Monday, October 26, 2009

Delhi Trip – Sarvanan Bhavan

Sarvanan Bhavan is a truly epic experience in Delhi, if you by a chance of ill luck a little late in getting there, you will find yourself at the back of a line at times 40 strong.

The food they serve is traditional south Indian, snacks to complete meals. Brilliantly done, quickly served, the space is a piece of South India in the middle of New Delhi.

i hate puris but i really wanted to get something which is hard to find in Bombay and i opted for the thali.

They served dahi, dal, rasam, dry potato and a couple of other veggies along with some rice. Overall, the food was unique and well done.


Overall, the place is great, beyond the thalis they also serve crisp ghee dosas as well as a dozen mini idlis with ghee. A must visit for all those visiting Delhi. My second time here and i shall always try to visit everytime i am in town.

I always thought Bombay had it all when it comes to restaurants but there is nothing like a Sarvanan Bhavan here… one more reason to hate Delhi.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Follow up piece in the Wall Street Journal !


Hey, a follow up piece was published in the Wall Street Journal ! Linked below




Tuesday, October 20, 2009

A little piece on the film im producing !


hi,

a little piece on the animated film im producing, it can be found here

have been home sick and will update soon.

enjoy!!!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Maroosh

Found myself in Bandra for a meeting along with my comrade Mr.Merchant. Since he has been a creature of the suburbs more than i have, we decided to go on his recommendation and headed to to Candies. Unfortunately Candies was packed like Sardines and the next best thing was Carter Road and so it ended up being Maroosh.


Mr.Merchant chose Maroosh, a) because it would be a quick lunch and b) because the owner happens to be a friend of his…

The place is very small, no air conditioning and no frills, the menu is Mediterranean with the accent on the middle east.

The beverages of choice were a Diet Coke & Water, good choices on a hot day out.


The hummus was creamy, with a drizzle of olive oil, very good, better than the textured, dryish hummus you get most places. Its a pity they scrimped on the pita.

The Paneer Makhani roll was unnaturally reddish orange, food color most likely, scared me a little. The taste itself was okay, spicy sort but not too much. Not bad but not great either. We also had the shwarma which was pretty good and juicy.

Overall, its not about ambiance or about comfort, nor does it have a lot of seating. However i am sure they do plenty of deliveries and its a great place to swing by late night for a quick bite.

Food : 7/10
Service 8/10
Damage : 400

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Indigo

I love Indigo, as some of you might already know, unfortunately for me the wife isnt as obsessive about it which is why i dont get out there nearly enough. Also the fact that it breaks the bank makes it not such a frequent option. Yet, every time i have been there i have left very, very happy and satisfied. The place looks great and continues to offer an old world charm, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the food is a great mix of the traditional, the modern and the quaint. 

 

We got in 30 mins early for our table with the intention of having some quiet time by the bar. I went in for my bloody mary (385) perfect, a little thinned out but not watered down. 

Never found the munchies of much interest here or most places, only Geoffrey’s knows what the Indian drinker wants to munch on.

The Sgorpini (365) was interesting, a margarita with champagne instead of tequila. You could gulp a pitcher down easy. Unfortunately they were missing the beers, so no Hoegarden and no Stella.

The Appetizer was off the specials menu and what an inspired choice. The sweetish, thick souffle served with a bitter salad, contrasting tastes although not complementary. The taste was amazing and the flavor heavy.

Another winner, i have had this one before and did not mind calling for it again. There is very little that can compare with fresh mozzarella, the smoked tomatoes were hot and juicy and i can still remember the exquisite if uncomplicated tastes of each  ingredient..

Yum Yum. The Goat cheese gnocchi is not on the dinner menu but on the lunch menu. We asked that the cottage cheese gnocchi be switched for goat cheese, they were happy to do it but the sauce would have to change too as they wouldn't go together. The tomato cream sauce was picked and it was incredible. A borderline orgasmic dish this one and i highly recommend trying it.

 
The water cress risotto was bitter and boring, serves me right for ordering it a second time, knowing fully well it was not that great the first time.

The creme brulee was good, not earth shattering, i chose it above the recommended dessert du jour Baked Alaska.

Overall, Indigo continues to rock. If i have any complaints its that the menu has not changed in some time and secondly it needs to get a little longer. You go there twice and you could possibly run through it all.

The lunch menu is very different and in some cases has some exciting options, which i intend to try very soon.

Service is top notch and surprisingly quick, Nafish was prompt, helpful and took very good care of us.

Food : 8/10
Service : 9/10
Damage : 4000 for 2 with cocktails.

They also serve a popular Sunday brunch from 12-4 at 1800 per person + taxes.

Indigo
4, Mandlik Road
Colaba, Mumbai
Phone : 66368980, 66368981

Friday, October 02, 2009

Hottest new place in town – Tote on the turf

Tote on the turf is the hottest new place in town, barely a week old its the brainchild of Indigo’s Rahul Akerkar. Spread across a lavish 25000 square feet, the place is like nothing in the city, you have some spiffy places but this is truly out there, with a massive bar, an indoor section with couches as well as laid out tables and an al fresco option.


The ambiance is high end, the attention constant and you can feel the newness of it all. It wont be long before it becomes a hot favorite. The menu is eclectic, there is a separate grill section, the food ranges from thai curry to lasagna.


The indigo mary is a twist on the traditional with a dash of balasmic as well as cucumber. Personally, i prefer my bloody mary original without too much messing around.


The fresh lime frozen was harmless.


Not bad, smooth full wine a little dry.


The mushroom tiramisu was excellent, there was a walnut compote and a fig mousse. Just beyond words, there was so much going on with the dish and you sort of had to figure it out. Once you did, it was quite something.

The dish was good, however there was nothing imaginative about it, considering the grill is a dead space for vegetarians it still turned out well. The stuffing was mushrooms, the sauce was a rich marinara.

The entrees, this one was pretty creatively thought up, i have had the couscous upma a few places now, so its not as new as it once was. The problem was too much pepper and salt, the whole thing was just overpowering any inherent taste.


Very good. The macaroni with some cheese on a rich tomato sauce, like mixing 7up and coke but it actually worked. The vegetables were really tomato and peppers. The dish would have worked better with something more flavorful at the centre like a ricotta or a goat cheese.

Overall, the place is a bound to be a smashing success and is a cut above Olive in terms of design, ambiance and what it offers. The bar is just unbelievable and you have a lot of choice in seating.

Food : 7/10
Service : 9/10
Damage : 4000 with cocktails and wine.

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