This makes for a funny read. Picturing the stupefied critic cracks me up. Having enjoyed the read, I still wouldn't condone what the restaurateur did. It was downright nasty.
However, it would be nice to do this with some of our food critics. Specially, who write for tabloids and provide no value add, either to the restaurant or to the reader.
Of late, the quality of food reviews that have appeared in Mid-Day, Time Out, Mumbai Mirror and Bombay Times make more damage than provide an honest feedback.
Ideally, you are supposed to offer valid reasons for why your restaurant visit fell flat. It goes without saying that you must have some idea about the cuisine you are about to critique. You can't claim to love Thai food and then whine about it using coconut.
Eating out and writing about restaurants you love is fine. Food Critiquing is something else altogether.
*****
Okay, now time for a restaurant review from yours truly. Ahem.
Just kidding.
I am not qualified to review The Indian Harvest at Acres Club. However, I can vouch for the terrific time you will have if you decide to visit the place.
They are champs at fusion food and I loved the fresh ideas they brought to the table.
I tried the restaurant after Rushina recommended it here.
*****
If you are into Food photography, do read Andrew Scrivani. Helpful tips.
After the Farmer's Market trip yesterday, I met with a group of friends and we decided to try out Global Village at Bandra.
One reason why Bandra scores with me, is the endless number of food outlets, mini joints and multi-cuisine restaurants.
Now, about Global Village.
A huge, huge disappointment. Considering how much it had been lauded by friends, the place turned out to be okay on ambience and decent on food. But it was a major let down on the purse !
Since most of us were foodies, extra bucks didn't hurt. But the quantity served just didn't justify the illogical pricing !
Everytime we ordered, we fell short on quantity and felt inadequate.
Indian, Italian and Chinese were all given a chance, to get a fair balance on the table. But the servings just spoiled all the fun and we left without trying out their much touted desserts.
*****
For Italian, I strongly recommend Little Italy. I love the food, the ambience and the authenticity of the place. Again, be prepared to stash out more greenbacks, but really, the place is worth it.
I also tried out Mainland China's buffet a few days back. Authentic fare ! Light on oil and spices and bland in the right places. Give it a miss if you are a fan of Indian Chinese. But otherwise, a nice way to spend a lazy afternoon.
*****
I have been recommneded Relish, at South Mumbai, by a few friends. Do let me know of any eateries you have been too and have come back satiated.
*****
Wedding Food Trivia - Do you know how caterers save on cooking expensive and rich food on the menu, while trying to appear dil-daar? The most expensive food items, in terms of ingredients and popularity, will almost always be placed at the very end of the counter. Yes, by the time your plate is half falling with all that you have dumped, you will notice a rich chicken gravy or a delicious looking kheer rear its head at the end of the table. You feel sorry for not being able to taste it, while the caterers get away with cooking minimal quantity and not worrying about extra servings.
I first visited Srinathji's, Lower Parel, about a year back.
Since, then, it has been one luscious affair with the place.
Srinathji's, is a chain of restaurants serving pure vegetarian food (International Vaishnav cuisine), sweets, farsan and delectable desserts across their Lower Parel, Ghatkopar, Mahim, Vashi and Belapur branches in Mumbai.
They are also coming up with a ~3000 sq. ft. eatery near In Orbit Mall, Malad.
Apart from this, they have signed up with Big Bazaar and every Big Bazaar in the country shall now don a Srinathji's bakery.
The owners, Shettys, are a very simple, humble lot, with a raging ambition to serve high quality, sumptuous and tongue tickling vegetarian food.
So what about Srinathji's is a major hit with people?
I would say, for me, definitely, definitely the Desserts and the Farsan.
Srinathji's has an amazing line up of about 400 recipes of cakes, pastries and fudges apart from yummy Desi Sweets. Their cakes' recipes have been contributed by a German Chef who is a follower of the ISKCON temple. Their date and walnut fudge just melts in your mouth !! I have got my colleagues addicted to the place too ! :-)
All the farsan is sold under the "Srinathji's" brand name and is a tad high priced. Yet, it is worth all the bucks since it is fresh and less oily.
Apart from this, Srinathji's serves Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Lebanese, Italian cuisines too, all, in their Indianised avtaars - Vegetarian and masaaledar.
What is commendable is that though the food served is Jain (for the un-initiated - food cooked without onion and garlic), yet it manages to taste wonderful !! (Most restaurants are unjust to Jain food and generally serve unpalatable stuff). Rarely have I had Chole Bhature, Pav Bhaji, Paneer Tikka, Biryani, Sizzlers - which are tasty without the usual kanda, lasun.
Another positive is that the food does not leave you feeling greasy or listless. It is cooked in low fat oil/ghee and is cooked to the right degree with the right amount of masalas.
The overall ambiance is divine - literally, with the walls adorned with huge paintings depicting Lord Krsna and his childhood pass times.
Though the places (Lower Parel & Ghatkopar) are a little low on space - they make up for it with good service and knowledgeable staff.
I highly recommend Srinathji's to one and all for it's mouth-watering, top-notch delights.
While I was on a break, I managed to start and complete a whole lot of books. Now, one of the best books I have read in recent times is Obama's Audacity Of Hope. If, this book has been written by the man himself (no help from ghost authors), then, I am glad that an intelligent man is leading the US. The book has chapters dedicated to race, religion, faith, politics, family, etc. It's a very honest account and holds some gems for all politics and humanities enthusiasts. While Obama talked about the US, I couldn't help drawing parallels between India & The US. The book makes you realise that people across various cultures are essentially the same. Also, I would suggest you keep a dictionary handy if you plan to read this book.
Then, I managed to squeeze in Kaminey into my busy schedule of sleeping, eating and reading. Anybody who thinks the movie was a giant leap for Bollywood... feel free to contact me for "Free Punches". Over a round of fist fights and kicks I would be happy to ruminate on the florious fheme, fabulous facting and famazing ferfomances.
Also, I loved "India's Got Talent". It made me very very very happy to see my favourite group - Prince Dance Group to win the coveted prize. I felt bad about Rajesh Amrale - the Mallakhamb guy. I thought, apart from his drive, finesse and commitment to Mallakhambh, he had a fabulous smile too :)
I have this new found love for reading short stories. Charlie Fish is a great author and I suggest you read his collection online. His style and themes are very good and the best thing is that you might miss the whole point if you don't "really read" ! I absolutely love his "Death by Scrabble".
About Friends, I am on the final few episodes of Season 10. Apart from Monica (because of Chandler), I think the second luckiest person amongst the six friends is Phoebe. She has a steal in the form of Mike !! I am sad as the series is coming to an end. Watching the show has been quite an experience. Needless to say, Chandler is the most perfect guy ever. Really. Ever.
If you are from Mumbai, do try out 5 Spice, if you haven't had a chance yet. Its a Chinese Restaurant and serves Chinese, Thai and other Asian cuisines. Now they claim that they serve the most authentic Chinese Food. Please, don't fall for it. But apart from that, I absolutely love the place - the ambience, the service and the Food !! Absolutely Yummy. What's more, they are a real steal - four people can easily devour what is meant for two.
A perfect way to say goodbye to the weekend would be a yummy dinner followed by a great book.
I had both last night.
Lots of celebrations were in order and we decided to club all in one...
We decided to go to Oasis (Opposite Tata Institute of Social Sciences).
The place boasts of a Multi-cuisine Restaurant (Nirvana), two large Banquet Halls (which go by the name of Mirage 1 and 2) and a rocking Bar called Excess..
We went to Nirvana and were lucky to get a table since the place was bustling with feverish activity and lots of clatter.
The Interiors are done tastefully with delicate, miniature pieces that seem straight out of the stone age...White walls and high ceilings helped create a cool and soothing effect. The lights are just perfect and the floating candles made for a perfect setting for a hearty family meal.
Nirvana offers Indian, Continental and Oriental fares.
In the Indian platter, the place offers everything from Street Food delights like Chaat and Tikkis to more wholesome dishes like Kebabs and Tandoor.
We decided to experiment to our heart's content.
For starters I shared Tomato Soup with my dad. I felt it was a little too thick. Tasty, but a little too starchy.
Somehow, my family and I feel that a restaurant's true test is in it's Veg. Crispy. I don't know why, but we think so :)
The Veg. Crispy here was a little too sweet. We also munched on Methi Till Seekh Kebabs and Makhmalli Paneer (Paneer cubes marinated in Cashew nut and white sauce and cooked in Oven). The starters were okayish. Not very filling or tasty. The kebabs were bland while Paneer was too less in quantity to get noticed !
We all were a little dejected about the starters since the lovely ambiance had really set our expectations high.
The main course did save the day.
We ordered Balti Paneer (spicy cubes cooked in tickling tomato gravy), Spinach Balls in Manchurian Gravy , Szechwan Fried Rice, Roti Ki tokri and Alfredo (Pasta in white sauce and herbs) served with Garlic Toast.
The food was yum. Yet, the quantity wasn't sufficient for the five of us and we had to call for another Roti ki Tokri and a Vegetable Biryani too.
Even the tokri, for that matter didn't offer too much variety. Garlic Naan, Aloo Paratha and Methi ki Roti were missing ! Plain rotis and makkai ki rotis were all that we were served.
The menu offers quite a sumptous variety in European and Chinese fare. However, it was a little surprising to find the waiter suggesting (a tad too forcefully) that we drop our choice of checking out the European style Sauteed Mushrooms.
Also, Oasis, gives a 100% and a little more where ambiance is concerned. However, money wise, it's on the expensive side.
Even though we didn't go for any alcoholic drinks, our bill did come up to a hefty amount.
So, definitely, worth a try for some delicious Indian and European fare, but could burn a hole in your pocket !
While we shopped at the Causeway and other gullies of Colaba, I made bookings for the Bar-be-que Nation at Bandra.
A group of 8 were looking forward to meeting Edwina and I had been entrusted with the responsibility of making reservations.
Now, for the un–initiated, Bar-be-que is one place which can house only about 100 people. So if you can't make for the time reserved, you shall have to contend with waiting queues which can extend for more than 2 hours.
I was told by a lady attendant that the latest we would be expected to reach would be 7.45 ! After that, they would give away our table !
No amount of cajoling made her budge. She seemed pretty forthright and un-apologetic !
Now, you better serve as rocking a meal as the attitude you have thrown at me Lady, I mumbled to myself !
Boy ! The scene looked pretty different on our arrival !
Bar-be-que Nation is situated at Pali Hill, Khar. The place was bustling with families and couples when we arrived.
A very placed, well lit place it is ! The seating too was very comfortable with cushions for our support.
We were greeted by courteous and energetic staff who were always quick to respond. The place has AC & Non-AC seating arrangements. Going by the constant clatter of the crockery and the staff who kept from running into each other – the place was definitely busier than I had been warned.
Bar-be-que Nation serves Buffet worth Rs.500/- per person.
The starters include 5 Veg and Non–Veg items each accompanied with sizzlers.
You can also select drinks from a wide variety of mocktails, cocktails and Indian traditional drinks.
You are offered unlimited starters followed by a sumptuous buffet and mouth watering sweets.
Every table has arrangements for mini pits and the starters served are placed on a grill over the pits.
The vegetarian Menu had items like Sindh Mushrooms, Veg Falafal served with Hummus, Boiled Potatoes, Tandoori Paneer and Mixed Vegetables followed by sizzlers. I absolutely loved the Saucy Mushrooms and Falafals have always been a hot favourite too.
I was sooo engrossed with our side of the table that I hardly paid any attention to what was being munched by our Non-Vegetarian friends !
Yet, I did notice them having the famous Kebabs which is quite a rage with the Bar-Be-Que regulars.
We ordered for Drinks like Cran Coolers (Cranberry Juice mixed with Lemonade), Virgin Mary, Coke, Chocolate Crunchy Shake.
As the drinks started pouring in and the constant banter and jokes continued, we hardly realised how our platees kept getting filled without us so much as batting our eye-lids !
As said earlier, the staff was pretty enthusiastic and the vibes seemed to spread all around.
Another important stuff all restaurant staff should be aware of is knowledge, knowledge of what they serve. The attendants here were completely at ease with all dishes being served, replete with correct pronunciations and always accompanied by warm and eager smiles.
The Buffet was any Foodie's delight – to say the least.
The menu included 4 types of Salads, 3 Non–Veggie dishes, Mutton Biryani. The vegetarian platter included Dal, Steamed Rice, Veg. Biryani, Paneer Sufiyani, Mix Vegetable, Hakka Noodles, a vegetable made in Hong Kong style stew, Creamy Macaroni, Mushrooms, Buns, Papad and a Mixed Roti basket.
All of us had a blast while relishing the meals. Yes, some of us did lick our fingers too !
As if this wasn't enough, we were treated with some of the best deserts!
A chocolate cake, cheese cake, pine-apple cake, gulab Jamun, Phirni, Vanilla (accompanied with Chocolate and strawberry syrup), fruit plate and chocolate mousse.
Ummmm….Yummmyyy !
I had an absolutely delicious treat at the paisa vasool BN and am definitely going back with my family !
Ratings :
- Food and presentation - 4/5
- Ambience and Décor - 4.5/5
- Customer Service - 4/5
- Value for Money - 4/5
While Edwina was in Mumbai, Shweta and I got a chance to treat her at Delhi Darbar.
It was my first time at the restaurant and I would like to comment on what I liked about the place.
Delhi Darbar is Opposite the Regal Cinema and is very well placed amidst bustling tourists and food enthusiasts.
Since we had a late lunch (at about 3 pm), I expected some respite in terms of crowd. Man, I was wrong !
Delhi Darbar, I am told, is often swamped by regular office goers, Parsi and North Indian people for the mouth watering Muglai food. On Sunday too the place was swathed with families enjoying a lazy brunch
Somehow Shweta managed to make reservations and we all settled down with growling stomachs !
The interiors are done tastefully but have dim lights which gives the place a dark appearance. The walls are decorated with trivia about Indian and Mughlai food.
The seating arrangement was fine yet some more space and comfy seating would be good.
The staff was courteous, ever helpful and dressed in Arabic attire.
All of this set our expectations high and we settled down with growling stomachs.
Over our continued chatter about Edwina's India trip to current Economic Crisis we were kept company by some amazing delicacies.
Though I should warn you to think twice about DD if you are a vegetarian.
The menu has limited yet mouth watering choices for vegetarians.
If you are a non-veggie then you couldn't ask for a better gift on a Sunday !
My companions ordered Tangdi Kebabs with Garlic-Onion Chutney for starters while I downed a Salted Lassi.
We later ordered for Veg. Kolhapuri (Edwina is fond of spicy Indian food), Mutton Biryani, Chikken Tikka, Roti basket, Boondi Raita and Roasted Papad.
The quantity was more than sufficient for the 3 of us.
The rich aromas and delicious meal was very well made and it made us ask for more !
The menu had a vast variety of Mughlai, Chinese and North Indian starters and main course.
Most being Non-Vegetarian dishes, I wouldn't be able to comment much. Yet, from what Shweta and Edwina told me – the meal was more than they could have asked for.
The staff though knowledgeable and courteous, could be a little quick with service.
Though the rich meal had made our stomachs full, we couldn't shake off the temptation for a sweet dish and ended up gobbling hot Gulab Jamuns too.
The bill came to 1000 including taxes.
I would suggest Delhi Darbar to all Non Vegetarians. It's an amazing place to go with family and friends. Though you might want to make reservations since the place often has long waiting lists.
Also, as a vegetarian I would definitely want some more items to be added to the Mughlai and North Indian cuisine.
Ratings :
- Food and presentation - 3.5/5
- Ambience and Décor - 3/5
- Customer Service - 3.5/5
- Value for Money - 3.5/5
