Food Review: Lobbying for the lobster

I recently attended the media preview of the Canadian Seafood Festival happening in the Taj and while I loved the food it was the lobster that I would definitely go back for.

Canadian food is a lot more than beef burger and weil rice; I found out on my recent visit to the food festival hosted by The Government of Canada in collaboration with World Trade Centre Atlantic Canada and the Taj Group of Hotels. This six days’ festival will give Mumbaikars a taste of the seafood from the East Coast of Canada. The Atlantic Canadian Chef Stefan Czapalay has flown in to set up the menu along with the Executive Chef of Taj Hemant Oberoi. Interestingly Chef Stefan is known as the culinary activist for his efforts to promote the local produce.

After a brief introduction to the Canadian cuisine we were about to indulge in and the menu it was time to explore the food. The seafood from the East Coast spread on the table was a vision for the eye and treat for the tummy. What caught my attention was the thyme roasted lobster. Having a lobster lie on your plate can be a tad bit intimidating especially if you’ve never approached it with a fork. But that first bite is all it took to make me fall in love. The food, as Chef Stefan said, was cooked in minimal ingredients. No spice took over the flavor of the main ingredient yet it wasn’t bland at all.

The creamy wine based sauce in Casino style crab au gratin had me going for another serving. The salads table was assorted with lobster potato salad, bok choy and crab salad with sesame vinaigrette which were yummy and well tossed. The most interesting dish was mussels baked in egg yolk and cream. It looked like the seafood version of caramel custard and was served in an egg shell.

Lobster canapés on white bread with lemon mayonnaise looked pretty creative but would’ve tasted better on crunchier bread. Fennel poached scallops had a lovely cauliflower puree as base. It was interesting to know that the scallops should be frozen seconds within they are caught so that they retain their size and shape when cooked.

Contrary to the desserts we had at the Belgian Food Festival in The Taj last time, the platter this time had more variety including tiramisu, orange tart, chocolate tart, blueberry cheesecake and a lot more.

The festival is being held at Shamiana in the Taj Hotel from 19th to 25th of March. If you love to experiment with your seafood this festival should be on your to-do list. As far as I am concerned, am already waiting for the next time.

Food Review: Thali @ Maharaja Bhog, Goregaon (E) (Inside Oberoi Mall)

On a Sunday family lunch when the majority is vegetarian and in love with their regular roti-sabzi, there is no better choice than Rajdhani. So on one of these lunches we headed to The Oberoi mall to gorge on the mighty thali at Rajdhani which is now Maharaja Bhog. When asked why, we were told by the management that the partners of the original chain split and one of them decided to rename his share of restaurants. Menu remains the same while the interiors and cutlery has been "upgraded". The interior didn't impress me much cause when inside a mall they all look the same to me. Cutlery, however was impressive with heavy brass replacing the shiny stainless steel.

Coming to the food, it was the same old Rajdhani menu. It was a Gujrati thali day and we were served two types of chutney, raita, fried snack (it had a tongue twister for a name), moong khichdi, potato sabzi, bhindi, kaju-kishmish sabzi, undhiyu, dal and kadhi with roti, puri and parantha. As I remember Rajdhani had more variety in the roti section but the food was delicious with special mention to kadhi, undhiyu and parantha. Bhindi was a little too oily for my liking.

The desserts were brilliant and there were three of them; Bengali chocolate, kheer and chikoo halwa. I am already in love with the chikoo halwa which has right amount of sugar and amazing flavor. Kheer was yummy but Bengali chocolate had a forgettable taste. And at the end there was a glass of fresh chaas to wash it all down.

Before

After

The prices have been upped a bit and instead of 250 bucks you'll now have to spend 310 Rs. for a thali. A little expensive but the food is not bad at all.

Kharcha: Rs. 310 for an unlimited thali

On the burp scale: 3.5/5

VFM: 3/5

Statutory Warning: You'll have an urge to sleep after this meal and also might have to skip the dinner.

Food Review: Che Bar & Grill, Churchgate, Mumbai

The French diner Chez Vous recently revamped itself and reopened as Che Bar & Grill. We went there for a Sunday lunch and almost skipped our dinner after all the indulgence.

Except for a few pictures of Che Guevara, the place doesn't show any relation to Cuba. With the transformation from Chez to Che, reds have replaced the blues and the diner looks more like a café accompanied with a bar.

The menu is extensive and they serve Cuban, Mexican, French, Italian and Brazilian food. Since the weather was hot we asked for a pitcher of beer and were informed that the draught beer is available only in the evenings. Strange! Well, we then ordered our regular Kingfisher and went for anticuchos paprika chicken skewer for starters. They tasted good but we weren’t too impressed. The minimal flavoured bored me after a while.

For main course we ordered a chicken parillada mix grill. The platter included 1 chicken steak, 2 chicken sausages, 4 chicken skewers, 2 fried eggs and fries. We were blown over by the sausages and the steak sauce worked as a dip for everything from steak to fries (yes, it was that good). Still not completely satisfied we thought of ordering a burger and on the owner’s recommendation we called for a gourmet giant beef cheese burger. The burger came stuffed with a huge beef patty, bacon, mushrooms, onion and cheese. After just one bite we were already loosening our belts. It was heavy and delicious and my hands couldn’t stay away from the mustard dip served with it.

We wanted to try some deserts too but after one and a half gluttonous hours spent in Che Bar & Grill it was time to take a long walk on Marine Drive.

The restaurant it seems has transformed for good and is now a perfect joint when you want to pig-out.

On the burp scale:
3/5

Food Review: 6th Street Yogurt, Breach Candy

I went to 6th Street Yogurt and came back with a case of ‘haath ko aaya moonh na laga’.

Frozen Yogurt is the in thing and it’s natural to encash on something that has a ‘bikta hai’ tag on it. So the announcement of new yogurt store in Breach Candy didn’t come as a surprise. Their menu also mentioned waffles, smoothies and parfaits. Excited at the thought of a late breakfast I went all the way to breach candy from my office.

It’s a small shop in the corner but can be spotted easily, thanks to the huge board. There’s no place to sit inside. So, I wondered where I would eat my waffles only to find out that the store was serving only yogurts for now. The menu hung pretty on the wall and kept enticing me. Disappointed I ordered a plain frozen yogurt with blue berry puree, black berries and dark chocolate toppings. The guy at the counter fumbled with the names of the toppings and in the confusion forgot to tell me that they have strawberry and raspberry flavored yogurt too. The frozen yogurt was tasty and I ordered a second one with strawberry and chocolate sauce. I am a chocolate lover so the latter interested me more.

The store has numerous toppings of fresh fruits, purees, poppers and chocolates and a small cup of yogurt without toppings is priced at Rs. 40. With no signature flavors and Yogurtbay in the same vicinity to compete with, 6th Street Yogurt will definitely have to work hard or launch the breakfast menu soon.

For those who want to visit the store, my suggestion is that you wait for 10 days and let them settle down. They are supposed to serve waffles and smoothies from Friday onwards and I'll happily give them one week’s time before giving out a verdict.

Food Review: A Belgian Affair

Taj Mahal Palace Hotel is hosting a Belgian Food Festival for 8 days. Krutika Mody and I were invited for a media preview of the menu and here’s what we think of it.

The image that popped up in our heads when we heard of Belgian food was of chocolates; dripping on the fruits, stacked in bowls, melting everywhere. So, before heading to explore this new cuisine we decided to do a little Wiki check on the Belgian food. It said, ‘French food in German quantities.’ Still clueless we scrolled down further to check out the dishes. The names were alien but the wide choice of meats and seafood made me happy. Krutika laid her hope on the only vegetarian dish she could find in the list; French fries.

As we entered the venue the buffet was set. We quickly said our hellos, exchanged cards and headed to fill our plates and stomachs. I stacked mine with all the non-veg dishes namely fillet of chicken; fish with endives; roast beef, pickled potato gel, green beans; smoked eel, apple jelly lime, herb, salad and salted salmon. Krutika focused on the vegetarian side which included poesti, spinach, Champigno De Paris; asparagus flamande; bake lettiuce chervil, picle and French fries.

The food was mostly bland with very little flavor in it. My chicken had some sweet stuffing in it which wasn’t quite up to my taste. Fish with endives was something that stood out and was worth a second serving. From the veg section Krutika liked the mushroom salad (bake lettiuce chervil, picle).

Before moving on to the desserts the food animator Mr. Eric Boschman made us taste a Belgian beer calle Geuze which had a bitter taste. So if you are someone who prefers his Kingfisher mild, this stuff is not for you. We also tasted the best Belgian chocolate made by Pierre Marcolini with a fine white wine. The pure dark chocolate had a honey filling inside and was absolutely divine.

For the desserts we had petit four carnello which included chocolate éclairs, macaron, pastry etc. Contrary to our expectations they weren’t as delicious. The chocolate in the desserts was very ordinary and was nothing like the glorious Belgian chocolate. Carmelo was a kind of pastry which tasted more like snickers.

If you are a lover of tikkas and tandooris its best that you stay away from the festival. For those who would want to indulge in the authentic European cuisine and don’t mind the occasional bland food can definitely try this out.

Food Review: Trikaya, 7 Bungalows

The Pan Asian restaurant in Versova that opened shop on 13th of Jan, hosted a media preview on the 11th. Krutika Mody and I attended the event and had a *happy* time exploring their exotic bar menu.
 
After opening the first branch in the sprawling 20,000 sq. ft. area in Pune, the three partners (Kunal Deshmukh, Sahil Saigal and Shiraz Patel) decided to open Trikaya in Mumbai. Inspired from Buddha the name Trikaya is a concept concerns three levels of Buddha hood.



The restaurant is not hard to locate given to its white sail like shades at the al fresco. This area has 6 big tables and is softly lit. Juhu-Versova Link Road is not a very busy road hence you are saved from the traffic snarls and honking. However, the owners need to add smaller tables for couples if they want to attract diners. The interiors of the air conditioned section too are inspired from Buddhism. A huge tree like pillar stands in the centre and spreads at the top to blend with the ceiling. According to the owners the inspiration comes from the Bodhi Tree.




While most part of the restaurant has neutral colours, the bar area is colourful and we can imagine why. The extensive bar menu designed by Valentine Barboza boasts of serving only premium brands. The cocktails are prepared with fresh fruits instead of syrups and flavours. For the first round I ordered a passionera (vodka blended with passion fruit, cloudy apple and lime juice) while Krutika went for a watermelon and chilli Collins (vodka mixed with diced watermelon, lime juice, soda and infused with chilli). Our picture perfect drinks arrived and for a while we kept contemplating whether to drink them or just watch them. I found my drink a little too sour initially but when stirred well it gave a nice sweet-sour flavour.  The watermelon and chilli Collins was refreshing. Krutika took her own sweet time in drinking it all, but based on her experience, you should finish the drink before the ice melts and dilutes the alcohol.



The perfectly balanced and vast food menu made my vegetarian friend happy since it had as many veg dishes as the non-veg ones. We were served chicken yakitori, basa in 5 willow sauce, red pumpkin green peas’ drops and goat cheese & mushroom spring rolls for starters.  The presentation of each dish was impressive. Being a fan of sea food I focused more on the basa and chicken couldn’t catch my fancy. The cigar like mushroom spring rolls won over Krutika’s heart. They are ideal as finger food and would be a perfect accompaniment to your drinks. The floor manager offered to surprise me for the second round of drinks and he surely did. The bartender conjured up an espresso martini which was literally an eye opener for me after a long day at work.



The main course menu included herbed mushrooms, Cambodian Khmer vegetable curry, green Thai prawns curry and chicken & mushrooms with Korean Kim-chee with burn garlic jasmine rice. Thai curry was a good blend of herbs and coconut and had chunky prawns in it and with garlic jasmine rice for company, it made for a perfect meal.  The Cambodian Khmer vegetable curry was delicious, the herbed mushrooms, not as much.

We also had the privilege of meeting Chef Nilesh Limaye who was happy to talk to us about food and also allowed us to visit his extremely organised kitchen.  Looking at my love for sea food he made a special oyster-tequilla shot for me which was in one word, outstanding.

The dinner ended on a sweet note with red velvet cake and cinnamon kulfi for dessert. Yes, they make their own desserts! We were hoping we could try some classic pan-Asian desserts like trio of Asian sweets but they weren’t in the preview menu that night. The cake though was served with ‘rambutan’ a Malaysian fruit. The fleshy ‘hair’ growing on rambutan’s skin makes it look like a wilder version of its cousin, litchi. Despite the decoration (edible glitter) on the cake, the cake itself couldn’t convince us enough.  Kulfi on the other hand was impressive and was a light dessert after a heavy meal.



As a new entrant in the fine-dine genre Trikaya looks promising and inviting.

On the burp scale: 4/5

Food Hunt: No breaking the fast here

Is breakfast the best meal of your day? Then you wouldn’t want to ruin it. I am here is here to save you from a bad breakfast. Here's a list of joints that go clumsy when it comes to that perfect first meal.
 
EATC, Bandra 

Earlier known as JATC, this joint was a favourite amongst the college kids. But somehow the management didn’t like the idea of people just hanging around and not eating much. So they kicked out the ‘just’ and rebranded it as Eat Around The Corner in 2010. The famous salad buffet went out of the window and was replaced by small portions.

Coming to their current breakfast menu it has two options for the non-vegetarians and one option for the pure vegetarians. So, if you don’t eat egg you are stuck with a choice of bread with either cut fruits or a fruit juice. The American/British breakfast comes with a choice of eggs, bread, bacons/sausages, hash browns, baked beans, and baked tomato with tea, coffee or fruit juice. The menu looks good on paper but the goodness doesn’t translate in the taste. The masala scrambled eggs have no masala apart from the onions and few tomatoes thrown in just for the sake of it. The best option is to go with sunny-side ups since it’s hard to go wrong with them. The bacons are served cold and are a challenge to your jaws. Overly sweet baked beans completely lack flavor and tennis ball sized baked tomatoes are unappetizing. Pancakes with maple syrup are just about average. The dessert section is exciting but select carefully or you might just end up with a stone hard cheesecake.

Candies, Pali Hill, Bandra (W)
Candies is one of the most favourite hang-outs for college goers and localites. But if you are thinking of going there for a relaxed breakfast on a Sunday morning we would suggest that you change your mind. The place is a bit unorganized and super chaotic in the mornings. The servers don’t pay attention and the crowd gets unmanageable. Even after shouting at the top of your voice and shuffling between the counters it might take a long time before you manage to place your order. Food is decent; they have salad counter, sandwiches, croissants, quiches, eggs and various types of bread on the menu. But it’s not worth the effort that goes in to get it on your plate. Heading to Mocha Mojo or The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf would be a better option.

McDonald’sThey took a big leap by launching their breakfast menu in India but the decision fell flat on its face. With no egg-bacon McMuffins, bagels, McGriddles and ham the choices are very few. The limited menu has veg and veg supreme McMuffins which has a flavourless aloo patty in it. Hot cakes are decent but the quantity of maple syrup served with them is so measly that it gets over even before the first bite. For non-vegetarians there is chicken sausage (with and without egg) and egg n cheese McMuffin. It seems like they don’t have enough buyers for the totally pointless hashbrowns hence they give it away complimentary with any and every meal. It’s high time that they bring their International menu in India or just get back to serving chicken McGrill and maharaja Mac.

Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Goregaon (E)

Gloria Jean’s came as a big relief in a suburb that is starved of a decent breakfast joint. But since it’s located in Oberoi mall it didn’t open before 11am. Still, it was a decent place for a late breakfast serving great coffee, sandwiches, croissants etc. Indian flavours took over the International ones, the crisp spinach and corn sandwich turned soggy and paneer went rotten. Despite its perfect location and good coffees this place is a big no-no for your morning meal.

Subway, Carter Road,Bandra (W)
This outlet was never famous for their generosity but they went a step further with their breakfast menu. You have 4 bland options to choose from; cheese & egg, western egg, chicken ham & egg and bacon & egg. The meat/egg is placed in the bread with no sauce and no vegetables. For the same price I would rather pick a Sub of the Day than opting for the breakfast one.