TASTE OF MUMBAI at Marine Drive from 22nd to 24th February 2013

The internationally acclaimed series of food and drink festivals, Taste Festivals, comes to India with the launch of Taste of Mumbai. The city-based food and drink festival promises to be an eclectic selection of food, drinks and restaurants to delight food lovers at Marine Drive from 22^nd to 24^th February 2013.

Taste Festival is a high-quality food and drink consumer event where the host city’s most prestigious restaurants and celebrated chefs serve sample-sized signature dishes to visitors in an outdoor city centre venue. The event is supported by “retail therapy” with food and drink related features and exhibitors including wineries, coffee shops, patisseries, breweries among other exciting options.

American Express is the presenting sponsor for Taste of Mumbai, which will bring together celebrated chefs like Abhijit Saha from Caperberry, Italian restaurant Diva’s Ritu Dalmia, Manu Chandra of Olive Bar & Kitchen and Vicky Ratnani to share the culinary art form and present their signature dishes. Alain Fabrègues from Australia, Jehangir Mehta from New York, Vivek Singh from London and Margot Janse from South Africa are the International Guest Chefs for the event.

The festival will have an exclusive American Express VIP Lounge to let people take a break from the tasting and shopping to relax in a private lounge with a complimentary dram of Glenfiddich over a discussion with top chefs. Other features include the Fisher Paykel Taste Theatre where culinary greats take to the stage and share their secrets, show off their skills and polish yours with a plethora of pan rattling demonstrations. 

Arola from JW Marriott, Caperberry from Bangalore, China House from Grand Hyatt, Ellipsis,  Fire from The Park Hotel in Delhi, Impresario Handmade Restaurants, Kofuku, Koh from InterContinental, Olive Bar & Kitchen and Prego, The Westin are the restaurants participating in the festival. The two international ‘guest’ restaurants are Cinnamon Kitchen, London and Graffiti, New York.

The festival will have two sessions every day, a day session (12pm-4pm) and an evening session (6pm-10pm). The tickets will be available through BookMyShow, priced at Rs.600 for a standard ticket and Rs.2000 for a VIP pass. Learn more at www.tasteofmumbai.in

Salient Features of the Festival:

·         12 top Indian and International restaurants including

·         Exciting live demos by world-class International and Indian chefs at the Fisher & Paykel Taste Theatre

·         Over 50 food and drink producers of gourmet food products, fine wines and beer and lifestyle products. 

It's time to get your grub on!

GRUBdate

Aromas of China in Lokhandwala has recently launched their sister restaurant Angeethi in the back. Therefore the weekend buffet is now Chinese AND Indian cuisine. They have cut down the Chinese menu to half its size and added in Indian options for appetizers, main course and dessert. Personally, I'm not a fan of anything multicuisine, so this change isn't making me too happy. In case you are in the area and  upset about this development fret not there's always China 1 which has a great Chinese buffet and is just down the street!

Nom nom at Yauatcha!

Wow its been a really long time since I've updated this blog. But this time, I'm totally committed, well... for now. Keep the comments coming, if I know I have reader(s) hopefully it will keep me on top of stuff!

I decided to launch my comeback with one of my favorite restaurants in Mumbai. Though I can’t visit this place as often as I would like, since it is pretty expensivo and I'm always tres broke, I definitely think the food is worth the cost. Thus, I bring to you ladies and gentlemen *drumroll* my review on Yauatcha!

Yauatcha is located in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, a strange location for such a great place considering the area is creepily empty post business hours. That said, once you make it to BKC you cant miss the neon blue sign and the luring smell of freshly made dim sums (though maybe that's just in my head.) Categorizing itself as a "dim sum tea house," Yauatcha offers a vast range of innovative dim sums as well as 130 different types of teas. They also have a state-of-the-art bar that will definitely impress my fellow alcoholics. While I have tasted a number of their cocktails (virtually the same offerings as its unaffordable sister restaurant Hakkasan) I am a big fan of their Tea Smoothies and Iced Teas sporting flavors such as Passion Fruit, Cinnamon, Guava and Kiwi.

The ambiance is definitely one of the plus points of Yauatcha. Clean, classy and vibrant, it's a great place to grab dinner and drinks with a few close friends, reminiscent of swanky restaurants in the Big Apple. Frequented by the who's who of Bollywood, this is also a great place for celebrity sightings (I got to see Saif, Kareena and Karishma, A+ celeb sighting if I may say so myself.) However, service is definitely where Yauatcha's ratings get hit the most. The staff doesn't seem to be very well-trained and has some pretty severe communication issues, I'm pretty sure they cant pronounce Yauatcha correctly. Often, (each time I've been there) they tend to get the order wrong or even forget to get you what you ordered. Also, many people visiting the restaurant who are unfamiliar with Cantonese cuisine aren't assisted with ordering and end up receiving dishes that they definitely didn't expect. (suckkkaaaahhhs)

Now let's get down to business! I started off with their dim sums and let me preface this by saying I've eaten some scrumptious dim sums across the world and it is something I'm very picky about. However, Yauatcha definitely did not disappoint. I tried their Pork and Prawn Shumai, Prawn and Chinese Chive dumpling, Crispy Prawn Cheung Fun and Vegetable Crystal dumpling. Though I did not care much for the Vegetable Crystal Dumpling as the outside "wrap" was sticky and tough, the other three were as delectable as dishes I have had at leading dim sum restaurants. The Crispy Prawn Cheung fun was a cool spin on the regular Cheung Fun where the prawn stuffing is a tempura prawn, adding a delightful crunch to the dish.

In addition to these, I also had the Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf and the Truffle Edamame dumplings which were TO DIE FOR. The Sticky Rice was just the right amount of sticky and delightfully fragrant once the waiter unfolds the delicate Lotus Leaf wrapping. The Truffle Edamame dumpling sends chills down your spine with the perfect Edamame paste texture and luxurious hint of truffle oil. If I was asked about my choice for my last meal, these two dishes would definitely make the list. NOM NOM!

Now, as a pork LOUWER settled in Mumbai, I don't have a great deal of options for fabtastic pork. So when I saw that the menu listed Pork Belly with Chinese vegetables, it was a MUST order. I was prepared to be disappointed, as I often am at non 5 star hotel restaurants here. However, lo and behold, I was whisked away on a tantalizing ride where my taste buds were left in tears wanting more. Okay, that was a weird way to put it but it blew me away. The thin pieces of pork belly melted in my mouth, dousing me with an amazing soy garlic flavor. I’m practically passing out just thinking of it. The Emperor Rice that I ordered was good and all, but the Pork Belly kicked its ass.

Yauatcha also has a counter for dessert takeaways showcasing such a vast range of macroons that you will definitely leave confused. I recommend the Earl Grey flavor if you have to be selective. However, if you are dining at the restaurant you HAVE to order the Raspberry Delice. Though I'm not a dessert person, I found myself distracting my friends so I could sneak most of the dish for myself. Also, it was just so PRETTY with a gooey chocolate brownie delicately dusted over with Raspberry dust. If you are on a diet and are wondering whether it's worth it, well, it definitely is.

So to sum up, Edamame Truffle dumplings, Sticky Rice, Pork Belly and the Raspberry Delice.

You're welcome.

Average cost: 1500 per person without drinks

Rating: 4/5 

UMI, YOU BLEW ME... AWAY!

Coming off a three month fiasco of lying in bed with a broken leg, I thought it was only right to head out to the States to get over months of a sedentary lifestyle and to go "live it up," for lack of a better term. After a month and a half in Seattle, Washington, I believe its only fair to pay tribute to my favorite Seattle restaurant, Umi's Sake House. The name of this restaurant is a tad misleading since people might interpret this establishment to be appealing due to its Sake, which is great and all, but once you taste their food you might give up the alcohol to save room for all the great stuff that they offer to eat!

Every time I landed up at Umi's, I was starving and ready to devour practically half their menu. They start you off with succulent, perfectly salted Edamame that vanishes from the table within seconds. That might be because just reading their menu can make a rational, calm person act like a starved lion. Umi's offers a wide range of Sake (which can easily be turned into a less classy yet, more fun Sake bombing experience, YAY!) They also offer a variety of different liquors, including their very popular Japanese Beer.

Now lets get to the good part. Sushi has and always will be among the top contenders for my favorite food choice. I've tasted Sushi across the globe and have experienced different fish qualities and various roll options. There have definitely been amazing experiences where I was left astounded and most definitely horrendous nightmares with smelly fish leaving me feeling like I stuck my head into a stagnant pond. Umi's however left me amazed, excited, ecstatic and well REALLY full.

Umi's offers all the run of the mill rolls that most sushi restaurants offer as standard protocol. There is the tuna roll, the spicy salmon roll and the california roll etc. However, they also offer Umi speciality rolls that are an amalgamation of the most tantalizing flavors all rolled (no pun intended) into one bite size piece that makes you contemplate whether you want to swallow whats in your mouth or keep ruminating like a cow, just cause its THAT GOOD! My favorite roll after much internal debate and toil is definitely the "Pretty in Pink." Oh, i forgot to mention the extremely creative and slightly embarrassing to order in public titles that they have given their rolls. The list of names includes, "Hottie roll," "Belltown Barbie, "Badboy roll" and the "Naughty roll." So it kind of becomes a dinner and entertainment experience once you get someone else to order for you.

Back to me telling you about my favorites as I salivate and find it hard to get my words across. The "Pretty in pink" comprises of a crab, scallop, avocado, tobiko and mayonnaise mix that is topped with avocado, and then wrapped in soy paper. Each piece of the roll though intended to be bite size is more like three bites, but you never actually complain about that once you start eating. I never truly understood the term, "melts in your mouth," until I met Ms. Pretty in pink and boy did she show me a good time! Other close contenders were the "Seattle Crunch" - salmon, cream cheese and avocado, fried and drizzled with teriyaki sauce and sweet chili aioli, the "Suzie Rosie" - spicy scallops, avocado and cucumber wrapped with tuna, the "Flaming Tuna" - spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber and tobiko topped with spicy yellowtail, yuzu tobiko and spicy aioli and the "Hottie roll" - spicy scallops, tobiko and cucumber wrapped with salmon.

The bursts of flavor and tantalizing texture of the fish against the creaminess of the sauces is like poetry in your mouth. Credit goes to the chef for designing such a unique combination of flavors that seem almost appalling when you read them on the menu but then work in perfect harmony when you actually go through the experience. Umi's also offers a few speciality rolls that are fruit based, such as the "Mango Tango" - mango, cilantro and bell peppers topped with tuna & mango shiso sauce and the "Tropical Paradise" - salmon, strawberry, avocado, tobiko and cucumber wrapped with tuna & mango, served with blueberry sauce. These are delightful options that appeal more to diners who have a sweet tooth and are willing to take a giant leap away from traditional sushi rolls.

I did a few other options on their menu. They also serve traditional Japanese dishes such as their "Agedashi tofu," and their "Panfried chilean sea bass in a tomato glaze" which were authentic and very delicately flavored. They also serve a range of desserts, but to be honest I would advise against leaving room for them if ever the occasion did occur.

Umi's has an extremely dynamic and eclectic ambiance with people from various walks of life, different age groups and different parts of the world choosing to dine there. It has a chic, zen-like setting that serves as a great place to go with either a small or large group and have great conversation, food and drinks. They do offer a happy hour menu which features most of their best rolls at a discounted rate and therefore, is a great deal if you plan to go there as often as I did and still want to pay rent. Umi's isn't cheap but I strongly believe that it is worth every penny for the experience you get there.

To conclude, if anyone you know is heading to Seattle, this is definitely a place they want to visit. In fact, I would urge people to put Seattle on their list of places to visit just so they can experience Umi's, an experience I daresay, nobody else can offer!

Meal for two - $40

Culinary Masterpiece - Indigo Cafe'

I had planned on reviewing a shitty place so my reader(s) (is plural being too optimistic?) wouldn’t think that I’m too lenient and appreciate just any food. I wanted them to know that I could be a hardass too, which I really can. But that plan went out the window when I ate at this place. It’s so good I would eat there every night if I could afford it. I’m sort of glad I can’t though because it’s not one of those places I want to overdo and get over (read: Red Box.)

I’m talking about cuisine paradise, Indigo Café located in the heart of the suburbs, Shastri Nagar, Andheri (West.) Being raised in the US, I’m used to expecting foods like Eggs Benedict, pasta, apple pie: the basics, to be made to perfection. Sadly, once I moved to Bombay I realized that’s really asking for too much and that places claiming to be pasta specialists (Ginger Marie, Lokhandwala) served dishes that were actually worse than pasta I can whip up in less than half an hour at home. One has to be REALLY selective about the places they choose for “continental cuisine” in Bombay and in those restaurants they need to make sure they order the right thing. How do you know what to order? You have to pretty much ask the waiter about most popular dishes or stick to the basics. Note: Pesto dishes in Bombay are NOT the basics.

Anyway, getting back to Indigo Café, I have been there numerous times now making excuses to go spend practically my month’s salary dining there. It started with special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries, but now I try and make Monday Blues an event to celebrate just so I can go feast at this delightful place. The ambience is small and quaint will dim lighting, seating about 10 tables outside and another 10 on the inside. The dim lighting and casual ambience makes for great conversation and somehow the lighting is flattering enough for everyone to look their best (great place for dates.) They play really low music and it comprises of Jazz and Retro tracks that are easy on the ears and let conversation flow easily without people losing their voices.

Now the food. I don’t know how to do justice to the quality of the food through this entry. I don’t want to use lame lines like, “words cannot do justice…,” but I guess I just did. The food is byfar some of the best I have tasted in Bombay and that does mean a lot since I give myself credit of eating practically all types of cuisine available in the city. Indigo Café offers all day breakfast where you can get everything from a complete English Breakfast to delicacies such as Eggs Benedict, Bagels with smoked Salmon and their signature omelets. I am a huge fan of Eggs Benedict and can vouch for theirs, being made in delicious, perfectly textured Hollandaise sauce.

They have a pretty extensive menu ranging from Salads, Burgers, Sandwiches, pastas and Risottos to Meat and Mashed Potatoes and Roast Chicken. However, not everything is traditional and predictable. For example, they have Bombay BBQ chicken wings which are prepared with different types of spices and masala’s. This however, does not come off like dishes at New Yorkers that also claim to be fusion cuisine but actually just have khatta meetha sauce on everything. Instead, this dish leaves your palette pleasantly surprised and craving for more.

For starters, I suggest that you try their nut crusted cheese balls. I was hesitant to try this since I expected it to be cheese balls deep fried with small traces of nuts somewhere in the dish. However, the creation was spectacular, comprising of lightly sautéed fresh mozzarella balls encrusted within an abundance of almonds along with a tantalizing sauce that one could easily eat alone with a spoon (classy, I know.) I followed the dish with a Caesar Salad that was pretty traditional except for a poached egg resting on top. That was unusual but still definitely good on the taste buds. Having been there numerous times I can say their whole range of salads are pretty appetizing and go down real easy.

There are a few places in Bombay known for their pasta’s such as Mia Cucina and Mezzo Mezzo which definitely do justice to pasta, which they better being that they are Italian restaurants and that’s pretty much basic when it comes to Italian food. Hard Rock Café has amazing burgers but once again that is what they are known for. The great thing about Indigo Café is that their pasta’s are just as good as the Italian restaurants I just named, their burger was equivalent or maybe even better than Hard Rock and those are just two of the many types of exceptional entrées that they serve there. If I HAD to pick what I loved the most there, (my heart breaks at the thought of choosing one amongst the multiple great dishes I’ve eaten there) I would have to pick the BLT. I chose this because getting a decent BLT in Bombay or even across India is practically impossible. It’s probably not one of the most sought after dishes in the country but for BLT enthusiasts such as myself, Indigo is the place to go. Served in a toasted yet soft baguette, the BLT sandwich at Indigo Café melts in your mouth and each bite leaves you craving for more. Made in an extremely traditional way, all the ingredients in this dish are top of the line and you aren’t left with an oily, clammy taste in your mouth, often the issue with such heavy sandwiches. It comes with a side of homefries that are also delightfully seasoned. However, if BLT’s aren’t your thing their 200oz Burger is mindblowing, their blue cheese penne is luscious and insanely good, their mushrooms filled with goat cheese are to die for and their Roast Chicken is YUMMY!

Now now, as tempted as you are to order everything on their menu, you practically don’t have the choice of opting out of dessert. The waiter will casually ask you to at least look at the desserts they have to offer on their dessert counter and then there is no turning back from there. I am a complete chocolate lover and their orgasmic chocolate mud cake almost got me escorted out for misconduct. Filled with molten chocolate that oozes out when you take your first bite, this desert comes along with a tiny scoop of icecream (ask for the Belgian chocolate flavor.) As great as that was, once again I’m going focus my credit for them on serving a rarity in Mumbai: great cheesecake. The menu says they offer different cheesecakes every day (cheesecake of the day!) therefore, the one I got to try was their Blueberry cheesecake. I know some people reading this are saying well, “5 Spice serves great Blueberry Cheesecake,” no it does not. Maybe you guys are saying, “Del Italia serves great cheesecake,” you probably aren’t going to think so after trying it here. The cheesecake was amazing here and very reminiscent of stuff I had had at The Cheesecake factory in the US. It doesn’t get better than that.

The only downside, if it can be considered one, is the price of dining here. It is definitely pretty steep ranging at about Rs.1000+ a person (including a starter, entrée, dessert and a non alcoholic beverage), but then again the food totally leaves you feeling like it was worth the price and maybe not all of you eat like an ape like me. If you are fascinated by Bollywood stars, you will definitely come across a couple of star sightings here and if you are lucky probably a few wannabe Lokhandwala models as well.

Overall, this place floored me and has undoubtedly entered my list of best places to eat in Mumbai, which is surprising since it is relatively new. You cannot go wrong with what you order here since the chef seems to know what he’s doing, so if you want to take a risk and try something offbeat, this is definitely the place to do so. Make a reservation on weekends because the popularity of this place is sky rocketing, they also have the option of take out as well though I wouldn’t recommend missing out on the complete experience. Hopefully this review left you salivating, I’ll be back with more soon!

Meal for 2: Rs. 2000+

Hookah Heaven: Sigara, Andheri

I put a lot of thought into which restaurant I should review first on my new blog and went back and forth weighing the pros and cons of which path I wanted to follow. Should I do a big fancy number to start off this new venture? Should I start out small and quaint to appeal to people who don’t want to shell out a crapload for a meal and are just looking for something satisfying? Should I start with something completely exotic to draw attention and prove that I know what I’m talking about? I decided to go with a place that’s close to my heart, holds personal importance to me and is one that I visit pretty much daily, for its food and other “amenities.”

I wonder if this place has ever even been reviewed since it’s a hole in the wall and is frequented more so by teenagers spending hours at end there. But don’t be too quick to judge this establishment based on its crowd, it definitely offers some really memorable things! I’m sure my friends will be thoroughly humored by this choice of venue, but it had to be done eventually, why not start out with a place where I have tons of memories, pretty much all good!

So ladies and gentleman, I bring to you a review on my near and very dear Sigara!

At first glance, Sigara located by Fame Adlabs Andheri, comes off as a low key hookah bar where youngsters come to hang out and look for an inexpensive way to spend a few hours with friends gorging on hookah and snacks. However, don’t let this modest exterior fool you, they offer a comprehensive menu spanning across Indian, Continental and Chinese dishes that are very standard yet, impressive. They do not serve alcohol but do offer some non alcoholic beer (cringe!), and have a standard drink menu including flavored iced teas, the fresh lime fiasco and pretty much any carbonated drink you can think of.

This place serves the best Hookahs in Mumbai, vastly outshining chain establishments like Mocha’s and other independents like China Blue. They have one of the largest arrays of hookah flavors to choose from including all fresh fruits, paan rasna, paan masala, licorice, milk based hookahs (Shahi) , mango juice based hookahs, pretty much; you name it they got it. Hookah’s here are long-lasting, extremely smooth and are catered to constantly (coal change etc.) The staff is weirdly passionate about their job and take it personally if you don’t like the hookah and will go out of their way to change your order.

Now since the hookah is so great I didn’t really expect the food to be anything special because I didn’t consider it being a possible selling point for them. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The food at Sigara is extremely well made and though it’s nothing gourmet, elaborate or spectacular, the chef does more than justice to the dishes he prepares. Though I am extremely wary of “multicuisine” restaurants since I believe you can’t do one well without compromising another, Sigara has proven me wrong. I would stick to the Chinese and Indian cuisines at this restaurant. Personal recommendations are Butter Chicken, Palak Paneer and the American Chopsuey. For starters their Bruschetta, and Crispy Chicken Thread are a great Chakna along with hookah and drinks. If you are in for a quick bite you can grab one of their rolls which are also delightful with a mint chutney sauce that ties all the flavors together.

A major plus point of this place is the ambience. If you are looking for a quiet, sophisticated place where you want to have deep conversation or propose, I would definitely NOT choose this place. But it’s great for kicking back with friends, listening to the latest hiphop/trance and even playing cards or working on your laptop (no free Wifi.) I make it a point to take all my friends visiting from other places to Sigara for a chill evening out! Don’t beat it till you try it!:D

Meal for 2 including hookah approx: Rs.600

Welcome to Anika's

I've spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out what type of blog I should write. I did the life updates (then facebook came along), I did the rants (then people stopped caring) and then I realized I should write about what I love most. FOOD!

After having about 30 conversations in a week that revolved completely around food and realizing that I know all the chefs on the Food Network by first name, I came to the conclusion that this is something I'm passionate about!:D

I will be reviewing restaurants in Mumbai, small/big, expensive/cheap, Middle Eastern/Chinese, (wow this almost sounds like a summary of men I've dated) I will review them all.

I've been around the world and have tried the most exotic of cuisines since I was a child. I am familiar with whats authentic, but that said I always love an Indian spin on international food.

Please leave me comments and opinions. I would love to hear what you think!