Global Culinary Journey At The Sassy Spoon Powai | Beautiful Modern Dining Destination | Food Review | Food Photography

Powai has suddenly turned into the party zone and top culinary destination in the suburbs, giving tough competition to venues such as Lower Parel, Anderi, and BKC. One of the newest entrants here is this sassy place. Walk in to feel like you just entered the saner version of Alice in Wonderland. 

The greenery below the ceiling with the fairy lights, the differently-colored chair cushions, the careful arrangement of quirky collectibles along the booth wall, the life-size van fixture at the well-appointed bar, the medley of high chairs with zebra pattern, the cherry blossom motif on the pillar in the center and the juxtaposition of primary colors against each other. Look at me, I can write an architectural digest episode here! 

Combine this with an ever-helpful staff, a menu that promises a tour around the world, live music on special nights, a general bonhomie in the air and you know this is a winner. Prices are on the higher side but cannot complain looking at the location and the brand name. The quality of the food certainly justifies it to a large extent.

For our review session, we had and loved-

TOMATO, OLIVE AND PARMESAN SOUP- LOVED, hot bowl of warmth that I needed on this chilly evening,

WARM LEMONY COUSCOUS WITH TOASTED ALMONDS, PEPPERS, CHILLI, CORIANDER SALAD- Healthy wholesome bowl, different flavors and textures went well together, a nice trip through west asia,

SPICY KIDNEY BEANS EMPANADAS WITH QUESO - Straightforward, heavy dish, try it when you are in a group, could feel a bit dry but tasty nonetheless, 

BAKED BEETROOT & FETA KEFTEDES IN ONION SEED PITA WITH CUCUMBE TZATZIKI -LOVED, MUST-HAVE, the beetroot & feta koftas were OUTSTANDING, if I could make beetroot taste like this I would never eat outside food #justsaying :D Would come back here just to try this,

BAKED LASAGNA WITH CREAMED LEEKS, MUSHROOMS, SWEET POTATOES & CHEDDAR - Again LOVED, and on the healthier side with layers of lasagna sheets, mushrooms, sweet potatoes in a hearty tomato sauce, Italy tastes good :D, 

NUTTY RICOTTA RAVIOLI WITH HOMEMADE RICOTTA, WALNUTS, PINE NUTS AND GARLIC CREAM SAUCE- Hands down my FAVORITE, the play of ricotta mounds with nuts and creamy sauce, explosion of flavors in mouth, had the potential to be bland or heavy and was none, try this for sure!, 

SEVEN TEXTURES OF HAZELNUT AND CHOCOLATE-Think of every chocolate and hazelnut based dessert form-pastry, disc, biscotti, mousse, molten sauce..this ultimate dessert has it ALL, if you love chocolate and hazelnut, try this. If you don't, well try this anyway and then probably go for therapy :P, 

RASPBERRY MOUSSE- Dark Chocolate meets Raspberry in a mousse form and gets immortalized in a fluffy decadent dessert with tangy raspberry sorbet by the side. MUST-HAVE!

True to their promise, you can travel around the world on one plate here with fresh ingredients, delicious culinary experimentation, cool ambiance, prompt service, and smiling helpful staff. On all points, a complete pleasure. This hungry hippo gives a thumbs up. 

Starry Pizzas From Starboy Pizzas And Shakes | Vegetarian Food Delivery | Review And Photography

Tried 3 pizzas from here 2 days ago, for a fun family dinner night. The pricing is just right for the quantity, especially since we got a massive 50% discount while ordering from zomato. Delivery was super-fast too, and the packaging merits a special mention. The boxes are colorful, immersed in the colors of US flag, and there are pictures of American celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley on the oregano + chilli flakes packets :)

We had VEG SUPREME LOADED, GARDEN VEGGIES & THREE CHEESE TRIO, TANDOORI PANEER TIKKA pizzas. My favorite was PANEER one, with super-soft paneer pieces on a bed of loads of cheese and proper ratio of sauces to spices. LOVELY :)

Both VEG SUPREME as well as GARDEN VEGGIES variety had nice amount of bell peppers, olives, onions etc. and good cheese + sauce ratio, were delicious. But frankly I could not distinguish any difference between them, both tasted almost the same. Anyway, my parents enjoyed both the varieties while I loved the tandoori paneer.

Would definitely reorder :) 

Waffle Pizza Galore With Wack Waffle Pizzas | Delicious Innovation | Food Delivery | Review And Photography

They serve dessert waffles as well as savory waffles. I ordered a bunch of savory waffles for dinner some days ago and LOVED the experience :) One more thing, I think these are the same as the Starboy Pizzas since the delivery was done in their boxes. So same company, different brands. In any case, Starboy serves amazing pizzas and Wack Waffle serves amazing waffle pizzas :D Win-Win situation. Delivery done super-duper fast.

We tried-

VEGGIE DELIGHT WAFFLE PIZZA- Savory waffle base with cheese, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and jalapenos, a bit tangy sauce on the base that I liked but my dad is especially sensitive to tanginess so he did not like it much.

BARBEQUE PANEER WAFFLE PIZZA- Savory hearty waffle base with BBQ paneer pieces, bell peppers, onions, jalapenos and loads of cheese :) Also a bit tangy sauce but even my dad loved this because of the smokey bbq touch :)

POCKET PERI PERI PANEER WAFFLE PIZZA- Pocket waffle, basically waffle folded in pocket sandwich style so easy to carry and eat :D Stuffed with peri-peri paneer pieces, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, I finished this in 3 minutes flat. DELICIOUS :)

We got a massive discount while ordering online so all of this came to just about Rs. 300, enough quantity to be a light dinner for 3 people! If the tanginess of the base sauce was a bit less, I would give perfect 5 stars. But even now it is pretty amazing and completely recommended by this hungry hippo :D 

Shawarma Express | Delicious Shawarmas Healthy Sandwiches And More | Food Delivery | Review

Before yesterday, I have had Shawarma a total of 4 times in my lifetime, 2 were disasters and 2 were mindblowing. Thanks to Shawarma Express, now I can safely say that I have had EXCELLENT Shawarmas a total of 3 times in my life so far :D

They sent over some delicious food for review that was delivered by an extremely soft spoken boy on time. We all know the traffic condition in Mumbai and despite that, whenever anyone makes timely delivery, I am super-duper impressed. So a good start :) I tried and LOVED everything. In fact, honestly, I did not have huge expectations, because come on, there was a sandwich and a pasta and a shawarma, and how extraordinary can any of these taste. But boy, was I left licking the plate clean!

CORN-SPINACH GRILLED SANDWICH- Generous portion of spinach and corn with a mild infusion of creamy cheesy flavor, this was more on the healthy side, even though the menu doesn't put them under such category. Very delicious, very filling, definitely worthy of reordering if you want something tasty without compromising on health quotient.

PENNE PASTA IN PESTO- Creamy basil pesto sauce and good chunks of mushrooms and corn with penne pasta sloshing in there tempting the hippo in me. Do not let the term 'healthy' even get anywhere near your mind while having this. It is ULTRA CHEESY, ULTRA CALORIFIC, ULTRA DELICIOUS. Maybe 5 million calories in there due to toooooo much creaminess, but who cares :D I am very greedy when it comes to such delicious food so I want more quantity please :P That's the only thing I can say to improve it, more quantity.

PANEER SHAWARMA (LARGE)- STAR of the meal. Huge Pita Bread rolled with Lebanese sauces including lip-smacking hummus, fried cabbage, pickles, and nice soft chunks of paneer. Too filling, too delicious. I am literally drooling over my keyboard as I am typing this! MUST-MUST-MUSTTTTT HAVE :)

This hungry hippo is still salivating thinking about this meal, so I suggest you get your fill soon too :D 

Cheese Tease Fest at 1441 Pizzeria Lower Parel Mumbai | Authentic Italian Pizzas And More | Food Review | Restaurant Review

I have been to 1441 Pizzeria's other outlets earlier and it remains one of the best, my personal most favorite pizza destinations in the city. The reason being, the passion with which they bring genuine ingredients, authentic recipes and craft each pizza in the special wood-fired oven, makes pizzas taste so much better than many places that rely on overdose of cheese and thick crusts alone. Was here with mom for their special Cheese Tease Fest that has many items on the menu no available otherwise, and I hope they make this a permanent thing because everyone deserves all the deliciousness of this fest on a regular basis. 

The outlet is small but cute, with green and red colors dominating the decor, and a timeless feel, making the first impression stand out with its warmth. Add to it the unmatched happiness of the staff in welcoming every person with a cheery greeting and the patience with which they explain that this is a different place where the foodie gets to make their own pizzas, choose their own toppings, kind of cheese that they want, and see it get created in wood-fired ovens in front of their eyes. Prices a bit on the higher side but worth it for the quality and quantity.

Had, loved, and recommend-

ARANCHINI- Cheesy but not overly so, little balls of delightfulness mixed with adequate spices and happiness

TOMATO AND CHEESE SANDWICHES- Heavily portioned, enough to share with 2-3 people, big pieces of sandwiches with loads of cheese, tomatoes, salad leaves, delicious

STRACCIATELLA- Beautiful crust with bakes Stracciatella Cheese, Tomatoes, Rocket Leaves, Shaved Parmesan Cheese and Italian Sauce, a good blending of flavors that are simple and rustic without any one overpowering the others,

BOCCONCINI- My FAV! Olives, Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Sauce, Bocconcini cheese balls melted, together this is one melange of flavors that I loved despite having such simple sparse ingredients, that is what happens when the recipe is authentic and passionately followed,

Alongside for desserts we had STRAWBERRY and NUTELLA CHEESECAKES and they were delicious, with perfect balance of sweet and salty, creamy and fluffy textures :)

Overall, one more time for me to get floored by the Italian deliciousness at display here, will be back for sure! 

Easy Cappuccino Bandra Mumbai | Coffee Pizzas Croissants & More | Restaurant Review

Some of the most beautiful food haunts of Mumbai masquerade as quaint coffee shops. Sweet and cute little places, unfazed by the super-duper hustle of everyday life right outside their doors, serving delicious coffees and knick-knacks throughout the day. Makes it easy for dreamers to congregate and relax for hours altogether... Easy Cappuccino in Bandra is one such place for dreamers and coffee lovers. 

A small place on Pali Hill, can accommodate around 12-15 people on a good day, with super-fast service and excellent staff. Compact menu with hot coffee, green coffee, cold coffee, innovative shakes, mini pancakes, pizzas, and croissants. Everything reasonably priced, considering that this is located in Bandra, the queen of over-priced suburbs (or is that Juhu..well, we can focus on Mumbai's geographical economy later), suffice to say that Bandra is one heck of an overpriced place and to get a cup of steaming hot coffee in less than Rs. 200 here is nothing short of a miracle.

So here we were, my mother and I, relaxing on a Wednesday evening, contemplating the moods of nature (will it rain during this Diwali or not!) and helping ourselves to some amazing offerings of Easy Cappuccino.

-HOT CHOCOLATE- Good. Did not taste completely like Bournvita like many other places, had appropriate balance of sweetness and density, and served steaming hot. If you are a child like me who tends to burn tongue while drinking scalding hot beverages, remember the Indian sudki your parents took when drinking their morning tea. #SaveTheTongue #IssuedInPublicInterest

-IRISH COFFEE- Brilliant. Bitter and satisfying for a true Irish Coffee lover. Topped with whipped cream and caramel that brought that interplay of sweet and bitter profiles. LOVED.

-MOCHA with added Caramel on top- Me loves caramel so me puts caramel in every coffee me has. That is me trying to explain my caramel love to a 3 year old. Even if you don't love caramel as much as I do, you will like Mocha. A shot of espresso, a shot of chocolate syrup, some milk..what's not to love!

-TIRAMISU CROISSANT- Buttery flaky croissant, among the best I have ever had. But I thought the tiramisu flavor would be more ingrained from inside-out. Turns out it was normal butter croissant with some added tiramisu flavor along the sides and whipped cream served alongside. Just okay.

-PERI PERI PANEER PIZZA- Simple pizza with some paneer, peri peri sauce base, some condiments, and lotttttttts of cheese. Mini in size, just enough as a filling snack for a medium-eater. A hippo like me would need 3 such pizzas for lunch. Delicious, but mind you, this is no gourmet pizza. If there was a pizza school, this is the pizza the pretentious pizzas won't share their lunch table with, but hey we love our cheesy pizzas, right? LOVED it, because I am not pretentious :P

CINNAMON & CARAMEL PANCAKE CASSETTES- Little, and I mean, really little versions of pancakes, easily the most delicious items on the menu, but got over too fast. Beautiful balance of cinnamon, mon amour caramel, honey in a melt-in-mouth version. Would be back here for these...but I want moooooooore in one serving :D

Oh, also love how they serve little sides such as a dairy milk bar with hot chocolate and a pair of cookies with Mocha. Easy Cappuccino is heartily recommended by this happy hippo :)

Junos Pizza Ghatkopar Mumbai | Delicious Pizzas Overload | Food Review | Vegetarian Recommendation

What happens when hunger strikes at 10 PM? Call for a pizza, ofcourse.

Tried some delicious pizzas from Juno's yesternight and it was finger-licking amazing.

Delivery was done within half hour, pizzas were fresh and piping hot, 3 of us were full to the brim with two 8-inch and one 10-inch pizza, all within Rs. 1200, so quite value for money too.

We absolutely loved-

-FULL SMASH (8 inch)- THIN CRUST loaded with Capsicum, Onions, Olives, Mushrooms, Jalapenos and some green chillies. The thin crust deserves appreciation, I do not like the extremely thin papad-like crust and Juno's does not serve crust like that. It is crispy still wholesome. The toppings were also nicely spread, not too much nor too less. 

-EXOTICA (8 inch)- Again I ordered for THIN CRUST and am glad I did because this was an absolute WINNER. With abundant exotic veggies like Zucchini, Broccoli, Red & Yellow Peppers, Baby Corn, Olives and Mushrooms, what made it different was a mix of different herbs on top. So every bite was crunchy, wholesome, tangy, sweet, and an amalgamation of the best flavors you can imagine. MUST-TRY.

-PAPRIKA PANEER (10 inch)- Being a Paneer fanatic, it was mandatory to try this in THICK CRUST. Again, I do not like those deep dish thick crusts that are too bread-y or the ones that are too chewy. Here the crust is just delicious. Not chewy, not bread-y, very warm and soft and a delight to sink teeth into. With a good amount of Paneer, Red & Yellow Peppers, Capsicum & loads of Paprika, it was on the tangier side but delicious as well.

The best part about the pizzas, they already had the perfect amount of cheese, toppings and seasonings so we did not have to add anything else on top to make it lip-smacking. Absolutely loved each one of these.

-CHOCOLATE MOUSSE- Appropriately fluffy creamy and delicious, just like a good chocolate mousse should be. AND it came in a little cutting chai glass :) 

Juno's is one of my family's preferred pizza destinations now...next time we will order in some pasta and salads too :) LOVE and Thumbs-up Recommendation.