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. 

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. 

Blanca's Alex Leonard cooks at The Table

Rest : The Table
Loc : Colaba,
Meal : Dinner

Brooklyn's three Michelin starred, Blanca is a hot ticket with a 30 day wait for tables. So when i heard that my current fav restaurant The Table had their Chef De Cuisine down cooking a five course meal, it was a no brainer.

Pre Dinner cocktail was an old fashioned, which was brilliant and what i always get there. They also do a killer Margarita and i had a sip of a stunning pineapple martini which is also a must have. 

 

Melon Parsley Verde, Radicchio Amchur & Black Sesame, Malai Leeks & Potato. I am not a fan of Melon or Radicchio but all of it was brilliant. Great start, the melon verde was pesto like but for me the malai leek potato was the star here. brilliant.

One of my fav dishes at the table was the parsi cheese which is unfortunately no longer on the menu. This was the farmers cheese with burnt onion and it was probably the dish of the evening. Like eating air and a hint of the onion on there, brilliant. Has to have been hard to do :

       

Celery Root, Parsnip & Carrot Puree was salty but weird, good weird at that. Again not a parsnip fan but i guess its all about how you cook things.

Eggplant ceviche, baba ganoush, leche de tigre. Brilliant, the leche de tigre was as the name suggests was dangerous. the heat just snuck up on you.

 

orecchiette with grapefruit and pecorino. Interesting, a little chewy, probably the weakest dish of the evening but still fairly good stuff. 

Peruvian White Asparagus, Coconut and Black Lime. The Asparagus was lucious, brilliant and the coconut was sweet, i wasnt expecting a sweet course so it kinda threw me, still good, the coconut flavour wasnt that sweet.

Chocolate, Parmesan Truffle, boy was this weird. The chocolate was great but the truffle was strong and weird but it was fun to have together. The puffy rice was kinda weak, didnt add anything to the dish but otherwise it was excellent.

Overall, this was quite an experience, the portions were small but in the end youre there for the experience and more than that the creativity. Its great to have a cutting edge meal in the city and its exactly the kind of thing one would expect from a place like The Table, which has so far been super consistent (sad to say my previous fav Thai Pavilion has really dropped their game)

I am glad i had an open mind regarding a lot of veggies i never eat, hell i even had a piece of broccoli off @dharmeshg's plate and it was brilliant as well. Compared to some of the other Michelin star meals i have had, this is def in the top 5. 




Service was quick and prompt and friendly as one would expect.

The dinner was priced at 3500 without drinks and for the dimwits thinking its a steal, it isnt actually considering they serve 20+ courses for the equivalent of 12500 not that i am complaining, it was money well spent.

Thanks to my friend @qtfan (who booked the table and pre-paid risking no shows :) and his lovely wife C, @dharmeshg and @ankitsoni who joined us for the evening. Good Times.

Sassy Spoon

Rest : Sassy Spoon

Meal : Dinner
Loc : Express Towers, Nariman Point.

Finally, Mrs Jain, Miss Jain and i set out to have dinner, this was the Mrs J's first night out since December, was our wedding anniversary and was also the first time Miss Jain was going to be out in public. we chose Sassy Spoon because it wasnt too far from home and there would be no parking issues. In addition, a bunch of family members were there a few days ago and loved it. 

So, the space is kinda rustic in a hipster sort of way, if you dont look around at people you dont feel like you are in Bombay. there is an  outdoors section which is a good choice on Feburary evenings. The menu is predominantly Italian-Mediterranean. I didnt see any salads on the dinner menu but i am told they do serve that as well as sandwiches at lunch as well as a breakfast menu on weekends. 

Bread basket was strictly okay. nothing great. 

The White Onion & Smoked Scarmoza was excellent, though i didnt get a very strong onion flavour in it, nor was the cheese overpowering the taste. it was somewhere in the middle. A light start to the meal.

The Ricotta Ravioli with walbuts & pine nuts was just fantastic. A garlic infused sauce, this should be a main, its a shame its on the appetizer list. I wouldnt order ravioli for an appetizer but this was higly recommended by mates and def a must have. 

The berry cooler with bluebrry, some orange and lots of kala khatta. i never get coolers because they are always weird mixes but anything kala khatta i will try and it was freaking awesome. a little too sweet but still diabolically delicious. 

spaghetti in lemon buerre and parmesan was lovely. dryish, the lemon flavour was very subtle. Mrs Jain who is a fan of aglio olio style, enjoyed this a great deal. 

while, i loved my mushroom tortelini in a porcini sauce. both things worked well together and the dish tasted fantastic. i found this to be superior to the spaghetti. while mrs Jain found it otherwise. 

the rasberry sorbet was way too sweet, sickly sweet in fact. 

the mousse cake was good but i ate it under protest because frankly, mousse is just boring. 

Overall, the ambiance is lovely and the food excellent, no complaints, other than the fact that the portions are kind of smallish, a little bit more would be very welcome, or maybe i am just a greedy pig and shouldnt be complaining.

The service though was outstanding. We were out with a baby for the first time and they went out of their way to be helpful, got us an extra chair, helped set up the carry cot so we could keep Miss Jain in the middle. They were on the money with the recommendations as well.

If they can dial down their propensity for going overboard when sugar is in play, this would be damn near perfect.

Super impressed.

Food : 8/10
Service : 9/10
Damage : 3000 without drinks.

A Return To Serafina

Rest : Serafina
Meal : Lunch
Loc : High Street Phoenix

My last few visits to Serafina were middling, despite the brand name, they were distinctly underwhelming and it took some convincing to take Mrs Jain there again. She refused to give it a go but relented in the end. 

At the time of our visit, the space was being renovated and was down to 1/3 of its original size. The bread basket is still chargeable and still the same though the bread was decent. 

the bruschetta was terrific and tasted super fresh which i suppose is the secret to a good bruschetta. 

The Arrabiata fries were mis labeled for sure, there was nothing flavourful or tasty about em. More like masala fries. And i for one would never order fries at a restaurant (except at the table) this was all Mrs Jain. 

The Aglio Olio Pacino was excellent again, no drama there. Lightly flavoured and done just about right. perfect with some parmesan. 

The Fettucini (Paglia & Fieno) was another winner, a hearty preparation with  well done portion topped with a helping of Parmesan.

Overall, the food was good, there has been a definite improvement, i was gutted that we had to order those fries instead of soup or one of the salads but otherwise it was an excellent meal. Was running late and had to skip dessert.

I think the present size works for them and i hope they can keep the experience the same in case they do expand again. 

Food : 8/10
Service : 8/10

Damage : 2400 without drinks for 2.  

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.