Sunday Brunch - The Table

Rest : The Table
Meal : Brunch
Loc : Apollo Bunder, Colaba 

After a few years of having terrible celebratory meals, i decided to go for something tried and tested namely the best restaurant in the city The Table. Although i visit with some regularity, it had been a while since i tried their Sunday Brunch. So we got there bright and early for our 1130 table and ran into the lovely Gauri Devidayal (@gauridetails) who just happens to own the place. 

We went to our first floor table and I immediately got myself a traditional Bloody Mary instead of their Bombay Mary because its the one drink i don't like much variation in  (they do a terrific Margarita, Old Fashioned and an insane Pineapple Martini) 

The Jalapeno Cheddar biscuits with mushroom gravy was terrific. Not to be missed by anyone that loves mushrooms. Not a light dish though, so beware. 

The breakfast quesadilla with avocado was the only real disappointment of the day. blandish with no real flavor. wasn't quite going anywhere this one.

Probably the best damn mac n cheese you will have anywhere. the black truffle helps. just brilliant. i urge you to try this when you are there. its worth the wait and the money. brilliance in a plate.

The Tiramisu pan cakes.. diabolical. I ordered knowing full well Mrs Jain would like them even though she was insisted she was full, one bite and she pulled the whole plate throwing me a few scraps here and there. it was that good. 

The food was terrific, next time, im hoping to try out some of the waffles and choose from the appetizers. The menu isnt very big but it has plenty to choose from. Ideally, don't drive, so you can drink a little. Best way to spend a Sunday in my book. 

The service was quick, prompt and friendly.


Food : 8/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : 3500 for two with a drink. 

Doolally

Rest : Doolally

Loc : Bandra, Near Lilavati Hospital

Doolally is a craft brewery from Pune and the hottest ticket in the city right now.  Since they opened last week, they have run out of beer twice. 

Their food menu is limited and with some usual suspcects but also some atypical dishes for a bars. Mushroom ragout with rice, my buddy @dharmeshg says the stew is terrific. 

The serve 3 beers, IPA, a wheat beet and one with oats. The fourth and easily my fav is their apple cider. Total win. A little gassier would have been preferable but it was good stuff. Its a good idea to get a little taster of all the brews and then order a pitcher which is good value for money if you intend to have more than 2 pints. 

The burger with hot sauce was wow. Crumbly, messy, saucy, fell apart at first bite but it was possibly the best ive had in a while. Everyone at our table got one post tasting mine. it was that good. 

Overall, the place is pleasant, young and by 830 it is heaving. Service is a little scatter brained but they mean well, i am sure it'll get sorted in a few weeks. 

Food : 8/10
Service : 7/10
Damage : 1200 for 3 pints and a burger. 

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 

Trader Vic's Mai Tai Lounge

Rest : Trader Vic's Mai Tai Lounge
Meal : Pre-Movie Cocktails & Nosh
Loc : Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel

Trader Vic's used to be a popular name back in the 1960's when Polynesian themed Tiki bars were en vogue you can even see one in an episode of Mad Men. Over the years they died out but have now bounced back.

. 

Located right opposite the PVR box office, the space is partially out doors and but is not as much a tiki bar as it should be or could be. It reminded me of another theme bar i used to frequent the Bahama Breeze.

With an hour to kill before Man of Steel, my friend Mr. Samant decided to pop in for a round of cocktails, especially since the women folk weren't joining us and it was Sunday which meant i could imbibe with the sun up. 

I started with a Mai Tai which is pretty much their signature cocktail, while i dont drink Rum by itself i do enjoy rum cocktails and this one was pretty decent. Since its pleasant to drink, it goes quite quickly. 

The menu is quite disparate and the theme is not quite evident. However some of the dishes do look interesting enough to try. We went with these mushrooms which were fried and stuffed with cheddar i think and jalapenos. Hot, hot but not a bad way to start. 

The tiki falafal burger seemed quite enterprising and was quite good as a burger but fell a short as a middle eastern adventure. A dash more tahini and some hummus instead of the cheese would make more sense.But good nonetheless.

I haven't tried enough to really get a grip on what their total offering is but  if they use their imagination a little bit then the place has potential.

I like the half open half enclosed feel to the place, its a relaxing way to spend an hour or two, especially before a movie.

Food : 7/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : 2000 for 2 with a cocktail. 

Vicinia

Rest : Vicinia
Meal : Dinner
Loc : Opp St.Stephen's Church, Warden Road 

Vicinia is a brand new eatery that replaces the Subway at Warden Road. South Bombay has only a handful of restaurants from end to end and a new one is always welcome i suppose. The wife and i were bored on Sunday night and decided to swing by, took exactly 8 mins on foot ! 

The split level joints has a small bar on the bottom floor and the space is quite well done up, cozy, comfortable, exposed bricks and wood panelling. The use of space is immensely better than what Subway managed. 

The couches look supremely comfortable, however the tables are a tad tightly packed together. The menu is fairly generic and seems to try and keep a balance between the gujju Jain's and the well travelled that inhabit the area. 

The mushroom soup was good, considering the blandness that tends to be served out in the name of mushrooms this was certainly on the better side, a few pieces of chopped mushrooms would have really been stellar, perhaps a little garlic..

The nachos, i was dead set against them not knowing what to expect, the mrs however would not hear of it. good call too, they were delicious, held together by their choice of cheese and the fresh, slightly cold tomato. 

The aglio olio was a decent dish, too many peppers etc, you dont really need much in a dish like this aceept maybe sun dried tomato and some mushroom. It is definitely not in the league of Cafe Zoe or Smoke House Deli. 

The lasagne promised with a red sauce came drizzled in a pesto and was a rather dry bake. Not bad but none to impressive either. 

Overall, the space looks good, comfortable and welcoming. The staff needs training, they don't need to loudly sing along with Adele and need to know their menu and how dishes are prepared.

No shame in asking the chef and then informing diners correctly, rather than guessing and showing up with the wrong dish. I could have easily made a hue and cry about the lasagana but i chose not to.

The food is okay, the menu takes absolutely no risks or shows any flair or imagination. its very straight laced and generic which means its that much less interesting. If they really want to make a dent in the scene with a boring menu, every dish must be executed to perfection or they could try a few new ideas and they will surely do well, the Jain's not withstanding.

The prices are okay but the portions are strictly for single diners, wont be much to share.

Food : 7/10
Service : 7/10
Damage : 1100 for two without drinks. 

Indigo Deli Bandra

Rest : Indigo Deli
Meal : Lunch
Loc : Bandra, West. 

Indigo Deli, the old war horse, has a Bandra outlet, this was my second time there for a peaceful little lunch. 

I have always criticized Mrs.J's obsession with the Indigo Deli Pizza but the truth is the pizza is just deranged good and tastes fantastic. We wanted to order quickly so i didnt scan the menu and went with the standard. it was freaking good is what it was, i regret not ordering it more often. 

the penne with char peppered coulis tasted weird, should have stuck to the spagetti, 

the seared mushroom with brie was good as usual, seemed a tad small though.. not sure why that is.

the king of desserts, Belgian Choc with a strong alcohol after taste, winner for sure.

Overall, i am not a huge fan of the decor and its a tad small but the food is good, and its nice to know if you are lost in Bandra you can get some good food nonetheless.

Food : 8/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : 3000 for 3

Lager Bay

Rest : Lager Bay

Meal : Dinner
Loc : Waterfeld Road, Bandra West.

Lager Bay replaced the immensely popular Zenzi a little while ago and i finally got the opportunity to check them out. I have fond memories of Zenzi, good food and one particularly debauched night out had begun here but we shall not go into details about that as this is a kid friendly blog. 

 

The place sounds like a real Burgers and Beer joint but is actually quite a generic multi cuisine menu which leans on the Italian for its mains.  

 The hummus was creamy, delicious and we immediately ordered another portion as the first one did not last very long. the toasty pita chips they were served with i am not a fan of. they should serve both the soft and hard pita because like creamy or crunchy, pulpy or pulp free, there are camps and people pick sides.

The Minestrone is one of those soups which has been utterly destroyed by people not doing it correctly here. I have had the bland tasteless version at Botticino where the chef refused to admit the problem and the over done heavy handed gujju styled version at my club. this was one was a cut above but still not the best. i guess it wasn't bad which makes it good. 

The Nachos came out cold, which was a shock, we told the server that and he was flustered and tried to ask us to go along by saying that the sauce was added later.. in any case it was sent back. They were good enough to actually make a new one 

The aglio olio was quite a hit with the table, unfortunately i only got the last few scraps and by then all that was left were garlic and pepper and some spaghetti. i found it a tad too spicy but everyone loved it.

The stroganoff was weak, all cream and veggies no taste. unfortunate. I had some decent stroganoff at Irish House, Gaylord but this does not compare at all. 

One thing restaurants need to get clear is what their menu promises and what they deliver. if it says tomato and penne i assume its anything but an arrabiata. However even as an arrabiata this failed, it was like something i would have cooked which is not saying much at all.

The veggie burger was pretty terrific. A nice big patty with sesame bun. The relish and stuff were not very good but the burger itself was quite decent. very unwieldy to eat but then i never met a burger which wasn't.

Overall, i like the decor, the main entrance section has changed greatly from Zenzi, its very casual and brightly lit, the rest of the space has not changed much. The vibe is casual and the place can get loud. The food is okay, too many hits and misses and they do have some quality control they need to work on.

The service is quick and more or less friendly if a little scatter brained. The booze is expensive, the food not so much.

Food : 7/10
Service : 7/10
Damage : 8500 for 6 with drinks.  

Cafe Basilico on a Sunday Afternoon

Rest : Cafe Basilico

Meal : Sunday Lunch
Loc : Bandra West

I have always been a big of Cafe Basilico and oddly i find myself at the one in Bandra quite often, cannot remember the last time i had gone out to the one in Colaba which is at best a poor cousin (though it came first) 

So on a pretty relaxed Sunday afternoon the five of us found ourselves seated in their out doors section poring over the menu. Also on hand was a waiter who rather irritatingly punctuated every sentence with a 'yeah okay' 

although my luck has been terrible when it comes to mushroom soups, a good mushroom soup is all about delicate balance. I decided to live dangerously and was finally rewarded with a decent bowl, a few chunks of mushroom would have been welcome. 

nice little glass of lemon iced tea. 

the bruschetta was brilliant, fresh, olive oily with bits of cheese,immensely enjoyable. 

The mezze platter was not bad, not a fan of the presentation which just confuses, however all the items were good and the flavours great. 

the pita/lavash they served with it was inadequate, just regular pita is fine, no need to grill and experiment so much.

the pizza was hilarious, yep, hilarious. it tasted pretty good, but every one was expecting a pie and out comes a slice and jaws dropped. i think they should mention its a huge slice which is fine for one or two but when you order one with 5 diners on the table. its leads to every man for himself.

the mushroom and spinach risotto was no good. it used to be very different, their regular mushroom risotto was sublime, this was just plain bad.

The Tagine was served in a little earthen pot, which i guess has to do when in a pinch, however it was more of a tomato broth then a tagine, some more veggies and less liquid would have been much better. 

the tagine was served with a side of cous cous which was pretty ordinary 

the pumpkin ravioli tasted way way better than i thought it would, creamy, heavy with just a hint of pumpkin.

the dessert selection at Basilico is vast and being caught out by a NY, Philly & Strawberry cheesecake, we decided to bypass and go for a Tiramisu which was very good

and a gooey chocolate cake which was ordinary. 

Overall, the food was pretty good, a few misses but otherwise okay. Basilico continues to be popular because the space is relaxed and consistent. The service was scatter brained and slowish.

Food : 8/10
Service : 7/10
Damage : 6000 for 5. 

Sun Dance Cafe

Rest : Sundance Cafe
Cafe Meal : Lunch
Loc : Eros, Churchgate




Sundance Cafe, evokes nostalgia, having gone to school and college in the area.. it was one of the two spiffy eating joints in the immediate vicinity (Gaylord being the other) It was also a practically unaffordable place to dine at throughout school and junior college.


I lamented its loss a few years ago, however its time had truly passed. After some unfortunate changes in avatar first as the French bistro Chez Vous and another even shorter lived version which i cannot recall, the lease was taken up by the team behind 212 who were smart enough to retain the name and updated the menu to keep up with the times.

Lunch with VB, fellow foodie, writer, ex GQ online editor and budding entrepreneur was scheduled a week in advance and i for one was looking forward to it.

It continues to be a split level eatery and takes a page out of the LPQ book of wood & veneer styling. Its cheerful and fairly comfortable, although the tables are packed fairly tightly. The menu was huge, designed to look like a newspaper.. dishes range from eggs, pancakes and other breakfast goodies to salads, sandwiches, burgers, you name it and they have it. I am not a big fan of huge menus because invariably the larger the menu, the worse its execution.

Started off with the Falafal in little pita pockets, served with labneh and hummus. The falafal was excellent, dont just right, the labneh was pretty good too, the hummus could have been better.

The Baked Camembert was on the money too, served with some bread and massive potato wedges, burnt my mouth a little but boy was it worth it.

I forget what the salad was called but it was rocket leaves, red wine poached pear with yellow peppers and goat cheese i reckon. Very nicely done too, went down quick and easy as it rightly should.

Overall, the place is nice, the menu is too big, perhaps they can go through and remove what does not work eventually but for now you are pretty spoilt for choice. However the place offers something for pretty much everyone and i certainly see the need for more places like it, that do good things and do them well. It has the potential to be a strong alternative to Indigo Deli, Moshe, LPQ if they can be consistent.

The service unfortunately is slow and a little disorganized. The salads took 20 mins to show up and were served with the salads, this is one of the cardinal sins in my opinion of the restaurant biz.

They staff mean well but really need to be trained a little more when it comes to knowing their menu and being able to communicate information. A separate menu for smoothies was on our table and VB spent 5 mins figuring which one he liked only to find out smoothies were not available.

You guys can add a service charge but come on, earn it. I blame management for this.. wake up folks.

Food : 8/10
Service : 6/10
Damage : 2100 without drinks.