Copa - Juhu,Mumbai.

This island was a dangerous place. Ruins everywhere and ragged shipwrecked sailors hiding in makeshift houses. We moved in a stealthily manner escaping the attention or sight of the island's desperate inhabitants. The map and the last clue showed an ancient symbol as the mark and we faced a crumbling structure covered with that symbol. Could the fabled compass be inside? We had traveled long and far, battled greedy adversaries and faced monsters. The crew wanted the quest to end and that we go back to our regular carefree ways. I wanted that too but not without the compass.

Copa is a pub that has been around for many years. Its located on a coastal strip which I fondly call as the Caribbean of Mumbai. This strip is famous for its eateries, beaches and a party vibe. Copa is among one of the favorite destinations on this strip for people seeking drinks and cheer. Its a minimal lighting restaurant that is best suited for escaping attention of the world and enjoying grog and grub. Copa has a rustic looking Al-Fresco, a minimal lighting indoor area and a rooftop area which seems to be under development.

Tangy Mangy was a colorful, sweet and a spicy cocktail made from spiced Rum, Cola and Fresh orange juice. The potency was mild and its more of a "Lets get this party started" kind of a drink. 

Classical Manhattan was more of an alcoholic based beverage as its flavor was dominated by whiskey and the taste was bitter. This had far higher potency and would go well with chicken or a long night of Bro talk.

Butter Chicken Tacos is an idea that is famous abroad but for some reason is completely unheard of in India. Copa's butter Chicken Tacos were simply amazing. These were made of Tortilla shells stuffed with soft succulent chicken chunks oozing out flavor of the famed curry with every bite. It smelled good, it looked good and it tasted good.

Captain : For some odd reason, I feel like eating Butter Chicken.

First Mate : Seriously? All this in the midst of exploring a potentially dangerous structure? 

Captain : I don't know. Its as if, another version of me in another dimension is having Butter Chicken right now as we speak.

First Mate : Science fiction overload.

BBQ Chicken Pizza. Do note that square pizzas are not the same as flatbreads despite the resemblance. Though not very aesthetically pleasing, this pizza was one of the best pizzas that I have ever had. It was loaded with cheese, grilled onions and huge chunks of chicken glazed with BBQ sauce. The flavor was extremely pleasing to the palate. This Pizza makes an excellent choice for mass pizza gatherings. It was gourmet grade pizza for just INR 250.

Captain : Woah, I didn't realize that such a large abyss could be inside a small structure like this.

First Mate : Ever heard of the fourth dimension, Captain Science fiction.

Crewmate : There is a rope bridge over the abyss leading somewhere into the darkness. 

First Captain : We should probably rope ourselves to this end, that bridge looks dangerous...Oye where did he go?

Chicken Steak with herbed potato mashing and mushroom sauce. Chicken steaks are rare to come across as the word steak is usually associated with red meat. Copa's Chicken steak was a perfect white meat emulation of the red meat favorite. The chicken was medium rare and tasted well. The soft potato mashing went well with small bites of chicken and mushroom sauce. The dish was scrumptious though I felt that oyster sauce would have worked better than Mushroom sauce. This dish would go great with an aged red wine.

The service was average as our server appeared a little lost. He stumbled a lot on descriptions and recommendations as well.

The pricing felt on the easier side for a place of this calibre. The food was certainly cheap though the drinks were priced as those are everywhere else.

Copa feels like a fun place, a place to disappear into when you need to get far away from the world's ever curious and intruding gazes. The only thing that Copa lacks is a proper dessert menu. Would love it if they add something beyond the old Brownie bit.

The Captain's Score : 8/10

"

First Mate : Great, so we are over a wobbling rope bridge that seems to lead nowhere and we can fall down anytime. Thanks to you.

Captain : What are ya on about? Don't ya like adventure? 

First Mate : But this was dangerously reckless mate. We don't even know whats beyond and we are on an island of desperate sailors willing to kill and snatch without hesitation.

Crewmate : Sirs, there is a sound up ahead.

Captain : Hark, what is it mate? That sounds like wind.

First Mate : Strong Wind.
"

Map Co-Ordinates
Copa
Anna Building,
13th road, Opposite Juhu Gymkhana,
Juhu, Mumbai

-I was invited to sample the event menu by the Restaurant. My review however remains objective.-

Callebaut Chocolate Academy - Andheri East, Mumbai.

In 1911, Octaf Callebaut began working on his first chocolate recipe. This was the humble beginning of Callebaut. More than a century later, Callebaut is known to produce some of the world's finest Belgian chocolate. They supply high quality Couverture chocolate to the world's best bakers, pastry chefs and starred Hotels. As of now, a lot of chocolate desserts that one sees on TV shows like masterchef, in buffet platters in big hotels and premium bakeries across town is made from Callebaut Chocolate.

I have seen amazing things being made by some of my favorite chefs like the "Queen of Chocolate" Kirsten Tibballs out of delicious Callebaut Couverture chocolate. So when I got an opportunity to visit Callebaut's academy which endows chefs with the art of making fine chocolate and desserts, I was overjoyed. To see creation of the best things in the world right in front of my eyes was an opportunity that I would never pass.

Callebaut Chocolate comes from Cocoa sourced from some of the best spots in the world. From Java, Sao Thome, Ecuador, Arriba and Madagascar. There are many different blends available. Callebaut chocolate is a must in any pastry Chef's inventory.

The Callebaut academy at Andheri east near Courtyard Marriott is one of 19 state of the art hoirmet chocolate schools located across the world. The Gourmet chocolate masters at Callebaut teach students the art of using the finest Belgian chocolate obtained from whole roasted cocoa. It is the place to be, should a person or a business desire to break into the Indian sweet tooth market where people are getting addicted to creations made out of gourmet chocolate. As Indians, we are getting tired of the palm oil based compound chocolate which is both inferior and unhealthy. Almost all off the shelf chocolates in the market are compound chocolates.

Dhruv Bhatia (Centre) with Denis Convert(VP for Gourmet Asia Pacific for Barry Callebaut - Right) and Mikael Neglen (President for Chocolate Asia Pacific for Barry Callebaut)

"Dark Chocolate is showing an upward trend in India." says Dhruv Bhatia, MD of Barry Callebaut India. He explains how Callebaut aims to bring good chocolate closer to customer and to encourage a culture of great chocolate with gourmet chefs and Chocolate artisans alike. Callebaut's ambassadors like Chef Manikandan and Chef Tibballs have shown what wonderful creations can be crafted from Callbaut's couverture chocolate. In fact, we were given a sweet demonstration by Chef Manikandan at this very event.

From pastries, truffles, artisinal chocolates to Drinking chocolate. Once you eat a product made out of Callebaut you cannot revert back to inferior chocolate. PS : The hot Chocolate(fountain) in the picture is the best that I have had in the world..

The Callebaut Academy offers three courses. The first course is for newcomers and amateur chefs which covers basic techniques and making simple creations like truffles. The second course is for well practiced home cooks or trained chefs and deals with harder creations like Pralines and Bonbons. The final course is for experts to enhance their expertise even further. All handy tools if one plans to open a chocolate or a pastry brand. And the academy offers the best equipment to train with.

Callebaut has been in India for ten years and will only grow in the years to come. So if you have an interest in baking and pastries, connect with Callebaut for the best baking chocolate and enroll in the academy if you want to make desserts like a master. Home chefs or cafe owners, Small restaurants or Five stars - Callebaut Chocolate is the best way to pamper and spoil your customers.

Co-Ordinates
Callebaut Chocolate Academy
802-804, 8th Floor, A Wing, 215 Atrium
Next to Courtyard Marriott.
Andheri (East), Mumbai.



Note : I was invited to the opening of the Callebaut Chocolate Academy and cover the events.

Bombay Vintage - Colaba,Mumbai.

The scoundrels attacking us were inexperienced and desperate men. Since they were imitating our every move, we baited them by deliberately firing a blank vertically upwards and then triggered an explosion in their midst making it appear that the vertical shot made the hit. The fools used the little powder they had to fire vertically upwards and well what goes up comes down. Their foolish shot took them out, well most of them. Our landing party got hold of Cuvo who was trying to crawl away with his rather slow first mate Aruso. 

Bombay Vintage is a place that has been around Regal cinema for close to a year. Admittedly, I was not well informed about the place till I actually arrived here to sample their grub and grog for their curry and cocktail festival. The place has a nice classy vibe to it. The decor is a mix of Victorian and the early 1900s. The music is either instrumental or 80's greatest hits, both genres which I adore greatly.

Their regular menu feels very much like a mix of English, a bit of Mediterranean and the like. However this special menu features many famous curries from India and around the world. It also includes a small cocktail menu which has unique drinks which will no longer be offered after the festival concludes. The Festival runs till the 18th so if you are a curry connoisseur, treat your hungry self to the curries at Bombay Vintage.

Cocktail in Caribbean was a mixture of White rum, Vodka, Tequila, Malibu and some fruit juice. This was a mildly potent and largely sweet cocktail whose flavor was largely dominated by the coconut flavored Malibu rum. The color probably came from the orange juice and drink felt very much like a beach cocktail.

Cucumber and Basil martini was a fun cocktail made out of fresh cucumber, vodka, basil and lime. The flavor felt like liquor made out of cucumber itself. The cucumber's flavor dominated the drink. My first time with a cucumber martini.

Jamaican Curry with Rawas(Indian Salmon). I went by the staff's recommendation and chose Rawas as the protein. The menu lets you choose your own protein and roughage. Now I have never had Jamaican curry before, so I cannot be a good judge but traditionally its eaten with huge chunks of chicken and not seafood. The flavor was salty and mildly spicy with Thyme, Allspice and veggies thrown into the mix. I read up a few blogs and it seems that the curry itself was accurate in flavor. Just that I should have chosen chicken instead of fish.

The curry was light on the tongue and should be eaten before you try any spicy or stronger flavored curries. Jasmine rice concerted well with this curry.

Since it is Jamaican, I wonder if this could be called a soul curry.

Try and not have this with Indian items like Appam, Dosa, Boiled rice or Vada unless you want to destroy the authentic Jamaican experience completely. There are always risks of giving the patron complete control over the ingredients and elements of a fine dish.

Korean Curry or Kare Raiseu is meant to be had with rice. Bombay Vintage's Jasmine rice option is ideal for this curry.  The flavor felt a little flat. But that could be due to my taste buds wanting something strong on flavors. I had this with Prawns but this goes better with red meats like mutton of beef.

Little Cuvo : This isn't over. I am called Little Cuvo for a reason. Big Cuvo will not forgive you for this.

Captain : Look at you, gigantic size but lesser of a mind than Hodor. You seriously think I'll fall for that lad?

Little Cuvo : (Cries) Aruso save me.

Captain : Your gluttonous friend is a little busy at the moment. But worry not lad, you will join him soon.

Mongolian Curry was perfect on all factors - Aroma, spices and the choice of chicken as protein. There are several variants of this curry. Some are on the yellowish side while some are reddish. Some are dense while some are thin like Bombay Vintage's version. This was a spicy curry with the flavor of Hoisin sauce and oyster sauce being most prominent. It had an earthy flavor and felt very oriental.

Do note that if you have a low spice tolerance, go for a milder curry. This curry was hot.

The service was cool. The servers were dressed up as dabbawalas and were professional. It does feel weird to see a dabbawala speak good English though ha. The only flaw was that I was given inaccurate protein recommendations for the Jamaican curry.

Bombay Vintage's pricing seems ideal for this part of town. A course for two including two curries and two cocktails works to about INR 2200 which is lesser than what it may cost in other fine dine places in Colaba. Heck, it is even cheaper than some uptown Cafes.

The curry and cocktail festival is a limited feature which concludes on the 18th of August, 2016. The event menu is large. I just sampled three curries and there is a whole unexplored world out there. The food is good provided you know your curry combinations well.

The Captain's Score : 8/10

"

(Captain and a team go off the ship with the prisoners and return after sometime.)

Firsty : Out of curiosity, what did you do with them mate?


Captain : Well it was difficult to row to the shore with all these sharks in the water.

Firsty :  So you...

Captain : Aye, those toxic little scallywags gave them poor sharks a serious case of food poisoning ha.

Firsty : Guess we are free to explore the next mark then. 

Captain : Aye but lets be careful. There could be more jokers like Cuvo and Aruso around.


"

Map Co-Ordinates
Bombay Vintage
Opposite Regal Cinema,
Regal Circle,Madame Cama Road,
Colaba, Mumbai

-I was invited to sample the event menu by the Restaurant. My review however remains objective.-

Belstone - Lower Parel, Mumbai

As we camped near the coasts that night, it started to rain heavily. There was a storm nearby. It be a good thing that we were near the coasts but the seas were incredibly turbulent. There was always a risk of the ship being pushed onto dangerous rocks near the coast. I sat in me cabin resting as the thunder and the rough seas deafened the sounds from outside. Suddenly my radio came alive breaking the passive moment. It was firsty.

"All hands on deck mate, we are under attack."

Belstone used to be a small restaurant near the Palladium mall. I had passed it countless times but never actually been in it. So when my inbox received a mail from their rep about their "opening", I was a little bit confused. It turned turned out that Belstone had actually opened a new place in Raghuvanshi mills. A much larger place and a completely new restaurant so to say.

Belstone is large with a lot of empty space. The decor looks very spartan and the place may resemble a large lunch home. It kind of reminded me of thali restaurants in Surat, Gujarat. The decor, motivational slogans and lighting have completely been done by the owner Vinay Jain who happens to be an interior designer by education.

There were also these private rooms which can be booked by groups for a private meal. The low lying table reminded me of Japanese private lunch rooms though the North Indian roll-a-pillows added a very Indian feel to it.

The menu at Belstone is as large as their dining area. There are a lot of options covering Indian, Chinese, Italian and Mexican options.

The Kiwi Lychee cooler was suggested by the serving staff. The drink was cool, sweet and slightly tangy. Worked well as a cooler though not as a mocktail. The restaurant is purely vegetarian and doesn't serve alcohol so coolers among other drinks are your best options to accompany food.

Lemon grass soup was slightly on the saltier side but that could just be me with my over sensitivity to salt. (I love Japanese food and low salt). The lemon grass was not immediately perceivable but as I dug deeper into the bowl, the flavor got better and I got a subtle and "just right" flavor of lemon grass. The soup worked well in creating a food appetite.

Paneer Hariyali was as good as they come. The flavor was perfect. The paneer was soft and fresh with great texture. The vegetables complemented the chunks perfectly. I am used to having this nibble with a cocktail in pubs, mostly with a Pinacolada or Mojito. Would be a cool idea if the restaurant adds virgin versions of popular cocktails to the menu.

Belstone Sandwich was the restaurant's specialty that fared quite well in its older avatar. It seemed to be a crowd favorite too as this image(Different angle) became kind of viral on my instagram. It does have the street food vibe to it. The flavor was smooth, savory and simply delicious. The cheese and the greens were in a balanced proportion and it was topped with a light layer of butter, cheese and paprika. Whether you are a food writer or a regular patron, this sandwich is a must for both visuals and flavors.

Captain : Who would be attacking us on the sea in the middle of a storm? Those yellow bellied cowards. 

Crewmate : The leader calls himself Little Cuvo. Imbecile ordered us to surrender the ship and disembark.

Captain : I am gonna carve up this Cuvo scallywag.

Fusion Nachos was the best dish of the night. These green colored nachos were the result of spinach being added to the the tortilla mixture. Vinay states that he encountered the dish while traveling abroad and thought of bringing it to India. And he did well. The Nachos were among the best I have had, these were loaded with generous amounts of cheese and had an island of vegetable Manchurians in the middle. Though not the best combination, the two savory delights did seem to work together in this Fusion dish. There was even a little lake of sour cream in the middle of the manchurian island.  Definitely a must have.

Enemy Fighter : Boss, what do we do? We haven't really fought a real battle in our lives.

Little Cuvo : Just see what they be doing. And do the same.

Enemy Fighter : That cannot work, they will always be one step ahead of us.

Little Cuvo : I have lived my entire life like that. We will kill them and take their ship and bux.

Enemy Fighter : Bux? You mean their Gold right?

The Menu does not have many desserts at this point but I am told that the restaurant plans to open a separate patisserie somewhere on the property.

The service was fine though this being born out of a press invite, a server always kept a watchful eye on my table appearing instantly whenever the need arose.

The Pricing is similar to other premium vegetarian places in this part of town. Its kept pocket friendly for salary men and students alike.

Belstone shows potential. There were ups and downs but the overall experience was good. There is a lot that can be improved and I look forward to that patisserie being added.

The Captain's Score : 7/10

"

Captain : These fools are attacking us for real? They are just trying to imitate our moves. 

Firsty : Their powder is wet mate. Ours isn't, we can attack them from the cannon deck.

Captain : This ought to be fun. I want this Cuvo guy captured alive and brought before me.

Gunner : They way these scallywags are going, that shouldn't take us too long.

"


Map Co-Ordinates
Belstone,

Raghuvanshi Mills,

Senapati Bapat Marg,

Lower Parel, Mumbai

-I was invited to sample the menu by the Restaurant's PR. My review however remains objective.-

The Korner House - Khar(west), Mumbai.

What in the name of Poseidon? This wall, it vanished away as if it never existed. The mist began to lift and the ship began to drift ahead on its own. This sea is quite strange with some creepy magic inside it. As we sailed towards our next mark, the sea was relatively calm. Finally we will make it to a marked spot on the map without unnecessary stopovers. But the question that did not concern me earlier was making me anxious. Why did the mirror show me that memory and how did Nina manage to get inside it?

The Korner House (TKH) is a classy restaurant located in the interior lanes of Khar and Bandra facing Out of the Blue. Trust me, I do not toss around the word "classy" without good reason. The restaurant is helmed by renowned Chef Vicky Ratnani and it brings to the table the very definition of the term "fine dine". When you enter the restaurant, you pass a rain shaded al-fresco with a singer and live music. Good place to be during cooler weather and if you are in for the music. If however, you are the quiet type who just wants some good food and wine then walk right inside.

The dim lit golden ambiance is very typical of most fine dines across town. Lights resembling new buds on a plant hang from the ceiling and the place feels cozy.

TKH offers fine grog and a collection of fine foods made from locally sourced ingredients. I would greatly recommend something from their Garden, farm or sea sections if you want a good meal. I was here on a Sunday to experience their newly launched Sunday brunch which has its own special menu.

Quite a diverse menu for The Bruncheon.

This sojourn started off with some Chandon sparkling wine which was the welcoming drink. I like places which offer sparkling as a start off. Who wouldn't, right?

Gambas A la Plancha was grilled shrimp tossed in garlic confit, Thai chilies and parsley. This was a classical Spanish Tapas that goes well with any chilled liquor. The flavor was juicy, savory and went quite well with the sparkling. You can't have a better start to your Sunday than this.

Captain : The wind is too steady and the sea too calm.

Navigator : Not all calms mean a storm.

Captain : This one does. I can feel it in me bones.

Fresh Cheese and Market table. It is a clean feel salad with plum tomatoes, pickled beets, Burrata, roasted carrots and a bit of molecular gastronomy with olive puree. But it does not come off as a satisfying eat. Sure it works well as a wine accompaniment but its little too less for its price.

Spinach Shakshuka is a North African poached egg skillet which fits ideally into any brunch menu. While the egg, spices and the cheese at TKH were spot on - I did feel that this had a lot more tomato and less spinach. Not much of an issue in terms of flavor but if the menu states it to be a spinach variant than the tomato could be lesser. The dish was on the tangy side with subtle undertones of savory. Goes well with the pita.

Pulled Pork Burger rarely fails to impress me. And TKH had taken their variant to the next level. The soft bun was stuffed with pulled pork drizzled with BBQ sauce and caramelized onions. It also had pickled chilies at the bottom. The burger was messy, juicy and simply too epic to write about. The flavors were sweet and savory. This was one thing that had me licking my fingers.

Lookout : Land ahoy.

Captain : There better be some good restaurants there.

Navigator : Unlikely, this one be uninhabited. 

Slow Cooked Lamb Osso Bucco was a twist of the original recipe. This Milanese specialty used slow cooked lamb shanks instead of veal. And it was served with Millet couscous pilaf instead of Risotto. The only thing traditional about it was that it was garnished with Cilantro gremolata. The experiment was a success as this was definitely the best dish of the day. The flavor had several shades of savory and was simply a juicy party in the mouth. The couscous pilaf complemented the gravy well and completed the alchemy. Definitely a worthy main to order if one is fine with lamb and couscous.

As my drink was over and the desserts were taking a bit of time, I decided to sample TKH's Sea salted caramel milkshake. One sip and the world would never be the same again. This shake was absolutely the best caramel shake that I have had in Mumbai. Thick, creamy and loaded with caramel - this was like a glimpse of heaven, a taste of nirvana or liquid rainbow so to say. This makes a good accompaniment to food if you are going dry and works well as a dessert.

Choco Lava Cake had a soft crust and was full of rich chocolate within. Went well with the ice cream and whip cream. The ingredients were of premium quality hence the flavor easily surpassed run of the mill lava cakes.

Tiramisu was the best of the sweet options that I tried. Was a bit creamy but otherwise tasted great and balanced. The desserts rotate everyday and if you happen to see this on the daily menu, go for it.

Captain : Landing party ready to row down to the beach. 

First mate : I am getting an odd feeling mate. 

Captain : Hmm, Its as if we are being surrounded.

The service was professional and the servers knew the brunch menu well. The place was crowded for a late Sunday afternoon so the service was a bit slow. Though the servers and their etiquette seemed to resonate well with the fine dine theme.

The pricing is definitely on the higher side but seeing that the restaurant was packed late into the afternoon definitely suggests that the people like the vibe and the food.

Wouldn't call TKH perfect but it does score highly on all factors from ambiance to service. Its the place to be at if one really wishes to savour a true fine dine experience. If you know your choices well then you will most likely be pleased.

The Captain's Score : 8/10

"

First mate : That beach has a lot of debris on it. From wrecked ships, no doubt.

Captain : That be troublesome. It means that the island may be inhabited by the survivors of those wrecks.

First mate : Why is that a bad thing?

Captain : They may have not seen a ship in while and might be desperate to get off the island. 

Quartermaster : I think we should stay out of sight and land at night.

"


Map Co-Ordinates
The Korner House
21, Union Park,
Khar West, Mumbai

-I was invited to sample the menu by the Restaurant's PR. My review however remains objective.-

Vedge - Andheri Lokhandwala, Mumbai.

My navigator was studying Arianna Silvers' antique charts carefully. Nina was running around his legs like the adorable furball she was. He looked up and said that we were not just facing any wall of ice but something called as the mirror of memories. Arianna must've been a romantic lass coming up with names like that. However, something strange began to transpire. Suddenly the mist was gone and I was standing inside a restaurant. I could not spot the rest of my crew save one person and Nina. 

Crewmate : Captain, we have been here before.

Captain : Holy Arianna Silvers. I know this place, I was here before. Its Vedge.


Vedge would always be special to me. Almost two years ago when I was a struggling blogger, a nice lady by the name of Chandni Tolani invited me to this place. And that is how Grubzone came into existence. Now, both Vedge and me have grown from what we were back then. I used to feel that Vedge would cave in to the contest of the eateries in Andheri Lokhandwala and I used to feel that I won't survive long as a blogger either. Jeez, I sure was a poor sod back then.

Flash forward to present, Vedge has not only survived but it has got multiple awards and has recently upgraded its menu to bring a truly vegetarian fine dine experience to the table. As for me, I would love to tell my tale over a cup of hot chocolate another day.

Vedge still looks the same as far as ambiance is concerned. Beautiful lamps hang from the ceiling. An eclectic mix of modern art design adorns the wall. And then there are the antiques. At this point, I would request you to have a glance at the first blog post I ever made. Ok actually the second.

There is a new chef in town so a new menu was apt. Vedge simplified its menu, removed some "not so favorites" and added a whole lot of new things encompassing Indian, Italian, Chinese and Mexican.

Here is what I tried from this diverse menu.

Paan Mocktail was refreshing, minty and sweet. It did not actually contain Tobacco or betel nut. A simple drink that was delectable. It reminded me of the Paan shots that I had in my last Vedge trip. I had longed for a full drink rather than shots.

Captain : Did this memory get upgraded or something? I don't remember this the last time.

Crewmate : It was there as a shot last time, Cappy.

Nina : Nya :3

Captain : If this is a memory being replayed then only me and you have to be in here. Why are you in here Nina?

Chili Honey Potato emulated the Honey Chili chicken that I love so much. This wok tossed potato did not make me miss my favorite protein. An emulation well done. It was juicy with flavor oozing out of every bite. The flavor felt like a mix of spicy, sweet and had a bit of tang.

Laksa Soup was a simple affair. The flavor was earthy and spicy. It had a lovely aroma as well. They do offer the option of making it less spicy but that would kill the flavor. This soup is very appetizing so expect yourself to be quite ravenous after eating this.

Tex Mex Lasagna was the piece de resistance of the Vedge experience. Initially I was disappointed to see that it was not a classical Lasagna. Pasta sheets were replaced with Tortillas, Italian veggies and spices with Mexican beans, rice and spices. But the flavor was quite something. The crunchy sheets with spicy savory mex beans tasted amazingly food. It got over and I didn't even realize it, it was that good. I wouldn't call it a Lasagna, preferring to call it a Nacho sandwich. But semantics aside, it tasted great.

Captain : This is too good. And this was definitely not there last time.

Crewmate : Maybe this memory is getting updated from the real Vedge somewhere in the world. 

Captain : I like this memory, its tasty. Fine food in the middle of nowhere. Thats magic.

Massaman Curry was pungent, savory and tasted similar to Thai green curry minus the color and Kaffir lime. While it tasted well to me due to its similarity to Thai green curry, its important to note that this dish is difficult to replicate in a vegetarian environment. Without the seafood's inherent flavors, this curry tastes closer to Green curry or Khao Suey as coconut milk becomes dominant.

Magic Chocolate Pot was reminiscent of the popular chocolate bomb that I am seeing at many places. This contained praline, hazelnut mousse, chocolate, brownie and caramel sauce. It was a tasty dessert but a heavy one at that.

Captain : Cannot afford to go high within a trance. What would that make it? A trance within a trance.

Crewmate : Ince..

Captain : Don't say it. 

Crewmate : ception.

The service was fine and the servers even accommodated my constant shifting of the dishes to a table with daylight( for food photography). This bit is always annoying for the serving staff.

The pricing felt a bit on the higher side. But seemed to be on par with premium vegetarian eateries like cream centre or the like.

Vedge has definitely come a long way since it opened shop. They do seem to have a good menu on the table. All that remains is consistency. I enjoyed my meal experience despite being a carnivore and I think that itself speaks a lot about the place's caliber. Vedge is a must try if you are a vegetarian.

The Captain's Score : 8/10

"
Captain eats the dessert and wakes up back on his ship. The crew is staring at him in shock.

Captain : My head hurts. Did I pass out?

First mate : No, you had completely disappeared. Along with the deck sweeper and your furball.

Captain : The dessert woke us up, apparently the mirror of memories doesn't support inception yet. 

Crewmate : But why did only that memory play? Could have been anything else. Is there a reason?

Captain : Huh who cares. I am tired of waiting. Row the ship backwards if you have to and blow this damn wall up.

Navigator : That won't be necessary.

"

Map Co-Ordinates
Vedge
Fun Republic Mall, Ground Floor,
New Link Road, Andheri Lokhandwala,
Andheri West, Mumbai.


-I was invited to sample the menu by the Restaurant's PR. My review however remains objective.-