Tanjore, New South Indian Joint In Colaba

Rest : Tanjore by Angie 

Loc : Near the Colaba Fire Station

Meal : Dinner

Most people know what a sucker i am for a good south indian meal, especially one that goes beyond the idli-vada-dosa trinity. A long time ago there used to be a Tanjore at the Taj and i have only faint memories of the place, mostly about some sort of jali screen or pillars, i cant be sure. Anyway, this Tanjore by Angie, has been open for a while and i have been meaning to make it there but didn't quite make it until now.

The space is small and the vibe was what you would get at an East London joint, very quaint, functional with limited seating. The menu has a few different types of Idli, Vada, Dosa, Uttapam& Upma. They also serve a Thanjavur tiffin which is like an udipi platter with a helping of the above and a meal which i ordered. 

The filter coffee was nice, not to sweet, not too strong either though. Id say it was decent but not nearly as good as say a idli house but then again, little else is. 

The Molgapudi Idli in Til oil were fabulous. Three largish idlis coated with podi just how you would want it. Just brilliant. Served with some ordinary chutneys but a brilliant, sourish sambar , surprisingly like they make at my parents. 

The chaas is a must get, not too sourt but served super chilled. All ive ever wanted with all my restaurant meals at a Ramanayak or a Mani's has been chilled chaas but its never possible. 

So the other meal they do is the thali, which is a platter for one person and consists of a Rasam, Sambar, Pickle, Cured, Sweet, Parotta, Rice, Kadi, a dry potato vegetable and a gravy. Overall this was not too bad, the potato was like the dosa stuffing, the kadi was okay. Rasam was decent but served lukewarm. The sambar as i mentioned already was great. Ideally, they need to take this up a few notches to make it noteworthy. 

Overall, the menu is very interesting looking, there is even an appam id like to try at some point. So if you go there, avoid the thali, it promises a lot and delivers little, however going by the idli and the coffee, their strengths lie perhaps in the more familiar dishes, some of it which look delectable.

Since its mostly a no-frills joint, the prices arent terribly high but certainly not udipi grade.The service is quick and friendly and i would like to give them a go for the rest of the menu. Folks who have been to Dakshinayan wouldn't find this to be below par. 

Food : 7/10
Service : 8/10
Damage 600 for 2. 

Sharma's at Tarabag

Ever since i was a kid, my folks have been taking us to Sharma's for Chaat,  since its located on a very busy street, we attack it like gureillas with someone watching the car while the others gorge, or we take a cab.

Although i haven't been here in a while because i hate being the guy stuck in the car during peak hours.

Recently I was parked out at Saifee Hospital next door, which meant i was at Sharma's a whole lot, sometimes twice a day for my meals.

kanji vada is one of my fav things in the world. Not easy to find. This one was above average

A photo posted by Gaurav (@gauravgjain) on Dec 28, 2014 at 4:59am PST

The Kanji Vada, is a rare thing to find, this is the only place i know where these are available, they can be hit and miss, the taste depending on how well the water has been pickled and for how long. The guys here serve it nice and cold, which i love.

Dahi puri after years

A photo posted by Gaurav (@gauravgjain) on Dec 15, 2014 at 8:54am PST

The Dahi Puri, is another specialty, the dahi can be cold sometimes which is not much fun but this is rarely a miss.

Ragda Pattice just as good as I remember it

A photo posted by Gaurav (@gauravgjain) on Dec 15, 2014 at 8:57am PST

the Ragda Pattice is easily the star here. love it. served UP style, although not fried red, like the northerners like it.

The space, is cheap, even now, each dish is about 30 rupees. My mother swears by their Pani Puri and they do serve more things like bhel, sev puri, dahi samosa, etc. So its a short but varied enough menu. And you are served almost immediately.

Do check em out if in the area. 

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. 

Asian Street Kitchen

Rest : Asian Street Kitchen

Meal : Dinner
Loc : Chowpatty

A serious hankering for noodles hit last week and we decided to go check out Burma Bumra, however being the new kind on the block, they refuse to keep tables for walk-in's and we were told not to bother coming.Next option was our club and on our way we got massively and quite oddly traffucked. 

Spotted the sign for Asian Street Kitchen and decided to hop in rather than spend another 20 mins trying to get through. 

anyway, the menu is Asian as you probably guessed, its the new fad, being the 5th or 6th Asian restaurant in the last 12 months. Italian was du jour the year before. 

the menu does not waver far from the usual suspects, familiar soups, appetizers etc. they also serve Pho, Laksa et al, so its like a greatest hits of asian cuisine and leads to a please everyone menu (which is fine) However its yet another place that misses out on Malaysian dishes, so no Roti Canai or Coconut Rice in the style. 

the space is tight but comfortable and split across two levels, not a fan of the weirdo lighting though, feels quite odd. 

horrible table sauces, just horrible.

mushroom skewers were just awesome, gobbled them down very very quick. the teriyaki was sweetish but the mushrooms held up well. 

no drinks, so this is what you get.

the steamed garlic wontons were also very good, tasted brilliant, thoroughly enjoyable. 

the khau suey was massive (this was an individual portion) 

but it was actually not very good. lacked any serious flavour, pretty weak.

usually avoid getting the regular Thai curries as am very partial to the Green at Koh & the Red at Thai Pavilion. Went for the Sri Lankan curry which looked interesting. unfortunately it came with Paneer :( and looked and tasted like a not so good, garden variety green curry. 

Overall, i didn't have high hopes for the space in all honesty, considering location i figured it would be going after the lowest common denominator in terms of flavor. Very pleasantly surprised by the appetizers which i would return for anyday but the mains are where the wheels totally came off. 

Food : 6/10
Service : 7/10

Damage : 1300 for two 

Chawala -

Rest : Chawala,

Meal : Lunch
Loc : Koliwada


A few days ago, my friend CJ @theflyingsikh, the big boss @anaggh and doc and Tarantino fan @qtfan (get it ?) got together to go to Koliwada, a place i had sporadically heard of but did not know existed.  I was the first one to get there and hung around the Dashmesh Gurudwara. Except for two smallish shops with wooden benches i couldn't quite find any other eateries, turns out the first shop was it.

In any case, Koliwada is like a small town or a large village, narrow lanes, no parking etc etc. So its fitting that a place like this exists, basic, authentic where one sits in the heat on uncomfortable benches because of the promise of a good meal. 

good old fashioned tandoor where all the cooking was being done in real time.

started with the Kulcha Chola, which was pretty huge and lightly stuffed and boy was it terrific. It went splendidly with the chola which is a pretty important little dance. My only complaint here was i wish they had makhhan instead of butter. 

The Bhaturas were largish and this too went well with the chola, so not a bad gig. 

Overall, the food was kickass, i do think the Bhaturas are easier to do but the kulcha requires finesse. They serve a mean glass of cold chaas as well to wash it all down.

CJ was ordering things and was being treated like one of their own, which makes me wonder if he secretly owns the joint. In any case, i would def like to go back once the weather is better and sample what else they do, perhaps Rajma or the mutter.

A light meal for 2 was about 250, so not only is it a hidden gem, its a steal too 

Tim Ho Wan - Hong Kong

My first attempt at snagging a table at THW a few years ago was quite a disaster. The worlds cheapest Michelin star restaurant in a nondescript store in Mong Kok  was near impossible to find and when i got there, it was 2.30 pm and the queue was 90 mins. Since I had a flight at 7 I grudgingly retreated promising like MacArthur that I shall return.

CUT TO last week.

After my misadventure in Mong Kok I was determined to get to THW and i found a way to hack the queue. I found out that there is a new and much more modern outlet of Tim Ho Wan in the IFC section of the HongKong station.It just so happened that the station was on my way back from a meeting to the hotel and I was looking for a late lunch in any case.

The floor has about eight restaurants and at 3.30 the post lunch rush had gone quiet except at our fine establishment however.  The place was full and about 8 people were waiting and the queue only got longer.

Got my ticket and quickly filled it up, gleefully waiting for my turn. 

this is pretty much all you need to make a go. the glass is filled up with hot water and like my Chinese brethren i too cleaned the utensils while waiting for the food to come. 

The Glutinous Rice Dumpling (26$) is quite a popular dish and comes steaming hot, unwrap and dig in quick with generous doses of soya and chilli sauce. Its quite a largish portion for a single diner.

The poached seasonal vegetables (20$)were a good way to cleanse the palate and wait for the next dish, not much here, could have gone for the rice or turnip cakes. 

i wish they had some good solid malt vinegar or something, that can really do unbelievable things for Dim Sum. 

The piece de resistance, the steamed dumplings (24$) were just awesome. piping hot, meant to be devoured immediately, so delicate that any wavering would have them fall apart. into the little bowl, pour the soya and go for it. Excellent stuff. 

The food is good but the dumplings are sublime, Dim Sum is a dark art and THW are the masters. They have a bunch of things for vegetarians too, so its certainly worth a go. The IFC centre is super accessible, comfortable and if you get their post lunch and before dinner the wait is 15-20 mins at most.

A sub HK$100 Michelin star meal is hard to find, so get your while you can. There is also an outlet in Singapore somewhere on Orchard and it too is highly rated.


Edit : the  Mong Kok outlet has closed due to high rents ive been told. they have another one at Sham Sui Po 

Bombay Masala Toast

The Bombay style masala sandwich is a solid Bombay staple. School kids during recess, office folks at tea time or simply people on the go, all have partaken in the wonders of this toasted wonder.



White bread, green chutney, butter, veggies and the sacred masala mix which is unique to each vendor. The masala is usually potato with onion and spices but there are many variants. Put the whole thing in a toaster wait three mins and pop open a thums up..you are good to go.

My earliest experiences with the bombay masala sandwich goes back to my school days at SXBA between Churchgate and Marine Lines. We had two breaks in school a 15 min short break and a 20 min long break. During the long break we could walk up to the edge of Marine Lines and hit the sandwichwala for a bite. In the early days it used to take forever as we were the young ones and low in the sandwich eating hierarchy. The older boys in the long pants and the girls from the college next door used to get priority.

Eventually we got into long pants and became reached the top of the sandwich chain. IT was great stuff, the sandwich was piping hot, out of the toaster and you would dunk it in ketchup (sometimes the disgusting pumpkin ketchup) before wolfing it down. Wash it down with sugarcane juice or Thums up. A cheap, effective meal, later in class the heat in your stomach would let you know where exactly the sandwich lay.

Every neighbourhood, has a sandwich vendor and larger ones have more than one and of course the popular ones are termed as the best. Or as Jerry Seinfeld said, "Everyone's guy is the best"

Another, grander variation is the Grilled Veggie with Cheese. This one is a freaking meal in itself, content wise was its the same as the little bombay masala toast except its on steroids. Although you get these all over the place as well, Right Place at Breach Candy are one of its finest and most popular purveyors.


So any of you folks, have your fav sandwich wala, drop me a line, ill put up a list.