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 

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   

LPQ

Rest : Le Pain Du Quotidien 

Meal : Late Snack

Loc : Colaba,

A hankering to nibble on cheese struck post dinner and we decided to first head to The Table for a quick cocktail followed by a bite at LPQ. Ordinarily i am not a fan of the place as they have been quite inconsistent, however, i couldn't think of another place to get a cheese platter (Vetro does one but only Italian cheeses) 

okayish bread on the table, i always wonder why their bread is not the most stunning in the city if they bake their own. Also, serving Amul Butter (which i like) is a cop out. Make a little effort, create some of your own butter, god knows its not hard. 

the minestrone bowl was a monster, the soup was allright, not bad at all, hearty tomato base, a little more starchiness would have helped.  

the cheese platter, the reason why we were there. Parmesan, Bleu, Edam, Emmental with a little compote and Ricotta in the bowl. Some olives and a few pieces of toasty bread. The bleu was great, the ricotta was fresh too but out of place for an evening platter. 

The olives didnt taste like the last time. The parmesan certainly did not come off a wheel, the edam was okay and the emmental was old.

Overall, the food was okayish, the service good. The place is expensive, vis a vis what they offer. My suggestion is to have fresh cheese as much as possible and not have a set cheese board, which is a) boring and b) bound to be not so fresh as cheese is kept in stock. 

Food : 7/10

Service : 8/10

Damage 1150 without drinks. 

LPQ

Rest: Le Pain Quotidien
Loc : Dhanraj Mahal, Colaba
Meal : Sunday Snackish

A Sunday evening dinner with friends, we decided to give LPQ a shot again, my previous visits were not terribly impressive (here) Ill keep this short and sweet.

The minestrone was not bad, not great either however. Passable.

The cold red hummus tartine, is something i have had everytime and its always been the better dish of the lot. It has a unique taste, enjoyable.

The Ravioli was bland with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Total waste.

The Lasagna was green, spring summery and quite light for a lasagna.

Overall, LPQ continues to underwhelm, the place was barely full for a Sunday evening and the service was okay. They did take forever in getting the food out to the table. Not great but certainly better than previous visits (which should not be difficult)

Food : 7/1o
Service : 7/10
Damage : 2000

Salt Water Cafe

Rest : Salt Water Cafe
Meal : Dinner
Loc : Near Lilavati Hospital, Bandra West.

Sunday evening a bunch of friends decided to meet, since some of them were coming in from the suburbs, Bandra was the neutral venue. Originally we intended to nosh at Cafe Basilico but as i am friends with a bunch of alchies, the party wanted a change of venue.

I was a little unsure if we would be able to get a table but 9ish on a Sunday evening we walked in and were seated almost immediately at the Salt Water Cafe. Bombay does not seem to be going out in the rain.

Salt Water Cafe is a pleasant, well lit cafe on an outrageously busy street. This was my second or third visit there, the menu is very much like Moshe/Cafe Basilico/Indigo Deli they serve breakfast, sandwiches, pasta some mains and dessert.

We started off with a pitcher of Sangria (2000) a tad sweet but it went down quick. One can also get a pitcher of Margarita, certainly do regret not getting one instead of the Sangria.

The potatoes were surprisingly bland in taste. The crust was cooked nicely but there was just no flavour inside.

The mushrooms were quite disappointing, no great shakes here.

The bocconcini with tomato was not bad, as a salad caprese is pretty simple but its no good if the ingredients aren't fresh. Same thing here, while the cheese was certainly not stale, it wasn't super fresh either. The balsamic onion dressing was yum.

The stars of the show were the two appetizers we ordered, both served in super cool airtight glass jars. Served with impossibly thin and crunchy bread the marinated mushrooms were delicious, they had a hint of sweetness. Brilliant.

The other was the marinated feta... EVIL EVIL stuff, just couldn't stop myself from reaching into the jar again and again. Olive oil and feta, the simplest things are the most amazing.

The Lasagna came with a nice chunk of eggplant, not bad, possibly the best dish of the lot, quite hearty. This one was okay, if you want kickass Lasagna head to Tratorria at the President.

Penne in a Jalapeno cream with sun dried tomatoes. I plain and simple mis-ordered on this one. I was originally going for the mushroom cous-cous with onion stew but somehow i ended up with the Penne. It was weak and just too sour overall, couldn't get beyond that.

Ravioli was with grilled veggies was another downer. Although i didn't have more than two bites, it was just creaminess, no discernible flavour.

The brun pav with ham, was left half uneaten. Good to see a brun make an appearance in a restaurant though.

The risotto was with sun dried tomato, olives, peppers and jalapeno cream. A strong taste, much like the Sicilian risotto at Moshe but not as good. The taste of basil was overpowering but overall it was not bad but certainly not great.

The dessert were the creme brulee which was average and the flour less chocolate fudge with caramel crunch ice cream. The fudge was okay, the little berry compote drizzle was nice, the caramel crunch ice cream was butter scotch without the nuts.

Overall, the place is large and well lit the ambiance is what you would expect of popular, modern eatery.
Food wise however they have a lot of niggles to work out especially with dishes and their overall impact. The menu is imaginative, each dish sounds excellent on paper, the marinated feta/mushrooms are not only great in taste but the presentation is nice as well.

However the creativity is not being translated into strong flavours. Perhaps a slightly leaner menu might allow them to focus a little bit more.

The service was quick, friendly and prompt.

Food : 7/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : 6500 for 7 with drinks.

rest: smoke house deli
loc : phoenix mills, lower parel
meal : lunch

I have written about my visits to Smoke House Deli before (here) not only is it one of the most interestingly designed places in the city, its also a viable and slightly cheaper option to Indigo Deli. In the short time they have been open, they have become fairly popular, have been turned away twice due to interminably long waits.

So i was only too happy to accept their invitation to a preview of their new Summer menu this past week. The old menu continues supplemented by daily specials, however they have now launched a summer specific menu as well which will run through the season.

They have a new Cucumber & Dill Soup served cold with a smattering of white balsamic. Brilliant little concoction this one, perfect for the summer, very refreshing.

The Beetroot & Mustard soup also served cold was not to my liking, i have never been a big fan of beetroot but and this one was definitely weaker than the cucumber/dill.

The Cherry Tomato with Sour mix & Tequila was fantastic, not a very summery option but still very interesting. A little along the lines of the Sangrita i had at Wahaca in London (here) went down very well indeed.

Carrots with Raisins & Pineapple Mayo.. a little sweet but it went down pretty well. Nice light salad to do the job.

Chickpea, croutons in olive oil and curry vinaigrette, this one was intriguing. Not only did it taste brilliant but the curry taste turns this into something more than a salad. A new taste this one.

The roast vegetable gallet was a  little weird. While the pesto and the cheese tasted okay, the base itself was difficult and unwieldy to eat.  Perhaps re imagining the dish without the base might make it better. The Goat Cheese & Pine Nut Ravioli was a better dish, though a tad too creamy.

A mocktail of tangerine and i think raspberry was fantastic, deserves a place on the permanent menu, very nicely done, a great way to kick the heat.

The Berry Pavlova was decent but the mango cheesecake was soft and on the money. No crust, which is odd for a cheesecake but nicely done nonetheless.


Overall, the summer menu is a good addition to the regular menu, the soup and salads are great, the main courses are a bit hit & miss. The Beverages are fantastic. Smoke House Deli would move up a notch further if they were to learn a few tricks from their molecular gastronomy inclined elder brother based in Delhi


                                                     Full Disclaimer : I was there by invitation

Dolce Vita

Rest : Dolce Vita
Meal : Dinner
Loc : Highstreet Phoenix

One of my post movie rituals at Phoenix High Street is to stop by Dolce Vita and then the Food Hall to see if any of my favourites have made an appearance (Strong Bow cider, Sarsons Malt Vinegar, McV's Jaffa Cakes etc) so far i have only found the malt vinegar at both places. Still 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Post Avengers, whilst strolling around Dolce Vita, we decided to check out their Cafe and give the usual Moshe & Indigo Deli a miss. We could spy an empty table and that sealed the deal.

Dolce Vita is modelled after Dean & Deluca in spirit if not in size, while a cafe within a grocery store is fairly common abroad in India it is quite a rarity. The accent and product range within the store is high end and we assumed the menu would be the same.

However the menu was quite accessible, a world menu with a something for everyone vibe. Usually that is a red flag to me, because i have been to very few restaurants that can truly cater to everyone, including 5 star coffee shops. The mains are more or less European inspired which is different from the pasta heavy options in and around Phoenix. 

Also happened to notice some old school favs, which you don't see around too much nowadays, French Onion soup being one, Creamed Spinach the other. 

 trusty ol tonic for the mrs.

superb ice tea, was so good i had another one right away

The French Onion  i had to order, thankfully the garlic toast came on the side, i have seen a few places set it afloat in the soup which makes it a bit of a soggy mess. The soup itself was good a little more flavour would have made it absolutely awesome.

Mushrooms stuffed with goat cheese were a no brainer, not bad either, i added a little extra balsamic vinegar on em and it went from good to great.

The Caprese was pretty good too, them Mediterranean folk really know how to keep it simple, caprese is a travel staple for us when in Europe. It came with a little balasmic drizzle, some flecks of pesto and some herbs. nicely done

The couscous salad should have been the first indicator of things to come, this was literally the biggest salad i have seen in this country. romaine, green beans, squash, olives and of course couscous.Not bad, a summery salad.

The wife uncharacteristically ordered a burger which she liked from the get go. Unfortunately this was again too big a dish, the giant bowl of crispy fries was brilliant but had to be left alone as well..

The burrito, served with sour cream and salsa, was nice. They were out of guacamole and i noticed the hub hub in the corner of the restaurant which indicated to me that they did not have fresh guacamole. I saw them trying to find some avocados in the restaurant but they weren't ready either.

A little disappointing but ive seen the same complaint made at (Sanchos, the erstwhile Taco Fresco, Sammy Sosa, only Starboard gets avocado on demands.. but then that's the Taj) Thankfully they did not try to fob us off with avocado paste (which the wife uses when avocados aren't available)

My only complaint here was that there were no refried beans in the burrito just rice.

I was far too stuffed to get the cheese course to finish off, the wife preferred to go with the server's recommendation the White Chocolate Fondant, the menu says its served with whisky ice cream but i think it was served with plain ol Vanilla.

I must say this is probably one of the best desserts available out there, up there with the Belgian Chocolate at Indigo Deli. Beyond delicious, this one is a must have. The wife wolfed it down and she is not a fan of white chocolate.

Overall, the space is decent and the menu attractive. The focus and style is definitely on the European side for the mains without being too Mediterranean which is refreshing to see.  

I have seen crowds there most of the time, so the experiment must be working. However they should surely market it a little as a stand alone restaurant/ dining option as the food is good and should have a larger audience.

The service is warm and friendly but the dishes can take a little time to come around.

For the carnivores, they have a butcher shop where one can pick up meat or sea food  and the chef will cook it as per your desire. They had some New Zealand Beef on sale, so steak aficionados, should check it out.

The  pricing is on the higher side but cheaper than an Indigo Deli, so not a bank breaker. I did not notice till we were leaving that they have a full bar and cocktail menu beyond the wine list.

Food : 8/10
Service : 8/10
Damage : 2500 for 2 without drinks. 

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