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. 

Hello Guppy BKC Mumbai Interior Decor | Quirky Fun Colorful Vibrant Instagram Worthy | Lifestyle Photography

Walking in at Hello Guppy I had no idea on what to expect. Well, not only has it become one of my recent favorite foodie destinations in Mumbai, it is also a quirky, beautiful, vibrant place that deserves a full post on its brilliant interior decor. So without further ado, soak in its beauty here and read its full review HERE :)

You can also check out more interior decor posts HERE, HERE and HERE! A stroll through a mall or a 5 star luxury property, there is beauty everywhere to behold ♥

Go Funky, Go Delicious With Bohemian Brew | Food Review | Decor Photography

Elegance, Taste, Health and TEA! All together at one place, it is Bohemian Brew all right :)

The decor speaks bohemian to the T, with tables adorned by hand paintings, hand made arts adorning the walls and not to miss, my favorite, glass-work lamps (the one Turkey is famous for!) illuminating the room like nothing else. The outdoors are cheery, they have a little private room for family gatherings or celebrating any occasion AND there is a cute reading room too! Floored over by the ambiance yet? The best is yet to come.

The exotic teas and excellent food take forward the free bohemian spirit. Pick anything from the menu and I am sure it will be fantastic since everything we had was amazing.

Among teas, I had the delicate (and verrry subtly sweet) Kashmiri Kahwa -Green Tea with Cardamom, Almonds, Cinnamon, Cloves, Saffron Strands, while my sister loved her refreshing Blueberry Flowering Tea- Green tea floral infusion with smooth blueberry and mild jasmine, and my mom couldn't get enough of her Adrak Pudina and Lemongrass Chai,yes as densely flavorful as it sounds :)

Then came the tasting portions of this review invite, starting from Watermelon & Feta salad-sweet & spicy watermelon with vodka infusion, mascarpone & feta cheese + pine nuts garnish, an explosion of all possible flavors in mouth, this one is for those who want a zing in their lives :D

My personal favorites were the wholesome Falafel with Hummus, the hummus here deserves to be taken home in big jars and I wish they start selling it :D So cooling, just the way my tummy loved it!

Another great dip was their in-house specialty served next!Spicy Cheesy Kuboos-sauteed vegetables and cheese stuffed between two flatbreads and lightly grilled, served with a spicy cajun sauce, the chef told us many patrons here actually ask him if he is selling this in jars and I am not surprised :D

Salad lovers can try Tea Leaf Salad -Burmese Fermented Tea Leaves salad with fried garlic, peanuts, roasted chana dal, sesame seeds, tomatoes and lettuce, very healthy and crunchy,

My sister is a pasta lover to the hilt and she specially requested Fettuccine Alfredo, a rich cheesy delicacy, keeping things simple, this can be considered soul food, very simple and delicious,

I personally loved (right after the hummus) their scrumptious Cottage Cheese Steak with Ratatouille, melt in mouth cottage cheese steak and all those veggies, yummy, this one is a wholesome treat :)

The passion with which the owners have conceptualized the theme of the place and the quality of ingredients used in everything makes it one of my newest favorites in the city. My sister and I are planning to revisit here at least once every fortnight (and my sister rarely ever wants to revisit any place easily) so that is high compliment indeed :)

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