Eating Out in Bombay..

Best food blogs !

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:09:00 +0000

Read
A brilliant list and yours truly made it on as well. Some people are too kind.

No more LOOP Mobile...

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:20:00 +0000

Sorry, this has nothing to do with food but i need to vent. I hate my current telecom provider coz they are the lamest of the lame. Telecom is truly the big boys game, a small fry player like Loop erstwhile known as BPL really has no place in it. especially if they are operating in metros and want to pretend to be one of the boys.

i have had the number for 10 years and they were okay when i was a kiddo but since i got into the mainstream work force and used services like blackberry my usage has been around the 2500 mark give or take 10% which has been incredibly painful. i found i was paying nearly 1400 a month just for my blackberry usage simply because they didnt offer a half way decent plan to pick from.

Just switched to vodafone for my primary usage and my usage is down to 850 + 15% variable usage.. inclusive of blackberry. its so stupid to have to carry two phones now because the government cant get around to introducing number portability..

so i highly recommend choosing a pan India provider simpy because they have greater service offerings and better roaming rates as well.

(breathing out)

Third piece in the Wall Street Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:41:00 +0000

Guys, did my third piece for the Wall Street Journal, can be viewed here
i wish i had the time to flesh it out more but it is what it is.

Sunday lunch at Tote

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Rest :Tote on the Turf
Meal : Sunday Lunch
Loc : Race Course, Mahalaxmi

So, we ended up at Tote again, the last time was on my birthday in October, which was in the same week as they opened. My experience then was good but i felt they had some ways to go before they could be considered as good as Indigo.

Now, on my second visit, i still feel the same way. The menu has been enlarged with a day menu as well. They offer breakfast, sandwiches and some pasta besides the normal menu.

We started with some mojitos which was very good. The mushroom ricotta was sweetish, i didnt mind it but despite being paired with the bitter romaine and sour parmesan it did not work in anyway. The aubergine with the balsam drizzle thingy was not too bad. Sweet though.

The mushroom tiramisu was a huge hit again and did not last very long. Worked well for me.

We got the risotto with peppers and garlic and it was okay. Not very tight on flavour. The mac and cheese and lasagna was again, a pretty good dish, however i think the temperature needs to be worked out, it went cold very quickly and was not as good to eat.

The butermilk parfait was very hard and not that great by itself. It was served with a rhubarb soup which was tangy but the strawberry sorbet was just out of this world. All together the dish worked well, very refreshing, perfect for a hot afternoon. And i got to eat it all by myself.

I remember this being espresso ice-cream which was good, everything else was generic chocolate dessert. Predictably chosen by the girls.

Overall, the menu has expanded which is a good thing, their grill is yet to open in the outdoors though. The food is not bad, its not great but its not bad. I still prefer Indigo for dinner. The service is pretty good and the place itself does fill up.

I will be there soon for breakfast one of these days.

Food : 7/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : for 4 with drinks 6500

Recap of the meals past

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:32:00 +0000

Things have been fairly busy, so instead of doing multiple posts ill combine a few of my meals out into one.

Pizzeria

The Bombay Masala at the Pizzeria on Marine Drive. Quite possibly the greatest Pizza known to man. Subtlety Indian taste without any hardcore toppings or sauces. The joy was in the masala alone. Also highly recommend the very tasty if inauthentic spaghetti with Pesto.

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

At the airport, the only real decent option is the coffee bean and tea leaf.
While their coffee is good (if expensive) they have a brilliant pasta options. The spaghetti was GREAT.

Cream Centre

The mood for Chana Bhatura struck and we found ourselves at Cream Centre, the wife went for a sizzler. It was a disaster, uncooked, undercooked and lame as hell.

Panchvati

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:22:00 +0000

Rest : Panchvati Gaurav
Meal : Dinner
Loc : Opposite Bombay Hospital, Marine Lines.

Panchvati is a place of fond memories. I visited with my grandfather a few times because he knew the owner i think. Then it sort of fell of the radar (this was back in the mid to late 90’s) and it had been shut for some time and under renovation after that.

Trying to figure out dinner a stroke of randomness struck and both of us agreed on checking out panchvati. The place has changed completely, gone are the dung walls and folk art, its now a generic sort of thali eatery.

They offer the usual, 2 snacks, a dal, a kadi, 4 entrees, 2 desserts as well as dal baati. Besides the usual salad, pickle, chutneys and chaas.

There was also the jal jeera which tasted more like pani puri paani. very minty.

The veggies, as is usual were two safe ones, like chana, the other was a tomato and aloo (potato) then they had the two weird ones which i don't even recall.

They serve regular chapatis as well as bhakris.

They also do rice and khichadi or both if you please.

Overall, the food was good, i would have to dock points for the lameness of service, people just standing around being inattentive as well as for a lot of dishes being cold. I didn't like the dal baati much but the wife loved it (best one has been Golden Star for it but then their thali otherwise sucks)

Additionally the thali is priced at 250 bucks which is f******* insane. I had another thali at Thackers on Chowpatty Beach for 350 bucks which was absolutely horrid. While this one was not bad it was no way worth 250.

Ill stick to Joshi Club from now on, best ever and that too for a 100.

Food : 7/10
Service : 6/10
Damage : 500 for 2.

Go East young man.. Hong Kong

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:52:00 +0000

Was in Hong Kong for a days work and flew in and out. The food scene in HK is quite vibrant and they have some big guns in the city like Alain Ducasse with his Spoons and Nobu both at the Intercontinental.

Hong Kong is a ultra urban metropolis with a healthy mix of cultures, like most big cities, food is a big part of its existence. Unfortunately i didnt have the time to check out the various options due to want of time.

a list of my meals -

Kingfisher Airlines, served a great meal, it was some potato curry with lots of garlic, paneer in spinach with some pulav and naan. i almost exclusively drink tomato juice on flights.

VA took me out for a brilliant meal to a restaurant he frequents and got us some brilliant potato curry with pineapple rice (served IN a pineapple ) and some som tam salad. It was excellent, it always helps to have someone with an inside track.

I got hungry around 5ish and picked up some stuff from Marks & Spencer, a nice hummus and pepper sandwich, feta cheese salad (that i ate without a fork) and my fav thing, sparkling orange soda.

A bloody mary in the hotel bar, below par.

I ended up at TGIF (hey, it was 11, i didnt know where i was going and i was REALLY REALLY hungry)

i got some ridiculous fajitas and an even more ridiculously strong margarita

a traditional breakfast in the morning, cold soba noodles and tofu with soy, not too bad. Not my idea of an ideal breakfast ( see the pancake creeping out of there) but it was not bad at all.

there is no such thing as too much orange juice.. is there?

Again KF outdid themselves with their meal, the Chana Masala was with bits of Paneer, the Paneer makhani was in an onion tomato gravy and very tasty. the salad was crap but the boondi and pineapple raita was brilliant. the chocolate torte was very flavourful.

Interesting name for a drink (the best one i think is Pimp Juice) , my friend Loki who spent 10 days in HKG told me about it and i got him a bottle. Its actually very electrol like in taste.

Overall, HKG was an impressive if short trip. Hopefully do a longer trip soon and try out some more local fare.

Vong Wong

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:25:00 +0000

Rest : Vong Wong
Meal : Dinner
Loc : Express Towers

A random desire for Chinese and the lack of tables at Moshe (its always the same story with them) meant we ended up at Vong Wong once again. The place honestly, has a lot of potential and im not sure they are realising all of it.

The menu has changed, the older menu was a Thai section & a Chinese section and was fairly expansive. Now they have a shortened menu where both the cuisines are mixed, very sensible.

The place itself is massive with a very large physical footprint, floor to ceiling windows and private dining space. Attractively done, it would hold its own with any modern restaurant.

They did a fairly good Blood Mary, no real complaints with this one.

With the menu change, the other thing that has changes is that the old wet, boiled peanuts have changed to regular salted peanuts. Weak, very WEAK.

The Tom Yum was good, tasty, sour but good.

The dumplings were sweetish, not my favouraite taste in the world from my dim sum. Additionally, there were no real dipping sauces, the table sauces were horrible.

Feeling a little adventurous we picked the season veg on a bed of lettuce. again the taste was on the sweetish side and it did seem like it belonged to Chinese or Thai, however it was a decent dish by itself.

The ho phun noodles were very different, thick, oily but good. Dry tasting dish by itself if you pick it without gravy. The Asparagus and mushrooms in Oyster sauce were not too bad, the sauce was okay and the asparagus is a favourite of mine, so no real complaints.

Overall, the food is just about average which is sad since the location is excellent and the ambiance good. All they need now is to put a serious effort into the cuisine itself.

Revamping the menu was the right choice and the food is not bad at all, however its not memorable or outstanding on any front either.

Food : 7/10
Service : 7/10
Damage : 1800 with a cocktail.

Vong Wong
Express Towers,
Nariman Point,
Tel : 22875633, 22875634

Muhammarah @ Cafe Moshe

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:17:00 +0000

Muhammarah is a red dip, hot with a spicy after taste. Its middle eastern but unlike popular dishes from Turkey & Israel this one originates from Syria but has travelled across to the Mediterranean.

Its made with red peppers , olive oil, garlic and other ingredients. First introduced by Chef Moshe Shek at Cafe Moshe. His version is not as spicy and has a creamy texture, kind of like hummus.

Its healthy and goes brilliantly with Pita. Try it at any of the Cafe Moshe’s across the city, the one above was at the Crosswords location.

Jimmy Boy

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:30:00 +0000

Jimmy Boy is an Irani in Fort. We were standing outside Nandus Paratha House after dinner and were trying to give my friend Parin tips on how to run his restaurant (we Indians have opinions on everything) one of the thing my other mate VP came up with was selling raspberry soda. He went into a long spiel on how great it is and cant be found. Parin grabbed both of us and walked us up the 10 metres to Jimmy Boy.

Jimmy Boy is an old Irani and has been around forever. Located in the heart of commercial territory, their finest hour is lunch. I havent been to an Irani in a long long time but it looks just like it needs to. It was deserted and we were the only ones there at the hour.

Since we already had a huge meal we were in it only for the delightful sodas that are unique to Iranis. Parin knows the owners well and just strode in and picked out two bottles.

The masala soda, a taste unique to India, it is like thums up, but on the other end of the spicyness. Brilliant.

Raspberry soda has long been a talking point for Iranis and it does not disappoint. Perfect in every aspect, its got a sweet aftertaste.

Jimmy Boy,
Opp Turner Morrison Building
Fort

Nandus Paratha House

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:59:00 +0000

Rest : Nandus Paratha House
Loc : Opp Old Custom House, Fort
Meal : Dinner

A few days ago an old friend and school mate Parin Lakhani who i had not seen in a while added me on facebook. He happened to have a group called Nandus Paratha House, intrigued i checked it out and it turns out that Nandus is a famous Pune based paratha joint and its Bombay outlet just happened to be owned and managed by him.

Ever since, then we have been making grand plans to make our way there but it didnt happen until tonight and we are the poorer for it. Located in the hard core commercial area of Fort, Nandus is small, with limited seating and the majority of their business is take out and delivery.

While its a paratha house the menu is fairly expansive, they not only serve parathas but a large selection of Punjabi dishes as well as a bunch of rice dishes and snacks. Some of the parathas are unqiue and not to be found anywhere else.. like pizza paratha, pasta paratha, schezwan paratha,there is even a chocolate paratha which is crepe like.

Each paratha is served with dahi and a delectable onion pickle. If you want more, you can go for a thali platter which is served with daal and rice etc. We had the chilli cheese garlic paratha which was brilliant, the aloo and gobi paratha which was good but the real coup was the pizza paratha. It pays to be adventurous and it pays even more to listen to the owner, fantastic is the word for this one. I enjoyed it immensely and it rightfully is one of the more popular ones.

The papad churi came by as an after thought but it was perfect, lemony and chilli peppered up, it tasted just as it ought to.

We also got a roomali roti with a spicy lasooni paneer, which was sourish and spicy, just what a garlic intensive dish should be. Spot on. Next time im trying some of the rice dishes. Their dal makhani is also brilliant and worth a go.

Overall, there is just too much choice, not one thing we had was below par, even the cold spicy chaas was out of this world. The parathas might be a little out there for some but they are worth a try. The pricing is pure value for money, parathas priced between 40-100 each with entrees around 40-60 each.

Im going to be going back very soon, id suggest you plan a jaunt down asap or give them a call, they deliver almost anywhere within reason.

Food : 9/10
Service : 9/10
Damage : 600 for 3.

Nandus Paratha House
19, Sonawala Bldg, Green Street, Fort, Mumbai
Opposite Old Custom House
Phone: 22702265

Full Disclosure: The owner is an old friend and didnt let us pay but promised he would treat us like normal folk the next time around, which i am sure will be soon. Its a meal i truly enjoyed and which is why its up here on its own merit.

Madras Cafe !

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:32:00 +0000

Rest : Madras Cafe
Loc : Matunga Circle, Central Bombay
Meal : Sunday Breakfast

The looney tunes gang met this past Sunday morning, after their second attempt at breakfast, the first having been cancelled due to lazy, late sleeping girls and errant maids.

Anyhow we made it to the legendary Madras Cafe, located in what was once the strong hold of south Indians in the city.

The area is peppered with plenty of udipi restaurants and the only way to survive is to be good.

By that line of reasoning the 6 restaurants within walking distance are all pretty good. One has to get in early because it gets crowded and stays that way.

The menu is hardcore south Indian, so you get a variety of idlis, dosas and dishes such as lemon rice and biselle bhat.

They also serve madras filter coffee, very cool stuff although it could have done with a little more sugar. I had 3 and it gave me a slightly elevated heart rate, so don't go too crazy.

Excellent, the vada itself was nothing great but the rasam was brilliant. Sour, hot and tangy, probably work better if you get it with Medu Vadas.

The Madras Dahi Misal was brilliant, dish of the day for me, i had to get two because it was passed around by my fellow diners. Spicy usal with the crunchy farsan and dahi to top it off, each element playing with the other. Brilliant.

The Raagi dosa is made with Raagi flour, personally i found it sourish with a coarse texture. Uninteresting but its fairly popular

The Mysore Sada was small and different from all the others i have had thus far. Not too bad though.

Some of the other things we had were butter idlis, tuppa dosa and a disgusting upma.

Bear in mind that the Dosas are flatter, thicker, smaller and pancake like, not the long, lean crunchy dosas most people are used to.

Overall, Madras cafe has been around forever and its because its a functional place, everyone goes there simply for the food and nothing else.

The ambiance is noisy, busy and rushed, its like walking into 1964, you sit where you can, we sat next to a family, that had to put up with our profane discussions. A little on the authentic side, it covers enough bases to give you a wide ranging experience with plenty to choose from.

Service is quick as a place like this thrives on quick turn arounds.

Food : 8/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : 1080 for 10

Cafe Madras
38 - II, Circle House, King's Circle, Matunga, Mumbai
Phone: 24014419

Delhi Trip – Sarvanan Bhavan

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:56:00 +0000

Sarvanan Bhavan is a truly epic experience in Delhi, if you by a chance of ill luck a little late in getting there, you will find yourself at the back of a line at times 40 strong.

The food they serve is traditional south Indian, snacks to complete meals. Brilliantly done, quickly served, the space is a piece of South India in the middle of New Delhi.

i hate puris but i really wanted to get something which is hard to find in Bombay and i opted for the thali.

They served dahi, dal, rasam, dry potato and a couple of other veggies along with some rice. Overall, the food was unique and well done.

Overall, the place is great, beyond the thalis they also serve crisp ghee dosas as well as a dozen mini idlis with ghee. A must visit for all those visiting Delhi. My second time here and i shall always try to visit everytime i am in town.

I always thought Bombay had it all when it comes to restaurants but there is nothing like a Sarvanan Bhavan here… one more reason to hate Delhi.

Follow up piece in the Wall Street Journal !

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:57:00 +0000

Hey, a follow up piece was published in the Wall Street Journal ! Linked below

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125627260506603407.html

A little piece on the film im producing !

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:51:00 +0000

hi,

a little piece on the animated film im producing, it can be found here

have been home sick and will update soon.

enjoy!!!

Maroosh

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:54:00 +0000

Found myself in Bandra for a meeting along with my comrade Mr.Merchant. Since he has been a creature of the suburbs more than i have, we decided to go on his recommendation and headed to to Candies. Unfortunately Candies was packed like Sardines and the next best thing was Carter Road and so it ended up being Maroosh.

Mr.Merchant chose Maroosh, a) because it would be a quick lunch and b) because the owner happens to be a friend of his…

The place is very small, no air conditioning and no frills, the menu is Mediterranean with the accent on the middle east.

The beverages of choice were a Diet Coke & Water, good choices on a hot day out.

The hummus was creamy, with a drizzle of olive oil, very good, better than the textured, dryish hummus you get most places. Its a pity they scrimped on the pita.

The Paneer Makhani roll was unnaturally reddish orange, food color most likely, scared me a little. The taste itself was okay, spicy sort but not too much. Not bad but not great either. We also had the shwarma which was pretty good and juicy.

Overall, its not about ambiance or about comfort, nor does it have a lot of seating. However i am sure they do plenty of deliveries and its a great place to swing by late night for a quick bite.

Food : 7/10
Service 8/10
Damage : 400

Indigo

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:17:00 +0000

I love Indigo, as some of you might already know, unfortunately for me the wife isnt as obsessive about it which is why i dont get out there nearly enough. Also the fact that it breaks the bank makes it not such a frequent option. Yet, every time i have been there i have left very, very happy and satisfied. The place looks great and continues to offer an old world charm, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the food is a great mix of the traditional, the modern and the quaint.

We got in 30 mins early for our table with the intention of having some quiet time by the bar. I went in for my bloody mary (385) perfect, a little thinned out but not watered down.

Never found the munchies of much interest here or most places, only Geoffrey’s knows what the Indian drinker wants to munch on.

The Sgorpini (365) was interesting, a margarita with champagne instead of tequila. You could gulp a pitcher down easy. Unfortunately they were missing the beers, so no Hoegarden and no Stella.

The Appetizer was off the specials menu and what an inspired choice. The sweetish, thick souffle served with a bitter salad, contrasting tastes although not complementary. The taste was amazing and the flavor heavy.

Another winner, i have had this one before and did not mind calling for it again. There is very little that can compare with fresh mozzarella, the smoked tomatoes were hot and juicy and i can still remember the exquisite if uncomplicated tastes of each ingredient..

Yum Yum. The Goat cheese gnocchi is not on the dinner menu but on the lunch menu. We asked that the cottage cheese gnocchi be switched for goat cheese, they were happy to do it but the sauce would have to change too as they wouldn't go together. The tomato cream sauce was picked and it was incredible. A borderline orgasmic dish this one and i highly recommend trying it.

The water cress risotto was bitter and boring, serves me right for ordering it a second time, knowing fully well it was not that great the first time.

The creme brulee was good, not earth shattering, i chose it above the recommended dessert du jour Baked Alaska.

Overall, Indigo continues to rock. If i have any complaints its that the menu has not changed in some time and secondly it needs to get a little longer. You go there twice and you could possibly run through it all.

The lunch menu is very different and in some cases has some exciting options, which i intend to try very soon.

Service is top notch and surprisingly quick, Nafish was prompt, helpful and took very good care of us.

Food : 8/10
Service : 9/10
Damage : 4000 for 2 with cocktails.

They also serve a popular Sunday brunch from 12-4 at 1800 per person + taxes.

Indigo
4, Mandlik Road
Colaba, Mumbai
Phone : 66368980, 66368981

Hottest new place in town – Tote on the turf

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:31:00 +0000

Tote on the turf is the hottest new place in town, barely a week old its the brainchild of Indigo’s Rahul Akerkar. Spread across a lavish 25000 square feet, the place is like nothing in the city, you have some spiffy places but this is truly out there, with a massive bar, an indoor section with couches as well as laid out tables and an al fresco option.

The ambiance is high end, the attention constant and you can feel the newness of it all. It wont be long before it becomes a hot favorite. The menu is eclectic, there is a separate grill section, the food ranges from thai curry to lasagna.

The indigo mary is a twist on the traditional with a dash of balasmic as well as cucumber. Personally, i prefer my bloody mary original without too much messing around.

The fresh lime frozen was harmless.

Not bad, smooth full wine a little dry.

The mushroom tiramisu was excellent, there was a walnut compote and a fig mousse. Just beyond words, there was so much going on with the dish and you sort of had to figure it out. Once you did, it was quite something.

The dish was good, however there was nothing imaginative about it, considering the grill is a dead space for vegetarians it still turned out well. The stuffing was mushrooms, the sauce was a rich marinara.

The entrees, this one was pretty creatively thought up, i have had the couscous upma a few places now, so its not as new as it once was. The problem was too much pepper and salt, the whole thing was just overpowering any inherent taste.

Very good. The macaroni with some cheese on a rich tomato sauce, like mixing 7up and coke but it actually worked. The vegetables were really tomato and peppers. The dish would have worked better with something more flavorful at the centre like a ricotta or a goat cheese.

Overall, the place is a bound to be a smashing success and is a cut above Olive in terms of design, ambiance and what it offers. The bar is just unbelievable and you have a lot of choice in seating.

Food : 7/10
Service : 9/10
Damage : 4000 with cocktails and wine.

Joss

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:40:00 +0000

Rest : Joss
Loc : Kala Ghoda, Rampart Row
Meal : Lunch

So it turns out that the women i know had a tremendous lunch at Joss last week. Not wanting to be left behind i made it to Joss for a quick bite.

Joss has been around for a while, i had been there a few times in its previous avatar Sanuk Thai, which then became Sanuk Oriental (Thai was way better) my last visit though was quite a long time ago. Even now i find the menu to be a little weird, they have Chinese, some Eastern hot pots and Sushi.

A scary start, i asked for a Hoegarden with a dash of oranges.. my server looked at me like i had grabbed his ass. They didn't serve it with oranges, to their credit they came back with an offer of apples or kiwi but they didn't have oranges. I did the safest thing possible and ordered a Tiger which turned out to be a splendid decision. It went great with everything i had.

Now, we ordered Sushi as the wife highly recommended it. Unlike most things this time she was correct. Joss is already quite popular for their Sushi but i was skeptical as they did Chinese and other Eastern dishes as well. The house rolls with avocados and cream cheese were fantastic. In fact they were so good that we ordered another sushi platter to make the most of it.

Button mushrooms with water chestnuts were very weak. Typical fried stuff with some chilli and pepper. nothing special.

The carrot and onion houserolls were amazing as well. I think the cream cheese has the edge simply coz its so different with the use of its ingredients. However this one too was a winner. absolutely no complaints.

For the main course we went for the Balinese curry, it was okay. I have had this curry elsewhere and its always been a very heavy flavor which i liked immensely. this one had the aroma but the thick flavor was missing, it felt watered down but it was not bad.

Overall, the ambiance is average, they need to redecorate, its like the space is stuck in the 90’s.

Food wise, i think they would do very well if they just cut out their Chinese which is average and focus on their fantastic Sushi. Which as good as it is i do consider it over priced. At 520 + tax for a platter of veg sushi its about 20% too high. .

Service was okay if a little scatterbrained.

Food : 8/10
Service : 7/10
Damage : 1900

Joss
30, K. Dubhash Marg
Next to Chetana Restaurant, Kala Ghoda
Fort, Mumbai
Phone 66356908, 66334233

Sula & Beyond

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:35:00 +0000

The Sula vineyards are spread across Nashik & Dindori and they have created a beautiful, landscaped little gem with an Italian restaurant (Little Italy) and a tasting room.

A long road with grape vines on either side leads to the main winery and other buildings.

the space is clean and well laid out, we got there at 10 am and not a soul was stirring. Used to early starts from Mumbai we were a little surprised to learn that nothing would happen until 11am when everyone showed up.

the buildings are like charming old bungalows yet there is a great mixture of modern glass and bright colors

everywhere the eye can see you see the planted vines spread across the landscape. It was unfortunately not the right season and we had forgo the actual wine tour, instead we toured the winery itself and got a lesson in how they make wine.

the tasting room is a an outdoors and indoors space where they offer a tasting of six wines and one can also sit and order cold cuts and cheese to nibble on while sipping other wines from the menu.

The wine tasting was fun, six glasses of Sula wines were on offer, having taken a class on wines i knew a lot more than the layman but it was fun to get a refresher. Of all the wines a Dindori Reserve Viognier was the best, great refreshing taste, sweetish but not too acidic.

For those who like them sweet an interesting late harvest dessert sweet Chenin Blanc was also on offer. Indian wines are slowly getting there..

Sula also offers a space where one can stay the night, there is help on call as well as a chef, television with satellite tv and even an infinity p0ol.

the three rooms are modern and spacious, well laid out and extremely comfortable. The entire living area is modern and an oasis of calm looking out to a large lake and planted vines.

the breakfast was aloo paratha served with fresh yoghurt and pickle. plenty good this, very tasty and quite a large serving.

the dinner was tasty too, black dal, paneer kofta and mixed vegetables served with rice and chapatis. One can order the food from a set menu which is fairly expansive.

Overall the stay was fantastic, the place was a revelation and it would be foolish not to visit here at least once.

A special thanks to our beautiful hostess Mitali and birthday boy Kunal for having us over !

Road trip to a Vineyard !

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:41:00 +0000

Nashik, originally an industrial town, has grown into the wine capital of India with majority of the labels established in and around the area.

The city is actually not as far as people seem to think, we headed out at about 6am and were at the winery by 9.30 am including a rest stop. An under construction 4 lane highway connects Mumbai to Nashik and is a joy to drive on.

The 6am start however, seemed like a mistake, especially since our planned stop at Cafe Madras in Matunga did not materialize. None of the cafes were open and we moved on.

Unlike driving across the United States of Continental Europe, food options are fairly narrow when driving across India. They are narrower still between 7am-9am. So despite perking up at Kailas Parbat & Bhagatchand Tarachand we were gutted to find out that they wouldn't start serving till 11 am.

Finally it was Cafe Coffee Day that came to the rescue, 80kms from our destination, hungry and cranky we waltzed in to the amusement of the sole person manning the table.

A glorious cafe mocha and a very average sandwich ( we were not complaining) later we walked out with our blood sugar back to normal. Thus ends part 1.

Moti Mahal

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:58:00 +0000

Rest : Moti Mahal
Meal : Lunch
Loc : INOX, Nariman Point

Moti Mahal is a popular name in foodie circles and many claim to be the original Moti Mahal started by immigrants in Punjab. Originally famous for its butter chicken and black dal, it has since then branched out into a wider menu and upscale clientele.

While i have been here often, this time i was there on the wife's insistence, she had a hankering for some black daal and tandoori.

I personally wanted to head to Busaba but as some of you know… a married man HAS to do what the wife wants..

We went straight for the jugular and started with the Paneer lababdar,which was cottage cheese in a tomato gravy with chillies, peppers and onions.
I prefer this to the dry paneer tikka which always works better as a starter or the buttery paneer makhani which is simply too sweet.

The garlic naan was not too bad, the onion kulcha on the other hand was a misadventure. It was not bad mind you, just didnt work for me. I prefer to taste the entree with the dryness of the bread, anything more is distracting.

The Daal.. the reason we were there. A massive flop. It was served so hot that we couldn't taste anything. When we did manage a taste the flavor underneath was missing.

The jeera rice served here is always nice, with ghee, it has a nice crispy taste to it, sort of like fried rice.

Overall, the food was okay, could have been much better but it was not bad nor was it as good as the other times i have been there.

The service though i was not impressed with. It was hardly busy but things took a while to come by, i kept asking for onions but no joy.

The one interesting thing about MM is that they make their own masalas and spice mixes, so your stomach might feel burdened but will not be upset after a full fledged meal here.

MM portends to be an upmarket restaurant, not 5 star but i think they can afford to not charge for Papad. I paid 120 bucks for papads, that is just NOT ON.

Food : 7/10
Service : 6/10
Damage : 1400

Motil Mahal
102 Level 1, CR 2 Mall
Nariman Point, Mumbai
Phone 32534134, 66546454

Tooting my own horn

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:33:00 +0000

Hi, i thought id toot my own horn a little. Following the Wall Street Journal piece i got interviewed by the Examiner (Detroit & LA) on the subject of animation and outsourcing within the Indian context.

the link is here

East

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:56:00 +0000

Rest : East
Loc : August Kranti Marg
Meal : Dinner

East is not the best located restaurant and one can drive right by it if not paying attention. They serve Pan Asian with a special focus on Malay dishes.

Since one does get a lot of Malaysian to choose from its refreshing to have the option, more so since i live right five minutes away. The space itself is very Tiki like in design with exposed bricks. The bar is in the corner and separate from the restaurant space.

The beverages were fairly straightforward, the Bloody Mary was allright not too spicy which is always good, it apparently had some Asian spices not that i could tell though.
Hoegarden is a Belgian white beer and served with oranges, the drink itself is quite straight-laced but the acidity of the orange if done right adds a great aftertaste, a new favorite .. The Iced tea was lemony and sugary sweet.

They serve these bean sprouts instead of the usual Kim Chi. Ideally i hate bean sprouts but these were nice, we must have polished of like 4 plates.

Usually Thai soups are full of bamboo shoots and other bits that give flavor (which i always end up spitting out) this one was devoid of it. Unfortunately it was devoid of taste too, i found it extremely bland however the wife thought it was great.

The Kung Pao Paneer was excellent, as inauthentic as it was the taste was great, the sweetish sauce is immediately followed up by the heat of the chilli, throw in some sacrilegious cashews… great !

My desire to experiment backfired however, the Roti Jala tasted weird, almost pancake like and it was *gasp* served with Mexican style salsa, what the f*** is that about? maybe its my punishment for having fake kung pao.. anyway, the dish was a total disaster, despite getting the peanut based sauce.

The Penang Curry was very average, nothing to write home about. It was also fairly similar to a Thai Yellow curry, a little more coconut in the base and it would be Thai. Not impressed.

The mushroom medley (i made up the name ) was shitake, button mushrooms in a oyster sauce, not bad a little on the sour side, not very flavorful but overall okay.

The Noodles were fairly ordinary.

Overall, the food was okay, they serve some dishes which are not to be found anywhere else in the city thus far. Unfortunately they dont do a very good job with them. The rest of the food is unauthentic but some of it works. They need to work harder, i have had some good meals here on and off.

They are very well priced and offer a 5 course tasting menu at 600 a head.

Ther service is quick but fairly absent minded. The waiters were chatting amongst themselves and arguing at times, the Chef was walking around aimlessly which probably explains why the food was so weak.

A lot of service staff seems to be badly trained, i had a similar experience at Busaba, curiously both serve similar cuisine though Busaba was many notches above.

Food : 6/10
Service : 7/10
Damage : 2000

East
76 Nidhi, August Kranti Marg
Off Kemps Corner, Near Gowalia Tank
Kemps Corner, Mumbai
Phone 23811010, 23821010

Can Taco bell come to India already!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Gaurav) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:59:00 +0000

Being a student in a college in upstate NY i frequently found myself in the search of food post midnight. Midnight-2am were usually peak hours for hard working college students as myself.

Denny’s was a fav but they went nuts for a little while and wouldnt serve pancakes at 2 am which was frustrating.

i found myself spending a great deal of time post midnight waiting in the drive through of Taco Bell and it was here that i fell in love with the fast food franchise (Sorry Subway, its true, i love TB more than you)

I wouldn't be caught dead in a McDonalds or a Burger King and lets face it, Subway is just too healthy. At midnight one seeks the comfort of cheese and the pleasure of devil sauce served up in a high cal mix that is Taco Bell.

The Burritos,Tacos, Mexican Pizza, i miss them all and i think they would do terrific in India.

I wish Yum! brands would get their act together and open a Taco Bell in India as they have been threatening to do.

Viva Chalupa !

Adios !