Thank You Fatty: The Fatty Bao, Mumbai

After all the life changing, career moving decisions that I had apparently taken last November (2014) when I quit my job at a law firm and decided to take a long unplanned break and then in March this year decided to work for a food start-up (because duh), I am surprisingly back at being a lawyer at a law firm in Mumbai. So apparently I can’t get enough of the law (and the law can’t get enough of me). However, it’s only been a little over 2 months at the new job (New Job) so I really wouldn’t want to count my chickens before they hatch and make any statement appreciating or dismissing my time here so far (look at the incessant need to ‘define’ terms).

Nevertheless, what I will not refrain from mentioning is the awesome colleagues I have here. I sit in a room with 3 other people- there is the retarded Mihir (ok not really retarded but when I mentioned it to him that this is what I’ll be referring to him as, he asked me to show him the post before it goes live- like for what I wonder? Proof-read? #SuchALawyer) pretty and witty Eva who is about to tie the knot hopefully sometime in the near future with a super cool dude hailing from Chicago (but more on that later) and Sugandha, a senior in terms of her position at the firm but equally fun to chat with. However, the person that I end up spending most of my time here working with is Priya, a sweet little Bombay girl who makes me feel not so short and is fun to hang around with. That being said, what becomes really relevant for this post is how these people are almost equally in love with food like me, though they keep a check on their diets where I mostly lose that battle and food wins. It was owing to this common interest that one evening Eva, Priya and I decided to finally pay a visit to the newish Fatty Bao in Bandra. For various reasons I had not been able to make my long overdue trip there and so when we were finally talking about going for dinner one evening when work was relatively light, this seemed to be the place to hit. And lo behold! We even got reservations at the last minute. It was fate. I just know it.

So on a Wednesday evening, 3 lawyers decide to go to a Japanese restaurant for drinks, dinner and debauchery. No there is no joke lined up here- just some amazingly tantalizing food and an extremely cheery and pretty, dimly lit ambiance. We had to wait for about 5-10 minutes for our table but that wait wasn’t a pain at all. It was something else- the lights, the music, the vibe, all made me wonder and kick myself on why I hadn’t visited earlier.

We started with drinks first- 2 Double Jades (Beefeater Gin blended with Kiwi, Khus and Kaffir Lime), and 1 of The Fatty Sour (a sensual blend of Raspberries, Whiskey (Jameson), Lime and Sugar) (each priced at Rs. 550). While I found the Double Jade to be a bit too sweet for my taste keeping in mind that I usually stick to a standard Mojito or a Daiquiri (of course) where traces of alcohol can be tasted, it was quite well made in terms of the proportion of alcohol in the cocktail- enough to get me all chatty and light headed. The Fatty Sour, as Eva tells me, did not feel like a cocktail as again the alcohol could not be tasted, but extremely well made and tasty,- just enough to get her happy high. All in all, and I am sure that the girls will agree with me on this, the cocktails were a breath of fresh air after a hard day’s work.

Jumping to the starters we ordered a plate of the Fatty Oysters (Rs. 445) which is fresh Cochin oysters broiled with soy butter, chorizo and ponzu sauce. The dish is marked as a ‘Fatty Bao Special’ and rightly so. The fun of eating oysters right off the shell is what I would go back for- but not only that. The oysters were soft and succulent and the chorizo bits drizzle on top added the oomph factor to the dish. One thing that I would have preferred is bread on the side to cut the saltiness of the dish. But yum is what I say. The Fatty Oysters are a hero and a must try for all non-vegetarian patrons.

To balance the veg to non-veg quotient, since one of us is a vegetarian, we also ordered the Baked Wonton Cups (Rs. 225) and a plate of the Kimchi Baby Potatoes (Rs. 225). The Baked Wonton Cups with wok tossed cottage cheese, corn, water chestnut, chilli and scallion had surprisingly not gone soggy and the crunch in the bite was in fact quite evident. This, I would say, is one such dish that will not make you miss meat. The flavours were well balanced and the cute little things were devoured within a few minutes.

The Kimchi Baby Potatoes, our next vegetarian plate, had a zingy and spicy flavor and were quite delicious. While I had already stuffed myself with the Fatty Oysters, I couldn’t help but keep digging into the bowl for these because really, no one can eat just one.

After feeling considerably fed, we decided to order another round of our drinks and then, once we had gotten a break from the gluttony, we took to ordering our mains for the evening - a bowl of the Chasu Ramen (Rs. 425) (also marked as a ‘Fatty Bao Special’), and a portion of the Lotus Root in Thai Red Curry (Rs. 345).

The Chasu Ramen is pork stock with bacon, braised pork belly, bean sprouts and marinated soft boiled egg. This is the kind of dish that you take a bite of and are transported into wonderland. Hot and so comforting, it warms you from the inside – and when you have the first bite of the braised pork belly, you know it doesn’t get better. After all, the Chasu Ramen is made of all the good things.

But what surprised me even more was the Lotus Root in Thai Red Curry. Why? Because first of all Lotus Root (also known as bhein back home) is something, because of the preparation in which I have eaten this while growing up, I could not associate with being a part of a Thai Curry. Secondly, I am more of a Green Curry person. However, it would be wrong to not mention that I was pleasantly amazed by the intense yet balanced flavours that the Red Thai Curry made me experience and the crisp Lotus Root that went so well with it that I am considering cooking it this way when I am back home next. So much so, this was a great combination with the sticky rice that we ordered and I was glad that there were left overs because that ensured that my lunch for the next day was sorted.

Ab meethe mein kya? Well obviously we weren’t going to skip that. We picked 2 Fatty Bao Specials from the dessert menu- the Fatty Hill (Rs. 265) and the Japanese Cheesecake (Rs. 265).

The Fatty Hill is a sight- a hill made of chocolate cream, mint crème brulee, chocolate crispies and topped with rice crispies. As is well known amongst my set of peers, I am not a very chocolate dessert person, but even I couldn’t resist taking spoonsful of this. A stream of chocolate flowed as soon as we cut into the “hill” and as Eva would say- the first bite was orgasmic.

The Japanese Cheesecake by default became my more of a go to option considering the non-chocolate element of it. A Japanese cheesecake, unlike the regular cheesecake, is soft, fluffy and cushiony. The one at the Fatty Bao passed this test with flying colours. The blueberry compote layered on top was quite a delight and the Cheesecake went extremely well with the scoop of vanilla ice cream served alongside. I lost my heart to this one. Slowly but surely.

Will I go there again? Read the post. I don’t think this question needs to be answered (Of course I will. I am dreaming of the Fatty Oysters and the Japanese Cheesecake right now!)

Where is it? Ground Floor, Summerville, Junction of 14th and 33rd Road, Linking Road, Bandra West Contact: 022 33716006

The New One- Harry's @ Andheri Fun Republic

Friday night after work I was making a trip- to Andheri. Yes I know I sound horribly spoilt but Mumbai distances haven’t gotten into my veins as yet. In any case, this time I was going to the famous Harry’s not at Juhu but in Andheri. Yes they’ve opened a cool place in Andheri at Fun Republic as well! And boy was I in for a surprise! The place was buzzing with laughter, chatter and great music. This itself put me at ease and made me get into my merry mood which I had kind of lost traveling in the crowded local for about an hour. It was a blogger’s meet and the table was beaming with excellent vibe and energy. It was a great evening in terms of getting to know, and conversing with, people who share the same passion for food as I do.

To begin with, I asked the server to get me a fruity drink- I am a sucker for fresh fruit cocktails. I was very happily served a Sex on the Pattaya Beach- a watermelon based drink with rum. This was pure joy in my mouth. I loved the serving in a jar concept and the taste of the cocktail was fabulous. Not too sweet so that one would doubt whether there was any rum at all and not too potent- just perfect. Enough to get me to start being chatty with my table mates while I enjoyed this cool refreshing cocktail.

Sex on the Pattaya Beach!

Chimichurri Grilled Chicken

I started nibbling on the Chimichurri Grilled Chicken which I think was fantastic- well spiced with a great mint zest. The mint sauce was generously spread out on all the chicken pieces ensuring that each bite was extremely flavourful and true to the name of the dish. The BBQ Chicken that I tried next was a bit too spicy an affair which in turn subdued the barbeque sauce flavors that one would expect from a dish like this. Better to have something like this a little mild on the spice and generous with the barbeque flavor by maybe doing a good chunk of barbeque sauce on the side. However, what I must must mention is that the quality of chicken pieces in both the dishes was great. Succulent and well-cooked good sized pieces. 

Another chicken dish that I dug into was the Spicy Chicken- sweet and spicy Chinese flavours, chicken pieces cut into strips with veggies. An average dish is what I’d say this was. Nothing that I would be dying to order again but it was not a disappointment.

Spicy Chicken

A platter of the Veggie Sliders was served next at our table and this was cute little tiny buns with potato and veggie patties tucked inside. Soft and warm with a masala angle these sliders were quite a mouthful. You’ll like this with your drinks!

Sliders!

I tried a little bit of the Green Thai Curry as well and while the creaminess, texture, thickness, colour and presentation was spot on, what disappointed me was the excess of salt in the dish. That just killed the mojo of the dish- if you know what I mean. Go easy on the salt and you have got yourself a delicious Green Thai Curry that you'll love.

Green Thai Curry with Steamed Rice

However, the two dishes that took my breath away were the Nachos and the Vietnamese Spring Rolls. Yes we get Nachos at a lot of places in Mumbai and these are in fact one of the regular bar nibbles that one would go for but what was so basic to these Nachos was the crunch element which stayed on. So no, the Nachos did not become limp and soggy after the first 5-10 minutes of being served which is not to say that the salsa, guacamole and cream cheese element was missing. Totally there and very proportionate. This plate of Nachos was a winner my friends!

Nachos

As far as the Vietnamese Spring Rolls go, well these are any day what someone who is not fond of the deep fried element of a regular spring roll would go for. Packed tightly in these beautiful rice paper rolls, the veggies were crunchy and had a nutty element to them. Served with the light soy sauce on the side this dish is delish and healthy. Chomp on this and you’ll be happy and satisfied.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

The servers were extremely polite and knowledgeable about what they were serving. The service, however, to begin with was not very prompt as my first drink literally took a good 25 minutes to arrive and I had to keep checking with servers who at one point of time were quite zapped about what was happening. Nevertheless, the smile with which they served the dishes eased my disappointment and the rest of the evening went quite smoothly. What I really loved was the music that was playing- at one point they even played Dancing Queen and I am a huge Abba fan. So for me the night was rocking.

Will I go there again? If in the area then definitely yes, but I wouldn’t travel all the way from Mahalaxmi for this.

Where is it? 1st Floor, Fun Republic, Veera Desai Road, Shah Industrial Estate, Andheri Lokhandwala, Andheri West, Mumbai Contact: 022 30151125

Gourmet cooking made simple- My experience with iChef

Come 2015 and I have a lot of things I wish to achieve this year- get back on track with my career, travel, be able to start saving up big time and of course expand my foodie journey (not my size) by eating different kinds of food and learning how to cook few of my favourite dishes.

Over time I have realized that Asian/ Oriental food and Biryanis make me really happy- yes I can literally have Biryani day in and day out (it should be tasty of course); and most of the times when I go out I am looking to try some or other Asian dish or just satisfy my craving with a good green thai curry, or some sushi, pad thai noodles or khow suey. So of course, going by what satisfies my taste buds, these are the dishes that I want to be able to master in cooking. One of my last posts in the year 2014 was a Green Thai Curry recipe (you can read about it here).  This year when I read about iChef on Zenia Irani’s blog Branded Bawi, I was more than excited to try out something myself.

iChef offers you gourmet meals recipe kits (read:  a variety of recipes to choose from on their website; delivery at your doorstep- including same day delivery;  pre-measured and labelled ingredients;  and a step by step recipe card with pictures). An excellent concept for those who do not get cooking a gourmet meal because:

1. no time to pick up ingredients
2. most gourmet recipes call for ingredients that we would use once and not for a while leading to wastage of ingredients and money
3. just don’t know how to cook such dishes but are willing to try
4. too damn lazy to go out and shop and have happily given in to online shopping for most basic essentials.

So yes, looking to cook a lovely gourmet meal for yourself, or for your parents/spouse/friends or kids but do not have the time to pick up the ingredients because of traffic, unreasonable working hours, etc, etc? iChef is here to the rescue.

The ingredients are delivered in this cute cloth bag!

How does one exactly go about getting this super cool iChef experience?

• Visit the website and go through the menu for that week. They change their menu every two weeks and each set includes 3 vegetarian and 3 non-vegetarian dishes including  Italian, Mexican, Asian cuisines. They even do salads.
• Order the recipe kit for the meal that you want to cook by placing an order online giving them basic details about yourself. You can choose the time slot within which you would like your iChef kit to be delivered
• Wait for the delivery.
• Once delivered, just follow the instructions given in the recipe card.
• Present this dish to whoever you made it for/ gobble it yourself.

Yes. It’s that simple!

I was extremely delighted to find a Khow Suey, a Burmese soup- dish meal prepared with coconut milk and gram flour with the addition of various vegetables and meat of choice, recipe kit on their menu last week- and this is how, thanks to iChef,  I finally prepared Khow Suey for the first time!

Pre-measured and labelled ingredients

Step 1. The recipe called for prepping the ingredients which basically included washing and cutting the vegetables that would go in the Khow Suey.

Carrot, Red Bell Pepper, Green Capsicum, Kaffir Lime leaves, Green Chilies

Step 2. Boiling the rice noodles in a pan and putting them aside to cool.

Step 3. Saute the vegetables. Add the curry paste and gram flour.

Step 4. Add the water mixed with the coconut powder and stock powder and then bring it to boil.

Step 5. Once the curry comes to a boil, strain the noodles and add them to the curry. After cooking for another two minutes add the basil and peanuts.

Step 6: Transfer the dish to two bowls. Sprinkle the coriander and garnish provided. Dig in!

Observations:

1. At a short notice I had requested the delivery to be done at a particular time within the allotted time slot and the iChef people were extremely courteous and obliged to my request. 
2. The ingredients were fresh, of top quality and were well packed. No leakage or spillage.
3. The recipe card has pictures and was easy to follow. Even a beginner can cook up a fine gourmet meal with such simple and well explained instructions.
4. The recipe kit serves 2 but the outcome was more than enough for my friend and me. I had some left overs for my mid night hunger pangs!
5. At Rs. 250 totally VFM.
6. With things made so simple, you can expect gourmet home cooked meals from the men in your life! A good idea for the upcoming Valentine's day? ;)

While this process makes cooking simpler, chopping vegetables can still be a hassle for some who really do not have the time after coming back home from a hectic office schedule. It would be great if iChef could introduce chopped and prepped veggies at a minimal additional amount. Further, introduction of some Indian dishes and half baked chapatis would do wonders!

Other than that, I was extremely satisfied with my iChef experience and I know I will be ordering from them quite regularly. 

You can visit the iChef website and check out the gourmet meal that you wish to cook next :)

(The author ordered from the website anonymously and paid for her own meal.)

Picante Ristorante- A Wonderful Gormandizing Experience

New experiences in the New Year and I saw myself entering an all vegetarian restaurant for dinner on a Tuesday night. Yes, I was surprised too but the satisfying experience I had with the Mexican, Lebanese and Italian spread at Picante Ristorante has really upped the value of vegetarian food in my head.

The wall art

Picante Ristorante, located at Breach Candy near the Mahalaxmi Temple (in the same building as Bombay Bronx and Py Bar), is a veggie friendly restaurant serving three cuisines- Mexican, Lebanese and Italian. The place doesn’t serve alcohol but does some really good concoctions of mocktails to go with the food that they serve. The highlights of the décor of the place are its wall art and the waiters dressed in ponchos and sombreros. The lighting is perfect and sets you in the mood to gorge on the food.

The bar that does not serve alcohol. Virgin- that's how they roll!

We were served the Peach Iced Tea and Virgin Mojito while we waited for our gastronomically adventurous evening to begin. Both the drinks were extremely refreshing.

(L) Virgin Mojito ; (R) Peach Iced Tea

We started off with the Stuffed Mushrooms (Rs. 285 for a full portion) which is baked mushrooms stuffed with spinach and cheddar cheese served with a generous spread of the in-house mayo on top. When they say “stuffed” they mean business. These bite sized Stuffed Mushrooms were a great launch to our meal. The cheese explodes in your mouth and the spinach balances it just perfectly.  Their in-house mayo adds the “X factor” to the dish. Mushrooms are one of my favourite vegetarian foods (yes there is a list of that too) and this preparation just kicked its place a notch higher in my head. Warm and cheesy.. yummy.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Char Grilled Cottage Cheese

Next on our plates was the Char Grilled Cottage Cheese (Rs. 395 for a full portion). The menu describes it as crispy brioche topped with Pomodoro sauce and grilled cottage cheese. Brioche is a bread of French origin. This crisped in all the right places with soft grilled cottage cheese and smothered generously with the flavourful Pomodoro sauce (a tomato based Italian sauce prepared with tomatoes and garlic) with a topping of the in-house mayo was a great combination put on our plates - crunchy yet soft.

Grilled Zucchini Rolls

Then came along the Grilled Zucchini Rolls (Rs. 345 for a full portion); spiced ricotta mixed with some cottage cheese and chopped up black olives rolled within thin strips of grilled zucchini. The olives gave a great blend and balance to the cheese mixture. The grilled zucchini was surprisingly quite a combination with this…. it added texture to the dish for something to bite into. This again drizzled with some in house mayo was tasty. However, it was not something I would come back for particularly.

Next up was this bold gravied starter we know as Habanero Cottage Cheese (Rs. 395 for a full portion). The Habanero Cottage Cheese is one of those dishes that you just can’t get enough of. Mexico is the largest consumer of the Habanero Chilli. Owing to its hot flavor and aroma, this spicy ingredient has become quite popular all over the world. That said and the fact that I LOVE spices, this dish totally revamped the meaning of a cottage cheese dish for me. The Habanero sauce was a perfect blend of citrusy, sweet and spicy flavours. While I kept doing the oohs and aahs because of the hot stuff that this was, I would soothe my tongue with a sip of the peach iced tea and happily come back for another bite. This dish is fiery and not for the faint hearted. But ask them to do a mild spicy version and I'm sure they'd oblige. And if you must try the “caution hot” version, as described in the menu, I recommend you keep a tall glass of the Peach Iced Tea next to you. This is one dish that the spice lovers are not going to regret trying.

Habanero Cottage Cheese

Felafill

At this juncture it was imperative to pacify the palate with some mild flavours and the Felafill (Rs. 225)- pocket pita bread with a filling of falafel, hummus, vegetables and sauces- was served with that intention. Unfortunately, this Lebanese dish started off as a let downer since in the first bite we could hardly taste anything but pita and the veggies. However, towards the end when the hummus made its presence felt, the overall blend was quite amazing. If the spread of the hummus is even then this dish would be quite a catch on the Lebanese front!

(Clockwise from the top) Verdure; Picante; Margherita; Fiama

With the wide variety of pizzas on the menu, we just had to try something. They served us two slices each of four different pizzas from their menu- The Margherita (classic cheese and basil) (Rs. 425 for a full portion), Fiama (Onions and Chilli Flakes) (Rs. 445 for a full portion), Verdure (Bell Peppers, Onions, Jalapenos and Black Olives) (Rs. 495 for a full portion), and Picante (Jalapenos, Onions and Green Chillies) (Rs. 495 for a full portion). I quite enjoyed the Fiama as the onions added a bit of sweetness to the chilli flakes. The Picante was great too- all spicy (living up to the meaning of the word) and cheesy. Special mention for the pizza base- freshly baked, thin and crisp- just like an Italian Pizza base should be.

Burrito Bowl

It was time for some Mexican fare to show up and the contender was the Burrito Bowl (Rs. 425 for a full portion). The menu describes this as their twist on the traditional burrito served in a bowl with Mexican rice, beans, grilled vegetables,  fresh corn, salsa, sour cream and guacamole. The plating was colourful and beautiful but it was downhill from there. I found the Burrito Bowl to be quite bland. Pepping up the flavours of the salsa would do wonders to this dish. Otherwise this is just avoidable.

Kibbeh Jibnah (Rs. 425 for a full portion) is another such dish served at Picante Ristorante that I have favourited and would happily and readily go back for. A creamy mixture of spinach, potatoes and feta cheese served in potato pancakes- absolute delish and comfort all over. The potatoes stuffing in the pancake is not mashed potatoes but a delightful potato sauce. The Restaurant Manager recommended that we eat this with the cheese garlic dip and trust me, this Lebanese dish is just something else. Special mention for the cheesy garlic dip---- what magic!

Kibbeh Jibnah with the Garlic Sauce 

Penne in Paprika (Rs. 475 for a full portion) –had a rich texture and was wonderfully flavoured. I can’t comment on how authentic this pasta preparation was but it was thoroughly enjoyed by my taste buds. Nothing else required :) 

Penne in Paprika

And for the grand dessert---The Cookie. Warm, doughy, gooey cookie with delicious chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream; this is a cookie monster in terms of the taste. This remarkable dessert, the restaurant claims, is its trademark dish and I am not surprised why. Also, the cookie is served in the dish in which it is baked ensuring that you can eat it hot right out of the oven. The Cookie is something anyone would definitely go back for. I could happily start a meal with this dessert and then the rest can follow. Going by the number of dishes we had already hogged on, you can imagine how well fed we were, but one bite of this and we were almost fighting and swearing by Joey Tribbiani’s “Joey doesn’t share food” dialogue. I was thinking about it and drooling even on my way back home. This is just one of those things that you have to try for yourself and believe. The Cookie is an experience and you don’t want to miss this at any cost.

The Cookie Image Source

The service was great. We exchanged a few words with Mr. Manoj Kakde, the Restaurant Manager, during the course of our meal and his recommendations added great value to our meal. The person attending to us, Mr. Shehzaad, was extremely cordial and well versed with the dishes and their preparation. There were a few hits and a few misses when on the food front, but over all we had a wonderful experience and left the place with a huge smile and a kilo or two extra.

Will I go there again? Yes yes yes! For the Cookie Cookie Cookie. And also for the Habanero Cottage Cheese, the Stuffed Mushrooms, the Kibbeh Jibnah, the Penne in Paprika and the Fiama and Picante Pizzas.

Where is it? 401, Akruti Skypark, Near Mahalaxmi Temple, Breach Candy, Mumbai  Contact: 022 30151097

(The author dined there on invitation.)

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

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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!

“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