Street Food Festival : Foodie Dream Come True | 24/7 Restaurant The Lalit Mumbai | Delightful Review

Buffets are a true foodie’s heaven. And when the buffet in question is Street Food Festival showcasing some of the most loved delicacies from all over India, then there is only one thing that can prevent it from climbing onto charts to my personal favourite list and that is somebody messing up my favourite dishes majorly. Thankfully, Executive Chef Aungshuman Chakraborty and his team have dotted all ‘i’s and crossed all ‘t’s perfectly to make this food festival at 24/7 Restaurant, The Lalit, simply spectacular.

Heard a whole lot of great things about buffets at 24/7 from some renowned foodies for quite some time and thankfully FBAI provided the perfect excuse to check one out this Friday, a bloggers meet :) Indian Street Food culture needs no introduction, that amalgamation of ingredients and spices and flavours and colors, we all know the vast plethora of deliciousness it is all about. Since it is impossible to showcase all of it at one go, 24/7 has done a pretty good job of covering most of it by setting up dedicated stalls which will be changed every day. Adding an artistic touch to this rustic ambiance are evergreen Bollywood songs and vintage posters.

A special shout out to the staff, including the stalwart team of Chefs, who are always on their toes helping the guests choose just the right dishes for their palate and ensuring everything runs smoothly. My sister and I had actually turned up much earlier than the rest of our party and they made us feel so comfortable as if it was not a big bloggers meet and rather an evening reserved just for us! Same warm service for each and every guest. Superlative.

Lemonade, Fruit Punch, Masala Chaas and Paan Shots started our evening on a refreshing note following which the Chaat buff in me loved the Pani-Puri, Sev-Puri, Dahi-Puri and Papdi Chaat with which I started my culinary journey :) Just the right mix of spices and chutneys making them the perfect sweet-spicy-tangy concoctions.

Kolkata style Chinese counter had Momos and Chowmein flying off the shelves, though I found the momos a bit dry and chewy but the Veg Chowmein warmed my heart with those wok tossed noodles and wholesome burst of veggies, the accompanying sauces making it so memorable, I am still salivating remembering it! My sister, who is actually more of Indian-Chinese food lover, went ga-ga over the Tibetan Momo soup they served alongside Momos.

Mumbai style Tawa counter had the perennial favourite Pav Bhaji for us, made the way it is done at our beaches where tourists from all over the world rub shoulders with locals in relishing it by wiping plates clean. Not a single false note here either :)

Rajasthani style Pakodas is what the doctor recommended for us during monsoon :D Fritters made just like our moms make at home, with spinach, peppers, capsicum and more, if there is one dish that screams authentic Indian street food, this is IT!

UP style Mithai (Indian Desserts) counter was the highlight of the evening with lip-smacking Jalebis, Kesari Petha, Rabdi, Masala Milk, Rasgulla, Mathura Peda ensuring that I made 3 rounds of the counter to have everything again & again (after standing there salivating like a monkey for 5 straight minutes!) These are Indian jewels, recipes perfected over centuries, and the versions served here made me nostalgic, remembering my nani (grandmom) making them when I was a kid.

Apart from all these special dishes, the regular buffet also called out to me and trust me when I say this, the buffet here needs a Hulk level appetite as the spread is huge and still no corners have been cut when it comes to quality :) Alternatively, look at it as an example of ‘there is something for everybody’. So there was some beautiful Salad spread (it actually looked like dessert section at first glance) with a spread of breads, international cheeses, veggies et al. I recommend Watermelon with Marinated Cheese and Zucchini Rolls for sure. You will know why when you taste them and will be tempted to steal some away in your purse for later :D

Among the main course, some stellar dishes beckoned such as Malai Mushrooms, Navratan Korma, Paneer Masala, Stir Fried Veggies, Palak Corn gravy with lovely spread of Indian breads (Roti,Naan). Nothing was swimming in oil just for the sake of enhancing taste, flavours were balanced and tasted delish. Also, check out the amazing Pizza & Pasta corner with that beautiful oven that can inspire any dormant photographer to go bazooka :D We had a taste of the Pink Pasta with exotic veggies, it is indeed recommended.

The Dessert section had a wide spread of fruits, pastries and ice creams which all looked like works of art but as I said earlier, I spent my time stalking the Indian dessert counter and could not actually try anything here. Yes, I know, I pride myself on my Hulk level hunger but this is a testament to how huge and awesome the buffet spread at 24/7 is, that it made me wish I had 4 extra stomachs :D Thank goodness they had Paan, Mukhwaas, Cotton Candy to steal me away from the buffet spread!

The whiff of Indian food, all the aroma of the spices lingering in the air, that is the first thing one notices on entering here right now. The hallmark of Indian food is the way we have incorporated regional influences as well as International impact in our daily life and 24/7 aptly puts this forward through their Street Food Festival which is going on till 30 September (for dinner buffet) and is extremely value for money at Rs. 1850 (plus taxes). The usual buffet is also a stellar spread and has made its mark in my heart. This is one of those rare occurrences where the food, the ambiance, the service, the idea and the execution all come together in a magical symphony. Bon Appetit to us foodies and Kudos to the team at 24/7 :)

Mumbai Street Food Festival At Bayview Hotel Marine Plaza | Food Review

Stunning Marine Drive needs no reason for repeat visits. Still, here is a pretty good one to visit it right now. The Bayview Restaurant at Hotel Marine Plaza is hosting Mumbai Street Food Festival dinner buffet from 16-25 September :)

Stay glued to mesmerizing Arabian Sea views while relishing on some iconic dishes. This food festival has an huge array of starters, main course and desserts with a rotating menu that has all the spunk one needs from a feast. The beautiful decoration creates an amazing rustic ambiance. Staff is exceedingly courteous and treats everyone like family.

We were honored to be present on the very first day and started with Bhel Puri and Sev Puri from Chaat Corner, Veg Manchurian and Fried Rice from Chinese Counter and Kala Khatta Gola from Gola Counter. Manchurian here has to be the best I have had in a long time, so soft and none of that extra cornflour dough-y feel that a lot of Manchurians have. Fried Rice too was not over-oily, pure love this combination was.

I and my sister already love the buffet at Buffet with its wide variety of salads, right now they also have Dhokla, Khandvi and Patra in addition to usual veggies, all of them authentically delicious. Among the main course, loved the Stir Fried Vegetables, Aloo Anardana Tikki, Hara Bhara Kebab, Paneer Bhurji, Dal Fry and Veg Hakka Noodles. Myriad flavors, textures, absolutely lip-smacking.

Jalebi, Brownie, Pastries, Chocolate Balls, Rasmalai and Cut Fruits made up the desserts section, none of them too sweet and capable of making every palate happy :) Rasmalai and Chocolate Balls especially were the star desserts we couldn't stop eating with their dense, rich flavors.

Both vegetarian & non vegetarian palates have plenty of options to enjoy and the buffet does complete justice to the theme of Street Food with some local classics sharing the same space as International delicacies. The staff, service, rotating menu, value for money price points all make it an experience to remember. I suggest all foodies make it a priority to visit this festival right away :)

Health Gets Boosted With Saboro Fruits & Lounge | Mumbai Launch | Overview | Review

From Farm to Fork.

Today we are lucky to be living in a world where healthy lifestyles are getting their right due, bringing to us an increasing realization that our food chains are messed up at many levels. Abnormal use of growth hormones, chemicals and pesticides at every level of food cultivation & processing are giving rise to health hazards at hitherto unheard pace! Moreover, as foodies, while we are lucky to be in midst of a food revolution, with eateries providing everything from Oriental to gourmet South American fare mushrooming all around us, how often do we get to go to a place and relish only healthy stuff without wondering about the amount of oil/ghee/cheese/fats/cholesterol in it?

Mahindra has brought a solution to this scenario with the launch of Saboro lounge at Churchgate, Mumbai and I was honoured to be a part of the Press & Bloggers Meet for the same. It was fascinating to view first-hand the amount of care they provide to the entire food chain when it comes to fruits & vegetables, going to the extent of co-ordinating with the farmers right from the stage of testing soil! Result- a brand of packaged fruits with 100% guarantee that it is natural and nutritious.

Same concept comes to Saboro lounge where every dish is prepared with nutrition intact, free of chemicals, preservatives, artificial flavouring or colouring. A small nook in the busy Churchgate area, it is comfortable and retains a young vibe. Book lovers like me can rejoice at the presence of books like ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ making it the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon. Service is polite, efficient and staff knows the menu inside out so don’t forget to take their suggestions on what to order. The menu is cohesive, designed in a way that a complete meal has about 500-600 kcal (again showing the thought process that has gone behind the whole concept!) Prices are definitely on a premium side but completely in sync with their avant-garde offerings.

 

Juices are cold-pressed, nothing is over-laden with cheese or anything else to artificially enhance taste, yet it dispels the myth that healthy or nutritious food is tasteless. As a part of this launch preview, we tasted a few items and they definitely made us want to go back to taste everything else on the menu. We had the Appo-Granate i.e. Apple-pomegranate Mix juice which was refreshing and choc-a-bloc with nutrients, followed by Zucchini Sushi, a piece of Zucchini rolled around mushrooms & a bite of cheese, making it a healthy appetizer option. 

My favourites were the Orangeer greens Salad and Hummus Pizza. Oranges, Paneer, Lettuce, Honey, Sesame Seeds made a tangy luscious option for a quick bite while Hummus Pizza had the earthiness of whole wheat pizza base, dense hummus and a medley of veggies like corn & mushroom with little cheese, overall making it a complete meal option without any heaviness associated with normal pizzas. For those with a sweet tooth (or a sweet jaw in my case), a bevy of indulgent desserts (without the associated guilt) follows with Banoffee being at top of my list with banana, yoghurt, muesli, almond making it healthiest indulgence. 

An indulgent meal without feeling guilty, I like the sound of that. And having tasted the goods in reality, I am sold on the concept as well as its execution. Saboro is charting a new territory and I am glad to be a part of the health conscious foodie group that will be back to sample all that it has to offer.