[Mumbai] Busaba – Gimme Mo and Mo
Busaba, the brainchild of Nikhil Chib, chef & entrepreneur, started off much as an outcast in SOBO, which was dominated by the regular Chinese eateries and Bademiyan. Being located next to Mr. Akerkar’s Indigo also didn’t provide much solace to it’s situation. But things got lucky, people started travelling more to southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and wanted the same food back at home (even though they packed theplas to eat there). So Busaba gained popularity amongst the discerning palate that wanted ghar ka dal chawal but also once in a while wants Korea’s bibimbap not just because it’s cool to eat with chopsticks but because the subtle flavours appeal to him more than the rubber served at American Restaurants (read Mc Donalds), the Pav Bhaji Pasta (read the so called Arabiatta) served at Italian restaurants and the same old cashew chicken and fried rice served at Chinese restaurants. He now wants the Satays, the Jasmine Sticky Rice, Thai Curry and the Laksa’s. All these dishes are flavoursome if not spicy and strike chord with our firmly routed culture of adding condiments,that only add to the taste but the smell, the freshness, the texture, the consistency and the digestion.
Nikhil Chib actually started his career in India with a shack in Goa called Busabong. But that was just one of those ambitious things you start with your friends. After that either differences creep in or life happens. So he started Busaba with a menu that a) did not stick a particular cuisine and b)stayed away from the popular Chinese cuisine, both smart moves from Chib. Although Busaba has its teething problems in the beginning and if you have travelled to South Asia you would notice that the original dishes are far superior in flavor, Busaba has managed to secure it’s position. It still stands like an adjoined twin to Indigo but has its own of fan following and is crowded on most days. Personally I prefer it over Indigo, maybe because I am biased to Asian Food.
Lounge Area
Upper Area
When you enter Busaba, you get this bohemian sort of feeling like you’ve entered a den and from somewhere you are going to hear Dum Maaro Dum. The ground floor is Lounge with a bar.A red wall with a huge mirror and chandeliers leads you to the second floor which is quite a contrast to the one below. Understated and serene came to my mind the moment I set foot. The wooden flooring adds to the earthiness. There are two sections and the one that overlooks the road is great, with a view of trees lit with stars romancing the dim lighting indoors and the candle that illuminates just the face of the person you love makes for a perfect setting.
Chicken Momo's
Enough of gyan, getting down to food, we start of with the much spoken and appreciated dish over here – theChicken Momo’s. I have no words to describe this dish, all I can say is do you remember what you felt during your first kiss? Nikhil Chib has managed to replicate it with some dough and chicken. Just top it with some homemade chilli sauce and sit back and enjoy the unadultered purity of the moment. A warning don’t be ambitious and order the Prawn Momo’s which have been injected with a overdose of sodium chloride making them taste brackish. The Chicken Satay with peanut sauce is the usual fair but delicious with a nutty flavor.
Bibimbap
For the main course, we order for for theKorean Bibimbap – rice pickled with vegetables (kimchi) and meat of your choice topped with fried egg. Along with comes a clear vegetable soup that I thought in this case was very acerbic due to overcooking of the avocado(avocado when overcooked gives out this bitter taste that extremely unpalatable. This dish is an acquired taste.
Khow Suey
We then move on to the Khow Suey, again which didn’t impress me much. The usual noodles served with curry, which I thought was too thick. Whenever I have eaten Khowsuey it has been this flavoursome curry of a soup like consistency. I found this Khowsuey here quite bland even after adding the condiments.
Pad Krap Row
The next we ordered for their Pad Krap Row (no am not abusing) which is strifried meat, choose chicken again unless u want blood pressure, in garlic, holjy basil and bird chillies. The celestial combination makes for a very appetizing dish. Teams well with sticky rice. The next dish,Green Thai Curry is nice, although if you’ve already travelled to Thailand and tasted it there you won’t’ be impressed. However this one is the closest I have seen to the original. The milky flavor of coconut milk coupled with peppers, kafir leaves and fresh basil are quite delectable. It’s a bit dulcified though. Our next is theSteamed Fish with Lime, Chilli & Garlic. The presentation of this dish is excellent. It is served in a platter shaped like a whole fish and a small candle lit below to keep it steaming hot. The silky texture of the lusturous fish combined with lemon zest and kafir leaves make for a buonissimo experience. Best teamed with steam rice.
Chocolate Fondant
For dessert we order theBanoffee pie, which is a pie make of toffee, banana’s and cream. This was disappointing, way to dulcified and Milk Maidlike. The next Chocolate Fondant, a soufflé style cake that oozes out heavenly thick melted chocolate when you cut into it. Again the second orgasmic dish after the MOMO’s.
Busaba falls on the slightly dear side of the price bar if not exorbitant with per head costs ranging to Rs 650 – Rs 750.
Verdict
Food: Ambrosial | Ambience: Understated & Serene | Service: Friendly
Quicktip: A must visit for a zealot of Asian Food. Come in smaller groups of maybe 2 or 3 to be able really enjoy a sumptuous meal as the quantity is not that great. The Momo’s and the Chocolate Fondant, 2 dishes that are an absolute must have! They come under my ‘Dishes to have once again before I Die’
The Co-ordinates
Busaba, 4, Mandlik Road, Colaba, Mumbai -400032 | Landmark: Near Indigo Restaurant
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The above restaurant was reviewed by Sunayan Shahani, and the Review also appears on her Blog Luv For All Things Yum amongst her other reviews.
[Delhi] Joy Luck Moon
A nice sunny afternoon, while the winter decides to linger on, and a company of great friends, demands that we check out a place for lunch, that will have a terrace attached to it, and serve some comfort food, so Me, Maninder and Avijit (A friend of mine) head over to the Saket Select City Walk to go get some Chinese Food in our tummies and a lot of sun on their Deck, called the Joy Luck Sky. The Restaurant can get a mixed reaction depending on what kind of a mood you are in, when you look at the main door, you feel that they could have done a bit better with the board, but then we had heard from our wives, and their kitty friends, that the food here is comfort food, something that you wont’ really call specially chinese, but food that appeals to you, so we were all game, sadly we had a pressing meeting to attend (Avijit and I) after the lunch, so we had to refrain from getting some cold beers, but the weather was perfect for it.
The Kitchen at Joy Luck Moon
Our lunch usually starts with a Customary tour of the Kitchen, and meeting the staff, the staff was very pleasant and nice to speak to. We also learnt that the chefs here had their own innovations on a few things, and this was something that only lunch would tell us after we sat down for photos, what was amazing that each of us was carrying our huge equipment, to ensure we got some good pics, and the photos you see inline are by Avijit (remember all these shots are Straight out of the Camera, and not edited for making them look good). Anyway, back to the Food review.
The Penang Laksa Soup for Maninder
The Terrace is nice, and more suitable for a dinner party than a lunch, there was some construction going on, and the maintenance activity can really drive you to the edge with the drill machines and the saws in the background, but then these are things that the restaurant owner cant really control. We figured out in 30 minutes of being there, that this was a big Kitty Party destination, we had about 4 groups of Ladies Kitties happening on the terrace and every one there to eat some comfort chinese food. We decided to start out with a Soup, Avijit was on a Low Carb Diet, and decided to have a Dragon Soup with Prawns, which was supposed to be a clear soup as described by our waiter, but my soup the Kway Thai Noodle Soup with Prawns turned out to be a clear soup. The Soup was delictably flavoured, and had Aniseed in it, the first time I have seen a full Aniseed in a Soup. Avijit’s Soup was passable, but the Kway Thai Noodle Soup was a nice refreshing taste. I especially loved the colors on the soup. Maninder ordered himself a Pinang Laksa, which the Chef said he had done a personal take on, and the Laksa turned out nice, though in the photo it may look like a Red Thai Curry, but the soup was nice, though a bit excess on the coconut milk, which Maninder did like.
Thai Crispy Fish, One of Our Starters, One of Our Starters
Following our Soup, we decided to order two starters, and on the Menu as per the recommendations were a Thai Crispy Fish and Black Pepper Sliced Chicken. The Scheswan Chili Fish was perfectly fried and crisp, was dipped in Chicken Mae Pranom Sauce (The Rooster Sauce as you would commonly call it) and had a very comforting taste. Though the Black Pepper Sliced Chicken was a Very Punjabi Tasting chicken, and the Chicken was Too chunky for our taste. I personally loved the Nut sauce that came with the Crispy Fish, though was surprised that all through our meal by now, we did not get any Kimchi, and was assuming that all Delhi Chinese Restaurants now serve Kimchi as a Standard fare.
The Main Course Spread, With Maninder Taking Pictures
Our main course consisted of a Diced Chicken with Wine Sauce, and a Szechwan Chili Fish. We paired this with Vietnamese Net Rolls with Prawns in it (though we had asked for Dimsums and got served the rolls), and Singapore Mai Fun Rice Noodles. The Vietnamese Net Rolls we expected would have been Spring Rolls Vietnamese style, the ones made with Rice paper sheets, but we were surprised to find a Deep fried nest, that had a Prawn in it. The chef chose to garnish these with Condensed Milk, and it added to the Flavor. 4 Pieces on the Plate vanished soon enough, but the Condensed Milk with Prawn I must say was a nice new experience. The Rice Noodles were made perfectly, and if you have never had Mai Fun Rice Noodles you should go ahead and try these out. The Noodles were paired well both the dishes, and tasted well, though for me the first taste was having Vermicelli, but I ended up being game to order Mai Fun at another one of our lunches.
Net Rolls with Prawns, and Just a Wee Bit More of Condensed Milk
The Szechwan Chili Fish was not spicy or strong in flavor, what you would expect from a Szechwan style fish, but was acceptable. The Wine Chicken was nicely done, but the pieces of Chicken again were a bit chunky and thinner slices or smaller pieces would have been much more welcome.
Time for a Picture
Service is a bit slow, so ensure you have time on your hand, if you want to grab your meal in a hurry, this is not the place to do that. Though staff is very attentive and friendly, they are a bit confused on their recommendations. All of us were a bit turned off with the Quality of Chopsticks used. I know restaurants in the up market areas want to use chopsticks that are of quality and would not want to use disposable ones, but having Chopsticks where you can see the paint washed off is one of the worst sights a guest can face.
Darsaan for Desert
We wrapped up our Lunch with a Darsaan, and this was made nicely, though the Server and the Menu both suggested a hint of coconut, but we found it missing, I think Cocunut would just enhance the flavor of this desert, but yes, it was made well.
The mall culture has brought about 3 different revolutions, one major factor is the food court, and the other is speciality restaurants, across malls that welcome both the spenders as well as food connoisseurs and then there are places like Joy Luck Moon, that serve Comfort Food, but may not make you one of the regulars there, the food here in no manner was bad, but at the prices (Rs. 3000 for a lunch without drinks for 3 people, after a 20% Discount) is a hefty price to pay for average food. The Punjabi Influence on the Comforting Chinese Food is out there every where and Joy Luck Moon is one of them, but in case you are at the Saket Select City Walk, and want to step out on the deck to enjoy some sun and comfort food, check out Joy Luck Moon, but if you are looking at impressing the friends you called out for a Meal, check into another place, and Give Joy Luck a Pass.
Following are the Pictures from My Flickr Pool of the Visit to Joy Luck Moon
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Credits: All in Line Photos by Avijit Guha,
[Mumbai] Apoorva, For the Love of Seafood!
Located on Mumbai’s very own Wall Street – Fort, Apurva is a sea food lover’s dream. Although this area is flanked by many popular eateries and seafood joints like Trishna & Mahesh Lunch home, Apurva has managed to distinguish itself from the crowd with its authentic coastal & Manglorean fare. The restaurant maintains its cost effectiveness, catering well to both the parsimonious and the wealthy.
In the day, it is pretty crowded with herds of office goers flocking here during lunch hours. In the evening too, it’s pretty crowded with families and ‘packs of men’ celebrating their few hours of singledom, the famous ‘boys night out’ over fried fish & beer. You would be lucky if you didn’t have to wait for a couple of minutes. There are two sections – the upper one is air-conditioned while on the ground floor there is the sasta and tikau wall fan and mirrors all around. Do people really like to see themselves while eating? Voyeurs! If you are with your family then I’d suggest you opt for the air-conditioned section and if you with your buddies, your ‘pack of single men’ take the ground floor. The pricing in the menus is different; obviously the food on the upper level is more expensive. Note the upper air-conditioned section is low ceilinged so if your tall be a little careful.
Rawas Tikka
For appetizers we first order fish – the Surmai Tawa is delicious, one mid-sized slice of Surmai Fish which can suffice two people. Coated with delicious batter, it is crunchy on the outside while tender fresh on this inside. The Rawas Tikka is delectable, with succulent pieces of the tandoored fish which just melt in your mouth, a must have at this place. The Bombay Duck is crispy fried but I found it a oily and less meaty.
Clams Sukka
The next appetitzer Clams Sukha is amazing if you’re a fan of shell fish, this one is cooked in a dry malvani style masala of chillies, grated coconut, mustard seeds and of course the unctuous shell fish meat (I hope no PETA people are reading this). Then we are served the prawns- the Prawns Koliwada are batter fried prawns, quite the usual crunch with a hint of spice and the Prawns Chilli are what fine dining gurus like Veer Sanghvi would call Sino-Ludhianvi food with garlic, chillies and peppers, however its quite tasty. The Squid Butter Pepper Garlic is rubbery but then again I am not quite a fan of squid.
Crab Butter Pepper Garlic
After this, comes the most satisfying part and if I may say the most orgasmic moment in the history of food, Apurva’s speciality, the Crab Butter Pepper Garlic – A whole crab cooked in loads butter, spring onions and garlic. Insert Salivating Smiley here. You would be given a along napkin – a bib to be precise, nut-cracker like cutters and a marrow spoons to scoop the meat out. Even if you’re the most sophisticated eater in this world, I suggest you use that bib. This is going to be messy! The waiter will serve you the pieces of crab ask him for extra gravy on the side, brace yourself and dig in. Literally. If this is not the most orgasmic food moment of your life I don’t know what could be. The crab meat, velvety soft and naturally juicy is combined with the zing of butter and garlic. Simply Sinful! It’s quite a tedious task though, scooping out the meat and then chewing on the bones. So you might end up losing some weight insteadJ (seriously praying that no one from PETA is reading this!)
Neer Dosa
Then comes the main course- a spicy fish curry called Gassi flavoured with tamarind, chilly, mustard seeds. Had best with Neer Dosa, a very thin rice dosa or Steamed Rice. You can even have the prawn or chicken gassi. There is also the soulful Chicken Stew, delicately flavoured with coconut and non spicy. Best had Appam, a thick dosa or rice (Yes lots of carbs so plan a rigorous workout the next day)
If you are wondering on my carnivorous review with nothing on the vegetarian side, in my defense, I would say that even though the restaurant also has of vegetarian food on the menu, I would not recommend you go there if you come from a place where eating meat is sin. If you are forced by your non vegetarian colleagues you can try theNavratna Korma or the Chinese. A warning you will feel like Bella amongst the Cullens more appropriately Bella amongst the Cullen Sucking on Blood!
All in all if you’re a seafood aficionado this is the place for you. The price per head is also economical with Rs 250 – Rs 400.
My Verdict:
Food: Excellent, Ambience: Hell who cares, Service: Prompt
Quicktip: Go in big groups to be able to order a lot. Variety’s the Spice! Men should celebrate ‘boys night out’ here over your beer, fried fish, some more beer and ‘how they wish they had a BMW 7 series’ talk.
Location:
Apurva Bar & Restaurant, Noble Chambers, S. A. Brelvi Road, Near Horniman Circle, Fort, Mumbai400001, India
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This is a Review by Sunayan, who contributes to TheBigGeek each wednesday about Restaurant Reviews, she also blogs at Luv4AllThingsYum
[Mumbai] Flavours that ‘Ling’er
Ling’s Pavilion
Lings Pavilion (courtesy Burrp.Com)
There are very few places I would call home besides my own & Lings Palace is one of them. Located in the lane adjacent to Regal Cinema, Lings is now a part of the culture & heritage of South Mumbai or SOBO. Almost like a landmark of South Mumbai like you have The Gateway of India, The Taj Mahal, Regal Cinema, Lings Pavilion and now Leopold (famous due to the 26/11 attacks). Lings along with Golden Dragon (Taj) and Nanking (now shut down) formed the early Chinese restaurant culture in this part of town.
Frequented by SOBOites (a name given to people like me- born and bought up in South Mumbai), if you see the demographics of its patrons there would typically be grandparents mostly in the age bracket of 50 – 80’s then the children in their 30’s – 50’s and then the grandchildren from new born to the one’s in their 20’s. Hence I use the word ‘patrons’, Lings enjoys three generations of patronage. Typically you will see these families celebrating one of the important family days – birthdays, anniversaries or their weekly meal outside. If you see the younger generation sitting there, my bet is they have been introduced to this place by their grandparents if not atleast their parents. Lings Pavilion therefore in it’s true sense is a family affair. Again, I would call it an affair and not a restaurant because too many of us who have been going there since ‘time without beginning’.It’s much more than just a restaurant.
There are three main factors that make this place so special 1) consistency – the food here tastes the same since forever. From the barbeque chicken to the friend rice – pure, delicate, appetizing in short Soulful. 2) the staff – friendly, courteous and again have been here since really long, if not there is always Johnny, long would be an understatement to describe his tenure. He has been the maitre d’ since my grandfather frequented this place 3) the familiarity – if you’re a SOBOite (yes I am quite proud of calling myself that. If you’re not one you probably hate me by now, if you are one then you’re probably nodding your head away to this. However just bear with me I promise you this is worth it) you are bound to meet a family friend or your cousins (hence don’t get your date until its official) or a school/college acquaintance. If not there are always the fish. Right next to the entrance there is a small pond with baby sharks and other fish with a overhead bridge. These fish are my acquaintances, I have been watching them since I was 10 while I used to walk sometimes run up & down on the bridge. They still fascinate me like they used to when I was 10. Over the years the fish have become less. I wonder if that’s cause the Shark fin soup on the menu 
.
I can go on and on about this place but there is one key factor or warning if you allow me to say – Don’t come here if you want to see your food while eating it! Yes you read that right. Lings is a very dimly lit place and you can hardly see what you arer eating! I think it’s just a part of the ambience or the comfort the patrons already have with this place.
Chicken Hot & Sour Soup
Now getting down to the food – I am a huge fan of soups so that’s what I always start with – it’ a family tradition 
. The Chicken Hot & Sour soup is great. It’s delicate & peppery, the right amount of sour and also finely chopped cucumber. Heaven. There is also the Clear Noodle Soup for the health conscious & vegetarians. It’s a kind of clear soup very light and yet delicious. Those of you who like black mushrooms can ask them to add it. They also serve khimchi which unlike the tomato sauce and cabbage one at Five Spice is delicious.
For appetizers I have the Barbeque Chicken served with grated cabbage khimchi style and peanut sauce. I used to like the barbeque chicken when they used serve it on a miniature grill. Johnny says they stoped it because people cribbed about the smoke :(. It’s good now but earlier it was something else. The Peanut Sauce with it is simply amazing. Together it makes a great a combination.
Concurd with Sweet Sauce
There is also Concurd for the vegetarians – crispy on the outside & soft on the inside served with a sweet honey like sauce. I prefer to eat it with the peanut one. The Chicken Wantons are great both fried & steamed. The steamed ones are topped with garlic & spring onions. Again both go really well with the peanut sauce. So if you’re not having the Barbeque Chicken order a peanut on the side it goes well with any starter. The prawn starter that is amazing is Prawn Chilli Garlic. Delicately spiced with garlic and chilli, it is stir fried. The perfect blend
Moving on to the main course – I have tried 4 types of rice here and all of them are great! First there is the usual Fried Rice. Besides the usual veggies it has peas. Don’t cringe am not too much of a vegetable fan too but this actually tastes great. Then you add a bit of spice to it and make it Schezwan Fried Rice, not for the faint hearted though. For a more authentic experience I would suggest trying either the Pot rice or the Bamboo shoot rice. The pot rice come in earthenware topped with mushrooms (you can skip if you don’t like that) vegetables and chicken if you would want to add. The bamboo shoot rice comes in a huge bamboo stick shaped wooden cylinder and waiter would take this fragrant rice out from the cylinder and serve it to you, steaming hot. If you love authentic Chinese sticky rice, both pot rice & bamboo shoot are great.
Hong Kong Chicken
For the main course, I personally love the bland Chicken in Three Mushrooms, it’s intricately flavored with soy & the juices of the mushroom. For spice lovers there is Hong Kong Chicken, a red gravy with shallots, peppers and cashew nuts. There is also red cooked chicken again red gravy, it’s pretty spicy, with shallots and chopped chilly pieces. Note the red cooked usually comes with shredded chicken. If you’re not too much a fan of that you could ask for diced chicken instead. Then there are the usual Hunan, Cantonese, black bean etc.
For vegetarians there is the pure & heavenly Buddha’s Delight, a bland preparation of exotic vegetables like avocado,bamboo shoot, brocolli, peppers and water chestnuts in white sauce. Again it’s very intricately flavoured with garlic & vegetables. If you want it spicy you can also ask Johnny, he would happy suggest black bean sauce or schezwan style Buddha’s Delight.
Pan Fried Noodles
For noodles, there is the American Chopsuey, am not too fond of it usually but this one is less sweet. There is also Pan Fried Noodles, a combination of crispy noodles, soft noodle and vegetables and sprouts you could add meat to it if you may want.
On the side you could call for their Jasmin Tea. It helps keep the meal light and aids digestion.
For desert (usually I am stuffed with all the above) there is Honey Fried Noodles, or your choice of ice creams. What I suggest and what I have been doing since I was 10 is – 2 scoops of vanilla with chocolate sauce. If you not full don’t’ share it! If you are, offer it to the people around you (earned me some brownie points).
The pricing is moderate around 300 – 500 per head if you are a moderate eater.
All in all this place won’t disappoint you. If you hate the ‘Five Spice’ kind of Chinese and you’re not quite there with the authentic Royal China bit. This is the place for you.
Quick Tip: Celebrate an important family day here or take your grandparents (if they like Chinese that is) and request for Johnny to take you order (He usually does that if you arer sitting on the ground floor). Take it from me you won’t be disappointed
The Co-ordinates
Lings Pavilion, 19/21, Mahakavi Bhushan Marg, Behind Regal Cinema, Colaba, Mumbai
Phone: 22850023, 22850024, 22824533
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This is a Review by Sunayan, who contributes to TheBigGeek each wednesday about Restaurant Reviews, she also blogs at Luv4AllThingsYum
[Mumbai] Is China 1 The One?
China1 or Ch1na, You decide how you would like to call it
When we reached Infinity Mall in Andheri West and took a right from the signal, a decrepit road lead us to the precarious Morya Estate. A garbage dump greated us at the entrance, we took another right to enter the building where China 1, the latest addition to Andheri’s Chinese eateries, is located.
As I enter the premise of Ch1na, I can’t help but be caught on by the contrast of the locality and this place. The spacious outer area of the restaurant is done up in a chic and elegant manner with lounge like seating areas and palm trees. The interior of the place was swanky as well. The décor of the restaurant seemed to be highly influenced by Michael Jackson’s famous number Black or White since the entire restaurant was adorned by either colour or both. From the murals on the walls to the cutlery to the upholstery all of it. Couldn’t help but imagine how a zebra would feel so much at home here!
The place was quite occupied even on a Wednesday, mostly by mademoiselles celebrating their few hours of freedom from domesticity with each other. Chatting up on everything from the upswing in the prices of onions to the latest Loius Vuitton patchwork bag. I feel quite fashionably as well as domestically enlightened after my luncheon thanks to my neighbours. Don’t get me wrong I don’t eavesdrop, they were a tad bit sonorous emphasizing a lot on the Hermes, Guccis and Jimmy Choos.
Getting down to the food, we opted for the buffet. Priced at Rs 470 (inclusive of taxes) with one drink a beer/ice tea/ freshlime soda, it was quite an attractive offer. We started with the soups – the Clear Chicken Soup with vegetables was a ‘knorr’ kind of thick broth which tasted sweet. Quite a letdown in the first go. However the thick spicy Corn Soup, a spicier cousin of the sweet corn was tasty.
Spinach and Corn Wantons
In the appetizers, the spread for vegetarian was as good as the non-vegetarian. China 1 would earn a point for that since many of my vegetarian friends complain of being discriminated against and not having much choice. First there was the Spinach & Corn Fried Wantons. A fusion dish I presume, since it had cheese, nevertheless it was quite a savoury. I gobbled up plenty. Then was the Crispy Vegetables, batterfried vegetables tossed in soy sauce which also was an equal delight. The next were the Chinese Greens were brilliant with crunchy deliciously steamed vegetables tossed in soy sauce. In the non-vegetarian appetizers there was Chicken with Cahewnuts which was delectable. The juicy chicken woken fried with peppers cashews, spices and sesame oil was sapid. On the other hand the Fried Fish in Hot Bean was rubbery and didn’t seem fresh to me. The Crab in a sought of garlic red sauce although looked scrumptious was a letdown. It tasted stale.
Chicken Dimsums
The Chicken Dimsum was beautiful. Minced chicken and vegetables enveloped in translucent rice wraps. Succulent. ThePrawn Dimsum and VegetarianDimsum were passable but no match to the chicken one. On the whole while the poultry and vegetarian dishes were palatable the sea food was unsavory and tasteless.
For the main dishes there Chicken in black bean sauce – mildly flavoured with garlic and peppers it went well with the corn fried rice. One thing I noticed however was that the quality of rice was not that great. The Hakka Noodles were Plain Jane nothing outstanding about it.
When it came to the desserts, there was an enormous spread from blueberry cheese cakes to chocolate soufflés, to chocolates fountains and brownies. However all except the fresh fruits were a humongous disappointment. The chocolate sauce from the Chocolate Fountain was syrupy and not thick. It tasted like cement with sugar (not that I have tasted cement but you get my point), the Choco Sticks to be had with the sauce was limp and stale. The Chocolate Brownies, I think were for people suffering from diabetes with no trace of sugar or any other taste. The fresh fruit spread was nice with kiwis, strawberries, melons, papayas and grapes but however couldn’t compensate much for overall dessert disappointment.
My Verdict: The Food is a Mixbag, Hospitable Service, Good ambiance
So getting back to my question, Is China 1 the one? The one Chinese restaurant that appeases both the gourmand and the miser in you? The miser maybe but not the gourmand. Although the spread is value for money, my suggestion would be to skip it or go only for the vegetarian and poultry dishes. Don’t bother to tryout the sea food or the desserts. I see a huge compromise in quality on that front.
QuickTip: Take those uninvited relatives who you hate but have to entertain. After all its value for money!
The Co-ordinates:
Ch1na, G-05, Morya Landmark 1, Plot B-25, Off Link Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai
Landmark: Opp. Infinity Mall, Phone: 42723333
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This is a Review by Sunayan, who contributes to TheBigGeek each wednesday about Restaurant Reviews, she also blogs at Luv4AllThingsYum
[Delhi] The Chakraas, at The Samrat Hotel
“food is a passion, that stays in fashion, unfolding the passion”, as read out from the cover of the Menu at The Chakraas
Over a hot oven fresh pizza, and some great wine a few days back, both @maninderpals and I decided that since we eat out so many times together and we are both game to trying out new places, we should start writing our own take on food, neither am I a critic, nor Maninder, but we both enjoy good food, great wine, and love each others company. So on Saturday we finally decided that we are going to go out and do our first food review together.
Taking recommendations from a few friends, we finally managed to decide on a place called The Chakraas at the Ashoka Samrat in New Delhi, hunting for reviews and ratings online could not find anything, but every one we spoke to spoke well of their food, but the restaurant being inside of the Samrat Hotel at New Delhi was some what unpleasant for us, after all the babu’s who run these palatial hotels still don’t have their facts about hospitality business in place, so with a bit of a mixed mind, we made our reservations by calling Mr. Rakesh Bhandari the General Manager at the Restaurant, and since we both wanted to eat the chef’s recommendation and spend some time with the chef, we decided to go in a bit early for the dinner. Sharp at 7 both of us met up at the lobby of the Samrat hotel and were surprised to find that there was no board to point us towards the Chakraas, on checking with the Bell boy, we found that it was down the alley at the end of the left western corridor.
The Blue Glow under the Interactive Kitchen gave it a feeling as if the kitchen was floating in the middle of the restaurant
While speaking of how the Government of India is ruining such large lovely properties because of their babudom, we landed at the entrance of The Chakras, the board was a bit of a let down, and the Red and Green LED Lighting behind plants at the entrance made us think twice, if we wanted to enter it, but with our brave hearts in place, and tummies rumbling for some good food, that people spoke about, we ended up entering the restaurant. With a mixed seating arrangement, that confuses you if this is a lounge or a restaurant, we were seated on our tables by the Window, an open Interactive kitchen in the middle of the restaurant seemed to float up, thanks to the blue LED lighting surrounding it, but the Red lights gave the whole place a very un-appealing look, and made it very difficult for some of our photos too. Though large glass windows re-assured us that this place would look lovely in the day time, after all looking over the lush green gardens, and the race course road, it will be a charm to sit here and dine, but will the food live up-to the expectation we had built up.
Executive Chef Ashish Singh and I had, a lot of notes to Interchange. (Here you can see what I meant by the Red Lighting)
A few minutes later we were joined by the Executive Chef Ashish Singh, and it turned out we had a lot in common. He has also been mentored by Chef Manjit Gill (Corporate Executive Chef, ITC WelcomGroup) and I got a chance to work as a Commi under him back in 1990 for a few weeks, while I dreamed of becoming a full time chef, and ended up becoming an Electronics Engineer. It was also nice to know that we were actually sitting on the table that Chef Manjit used to when he was a regular at the Chakraas.
The Shish Taouk Getting Grilled
Chef Ashish Singh suggested that we try his Shish Taouk, A traditional Arabic and Turkish Shish Kabab, and Gili Lal Mirch ki Champien to start with, a great discussion about how the Shish Taouk eventually led to the Chicken Tikka, and the so called Malai Chicken Tikka started between Maninder and Ashish, though both of them agree that the the Shish Taouk may have had been responsible for what we call the Chicken Tikka today, it was nice to know the history on how food travelled. To this Chef Ashish Singh added that the Shish Taouk is not really pleasant to the every day Indian Palate, and how he had modified the recipe by adding a layer of Aoili to make it more moist and suited to what us desi’s would love to eat. So finally it was decided that we will try out both the starters, but we would love to photograph as well, since both of us were sporting our cameras, me my favorite Micro 4/3rds Olympus E-PL1 and Maninder his favorite the Nikon D60 we were eagerly waiting for our food. Since A great wine makes the food taste better, we called for the Wine list, and this turned out to be a very nasty surprise.
We were told that the Restaurant had only one Wine available, a Grovers Cabernet Sauvignon, in the mood for a Merlot, we decided to call of the wine, and settled for a pint each of carlsberg’s. While the chef’s mustered up our dishes, we enjoyed a great conversation about our belief’s in sufi’sm and how my recent trip to Anandpur Sahib went.
Gili Lal Mirch Ki Champien
Finally our Dishes were ready to arrive, and here we were both photographing at the pick up counter, to start off with we had our Gili Lal Mirch ki Champien, a dish that looked brilliant, and came with a Lukhnavi Hari Chutney (Mint and Coriander Sauce) and a Spicy Red Chili Sauce, the Lamb was cooked to perfection, grilled evenly and soft, tender and moist inside. Though we could not taste the Gili Lal mirch, only to be advised by the Chef, that he had tone down the spiciness of the Dish to suit every palate. The Chef shared that the place was frequented largely by families, including grandparents to grand children, and the food was kept at a normal spicy level to give them all a chance to taste it, since it was still around 7:30 pm, the restaurant was still pretty empty, and we got a chance to have the Chef sit down and walk us through our meals.
The Shish Taouk Platter
The lamb was followed by the Shish Taouk on a Mezze Platter, Fresh Pita Buns baked in the Oven, Hummus, Tahini and a Baba Ganoush with a bit of a twist, the bell peppers added to the BAba Ganoush made it stand out and taste wonderful. The shish taouk lived up to it’s reputation and the aioli had really made it smooth and juicy, wonderful is the word we had in mind when we ate this. Though the Pita bread seemed to thicker for our taste but the Pita buns, as I called them went very well with the Baba Ganoush variant we had.
The Spinach and Asparagus Soup
The next recommendations were Soup, to follow our starters, and Maninder Settled on a Spinach and Asparagus Soup, while I chose a Mushroom and Mint Soup, the twists seemed interesting and we were all game for the soup, while we watched the chef’s prepare our soup, we continued speaking with Ashish on his experiences. We learnt that Ashish went to Institute of Hotel Management, at Pusa, in New Delhi and has been with the restaurant for 5 years, though he did take a sabbatical to go setup a few restaurants in Europe. He then came back. Ashish also shared that The Chakraas was the first outsourced restaurant in the Samrat Hotel, starting way back in February of 2006, and opened up the Gates for the Famous Lap, and Shiro at the Samrat.
The Mushroom and Mint Soup
It was also interesting to hear that he had a regular set of customers who always came back for food, and we could guess why. By then our Soups were there, and we started sipping on them, a Bread basket that looked lovely arrived, and had an Olive Loaf with Bread sticks in it, the Olive Loafs were a bit dry, which I figure is because they might have turned off the Moisture spray in the Baking oven to do the Pita Buns, but the Bread tasted well with the soup. The breadsticks though, were a little too sweet for both of us, not desert type sweet but sweet.
The soups though were a different story all-together. The cream on the soup used for dressing, made the soups too creamy, and Ashish took down our suggestion to offer cream only if the guests asked for it. The Spinach and Asparagus soup had bits of Asparagus on it, that added a brilliant twist, but the Spinach over powered the Asparagus, in my case, the amount of Mint in the Mushroom soup was too low for my taste, but any more Mint would make it a mint soup and not mushroom, a problem when you are using 2 ingredients each with it’s own brilliant flavor.
The Cream, that Overpowered the soup
Next up Chef Ashish suggested, that we try out his Moorish Lamb, and his Spaghetti Carbonara, for which he makes fresh pasta in the kitchen only, though we were getting to be full, we decided to be a great game, and had both the things up on the pick up for us to photograph and jump upto.
The Moorish Lamb
The Moorish lamb came on a bed of stir fried vegetables in a gravy, and the side of light and creamy mashed potatoes. The Spaghetti was made with a lot of freshly ground black pepper on special request. The moorish lamb was one of the most tender and moist pieces of lamb that I have had, and on trying to investigate the origins of the Lamb, we were told the Lamb is the regular lamb that you and I procure from the market, but what made a difference was how the Cuts were done, and how it was marinated for this preparation, an absolutely yummy dish, that we would want to go back for, by now we were sold, that what we want to eat here is lamb.
The Spaghetti Carbonara
The Spaghetti was next, and the sauce coated it well, enough for you to be able to taste the sauce and the pasta, and yet not over powering each other. The pieces of Chicken were large enough, and the fresh bay leaf on top made the Dish stand out, by the end of the Spaghetti and our Lamb Maroosh we were full, but we were both licking off the Lamb Gravy, and the Carbonara sauce with the bread, and as someone said, the food ain’t good if you don’t lick your fingers, and trust us, the food is good here.
Kheer
After 2 Pints of Carlsberg each, and so much to eat, we were just about ready to leave, when Ashish requested that we have a Desert, though we both wanted to avoid a desert and let the gravy last in our mouths, he spoke of how he specialy procures full grain basmati, and cooks his kheer just the way our grand mothers used to, no over powering tastes, but simple Kheer, with a bit of pistachio, a very little bit of cardamom, al-dante rice, just enough sugar to make it sweet, all topped with wonderful saffron, and we fell for it. The moment we had our first bite, I could remember the Kheer made by my Nani (Grandmother) and Maninder enjoyed the al-dante rice, and the flavoring and agreed that this indeed was Grandma’s recipe, thanks to Ashish’s insistence we had this wonderful kheer.
A few things we did not like, were the Ambient Music, which some how went from a Piano recital to Rap, and then Enrique Iglesias trying to be my Hero again and again, and we shared this with the Chef that the music maybe could be mellowed down, but at the time we left the restaurant was just about started to get full so maybe the music would tone down in the loud voices that we talk in. We also did not like that there were no wines on the menu, we were told that this is due to some paperwork required each time they want to procure any kind of Wine or Whisky, though they have had their Liquor License since 2006. The Red lighting was a big turn off for us.
The staff at the Chakraas is very friendly and was eager to serve us, and make sure we had a great dinner, having the Executive Chef sit next to you through the dinner ensures this. The Food was brilliant and the ending with the Kheer made a perfect ending to the dinner.
While we were on our way out, we saw a lot of large family groups entering for dinner, which is unsual to see in this day and age on a Saturday, on checking with the staff, we were told that in case you arive in large groups of 15 and above, the restaurant gives you a great deal on the meal, so if you are planning a family and friends get together over some lovely food, you must visit The Chakraas, and while you are there, do thank the Chef.
Will we go there again: Yes, we would love to. Chef Ashish Singh knows his Lamb well and since both of us are fond of Lamb, he rates very high in our books, but next time we would love to go there for a lunch.
Average Cost of Meal for 2 With Drinks and Desert: Rs. 2500
Timing: 12:30 PM to 12AM, Busy Days are Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
Type of Food: Multi-Cusine, the Chef recommended we try his Daal Makhni and his Chilly Chicken, but that is for another trip.
Insider News: They have a new chef who has joined them for speciality Lucknow cuisine, and will soon be adding Galauti Kebabs, Ulte Tawe ki Roti, and Nihari to their Huge menu.
If the photos above have not made you hungry as yet, let me tease you with my photos, from our visit.
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Credits: All in Line Photos by Maninder Pal Singh, to see all his photos, visit his Flickr pool. To check out Original Size Images, you can visit my Flickr Pool too
[Mumbai] Rays Cafe & Pizzeria
Good Food, Good Ambience, Service is a bit confused maybe because they have hired new staff.
Nestled in one corner of Hill Road Bandra, Rays Café may just go unnoticed while you’re driving through Mumbai’s hip suburb and even hipper Hill Road. But don’t make that mistake because this namesake of New Yorks famous chain of pizzerias (Rays Original), is really worth it for those looking for a nice Italian supper.
Once you enter through the wooden gate and the façade you feel as if your transported to Italy more precisely Tuscany (not that I have been there in person, Discovery TLC zindabad). The flooring is made of natural stones, the one’s you find in cathedrals, with wooden tables and chairs under the shade of huge umbrellas. There is also an air-conditioned section again characterized by white walls and wooden seating. Gives you the feel of those road side café’s in Italy (again TLC and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam)
Enough about the ambiance and the interiors will get right down to the main purpose of my visit – FOOD. Rays offers an amazing variety of pizzas in 9, 12 and 16 inches. And the best part about this place is that a limited selection of pizzas is also offered in Single Slices! Yes you heard me right for those of us who like eating a little bit of everything than just 4 pieces of the same pizza, this is the place. So I tried the Margherita which was excellent, just the perfect amount of the homemade of tomato sauce, cheese and sprinkled herbs on a thin base. My next was Barbeque Chicken, in Shania Twain’s words “that don’t impress me much”. I thought it was a bit sweet for barbeque. I also tried the the Rays Special, a pepperoni pizza, which was muchos delicias! After slurping on it (yeah am quite a slop) I kissed my fingers. I wanted to kiss those of the chef as well. But my friends just rolled their eyes and asked me to behave!
Now am about to tell you what you must order if you are non-vegetarian –Weisswurst Sausages. German smoked pork sausages that are out of this world. Am not much of a fan of pork and hence I called for the Chicken Sausages but when my friends called the pork one’s and I tried that, the chicken was damp squib. These pork sausages are mouthwatering and delicious and a must have at Rays.
Moving on to the pastas, the Linguni with Asparagus and cream is a delight for those who prefer white sauce pasta’s. You may want to add a little salt to it but otherwise its delicately flavoured with asparagus and cream, the right ‘kiss the chefs fingers’ blend. However the Chicken in Tomato Cream Penne a bit drab. For the red pasts fans the Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato and Herbs is fiery with the generous amount of chilly flakes and cooked in that right kind of home made arabiatta sauce.
There are a variety of salads to choose from including the Classic Ceasars and also the very Italian. Insalate Capreseis a simple salad from the Italian region of Capri, made of sliced fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil. But I am not a very Salad person so I did’nt try. Salads,I feel, are food for ruminating animals and not for humans who have better options like the ones I described the one above.
There is also sandwiches, burgers & hotdogs but by now me & accomplices were ready to hit the bed so none for us. They serve wine over the weekend – Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays.
Verdict: Good Food, Good Ambience, Service is a bit confused maybe because they have hired new staff. The Damages: Rs. 500-600 per head (if you’re a moderate eater). Yes it’s a bit stiff on the pocket because of the 10% service charge. So don’t tip
Quick Tip: If you’re a guy, blindfold your girl/wife take her to Rays in the evening and get a table in the patio area (non air-conditioned), now would be the perfect weather for it. The moonlight, the breeze and Italian food would make for a perfect romantic date (yes I am a total sucker for Mills & Boons). If you’re a girl, ditch your guy and just take your best girl buddy (one who you would have married if she was a guy) and forget the diet for that day.
The Co-ordinates
Rays Café & Pizzeria
133 Hill Road, Gazebo House (Behind Godrej Nature’s Basket), Bandra (W)
Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050
Telephone: 022 26451414
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This is one of my first food reviews, and am glad to be a part of The Big Geek network, to read more of my writing, do visit my blog Luv4AllThingsYum
Timings: 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Who is Sunayan Shahani
Sometimes I wish Anthony Bourdain would marry Kylie Kwang and adopt me!
People say I love to eat I wouldn’t agree more. In my defence, is there anything more alluring than the pretty sight of your favorite dish on the table? I don’t think so. Gourmet, Gourmand, Glutton, Connoisseur, Aficionado are some words that describe me best.
Yes I am completely in love with food and my blog is dedicated to my love affair with food.
I am a self confessed ‘food porn’ addict be it the buxom Nigella and her sensual recipes to Master Chef Australia Adam’s Asian seductions or Rachel Allen’s titillating (I know what you are thinking while you say that word) bakes.
All of it fascinates, allures me to find out more and more places where I can gratify the cravings. Sometimes I wish Anthony Bourdain would marry Kylie Kwang and adopt me!
While I critique places of worship … er sorry places of eating, my blog is essentially about what one must eat when they go to a particular place rather than just giving my verdict whether or not to go somewhere.
Yes I believe, there is ‘Something, Somewhere for every one’ (yes I am a Yash Chopra fan, remember somebody, somewhere for everyone? Dil Toh Paagal Hai? No? never mind)
What about you? Are you also entangled in an undying love affair with food? Do you get these food cravings at anytime in the day? Does the idea of eating at your favorite restaurant feel orgasmic? Will you endure cramped corners, and unexplored paths to seek out that special dish that will make you go “Yum!”? If the answer to all the above is a Yes, Connect with me. Visit my blog
Why Does India Wait for its Apple Pie
“The iPad is finally here in India, after an Year, but it’s here”
It’s the eve of 28th January 2011, the day Apple launches it’s Magical iPad in India , nearly 10 months after the United States launch and 6 months after South East Asia launch. For all the Apple fans, it was yet another long wait after a very long wait for iPhone 3GS.
Apple bashers always use this delay as an arsenal gifted to them by God. Apple fans too have been resentful in these delays.
A Question that arises “Is Apple not seriously taking the Indian market, can’t they see our big swelling middle class whom everybody is wooing?”
There is a different angle to this story, and that angle is our Telecom Policy. 3G services launch in India has been delayed for months and years firstly Army did not want to give away the spectrum they held (or so we are told) and then there was no agreement on how to sell the spectrum finally it was a long bidding process (which is anyway covered with a lot of controversies as we speak) . When the winners amongst the bidders were finally announced in May 2010, everybody expected the 3G launch by Diwali, the consumers were eagerly looking forward to it, for the providers it made business sense, but that hope went up in flames, like the crackers burstin on a warm Diwali night.
In December when every thing seemed perfect for launch, new issue was the interception (tapping) of Video calls, operators were asked to hold on their 3G launches, even today 3G is still a difficult challenge for us geeks to get working, an aam admi, is still far behind on getting 3G Access.
Now imagine this from Apple’s prospective, iPhones and iPad have been based on utilization of 3G speeds. Imagine what would they ask people to put in their 3G sim slot of iPad.
Advertisements for iPhone showed talking and browsing simultaneously using 3G, although we can do it with WiFi but on a GPRS a far fetched dream only.
Last time when I had to wait for a Mac launch in India was New Mac Mini, since then Apple Mac Products have been quick to arrive, almost matching their international launch. The MacBook Air was the fastest.
Apple has always followed the layered launch for Gadgets thats are expected to be in huge demand. iPhone 4 was first released in USA,UK, Germany, France & Japan second round of release included 18 countries including Canada, Singapore, Korea, and most of Europe. It will be our infrastructure (IT) and the demand which will decide which league of nation we are in.
If Apple thinks Indian market is good for Macs then definitely their thoughts cant be different for iPads and iPhones.
After all it is evident from the pricing that Apple has come out for the Indian Market, if I were to import it legally at the current US$ Pricing, I would end up paying the same price, if I may, a Sample calculation
16GB Wifi Model @ US$ 499 + Taxes + Shipping and Handling
Assuming Taxes + S&H amount to another 51$, we are looking at a Price of 550US$ for the 16 GB Version
At today’s US$ to INR Exchange Rate of 45.67 at the time of writing this article, the 16GB Version without (Courier charges to India, and Indian Custom Duty) will cost you Rs. 25,118.50, at a Price of Rs. 27,900 Tax Paid in India, I don’t think it’s a Bad deal.
To see the Indian Store Prices for the iPad in India, check out The Apple Website
In the mean time may I wish everyone A Happy Ipad Day (28th Jan)
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The above article was written by a Great friend of mine, @maninderpals.
Who is Maninder Pal Singh ?
I Own a Business which centers around Industrial Automation, I have been blamed to have built robots, and I can build machines which can have 5 Axis, but if you were to go by the general notion of what a Robot is, maybe you will not like it. I have a keen Interest in Gadgets and Technology, I love Everything Apple Makes, and am a Self Proclaimed Member of The Mac Cult. I closely follow Politics & Music other than technology. Food Takes a Great priority in my life and it is clear from the picture above, I love my Wine, and I love my Tea Too.
You can connect with me on twitter at @maninderpals