Rest : Gaylord
Time : Lunch
Date : 29th Dec 2005
Location : Churchgate, next to Asiatic.
Company : Felix & Genevieve Rocque of Montreal
Experience: Got in around 2 pm the place was reasonably crowded since it is quite an old establishment and therefore quite popular. Seating was almost immediate, the table was nice and the wait staff was quite attentive from the get go.
Order : Risotto, Lamb Stroganoff, Afghani Chicken, Paneer Makhanwala, Plain Nan.
Drinks : Aquafina, Kingfisher
Food : The Risotto was allright, not very Italian which is fine by me. Being a vegetarian i can only publish what Felix and Gen said. First off the wait staff mixed up the order and brought in the Chicken Stroganoff and not Lamb. They insisted it was Lamb but then realised it wasnt and apologised. The Stroganoff was average and was accompanied by Mashed potatos and veggies. Being a huge fan of mashed potatos i had to try, i have had better, much better. Didnt seem to have any heart in it.
The Afghan chicken was rated as nothing short of fantastic. Both of them loved it and it was gone quite quickly. Accompanied by rice.
I had the Paneer makhanwala, it wasnt too bad. The gravy was rich tomato, slightly spicy but not too bad. They could have had a little more paneer though. The Nan was allright, i forg0t to mention id like some butter & the waiters didnt ask me if i wanted it a specific way.
Then we headed of to Baskin Robbins for ice cream.
Overall : I would give the Indian food a 8/10 while the European fare 5/10. Service 8/10.
Damage : 1500 INR ($40)
Friday, December 30, 2005
Monday, December 26, 2005
Shagun
Rest : Shagun
Time : Lunch
Date : 29th Dec 2005
Location : Bombay Central
Company :Dad, Felix
Experience : Got there around 2.30. which is post lunch and post rush. It is near my office and was the quickest, cleanest place to go for a bite. We got in, were seated immediately and like most South Indian run places the waiter was there immediately and he meant business.
Order : We all got 'thalis' which is like a sit down buffet if you will but in our case we got the limited one where we get everything served right up front and there are no seconds.
Drinks : Aquafina
Food : The food was allright. My father got the Gujarati version which had staples like Cabbage and tomato, potatoes in dal, gravy, beans, samosa appetizer, butter milk (my fav) rotis, poppadums, 2 desserts. The ones Felix and i got were the north indian ones which is much more lavish, and has more dishes. It is also not as sweet as the Gujarati version. We got a liquid appetizer of Jal jeera, which Felix thought was disgusting so i had both his and mine. We had dishes of paneer, potatoes in tomato gravy, a spicy black dal, chick peas, choice of tandoor based roti or nan.Poppadums, Pulao, Fruit salad and a dessert.
The food wasnt too bad. Thalis are usually a gamble because you are going in hoping you get dishes you like and not something you dislike. As you dont have much of a choice in choosig your dishes. Fortunately the food was good.
Overall : Gujarati thali 6/10, North Indian 7/10
Damage : 200INR ($5)
Time : Lunch
Date : 29th Dec 2005
Location : Bombay Central
Company :Dad, Felix
Experience : Got there around 2.30. which is post lunch and post rush. It is near my office and was the quickest, cleanest place to go for a bite. We got in, were seated immediately and like most South Indian run places the waiter was there immediately and he meant business.
Order : We all got 'thalis' which is like a sit down buffet if you will but in our case we got the limited one where we get everything served right up front and there are no seconds.
Drinks : Aquafina
Food : The food was allright. My father got the Gujarati version which had staples like Cabbage and tomato, potatoes in dal, gravy, beans, samosa appetizer, butter milk (my fav) rotis, poppadums, 2 desserts. The ones Felix and i got were the north indian ones which is much more lavish, and has more dishes. It is also not as sweet as the Gujarati version. We got a liquid appetizer of Jal jeera, which Felix thought was disgusting so i had both his and mine. We had dishes of paneer, potatoes in tomato gravy, a spicy black dal, chick peas, choice of tandoor based roti or nan.Poppadums, Pulao, Fruit salad and a dessert.
The food wasnt too bad. Thalis are usually a gamble because you are going in hoping you get dishes you like and not something you dislike. As you dont have much of a choice in choosig your dishes. Fortunately the food was good.
Overall : Gujarati thali 6/10, North Indian 7/10
Damage : 200INR ($5)
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
All Stir Fry
Rest : All Stir Fry
Meal : Dinner
Date : sometime mid Dec 05
Location : Gordon House Hotel behind The Taj Mahal Hotel
Company : Felix Rocque,Montreal based Animator & Film maker
Experience : Got in around 9ish on a weekday. Seated almost immediately. The wait staff was quite attentive and we didnt have to wait for the menus.
Order : Felix wanted some Dim Sum and to do the Wok. But since the wok is unlimited we decided to skip the Dim Sum and go for the Wok (something i rarely do at this establishment)
Drinks : Kingfisher
Food :
First bowl : I went for Flat, red udon noodles with Mushrooms, bamboo shoots, onion shavings, done in Schezuan sauce with lots of garlic and peanuts.
Felix went for flat udon noodles in broccoli, beef, shrimp in a mild sauce.
Personally i thought it was quite good. The food was cooked quickly and the sauce was just the right amount of spice and taste. Was a good, safe, sauce to start with and build on. Felix liked his bowl as well.
Second
Flat white udon noodles, thin noodles, mushrooms, jalapenos, onions, with chili oil, chili flakes, garlic and peanuts
Felix went for flat udon noodles, chicken in Singapore sauce as well.
The bowl wasnt too bad. Singapore is a tomato based sauce in the medium category so it isnt as hot as Schezuan but it is tasty. Different but still quite similar to the Schezuan. I enjoyed it quite a lot, Felix liked it too but decided it was too spicy for him.
Third & last : I chose, thin noodles, mushrooms, onions in Kung pao sauce with chili flakes, garlic and peanuts.
Felix chose thin noodles, beef, onions in mild sauce.
Now this was good. It wasnt spicy which is sad, but it was quite a taste explosion. The addition of chili made it a bit hotter than it is but the taste itself was quite exquisite. Immensely enjoyable. Felix went back to his mild sauce so i reckon he liked it or was too scared to try anything else.
Overall : I would give the Schezuan a 8/10, Singapore 7/10, Kung Pao 9/10, Service 9/10
Damage : 950 ($20)
Meal : Dinner
Date : sometime mid Dec 05
Location : Gordon House Hotel behind The Taj Mahal Hotel
Company : Felix Rocque,Montreal based Animator & Film maker
Experience : Got in around 9ish on a weekday. Seated almost immediately. The wait staff was quite attentive and we didnt have to wait for the menus.
Order : Felix wanted some Dim Sum and to do the Wok. But since the wok is unlimited we decided to skip the Dim Sum and go for the Wok (something i rarely do at this establishment)
Drinks : Kingfisher
Food :
First bowl : I went for Flat, red udon noodles with Mushrooms, bamboo shoots, onion shavings, done in Schezuan sauce with lots of garlic and peanuts.
Felix went for flat udon noodles in broccoli, beef, shrimp in a mild sauce.
Personally i thought it was quite good. The food was cooked quickly and the sauce was just the right amount of spice and taste. Was a good, safe, sauce to start with and build on. Felix liked his bowl as well.
Second
Flat white udon noodles, thin noodles, mushrooms, jalapenos, onions, with chili oil, chili flakes, garlic and peanuts
Felix went for flat udon noodles, chicken in Singapore sauce as well.
The bowl wasnt too bad. Singapore is a tomato based sauce in the medium category so it isnt as hot as Schezuan but it is tasty. Different but still quite similar to the Schezuan. I enjoyed it quite a lot, Felix liked it too but decided it was too spicy for him.
Third & last : I chose, thin noodles, mushrooms, onions in Kung pao sauce with chili flakes, garlic and peanuts.
Felix chose thin noodles, beef, onions in mild sauce.
Now this was good. It wasnt spicy which is sad, but it was quite a taste explosion. The addition of chili made it a bit hotter than it is but the taste itself was quite exquisite. Immensely enjoyable. Felix went back to his mild sauce so i reckon he liked it or was too scared to try anything else.
Overall : I would give the Schezuan a 8/10, Singapore 7/10, Kung Pao 9/10, Service 9/10
Damage : 950 ($20)
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Geoffreys
Pub : Geoffreys
Time : 10ish
Date : Dec 15 2005
Location : The Marine Plaza Hotel
Company : Vishal, Felix, Genevieve
Experience : We got a 'our' table opposite the bar. Nice quiet place and the waiter was there after about 3 mins.
Order : There is a wide selection of food, recommended is chilli cheese toast as well as the paneer dish. Though we didnt order any that night. The drinks come with our fav munchies peanuts as well as spicy salsa and tortilla chips.
Drinks : Tiger Beer, Heineken, Sex on the Beach, Cranberry Juice
Food: N/A
Damage : 3400 INR ($80)
Time : 10ish
Date : Dec 15 2005
Location : The Marine Plaza Hotel
Company : Vishal, Felix, Genevieve
Experience : We got a 'our' table opposite the bar. Nice quiet place and the waiter was there after about 3 mins.
Order : There is a wide selection of food, recommended is chilli cheese toast as well as the paneer dish. Though we didnt order any that night. The drinks come with our fav munchies peanuts as well as spicy salsa and tortilla chips.
Drinks : Tiger Beer, Heineken, Sex on the Beach, Cranberry Juice
Food: N/A
Damage : 3400 INR ($80)
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Chetna
Rest : Chetna
Time : Dinner
Date : Dec 11th 2005
Location : Rampart Row
Company : Gautam
Experience: People, listen to your parents. My dad told me not to go there coz its a waste of time. However the first chance i got i did. The restaurant has some nasty yellow lighting, the decor is ok, old. Kind of befitting the upcoming down ward spiral of a meal.
Order :Two thalis
Drinks : Aquafina, Buttermilk
Food: Ok. So we finally did it and made it to this restaurant. There were reasonable amount of people there a lot of them foreign tourists or expats. I do feel sorry for them. The meal starts of with buttermilk and everything was downhill from there. The thali meal usually follows a strict pattern which is they have 2, Indian horse d' ouvers, 4 vegetables, one curry, one dal, three kinds of indian bread, 2 kinds of rice, and two desserts. Nothing was worth talking about, all half heartedly prepared and seemed kind of forced. The choice of veggies was pedestrian in taste, presentation and combination. The rice and dal were ok but it would be difficult to screw it up but im sure they tried. The dessert was strictly ok, nothing to write home about.
Dissapointing as it used to be quite a popular restaurant. The wait staff were friendly and polite, pity you cant eat them.
Overall : I would give the food a 2/10 Service 6/10.
Damage : 300 INR ($7.50)
Time : Dinner
Date : Dec 11th 2005
Location : Rampart Row
Company : Gautam
Experience: People, listen to your parents. My dad told me not to go there coz its a waste of time. However the first chance i got i did. The restaurant has some nasty yellow lighting, the decor is ok, old. Kind of befitting the upcoming down ward spiral of a meal.
Order :Two thalis
Drinks : Aquafina, Buttermilk
Food: Ok. So we finally did it and made it to this restaurant. There were reasonable amount of people there a lot of them foreign tourists or expats. I do feel sorry for them. The meal starts of with buttermilk and everything was downhill from there. The thali meal usually follows a strict pattern which is they have 2, Indian horse d' ouvers, 4 vegetables, one curry, one dal, three kinds of indian bread, 2 kinds of rice, and two desserts. Nothing was worth talking about, all half heartedly prepared and seemed kind of forced. The choice of veggies was pedestrian in taste, presentation and combination. The rice and dal were ok but it would be difficult to screw it up but im sure they tried. The dessert was strictly ok, nothing to write home about.
Dissapointing as it used to be quite a popular restaurant. The wait staff were friendly and polite, pity you cant eat them.
Overall : I would give the food a 2/10 Service 6/10.
Damage : 300 INR ($7.50)
Monday, December 12, 2005
Not Just Jazz by the Bay
Rest : Not Just Jazz by the Bay
Time : Sunday Brunch
Date : 12th Dec 2005 (& most Sundays)
Location : Marine Drive opposite The Ambassador
Company : Felix, Gautam, Vishal
Experience : Sunday brunch is quite popular at NJJBTB therefore one must get there by 1-1.15 to get seated right away. Even at that time it is about 80% full. We got in on time and were seated right away. The table was ok, in fact its the table i usually end up seated on.
Order : It is a buffet
Drinks : Kingfisher, Diet Coke, Ice Tea
Food : How it works is you have a choice of Soup(which is brought to you if it isnt too crowded) a choice of about 8 sandwiches (cheese + mushroom, cajun chicken, BLT etc) Salads & Dessert. The soup on Sundays is Tomato (not too bad) the sandwich i most often get is Cheese & Mushroom.
Salads : They have a spread of about 25 salads to choose from. Some of them from memory are Cole Slaw, Spicy potato, cottage cheese & pineapple, noodle salad Italian style, tomato and mozzarella, assorted beans, Hummus and Pita (very good) Dessert is usually quite disgusting (Choc, Strawberry Mousse, Weird cakes) There is also a selection of cold cuts for the omnivores
The spread is quite extensive, varied and fresh tasting. You get a smattering of different cusinies and it is quite light on the stomach. The difficulty is in really finding the bits you like and then going back for them.
Overall: I reckon Soups 6/10, Sandwiches 7/10, Salads 9/10, Dessert 3/10
Damage : Around 1400 INR ($35) Although the Buffet itself is 225INR($6.50) + taxes
Time : Sunday Brunch
Date : 12th Dec 2005 (& most Sundays)
Location : Marine Drive opposite The Ambassador
Company : Felix, Gautam, Vishal
Experience : Sunday brunch is quite popular at NJJBTB therefore one must get there by 1-1.15 to get seated right away. Even at that time it is about 80% full. We got in on time and were seated right away. The table was ok, in fact its the table i usually end up seated on.
Order : It is a buffet
Drinks : Kingfisher, Diet Coke, Ice Tea
Food : How it works is you have a choice of Soup(which is brought to you if it isnt too crowded) a choice of about 8 sandwiches (cheese + mushroom, cajun chicken, BLT etc) Salads & Dessert. The soup on Sundays is Tomato (not too bad) the sandwich i most often get is Cheese & Mushroom.
Salads : They have a spread of about 25 salads to choose from. Some of them from memory are Cole Slaw, Spicy potato, cottage cheese & pineapple, noodle salad Italian style, tomato and mozzarella, assorted beans, Hummus and Pita (very good) Dessert is usually quite disgusting (Choc, Strawberry Mousse, Weird cakes) There is also a selection of cold cuts for the omnivores
The spread is quite extensive, varied and fresh tasting. You get a smattering of different cusinies and it is quite light on the stomach. The difficulty is in really finding the bits you like and then going back for them.
Overall: I reckon Soups 6/10, Sandwiches 7/10, Salads 9/10, Dessert 3/10
Damage : Around 1400 INR ($35) Although the Buffet itself is 225INR($6.50) + taxes
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Trattoria
Rest : Trattoria
Time : Midnite Snack
Date : 23th Nov 2005
Location : The Taj President
Company : Vishal
Experience : We got there around 12.30 am and were seated almost immediately. Trattoria is quite a popular eatery especially for the late night brigade. It is also one of the biggest restaurants in that part of town.
Order : Minestrone Soup, Thin crust pizza with garlic, peppers, jalapenos and olives.
Drinks : Water
Food: Since it was late we didnt order much. Minestrone Soup & Green peppers, Garlic, Jalapenos and Olives on a thin crust. The soup came with assorted breads, rye, white, brown and soupsticks. The soup itself was ok, not too bad but not exactly authentic. No option to add fresh pepper to it either. The bread was very good but i wish they offered some kind of cheese along with instead of butter. The pizza. Oh the pizza. Incredible, unbelievable, gourmet pizza. The thin crust, the mixture of tastes, once you put it in your mouth it explodes into different experiences and then you chew and it all comes toegter in one cheesy taste. Def one of the best pizzas i have ever had (almost as good as the Bruschetta pizza i had at Salvatores on Yonge Stree in TO, CA)
Overall : Pizza 9/10, Soup 7/10, Bread 9/10
Damage : 800 INR ($17)
Time : Midnite Snack
Date : 23th Nov 2005
Location : The Taj President
Company : Vishal
Experience : We got there around 12.30 am and were seated almost immediately. Trattoria is quite a popular eatery especially for the late night brigade. It is also one of the biggest restaurants in that part of town.
Order : Minestrone Soup, Thin crust pizza with garlic, peppers, jalapenos and olives.
Drinks : Water
Food: Since it was late we didnt order much. Minestrone Soup & Green peppers, Garlic, Jalapenos and Olives on a thin crust. The soup came with assorted breads, rye, white, brown and soupsticks. The soup itself was ok, not too bad but not exactly authentic. No option to add fresh pepper to it either. The bread was very good but i wish they offered some kind of cheese along with instead of butter. The pizza. Oh the pizza. Incredible, unbelievable, gourmet pizza. The thin crust, the mixture of tastes, once you put it in your mouth it explodes into different experiences and then you chew and it all comes toegter in one cheesy taste. Def one of the best pizzas i have ever had (almost as good as the Bruschetta pizza i had at Salvatores on Yonge Stree in TO, CA)
Overall : Pizza 9/10, Soup 7/10, Bread 9/10
Damage : 800 INR ($17)
Friday, November 25, 2005
Cruise Food - Superstar Libra
Rest : Coconut Willys
Time : Evening
Date : Nov 23-25
Location : Docked
Company : Gautam
Experience: Friendly bartender, nice ambience, on the sea in mumbai. The moment i checked in and got to the room i knew i was in trouble. Being confined to a place isnt my thing. So i decided to spend my time eating, drinking and making fun of others.
Order : Sam Adams, Coors Light
Drinks : see above
Food: 2 college favs i hadnt had in a while. They were on special offer for 50 INR a can. which is ridiculous but i wasnt complaining.
Overall : I would give the bar service a 9/10.
Damage : 300 INR for 8 beers ($3.50)
Rest : Four Seasons
Time : Dinner
Date : Nov 23-25
Location : Somewhere in the Arabian sea.
Company : Gautam
Experience: Considering my option of Indian or Continental i took Continental. Funnily only the ships scandinavian staff agreed with that choice. The waitress was this very pretty and friendly girl from Vietnam. She made sure we were comfortable and would pop by for a chat often. Even asked us to come in for lunch if we could the next day which we did. I did get a few stares form the maitre d for some reason, like i wasnt supposed to be there or something.
Order : Cream of mushroom soup, caesar salad, veggies, mashed tatos, some crunchy thing with stuffing, dessert was strawberry mousse.
Drinks : see above
Food: The soup was good, breads fresh, i wish they had cheese. The salad was boring and since i dont like anchovies i had them do the caesar with Ranch but it was still boring as was the main course. The mashed potatos were allright, a bit too mushy but not bad. The mousse was too hard to be a mousse. It should have been a cake.
Overall : I would give the food service a 5.5/10 service a 9/10.
Damage : Inclusive of the trip.
___________________________________________________________________
Rest : Taj by the bay
Time : Breakfast brunch
Date : Nov 23-25
Location : Somewhere in the Arabian sea.
Company : Gautam
Experience: After walking around the ship for the nth time, we decided to check out breakfast. It wasnt very crowded and the view was fantastic. Miles of blue water for as far as one could see.
Order :It was a buffet style breakfast. So i loaded up on fresh fruit, a muffin, croissants, butter, jam, glass of water and a cup of tea.
Drinks : Tea, water.
Food: Well the food was ok. Nothing great but not too bad. The spread was big as well, especially considering they had a whole alternate side of Indian breakfast items if one wanted to try. One criticism was they didnt have any kind of juice or soda. What the f*** kinda brunch is hard without beer or soda or atleast juice. Criminal negligence.
Overall : I would give the food service a 6.5/10 service a 7/10.
Damage : Inclusive of the trip.
___________________________________________________________________
Rest : Four Seasons
Time : Dinner
Date : Nov 23-25
Location : Somewhere in the Arabian sea.
Company : Gautam
Experience:Well despite a dissapointing evening before i still wanted to go and try something other than traditional Indian fare. So i went down to the four seasons and again there was practically no one there. My waitress from the night before wasnt either which was dissapointing.
Order : Mulligatawny, tomato & mozzarella, spagetti in pesto, choc ice cream.
Drinks : Diet Coke
Food: ooh lala. It was as if the chef had a jolt of quality run through his head. The soup was good, very tasty and set the tone for the meal. The salad, very good again, tomato and mozzarella, how can you go wrong. After the taste of soup this was as far removed as you could get cuisine wise and it wasnt a bad idea. It worked. The pasta was nice, again slightly creamy but it worked quite well, the taste was just packed into the dish and the accompanying breads could do no wrong. The choc ice cream was ok. Our waitress was there and she saw us and brought out the dessert.
Overall : I would give the food service a 8.7/10 service a 9/10.
Damage : Inclusive of the trip.
___________________________________________________________________
some pictures from the cruise
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Thai Pavilion
Rest : Thai Pavilion
Time : Dinner
Date : 11th Nov 2005
Location : Taj President.
Company : Gautam, Vishal
Experience : We had a table for 9.30 and got there on time, were seated immediately and plied with the menu. No wait and the staff was relatively friendly though they did dissappear for bouts of time.
Order : Som Tam (Papaya Salad) Tom Yam Soup (Hot & Sour) Satay of Paneer and vegetables, Phad Phak (vegetables stir fried in Soya Sauce), Pad Thai noodles, Green Curry with White rice.
Drinks : Aquafina, Kingfisher
Food: The papaya salad didnt come with a sprinkling of peanuts which was dissapointing. The soup was interesting in a good way. Unlike how i have had it before but it was def a good choice. The satay oh paneer, veggies and mushrooms was a generic one. Tasted similar to satays i have had in smaller restaurants which was dissapointing. The phad phak was horrible, the taste was way off and none of us liked it much. The Noodles were strictly ok, but the green curry and white rice was the only saving grace. The right amount of coconut and spice gave it a great smell and even better taste. Overall dissapointing because you would expect a lot more from a prestige restaurant in a Taj chain.
Overall : I would give the food a 5.8/10 while the Service 7/10.
Damage : 2200 INR ($40)
Time : Dinner
Date : 11th Nov 2005
Location : Taj President.
Company : Gautam, Vishal
Experience : We had a table for 9.30 and got there on time, were seated immediately and plied with the menu. No wait and the staff was relatively friendly though they did dissappear for bouts of time.
Order : Som Tam (Papaya Salad) Tom Yam Soup (Hot & Sour) Satay of Paneer and vegetables, Phad Phak (vegetables stir fried in Soya Sauce), Pad Thai noodles, Green Curry with White rice.
Drinks : Aquafina, Kingfisher
Food: The papaya salad didnt come with a sprinkling of peanuts which was dissapointing. The soup was interesting in a good way. Unlike how i have had it before but it was def a good choice. The satay oh paneer, veggies and mushrooms was a generic one. Tasted similar to satays i have had in smaller restaurants which was dissapointing. The phad phak was horrible, the taste was way off and none of us liked it much. The Noodles were strictly ok, but the green curry and white rice was the only saving grace. The right amount of coconut and spice gave it a great smell and even better taste. Overall dissapointing because you would expect a lot more from a prestige restaurant in a Taj chain.
Overall : I would give the food a 5.8/10 while the Service 7/10.
Damage : 2200 INR ($40)
Friday, October 21, 2005
Monza
Rest : Monza
Time : Dinner
Date : October 20th 2005
Location : Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel.
Company : Gautam
Experience: We walked in around 9pm into the newly opened restaurant. Gambled against getting a table. It was busy but they seated us right away.
Order : Hummus platter (spicy, original, red) Minestrone, Penne in pesto, Penne in Arabbiata.
Drinks : Pinot Noir, Aquafina.
Food: The hummus was fantastic. The tastes were different yet seemed to go in the same direction. Good hummus is hard to find in this city and the Monza crew have done well to mix mediterranean with the italian. Like one of my fav restaurants the Aladdin chain of Upstate New York (Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca) The pesto was fantastic, warm, creamy and full of taste, slightly heavier and gravier than the usual dry pesto one would expect. The Arabbiata was spicy, peppery in its taste, interesting taste by itself but when compared to the pesto it seemed like the loser. Fortunately my brother who had ordered the pesto didnt like it and prefered the Arabiata so we switched. The dissapointing thing about the restaurant is that being a wine bar, they dont have a Riesling selection. This is bordering on criminal. Secondly they need to offer a bit more in terms of garnish like pepper, Parmesan (an unacceptable oversight). Lastly the portions are so ridiculously small that we really had to go out and get a pizza on the way home. It was in no way filling at all and felt like i was eating a childs portion.
Overall : I would give the food an 8/10 while the Service 8/10 but its not a value for money meal by a longshot.
Damage : 1500 INR ($40)
Time : Dinner
Date : October 20th 2005
Location : Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel.
Company : Gautam
Experience: We walked in around 9pm into the newly opened restaurant. Gambled against getting a table. It was busy but they seated us right away.
Order : Hummus platter (spicy, original, red) Minestrone, Penne in pesto, Penne in Arabbiata.
Drinks : Pinot Noir, Aquafina.
Food: The hummus was fantastic. The tastes were different yet seemed to go in the same direction. Good hummus is hard to find in this city and the Monza crew have done well to mix mediterranean with the italian. Like one of my fav restaurants the Aladdin chain of Upstate New York (Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca) The pesto was fantastic, warm, creamy and full of taste, slightly heavier and gravier than the usual dry pesto one would expect. The Arabbiata was spicy, peppery in its taste, interesting taste by itself but when compared to the pesto it seemed like the loser. Fortunately my brother who had ordered the pesto didnt like it and prefered the Arabiata so we switched. The dissapointing thing about the restaurant is that being a wine bar, they dont have a Riesling selection. This is bordering on criminal. Secondly they need to offer a bit more in terms of garnish like pepper, Parmesan (an unacceptable oversight). Lastly the portions are so ridiculously small that we really had to go out and get a pizza on the way home. It was in no way filling at all and felt like i was eating a childs portion.
Overall : I would give the food an 8/10 while the Service 8/10 but its not a value for money meal by a longshot.
Damage : 1500 INR ($40)
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Noodle Bar
Rest : Noodle Bar
Time : Evening
Date : Oct 18th 2005
Location : Rampart Row, Kala Ghoda*
Company : Family friends (all Brits)
Experience: Noodle bar is an oriental cuisin place serving food from Thailand, Indonesia as well as Japan. It gets reasonably crowded but being a big restaurant seating is quick. Decor is modern and very up market but the benches are made to hurt your ass. Service is always quick and reasonably attentive.
Order :Panner Satay, Boiled Wantons, Schezuan Potato, thai green curry with white rice, soba noodles, in a spicy peanut sauce with garlic, mushrooms and chili flakes, a sizzling Japanese platter of noodles, rice, mushrooms, veggies in a teriaki sauce served on a skillet, sizzling hot. Brownie and vanilla ice-cream with boiling chocolate sauce for dessert.
Drinks : Diet Coke, Ice Tea (lemon, peach, strawberry)
Food: The food at Noodle bar is usually consistent as long as you dont get too adventurous. It is only mildly authentic and is adapted to the Indian palate which likes spicy stuff to a very high degree. The paneer satay was ok, not too bad, the wontons were aveage but when plied with soy and schezuan sauce they tasted quite good. Schezuan potato(if such a thing exists) was crap. The thai green curry was splendid, creamy and spicy better than what they served at the Thai pavilion. My one complaint is they add broccoli but i always forget to ask them not to and i hate it with a passion (vile reed as Wayne Knight's Newman on Seinfeld called it) but thats my mental problem and nothing to do with the restaurant. The sizzling platte was good, the teriyaki sauce goes well with the rice and mixed in with some noodles and veggies it makes a good meal in itself. There are some other options for platters as well, thai, ,malaysian and chinese, the sauce and veggies change according to taste. The bowl is always what i look forward to, its like a wok but you dont have to get up for it. They add a new sauce once in a while but usually its quite consistent and well made. The portions in general at the restaurant are quite big and filling. Though there was one instance where they added too much salt but that was a while ago.
The iced teas are fantastic. Each one, served in a huge tall glass , try atleast two. The dessert is about average, its a brownie with vanilla ice cream and then you pour hot choc sauce on it. Anyone who screws choc sauce and brownie with ice cream ought to be taken out and shot immediately. The one odd thing i always notice is that the appetizers at the restaurant serve nachos and garlic bread and three kinds of hummus and pita, quite odd for an Oriental restaurant. However Nachos (indian style) are a staple and the hummus and pita is grea too (i may or may not have ordered it :))
Overall : I would give the food a 8/10 Service 8/10.
Damage : 3200 INR ($80)
Time : Evening
Date : Oct 18th 2005
Location : Rampart Row, Kala Ghoda*
Company : Family friends (all Brits)
Experience: Noodle bar is an oriental cuisin place serving food from Thailand, Indonesia as well as Japan. It gets reasonably crowded but being a big restaurant seating is quick. Decor is modern and very up market but the benches are made to hurt your ass. Service is always quick and reasonably attentive.
Order :Panner Satay, Boiled Wantons, Schezuan Potato, thai green curry with white rice, soba noodles, in a spicy peanut sauce with garlic, mushrooms and chili flakes, a sizzling Japanese platter of noodles, rice, mushrooms, veggies in a teriaki sauce served on a skillet, sizzling hot. Brownie and vanilla ice-cream with boiling chocolate sauce for dessert.
Drinks : Diet Coke, Ice Tea (lemon, peach, strawberry)
Food: The food at Noodle bar is usually consistent as long as you dont get too adventurous. It is only mildly authentic and is adapted to the Indian palate which likes spicy stuff to a very high degree. The paneer satay was ok, not too bad, the wontons were aveage but when plied with soy and schezuan sauce they tasted quite good. Schezuan potato(if such a thing exists) was crap. The thai green curry was splendid, creamy and spicy better than what they served at the Thai pavilion. My one complaint is they add broccoli but i always forget to ask them not to and i hate it with a passion (vile reed as Wayne Knight's Newman on Seinfeld called it) but thats my mental problem and nothing to do with the restaurant. The sizzling platte was good, the teriyaki sauce goes well with the rice and mixed in with some noodles and veggies it makes a good meal in itself. There are some other options for platters as well, thai, ,malaysian and chinese, the sauce and veggies change according to taste. The bowl is always what i look forward to, its like a wok but you dont have to get up for it. They add a new sauce once in a while but usually its quite consistent and well made. The portions in general at the restaurant are quite big and filling. Though there was one instance where they added too much salt but that was a while ago.
The iced teas are fantastic. Each one, served in a huge tall glass , try atleast two. The dessert is about average, its a brownie with vanilla ice cream and then you pour hot choc sauce on it. Anyone who screws choc sauce and brownie with ice cream ought to be taken out and shot immediately. The one odd thing i always notice is that the appetizers at the restaurant serve nachos and garlic bread and three kinds of hummus and pita, quite odd for an Oriental restaurant. However Nachos (indian style) are a staple and the hummus and pita is grea too (i may or may not have ordered it :))
Overall : I would give the food a 8/10 Service 8/10.
Damage : 3200 INR ($80)
Friday, October 07, 2005
Golden Dragon
Rest : Golden Dragon*
Time : Dinner
Date : October 4th 2005
Location : Taj Mahal Hotel.
Company : Gautam, Vishal
Experience: We had a table for 9 and we got there on time, were immediately seated by the hostess. The menus came in almost immediately and the wait staff was generally pretty friendly.
Order : Schezuan being their specialty we got some schezuan style paneer, also a mushroom appetizer, Some babycorn in a garlic sauce. Noodles with vegetables sans broccoli prepared Schezuan style, white rice, vegetables in a brownish garlic sauce.
Drinks : Aquafina
Food: The mushrooms were incredible. Melt in your mouth, explode into taste and make you wanting more. The rest of the meal was a mini anti climax. The noodles were good, spicy but well done. The vegetables were allright, not the most tasteful thing but they were a good compliment to the rest of the meal. The wait staff was very good in making the recommendations some of which worked, some didnt. Overall a splendid meal, almost the best you can get BUT it didnt explode like the mushrooms so it was a relatively dissapointing but still a great meal.
Overall : I would give the food a 9/10 Service 9/10.
Damage : 2400 INR ($60)
Reservations are a must*
Time : Dinner
Date : October 4th 2005
Location : Taj Mahal Hotel.
Company : Gautam, Vishal
Experience: We had a table for 9 and we got there on time, were immediately seated by the hostess. The menus came in almost immediately and the wait staff was generally pretty friendly.
Order : Schezuan being their specialty we got some schezuan style paneer, also a mushroom appetizer, Some babycorn in a garlic sauce. Noodles with vegetables sans broccoli prepared Schezuan style, white rice, vegetables in a brownish garlic sauce.
Drinks : Aquafina
Food: The mushrooms were incredible. Melt in your mouth, explode into taste and make you wanting more. The rest of the meal was a mini anti climax. The noodles were good, spicy but well done. The vegetables were allright, not the most tasteful thing but they were a good compliment to the rest of the meal. The wait staff was very good in making the recommendations some of which worked, some didnt. Overall a splendid meal, almost the best you can get BUT it didnt explode like the mushrooms so it was a relatively dissapointing but still a great meal.
Overall : I would give the food a 9/10 Service 9/10.
Damage : 2400 INR ($60)
Reservations are a must*
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Ruby Tuesday
Rest : Ruby Tuesday*
Time : Lunch
Date : August 2005
Location : Cross Roads 2, Nariman Point.
Company : Gautam
Experience: Got in around 2 pm the place was half full or half empty depending on your line of thinking. We were seated after a few mins but it took many minutes for the waiter to turn up and take in our order.
Order : Bomay platter, Salad, Veg. Burger with mushrooms, onions, cheese, cole slaw, Fries.
Drinks : Diet Coke, Water
Food: The Bombay platter was the single most boringly prepared, pointless thing i have had the dubious honor of consuming. I didnt even know why they bothered. It was dry, randomly spiced and contained uninteresting bits of cauliflower, cottage cheese. The fries were greasy, crunchy and just not enjoyable. The cole slaw seemed to have been prepared in hate, was dry, and unchewable. There was no ranch dressing for the salad, thus defeating the purpose. The Burger, well i think it was a good burger but then compared to the rest of the selection it was manna from heaven.
Overall : I would give the food a 3/10 while Service 3/10.
Damage : 850 INR ($180)
* There was also an interesing argument where the staff added a gratuity to the bill without asking me or mentioning it clearly on the menu. They also priced the Diet coke in a weird manner. The menu says INR 75 ($1.50) but the billing said INR 35 (.8ocents) and it added a tax amount for the rest of it. How the tax is calculated and how tax is taxed again is quite an intestesting read.
I got in touch with Ruby Tuesday, USA and they were good enough to forward my complaint to a gentlemen employed with them here. He was nice enough to call me, assured me of a better quality meal and explained the coke situation (which i dont agree with). However all this still hasnt made me want to go back there for my supposed free meal.
Time : Lunch
Date : August 2005
Location : Cross Roads 2, Nariman Point.
Company : Gautam
Experience: Got in around 2 pm the place was half full or half empty depending on your line of thinking. We were seated after a few mins but it took many minutes for the waiter to turn up and take in our order.
Order : Bomay platter, Salad, Veg. Burger with mushrooms, onions, cheese, cole slaw, Fries.
Drinks : Diet Coke, Water
Food: The Bombay platter was the single most boringly prepared, pointless thing i have had the dubious honor of consuming. I didnt even know why they bothered. It was dry, randomly spiced and contained uninteresting bits of cauliflower, cottage cheese. The fries were greasy, crunchy and just not enjoyable. The cole slaw seemed to have been prepared in hate, was dry, and unchewable. There was no ranch dressing for the salad, thus defeating the purpose. The Burger, well i think it was a good burger but then compared to the rest of the selection it was manna from heaven.
Overall : I would give the food a 3/10 while Service 3/10.
Damage : 850 INR ($180)
* There was also an interesing argument where the staff added a gratuity to the bill without asking me or mentioning it clearly on the menu. They also priced the Diet coke in a weird manner. The menu says INR 75 ($1.50) but the billing said INR 35 (.8ocents) and it added a tax amount for the rest of it. How the tax is calculated and how tax is taxed again is quite an intestesting read.
I got in touch with Ruby Tuesday, USA and they were good enough to forward my complaint to a gentlemen employed with them here. He was nice enough to call me, assured me of a better quality meal and explained the coke situation (which i dont agree with). However all this still hasnt made me want to go back there for my supposed free meal.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
FAQ's
Why did you start Blogging?
Back in the day, i used to go out even more than i do now, ever so often i would end up having a bad meal/service and would bemoan the lack of a ready, regularly updated review and rating resource. Since no one seemed to be doing it i thought why not keep a record of my experiences so they could help others.
Can i use pictures from your blog
Only with permission please.
Can i use your reviews on my site/blog
Yes but only on a non-commercial site/blog and only with permission. For use on commercial sites or for publishing email me (gauravgjain @ gmail.com)
What is your favorite cuisine?
My favorites keep changing with time, i used to love Indian Chinese but my stomach cant handle it anymore. I would pick Mediterranean, even though its its a bit of a cheat to pick it as it covers a really wide area. It encompasses a wide range of my personal favorites from mezzes to pastas.
What is or are your favorite restaurant(s)
I have quite a few - Thai Pavilion (Bombay), Swati Snacks (Bombay) Santosh Sagar (Bombay) Indigo Deli (Bombay) Wasabi (Bombay) Aladdins Natural Eatery (across upstate New York) Tortilla (London) Texas Embassy (London)
What do you drink ?
Beer is something i enjoy, Hoegarden, Stella Artois but my fav is Strongbow cider which is not available in India. I also love Gin n Tonic, Red Bull Vodka, Riesling and would like to drink more Bollinger than i do now. I am also a fan of Indian butter milk and can go through copious quantities. Diet Coke, Thums Up which is an Indian cola drink is a preference since child hood. Malta orange juice, Bloody Mary's are an all round fav and Mojitos in the summer.
I disagree with your reviews
I dont find that surprising at all, most of my views are my own and come from personal experience. There is bound to be a difference of opinion and i welcome a difference of opinion. So drop me a line, always open to the discussion.
What do you do other than blogging?
I am professionally in the media space. I head an animation and media production studio www.illusion-i.com where we created animated content for film, tv, web and mobile. Ashoka the Hero (www.ashokathehero.in.com) was our first theatrical release and can be seen on Cartoon Network in India at present. We are also working on a slew of live action projects in various capacities.
I am coming to Bombay where should i eat ?
Briefly i recommend Thai Pavilion, Swati Snacks, Amadeus, Indigo Deli, Kebabs n Kurries, Wasabi, Dakshin, Peshawri, Dum Pukth, A thali restaurant. Bombay is a fairly large city with loads of restaurants and cuisines. Its best you go through the blog, it will give you a fair idea. Feel free to email me for specifics an recommendations on gauravgjain AT gmail.com
How much should i budget for a trip to Bombay/India?
Bombay being a metro is about 30-50% more expensive than smaller cities/towns. I would reckon for three meals a day one would need a bare minimum of INR 300-500 ($7-$11) to dine in relatively decent places. If you stick to street food you could perhaps do it for 200 ($4) spend A meal at a five star restaurant would run you anything between INR 2500-6000 ($55-$150) without alcohol.
What is a Thali?
A thali is a prix -fixe, pre-plated, set meal. It can be all you can eat refered to as the unlimited thali or the limited thalis where dishes are served once. It is like a buffet except the dishes are brought out to your table. A thali meal can be from any part of India though Gujarati, Punjabi, Maharashtrian, South Indian are the popular variations.
A thali usually consists of 1-2 appetizers, a dal, a kadhi (not curry, but a sweet or spicy yoghurt preparation) a dry vegetable, 1-2 gravy vegetables, buttermilk or curd, poppadums, 1-3 kinds of of rice, 1-3 kinds of breads, 1-2 desserts. A thali can be had at a small hole in the wall restaurant for as little as INR 50 ($1.10) or at five stars for 1500 ($35) and in between. The greater the variety, the higher the price. Read for more.
I want to start blogging what should i do?
Be patient and find your voice. It may or may not come easy to you but just try and update at least once a week and you will figure things out for yourself. Avoid typos and grammatical mistakes and try and present your point of view in as short a space as possible. Use pictures if relevant and be open to criticism. Most of all respect your readers and by that i mean offer them an easily readable, navigable page with relevant, interesting non plagiarized information.
Do you pay for all your meals
99% of the time i do pay for my meals. A few restaurant owners are old friends of mine from school and sometimes they will refuse to accept money despite insistance. I also get invited to some launches, re-launches or tastings and every so often i end up going. Such instances are clearly mentioned on relevant posts.
Do you really go out this often?
oh you better believe it! many a time i go out to restaurants i have reviewed often and don't write about them unless something worth mentioning happened.
How do you pick where you go?
Well, it depends really on who is in the dining party, sometimes its about going for old fav's or trying something new or just finding a place close by. There really isnt a method, its fairly random.
Do you travel often?
I travel a little bit, over the last few years the formula really has been a 2-3 week trip to Europe, a week somewhere in Asia and a few visits across India. I always try and sneak in some work in a vacation so its a mixed bag.
Are you a vegetarian?
yes for the most part. i am def not a hard core meat eater, i also dine with a large group of vegetarians. However i am def someone who will try anything (except drugs and organs) once.
Do you make money off this blog
Nope. The blog is for the most part ad free and i dont accept, money or gifts for writing about places or things. I do however receive payment for commissioned pieces i do for blogs and magazines.
How much have you spent on eating out ?
too much
Back in the day, i used to go out even more than i do now, ever so often i would end up having a bad meal/service and would bemoan the lack of a ready, regularly updated review and rating resource. Since no one seemed to be doing it i thought why not keep a record of my experiences so they could help others.
Can i use pictures from your blog
Only with permission please.
Can i use your reviews on my site/blog
Yes but only on a non-commercial site/blog and only with permission. For use on commercial sites or for publishing email me (gauravgjain @ gmail.com)
What is your favorite cuisine?
My favorites keep changing with time, i used to love Indian Chinese but my stomach cant handle it anymore. I would pick Mediterranean, even though its its a bit of a cheat to pick it as it covers a really wide area. It encompasses a wide range of my personal favorites from mezzes to pastas.
What is or are your favorite restaurant(s)
I have quite a few - Thai Pavilion (Bombay), Swati Snacks (Bombay) Santosh Sagar (Bombay) Indigo Deli (Bombay) Wasabi (Bombay) Aladdins Natural Eatery (across upstate New York) Tortilla (London) Texas Embassy (London)
What do you drink ?
Beer is something i enjoy, Hoegarden, Stella Artois but my fav is Strongbow cider which is not available in India. I also love Gin n Tonic, Red Bull Vodka, Riesling and would like to drink more Bollinger than i do now. I am also a fan of Indian butter milk and can go through copious quantities. Diet Coke, Thums Up which is an Indian cola drink is a preference since child hood. Malta orange juice, Bloody Mary's are an all round fav and Mojitos in the summer.
I disagree with your reviews
I dont find that surprising at all, most of my views are my own and come from personal experience. There is bound to be a difference of opinion and i welcome a difference of opinion. So drop me a line, always open to the discussion.
What do you do other than blogging?
I am professionally in the media space. I head an animation and media production studio www.illusion-i.com where we created animated content for film, tv, web and mobile. Ashoka the Hero (www.ashokathehero.in.com) was our first theatrical release and can be seen on Cartoon Network in India at present. We are also working on a slew of live action projects in various capacities.
I am coming to Bombay where should i eat ?
Briefly i recommend Thai Pavilion, Swati Snacks, Amadeus, Indigo Deli, Kebabs n Kurries, Wasabi, Dakshin, Peshawri, Dum Pukth, A thali restaurant. Bombay is a fairly large city with loads of restaurants and cuisines. Its best you go through the blog, it will give you a fair idea. Feel free to email me for specifics an recommendations on gauravgjain AT gmail.com
How much should i budget for a trip to Bombay/India?
Bombay being a metro is about 30-50% more expensive than smaller cities/towns. I would reckon for three meals a day one would need a bare minimum of INR 300-500 ($7-$11) to dine in relatively decent places. If you stick to street food you could perhaps do it for 200 ($4) spend A meal at a five star restaurant would run you anything between INR 2500-6000 ($55-$150) without alcohol.
What is a Thali?
A thali is a prix -fixe, pre-plated, set meal. It can be all you can eat refered to as the unlimited thali or the limited thalis where dishes are served once. It is like a buffet except the dishes are brought out to your table. A thali meal can be from any part of India though Gujarati, Punjabi, Maharashtrian, South Indian are the popular variations.
A thali usually consists of 1-2 appetizers, a dal, a kadhi (not curry, but a sweet or spicy yoghurt preparation) a dry vegetable, 1-2 gravy vegetables, buttermilk or curd, poppadums, 1-3 kinds of of rice, 1-3 kinds of breads, 1-2 desserts. A thali can be had at a small hole in the wall restaurant for as little as INR 50 ($1.10) or at five stars for 1500 ($35) and in between. The greater the variety, the higher the price. Read for more.
I want to start blogging what should i do?
Be patient and find your voice. It may or may not come easy to you but just try and update at least once a week and you will figure things out for yourself. Avoid typos and grammatical mistakes and try and present your point of view in as short a space as possible. Use pictures if relevant and be open to criticism. Most of all respect your readers and by that i mean offer them an easily readable, navigable page with relevant, interesting non plagiarized information.
Do you pay for all your meals
99% of the time i do pay for my meals. A few restaurant owners are old friends of mine from school and sometimes they will refuse to accept money despite insistance. I also get invited to some launches, re-launches or tastings and every so often i end up going. Such instances are clearly mentioned on relevant posts.
Do you really go out this often?
oh you better believe it! many a time i go out to restaurants i have reviewed often and don't write about them unless something worth mentioning happened.
How do you pick where you go?
Well, it depends really on who is in the dining party, sometimes its about going for old fav's or trying something new or just finding a place close by. There really isnt a method, its fairly random.
Do you travel often?
I travel a little bit, over the last few years the formula really has been a 2-3 week trip to Europe, a week somewhere in Asia and a few visits across India. I always try and sneak in some work in a vacation so its a mixed bag.
Are you a vegetarian?
yes for the most part. i am def not a hard core meat eater, i also dine with a large group of vegetarians. However i am def someone who will try anything (except drugs and organs) once.
Do you make money off this blog
Nope. The blog is for the most part ad free and i dont accept, money or gifts for writing about places or things. I do however receive payment for commissioned pieces i do for blogs and magazines.
How much have you spent on eating out ?
too much
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