Kob Khun Ka 2014

Aromatic lemon grass, coconut milk, palm sugar, kaffir lime leaves, various colours and spices- Thai cuisine consists of all this and much more. From the time I have tasted Thai food, especially Green Thai curry, I have loved it and the authentic Thai cuisine has been the highlight of my two trips to Thailand so far (more than shopping!). So when I had time on my hands and a great recipe to go as well, I gathered the ingredients and set out to cook this gorgeously divine and tasty dish. I was a little apprehensive with respect to how it would turn out since it has never been cooked back at home, but even in such situations, applying the thumb rules of
# reading the recipe again and again,
# using fresh ingredients as far as possible, and
# tasting and tweaking the recipe as per what suits your palate as you go almost always gets you good results.

After all, no recipe is carved in stone. With all this in mind I set out to prepare my first ever Green Thai curry with Chicken and Mushrooms. 

Here’s my version of the recipe.

Green Thai Curry with Chicken and Mushrooms

Serves 3-4 persons

For The Curry:

Green Curry Paste- 1 cup
Coconut Milk – 2 cups
Oil- 1 tbsp
Mushrooms- 100-150 gms thickly sliced
Chicken (boneless)- 150 gms  cut into small pieces

(Note: You can choose the veggies/ meat that you want to throw in. Popular and most used options include bell peppers, broccoli, baby corn, mushroom, cottage cheese or paneer, chicken and prawns.)
Sugar- a pinch
Salt- to taste

For The Green Curry Paste (makes 1 Cup):

Lemon Grass- 2 tbsp finely chopped
Coriander- 1 cup chopped
Onions- ¼  cup roughly chopped
Garlic- 1 tbsp roughly chopped

Green Chilies- 8-10 roughly chopped
Coriander  or  Dhaniya Powder- 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds or Jeera Powder- 2 tbsp
Black Peppercorns- ½  tsp freshly ground

Ginger- 25 mm (1") piece
Salt- to taste

Sugar- to taste
Lemon Juice- 1 tsp
Lemon Rind- ¼ tsp, grated

Method 

• Start off by combining all the green curry paste ingredients with approximately ½ cup water and blend in a mixer. You should be able to form a fine green curry paste with thick gravy like consistency. Keep this aside.
• Heat the oil in a wok or a broad non-stick pan.
• Add the green curry paste and sauté on a medium flame to release the fragrance- for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Add mushrooms, mix well and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute. Then add the coconut milk.
  
• Add the chicken pieces, stirring to incorporate and let the curry sauce come to a boil.
• As the curry comes to a boil reduce the flame to medium low for a nice simmer. Turn the heat down and cover the pan to let the chicken pieces cook. 
• Once the chicken is cooked check the taste and add salt and sugar accordingly. Note that this curry should be a balance of salty, spicy, sweet and sour flavours. If too spicy, you could add some more coconut milk or adjust the sugar.
• Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 more minute.
• Voila! Serve hot with steamed rice.

Easy peasy right? Try it and surprise someone :) .  I can't wait to make it for the family back in Dehradun.

With this we come to the last post of 2014. Let's bid this year a great farewell and resolve to cook more, have even better foodie experiences and try new things in the coming 2015. Kob Khun Ka or Thainkyeww 2014. You have been extremely kind to me and have been full of joy rides. 2014 is special also because it is the year in which I finally started blogging and Daiquiri Diaries was born. Here's hoping that 2015 is even better. I wish all you foodies a fabulous and fantastic 2015!

Keeping it Low (Budget)!

A dinner date on a Wednesday night and you know you can’t start early or end late because.. umm… work day (not for me though, I am a free bird these days, no really!).  Also, owing to my regular supply of income being on temporary hibernation I wasn’t ready to splurge. Nevertheless I was looking to have a good time. I made a rough plan on how to go about enjoying my evening, hopping around, and keeping my pocket happy as well. My company for the evening was in sync with the “lets-keep-it-low” plan so I had full peer support.  The post is a bit long-ish considering we ate/ drank at four places in total but read on to know the things that shouldn’t be missed (or visited).

# 1. Janata Lunch Home, Pali Hill, Bandra West

The first stop- to drink of course- was humaara sab ka pyaara Janata Lunch Home.  If you’ve been in Mumbai long enough, you’ve most probably been here either to pre-game or to get smashed on a very modest budget, or at least heard of the place. Just as the name goes, this place is for the regular Janta. 'Do not judge a book by its cover' is an extremely appropriate idiom for this place. Even though from the outside it looks like quite a shady place, once you enter you will see that regular people like you and I visit it. And it’s not an all-men’s sort of place. I have frequented this place just with the girls as well.

We reached there and as usual had to wait because oh my God.. so crowded! Mumbai’s population along with the cheap prices here doesn’t help the situation. Nevertheless, the wait wasn’t long and, after some confusion, we were lucky enough to find a table on the air conditioned first floor. The catch- since it was just the two of us, we had to share the table with two random strangers. This is the second such place in Mumbai where I have experienced this (the first being Madras Café). The seating is quite ordinary- after all you get what you pay for.  For two bottles of Budweiser Magnum combined with rounds of chakhna we paid a total of Rs. 740.

Satisfied? Completely. This place is not fancy and you shouldn’t expect much from the ambiance except for crowded tables and a lot of chatter. However, once you enter you don’t mind all this because you become a part of it. The service wasn’t as fast as one would expect at such a place but the waiters are friendly serving with a smile always.

Will I go there again? Drinking at Janata Lunch Home is an experience. We didn’t order any starters here as we had plans to move on and hop around, though I have heard that the regular bar food here is quite alright and filling. Looking at my pocket these days I think I will be paying this place a visit soon for a fun drunken evening and maybe even give the Tandoori Chicken a try! 

Where is it? 78 A, Pali Naka, Dr Ambedkar Road, Pali Hill, Bandra West, Mumbai; Contact: 022 26058403 022 26058404

#2. Nothing Fishy About It, Carter Road, Bandra West

Being content with tucking one bottle of beer each we moved on to our next stop- Nothing Fishy About.

Nothing Fishy About It is a small eatery on Bandra’s Carter Road. The shop is shared by Nothing Fishy About it and Shahi Durbar, a dessert place.  I had read some great reviews on Zomato about how Nothing Fishy About it is as good as, if not better, than the likes of Mahesh, etc because of the good quality sea-food they serve while still being light on pocket.  However, what was brought to me was not as pleasant as hoped for. 

We started with the Butter Garlic Prawns served with Garlic Bread. The restaurant looks like more of a take-away than a dine-in. But to state the obvious through the silver foil dish they served the food in- a little putting off I felt. That would have gone unnoticed had the dish been up to mark. The prawns were fresh, no doubt, but the butter garlic sauce-average. Butter Garlic Prawns are usually served as a dry dish at most restaurants. The saucy version here, though different, is not as preferable as the dry one in which you can actually enjoy the chewy prawns and in which the flavors of garlic and butter enhance the flavour of the prawns instead of subduing it. Also, what was served in the name of garlic bread was two slices of white bread with garlic butter.

So yes, we only started with this dish at Rs. 299 and with that look on our faces it was clear that we weren’t going to go ahead with the mains here.

Will I go there again? No.

Where is it? A/6, Gagangiri Apartments, Off Carter Road, Bandra West, Mumbai; Contact:  +91 9920029020

#3.  Loco Chino, Carter Road, Bandra West

Image taken from www.timescity.com

We headed to Loco Chino after the unfortunately below average experience at Nothing Fishy About it. Loco Chino is a relatively newer restaurant at Bandra’s Carter Road. It serves Tex Mex and Chinese cuisine. The combination is rarely heard of but this place has done a little of both without any fusions.

Image taken from www.zomato.com

The interiors are rather cute- their salt and pepper shakers are in the shape of sombreros. The place is enough to seat around 12 people and has quite a chirpy feel to it owing to the colorful wall art in the form of caricatures of Mexican and Chinese characters on the walls. Dim sum baskets have been converted into lamps and give a very pretty look to the place. The staff is quite friendly too.

While we were debating on which tacos to order (hard or soft) one of the servers very politely suggested that we order the soft ones. So Chicken Tacos and Chicken Quesadillas it was! Both the dishes were extremely delicious. The colourful Chicken Tacos (2 pieces) with the right blend of veggies, beans, chicken and sauces were gobbled rather quickly by the both of us. Also, you can select your own toppings for the Tacos. The Chicken Quesadillas (4 pieces) were warm with a somewhat crisp outer covering. The warm stuffing of chicken and cheese was divine.

Chicken Nachos (Soft)

Chicken Quesadillas

This experience at a price of Rs. 250 only! I am drooling while writing about the food at Loco-Chino. With the city having extremely limited choices for the Tex Mex cuisine I am really hoping this place is here for good.

Will I go there again? Definitely going to this place again and their Burrito and the Chicken Burrito Bowl is already on the to-try list for my next visit!

Where is it?  389, A Wing, Gagangiri Premises Co Operative Society, Carter Road, Bandra West, Mumbai; Contact: 022 65006544

#4. Dessert time @Wafflist, Carter Road, Bandra West

We headed for dessert to stuff our otherwise satisfied tummies because according to us Punjabis, meethe ke liye toh hamesha jagah hoti hai.  And if you’re on Carter Road and love waffles, oh how can you miss the Wafflist sign!

Waffle with bananas, chocolate sauce and whipped cream

The Wafflist is also a relatively newer joint on Carter Road and I had been meaning to try it for a while.  We got a customized order – warm waffle with sliced bananas, a generous drizzle of dark chocolate sauce topped with light whipped cream- a combination that can’t go wrong. The service was with a smile and that always adds to one’s experience at a place.

At Rs. 200 for our customized order I won’t say this is as reasonable considering the prices we’d paid at the Tex Mex restaurant but please let’s not forget how warm and yummy waffles are!

Will I go there again? Yes, when I crave waffles.

Where is it? Gagangiri Apartments, Carter Road, Bandra West, Mumbai; Contact:  +91 9819680380

***

Ended our day with a stroll along the promenade on Carter Road. 

Tummies satisfied with beer and delicious food, a beautiful view, walk by the sea; all this without burning holes in our pockets = I love Bombay!

My Comfort Food

Hello hello hello! So I have been missing, hibernating and undercover(s) (literally) for a while now, at least as far as the blog is concerned. Not to say that I haven’t been gorging on scrumptious food now and then but the lazy bum in me has just not been penning it down. And could that be because nothing was as inspiring to be written about? Let me think. No. it’s just me- I am lazy. However, I have finally come out of my shell and I am ready to bombard the blog, for the benefit of all my lovely readers, with some delicious stories.

Winters are here, whatever little we get in Bombay (Nothing compared to the winters in the North. Nothing!), and the mood is all set. Spicy food is always a plus in winters because of the heat it generates. And here, keeping in line with the lovely weather, I give to you the tale of me cooking this amazing, simple, colourful, fiery and delectable Super Junglee Chicken Curry. This one is specifically for all the mirchi lovers but of course, the spice can be adjusted for those with delicate palates.  Another fuss free dish that I love, and which turns out extremely tasty is our very own, close to heart, and comfort food for many- Paneer Bhurji.

Both the dishes are extremely easy to prepare and are well suited for someone to inaugurate their inner chef with!

Super Junglee Chicken Curry

This dish is extremely close to my heart because it was the first chicken dish prepared by me without any help/ supervision from my mom or any other person. It was just one of those times when I really wanted to eat the ghar ka chicken curry with rice and well when you’re staying over 1500 kilometers away from your home then no, calling up mommy and requesting chicken curry is not an option. So I just decided to give this recipe that I had found online a shot. I mean how difficult could it be right? Right! It is extremely simple. You can actually read a book or watch your favourite movie side by side or even chit chat on your phone while this dish is being prepared. Trust me.

Let’s get started!

This dish serves 2-3 persons.

Ingredients:

Skinless Chicken (on the bone)- ½ kg (washed and cleaned)

Oil- 3 tbsp

Fennel Seeds / Saunf - 2 tsp

Red Onions  - 2 large thinly sliced

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 2 tsp

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Tomato-4 chopped

Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat the oil in a pressure cooker on medium flame and once heated, add the fennel seeds/ saunf.
• Once the fennel seeds have crackled add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes.
• When the onions have been sautéed well, add in the ginger garlic paste and mix well.
•  Next add in the salt and all the spice powders. Mix well.
• Throw in the chopped tomatoes. The tomatoes can be roughly or finely chopped  depending on the type of texture you prefer. Throw in the curry leaves as well and cook till the tomatoes turn mushy.
  
• Once the tomatoes have become soft add in the chicken pieces. Toss well in the masala.
• Now cover the pressure cooker and let it cook for 3 whistles. (This is the time you can read a book or do something else on the side).
• After the 3 whistles, lower the flame and cook for 15 minutes on a low flame.
• Switch off the flame and let the pressure go all by itself. 
• After opening the pressure cooker add the coriander leaves and mix well.
• Serve with rice or roti.

Paneer Bhurji

Simple vegetarian comfort food- that’s what Paneer Bhurji means to me. It is a popular north Indian dish. Bhurji means scrambled and in this dish the main ingredient is scrambled cottage cheese. I remember there used to be days at home when I would insist on Paneer Bhurji being made if something that I wasn’t too fond of had been prepared for a meal. The fact that it’s simple, quick and easy is an added bonus.

This dish serves 2-3 persons.

Ingredients:

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) - 200 gms, crumbled

Red Onion- 1 medium sized, finely chopped

Tomato- 1 large or 2 medium sized finely chopped

Green Chillies- 1 or 2, finely chopped

Ginger Garlic paste- 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder or haldi- ¼ tsp

Red Chilli Powder- ½ tsp

Garam Masala Powder- ¼ tsp

Cumin Seeds or Jeera- ½ tsp

Oil/ Ghee/ Butter - 1.5 tbsp

Salt as required

Coriander/dhania leaves for garnishing (optional)

Method:

• First and foremost, crumble the paneer/cottage cheese and keep aside. If you are using frozen paneer (Amul or any other brand), take it out of the packet and soak it in luke warm water for a few minutes. This will defrost the paneer and make it soft thus making it easy to crumble.  (Note- The paneer can be crumbled by chopping, grating or mashing with hands. Out of all these methods, mashing the paneer with hands would be the best so as to retain the soft texture of the paneer. I would insist you do that. Get your hands messy. It’s worth it!)
• Heat the oil/ ghee or butter in a pan and once heated, add the cumin seeds.
• Once the cumin seeds have browned add the onions and sauté for a few minutes.
• Do not let the onions cook for a long time. As soon as they turn translucent, add the ginger garlic paste and the chopped green chillies. Saute the ingredients till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.
• Then add the tomatoes and cook till they become soft. Adding a pinch of salt at this stage will help the tomatoes cook faster.
• Once the tomatoes have become soft, add all the dry spice powders - turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala powder. Mix well.
• At this stage add the crumbled paneer and let it cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not cook the paneer for a long time as it would lose its soft texture.
• Lastly add chopped coriander leaves to paneer bhurji and mix.
• Serve the delicious and colorful paneer bhurji with toast/ roti/ paranthas or pav. I served mine with fresh and warm pav :) !

Needless to say, both these dishes make me think of home and home food! Try them out and surprise someone :)

“IRASSHAIMASE!” The Japanese Delight

“Irasshaimase!”, or ‘welcome’ in Japanese, is what you’ll hear the staff scream in unison once you enter Kofuku- a Japanese restaurant tucked away in the crowded KFC corner of Bandra. It is on the second floor in the same building as the Big Bang Bar and Café, right next to the KFC joint. While the approach to Kofuku is a bit unimpressive, even though they have a dedicated elevator for their guests, the restaurant in itself has a decent décor and ambiance.

Image taken from www.timescity.com

The low seating at Kofuku. Image taken from www.zomato.com

Starting off with the time-honored, warm Japanese welcome (Irasshaimase), the staff, wearing the traditional Japanese attire, will escort you to your table with extreme courtesy. Kofuku has a large room and some booths towards the end of the restaurant that face the road. These booths have the customary low seating and the tables here are limited to the 3-4; ergo if you are a group of 4-6 people it is advisable to reserve a booth, in the event you wish to enhance your experience of Kofuku. Other than the booths there are quite a number of tables placed in the main section of the restaurant. Added to the seating arrangement are the live tepanyaki table and the sushi-rolling table at the extreme end, next to the kitchen. We, however, stuck to a table for two in the main section of the restaurant.

(L)Pint of Corona; (R) Mimosa

As I had been craving sushi for quite some time, it was apt to pick this place for an end week dinner. We started off with our drinks for the evening- a glass of Mimosa (Rs. 475) for me and a pint of Corona (Rs. 450) for my friend. Mimosa is a cocktail composed of one part champagne and the other part a citrus juice. The Mimosa at Kofuku, was quite refreshing and I could have done with just one of it but you see some people do not like to drink alone, so there went another round of drinks for us. We were after-all looking to have a happy Sunday dinner- anything to kill the upcoming "Monday blues".

Shrimp Tempura Maki

For starters, we picked the Shrimp Tempura Maki (Rs. 590), cut into 8 pieces. The Shrimp Tempura Maki has a filling of deep fried shrimps tempura drizzled with the house special sauce. Deep fried- yes; not so healthy an option- yes; but divine- totally! The shrimps- succulent from the inside and crispy from the outside-, combined with the maki roll touched by a hint of wasabi and you have a wild explosion of oomph in your mouth……… trust me. Not to burst anyone’s bubble but I am gradually realizing that there are only two types of food on this planet- one healthy and the other tasty. Anything in between is just a cheat and compromise. 

Philadelphia Roll

Couldn't get enough of the sushi, so we ended up ordering a plate of the Philadelphia Roll (Rs. 700) next which comes with a serving of 8 pieces. This one is filled with smoked salmon, cream cheese and avocado. Kudos to the sushi artist because this too was yummers! The pairing of salmon with cream cheese is in itself a delectable combination and Kofuku did total justice to this dish. And yes, wasabi always always makes things a notch better.

Completely satisfied with the sushi helpings, we decided to call for the mains. My friend picked a dish called Yaki Udon (Rs. 620) which had an option to be ordered with vegetables or a meat of your choice- chicken, beef or prawns. We picked prawns so our dish was basically fried noodles and prawns seasoned with the Yaki Soba sauce. The Udon are thick Japanese noodles made from wheat flour. The dish was seasoned well and was quite palatable. There was a hint of sweetness in it like the one you would sometimes taste in Chinese dishes. It was a fab dish for the taste buds and the prawns cooked to perfection made this a great try for the mains.

Yaki Udon

Zaru Soba Jam Pong

I ordered the Zaru Soba Jam Pong (Rs. 580). The menu describes this as a spicy Korean noodle soup with mixed seafood. Mouthwatering right?- Exactly why I picked this! And it was even better than it sounds. The soup has Udon, and the spices in this dish were just right, if you have a taste for spicy food that is. I love spicy food and that is why this dish topped the one that my friend ordered. Hot and spicy so comforting, soft thick noodles with great seafood flavours- see for yourself what all went in there. My taste buds and brain gave me the signal that this was something I would order again at Kofuku.

Will I go there again? Most definitely- but yes I’ll keep in mind that I should have money to spend like that. The place isn’t exactly economical and no guesses why that is. The staff is well-mannered, the ambiance,with the traditional Japanese attire of the staff and the greetings as mentioned earlier, is warm; and with great company and a good appetite for Japanese cuisine this place will leave you with very happy food memories.

Where is it? Level 2, Kenilworth Shopping Arcade, Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai Call 022 30151018

Let's get #Social

Long overdue review of one of the newer places in SOBO- Colaba Social is situated right opposite the Starbucks at Colaba. A friend of mine insisted that I make this place jump the queue in my list of places to eat at in Bombay and I am so glad that I listened to her. This is one place that is sure to give a lot of cafes and restaurants in south Bombay a run for their money. Why you ask? Well ……. go on reading.

True, from the outside it doesn’t look like much, which is the case with a lot of places in Bombay, owing to the cramped up places and lack of good infrastructure. However, ‘do not judge a book by its cover’ is a phrase that truly goes well for this place. Once you enter, you see that this place has been done up quite well and is in fact rather interesting. There’s an upside-down fan which you will see on the ceiling near about the entrance. Since it was moving I couldn’t really capture an image. The relaxed seating, with soft lights, is arranged on the ground as well as the first floor. The bar has empty alcohol bottles hanging from the ceiling and one I saw read “pahua” ( yes the chiknichameli “pahua” *chuckles*).  Further on, you shall see a swing which has been positioned at one of the tables as a substitute for a chair. Unfortunately, that table was occupied and I couldn’t experience sitting on the swing, but then there’s always a next time!

\When I had called up the place on a Sunday to book a table for three for lunch, I was informed that they do not accept reservations which made me skeptical, however, luckily on reaching the restaurant we were ushered in and seated without waiting. The first thing you’ll notice on your table is this unique napkin-menu bucket sorta thing. I don’t know what you call it and I haven’t even seen it anywhere else but it looked pretty interesting. Also their menus are not the usual cardboard book-type but instead are “newspaper menus”- orange for food and blue for drinks- and what variety in there! For a place like this to offer from burgers to biryani to Thai food to a great breakfast selection, especially at the listed prices, is commendable!

Elvis Presley French Toast (Rs. 150)

We were exceptionally fascinated by the name “Elvis Presley French Toast” (Rs. 150) and since we hadn’t breakfasted, we started off with this. Honestly, I was expecting two limp slices of bread coated and fried in a sweetened egg batter with some sliced bananas on the side. However, what was actually served to us was beyond my then imagination. Social does justice to the name and serves the French Toast, coated with oodles of peanut butter and chocolate, on an old record disk (innovative right?). Sweet and gooey with peanut butter… I was all smiles and found the “Elvis Presley French Toast” superb, delicious, scrumptious and a must must try for all the peanut butter lovers out there.. And mind you, it’s heavy so only if you are 150% sure that you won’t want to eat anything else, order this all by yourself. Since we were anyway quite confused after looking at their menu we decided to split this dish amongst the three of us in order to have space in our tummies to try the other goodies.

For drinks we ordered a Trip on the Drip (Rs. 280), a South Pacific Rim (Rs. 280) and a pint of Kingfisher Ultra (Rs. 140). Trip on the Drip is Vodka +Peach Schnapps + Orange & Cranberry Juice. A great cocktail; request them to make it a tad less sweet and you will be slurping on this one with joy. The amazing thing however was that this came in an actual drip pouch! South Pacific Rim is White Rum + Dark Rum+ Pineapple + Orange Juice and Grenadine. I did not like this as much and would give it a miss the next time I go there. I felt it had a very medicinal-cough-syrupish taste. And the chilled beer… well that’s always refreshing. I ended up ordering a Trip on the Drip after trying to finish my South Pacific Rim and my friends stuck to beer after their first round.

(L) South Pacific Rim (R) Trip on the Drip (Rs. 280 each)

Habi-B-Q Lamb Bao (Rs. 240)

For the snacky adventure, we decided to go ahead with a portion of the Habi-B-Q Lamb Bao (Rs. 240). This dish has lamb patty with Arabic flavours and is served with feta and hummus. The Bao was soft and warm and the succulent lamb patty was delicious and palatable. Hummus was a good add on.

Further, for our mains (and mind you we unknowingly over ordered considering we had already washed down the Elvis Presley French Toast and the Habi-B-Q Lamb Bao) we decided to call for the Thai Thali (with chicken)( Rs. 250+ Rs. 60 for the chicken), the OTT Dawg (Rs. 310) and the Jus-C Lucy Burger (Rs. 380).

In the Thai Thali we were served rice, green Thai curry, raw papaya salad, Goan prawns pickle and fryums! Yes these fryums are what we used to eat at birthday parties when we were kids. The Thai curry was appetizing, balanced flavor of coconut milk, lemon grass and not too spicy. The Goan prawns pickle was a great add on to this and the fryums, well, those were the fun eats. Truth be told, with the varied menu that they offer, I expected just about an average dish but was blown away with the flavours in this one.

Thai Thali (Rs. 250+60 for the chicken)

OTT Dawg (Rs. 310)

The OTT Dawg- a bacon wrapped dog, Mexican lamb chilli, cheese and fries- was definitely ‘over-the-top’. The bread was soft and warm and the sausage full of juices. There was a whole layer of cheese on it (*alert cheese lovers*). The sauce was a tad sweet for my taste and this OTT Dawg would be the perfect ‘Dawg’ if there could be a little more spice in it. However, it was huge and filling.

The Jus-C Lucy Burger comes with a knife stuck in it- I was impressed with the presentation. It also made a great picture! The menu describes this as a “double whammy of tenderloin patties with molted cheese center and Jus, Cajun Fries”. The tenderloin patty was well done; not dry at all. It had a very comfort-food-have-another-bite feel to it. And even though I was stuffed, when I dug into this I was smiling with the sheer taste of it in my mouth.

Jus-C Lucy Burger (Rs. 380)

We all were literally full up to our necks and I needed to take a stroll to realize that I actually could move after eating so much. We walked out extremely satisfied customers and I know this place will be a regular haunt for me.

Will I go there again? Yes, as I was so happy with what I ate this time I am really looking forward to trying the rest of their menu slowly and steadily. The chefs there really know what’s going on in the kitchen. The prices are great and the ambience, well, you’d love it. It’s a nice get-away for after work drinks and tid-bits as well. The service is decent, the staff is jolly and they made sure that we had an excellent experience. With all this our cheque was just about a little over 3k split amongst the 3 of us- Total VFM place.

Where is it? 24, Ground Floor, Glen Rose Building, BK BomanBehram Marg, Apollo Bunder, Colaba, Mumbai  Call 022 22828484

A Happy Place

Image taken from www.burrp.com

Jamjar Diner- A small door from the outside; easy to miss, but try not to, because once you enter--- it’s a whole different world inside. Tilted, vibrant, adorable looking shelves, placed to make it look like they are falling over each other, a cute jukebox adding to the magic of this place, colorful seating, lots of daylight and oh oh…. drinks served in jars. Yes, that’s why it's called "Jamjar" I think or vice versa (It's one of those chicken and egg stories).They have seating on the ground floor, the first floor and on the terrace. The place looks surprisingly big compared to what one would imagine just looking at the tiny door from the outside. This is one of the first places that I had been wishing to visit in Mumbai, owing to the funny names of certain dishes on their menu. However, because even thinking about commuting from Mahalaxmi to Andheri exhausts me (yes I'm super lazy and really respect the people who do it on a daily basis) it did not happen until I was in the area for a doctor’s appointment. So I dragged a friend to sit (and eat) with me and we soaked in the warmth, happiness and joy that the ambience of this place has to offer.

We reached at 1:30 in the afternoon and waited for a table while sitting at the bar. In about 20 odd minutes we were escorted to the terrace. It’s a covered area so even on those rainy days when you feel a bit gloomy the terrace is an extremely inviting and a very much accessible place to cheer yourself up. The menu is extremely diverse offering Mexican, Italian and American cuisine. On the alcohol front they have a huge collection- their Margaritas are called ….no guesses…..Jargaritas!

Now, I had been extremely intrigued by this one dish on their menu that goes by the name of Eggs Kejriwal and we decided to start off with that. The accompaniments were the Banana Caramel Shake and the Butterscotch Macadamia Shake.

Eggs Kejriwal (Rs. 217)

Eggs Kejriwal (Rs. 217) is fried eggs mounted on slices of toast, crowned with cheddar and chopped green chillies sprinkled on top- absolutely loved it. I am one of those “I-love-chilly-and-spicy food” people and this was a simple but an excellent egg preparation. The bread was toasted perfectly and the spicy green chillies added that oomph to the egg and cheese bonding. I was curious to know why the dish is called so and whether there is any connection to the politician (a little far fetched, right?) and so while looking this up on the internet I came across a restaurant review which explains that the dish is named after a local guy of the same name who liked his eggs fried and served on toast with cheese and green chillies. 

(L) Butterscotch Macadamia Shake (R) Banana Caramel Shake (Rs. 156 each)

The drinks were served in jam jars, with 'Jamjar Diner' written on them! The Banana Caramel Shake was heavenly- delicious, smooth, light, perfectly sweetened. And what can I say-I'm a die-hard fan of banana flavoured desserts, shakes, etc.  I thoroughly enjoyed this. The Butterscotch Macadamia Shake was a close second- maybe a little too "nutty" for a few. However, the shakes overall were extremely refreshing.

Chimichurri Grilled Chicken (Rs. 312)

For our mains we decided to go in for the Chimichurri Grilled Chicken (Rs. 312). Chimichurri is an Argentinean sauce made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white or red wine vinegar. It is famous throughout South America. The Chimichurri Grilled Chicken here is a marinated chicken breast served with 4 herb chimichurri sauce, potato mash and grilled veggies.I don’t know how authentic the chimichurri sauce was, nevertheless, it was good on the taste buds. The tenderness of the chicken breasts however was under a cloud. The grilled veggies were well seasoned, and boy do they know how to mash potatoes! However, overall this was just about an average dish.

Banana Nutella Pancakes (Rs. 217)

Dessert time and we couldn’t help but order the Banana Nutella Pancakes (Rs. 217). I mean seriously, you can't read "Banana Nutella Pancakes" on a menu and look past it. The pancakes were scrumptious. Thick, but not too much- I would say Jamjar achieved that perfect thickness of pancakes, not sad and thin like they lack love and not too thick so that one only tastes the cooked batter and nothing else. A stack of pancakes, coated with oodles of Nutella, and banana slices cozied in the layers- what a divine combination! The Banana Nutella Pancakes will definitely make me come back to this happy place.

Service was first rate. The servers were apologetic for making us wait for a table even though we did not have a reservation. The staff here makes you really feel welcomed and that’s such a good feeling. However, to avoid waiting before you can dig into some gorgeousness, do call them up and book a table.

Will I go there again?-I would love to go to Jamjar Diner again and this time I won’t even think twice about the distance. They have a few more interesting things on their menu such as the Full Monty -2 eggs of your choice, toast, baked beans, chicken sausage, crispy bacon and skillet potato; and the Flower Pot Surprise- gooey brownie, marshmallow, ice-cream and oreo soil (for the all the chocolate lovers). I look forward to going there for dinner next (and maybe trying their tacos) as I hear that at night the place really comes alive. Going by their menu, this place seems like a great visit for any meal be it breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or even just an early evening cuppa. Also, a great place to go on your first date, my company for the meal told me dreamily!!!

Where is it? 7A & B, Aaraam Nagar 2, Behind Washing Bay, Yari Road, Versova, Andheri West, Mumbai.  Keep a look out for the tiny door! Call 022 33487977. 

Berry Berry Goood!

Mumbai is home to a lot of Parsi/Iranian families and the Parsi/ Iranian culture that you'll find in this city, is distinctively more than anywhere else in the country. Food and cuisine, I believe, is a very integral part of any culture.That being said there are a lot of Parsi/ Iranian cafés in this city where you can go and give your taste buds a twirl of excitement. One such famous place, right in the heart of Ballard Estate, is Britannia & Company Restaurant, aka Britannia Café.

At the first look Britannia Café gives you the feeling of an old regular place - ordinary wooden tables and chairs, no air conditioning- a place which couldn't care less about interiors and decors in today's times- when “ambience” is the selling point of most places. However, one could say that this adds to the old-is-gold charm of this place. I would say it is a relic of Mumbai's colonial era! Having been in business for almost 90 years now (started in 1923; you can read the history of Britannia Café here), this Iranian café is truly one of those legendary eateries that has stayed in the hearts of so many Mumbaikars and continues to win over many more. I had been wanting to go to Britannia for quite a while now and was jubilant when last weekend the plan finally materialized.

We reached the place and were asked to have our names added to the waiting list. There were quite a few people waiting outside the café along with us but thanks to the quick service, we were seated in about 20 minutes. A very old Parsi uncle (I think he was the owner) came and greeted us warmly and took down our order. A little reading up on the Internet tells me that he is usually seen walking around the café and taking orders. I have to say that this personal touch really gives Britannia brownie points.

It goes without saying that we ordered the famed Chicken Berry Pulao (Rs. 450) and Lime Soda (Rs. 100). It took about 5-10 minutes for them to serve us and oh my, were we in for a treat! The Chicken Berry Pulao, is a regular chicken pulao with a surprise of soft chunky pieces of chicken, fried slightly-burnt onions, nuts and the Iranian berries, which I'd like to refer to as the Mysterious Iranian Berries. First bite----- I was in heaven. The tanginess of the Mysterious Iranian Berries, the onions, nuts and chicken gravy blended in so perfectly that my eyes automatically shut so that I could savour the flavours that were in my mouth without any distractions. "This is so good," were the first words that came out of my mouth. But that was just the first bite. This is one of those toothsome dishes that is so delicious, so comforting, and provides a combination of such exciting flavours that I would aptly like to quote Lay's tagline here- "Ek baar khaaoge toh khaate reh jaaoge, no one can eat just one. *ting ting*". Also, rumour has it that these Mysterious Iranian Berries are imported all the way from Iran. Exotic eh? Needless to say, we polished the plate clean.

Chicken Berry Pulao- Rs. 450 a plate

Lime Soda- Rs. 100

The Lime Soda was a good thirst quencher and an ideal accompaniment to the Chicken Berry Pulao.

Caramel Custard- Rs. 120

Next on the list was the caramel custard (Rs. 120). Now, a lot of caramel custard has gone down my gullet, in different eateries and I have even prepared it at home, so this is not something that should have taken my breath away- but it did! The caramel, so perfectly cooked, left a delightful aftertaste in my mouth. Indeed this was one of the best caramel custards I have ever tasted. I experienced an "mmmm" moment!

The service here is quick, as already pointed out. They are very old school about their billing- no card payment, no printed bills. The weather was pleasant at the time we visited, with a little rain here and there, so we didn’t mind the fact that this place was not air conditioned. If planning to visit, please note that they are open only from 11 am to 4 pm and are closed on Sundays.

Will I go here again?- Definitely for the Chicken Berry Pulao and the Caramel Custard. Also to try out the Salli Boti and Mutton Berry Pulao about which I have heard so much. They also had a special menu featuring Persian sweets (something that I might want to try the next time I go there).This place is a total winner in terms of the food that they serve and while writing this piece I have been drooling at the thought of visiting it again.

Where is it? Wakefield House, 11 Sprott Road, 16 Ballard Estate, Fort, call 022 22615264, 022 30225264

For the Love of a Fat Man

Fat Man's Café- a cute and cozy café situated in the Bandra reclamation area, near Lilavati Hospital. Quite contrary to its name- Fat Man's- the café is tiny, with a distinctive and vibrant set up of colorful chairs and stools creating a cheerful ambience. You would love the Fat Man's caricatures (placed all over the cafe with apt food quotes). Fat Man's Café had been fairly at the top of my eating bucket list, which is why it is befitting to start off the blog by sharing my experience of this place.

Image from www.chefatlarge.in  

We decided to hit the place for a Sunday brunch- which, thanks to the late night drinking on Saturday, became more of a "lunch" time brunch. We called the café to make a reservation but were informed that they only take reservations for groups of 6 or more and since it was only the 3 of us, we were required to walk in and try our luck. So we reached by 1:30 in the afternoon and found a spot right in the middle of the café- lucky? Definitely! It was a relaxing rainy afternoon to tuck in some comfort food and I was really looking forward to my very first meal at the Fat Man's.

The diverse menu has something to offer to every hungry man/woman/child from 9 in the morning till 12 midnight. However, since we were specifically in the mood for a classic brunch we decided to start off with a Cappuccino (Rs. 125), a Masala Tea (Rs. 125)and a Banana Peanut Butter Shake (Rs. 225). The Cappuccino lacked any froth (weird right?) and tasted quite okay-ish clearly defying the "a-lot-can-happen-over-coffee" rule. (Nothing can happen over that coffee.)The Masala Tea, apart from looking nothing like masala tea, tasted like a tea-bag made version of the drink (Pseudo Masala Tea). However, the Banana Peanut Butter Shake was delightful. With the right amount of sweetness, consistency and a hint of peanut butter, this drink was definitely the winner out of the three and was indeed the savior of the lot.  The Banana Peanut Butter Shake was enjoyed thoroughly, so much so that I had to control the urge to finish it up in big gulps.

Eggs Florentine

For our main course we ordered a portion of the Eggs Florentine (Rs. 205), Eggs Benedict (Rs. 225) and a Beef Cheese Burger (Rs. 375). The egg preparations came with a side of yummy and crisp hash browns. The Eggs Florentine- poached eggs designed with spinach, cheese, and hollandaise sauce on a bed of bread slices- turned out to be a little over-salted (probably owing to the salt content in the sauce, spinach and cheese).

Eggs Benedict

The Eggs Benedict was poached eggs mounted on bread slices with a sliver of ham in the middle and a portion of hollandaise sauce drizzled on top. Now I have always eaten Eggs Benedict that come with an English muffin preparation. This was a little different for my taste. Fat Man could have shown a little more generosity with the hollandaise sauce, specifically around the corners as you literally had to bite all the way to the middle to taste it. But once you got there, the result was a mouthful of yum. However, I have eaten better preparations of Eggs Benedict in the city.

The Beef Cheese Burger was a soft buttered sesame bun with a deliciously well done patty in the center, along with caramelized onions and some sauce. I am not too fond of burgers that come stuffed with a million things as it is almost impossible to take a bite without spilling half of it on the plate. However, hats off to this one! The beef patty was tender, palatable and juicy, and the caramelized onions had me at the first bite! It was difficult to wait and take a picture, hence here is a picture of the half-gobbled champion! :D

Beef Cheese Burger

We were quite full by the end of the main course and decided to call for just one helping of the Classic Pancakes (Rs. 200), a common favourite amongst the 3 of us. The Classic Pancakes were served with bananas and honey on the side, whereas I was expecting "banana pancakes" (bananas stuffed in the pancakes). However, that was probably something that I should have been ready for as the menu reads Classic Pancakes with bananas and not "banana pancakes". My bad!

Classic Pancakes with bananas and honey on the side

As for the service- a little shoddy. We had to call for the server a number of times and ask for plates which they were apparently not too happy providing us with (I wonder why). I am hoping that these are just "teething problems" though I don't know what should be considered a reasonable time-line for teething problems to end, considering they have been in business for a while and it is just a total of 7 tables that they serve at one time. Nevertheless, slightly better management and co-ordination would do wonders to the place. 

Will I go there again?-Only for the Banana Peanut Butter Shake and the Beef Cheese Burger (highly recommended); otherwise only if there is something that I am told is a must try. Sadly, I haven’t fallen in love with the Fat Man (yet).

Where is it? Fat Man’s Café, shop No.9, ONGC Building, next to Candies, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra (W), call 26402053