Sassanian Boulangerie

It was during my quest for budget food when I came across  the good ol’ Sassanian, an Irani café Sassanian Boulangerie (heard a lot of this from Zubin). A Parsi food outlet since fathers years. Being a foodie our species (foodie friends) hunt around town looking for delectable food which would not dent our tiny pockets. The sizzlers steal the show here. Priced from Rs 100 to Rs 150, it is the most viable option. Those on a diet can try a nice and simple chicken roast in brown/schezuan sauce. You can end your meal with a sumptuous chocolate eclair for Rs 15. Be sure to have some loose exact change while paying your bill, otherwise the grumpy old man at the counter may give you a mouthful or a two. Overall, a satisfying experience and should not cost 300 or more for a meal for two…

Spaghetti Kitchen

Being a frequent visitor to High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel for shopping & more-so for bowling. As i ventured on a Saturday evening to this place – let me tell you, undoubtedly one of the better dining choices in Phoenix Mills. I’ve sampled various dishes here besides the always dependable starters like the Milano Prawns and Parmesan Baby Potatoes as well as the Black Pepper Chicken, the Vodka Penne and not once has a dish gone wrong.

This time had Indo-Italiano Soup (Herb & Spice mixtured with beef, bean & chicken), Bruschetta(with olive oil, tomato, onion, garlic & Basil leaves), Chicken Bolognese (served on a bed of spaghetti with a good sprinkling of grated Parmesan Cheese), Garlic Sauteed Spinach, & Fried Mushrooms in Olive Oil.

The ambience is intimate and warm and the staff may not be the finest in Italy, but they are definitely the friendliest in India. Dinner for 2 comes to around INR 2000/- with a decent indian brand drink. You must give it a try.

Buon appetito always!

Spanish Omelette

Dice into 1/2 inch squares one big potato, half a red capsicum, half a yellow capsicum… I use green as red and yellow are not available. Heat the Omelet pan on medium high and drizzle in some oil extra (olive oil will be great). Add the diced potato and capsicum. Sauté it well.

Spanish Omlette

 

Half way through – about 10 minutes later – add one onion, also diced. When the veggies are cooked and the potatoes are turning a bit brown, add 1 clove of crushed garlic. Turn off the heat after a minute. Mix well.

Meanwhile, break 2-3 eggs and beat well. Add salt, pepper and grated cheese to the egg mixture. Pour into the pan, spoon over the Veggies and cook till well done. Fold over and eat when hot.

i love my Spanish Omelet with thinly sliced tomatoes well sautéed in oil and spiked with lots of grinded pepper powder  and garlic. Add salt as per your taste. I like it super spicy and super garlicky. Wash down with lots of orange juice or lemon slush/ lemon juice.

Have it with wheat bread or brown bread toasted and buttered. Forget the calorie count

Ming Yang

Dragged along with Bips, Suchi & Nargis for Saturday night dinner.

What made me smile is… a) Damn awesome food, b) Full of flavor/aroma &, c) In a large number. The restaurant is very spacious. At the same time, it gives the diners a feeling of privacy. There are secluded bays for semi-private dining.

Chinese artifacts make the atmosphere very attractive. The restaurant’s signature color, is complemented by paintings with Chinese motifs executed in traditional brush style, creating an unmistakable aura of subtle intimacy. Glass etchings and running water provide the final touches in creating the perfect Oriental ambience at Ming Yang.

After some shots of Absolut Vodka (80 proof, blue label) flowed thru the different dishes available are Dim sums, salt and pepper prawns, Ming Yang Chicken, Chicken in Mala sauce, Peking duck, Chicken Singapore Rice Noodles. The taste is more of the authentic Sichuan cuisine.

Worth a visit for couples who can sit on of the corners of non-smoking section and look by the Portuguese Fort aligned to the Arabian Sea

Jewel of India

At my first visit to the restaurant, i was taken over by the spacious dining hall. Rarely have i found any hall that huge! And i am not excluding the Taj/ Oberoi here.

And more importantly, the tables are set perfect allowing privacy and yet get a feel of the overall atmosphere. Crowd is mixed – business, families and friends. There is not dearth of beauties but not the pure young and heps though. I guess they would prefer the pure bar vesions and rarely go in for a formal dinner.  Food is pretty good – the mughlai dishes are worth a try, especially Sholay Kababs, Dabba Ghost. And service levels are also upto the mark.

Pricewise, JOI is on a higher side; Rs.550/- for a great buffet -but i never mind paying for the decor and quality food.

Mamma Mia Cucina Italiana…

This is such a fantastic restaurant…. This little Italian restaurant is worth a visit!!! Quite neat ambience which is lit damply. The price is on a lower side than the other places in the suburbs. Every dish was absolutely divine, although the portions are a bit on the small side. Been here first with Sidd, my new boss as he threw his welcome party out there  

First impressions can be truly deceptive. It wasnt so crowded and thankfully, the food was tasty enough and my love for Italian food high enough for me to give it another shot and I was wonderfully surprised after my last experience at White, Goregaon. I have been here twice and now its high up in my list of favourite restaurants.

The ambience is really good – the low seating and beige high sofas creating a nice feel. The food is authentic Italian (i guess) and so is the menu – some of the names can be real tongue twisters! The downnside: No smoking allowed inside, Only mediocre wine is served and the staff doesn’t know too much about it, Desserts were nearly all not there the time i went, The staff made mistakes with the order and brought out replacements twice. Music wasn’t the best.

The menu is completely hand-written and explains each course generously. Quite a visual treat. It includes antipasti (appetizers), zuppa (soup), pastas, pizzas, main course, desserts and non-alcoholic drinks. Great food, utterly reasonable prices. All in all a very nice place for a romantic evening or to chill out with a bunch of friends.

OH La La La Brasserie !!!

The colonial atmosphere exuding from the Crystal Lounge is complemented by the Lounge Bar with its unique Cigar Divan for after dinner brandies and Havana cigars. Convenient 24-hour dining is available at “La Brasserie” while innovative Asian cuisine can be enjoyed at Captain Trumpet’s.

The decor of this hotel is truly inviting, warm n pastel shades of beige, green n white. Step into the stylish lobby n walk your way through the elegant stairway. The buffet area is cozy n dimly lit with candle stands. Table is set with the right type of crockery.

There was variety of 6 Non Veg. Salads like Chicken Roast, Braised Salmon, Platter of Cold Cuts and variety of olives.

6 Veg Salads included Pasta Paneer, Pickled Cabbage, Mix Veg, Pita n’ Hummus arranged interestingly with array of Salad dressings like Corriander Mayo, Basil Vineger, Honey Mustard etc.  Alas! A good feast for a salad lover.

Soups included Chicken clear & Cream of spinach.

Main course consisted of Mutton Vindaloo, Butter Chicken, Dum Biryani, Fried fish in Soy sauce, Lemon Chicken, Corn Pulav, Dal Makhani, Noodles, Baked Veg, Mix Veg, & many more that I can hardly remember.

Desserts were truly yummy… Chocolate/ Blueberry Cake, Mud Cake, Mango Delight, Chocolate Pudding, Fresh creme pudding, Gulab Jamun, Apple Pie,  Almond tarts etc.

What else does not require after this???
I guess I’ll still have the urge

Barbeque Nation

Barbeque Nation

Get high on the grill !!!

Imagine you sitting in the shadows of the great mountain on a brightly lit full moon day, with your loved one by the camp fire just warming you two, you casually roast a chicken tikka on the fire and sprinkle the required spices on it, as the aroma fills the air you slowly take it out and then sink your teeth in the freshly grilled soft chicken…. sounds like a dream isn’t it?? Well that dream can be a reality, its more customized and instead of the camp fire we have the grill right in front of your table, a gentleman can show his cooking skills in front of his lady  by applying the right amount of spices and then gently let the grill do its job when he and she can spend some quality time together. This is one such places where a group of friends or a family or even lovers can while away their time.

With me & Devashish on one side & sis with Bipin… we had a gala of time gossping about work, life etc.

The starters included Mutton seek, Murgh chutney wala, Coastal barbeque fish, Tandoori mushroom, Tandoori prawns, Grilled chicken with mustard glaze and Lamb chop with cinnamon sauce. We could use the Balsamic Vinegar/ Chilly Vinegar/ Mint chutney placed on our tables for the barbeques. The waiters were always round the corner and made sure our requirements are taken care of immediately and at the same time, also maintain our privacy.

The main course is buffet and it was an 18 course menu!!!! I tasted on Mutton roganjosh, Fish yellow thai curry, Chicken stroganoff, Chicken dum biryani, Grilled fish with mushroom sauce, Nehari gosht, Penne ala fiesolana, Pasta in Basilico sauce.

For dessert, we had the hot gulab jamun, blueberry mousse, walnut cake, black forest pastry and firni (was absolute appetizing!!!)

Barbaque nation is the right place,mouth watering food and amazing ambience. Overall, a different experience and place to hang out with family and friends. Definitely, worth a try!!

Woodside Inn…

Wi-fi and beer…anyone?

A perfect place to grab your laptop and chekc mails with a glass of beer and good music!

Ordered fried calamari and the garlic bread to start with. The squid was delicious and fresh and cooked to perfection (not chewy at all). The garlic bread was better than any of the big pizza-chains in town, the crust was soft and lots of yummy stringy cheese.

The place is cute and has a cosy lil bar area downstairs and a dinning area above. There are photographs hung on the wall, taken by various photographers, which are for sale. The waiters are attentive (i can see DV’s red face).

So all  its a place to come after work, or hangout with friends, have a few beers, wash it down with some starters. Worth a check-out.

 

New Martin ***

Blink-and-you-miss-it big, five tables seating six each and a lunch-hour rush at least triple of that, the manager at ease with his laconic self, with the waiters acting as though words are charged, a chalkboard on the adjacent wall breaking your heart with its crosses rising by the hour and a basin which doesn’t let you bend and wash at the same time!

But all that not withstanding, anyone out there appreciating goan cuisine must give this place a try.
The time you visit this place makes a big difference. As mentioned earlier, the chalk crosses on the menu board, announcing the unavailability of that particular item, aren’t a welcome sign for any food-lover.

The menu explores the goan cuisine like none other. It serves all kinds of meat, including pork, bacon, beef along with the usual chicken and mutton and of course, sea food. The main attraction has got to be the ‘goan sausages chilly fry’ is yummy with pao. The mutton/ fish cuttlets are too good. A typical Goan joint … a lot of my old memories are in here This ‘pork pickle’ begs for patience on your part, and doesn’t disappoint those who stick by.

The other delicacies include vindaloo and sorpotel preparations of pork and chicken. Also, its the only place i know which serves that all too famous English breakfast, bacon, pork sausages and perfectly cooked egg, sunny-side-up! That too under 50bucks!  Speaking of prices, this place scores high in that respect. All the items fall in the range of Rs.35/- to Rs.70/-

I havent seen prices like Martin’s anywhere in Mumbai. I love the Goans for that. Everything here is dirt cheap. Unlike any Shetty owned Udipi