Food Review: Jam Jar Diner, Versova

It took us a few seconds to realize that there hasn't been an earthquake in the store and the shelves are strategically placed to look like as if they are falling over each other. The decor is classic. Wooden cabinets adorn the walls with books, crockery, music CDs, an old tape recorder and a Polaroid camera adding to the old school charm. A couple of staff members were sharpening Natraj pencils to place on every table with Sudoku sheets.

Beatles’ ‘all you need is love’ played in the background and we screamed excitedly spotting the source of the music, “look they have a jukebox!”. The morning couldn't have started on a better note. We headed straight to the mezzanine floor to grab a corner still admiring the taste of the restaurant owners who also own the famous Bonobo in Bandra.

The menu consists of burgers, sandwiches, pancakes, waffles, bar snacks and more. We decided to stick to the breakfast section and ordered a Red Velvet Pancake (Rs 140), Popeye – poached eggs, creamed spinach, cheddar, jalapeno waffles (Rs 201) and Eggs Kejriwal – fried eggs, green chilies and cheese served on toast (Rs 178). The last one was ordered just out of the curiosity generated by the name. We sipped on our apple pepper juice (Rs 140) and earl grey tea (Rs 78) while waiting for the breakfast. The juice was served in an old style jam jar or barni and that’s how we figured out the idea behind the name.

Our order took a little time but arrived fresh and hot. The red velvet pancakes were fluffy and soft and were served with whipped cream. We felt that either the pancakes or the cream needed a little sugar; the staff served us some sugar on the side that we sprinkled on the cream. Popeye had beautifully poached eggs served on crispy jalapeno waffles with a topping of spinach and cheddar cheese. It was a little heavy on salt since jalapeno, spinach, cheddar have a lot of salt content in them. The poached eggs however were perfect; the yolk was neither too hard nor too runny.

The dish with the most amusing name was very simple - fried eggs and cheese on toasted breads with a topping of fried green chillies. It was like something you make at home to fix a quick breakfast. While digging in we wondered why it was called Eggs Kejriwal and came up with different reasons, finally we asked the staff. We were told that the dish wasn’t named after a certain activist. It is named so because a local guy of the same name liked his eggs fried and served on toast with cheese and green chillies; a dish served in Mumbai clubs.

On our way out we spotted a jar full of Phantom Cigarettes. The staff offered some to us and we left happily but not before posing with them.

Must try – Popeye, red velvet pancake

Meal for two – Rs 1000 (taxes included)

A trip to Bhandardara

Bhandardara is Maharashtra's sleepy Hamlet set amidst the Sahyadri mountains and is best visited during monsoons. But we (me and my husband) decided to go there last weekend mainly to get away from the fast life, social media and noise. We took an early morning passenger train from Dadar and reached Igatpuri around 9 am. From Igatpuri we took an auto rickshaw which cost us Rs 500. Other options are to either take a cab which will cost you around Rs 1000 or take a shared rick till Ghoti and from there take a shared jeep to Bhandardara. There are ST buses too from Igatpuri to Bhandardara but can not be relied on due to low frequency. A drive from Mumbai to Bhandardara takes around 31/2 hours.

We reached Bhandardara and checked into our room in the MTDC resort by the Arthur lake. There are other small hotels too with rooms but none gives a view as beautiful as the MTDC resort. 

Beautiful Bougainvillea flowers adorned the roads and the lake sides.

I sat there by the quiet lake...

and scribbled on my notepad.

For lunch we went to a restaurant in the small market which serves Maharashtrian, Chinese and regular North Indian food. MTDC has a canteen too but we don't think that they cook in very hygienic conditions. We ordered 2 rice plates which came with dal fry, ussal, chhole, chapatis and rice. 

The food was good but very spicy and we were dreaded by the thought of eating the same food for dinner when my brother-in-law called and told us about this small place called Kaka Gujarati Thali . The only catch is that you have to inform the owner at-least 2 hours in advance and he'll prepare the dinner for you. On our way back we told him to prepare 2 thalis for us, each thali costs Rs 120.

After a little afternoon nap, a walk on the hills and by the lake and watching the Sunset we went for dinner at around 8pm. Yes, villages have early evenings hence early dinner. We were served a thali with lovely kadhi, aloo ki sabzi, sev ki sabzi, salad, hot rotis and khichdi. The food was fresh and very homely with no overwhelming spices. The owner, a middle aged Gujarati man, serves you as if you are his guests which makes the experience even better.

We called it an early night since we had planned to go for early morning boating in the lake and watch the Sunrise. The view was beautiful as we saw Sun coming out from behind a hill while we sat in the middle of the lake. It was quiet, serene and enchanting. In all the excitement I forgot to take the camera along and couldn't take pictures of the beautiful Sunrise.

For breakfast we went to the same Gujarati place to grab a plate of hot poha. While our breakfast was getting ready we couldn't stop ourselves from hogging on the yummy bhajias and batata vadas with chai at this nearby stall called Jai Hind.

Since we wanted a quiet weekend we stayed away from sight seeing but if you want you can go and check out the Wilson Dam, Mount Kalsubai, Agastya Rishi Ashram, Ratangad Fort and Amriteshwar Temple.

If you want some time off and be with yourself away from the fast paced world, I'd say you visit Bhandardara.

Grilled Rawas with Lemon Butter Sauce

Over the weekend I decided to be a little experimental and cook some rawas. Since my sister is pregnant and is not allowed to eat too much salt or oil I opted for grilling. I asked my dad to bring rawas fillets and honestly he didn't have any idea about rawas or fillets since he mostly cooks rohu in very Bengali or North Indian style. Still, he went to buy it and when he asked the fisherwoman to cut the rawas into 3 big pieces he was told, "rawas ka 3 piece? Wo toh Negro khata hai." Now I would not want to delve into that statement and make any sense out of it. Anyhow, he got the fish cut in regular curry style pieces and the MasterChef in me tried to make peace with it. While the way of cutting fish did not make any difference to the dish we had to remove bones while eating it. So, if you end up in a similar situation don't panic, the fish will grill alright. Just remember to remove the skin before serving it.

Ingredients:

For fish
Rawas                            750 gms
Dried mix herbs              2 tbsp
Lemon juice                    2 tbsp
Black pepper powder     1 tsp
Salt to taste
Olive Oil                         1 tbsp

For lemon butter sauce
White wine                      60 ml
Lemon juice                     3 tbsp
Cream                             2 tbsp (I used fresh malai from milk)
Unsalted butter                2 tbsp
Chopped parsley             1 tbsp
Salt to taste            

Method:

Fish

• Clean the fish fillets and marinate them in dried herbs, lemon juice, black pepper powder and salt. Rub the marinade on all sides of the fish properly. 
• Cover them and leave for at-least an hour, the more the merrier. 
• Preheat oven at 180 degrees.
• Once hot set the oven for grilling.
• Rub a little olive oil on all sides of the fish and place it on the griller.
• Let it cook for 30 minutes. Don't forget to turn them over after 15 minutes so that they cook from both the sides.

Lemon butter sauce

While your fish is grilling you can quickly make your lemon butter sauce. I took the recipe from here and it's pretty simple.

• Pour wine in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat till it's reduced to half.
• Add cream and let it simmer till it gets a sauce like consistency.
• Add butter, lemon juice, parsley and salt and stir constantly to make a smooth sauce.
• Add a little water if you find it too thick or simmer for some more time if it's too thin.

Pour hot over the grille rawas fillets, garnish with some chopped parsley and serve.

Food Review: Cafe Sundance, Churchgate

When the iconic Sundance Cafe shut 2 years ago it broke a lot of hearts. There was a lot of nostalgia attached to this place where many youngsters went for their first dates, had many unforgettable meals or had their first steak. A couple of restaurants opened in its place but couldn't bring back the same magic. Last month Sundance Cafe reopened and brought back a lot of memories for the ex-patrons. After reading about it on twitter and going through a couple of reviews I decided to check it out myself. But the only hiccup was that I didn't have anything to compare it with since I never went to the old Sundance. So while I was able to give a fresh perspective it was essential for me to know how it was like back then. Help came via Twitter in form of Prachi Joshi of Deliciously Directionless, a banker turned blogger who was a regular at the cafe in her college days.

We met for lunch and as soon as I entered Prachi told me that the look of the cafe has completely changed. The old Sundance didn't have a very posh looking furniture and the mezzanine floor used to be so cramped up that it was almost difficult to sit there. Well, now the restaurant looks a lot more sophisticated. The wall behind the reception is made into a showcase and there are models of antique cars, typewriters etc, placed in every shelf. One shelf also stacks some old Archie comics. We went on the mezzanine floor and grabbed a table. There's a small bar in the corner too but the guests can not sit at the bar.

We were handed over the menu which was printed in a style of a newspaper. While going through it Prachi realised that the menu has been completely revamped. She was a little disheartened to see the famous turtle burgers (burgers with bread shaped like a turtle) missing. The current menu is a mix of American and European dishes.We ordered 2 pints of beer, perfect for a hot afternoon and Mushroom Puffs (Rs 280). The puffs were not very oily, soft and stuffed with mushrooms and goat cheese. While we liked the light bites both of us found the portion a little small. While we were downing our beers the Chef served us two small cups of Mushroom Cappuccino - a very light mushroom soup served in a coffee cup with a little froth on the top. Prachi immediately decided to try making it at home.

For the mains we decided to stick to the burgers. Prachi ordered a beef tenderloin burger (Rs 385) and I opted for a fish and chips one (Rs 385). The cafe has also put up a little challenge for those with big appetites, it serves a 20 OZ beef tenderloin burger stuffed with bacon, eggs, cheese and vegetables (Rs 900). If you manage to finish it all by yourself it's free. while we were going through the menu our burgers arrived sitting pretty on a wooden platter with a portion of fries and salad on the side. Fries were served in a French fry holder or a deep fryer. The fish burger had a fat, crispy and juicy piece of fish coated with a mayonnaise sauce. If we had any plans of ordering more food they were wiped out once the burgers arrived.

After stuffing ourselves with the huge burger we somehow managed to secure a small corner of the stomach for dessert. we ordered the only dish available on the menu, blueberry cheesecake which was not too creamy, mildly sweetened and without a heavy dose of blueberry topping. We finished our meal and stepped out, Prachi for a little shopping trip and I back to work.

So, while the new Sundance Cafe has not retained anything except the name the food is great and worth a try.

Filmy Food Review - Guest Post by Amrita Rana: The showdown of Red Velvet Cupcakes n EATC bread baking workshop :)

Last month I wrote a very filmy review of The Pantry in Kala Ghoda and invited my food blogger friends to write similar posts on my blog. Amrita Rana of Life Ki Recipe got in touch with her Bollywood side to write a post about the Red Velvet Cakes. Over to her:

Scene 1:

*dreamy romantic music in the background* *flowers and chocolates on the table*

Heroine (Sharmate hue) – Tum mujhse kitna pyaar karte ho?

Hero: Kitna? are itna ki kuch bhi kar jau tumhare liye janemn!! *insert dreamy music*

Heroine: Toh mujhe abhi Red Velvet Cake khilao!!

Hero: ehhh? ye Red Velvet kaha se aa gaya humhare pyaar ke beech?

Heroine: Main nahi janti! Agar mujhse pyaar karte ho toh abhi lakar do Red Velvet cake! Aur haa bilkul waisa hona chahiye jo humne Goa ke ek cafe me khaya tha!

Hero: Hey bhagwan kaha se lau ab waisa red velvet cake?? *thinks for few min. and leaves for somehwere on his bike*

*girl dances on a dreamy waiting kinds song*

Scene 2

a motorcycle stops helmet utaar ke hero paper bags lekar ghar ke andar ghusta hai…

Heroine: wow baby!! tum seriosuly mujhse kitna pyaar karte ho! *kisses on his cheek and takes the packet*

*Hero puts his shades on does a dreamy sequence dance boasting himself.*

Heroine: Nahiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Jhhhothe makaar insaan sab jhooth tha tumhara pyaar

*hero is confused n shocked and there’s a big heart break sound*

Heroine: tumne kaha tha red velvet cake Dream Bakery se laye ho ye kaisa cake hai hai bas color se red aur ye upar frosting kitni grainy hai!!! aisi toh mera tommy bhi nahi khata! bus humhare beech me ab koi rishta nahi main tumhari shakal bhi nahi dekhna chahti!

*more heart break sounds* fade out!

Yeah that is a true story! ;)

That’s the power in this little magical thing it may look as a dyed fancy cake but there’s more to it.. the right velvety texture, and to top it with perfection there has to be absolute spot on silky Cream Cheese frosting which mind you, should not be grainy at all. I have been in search of good red velvet cake since quite some time as well. You can guess by this -

I couldn’t find more pics I had more I swear! :P Out of these I’ll say Le 15′s cupcake had this amazing texture of the cake but grainy frosting disappointed me! so is that sugary top on Tea cafe one! I’ll pass Theobroma’s on both the aspect (though I have picked up fights because of it, see here) but OMG this Red Velvet Cake slice from EATC was heaven! A slice of pure heaven! I don’t mind trying the much over hyped cake every time if it taste this beautiful!

I tried this when I went to EATC last month for a bread baking workshop.

If you have already tried baking one at your house you know how wonderful your house smells and imagine we were right there in their kitchen making multi grain, baguettes to fruit cake.. Goodness.

Chef Sunil took us through small yet important details on the subject. The significance of each grain that goes in a multi grain bread to importance of Proofing also called proving (when you let the dough rise for quite some time before popping it in oven).

Some people also tried their hands on like there’s my Dahlin Ashrita aka Caramel wings grinning while making her baguette (centre) :)

The much informative workshop was followed by dinner at EATC. And that’s when The lovely red velvet cake happened and baked lemon cheesecake was also amazingly good. A must try if you going to Bandra next time :)

Happy Baking/Red Velvet Cake Eating :)

Food Review: Bong Bong, Bandra (W)

We are past that stage when Bengali cuisine used to stop at macher jhol for us, thanks to all the Bengali restaurants in the city. But there is still a lot about this cuisine which isn't known. With my limited experience of Bengali food and memories of eating baingan bhaja and mustard fish curry as a kid I decided to explore this new twist in the tale and invited the pakki Bangalan Reema to join me for dinner at Bong Bong, a new restaurant in Bandra which promises to serve Bengali food with a European twist.

We reached the venue just half an hour after it opened on the first day. Bong Bong is small cosy restaurant with a laid back  informal feel and decor filled with all things Bengali. We stood there for a few minutes to take a good look at the old kerosene lamps lighting up the place, 60s style Philips radio, an old type writer and a Borolene ad. The last one made Reema jump with excitement and reach into her bag to show me the box of Boroline she still carries. The place has got it all right in terms of interiors. But the music needs a little attention. The Punjabi 'jugni' number sounded very out of place. We suggest that they should try playing some old Hindi or Bengali classics to add to the ambience.

There's a small outdoor and an indoor seating area. As much as we wanted to sit outside the overwhelming aromas of Khane Khaas made us rethink and we walked in the AC section.

There is no final menu yet and the owner Kanika Mohan Saxena told us that they plan to change the menu everyday for a week to know what works best. For now, there was a printout with categories like Tuk Tak, Mohabhoj and thhandaaaaah.

We picked out the Green pea nuggets (Rs 219), Cheese and spinach croquettes (Rs 312), Mango pickle steamed fish (Rs 239) and the Fried fish (Rs 319). Service was quick and friendly at this one-hour-old restaurant. While Reema filled me in on food tales from Bengal, we snacked on the Tuk Tak or light bites

I liked the steamed fish which was wrapped in a strong mustard paste, the kind usually used in a mango pickle. The generous use of mustard gave me a nice kick which is characteristic to most Bengali fish preparations. The fried fish on the other hand was a tad overcooked and had become mushy under the crisp coating of masala. Reema, a vegetarian, quite liked her green peas nuggets; deep fried nuggets and green pea balls. They weren’t laden with spices except for a dash of cumin. The cheese and spinach croquettes weren’t too impressive. The tuk tak were served with a tomato mustard sauce; inspired by Kashundi, a dip usually made with turmeric, lemon, chillies and mustard oil. Bong Bong’s version was a mix of mustard and tomato sauce, which tasted too much like good old ketchup.


While deciding the main course we spotted Plastic Chutney (Rs 69) and were intrigued and amused all at the same time. Reema described that it’s a traditional dish made of thinly sliced raw papayas boiled in sugar syrup. Oddly named perhaps, but the name comes from the fact that thin slivers of raw papaya are cooked until they turn almost transparent and look like a wad of mangled plastic strips dunked in sugar syrup.

For the main course, Reema picked Cauliflower and Peas in a creamy coconut curry with saffron rice (Rs 279) while I set my sights on the Green Chilli Mutton with paratha (Rs 329). When the papaya chutney arrived I realized that it was pretty aptly named, it really looked like plastic. Reema suggested that we sprinkle some roasted cumin powder on it the way Bengalis eat it. The waiter quickly got us a small bowl of cumin powder and we’d recommend that you try it that way. The toasty jeera really brought out the flavour of the sugary sweet papaya beautifully. 

The cauliflower and peas cooked in slightly sweet gravy of cream, coconut milk, and poppy seed paste was served with a mildly flavoured saffron rice. The subtle flavour of coconut added to the light and creamy texture of the gravy and for a second I wanted to leave the mutton and keep eating it. The mutton which according to the menu was cooked in green chillies wasn’t as spicy as I thought it would be and someone with spice tolerance as low as mine would happily wolf this down. The curry had tender chunks of meat on the bone served with two parathas. While the layered parathas were buttery and crispy the mutton didn’t have a distinct flavour. The portion however was good enough for two people with a moderate appetite. While Reema wiped her plate off I was wondering if I should have opted for a fish or prawn curry instead. With spoonfuls of plastic chutney for rescue after every bite we finished our dinner.

To keep the Bengali spirit going we wanted to conclude the meal with some mishti and ordered the baked roshogolla (Rs 79). Instead of being dipped in chashni or a sugary syrup it was served in mishti doi or sweetened yogurt. The baking made the roshogullas tough and didn’t add anything except for a little brown colour. We were hoping for a more cheesecake like preparation but it was not what we expected. If you like picking up a whole chashni-dripping roshogolla and eating it in one bite, I suggest eating this elsewhere.

We enjoyed our meal, but apart from the presentation and mellowed spice content, we couldn’t find much of the promised European touch anywhere. The experience doesn’t come cheap, but if you’re willing to step out of your comfort zone, we say Bong Bong is worth a shot.

Must try – Mango pickle steamed fish, cauliflower and peas in creamy coconut curry, plastic chutney (with cumin powder)

Meal for two – Rs 1200

Food Review - Fisheteria, Infiniti Mall, Malad (W)

If you’ve been to Cambay Tiger Prawns, the small outlet in the CR2 mall in Nariman Point, you’d remember their red prawn Thai curry; reasonable, tasty and served with 8 plump and juicy prawns. If you haven’t it is too late because the joint has completely re-branded itself and launched as Fisheteria with a new look and menu. Not sure about you but I was quite saddened by the change and the fact that the Thai curry was not a part of the new menu. Incidentally, Cambay Tiger Prawns wasn't grabbing enough attention hence the change.

The first outlet which just opened in the food-court of Infiniti 2 is small but cannot be missed thanks to the bright
red colour. A closer look at the menu which consists of fish and prawns based fast food will make you want to order some grub for sure. I started with grilled fish and chips (Rs 90) and a glass of green apple lemonade (Rs 30). The portion had three chunky pieces of basa with a side of fries. The fish was nice and crispy coated with basil and chilli. The smoky and a little spicy flavour made me wonder how well it will pair with a glass of beer. However, I made do with the lemonade instead which was very mildly sweetened unlike the sugar overdose served at many fast food joints. But if you plan a booze party you know where to pick some seafood snack from.

By the time I wiped off the last piece of basa the prawn torpedo (Rs 125), fish and chips (Rs 125) and prawn paratha roll (Rs 80) arrived. The big and juicy prawns fried in crispy batter made for a reasonable portion of prawn torpedo. A little tandoori masala sprinkled on top added to the flavour without making it taste very Indian. Fish and chips had a large piece of batter-fried basa. Both prawn and fish were served with yummy in-house sauces, a tartar based garlic and onion flavoured sauce and a chilli sauce with peanuts, vinegar etc. The star of the show was prawn paratha roll which has also become their best seller within a few days. The crispy paratha roll was stuffed with prawn balchao; a traditional Goan prawn recipe and onions. The fact that the paratha wasn’t oily reduced my guilt of indulgence a bit (which was back with a bang the very next day). The stuffing of prawn balchao was mildly spicy unlike the traditional balchao but my stomach which has a low spice tolerance level wasn't complaining..

After all the fries and spices it was time to wash it all down with pomegranate lemonade (Rs 30); slightly pink in colour with a hint of pomegranate and not too much sugar. What this outlet misses is desserts but then again there are a lot of options for that in the mall.

Will I go back to Fisheteria? If I am window shopping or drop in for a movie in the mall I wouldn’t mind picking up a prawn paratha roll and lemonade on the go.

Must try:  Grilled fish and chips, prawn paratha roll

Kharcha: Rs 500 for two