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. 

Starbucks

So Starbucks finally made it to India after threatening to do so for years. The hype has been immense, with people queuing up to get in a city where the very same people would not queue to vote.

I happened to visit Starbucks after a disastrous lunch at The Pantry and since the car was parked nearby we swung in and found a short queue. The place is massive and has been laid out with a distinctly Indian/Bombay vibe, well done to them on that. That is surely the Tata hand playing in.

Unfortunately they have chosen an insanely high traffic area like Horniman Circle where one would bricks of gold before they would find a parking spot. There is apparently another outlet at the Taj Palace as well as in some mall in Goregaon West.

I had a tomato mozzarella panini which was pretty good although i was not impressed with the choice of bread.

I had the middle sized Mocha Frappucino and it was outstanding. The latte was ordinary and the caramel frapuccino which was not bad but not as good as mine. Id go there again if it were easy to get coffee. Hopefully they will open a few more outlets closer to home.

Damage : 730 for 3 coffees, a sandwich and a muffin.

ITC Hornbys Pavilion

Rest : Hornby's Pavilion
Meal : 3am snack 

Loc : ITC Grand Central, Lalbaugh 

Returning from a night out we decided to stop by the ITC for a much needed meal. The place was totally empty when we walked in, a gentleman out of uniform was doing some maintenance work.. which is bad form.

The tomato soup has usually been pretty stellar, it was on the best things they served at the late hour, however the soup was quite tangy and sweetish, certainly nowhere close to their usual high standard.

the bread basked has not changed in ages. not but not great either.

The veggie burger is actually two burgers, not too bad, come with some home style fries and some really nice relish, more relish would rock.

Overall, the service was quick and friendly however they were very noisy, kept dropping things all over the place. Dishes, silver ware... i know its late and only two people there but no reason to take things lightly.

Food : 7/10
Service : 7/10
Damage : 900

Cafe By The Beach

Rest : Cafe By The Beach

Loc : Right before Chowpatty Beach
Meal : Early evening snack

Salt Water Grill (here and here)was perhaps my favorite spot to hang out in (not the best restaurant by a long shot) until political pressure and ulterior motives forced them to shut down. I do miss being able to go there and sit by the ocean while having a bite, so i was quite excited when i heard that the space was re-opening.

The Cafe by the Beach as its now known is under new management and focused on a rather healthy cafe menu with salads, sandwiches wraps etc. The menu is reasonably varied, they even do cheese platters as well as a deli meats platter. I have been told they will soon have daily specials in play as well. There is no liquor or wine available and though id miss it, i am sure its really not worth the hassle and the payoffs.
 

 The place is just brilliant, as good as i remember it, having your feet in the sand while looking out at Bombay is quite something and its a pity that ridiculous zoning regulations deprive the people of vistas like the one below. 

Thankfully the new management has been smart enough not to really mess with a good thing, there have been minimal changes to the original decor, some of the canopied tables are gone, there is a strong Buddha-Zen motif running, the lounge chairs are still there which is great.

Spied these at a table nearby and snapped em, looked pretty good, they have a decent selection for breakfast but i have never been a fan of the viennoiserie.

i did however, split (literally) a blueberry muffin with the wife, tasty, very tasty.

The open faced balsamic tomato with mozzarella was freshy fresh tasting. It came with a side of dialed down mustard (god i hate mustard) and some upma which was cut in a neat little square, a very nice touch. Also a nice touch were the thinly sliced potatoes.

The iced-tea was not too sweet, which is just as well, however not pictured here is the fantastic orange peel cooler which though sweet was pretty stellar, a must order.

This was the view we saw by the time we got going to the other items in the menu.

The watermelon salad with feta was effing good. About the only way watermelon should be eaten in my opinion.. is with a dollop of feta cheese. I had another version of this at Indigo Deli recently as well. The only problem was that it was not the salad i had ordered and watermelon being a watery fruit, tends to leave a lot behind in the plate when you slice and dice.

The Napolitano wrap was pretty pretty good, recommended by the chef over the others, the wraps come in little bite sized portions which is a nice touch, easy to eat, especially for an animal like me.

The salad i had originally ordered, grape with goat cheese, they got it for me in the end anyway, not bad, but nothing stellar, not a patch on the Watermelon.

Overall, its great to have a proper place on the beach open again, that alone is worth the price of admission (just an expression) its a downright dirty shame that stupid regulations by stupid people prevent good things from happening (or maybe that's how they get their bribes going)

While i was there there were two pretty Asian ladies giving foot massages, which can never be a bad thing. The place is being positioned as an all day cafe dining space, which means the atmosphere is casual and the pricing not too bad. Once the specials are available it should round out the menu nicely.

However, its still a safe menu, not too much experimentation and there is plenty of that around (Indigo Deli's, Moshe Cafe's, Smoke House Deli etc) they all tread the same ground. The location and ambiance is certainly what sets this far apart from the competitors.

Service was friendly and eager to please all around though a tad scatter brained but you can chalk that down to early days. The front of house is not as snobbish as the Salt Water Grill used to be (unjustifiably so)thankfully.

Food : 8/10
Service : 7/10
Damage : 2100 for 2

Debailleul

Rest : Debailleul
Meal : Post dinner dessert
Loc : Prabhadevi

Debailleul is a Belgian patisserie that opened its doors a few months ago, high end European desserts and chocolates are now available, unfortunately at European prices (one can also get Leonidas chocolates if one were feeling generous, i walk by every other day as its up the street from my place, never walked in, though i have picked up their goodies in the NYC)

Sitting in the bright, cheerfully lit space, one can very easily be transported to Paris/Brussels or Prague as the wife thought. In terms of design, from the menu to the little chocolate boxes, everything is aesthetically superb.

The menu is interesting, you have the whole shebang - gateaux, tarts and macaroons, bonbons and  ice creams(choc, vanilla) sorbets (raspberry, mango sorbet) but each variety has a limited offering.  They haven't gone crazy or tried to do too much which isn't too bad an idea.

The wife chose the Voltaire, chocolate goodness this one, a relatively thick dark chocolate exterior with soft mousse like innards. Excellent. 

Galloway, the one i chose, a blueberry filling in a cream cheese cake was recommended by quite a few but i found it to be a weak choice, pretty weak.

Raspberry Sorbet, brilliant, perhaps the best thing there.. but then i am extremely partial to sorbets so perhaps not the most objective a view.

Overall, the ambiance is nice, the service friendly and quick. The menu interesting and the offerings themselves good, the pricing however is on the extreme side, (Voltaire was 500, Galloway 500, the sorbets 250) at those prices, i would expect everything to be compelling and in that context they fall short. It is certainly not value for money and definetely not a place i would go often, also one could head to an Indigo Deli/Theobroma and pick up a few sterling choices at a lot less.

It is also unfortunately located right at the busy traffic light which leads to South Bombay from Prabhadevi one is guaranteed to struggle for parking during the day, best to drive over on Sunday afternoon or post 8pm.

Food : 8/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : Catastrophic 1250.

Hot Review - Smoke House Deli

Rest : Smoke House Deli
Meal : Lunch
Loc: High Street Phoenix near McDonalds

Smoke House Deli is the brand spanking new restaurant in whats turning out to be the most attractive one stop shop for eating out, High Street Phoenix. The entrance is so subtle you could just miss it, so watch out between for the white door between McDonalds and the Blue Foods monstrosities Noodle Bar & Bombay Blue.

You walk in and the first thing that strikes you is that it is perhaps the most original, interesting and attractive space this city has seen in a long time. While Veda located a few feet away interprets all that is excessive about India, Smoke House Deli interprets, simplicity with quirky hand drawn art on its walls (i have been looking into their design, turns out its actually very cheap for a restaurant so full marks for originality and a lesson to everyone who thinks money trumps originality. More on the decor here)

The menu is directly in competition with the Indigo Deli's and Moshe's of the world, both of which have a presence only a few meters away. There is a breakfast section as well as a separate offering of eggs any which way. Sandwiches & Burgers, Soups & Salads and Mains round up the rest.

They have a full service license which means wine and booze, since we were there for lunch, skipped out on the cocktails but went for a Sangria which was awesome. The iced tea was sans sugar, considering my recent health scare (more on that some other day) but tasted allright.

The Greek salad was near perfect, gobbled it down fairly quick, nothing to say really, spot on.. just what a Greek salad should taste like. The feta makes or breaks it, there have been times when folk have used weaker or staler feta at times, which pretty much kills it.

The second salad we had was a sweety sweet mix of figs, pine , grapes et al. the salad was pretty good but a tad too sweet with grapes in there. if they just through in some goats cheese in there to dial down the sweetness, it would kill.

The spinach ravioli was not too bad, unfortunately for my wife who ordered it and fortunately for me it was not as big a portion as my entree.. :)

The penne in tomato and garlic dashed with Gorgonzola cream was simple and that was great. Nothing heavy, nothing overt, simple taste of tomatoes, garlic and pasta.. good stuff.

The bread basket was small but filled with fresh bread and was served in a little bag reminiscent of how they used to serve their bread back in the day at Salt Water Grill.. (thank you Maharashtra Government for robbing us of a brilliant location and continue pillaging do not stop till the well runs dry) The fresh butter was also pretty awesome.

The dessert was a Creme Brulee, which was pretty good, and a chocolate tort which was everything a chocolate torte should taste like and more.

Overall Smoke House Deli is a welcome addition to what is a crowded and competitive space. As i mentioned before, the theme of the menu is similar to both Indigo Deli & Moshe's and despite  Indigo Deli being the big daddy, the Smoke House Deli is younger and less intimidating (and i still cant get over the decor)

Hopefully SMD can keep up to the mark like Indigo Deli has which has been reason enough to over look what is terrible service.

Price wise too, they score, roughly 20% cheaper than Indigo Deli they are greater value for money and also have soup and half sandwich options for a soup + half a sandwich 400 a pop (which by comparison is a steal) 

Service was reasonably quick and friendly.

Food : 8/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : 3000 for 2 with a Sangria each.

3am at Trattoria

Rest : Trattoria
Loc : Vivanta/Taj President, Cuffe Parade
Meal : 3am chow down

Trattoria (previous visits here, here)at the Taj President continues to be the perennial 3am joint, especially when hunger strikes during the glorious hours of 1 - 5 am. This is when 'Trats' really comes alive, in my near 20 years that i have been goin there, i dont think i have ever been there when the sun was out.

To be fair, Trats is more than a late night coffee shop, they serve just one cuisine and is actually a far superior alternative when compared to the traditional something for everyone 5 star coffee shops such as Shamiana at the Taj Palace & Tower or Bayview at Marine Plaza which are more or less nearby.

The roast tomato soup with goats cheese, was brilliant, not as good as the one from Hornby's Pavilion but still pretty good.

Followed up with a salad of spinach with feta, walnut and a balsamic vinaigrette, possibly the weakest dish of the evening. Looked like a winning mix, bitter spinach, sour feta and sweet drizzle, its a combination that has worked well before but this time just sort of fell flat.

The garlic bread served with the soup was yummy, unfortunately the bread basket that came in otherwise was pretty bare. Seems like five stars are scrimping nowadays as well.


The pizzas on the menu are all top notch, i dont think i have ever had a bad one. This one was a thin crust with peppers and olives. Just brilliant. I usually pick their lasagna which is luscious and the wife always goes for the pizza. Smart woman that.

A mousse of some kind from what i recall, we skipped on the tiramisu, not bad but nothing spectacular.

On the whole, the restaurant continues to serve awesome food, so long as you stick to the tried and tested dishes, experiment too much and you could end up with something below par. Be prepared for a large, extremely noisy crowd even at 3 am, the place is quite a fish market, with a fair sprinkling of obnoxious drunks during the weekend.

Service is quick and friendly as expected.

What is your fav 3am place?

Food : 7/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : 2000 without drinks.