The Sun, Napean Sea Road

Rest : The Sun,
Loc : Napean Sea Road,
Meal : Lunch

The Sun, is still, in my opinion the best Punjabi restaurant in Bombay, it has been consistent for over 25 years that i have been going there and despite its extremely small size it really delivers big. The menu is fairly traditional and relatively expansive but a lot of the dishes are executed in their own unique way which thankfully hasn't changed over the years.

Start off with a stash of poppadums while we wait for lunch to begin. 

The Chana Masala was decent and it was the first time we ordered it, the navratan korma was its old sweet spicy self. 

The Malai Kofta to rule all Malai Kofta dishes worldwide. For all the years i lived away, this was the one dish in this one restaurant that signified home. Its just so uniquely done and has such a unique flavor, it will imprint itself in the taste center of your brain, never to leave. 

what is a punjabi lunch without some Garlic Naan ? 

The Small neighbourhood restaurant continues to kick major ass, we have been loyalists every since it opened and continue to do so. A lot of people who have been here agree. I dont write about it much since i dont want it to get popular at large.

They have a branch at Breach Candy, which i have oddly never been to.

Food : 9/10
Service : 8/10

Damage : 2500 for 6. 

Terrific Food, Fantastic Service at Karavalli, Bangalore.

Rest : Karavalli

Loc : Gateway Hotel, Residency Road,
Meal : Lunch

Yet another Bangalore trip, this time for a wedding which meant most time would be spent in the hotel and with family rather than roaming Bangalore. One of my other trips my SIL took me every landmark in Bangalore in one day (here and here) but since it was her wedding, i was on my own.

Having been to most of the locally famed eateries i thought i would give the cuisine a try in a finer setting. Karavalli, came highly recommended from almost everyone i spoke to and it wasn't a difficult choice. 

Its nestled in a very green spot within the Gateway Hotel, which happens to be in the middle of the city but you wouldnt know it if you walked out back. This much greenery takes getting used to for a Bombay Boy. 

The space itself is very refined yet reflects the local touch. Understated elegance, gives you a  feel for how the patricians of the south must have lived during the Raj. 

The menu was akin to Konkan Cafe, in that it covered a particular region rather than say a Dakshin which has a comprehensive and exhaustive menu covering a great many regional cuisines.

i was determined to get the thali and the thali is what i ordered. Why choose when you can have it all ?

we started off with a little bowl of papads which i quite enjoyed. there was a terrific garlic pickel along which i might have finished half way. 

red chutney was terrific. i think i got em to refill it a bunch more times. 

the rasam was all pepper and fire, just brilliant. Got the appetite going 

So this was the thali, there was yam, potato, lemon rice, yogurt, onion sambar, a veggie curry and a stew.

these were served up with appams or parottas made to order. i had the appams exclusively, and loved em. 

they offer regular or red rice and i chose red of course. 

the dessert was brought out separately, the payasam, i am a big fan of these but i like em cold, but that's a personal preference.

a slew of paans to end the meal. 

Overall, my meal was terrific. a good thali in my opinion has no real standout dishes but works in tandem which was the case here, the dishes were in harmony and it wasn't too rich or complicated. Simple fare is hardest to do right anyway.

The pricing for what you get is terrific value for money. Its almost the third of the price of a Dakshin and nowhere is it weaker in what it offers which is saying something.

I must also say that the service was terrific, from the moment we entered till we got the check, they were extremely hospitable. They insisted we have something to drink, when i refused, they got me buttermilk anyway and then refused to let us pay for it saying it was on the house as we were their guests.

They ensured we knew the meal was not limited and we could more of anything we wanted. Explained all the dishes in detail and like at a family meal, they were nudging us to try this and that and warned us at the outset not to ruin our appetite with too much papad.

A great many restaurants and restaurateurs could perhaps dine at Karavalli if not for the great food, terrific ambiance then just possibly just to learn why they run one of the best service teams anywhere in India

Food : 8/10

Service :10/10

Damage : 2500 for two without drinks. 

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.

Mani's

Rest : Mani's
Meal : Lunch
Loc : Matunga

I love South Indian thali's just love em, unfortunately neither my wife, nor my brother are big fans, which means i dont end up going as often as i'd like. They are both Cafe Madras fans, which means i drop them there and then drive over to Ramanayak's mostly to have my thali by myself and pick them up on the way back.

In any case, i was meeting a my friend Happy for a working lunch of sorts and was quite excited to return there since my epic Onam lunch last september (here) also my first visit to Mani's is here

The full meal, is served on banana leaves and served in a separate room and is all you can eat. 

not a fan of puris and so glad they serve chapatis here, large enveloping chapatis and crunchy, crunchy papads. 

this is the exact same meal i had at Mani's at my first visit i think, the veggie were great, on their own none of them stand out but together they are a pretty harmonious bunch. immensely enjoyable. 

the pickle is pretty awesome too and i a rarely eat pickle away from home. 

There was Rasam, Sambar, Curd & Buttermilk. my complaint continues to be the same, chilled buttermilk would be awesome but other than that, it was a stupendous meal. nothing to complaint about except the waiter thought i was part of his family and insisted i have an extra chapati and extra pickle. He figured my penchant for buttermilk and got me a couple of glasses.

By the end of it all i was extremely stuffed and did not have dinner. All for a 150 bucks. Enough said.

Food : 9/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : 150pp