The Sunday Brunch at The Earth Plate in Hotel Sahar Star - Vile Parle, Mumbai.

The Earth Plate is a massive multi cuisine restaurant within the Sahara Star property. A meal here will always be an experience to remember. But when Sahara Star goes out of the way to take the meal experience to the next level -  sparks fly, flavors explode and one experiences a culinary journey like none other.

The Sunday Brunch Buffet at "The Earth Plate" is a very special affair. Unlimited food, beverages, desserts, Live music and live food counters await the patron. As opposed to the other days of the week, this brunch is far more massive and has live counters which cannot be found on other days. And if this isn't impressive enough then how about a dip in the pool after your meal? As part of the package, Sahara Star allows the patrons to have a dip in the pool post Brunch.

Sahara Star's unique closed dome structure makes it a completely different biosphere isolated from the pollution, noise and chaos of the outside world. And within this Biosphere, each of its restaurants inspire unique feelings. For me, The Earth Plate felt like a resort restaurant in the midst of a popular tourist destination. The restaurant was classy, yet embraced simplicity in design. I completely forgot that I was still in Mumbai.

There were seven live food counters each managed by a resident chef. Pictured here is the Bombay Street food live counter.

These appetizers caught my eye, it was almost as if I was in a designer Jewellery store. These edible beauties were extremely pleasing to the eye.

Both these pictures sent my Instagram following into a frenzy. I received numerous messages about these two pictures. Take it from me, the food tasted as wonderful as it appeared.

After quickly framing the food on my phone, I went on my tasting spree. Each of the appetizer was extremely well made. I have to admit that the Kitchen team takes their job very seriously. These were some of the best starters that I have had anywhere in the world. Each morsel was an unique experience.

I am not a salad person but these Prawn salad cups made me go absolutely bonkers. These were quite scrumptious. I found myself picking up seconds after my initial tasting. Something one would rarely see me do with salads.

The mains rotate every brunch so its unlikely that one would find the same as those pictured in this article. There were far too many mains to taste. I managed to sample a few and below are some highlights of my experience.

The Beans Pie was extremely pleasing on the palate. T'was subtle in flavoring and made for a Global crowd. The Sweet bacon pork tarts were quite addictive and I found myself chomping down a few of these.  The Panchporan Murg Tikka was Chicken Tikka with a twist. It was sprinkled with the Panchporan spice mix which is an East Indian specialty.

The Chicken Burrito and Shawarma were delicious wraps made at the live counters. One need not wait at the counter for their serving. Give the line cook your table number and a server will bring your food to the table. It was quite convenient and something not often seen in most five star hotels. The restaurant experience would surely spoil me ha.

The dessert platter felt like a wonderland where one could unleash their inner kid. You think you have grown up into a serious, mature and a professional man till you see these desserts and the world feels young again. There is always room for dessert but there were too many desserts in the room. I sampled quite a few and I found the Black Forest cake to be my favorite.

The service was exemplary despite the Sunday rush.  It displayed the professional calibre expected off the staff of Sahara Star.

Priced at INR 3450 PAX, the brunch feels a bit steep initially but consider the fact that it includes unlimited premium liquor, wines and cocktails on top of unlimited food and desserts. This is a meal fit for a King and if you drink and eat to your heart's content then its worth every rupee spent. Lets not forget, this includes a dip in the pool which is far better than your average community pool.

The Brunch is here to stay for the time being. If you are near the Airport or planning a memorable Sunday Brunch, Sahara Star makes one of the best choices in the city. As far the buffet experience goes, its one of the best that I have had. Captain Says Onward, Ho.

The Captain's Score : 9/10


Map Co-Ordinates
The Earth Plate,
Hotel Sahara Star,
Opposite Domestic Airport,
Vile Parle, Mumbai.


-I was invited by the restaurant to sample the Brunch. My review however remains neutral.-


 

South African Food Festival at Cafe Pondichery at Sofitel - BKC, Mumbai.

Food festivals are becoming quite a thing in Mumbai but surely people must be tired of the same old Middle Eastern, Iranian, Indian and Asian food festivals. I know I am. Its rare to see continental African and South African food in Mumbai for a change.

Rising up to the occasion, Sofitel Mumbai has hosted yet another exotic food festival from a land whose food we Indians do not know much about. It is indeed time to take a break from the same old cuisines and try out something new.

And unlike the previous Turkish food festival, this one is more than just food. There are African drummers playing tribal music, face painting and hair braiding kiosks. All in all, the mood feels very African. To celebrate the Rainbow nation's fiftieth independence day, Cafe Pondichery has rolled out a South African food festival.

The South African food is specially prepared by a trio of pleasant chefs flown in from South Africa.
Chefs Vasathan Moodley, Mavis Netshituka and David Aobakwe Phagane will be joining Sofitel's resident chefs for the event period till May the 7th, 2017.

The South African food stand is a welcome addition to the already huge multi cuisine buffet platter of Cafe Pondichery. There were two stands this time, one for the mains and another one for live food near the restaurant's entrance.

Do note that the dishes rotate in the buffet everyday and the things mentioned here may not be found on the day you visit.

Live Music to drum up your spirits.

Kiosks for kids and the occasional adults ha.

Here are some of the things that I sampled. The live counter had offerings like Bunny Chow which has surprisingly originated from the South African Indian community. It has been quiet popular in town but somehow I have not quite bought into the idea, preferring to have the curry and bread separately. There were two options available - Lamb and Mushroom curry. The Lamb curry felt very familiar to the Indian flavors that I am accustomed to. I assume that it comes from the Indian origins behind the dish. The live counter also had a few desserts like Lemon Tarts and Koeksisters(more on this later).

Tilapia and Leek soup. Though Tilapia cooking is often attributed to West African cuisines. It has been brought into the Rainbow nation's culinary sphere and adapted to the native palates. The result over here was a flavorful concoction. It was quite an experience to have a fresh water fish other than Basa. Again a soup you would rarely find in Mumbai. Tilapia is only found in African rivers.

Pap and Sheba was a South African favorite that was adjusted for vegetarians. Made with a fluffy polenta like white cornmeal preparation called pap and served with "Tamatiesmoor" or Sheba which is a South African tomato and onion gravy. It was an easy on the palate, satisfying dish that anyone could eat. The gravy had a very addicting flavor.

Pork Casserole had a subtle flavor. The texture of the stew felt a bit rough on the tongue. The flavor had a frontier feel to it.

And as last time, Cafe Pondichery has an amazing dessert platter. It was mostly different from last time and I pounced upon it like a ravenous gourmand.

But sticking to the South African theme, lets revisit the live counter for Koeksisters.

Image Courtesy : Food.com

Koeksisters was a South African dessert which was made of fried dough strips shaped like braids and infused with Maple syrup. The flavor was delectable and this was the first time that I have had this. It was a wonderful first experience. Adds to my list of Fried Dough based desserts like Jalebi and Churros.

Combined with the impressive multi cuisine platter, the experience at Cafe Pondichery is always an amazing one for me. The buffet servings are some of the most satisfying that I have had anywhere. Its real value for money. With an appetite like mine, the buffet is a food paradise.

Do note that the festival concludes on Sunday, May the 7th, 2017. However, the complete buffet experience at Cafe Pondichery itself is worthy of a visit for any food lover.


The Captain's Score : 8/10

Map Co-Ordinates
Pondichery Cafe,
Sofitel Hotel,
C 57, Bandra Kurla Complex,
Mumbai



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

Barbeque Nation - Hill Road, Bandra West, Mumbai.

Nina seemed to be quite adventurous. She moved around this strange town as if she knew the place. We followed her to some rather strange spots. First she led us to a place where the streams from the two gigantic waterfalls met. This place had a lot of good fish and was full of fishermen. Then she took us to a place with strange mountains which descended below the geode town. It was here where the upward cave passages existed. These mountains were like a chimney to the geode. But why did she bring us here? Suddenly there was a loud rumbling sound, the geode cavity was closing. Barnacles.

Iftar is the evening meal with which Muslims break their Ramadan fast. This meal like other festival themed meals is quite special and unique. While I am not Muslim or religious for that matter, it is certainly fun to try special meals. And where else but Barbeque nation. The place with its live grills and kebab traditions is one of the best places to serve an Iftar meal. The meal may not be identical to an Iftar experience in the Middle East but it certainly works well in India.

The ambiance is not much to talk about. It is a classical family restaurant which somewhat resembles their Marol outlet though feels a bit smaller. The furniture is very comfortable as with all BBQN outlets.

Not much different from the usual fare at BBQN, the stars were the Kebab starters and the desserts. The mains were a bit mediocre but one doesn't go for mains to BBQN. The buffet can be variable in cost depending on the day and time. On the day I went, the non vegetarian buffet cost INR 884. The spread was decent especially the desserts.

Caribbean Jerk stuffed chicken drumstick(Top) was full of flavor and the meat was cooked particularly well. It wasn't off the bone well but the meat was succulent with an explosion of flavors. While the primary flavor was of the Jerk spice mix, there was a strong Indian spice presence as well.

Fish Butter Kebab (Bottom Right) was a soft and buttery kebab that felt like a mix of egg and meat from the flavor. The flavoring here was subtle so those who prefer strong tastes could use one of the dips provided.

Mutton Khada Masala Seekh(Bottom Left) was a flavorful seekh kebab with a good aroma and many flavors. The meat was not dry suggesting hand work instead of machine work for mincing the meat. I quite enjoyed the flavor as I haven't had a decent seekh kebab in quite a while.

Captain : Nina could not possibly have known that the Geode was closing. 

Engineer : Cats do have a sixth sense.

Captain : But how did she know where these passages were?

Nina : >;3 Nya

The live grill Kebabs were a mix of hits and misses. The Thai Prawn Kebab(Extreme Left) for example was juicy and full of flavors though felt a bit strange on an Iftar menu.

The Tandoori Chicken(Center) felt very much like the classical kebabs that I have had all my life. The meat was soft but one must take care to keep rotating the skewer so it doesn't overheat.

The non Iftar menu regulars were a bit insipid in experience especially the other prawn kebab(third from left). The mushroom kebabs felt ok to me but could have been better judging from my previous BBQN experiences. Cajun Potatoes was as always the best vegetarian Kebab.

Chicken Wings was an item that wasn't intended to be a part of the Iftar meal but I was requested by the chef to try it. I do not remember experiencing it in my earlier BBQN trips so I loved sampling it. The meat was juicy and had the traditional Chicken wing flavor that I love so much. The meat was a bit lean on the bone though. More bone and less meat so perhaps that is one thing that can be looked into.

Mutton Chaap had an atypical variance here. The flavor was good but it tasted close to the Punjabi homemade mutton curry. It is not something that I expect from a Rib dish.

Captain : This passage has lights at distances to illuminate the path.

Crewmate : Seems these are as well used as the townsman claimed.

Captain : We should follow the lighted passage then, no detours unless we want to get lost.

Engineer : Your Cat didn't get that instruction. (Giggles)

The mains were mostly a mediocre affair. I will just discuss the Haleem here since its unique to Iftaar. Haleem is a stew made of lentils and minced meat. BBQNS version was accurate in colors, paste like consistency and even its flavor was great. But there was too little meat in the stew. The stew tasted mostly like a lavish dal rather than having the minced meat expected to be in it.

Bandra's BBQN takes pride in itself as the only BBQN with a live wok/subway like counter where patrons can design their own dishes. One can basically select the meats, greens, sauces and leave the chef to whip something out of them. I chose squid rings, lamb, onions and BBQ sauce to create a flavorful dish full of sweet and spicy flavors. I was afraid that I would mess it up but hey the chef did his magic in there.

As always BBQN has a great dessert counter. The goodies may look simple but taste amazing.

Mango Sasil was a mango mousse like dessert with a soft creamy yellow layer with a cake like layer bellow. This pastry tasted amazing. Mexican Maple almond pie was pretty amazing too. Sweet and containing almond meal - this was a simple looking dessert with crisp and fun flavor.

Captain : Nina, you will get us lost. Here kitty kitty.

Crewmate : Should we follow the Captain?

Quartermaster : What choice do we have?

Engineer : Where is your spirit of adventure boys?

One cannot conclude a trip to BBQN without their trademark do it yourself Kulfis. The kulfi counter is usually popular, filled with people who super size their kulfis with a ton of sweet ingredients. For me it was Fig Kulfi, caramel sauce, white chocolate chips and some fennel candy to get a great picture.


The service was acceptable though could have been better. The servers weren't sure whether drinks were a part of the special menu or not and there seemed to be some confusion over what goes into what kebabs. The chef had to assist us with that.

The pricing is fine as far as an unlimited buffet goes which includes unlimited desserts and kulfis ha. Some of the Kebabs are only unique to the Iftar menu and one can enjoy these till the 6th of July, 2016.

I have been to three different BBQN outlets so far and as always their best part is always the meal experience. The buffet always feels well worth the moolah spent. So if you want to sample some Iftaar delicacies, head straight to Barbeque Nation. Do hurry as the experience won't be back for another year post 6th of July.

The Captain's Score : 8/10

" 
Captain : Good thing I carried a flashlight. These side passages are dark.

Engineer : Hope we are not gonna run into trouble.

Quartermaster : Oye, seems like a dead end ahead. We can turn back then.

Captain : Why is Nina clawing on the wall? Is something there?

Quartermaster(Sighs) : I guess we are about to find out.

Captain : Hey there seems to be something on the wall. A Button? (pushes)

(Cave wall starts moving)

Engineer : A secret passage within a passage?
"

Map Co-Ordinates
Barbeque Nation
355, Ground Floor,
Ramdas Nayak Road,
Hill Road, Bandra West


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