Sunday Brunch @ JW Cafe

Rest : JW Cafe

Meal : Sunday Brunch
Loc : JW Marriott Hotel, Sahar. Belly of the International Airport

This past Sunday we got to partake in the Sunday brunch at the new J.W. Marriott, Sahar, which is right in the belly of the international airport. While i am not one to travel far for a bite, on Sunday, the route drive was about 25 mins and my parents were residing at the hotel to boot, so it was a decision made fairly easy, since we had to go pick them up. (Now, justifications done, onward)

The Juhu JW Marriott, is a massive property with half a dozen restaurants and bars and the new Hotel is much smaller with fewer dining options, however, they have done a stupendous job with the rather boringly named JW Cafe, which is way better than the gargantuan but ultimately middling Lotus Cafe. 

While its pretty, well furnished and large its not quite the centerpiece that Lotus Cafe is. Anyway, enough comparison. There is a lovely section by the windows and insist on table, 1-6, which are by the doors leading to the garden. Well lit yet offering a semblance of privacy as they are a bit away from the main dining section.

Now, even as brunches go, this was one massive spread, food was laid out in every corner and you were not more than 10 feet away from a bite. You place your order at a counter and they serve you on the table which beats having to queue.

I started with the soup, the choice was a clear Thai soup or a Tom Yum. I chose the Tom Yum which was close to a Tom Kha, with a strong coconut base. It was excellent, despite the base, it was spicy, hot deliciousness topped of with some mushrooms. 

Next up, the Mezze section, was end to end with hummus, tabuleh, ganoush, labneh, moutabal as well as rice and some more meat dishes. It was just wow, easily one of the star turns, not a single thing that was not up to the mark. They even had a chef warming pita and making falafal pockets if one were not inclined to do so.

The falafals too were kind of different. The texture, shape and color varied from from what i have usually consumed. Brilliant still however, i kinda like the discs better than the rotund falafal balls.

The anti pasti section was adequate with peppers, squash, eggplant, tomato but the artichokes were the stars here. brilliant isnt the word. 

Next up another star turn, the Italian section was populated with this stunning potato with some green onion was mind mindbogglingly good but when compared to its neighboring dish 

the mushroom ragout, it became at once pretty ordinary. If i had to pick a single dish that stood out i would say it was this and that is saying something. It was like some mushroom god had granted flavors on a plate.

they have a sushi section of course but its strictly okay, atleast the vegetarian section is. 

the pineapple curry which i chose on noodles was again staggering, just the right mix of sweet and spicy and bursting with flavor, this was second only to the ragout and NOT by much. 

they have a small section doing tacos and nachos and it doesnt quite work, its neither authentic nor is it fully local a la cream center and kind of falls flat.

i avoided the indian appetizers but took a little taste from Mrs Jain's Indian selection and found it to be decent, the dal was good the paneer average.

The pizza looked the part, this was the four cheese, perfect crust around the edges but limp in the middle, served a tad cold and largely tasteless. 

the spaghetti was much delayed in getting to our table and it didnt quite incorporate what we wanted (kinda important when you its made to order) It wasn't bad just not what we asked for. 

the egg benedict was lonely and under salted and kind of disappointing. 

the waffles which we chose with blueberry and maple syrup was on the money. should have picked up a side of some fruits with that but i wasnt quite thinking healthy. 

the cheese selection was adequate with Parmesan, Cheddar, Swiss, Edam and Feta. A stronger cheese (Bleu, Gorgonzola) was missed. Also couldn't find any olives around so i improvised by stealing some from the Italian live counter. 

the dessert section was massive with everything under the sun although at most buffet's i prefer getting ice cream or sorbet. 

so i chose the kulfi rabdi falooda which was great but kept hurting my tooth and it was impossible to eat easily with the massive spoon and tiny cup but somehow i managed. 

they also had a home made gulkand ice cream which wasn't half bad. Mrs Jain tried most of the western desserts and chocolates which im afraid i didn't have a go at. 

Overall, its a pretty massive spread, possibly the biggest in the city with a lot of hits and the odd miss which is rare and usually the other way round. A few of the sections arent even pictured like the chaat and the Indian appetizers, Chinese etc. I think a South Indian section would be a good strong addition, a dosa counter with curd rice and rasam is surely a good idea. Personally, i dont see the need for Chaat at brunch but then , thats just me.

Beyond being good, the Middle Eastern, Thai & Italian are proper, restaurant grade preparations and not making up the numbers which is likely in a spread this wide. In fact, when i went for a second helping of the mezze and the pineapple curry i went from man to pig.

The pasta section is slow and needs to speed up and get the orders right while the pizza sections needs a bit of a revamp. This would be a popular section, so hope they fix it up soonish.

Also i think their selection of beverages is a little ordinary, with tetrapack juices and soft drinks out of big bottles. I think cans and fresh juices is the way to go and would be far more appropriate.

From what i gather, the carnivores would find this to be even more exciting, as they have Shawarma, Australian Leg of Lamb and Alaskan Crab which is surely a novelty and a massive satay section with various things on a stick.  So rejoice.

 

Besides the decent ambiance and superlative food, the single best thing about the brunch was there was not one, and i mean not a SINGE kid running around screaming or being obnoxious.

They were all hanging with clowns and balloons and slides. Not something you would see at another brunch and that alone is worth the price of admission.

I went straight up to the room for a quick nap. 

Food : 9/10

Service : 8/10

Damage : 2015 + taxes without booze. 

Blanca's Alex Leonard cooks at The Table

Rest : The Table
Loc : Colaba,
Meal : Dinner

Brooklyn's three Michelin starred, Blanca is a hot ticket with a 30 day wait for tables. So when i heard that my current fav restaurant The Table had their Chef De Cuisine down cooking a five course meal, it was a no brainer.

Pre Dinner cocktail was an old fashioned, which was brilliant and what i always get there. They also do a killer Margarita and i had a sip of a stunning pineapple martini which is also a must have. 

 

Melon Parsley Verde, Radicchio Amchur & Black Sesame, Malai Leeks & Potato. I am not a fan of Melon or Radicchio but all of it was brilliant. Great start, the melon verde was pesto like but for me the malai leek potato was the star here. brilliant.

One of my fav dishes at the table was the parsi cheese which is unfortunately no longer on the menu. This was the farmers cheese with burnt onion and it was probably the dish of the evening. Like eating air and a hint of the onion on there, brilliant. Has to have been hard to do :

       

Celery Root, Parsnip & Carrot Puree was salty but weird, good weird at that. Again not a parsnip fan but i guess its all about how you cook things.

Eggplant ceviche, baba ganoush, leche de tigre. Brilliant, the leche de tigre was as the name suggests was dangerous. the heat just snuck up on you.

 

orecchiette with grapefruit and pecorino. Interesting, a little chewy, probably the weakest dish of the evening but still fairly good stuff. 

Peruvian White Asparagus, Coconut and Black Lime. The Asparagus was lucious, brilliant and the coconut was sweet, i wasnt expecting a sweet course so it kinda threw me, still good, the coconut flavour wasnt that sweet.

Chocolate, Parmesan Truffle, boy was this weird. The chocolate was great but the truffle was strong and weird but it was fun to have together. The puffy rice was kinda weak, didnt add anything to the dish but otherwise it was excellent.

Overall, this was quite an experience, the portions were small but in the end youre there for the experience and more than that the creativity. Its great to have a cutting edge meal in the city and its exactly the kind of thing one would expect from a place like The Table, which has so far been super consistent (sad to say my previous fav Thai Pavilion has really dropped their game)

I am glad i had an open mind regarding a lot of veggies i never eat, hell i even had a piece of broccoli off @dharmeshg's plate and it was brilliant as well. Compared to some of the other Michelin star meals i have had, this is def in the top 5. 




Service was quick and prompt and friendly as one would expect.

The dinner was priced at 3500 without drinks and for the dimwits thinking its a steal, it isnt actually considering they serve 20+ courses for the equivalent of 12500 not that i am complaining, it was money well spent.

Thanks to my friend @qtfan (who booked the table and pre-paid risking no shows :) and his lovely wife C, @dharmeshg and @ankitsoni who joined us for the evening. Good Times.

Misal at Vinay

Dahi Misal #snack

A photo posted by Gaurav (@gauravgjain) on Dec 28, 2014 at 4:57am PST

Vinay is an age old name, another one of those joints my dad turned me onto. unfortunately their menu largely has less maharashtrian stuff and more south indian and sandwiches than it should. Most of it is not that great in any case.

This though is the star dish. no one in the city does it as well. NO ONE. Its spicy sweet but with just enough yoghurt to dial it down. 

Sharma's at Tarabag

Ever since i was a kid, my folks have been taking us to Sharma's for Chaat,  since its located on a very busy street, we attack it like gureillas with someone watching the car while the others gorge, or we take a cab.

Although i haven't been here in a while because i hate being the guy stuck in the car during peak hours.

Recently I was parked out at Saifee Hospital next door, which meant i was at Sharma's a whole lot, sometimes twice a day for my meals.

kanji vada is one of my fav things in the world. Not easy to find. This one was above average

A photo posted by Gaurav (@gauravgjain) on Dec 28, 2014 at 4:59am PST

The Kanji Vada, is a rare thing to find, this is the only place i know where these are available, they can be hit and miss, the taste depending on how well the water has been pickled and for how long. The guys here serve it nice and cold, which i love.

Dahi puri after years

A photo posted by Gaurav (@gauravgjain) on Dec 15, 2014 at 8:54am PST

The Dahi Puri, is another specialty, the dahi can be cold sometimes which is not much fun but this is rarely a miss.

Ragda Pattice just as good as I remember it

A photo posted by Gaurav (@gauravgjain) on Dec 15, 2014 at 8:57am PST

the Ragda Pattice is easily the star here. love it. served UP style, although not fried red, like the northerners like it.

The space, is cheap, even now, each dish is about 30 rupees. My mother swears by their Pani Puri and they do serve more things like bhel, sev puri, dahi samosa, etc. So its a short but varied enough menu. And you are served almost immediately.

Do check em out if in the area. 

Crystal

Went back to Crystal after ages, this time with usual Crystal partner in Crime Shailesh Prabhu (@yellowmonkeygames) for a pretty terrific meal. As usual we got there just at 1.15 pm and got an empty table.

Slash and i usually vary up our orders but this time we stuck to the usual the dry aloo, the chana masala and the paneer bhurji. unfortunately there was no space for a rajma chawal this time but in any case, the food was terrific. no complaints whatsoever.

The prices though have shot up. it was 350 for two which is about 70-80 more than i would pay usually. A few days after this i got another round of take out for some friends where we had malai kofta and rajma as well as the chana masala and the sukha aloo. terrific then too. easily one of the best places ever. 

The Table

Rest : The Table
Meal : Dinner
Loc : Colaba 

I have long considered The Table to be the best restaurant in the city, the ambiance is lovely, black and white floors, dim lighting, jazz music. I only wish they had a zinc bar it would have been damn near perfect.

the menu is fairly eclectic and adjusts according to what kind of ingredients are available. for the most part the menu hasn't changed in a while. they do the small plates tapas style selections as well as larger main's, i am not a fan of the setup but they make it work. 

they do some great fresh bread, just loved it. 

the truffle fries are an evil creation and must be had. MUST. 

Roast Veg Tacos were fantastic, a little on the spicy side but the best thing ever, i had to literally pause after taking a bite. Served with a side of some excellent fresh salsa and not so great pico de gallo.

got a side of asparagus and parmesan because i couldn't help myself. okay, the rosemary potato would have been a better choice. 

The Lasagna Verdi was Ricotta and Spinach pasta in the most delicious sauce. Stunning little dish this was. Rarely have i seen a lasagna basked this well, usually it falls apart the moment you begin to cut it. 

the weakest dish of the evening was the spaghetti. Its unfortunate that restaurants serve this version where they create some sort of a stock base, it never works. Smoke House Deli used to do a brilliant aglio olio which was then replaced by this version and called boss style and it sucks. 

In any case, the meal was stellar despite the weak pasta. I wish they had a slightly larger menu.

The portions on the large plates could be slightly larger as well, they were just about adequate. Place does a mean Old Fashioned and an even meaner Margarita, do give them a try.



Food : 8/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : 3200 for two without drinks.

Breakfast at Indigo Deli

Meal : Indigo Deli,
Meal : Breakfast
Loc : Colaba 

Our Sunday breakfast is usually the samosa, papdi variety, sometimes we head to Matunga for our South Indian fix with mates. However, i immensely enjoy heading to Indigo Deli once in a while to break away from my steady fixes. 

Its probably the single most visited restaurant for me and my only irritant is that their breakfast selection is a little limited, especially if one does not like eggs. 

Couscous upma, is a fav of ours, Mrs Jain enjoys it too, served with a side of Pineapple compote, this one neatly walks the line between being Indian & Middle Eastern. 

Mrs Jain of course got the pancakes with maple syrup and a dollop of strawberry compote. Pretty fantastic. 

i again, stuck to the usual and got myself some eggs and baked beans, next time,i swear ill get something else. 

lovely hashbrowns on the side. 

Overall, the space was largely empty at 9am, we got a nice booth and spend an hour or two just relaxing. Need to do this more often. The food as usual was on the money, no complaints except for the limited options.

Food : 9/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : 2000 for 2 

Hakkasan

Rest : Hakkasan 

Meal : Lunch 

Loc : Bandra 

I haven't been a fan of Chinese for sometime now as it really messes up my system the day after. So i have been mostly avoiding eating Chinese out. My kid brother on the other hand is a big, big fan and gets a lot of take away from China Garden which is close by.

However he swears by Hakkasan which is is his fav Chinese eatery in Bombay, in fact having studied in London, he was a fan of Hakkasan on Wardour St.

Somehow, getting to Hakkasan never quite worked out but this past week i got an opportunity i couldn't pass up. I frequently dine with some friends and got the opportunity to finally check the space out. (@anaggh, @theflyingsikh, @girishmallya) 

All i drink in the day.. 

The dim sum platter was fantastic, the black fungus dumpling was exquisite as was the crystal dumpling. The chive dumpling and the lotus roll were excellent as well. 

i think these were the carrot cake, spicy but excellent. 

these might have been the wild mushroom and veggies wrap, can't be sure but i remember eating most of em and they were pretty kick ass. 

stir fry french beans were a win, i wouldn't have ordered em, choosing a regular gravy main but this was excellent. 

the (relatively) weakest dish of the evening was the stiry fry lotus root with asparagus. 

i think this was blueberry sorbet with what looks like a blueberry cheesecake, both were awesome, the sorbet was something else. 

the mango fingybob was excellent as well. just loved it. 

cant recall the name of this one but was spot on. 

creme brulee was excellent as well. 

Overall, the food was excellent, kid brother says the London flavours are a lot lighter, so the dishes have certainly been adapted to an extent but they are still fairly different. There is plenty of choice and there are some delicate flavors which is not something Chinese in India is known for.

The Michelin star in London is certainly well deserved according to my kid brother but the Bombay branch is no slouch.

The desserts too were just tantalizingly good. They have a lunch special nowadays where they do a three course lunch which is vfm, although the restaurant is not nearly as expensive as its made out to be. It's not cheap but it certainly isn't extravagant. 

I joined  my friends who were there on invitation from the restaurant, so will not rate the food as such but i will say its worth a go.