, which meant potentially higher ice cream sales. Mr Chona began Havmor operations with just 200 rupees from a humble handcart that he would take to the Ahmedabad railway station. Everyday, he would sell ice cream from his handcart that he and his wife, Mrs Nirmal Chona, painstakingly churned all night. To increase revenues, Mr Chona would borrow a friend’s cycle and sell ice cream around Ahmedabad while his friend would take care of the handcart.

Recently I had this opportunity to visit Havmor Havfunn Premium Ice Cream Parlour in Bandra West Mumbai and it was such a pleasurable experience. My very first experience of eating a Havmor Ice Cream was during my road trip journey from Mumbai to Goa. On that entire journey, we used to take snack breaks and I remember eating Havmor ice cream at every other shop, the best part about this ice cream was the prices. At every village, we took a halt I ate delicious scoops of Havmor ice cream cups for just Rs 10 to Rs 20. So inexpensive, later we had halted at Ratnagiri village for a day and we decided to continue our journey to Goa the next day, that was the happiest moment for me because there was a Havmor store right opposite the place we were staying in Ratnagiri beautiful village :D

OMG that day we all went crazy because as compared to Mumbai the prices of all the Havmor ice cream in that village was so inexpensive. The ice cream per scoop which you get here for Rs 40 to Rs 60 that same scoop you get for Rs 25, even the other premium ice creams are so inexpensive. We took the entire stock of ice cream and I have the opportunity to try almost every other flavor in that shop. Raj bhog, Paan, all the different fruit candy sticks, different flavors of scoops and cones etc... Even the fruit sticks were of just Rs 15. You must try the Kiwi fruit stick of this brand if you ever can, I think it's one of the best flavors they serve, you get an entire fruit pulp in that candy stick so delicious.

Havmor Ice Cream Bandra West, Mumbai Linking Road Store

Now when I was back from my fun Goa trip I started desperately looking for a Havmor store in Bandra West Linking Road. I found 2 stores in my location and I was super happy, the next day i went to a store at Cupid Apartment, Khar West where I discovered that these guys are serving a very small quantity of ice cream for thrice the price and got really disappointed hence I wouldn't recommend this store. But luckily Havmor started another store at Linking Road Bandra West near Amarsons and this store was excellent. Ya, you don't get those inexpensive ice creams here, this store only serves high-quality premium ice creams and they all are so delicious and drool-worthy ice cream. The experience, ambiance, quality, service is alot better at this store.

The seating is comfortable, they have both high rise chairs to low table seating areas. Their menu is amazing they have a whole variety of Exotic sundaes, Milkshakes, Ice cream scoops, handcraft candies and even take away tubs. Unfortunately, they don't serve those inexpensive sticks so that they can attract an upscale trendy crowd. The sticks are served in other local stores. The service is very good and the staff is extremely friendly.

Now coming to the food this is what I tried:

Hotch Potch: Premium Candylicious Ice Cream:
Rs 170 Regular and Small Rs 99
5*/5
This ice stone ice cream is prepared on a frozen stone machine which is set on a certain temperature to get the desired texture of the ice cream. After the temperature is set 2 huge scoops of ice creams are placed along with gems, chocolate bars, chocolate syrup etc... and all the candy ingredients are added and then mixed by the experts. Once all the mixing is completed this ice cream mixture is placed in a crispy waffle cup and then super delicious toppings are added like, a lovely cute pink candy stick, lots of whipped cream, ice cream rainbow topping sprinkles, chocolates etc.. YUM! YUM! Highly Recommended! The entire process takes 10 to 15 mins.

Also do try the Hotch Potch they have fruity affair, cookie brownie, berry buzz, kulfi takatak, coffee pastry, havmor celebration, chocolate addiction etc... they also have signature blockbusters, milk shakes and more... The price range is all around Rs 200.

Watch the entire making video of this amazing Candylicious Havmor ice cream:

My Experience:

Where: Havmor HavFunn Store Bandra West, Mumbai
Quality: Excellent
Quantity: Excellent
Price: Moderate
Wheelchair Accessible Entrance: No
Restroom: Not Available
Seating: Comfortable
Ambiance: Good
Hygiene: Excellent
Official Site: https://www.havmor.com/
Parking: Not Available
Type: Premium Ice Cream Parlour
Home Delivery: Available
Store Timings: Mon - Fri (10 am to 12 am)
Staff: Very friendly
Service: Depends on what you order the hotch potch takes 10 to 15 mins for preparation time.

Hope you found this post helpful
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Keep Smiling and take care of yourself.
Stay positive, spread love and happiness around.
Lots of love
Ambreen Shaikh
Aka Foodhist Journey
#Zomato Spoonback #FoodReview #FoodhistJourney #HavFunn #Havmor #Icecream

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