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. 

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 

Eating Out In Hong Kong & Cebu

I was recently in Hong Kong & Cebu, Philippines and thought i would do a run through of my meals whilst there. It is not a complete list but sort of the greatest hits. 

Shanghai Popo 336,  iSquare, TST, 

This is apparently the best branch of this fairly popular Shanghainese restaurant. Loads of local here which is always a good sign. Its a very attractive place from a design stand point and I loved its bare cemented walls, the decor being harsh and hip, the food the exact opposite. 

the menu like mostly restaurants in HKG is fairly expansive, covering plenty of ground, Noodles, Dim Sum, Vegetables, Sea Food, Meats, etc. 

The hand made noodles in a special Schezwan soup was excellent, spicy but loads of flavour. 

yummy green beans

and even yummier pancakes, freaking delicious. 

the buns were fought over, minced mushroom from what i recall 

Highly recommend a meal here, it was about HK$500 for four without booze. 

Din Tai Fung, Ye Woo Street, Causeway Bay

Have been a fan of Din Tai Fung, every since my friend Sam turned me onto them in Singapore. Every since then i have had atleast one meal a year at one of their restaurants in Singapore or Hong Kong and look forward to these with great relish. 

 

Both the branches of this Taiwanese eatery in Hong Kong have a Michelin star each and deservedly so. The food is delicious, consistent and the service is quick and impeccable. Which is especially important because i have had some less than excellent service in Hong Kong at times. 

the meal starts of with a little pot of Jasmine tea, which goes down very well. very well indeed and this is coming from a not very tea friendly person. 

Noodles with spicy sauce, what can i say, just perfect and actually not as spicy as one would reckon. 

These were the mushroom dim sum which was also muy excellent. One can also get mushrooms in a soy sauce which i didnt end up getting as it would have been too much. Next time perhaps. All in all, excellent meal with great service.

HK$300 for two without drinks. 

Tim Ho Wan Hong Kong Station, Level 1 

I end up in Hong Kong station either when i am in or heading out of HKG and always try and make a go of grabbing a bite at Tim Ho Wan which is still the worlds cheapest michelin star restaurant, although the original branch was in Mong- Kok and has since shuttered. Folks in Singapore can find a bunch of Tim Ho Wan's however. 

i got the turnip cakes this time which i missed out on the last time and everything else was much the same. check was about $90 and the wait was about 20 mins. 

Sorabol, Lee Theatre Plaza, Causeway Bay

Sorabol is a Korean restaurant tucked up on top of the LTP building, its a pain in the arse to get to if you don't take the correct elevator. 

Served up a bunch of varied kim chi while we waited for our meal. Since my mates had been there before they did the ordering. 

the kim chi pan cake was downright delicious, especially when doused with a little hot sauce. 

This was one of the 'stone' rice preparations done in a traditional Korean style, pretty good. We couldn't order to use the grill to cook our own food because we were pretty full by then. all in all a go to Korean place for a lot of people in HKG and rightfully so. 

HK$600 for four without drinks. 

The Flying Pan Old Bailey Street, Central 

One of my fav meals in Hong Kong, this 24 hour diner is super popular with breakfast crowd as well as post drink 4 am party people seeking nourishment. Although small, the place packs a serious punch when it comes to its menu which is pretty wide. Egg, Griddle, Pancakes, Frittatas, Omelets, you name it. they got it. hell they even do cocktails. 

The Rancheros were terrific, eggs sunny side up on on a tortilla with refried beans, jalapenos.  

The eggs benedict were pretty terrific as well, as good as my rancheros were, would be hard pressed to pick between the two. great good, prompt service, must check it out i reckon.

HK$250 for three no booze. 

Teppan 

was walking around on Nathan road and saw this small teppan place, no idea why i went inside, it was a little late around 2.45 and they were about to wrap up but they were kind enough to seat me. i had the porcini mushrooms with a side of veggies, mung beans and rice. the soup i did not like very much but the rest was terrific and only cost HK$75 

Kirin Ichiban 

Frozen beer at the airport by Kirin Ichiban at the airport, pricey at HK$80, tad weird but def worth trying. great for a hot summer day this. again, trust the Japanese to come up with this. 

Maxim's Cakes All across  Hong Kong 

My friend Amit, picked up a few of these to chew on while we hung out at the airport. he also took every opportunity to pick some up every time he could. good stuff this, wont go wrong picking these. 

Royal Krua Thai, SM Mall, Cebu, Philippines 

Cebu is a glorious place to Scuba dive and indulge in water sports, which is why we were there. However its not the best place in the world to eat out. Food was pretty weak across the board and we stuck to mostly bad pizza until our last day there when we decided to try our luck with this Thai joint. The decor of the space was pretty far out as well.

delicious iced tea.

terrific spring rolls. 

tofu in all kinds of hot sauce. 

all in all the food was very good and the service was super quick and friendly. The people o the Philippine have a friendly, musical way about them and can be pretty hospitable, as was our host at the restaurant. meal was 600PHP without drinks for three. 

while walking around the SM mall we came across this small ice cream space. anyway, this is a pair of warm cookies with chocolate ice cream in the middle. need i say more, 100PHP

Also, if you find yourself in Cebu and want to party, head to Mango Square, find JM-Ave and get a private table for 5000PHP. worth it and the place is banging till about 5 am. 

Salt Water Cafe

Rest : Salt Water Cafe

Meal : Dinner
Loc : Veer Nariman Road, Churchgate, 

Salt Water Cafe, is a worthy replacement for the quite pointless Mocha brand, a much more mature, upmarket offering this one. 

a decentish bread basket, served in typical SWC/Smoke House style. 

started off with a cheese course because it never works in lieu of dessert. a decent mix, cheddar, gorgonzola, swiss with little toasties. 

the poached pear was disappointing, seemed like it was put together very absentmindedly, the bitter sweet and blue cheesy flavours sound good on paper but just didnt come through. 

This was the potato, ricotta, pea gnocchi, easily one of the best things i have tasted every. simply stunning.  doesnt sound like the greatest of dishes but boy does it come together ! this was under appetizers and little brother picked it but they apparently do an entree sized portion as well. highly recommended. 

kickass mojitos 

the lasgana was decent put together family style, which works best when simple, this wasn't bad per se but had a little too much going on, ingredients wise. 

this was the poutine, tasted awesome but was just a tremendously heavy dish, even two people would be hard pressed to finish this. awesome though. 

Overall, the food was pretty good, except for the odd misfire, most of the dishes come together well. They do a really good set of pickled veggies and feta which is a must try (at least it is in the Bandra outlet)

Service was on the money, pretty prompt though it was a busy evening.

Food : 8/10

Service : 8/10

Damage : 3000 with one cocktail   

Smoke House Deli - BKC - A Superstar Affair

Rest : Smoke House Deli,
Meal : Lunch
Loc : BKC 

Post a meeting in Andheri East (the abomination that it is) i decided to catch up with two of my mates @kapilsamant @shaileshprabhu who i hadn't seen in sometime. Instead of driving into Bandra as we had origibally planned we were actually heading to the newly opened Tiffin but were running pretty late and were unsure if they would be serving lunch post 3pm. 

I knew there was a SMD in BKC and we decided not to muck around and headed straight for it. 

fortunately they brought us some bread rather quickly and we wolfed it down even faster with these two little fluffs of butter 

If you are drinking orange juice anywhere it has to be Malta Orange only, if i ever see it on the menu i immediately go for it. 

the waiters recommended their burger festival that was going on and i chose the rather unusual soy burger which was actually the only veg option on the list. I have had their cottage cheese burger but i thought id try this since they were pushing it so hard.

When i saw it i was a bit worried, since it came open i saw the full scope of what i was about to wolf down (appetite aint what it used to be) add to this the melted cheese. At first bite it tasted a bit weird, the soy has a meaty texture and is a well known meat substitute but here it worked well. Tasted pretty good and was gone rather quickly. Highly recommend it for meat eaters trying to wean themselves of the beef. Be warned though, its messy as can be. 

the dining companions were quite interested in the desserts and went for the mango cheesecake which was very good. good call in the season. 

the real winner though was the cheesecake. Goddamn ! Excellent and Philadelphia style as god intended it to be. 

I would like to point out that the moment i sat down 3 waiters and the lead waiter all came down to shake hands with @kapilsamant who we all know is a superstar but rarely do you get to see this in action. They all kept making small talk, asking him how he was, gave us special attention and till now we can't figure out why.

The service was pretty good and quick and made good solid recommendations. Didn't review my companion meals unfortunately since i was too busy eating my burger.

Food : 8/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : 2900* for 3 without drinks

Had a recent discussion on twitter about where a friend mentioned that he had a hot chocolate at LPQ in BKC (at the same time we were at SMD in fact) where it cost him 400++ rs which we both thought was pretty ridiculous. While SMD is certainly not cheap, it def is on the lower side of say an Indigo Deli etc price wise and just as good. 

New King Of Matunga Breakfasts - Arya Bhavan

Rest : Muthuswamy's Arya Bhavan

Meal : Breakfast
Loc : Opp Matunga Station

I am a sucker for South Indian food which means i end up in Matunga on Sunday mornings with mates getting breakfast at the usual haunts (anwwhere except Cafe Mysore)Recently we decided to check out Arya Bhavan, quite a bit annoyed with myself that i had never given them a go, despite the Muthuswamy tag.

For those who don't know Muthuswamy is the most famous South Indian caterer in the city, weddings parties, massive dinners at clubs, the guy is a hit and over the years, the quality has been unchanging. We've had him over to my parents terrace a few times for family gatherings, so its just doubly embarrassing not to have been there before.

                

its a split level eatery only slightly fancier than the old guard, since its probably been renovated or redone once Muthuswamy took over management. Other than that, its pretty much interchangeable in terms of how it operates and serves.

The menu is large but they also serve North Indian and other snacks which under most conditions is unacceptable but i guess we must all take things with a pinch of salt.

we started with the upma, soft and damn near the best upma i have ever had anywhere. terrific. 

my first time having a thaat idli which i am told is basically Idli made in a plate of some kind. so its not fluffy as the regular idli. good stuff this as well. 

the mysore masala was pretty good, just about spicy, well done and heavy with ghee. the red mysore garlic chutney is a hallmark of muthuswamy and a must try. 

the coffee was unfortunately just about passable. 

love the classic coca cola bottle , so a gratuitous shot. 

overall the food was terrific, everything was very good and it was nice to be surprised like this. They also have appams and stew on the menu so i can't wait to go back around lunch.

It is on the expensive side vis a vis other restuarants in the area.

Food : 9

Service : 8

Damage : 600 for 3.