House Of Mandarin Powai | A Royal Chinese Feast | Food Review | Restaurant Review

I am not a big fan of Chinese food, not the way it is consumed in India. There, I said it. I know it is sort of a sacrilege for a foodie, but somehow I have not warmed up to the excessive use of spices and oil in the Indo-Chinese cuisine..yet, once in a while, I do come across some establishments that try to provide an authentic Chinese experience with appropriate focus on using quality ingredients instead of over-using of artificial sauces and spices and oil, and I fall in love with them. House of Mandarin falls squarely in that category :)

Situated the latest hip-and-happening area of Hiranandani area in Powai, the House of Mandarin is a spacious and tastefully decorated dining destination with a plethora of veg as well as non-veg options in soups, appetizers, noodles, rice, dimsums, sushi, desserts, drinks...basically, a cool place to be with family for celebration or friends for chilling out or office colleagues for a gossip section over drinks! Staff is super-polite, helpful and takes feedback seriously, service is very fast, prices are reasonable looking at the quality and quantity of food as well as the superb plush location.

Tried, loved and recommend-

CRANBERRY KISS- A nice peppy mocktail with the right balance of sweet and sour,

TURNIP CAKE- This is like corn-curd, soft and mushy inside while crisp on the outside, a great balance with Burnt Garlic and Scallions for an added punch,

CRISPY HONEY LOTUS STEM- On the sweeter side, wholesome lotus stems coated lovingly in a blanket of honey glaze, 

VEG CRYSTAL DUMPLING and CORN & WATER CHESTNUT DUMPLING- I am not exaggerating when I say These. Are. Among. THE BEST. Dimsums. In. Mumbai. The delicate covering, the expert fillings, the textures, the flavors, MUST-HAVE,

ASPARAGUS TEMPURA ROLL- I am not a Sushi expert but these were among the best too, try them and make your own opinion, I loved them,

SPICY MAPO TOFU and SOFT NOODLES WITH VEGETABLES- Semi-gravy noodles with loads of wholesome veggies such as Carrots, Water Chestnuts, Bok Choy, a bit bland on its own but went seamlessly with soft Tofu in a spicy gravy, surprisingly it was not a heavy combination in stark contrast with other chinese places where I am stuffed uncomfortably by now!

Special shoutout to desserts that finished this meal perfectly- LEMONGRASS CREME BRULEE, simple and sublime with mild lemongrass flavor through a soothing creamy dessert, perfect for those who do not like too sweet dishes,

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING- Absolute SMASHER and MUST-HAVE here, the spongy pudding with HEAVENLY CARAMEL on the base and Vanilla Ice Cream and a strong kiss of Candied Ginger, what is not to love!!!

If you love Chinese cuisine, be here. If you love Indo-chinese cuisine, be here. If you do not love either of the two, still be here, this happy hippo is sure you will find something worth loving :) 

Dirty Buns Mumbai | Softest Breads & Tastiest Tofu | Food Review | Restaurant Review

Normally I wouldn't give high praises to rolls/buns/baos, but then Dirty Buns is not just a buns and baos kind of place, it is a must-visit in all respects :)

The vibe is fresh and funky, ambiance is cool and relaxing. The whole deal here is to create an atmosphere where people could sit back, relax and get 'dirty'...while eating their meals wholeheartedly :D The menu has baos, rolls, starters such as fries, boat-load of drinks, desserts, all intended to enjoy from heart.

Chef Boo Kim has brought some very bold flavors to light. So when you choose your poison (beverage or food) here, you are choosing everything you desire multiplied by a hundred! I absolutely loved-

AVOCADO SALAD for the green and healthy lovers with lots of lettuce, orange fennel, avocados... tantalizing,

KUNG PAO TOFU ROLL, the absolute WINNER for me, softest melt-in-mouth silken tofu with similarly softest melt-in-mouth bread and ofcourse peanuts, soy chilli sauce enhancing the flavors here,

CRISPY GOCHUJANG TOFU BAO, normally I won't order in a tofu based dish twice but since Kung Pao Tofu was lip-smacking, tried this too and turns out this one is another winner. Same melt-in-mouth tofu but a little bit different thanks to cucumbers, scallions, kimchi dressing...

Honestly, am salivating just thinking about these! Each roll/bao is generously portioned and happily messy to eat, something we all ought to do more of.

In DESSERTS, LOVED CINNAMON ROLL PANCAKE. Again, pancake is not something I prefer anywhere but Dirty Buns is one place that can make you try and love everything you never thought possible :D MUST-MUST-MUSSSSSTTTTT TRY this :)

For adventurous taste buds, try COCONUT KAFFIR LIME PANNA COTTA, very strong kaffir lime and ginger flavors through the creamy panna cotta and the crunch of granola + chilli orange basil broth gives it the most unique inspiration. LOVED :)

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 ♥

Hello Guppy BKC Mumbai | Japanese All Day Cafe Menu, Koinonia Coffee, The Parfait Co Dessert | Food Review | Restaurant Review

Me, before going to Hello Guppy :

'I am a vegetarian, this is a Japanese place, I am gonna starve today'

Me, after going to Hello Guppy :

'Why did I not come here earlier? And when am I coming back again!'

Suffice to say, I did not starve at all and cannot wait to go back to this quirky Japanese food destination, Hello Guppy.

Walked into a bright and extremely colorful spacious eatery with loads of Japanese cultural motifs everywhere. It deserves an interior decor post of its own. Forget the beautiful food presentation, even their plates and glasses are instagrammable. Huge bar and menu with surprisingly fair amount of choices for vegetarians and vegans (as well as gluten free options). If you know some depressed soul, get them here. The ambiance will perk them up instantly. Staff is extremely polite and helpful, service is very fast. Prices on the higher side (in line with the location and quality of food).

We were here to review their newly launched all-day-cafe style menu alongside special coffees in collaboration with Koinonia Coffee Roasters and collaborative dessert bar by The Parfait Co. What won our hearts was that literally every dish here has very clean, distinct, fresh flavors, comforting to Indian palate but with a unique Japanese twist. 

I have never been to Japan, am not a gourmand and all I care for is delicious vegetarian food. So I cannot vouch for any cuisine's authenticity (except Indian :P) but what I can vouch for is that Hello Guppy served me and my sister some of the most unique flavor combinations and most delicious dishes. We can proudly say that food here is unlike anything else we have tried.

Imagine eating an apple, the crunchy exterior giving way to a juicy core that tastes like pear and in the end, the lasting flavor on the palate is that of pomegranate! Every dish we had here surprised like this, starting off with one flavor and then suddenly a burst of something else and then ending with a third flavor! LOVED the experience :)

BEVERAGES-

CRAZY CRACKLE POP - Indulge the 5 year old inner child in you with this. Creamy chocolate shake with Pop Rocks candy. What a combination, right? Unimaginable, also unforgettable :D MUST-HAVE.

CALL ME HONEY- Yogurt based fruit smoothie with Raspberry, Orange and Honey, appropriately tangy, no added sugar, delicious, thick enough to eat.

SWEET MINT- Sweet Lime, Apple, Mint, again no added sugar, simple and sort of palate cleanser. We had it at end of meal and it felt good.

MISO-CARAMEL CAPPUCCINO- Specialty coffee from Koinonia. I was apprehensive about whether Miso (fermented soyabean paste) would ruin the taste of cappuccino but surprisingly enough, all it did was cut the sweetness of caramel and give a very robust punch to cappuccino. Simple, good.

FOOD- (we had only half portions for tasting, yet we were full by the end!)

SOYBEAN HUMMUS WITH SESAME LAVASH- Hummus made with Black Soyabean, Tahini, Garlic, EVO, alongside Sesame Lavash cracker with Shichimi-Nori seaweed powder. EXCELLENT. Healthy, delicious. I love normal hummus too but my sister is not fond of those. She could not stop licking the plate clean here :D

PAN GRILLED BROCCOLI- Grilled Broccoli with sweet and spicy sesame sauce and shichimi chilli powder, this was the closest to Indo-Chinese kind of food we got here. Intense flavors, sweet, salty, spicy, all at once. And there was a smattering of pine nuts to give some crunch too. Liked it.

AVOCADO TOAST WITH CRISPY RICE BALL- Rice Ball with loads of soft Avocados on top, served alongside Shichimi Chilli, Nori Seaweed, Lime, Braised Onion and Sweet Potato Chips on the side. Looks deceptively simple. Try having all the layers together and then you will understand how different flavors work their magic together. Healthy, flavorful. MUST-HAVE.

JENGA CHEESE TOAST WITH JAPANESE KARE- Multigrain Toast slices with Cheddar and Mozzarella, served with mildly spicy hot Japanese kare (curry sauce) and creamy Garlic Aioli (Garlic-Olive Oil-Mayo dip). Comfort food at its best. Cheesy but not heavy. Dip the toast in Japanese Kare and see the flavors change instantly. MUST-HAVE.

MUSHROOM KATSU SANDWICH WITH FRIES- 5 types of mushrooms (Shiitake, Shimeji, Button, Milky, Enoki) make up the patty, alongside Lettuce, Tomato, Braised Onion, Cheese, Pickles and Sweet Potato Chips + Potato Fries. I think we had full portion for this because it was HUGE and delicious. Juicy patty, the bread was herbed and grilled perfectly, loads of accompaniments, just 1 of this is enough for a heavy hulk like me! Well, this and 1 dessert of course :P

DESSERT-

The collaborative dessert bar by The Parfait Co. is worth checking out. Remember that the parfaits all have eggs. The normal menu has egg-less dessert options.

PBJ SUNDAE- Peanut Butter Blondie with Raspberry Jam, Salted Caramel Parfait, Caramel Popcorn, Grape Jelly. My sister liked it, all the elements were delicious, HUGE portion, need 2-3 people to finish, had a faint egg-y smell.

MAKE YOUR OWN SUNDAE- My sister chose Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla with Sprinkles, Chocolate Soil, Chocolate Ganache, White Chocolate Chips..this is a WIN-WIN situation. You go upto the Parfait Bar cart and choose your own flavors plus your own toppings, how can it go wrong :D

CHOCOLATE & MISO CARAMEL TART- If you love egg-less desserts like I do, go for this. Need 3 CHOCOHOLICS to finish this! The tart itself is full of dense caramel that is pure heaven, on top there is sesame crunch for texture, alongside there is dark chocolate sorbet and couple of fruits for palate cleansing. Overall, about 10,000 calories but Who. Cares. When. It. Is. So. Much. Delicious. Chocolate. ♥♥♥

So there you go. Such a pleasant and memorable experience where I least expected it, Hello Guppy is full of surprises. Hearty recommendation for all foodies :)