Pan Asian Experience To Behold | Asia Kitchen & Bar | Food Review

Traffic. Andheri. Combine these together and you know what those Sam & Dean mean when they talk about hell in Supernatural (supernatural fans, hi-5 yo :D) But then you enter Asia Kitchen & Bar and it feels like entering another era in some other planet altogether! Very close to Saki Naka Metro Station, it stands tall, harboring a secret silent space inside, perfect for corporate crowd in surrounding offices, or just another group of friends looking to let off some steam! Elegant, dark, zen-like interiors, part rustic, part earthy, part contemporary, very soothing, comfortable and undoubtedly fine-dine. The staff elevates the experience being prompt, polite, knowing the menu inside-out and making killer recommendations.

  

A cohesive menu with vast pan-asian choices (sushi,dimsums,baos,noodles etc.) is complimented by a vast innovative bar menu too. I am a teetotaler so can't comment on how good these drinks are but we did try some superb mocktails which can be surely taken as a sign of alcoholic concoctions being fantastic too :) We had Refreshing Malaya Spiced Melon with Watermelon, Fresh Ginger and Lemon Fizz, followed by Very cooling (and a tad syrupy) Jade Spring with Mint Leaves, Lime, Ice, Bubbles, followed by creamy indulgence of Forbidden Punch with Cranberry and Pineapple Juice blended with Cream and a hint of Hazelnut.

We let the staff help us choose our menu for this review session and everything was simply fantastic. They are renowned for their authentic preparations, which I cannot personally vouch for since I have not traveled through the globe, but according to my own principle of 'if it tastes good,everything else is moot', am gonna give thumbs up to everything :) Be assured there is no 'Indian Chineez' dishes on the menu here but that does not mean anything is bland, rather the flavors and textures are spot on in everything. This makes the prices quite reasonable, yes they are on the higher side but so worth it.

Started off with starter - Steamed Edamame with Sea Salt, very simple dish, you have to actually tug the edamame out of its cover and discard the cover, the sea salt giving a lovely spike to its otherwise bland existence!

My sister won't touch Sushi at any place with a 10 foot pole but here, she devoured Cream Cheese Roll - elegant combination of Cream Cheese, Avocado, Asparagus, Cucumber, Mayo and Teriyaki, technically superb and oh so delicious in every bite. Again, I am no Sushi expert, but this has to be among the best I have eaten so far, a compliment many of its customers repeat. Thank God my sister's office is nearby, she is planning to order these at least once every week :D

We love dumplings and tried the crispy Corn and Water Chestnut Dumplings as well as Vegetable Steamed Basil Dumplings, both were quite decent and made us happy. Nothing much to analyze here, just the basil was difficult to discern but other than that,no issues,

Among small plates, we had Zucchini Rolls With Truffle Oil which was a tad bit salty, a fact we pointed out to the staff who took it very sportingly. It is okay, sometimes stuff happens, what matters is the spirit with which feedback is taken and they were very proactive about it. I am sure it was a one off thing (I am one to talk, I still finished it off :P)

It was the Crispy Lotus Stem With Black Pepper And Curry Leaves that was the utter star, crunchy lotus steam doused in this sweet spicy honey based sauce, a stunning small plate dish, must-have in our book :)

We had very little space left in our tummy by now so decided to just go with a light Veg Khao Suey main course, a lovely presentation of coconut based milky broth with exotic veggies and an array of accompaniments on a large wooden platter, including steamed silky noodles, peanuts, fried onions, lime and so on. I have had Khao Suey at quite a few places, that + thai curries are nowadays standard items offered at almost every restaurant/delivery place in every nook & corner. But I don't prefer it because usually it is too sweet, and I have a sweet jaw but this unnatural sweetness of that broth makes me barf-y. Asia Kitchen is one of the few places I know where they have not made the broth unnecessarily sweet,it still leans on the sweet-ish side but extremely mildly so,it is velvety, light and flavorsome. Must-have :) 

Don't fret as the massive lunch still couldn't dampen my excitement for desserts :P We chose Chocolate Dome With Warm Chocolate Sauce and Rambutan With Ice Cream, 2 desserts as different from each other as chalk & cheese. Okay, maybe not that different but still, chocolate dome is perfect for dedicated chocolate lovers and those with sweet jaw like mine. A huge,shiny chocolate dome hiding chocolate brownies, nuts, ice cream, crispy honey noodles inside, it breaks apart when hot chocolate sauce is poured on top of it, a visual delight and absolutely perfect dessert for 2 chocoholics to share (stop counting the calories!)

For those with an aversion to anything too sweet or chocolate-y, and who prefer something light or refreshing even for desserts, go for Rambutan with Ice cream, it is a fruit just like Litchi (same species but this one is denser) which is served with ice cream, tastes cool and is served with serene smoke. Niiiiice :)

With top-notch hospitality and delicious grub, Asia Kitchen & Bar is just what the doctor ordered for all foodies, cannot wait to be back soon!

Tipsy Turvy At The Tipsy Terrace | Food Review | Restaurant Review

There is a specific brand of happiness found in hanging out with friends at great rooftop places, that feeling of looking at the vast expanse of the city from up top, I hear a lot of my friends ask about great rooftop places to hang out at, and The Tipsy Terrace is a place I am happy to recommend to them :) Though technically, it is not rooftop, it is actually literally a terrace, an extension of 180 degrees, located at Grand Sarovar, Goregaon, still the ambiance is every bit as charming and worthy of being checked out with a special one or bunch of friends in tow.

It had been a busy and tiring office day so it was providence that one of my closest college friends and I landed here to relax thanks to a review invite :) The dreamy red lighting, very comfortable choice of seating, cool breeze, open kitchen and a view of the city all around made us feel instantly at ease. Elegant. Staff was extremely polite and efficient. The night we went was a Karaoke night, with some lovely songs belted out constantly to enhance our experience. Menu is limited, especially for vegetarians, but not constrictive and everything is actually enjoyable. Prices are a bit high but not as high as one would expect from a top-notch star category place, keeping in mind the ambiance, service, quality of everything, it is all right to indulge here. Service was laid-back which we thought was apt enough for the kind of place this is, a place where we can sit back without thinking about deadlines or projects, not a place one should dash to in a hurry!

This being 'tipsy' terrace, we had to try out at least one alcoholic drink which my friend did in the form of Rum Swizzle, with Bacardi, Old Monk, Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice, Dash of Grenadine & Bitters making her happy, while I sipped Cinderella, my tangy spiky mix of Pineapple Juice, Orange Juice, Lychee Syrup & Strawberry Crush, this one is a bit too sweet which is fine for my sweet jaw but going a bit easy on the syrup should fix that for normal folks, also later on we had Fruit Punch which was nice and creamy, 

Coming to food, Bhutta & Lasoon ka Shorba gave a fantastic start to our dinner- delicious mix of Roasted Corn & Garlic, wonderful flavors coming through,

A little trip to childhood was warranted by arrival of Veg Sambousek- described as a Middle Eastern Fried Dish with Stuffed Potatoes, this one is just like our Gujiya, a homemade pastry dessert mom used to make during Holi! This one is savory dish though, very delicious pastry with generous filling of mildly spiced potatoes, the outer layer was a bit thick but overall loved it, went really well with the various chutneys they provide on the table :)

Next up was Kathi Roll- Roomali Roti with Spicy Paneer Sabzi, soft and generous mix of paneer with spiced veggies, this one had us licking our fingers,

A mushroom lover like me can only jump in glee at arrival of Khumb on Toast - Baked Bread Toast topped with Cheesy Mushroom mixture, very crispy bread toast and mildly spiced yet sweet-ish mushroom mix truly making me gleeful,

Cottage Cheese lovers must surely try Paneer Angara - soft and juicy Cottage Cheese with Yogurt & Seasoning, very wholesome, gives that feeling of 'kuch achha khaya hai maine aaj' :D

In main course, would definitely suggest Aloo Khushnuma - Stuffed Potatoes in Rich Golden Gravy, in conjunction with Amritsari Kulcha. Instead of just focusing on Paneer gravies, we were happy to turn to this rich, fruity, mildly tangy gravy with stuffed Amritsari Kulcha. Love that nothing here is unnecessarily doused in oil or ghee, everything has distinct flavors and the taste lingers on for some time :) 

For desserts, we had a date with Angoori Rabdi - Cottage Cheese Balls immersed in reduced milk, where Rabdi was good but the one thing they can do to improve it is immerse the cottage cheese for a longer time so that it soaks rabdi up even more, otherwise it was quite pleasantly dense,

Absolutely fantastic was Gulkand Gulab Jamun- Milk Dumplings stuffed with Rose Petal, served in hot sugar syrup and blanched almonds on top, this one was simply heaven in every bite, a must-muster-mustest have :D

Ready to plan a night out with someone special or just in the mood to sit and talk with an old friend (like we did), then Tipsy Terrace is a really good option in this side of town, it was a pleasure being here and would definitely be back soon :)

Perfect Vegetarian Pizza & Pasta Experience | 63 By Lane Mumbai | Food Review

Passion makes all the difference.

A bunch of passionate foodies join hands to create a foodie heaven where everything is made in-house from scratch, fresh from quality ingredients and served with love, and voila, 63 By-Lane is born. Small and cute place hiding large delicious secrets :)

When it comes to our modern comfort food, we invariably turn to pizzas and pastas. In the clutter of new pizza places coming up every single day, very few manage to leave behind a footprint that ensures we reorder from them again & again, 63 By-Lane is so good in this respect that my mom (who never craves pizzas or pastas by the way) asked me 'don't these guys deliver to Dadar area?' She has said so for only about 5-6 places in her lifetime. We were invited for a review this time but we have kept it on record as a place to order from whenever we are in the area,and if they open an outlet in sion-dadar-parel area, they know who is gonna give them maximum business :D

They serve wholesome, delicious, freshly made Salads, Pizzas, Pastas with options of pre-set combinations or one can choose the ingredients themselves too. Quantity is quite reasonable and prices don't pinch compared to the excellent quality of food. Talk to the extremely polite and helpful staff who are experts in suggesting just the right combo for everyone's palate.

We came here on a weekday evening right after a visit to Esselworld and were starving. Started off with their refreshing Fresh Lime Water with Mint Leaves & Chia Seeds as well as tangy Chilled Lemon Tea with Mint Leaves, loved them so much,we bought a couple for taking home too :)

Everything here is numbered so instead of ordering something like 'Veggie Delight Pizza', all we need is say Pizza 99 or Pizza 63 :D Reminded me of my college, we had a sandwich guy right outside who had numbered the sandwiches so number 12 was Capcisum plus onions, number 14 was bell peppers plus corn plus onions and so on.

Anyway, we started off with tasting portions of a lot of stuff. First up was Salad 10- Watermelon, Feta Cheese, Basil, Arugula, Roasted Walnuts, Black Olives, Feta Cheese in Lemon Vinaigrette; very refreshing and sweet-bit spicy-bit sour, lovely combination and lip smacking delicious,

Also liked the Salad 63 a lot- Ice Berg Lettuce, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Black Olives, Onions, American Corn Kernels, Quinoa, Mix Seeds in mild Lemon Vinaigrette, a wholesome filling meal for a light eater,

Among the pizzas, we decided to try out variety of flavors in little slices and started off with Pizza 91- Barbecue Sauce, Tandoori Paneer, Bell peppers and Onions easily making it the star of the show, all the pizzas here are thin crust, perfect combination of sauces and cheeses, this one is a must-have,

Also loved Pizza 99- Caramelized Onions, Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Broccoli, Spinach, Bell Peppers in tomato sauce, sweet-crunchy-sour flavors combining beautifully,

Usually 4 cheese pizzas are not everyone's cup of tea since it can easily become dense or it can become too chewy if the cheese is not good and also,some people can find certain type of cheese stinky, but here they have perfected the 4 cheese pizza, must try the Pizza 04-Alfredo Sauce, lipsmacking combo of Mozzarella, Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese, not at all heavy or chewy or stinky in any way, I think this might be the only place where almost everyone is guaranteed to like this type of pizza :D

Need a bit of health kick? Go for Pizza 63- Multigrain Thin Crust supporting Onions, Spinach, Broccoli, Mushrooms, Baby Corn and Sundried Tomatoes, an explosion of flavors, really not much to say except everything was fresh, juicy and delectable.

Having had such a good time with different pizzas, we decided to try out some pastas too and absolutely loved Pasta 81- We converted Spaghetti Aglio Oilo into Penne Aglio Olio, a fantastic combination with Tomatoes, Basil, Black Olives and Parmesan Cheese drizzle on top, usually aglio olio is not considered anything exceptional, it is plain & basic but this one made my mom wanna have it more, simple ingredients done so well, some might find it a bit too oily but I reckon the majority will like it if they like simple wholesome flavors. Lovely. Will reorder this any time!

Pasta 02- Fusilli in Pink Sauce with Broccoli and Mushrooms and Pasta 10-Penne Pasta in Creamy Basil Pesto Sauce with Olives, Sundried Tomatoes -both with lovely Parmesan Cheese on top, were appropriately creamy and filling, can't find a fault and totally reasonable price wise too :)

For dessert, we decided to go for the Nutella Pizza with Caramelized Bananas, hint of Cinnamon, Nutella & Choco Chips which is a good choice, it could have a bit more nutella so that it oozes out, otherwise the balance of everything was good, it was not overwhelmingly sweet which endeared it to my sister and it is huge so 2-3 people can easily share it.

Apart from fresh ingredients and live cooking, these folks are also happy to change anything as per one's preference, so make sure to have a nice chat with the staff to get the salads, pizzas and pastas tailor-made. As per the quality of everything that we tried, we won't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for delicious grub and hope they soon open new outlets near our home too :)

Greece Comes To Mumbai | Thalassa Experience | Food Review | Restaurant Review

Comparisons ruin everything.

From 'why can't you be more like Sharma Ji's son' (we have all heard this one :P) to 'oh, why is this Thalassa not like the one in Goa', the lesson is- stop comparing! It helps nobody and ruins a perfectly nice situation.

Thalassa in Goa is one of the most epic places to relax, let your hair down, enjoy some stunning ocean views and party till wee hours. This outlet of Thalassa in Mumbai is not like that, but guess what, almost nothing in Mumbai is like Goa, Goa is Goa, Mumbai is Mumbai and the twain shall never be the same. The ambiance here is very different from the one in Goa and it is still awesome. We are Mumbaikars, we can deal with it :P

Rustic and laidback ambiance is lovely enough to entice anyone, feels like we are actually sitting in some Greek village for a relaxed meal. Soothing blue and white colors dominate the landscape and a variety of photographs & knick-knacks on the wall provide a soothing relief to eyes. Choose from the outdoor or indoor seating, it is comfortable and homely anywhere. Go with friends or family, make sure to go with an open mind, no kulchas or paneer butter masala here, loads of authentic Greek food to choose from. I know, at first glance, a lot of people think it is 'bland food' but actually it is not! Greek cuisine has also developed through the centuries (wars, trades, invaders bringing their own influences) and gives particular importance to textures and original flavors of the ingredients. Mediterranean food anyway gives emphasis on fresh produce, generous use of top-notch olive oil, cheeses and the like, and all this is amply demonstrated in the menu here. Everything we had was wholesome and delicious, so pleased to having been invited here for a tasting session :)

Service is exemplary and the staff is infectiously passionate about the food, it helps that they know the menu inside out and help everyone in selecting the right dishes according to their palate. We started off with drinks where Sea Breeze - Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice, Lime Juice & Grenadine gave me a lively citrusy kick while Thalassa Mermaid -Mango Juice, Blue Curacao, Fresh Cream & Mint Leaves was absolutely refreshing and appropriately creamy. My sister had some alcoholic drinks that I have no idea about but she loved them, so there :D

Having never been to Greece myself, I have no idea how 'authentic' Greek food tastes like, but this feels pretty awesome (as it is, I never get into the debate of authentic vs non-authentic, if food tastes good, everything else is moot :D) Have to make a special mention here, while having our food I thought that the tomatoes tasted different, in general so did the salad and the dips, turns out it is because of the special olive oil they import from Greece, this attention to detail truly makes a difference! 

Absolutely recommend Tzatziki -Yoghurt, Cucumber, Garlic & Olive Oil dip served with hot (and thick) Pita bread,very simple and wholesome dish, especially since it was not overly oily or greasy, the olive oil used here is so light and fruity, this is lovely for hot and humid weather too!

Spicy Mushroom Saganaki - juicy Mushrooms cooked in fresh spicy Tomato Sauce, Greek Herbs, topped with Cheddar & Feta Cheese was a cheesy indulgence, again a simple rustic dish, good enough to be polished off by 2 for a light meal,

Flaming Saganaki - traditional Cheese Flambe, flaming presentation doused out by lime juice, any cheese lover would be glad with this, the lime kick with density of cheese being pretty good, too much cheese for me personally but if you like it,go for it!

Kolokithokeftedes (there is a tongue twister we need for our birthday parties :P) i.e. Fried Zucchini Balls were decent enough, a little bit drier than I like, but the accompanying tomatoes & dip-oh boy! 

My personal favorite was Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad - dressed with Kalamata Olive oil and served chilled, not something one would expect to be extraordinary but it so was, aptly proving how simplicity is the best choice,no razzmatazz, no unnecessary additions. Huge juicy watermelon chunks with their natural sweetness cut only by the saltiness of feta and the fresh spike of mint, again everything elevated by the extraordinary olive oil drizzle. This is what I am definitely going back for, and if you think how can just a couple of watermelon cubes can taste soooo good, you gotta go here and have it too! It is also huge enough to suffice for a complete meal. Could not stop having it :)

It is lovely to see that they have included a lot of vegetarian options in the menu here, more than the Goa menu! Veggies must have the Vegetable Mousaka - layers of potatoes,eggplant, spiach & mushrooms topped with bechamel,tomato sauce & cheese, very cheesy, flavorsome, a bit greasy, a lot delicious (and I do not like eggplants at all! But I love how it is being incorporated in such delicious avatars on menus nowadays)

For those who want to keep things simple, go with Spana Korizo - Spinach & Rice cooked in a pot with Kalamata Olive Oil & Greek Herbs, topped with Feta Cheese, think of it as Greek comfort food Khichdi! I think every culture in the world has some version of Khichdi as their comfort food and this is one good version of the same, cheese does not overpower the spinach-rice combo, it is refreshing, filling, cooling and subtle.

Finally, come to the dessert section and dig straight into Tiramisu, one of the best I have ever had anywhere. I have had some really horrible ones, including one where the base was completely wet, one where the coffee was unbelievably bitter, but here they have made it perfect-spongy, creamy, light and lovely :)

A nice fine-dine level place with some fantastic offerings & superb service in an enchanting ambiance, Thalassa in Mumbai is a cool place to try out, just remember to not start with the 'sharma ji ka beta' style comparisons with its Goa outlet :D