Bungalow 9, Bandra West, Mumbai

Thanks to a Twitter contest that I somehow won (Hip Hip Hurray :D) along with a bunch of other foodies, I had the chance of meeting Kunal Vijaykar and Maria Goretti for dinner at Bungalow 9. Been hearing about this place for some time,so to be able to sample some treasures as a contest win came as a double bonus :D

Bungalow 9 is situated just behind Lilavati Hospital and if you get lost,like I did, just call them up, the hostess is very patient while giving directions *Thanks* :) The ambiance is simply perfect for a romantic date. I usually like bright ambiances, but what they are going for here is a dreamy candle-light-y environ and it works very well. Beautiful and Serene. There is an outdoor seating section which is a bit dark for my taste but if you are on a date, well, you will be very pleased. 

We were able to meet Kunal Vijaykar and Maria Goretti for about 10 minutes before they had to rush off for some important event or interview or something else, however, for us foodies, the evening had just started. Extremely warm service throughout the evening, can't praise it enough :)

The menu has an amazing medley of European, Continental and some Oriental dishes too. This is one super classy place and thus quite expensive. But treat it as an experience to cherish, it is definitely worthwhile. There were 9 of us and we ordered for many dishes, I might not even remember the names of all of them, but I know each one tasted brilliant. There were more vegetarians in the group than non-vegetarians and so we had more veggie dishes on the table :D

Started with Mushroom Cappuccino, a soup unlike anything else I have ever had. Creamy yet not heavy, warm and so flavorful. The presentation was another marvel. There was this foam above the soup, it actually looked like soap, but thankfully tasted nothing like it :D In fact,even the foam tasted Mushroom-y! How does one achieve this feat? Unbelievable. Fabulous!

Then came Moroccan Cottage Cheese in Pita Pocket for veggies and Golden Fried Prawns for non-veggies. The Pita Pockets were full of cottage cheese, in fact even being listed under the appetizer, it is enough as a main course for a light eater! The prawns were delicious too from what I heard. We also called for Dim Sums and I loved the Spinach & Tofu one, it not only looked beautiful, it also tasted amazing. It was not oily at all, neither was the outer layer thick or under/over-cooked as many places do with dim sums. Fabulous once more.

We really wondered about what to order for main course. We settled on Burmese Vegetable Khow Suey, Goat Cheese & Spinach Risotto and BBQ Pork Spare Ribs. The Burmese Vegetable Khow Suey alone is enough for 2 hungry people, and it is also the best dish on the menu. Very velvety creamy and a little bit on the sweeter side, it definitely has the ring of authenticity but not the heaviness we usually associate with rich dishes. Risotto was good but I was busier in finishing off the Khow Suey. I heard that the Spare Ribs were enough to be polished off by 3 hungry people and very delicious too, so there is that. 

Now came the dessert section, my favorite part of the evening and the ever-polite server recommended Jack Daniel's Ice Cream, Italian Cheesecake and Chocolate Marquise. Heavenly! The Italian Cheesecake was a dream and if you are a cheesecake lover, yup, that is what you wanna finish every meal with :D Chocolate Marquise turned out to be a dark-chocolate meets dark coffee brownie with a molten center and a dash of white chocolate, definitely a must try for ardent chocolate lovers. But the star dish, right after Burmese Khow Suey, was Jack Daniel's Ice Cream. It is the one dish I will swim across 7 oceans for. I asked for it once more and to be frank,I would have had one more if the usual societal pressure of not looking like a pig when it comes to free food had not restrained me :D 

Brilliant taste, Marvelous presentation, Great portions, Innovative menu, Efficient service - Bungalow 9 is a 100% winner on all counts :) ♥♥♥♥♥