ASIA KITCHEN

                                                                   ASIA KITCHEN

Mumbai has been boasting about a herd of Chinese restaurants in every niche of the city be it the town or the central and western suburbs. Chinese cuisine has been an evident part of every Mumbaikar's diet and now has turned out very mainstream. It was the need of the hour that we get some innovation, some excitement , some tweaks in the regular Chinese food that we have been so accustomed. Mainland China finally decided to bridge this gap and has come out with a unique and nouveau restaurant named ASIA KITCHEN.

Asia Kitchen is a blend of famous cuisines from Asian continent notably Thailand, Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore. The menu is a platter of Asian cuisines. This uniqueness has been welcomed by everyone as we'll all crave for newness and are always dwelling to give our taste buds some frenzy experiences. It's also different from other franchises of Mainland China  in terms of having an open kitchen.

Commenced almost a year ago at the ever crowded Oberoi mall in Goregaon, Asia kitchen has been a hot trend for the past few months due to the uniqueness it boasts. It has maintained balance in its menu portraying no favouritism towards the vegetarians or the non-vegetarians. Also, all the items on the menu have been labelled a country from which they originate for better reference to the customer.

Corn cakes with sweet chilli sauce are sure to uplift you in trance with the fluffiness they possess. It would just dissolve the very moment you have a bite of it. Tofu has been at the epicentre of their vegetarian innovations and the Pan Grilled Tofu with Black pepper and Pakchoy being their hot favourite. Barbequed pepper chicken, Chicken Siu Mai , Lemon Grass Grilled Chicken or the ever loved Dumplings would do the trick for the Chicken Lovers in the appetizer category.Grilled fish with Sambal Salsa tips it for seafood.  Soups don't fascinate all but if does then Eight Treasure Soup is eagerly waiting(the treasure lies within).

CRISPY CORN CHILLI PEPPER

BARBEQUED PEPPER CHICKEN

                                                                    DUMPLINGS

If its rice it got to be Nasi Goreng or if you prefer noodles its Mee Goreng all the way (specialities from Indonesia). Richly spiced and flavoured to tickle your taste buds. Assorted vegetable with hot garlic sauce or the Tobanjan chicken would be a very friendly option with rice/noodle.

MEE GORENG

The staff is too friendly and cordial and they love explaining every dish you wish to know about from salads to desserts since it's a totally different and an uncommon menu. 

Lastly do try out the hot chocolate rolls. Mind you they are fabulous.


RATINGS:

AMBIENCE- 9/10

QUALITY- 10/10

PRICE FOR 2- 1500


                            THERE IS NO SINCERER LOVE THAN THE LOVE OF FOOD!!!

RELISH

                                                                  RELISH

After an ardent request by many of my vegetarian friends and followers to furnish a review of a PURE VEGETARIAN restaurant, here's an absolutely exciting review for you guys.

RELISH as the name itself suggests, you're going to RELISH every minute and every penny spent. It's a vegetarian's paradise and surely going to lift you up in trance. It's known for satiating the vegetarian palate. Located in Churchgate, in the vicinity of H.R. and K.C college, the student crowd is rampant at RELISH, flocking in large numbers. It possesses the aura of being a South Bombay restaurant

The menu is quite comprehensive boasting Italian, Lebanese, Mexican. Indians are the masters of the art of manipulation and RELISH is no exception. They have transformed the International cuisine in Indian form as all of us love our roots. 

Hardly are individuals preferring salads but I recommend you try out the Mexican Tostada Verde a mixture of fried beans and shredded vegetables dressed in red salsa and served in tortilla shells.  They have been innovative with potato with the tex-mex cheese chips the noteable one to watch out for. 

Quick bites are the cream portion of their menu thanks to these food items being so tantalising you're quickly gonna gallop them. Sichuan Marbles, cheese-cottage cheese- corn balls served in spicy Chinese sauce and the Nachos Con Queso are the hot quick bites out there.

Baked Potato Skins

Their Italian Fiesta is what makes them well-known. There's a herd of sauces and toppings made available to make your own customised pasta.

The Lasagne and Cheese Fondue are their stand-out items. If its these two then its RELISH . The taste of these two will accompany you till Eternity. Hence you will spot them on every table.

Lasagne

                               
                                                               Cheese Fondue

Veg Kaukswe , an Indonesian curry served on a bed of buttered noodles and Nasi Goreng which is a transformation of famous Indonesian rice. Many wouldn't try it thanks to their names but if you love trying out innovative dishes its gonna yield you handsome satisfaction.

The pizzas and sizzlers are surely ever present to satisfy your hunger but its quite a regular without much innovation.

Last but not the least, The Quesadillas- spiced vegetables and cheese stuffed tortilla is a good pick.

The service is quite an upper category. Quick and Consistent with very friendly as well as polite managers .

I hope you RELISHED every part of this review and I wish you a Happy Eating.

RATINGS:-

AMBIENCE - 8/10
FOOD          - 9/10
SERVICE.    - 9/10

PRICE FOR 2- 1100

3 must visit Continental Restaurants

Indian gastronomic trend has been moving towards continental cuisine more and more as each day passes-by. There has been a terrific surge in the demand for continental food commencing from the last decade . No one had thought then that pizzas, pastas would  be the staple food outshining the all time favourites of dosas, idlis and wadas. Mumbai has been blessed with some of the best continental restaurants due to it's acceptance for changes . Here are the Top 3 picks which you must visit in Mumbai if you savour continental cuisine.

1) IMBISS

If you want to eat the best , you must find the best. No better place to find the best restaurant belonging to a distinctive cuisine than our very own Bandra , Queen of suburbs as they say! Imbiss serves you with the best German, European and Continental food. If you're around Bandra and craving for a meaty appetite , you must look at for Imbiss- Divine would be an understatement truly.

Once inside a restaurant choosing your meal is always a hard nut to crack unless you're a person who doesn't ventures in trying out new dishes. Bavarian Ham and cheese Sandwich which is the result of thin slices of bacon served on farmers bread grilled with cheese. Lamb and mint sausage (heavenly) served on a bed of mashed potatoes. Crackling, crispy fried pork rind with hot sauce . I never expected to eat rice served with spicy Mexican Chorizos served on a bed of lettuce , topped with mushroom and fried duck egg.

Brace yourself for a third world war with no better location than your very own stomach with all those animals inside!

RATINGS:

Ambience- 7/10
Quality    -  9/10
Cost for 2-  600

2) Woodside Inn

Located just opposite the iconic Regal cinema besides cafe Royal this place could be overlooked due to its small and unnoticeable entrance. However the moment you enter inside you will be shell shocked by it's mammoth size presenting you an experience of an English pub.

Appetizers with alcohol is cherished by everyone and Woodside Inn doesn't fail to deliver. Grilled harrisa chicken skewers, fish fingers with tartare , grilled scalion pesto prawns , pan cakes with hummus and  grilled vegetables should boast your meal. Cheese lovers, a cheese platter is just waiting to mesmerize you and uplift you in trance.

Vegetable lasagna was always a disappointment until the one I tried here. Citrus paprika chicken,  Basa with cluster beans is always a must on every table . Pasta lover would just dwell for Woodside Inn with such varied choice of sauces which definitely fascinates you.

This couldn't  get any better, could it?

RATINGS :

Ambience - 8/10
Quality     -  10/10
Cost for 2 - 2000

3) Crossroads 92

Located in the upcoming  suburb of Borivli , this resto is hot favourites of the Borivlikars. Wondering what's the 92 then its the pincode of the area where its located. Known for its widespread menu , heart-breaking ambience and pretty light on your pocket. The decor truly fascinates you.

Soup lovers should try out the peperone chicken or the bok choy wanton drop (flavoured with soya) .The appetizer menu could be termed an appetizer fusion going by the new creations available. Siccilian cottage cheese which is fried and tossed with arrabiata or the soya grilled chicken with cream leeks or the calamari fritters (a squid dish) are truly tantalising giving your taste-buds a rejuvenated feel .

Why hold yourself uptil appetizers , well there's a queue of main-course dishes to waiting to pacify your all time hungry bellies. Parmesean Potato mushroom au gratin and spiced Tofu tamarind are  top notches for vegetarians. Non-vegetarians haven't been disappointed either with the top rated dishes like citrus graze prawns risotto or Lamb garlic chilli and last but not the least Hunan fish chips.

RATINGS:

Ambience- 10/10
Quality     -  9/10
Cost for 2-  1000

                                    TO BE THE BEST, YOU MUST EAT THE BEST!


Picture Credits :
1) Zomato
2) City Guide
3) Food Spotting 

Koyla

                                           

Wish to make your dinner more romantic ?  Lover of roof-top dining?  ? Well, your answer is at Colaba!

KOYLA, situated near Gulf Hotel, next to Radio club, Colaba, Mumbai- is the dream destination for all the lovers. A roof-top resto , with sublime and scenic view of the sea, the Gateway of India and the TAJ MAHAL's dome!  You must be really lucky enough to avail a table without prior booking because it's always packed to capacity  with a minimum waiting of 30-45 minutes. However once you taste the food, every single minute that you waited for will be appreciated.

Koyla, specifically deals with Mughlai and North cuisine and so you can expect the food to be spicy, as we Indians love it. Mughlai food- choosing veg  isn't a good idea but KOYLA hasn't disheartened the vegetarians. Afghani panner, Nawabi/ mushroom/paneer tikka, stuffed-aloo till wala, paneer chilly garlic are truly mind-boggling ( those indian spice and condiments just make the food very special) . Non vegetarians would honestly treat this as their paradise (a place to worship- just a hyperbole ) . 

You would go crazy looking at menu , rather the abundant choice and the description they provide  would just make you salivate . Those royal names of the dishes  make you feel like a special person. Just to quote a few ,  Peshwari murg tikka,  Nawabi chicken kebab,  Afghani tikka ,  Kakori kebab,  Murg nizami tikka and what not . If you're a fan of red meat then do try  noorani seekh and the mutton platter.  Main course has to be butter chicken ( almost noticed at every table) . It's the best to have it with some Indian breads. Koyla's murg tikka masala is a decent choice as well but nothing beats the butter chicken. Dum goshth biryani and Dum murg biryani are also some pics which you could opt for. A zaffrani lassi would surely go well with the meal. 

The menu just feels never ending and i wish to refrain  quoting the names of  other dishes because I'm sure you're gonna start salivating and start abusing me for making you do that, haha!

Another feature is the ambience.  If Ambience is the criteria for you then Koyla definitely meets your expectations. As i already mentioned that its a  roof-top resto, the cool breeze and the Arabic decor of the resto is surely going to make your dinner a memorable one. They have adopted a very Arabic decor for the resto, however you  wont find the dancers !
                          
                                                                     BON APPETIT! 
Ratings:
Ambience: 10/10
Food        : 9/10
Service    : 9/10
Price for 2: 1500 (approx)

LEOPOLD CAFE!

Mumbai has been blessed with some amazing foodie destinations like Bandra, Colaba catering the tastes and prefrences  of the 21st century foodies. The recent trend induces the restos and eateries to furnish the foodies with array of cuisines because people love variety! One such eatery is the Leopold Cafe! 

Leopold cafe is one of the oldest and most popular restaurant and bar on the Colaba Causeway. It was one of the site targetted during the November 2008 Mumbai attacks but since then it has been able to cope up with the disaster and now its back to the original track! 

Moving on to the food review, the Leo's menu boasts of almost 300+ items consisting of Indian, Chinese and Continental items ( Chinese being the most craved and desired by almost all Leo Poldians) ! They commence their operations in the early morning from 730 till the midnight ! The early morning risers and the joggers are lucky to pacify their hungry bellies with some great chicken sandwiches, hotdogs, omlettes and sausages. The Leopold menu has not been very kind to vegetarians by serving them with some limited appetizers and entrees like nachos with salsa and cheese sauce, jalepeno peppers and for mains the regular paneer tikka , veg sczhewan, manchurian and chop suey. However for the non vegetarians it's food you could die for and the menu that would make you bewildered regarding your order! You name a dish and you will find it in the menu! Entrees like bbq chicken, fish fry, shikari kebab, tandoori pomfret, boti kebab,chicken and mutton chello kebab , two flavoured chicken, sizzling chicken and last but not the least butter pepper garlic prawns!

Mains , Dude ( buck up your seats and close your mouth because you are gonna start salivating) . Chicken masala, chicken in chilly oyster sauce, chicken mongolian, prawns chilly, beef/chicken fried in soy sauce, chicken hot garlic, prawns in black garlic sauce (drove me insane at that moment).
The Rice and Noodle menu has been the usual but with added variety because there is biryanis and pulav as well to make your choice tougher!
Being a cafe, its damn sure that people wont just hogg upon the food. The "liver" would tempt for alcohol as well! Shots, spirits , cocktails, beer and the list goes on !
The desserts are truly SUBLIME and notable ones to look out for is THE blueberry cheese cake, hot fudge sundae and apple pie. Worth every penny spend! 


If you havent been a LEO POLDIAN as of now, I'm sure you would definitely like to be a one. So catch up with some buddies/ cousins and commence your journey of being a LEO POLDIAN!

Food- 9/10
Service 8/10
Ambience- 8/10

Bade Miya!

                                                          BADE MIYA!

 Great fan of tandoor and kebab ? The aroma of the kebabs and tandoor lifts you up in the trance? Well, then grab some buddies and drive your way to Colaba because BADE MIYA is waiting to serve you those hot kebabs and tikkas!

Located behind the historic Taj Mahal Hotel, BADE MIYA has been attracting customers of all sorts. Be it the customers with the BMWs, the Audis, the Jaguars or even the  common man ! It starts  at night around 9 when the people commence with their socializing and it goes on beyond mid night! As I have already specified that kebabs and tandoors are their signature dishes then it must have been an impromptu that Bade Miya offers you the speciality of Moghlai and North Indian cuisine! Mind you it's not a big restaurant or so but it's a road side eatery achieving turnover greater than restaurants!

 I would say you  must be lucky enough to get a table to dine because the people flock in such large numbers that it's difficult to avail a table. Such is the loyalty and  love of its  customers that they are even ready to eat and place the dishes on the roof - top of their cars.

Vegetarians, i pity you because the veg menu offered is quite limited and narrow because as i already mentioned that their focus is on moghlai and north indian dishes and where the vegetarians always find it hard to thrive! However there is still the regular paneer and aloo tikkas to savour your taste buds along with the special Veg. Dum Biryani ( mind you it's massively spicy).

However for you non-vegetarians out there , Bade-Miya is a heaven ! Quelle variete ( What a variety).
There are whole range of kebabs and tikkas waiting to pacify your hungry bellies and desperate taste buds. To name a few ,  I would say chicken reshmi tangdi kebab, chicken breast tikka,chicken kheema roll , chicken seekh kebab and  chicken tikka fry are worth the stash paid (the word SHAHI, for all these dishes would make them more exciting)! But if it's moghlai and you haven't ordered red meat dishes then it's a failed trip to Bade Miya I would say. The mutton boti fry, mutton baida roti , mutton boti kebab, mutton gurda roll are the hot favourites I  would say.

Once you are through with the  kebabs  , it's time to move on to some breads, biryani's and curries. The butter rumali rotis are a must on every table and it goes well with almost everything means everything ; be it chicken or mutton kheema,  chicken bhuna, 'mutton roghan josh ' or even paneer bhurji! Finally to end your meal , there can't be a better dish than a dum biryani , be it chicken or mutton!

I'm sure this would have made you salivating and desperate to try the menu but hey patience is the key for everything.

As they say no love is sincerer than love for food.

Quality: 9/10

Service: 8.5 /10

Ambience: 8/10
                                                                BON APPETIT! 

Status - Refine Gourmet

                                                              Status-Refine Gourmet

As the name itself suggests , it's a fine dining restaurant not for the mass but for the class! Honestly, they have abided by this principle and it will surely justify this principle once you have your meal at Status! It's the one which offers you combo of Punjabi, Seafood as well as Chinese, INDIAN chinese to be precise!
As the name itself is upper class, the locality in which it's situated should also be one which matches it's aura. Truly this is the precise place for it and it's none other than in the vicinity of SHIVAJI PARK!

So moving on to the food review:
               As I already mentioned it offers you a combo of Punjabi, Seafood and  Chinese , there are shorbas and soups ready initially  to pacify your hungry bellies.If you are gonna commence with a soup then spicy lemon coriander  is the one waiting for you fella, a must try! Coming to the appetizers, there is massive variety which could put you in a bewilderment! Vegetarians could opt for paneer tikka noorani, vegetable taro nest( vegetables sauted with sweet and spicy sauces and served in a potato nest) , Shanghai potato , Three treasure salt- n- pepper. Mind you the cottage cheese is so tender and tantalising that it simply dissolves in a single bite. For the main course you must definitely try diwani handi, mircha ka salan ( Gonna bring the heat out of you), kadai paneer and have this with a soft roti blended with lots of butter and you could make your way in the trance!
               For the hardcore non-vegetarians, there is massive variety of dishes waiting to satisfy your taste buds. Entrees like murg sholay kebab, murg chakori kebab,pomfret koliwada, bassa tikka ( a type of fish) and if you're gonna opt for some china town then  chicken teriyaki , chicken peri peri, chicken spinach and crispy lamb.
The soft and tender chicken as well as the lamb , blended with spices or some great masalas or sauces is surely gonna induce your ardent foodie bellies to try out more!
                 For the booze lovers you have an array of drinks peeps!
             All the names surely might have induced you to go out and try some of it but  do remember to carry good amount of vitamin M with you or to simplify parents are the right people to accompany you! However worth the every stash you spend!

FOOD- 9.5/10
AMBIENCE - 9/10
SERVICE 7/10!