Karwari Food Festival | Solitaire Restaurant Hotel Kohinoor Continental | Best Food Festival Destination | Food Review

Anybody making a list of best buffet dining destinations or food festival destinations in Mumbai, make Solitaire Restaurant at Kohinoor Continental your top pick right away. Delicious food, very value for money price point, elegant calm ambiance, excellent staff and superb service-pick your reason to visit Solitaire and just do it :)

I have been here for multiple food festivals over the years and not once have they disappointed me or my family. Have loved the Thai Food Festival, the Maharashtrian Food Festival, and now the Karwari Food Festival that is going on right now till 17th of November 2019. There aren't 500 items in the buffet, but more than enough for anybody to feast like royalty.

They have brought the perfect home-cooked feel, everything tastes like prepared by a loving grandma, so this is the right place to say goodbye to oil-laden food that is the usual trademark of typical 'restaurant food'. And the walk till Solitaire is also adorned with ambiance-enhancing decorations, nice touch :) For me, the main draw was that Karwari food, from the coastal Karnataka region, that is mainly seafood based, also had many options for a hardcore vegetarian like me. Ingredients like coconut, hand-pounded spices, tamarind, potatoes have been used generously and I cannot emphasize this enough-nothing has been doused in ghee or oil to make it tasty, rather the real taste of real ingredients shines through in every preparation. This is the best differentiating factor here that even my mother loved a lot.

Started off with PANAK, the most refreshing drink hands down, with Jaggery, Lemon, Ginger, Black Pepper together, how can this not be magical :) Alongside there was also SOL KADI and BUTTERMILK but I ended up having 3 rounds of Panak and would have had more if a delicious spread of food did not beckon me :D

The starters and salads section was hands down my favorite with plethora of bites in crunchy and healthy avatars, including-

BEETROOT KISMOR- Tangy-Spicy medley of Beetroots, Peanuts, Onions and just a dash of homemade masala,

TOUSHE MULYAR- Cooling preparation with Cucumber, Dahi, Coconut,

ASSORTED PAPAD- Do not miss the Shankh shaped papads!

ASSORTED KAAP- Basically fritters but baked, not fried, thin slices of Potatoes, Bananas, Brinjals and Yams. Sound humble but wait till you taste them, the delicious crumby coating will force you to go back for seconds.

DAL VADE- THE BOMB! I lost count of how many of these I had. Looked like the simple tikki we have but I haven't had a more balanced mix of spices, onions, daal in a tikki version EVER. I kid you not, I am salivating just thinking about it even now.
KHOTTE- Idli steamed in Jackfruit leaves, try it for the earthy other-worldly flavor not found in any food nowadays :)

For main course, we noshed on another set of down-to-earth dishes found in Karwari households. Think veggies with coconut, curries with mix of tamarind and chillies with capsicum and raw mangoes, bhakris made of healthy ingredients such as jowar way before quinoa and kale became fashionable! We had and loved-

KAIRI UDIT METHI- Raw Mango + Karela in red curry, a bite of bitter with a lot of tanginess,
BATATA TALASINI- Simple Potato Bhaaji with Mustard, 

CHANA SURANA GASSI- Bengal Gram and Yam in a hearty thick curry with coconut and hint of tamarind,

PUGHE MIRSANG ROSE- Capsicum and Potatoes in wholesome coconut curry,

BHINDI SUKKE- Ladies fingers frolicking in a paste of coconut with loving masalas,

DAL made just like mom makes at home, no butter, no ghee, no flashy tadka, just plain happiness,

JOWAR and RICE BHAKRI, AMBE-MOHAR RICE that went as well with all the curries as the jodi of Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet,

The Home-made pickles were a great hit with mom in this section too.

And then we had to save some space for dessert too, a limited but nonetheless delicious selection of authentic Karwari delicacies enticed us. We had-

FRUITS such as pineapple, kiwi, watermelons, papaya,

MOONG DAAL PAYAS,a lightly-sweetened moong daal porridge, can be had even by those who do not like sugar,

SUKRUNDE, looks like pakode but tastes like Puran Poli, with the same stuffing inside the outer gram flour covering, a dollop of ghee will make it even better,

PATOLI, my mom is from Orissa and she tells me there they call this Pittha, rice batter stuffed with coconut and jaggery and then steamed in turmeric leaves, MUST-HAVE, simple but heavenly,

And the most delicious dessert ever-GADBAD ICE CREAM, a rage in Karnataka, mix of Vanilla, Strawberry, Mango ice creams with wafer chips, chocolate straws, chocolate chips, tutti-frutti nuggets, jellies, sprinkles..basically just let yourself be a 5 year old kid again and enjoy a trillion calories in a glass :D

Seriously, what else is the definition of good life? :) 

Bindaas Begum Rockin' Raja | Indian Royal Recipes Beckon | Food Review | Restaurant Review

The land of Maharajas! That’s one aspect of India’s historical legacy. This is the land of Rajahs and Maharajahs and Ranis and Nawabs and Begums. We all grow up listening to stories of the pomp and splendour of their kingdoms. And obviously, the royal chefs and the delicacies they cooked up are all a part of this very fantastic legacy. So a passionate foodie couple got a food historian to take them on a culinary trail of a royal sort, one where they asked royal families to part with some of their cherished recipes. And then they chose the best of the lot of be part of the incredible menu at Bindaas Begum Rockin Raja.

The gorgeous ambiance, the polite staff, the HUGE menu (at very reasonable prices) at this lovely foodie destination in Mulund are all a part of a royal ambiance, but all with a dash of contemporary chilled out vibe. Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is a place only for ‘oldies’ or lovers of ‘historical or vintage’ era or that it serves royal thaali. This is a young place where everybody will find something awesome. While they have many novelties on the menu, they have tried and tested Indian gems too (like Subz Miloni, Tandoori Rotis, Paneer Tikkas and so on). Oh they have a fantastic bar too!

For this review session, we tried something from every section and came back with our minds blown :D

For drinks, we started with GINGER ALE, packaged drink so even though it was horrible, cannot blame anyone but my own choice :D

My sister had a COFFEE + CHOCOLATE based drink and loved it.

-- SOUPS

BADAM PALAK SHORBA – Spinach + Almonds, nutritious + delicious, a lot of green and just a hint of sweet, very wholesome, little crunchy and a MUST-HAVE,

CRÈME DE VOLAILLE PRINCESSE – French delicacy from Bikaner royalty, fresh aromatic Asparagus soup, nothing artificial about it, really good and healthy,

--APPETIZERS

GOVIND GHATTA- Regal specialty from Awadh, Besan (Ghatta) dumplings filled with paneer, khoya,some dry fruits. While the name makes it sound like a very rich and sweet dish, it is in reality a delicious dish, not very sweet (just a hint) and served as little bites to make it an amazing MUST-HAVE appetizer,

KEWA DAATSHE – Sikkim’s royal family provides this surprising mix of loads of cheddar cheese with char-grilled chillies, my sister loved the combination (not very spicy as I expected),

BHUTTE KI KARENJI – Royal family of Dhar in Madhya Pradesh gifts my FAVORITE of the evening, Karenji with loads of bhutta, I loved how the steamy juiciness of corn came through the crispy karenji exterior. I had only loved sweet karenjis, this is such a surprise and I am coming back for more soon,

TSHOEM- Another royal dish from Sikkim, loads of stir-fried exotic veggies, especially water chestnuts and mushrooms, make this one a healthy option for everyone,

--MAIN COURSE

PANEER MAKHANE KA KORMA- My choice in main course from royalty of Bhopal, a rich saffron-y gravy with dry fruits, paneer, makhana, mildly sweet (but I have a sweet jaw y’all), I loved the velvety texture. Also, the main course is full of so many delicacies, it is virtually impossible to choose one! This went really well with soft Butter Naan (stop counting calories :P)

GIRNAARI KHICHDI- Enjoy this healthiest dish with loads of vegetables and peanuts from the royal family of Sayla from Gujarat, I know Khichdi is probably the last dish one would look at as gourmet, but try this one before any such judgement,

--DESSERTS

LAHSUNI KHEER- Dessert section started with a bang with this unheard dish, it is actually a 200 YEARS OLD RECIPE! Thick delicious Kheer with a hint of garlic, nothing much discernible, yet the taste profile is simply MAGNIFICENT. I would travel for hours just to try this one :)

NIMISH TUMKI- Nizaams of Delhi bragged about this and if you like delicate sublime desserts, you will love it too. Milk froth, dry fruits, rose essence (real, not artificial), it literally feels like clouds are having a party here!

SHAHI TUKDA- Famous Hyderabadi dessert with thickest of rabdi and more…I cannot describe the beauty even if I tried, so my suggestion-try it yourself.

Frankly, I have never been enamored by the lifestyle of the royals but when it comes to food, well I am swooning over our meal and cannot wait to go back, so that says volumes about how awesome Bindaas Begum Rockin Raja is. Bon Appetit!

Mansion Bar & Lounge Mulund Mumbai | Perfect Family Foodie Getaway | Food Review | Restaurant Review

First Impression- Opulent! The moment we walked into Mansion Bar & Lounge, the glass-paneled walkway, the outer seating area with water fountain & little angels sculptures made us go wow. Inner area just continued that wow factor with its huge size (perfect for big events), beautiful drop lights, velvet couches, high chairs, gorgeous bar. In terms of ambiance, 10 stars out of 5!

While the DJ belted out some fantastic dance numbers, the staff got to work. We were here to review some of their delicacies and the service was stupendously fast, plus the staff suggested their best dishes and were extremely diligent in taking feedback about each dish from every patron. Prices just perfect for quantity + quality, each main course can suffice 2 hungry folks easily. 

>>> BEVERAGES

HAZELNUT ESPRESSO - Vodka, Kahlua, Hazelnut Cream Foam, strong, my Vodka-loving sister was happy with this,

A round of BEERS for dad, perfectly chilled,

SIAMESE PRINCESS MOCKTAIL- Peach Fizz with Watermelon, refreshing, mom liked it,

STRAWBERRY COLADA- Sweet but not overly so, coconut shreds on glass rim, mom loved it,

COFFEE, TOFFEE AND GINGER NUT COOKIE SHAKE- Came recommended, glad I tried it, lovely!

BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE SHAKE- My sister tried it, another lovely shake, perfect flavors, not too icy either,

Would recommend their shakes the most.

>>> STARTERS

CRISPY LOTUS STEM- Exotic lotus stems in sweet-spicy flavors, deep fried, perfect bar nibble to go with beverages,had a nice spicy kick,

DAHI KE KEBAB- Soft kebabs with hung yogurt + chili + ginger + garlic, nicely done, a sour + spicy aftertaste,

TIKKI KI TOKRI-3 types of Tikkis- BEETROOT, POTATO & CHEESE, served with cooling green chutney, liked the beetroot one the most while potato and cheese were adequate,

(Then we had TANDOORI PLATTER with these 3 dishes)-

THREE PEPPER PANEER TIKKA- Charcoal grilled Paneer with Red Chillies, Bhavnagri Chillies and Yellow Pepper, spicy and enjoyable,

KALI MIRCH MALAI BROCCOLI- WINNER in starters section, huge Broccoli pieces marinated perfectly in dahi + cashew+ pepper paste, sweet-sourish flavors,

BHARWAN ALOO- Another beauty we LOVED, with little potatoes filled with Minced Paneer + Spices and served with Green Chutney,

>>> VERDURE PIZZA - My personal FAVORITE. Crispy crust, square pizzas with generous amount of sauce and cheese plus toppings of Caramelized Onions, Sauteed Mushrooms, Broccoli, Green Chillies, baked delightfully, a little kick of spices coming with Basil Pesto. LOVED.

>>> MAIN COURSE

GANGA JAMUNA VEGETABLE- Mom loved this one, a medley of 2 different gravies with Malabar Paratha (which is similar to Lachha Paratha we get in north), 1 gravy was tangy tomato based lababdar while 2nd gravy was spicy, and the best part was the little paneer and potato pieces dividing the gravy, FABULOUS :)

CHILLI & GARLIC NOODLES- For those of us who cannot get enough of Indian Chinese, this is a MUST-HAVE. Such lovely bowl of noodles choc-a-bloc with julienne vegetables such as carrots, onions, bell peppers, a complete delight to have,

>>> DESSERT

APPLE CRUMBLE CHEESECAKE - Wholesome Cheesecake with delicious Apple Crumble in there, served with Caramel reduction and Vanilla Custard drizzles, MUST-HAVE, I can still taste the memory of it :D

CHOCOLATE POTLI- For chocolate lovers, a complete YES to this. Little potlis with deep fried crispy exteriors and molten chocolate inside, life is good with this one around. (I finished the entire plate by myself)

RUM ROASTED PINEAPPLE - Recommended by the staff, something different and sublime. Simple but moist Coconut Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream and Rum-Roasted Pineapple. It all tastes good independently and it tastes great together. Perfect for those who want something new to try and are not too fond of chocolates or cheesecakes, but want something softer, more delicate, simpler. Liked it :)

Every beverage and dish carried a flavorful punch, combined with gorgeous royal decor and flawless service, making this our next must-visit foodie destination in town. Bon Appetit!