Mango Dessert Festival at Sin in Hotel Marine Plaza - Churchgate, Mumbai

Mango, India's favorite food has the effect of driving the majority of the Indian population wild. As soon as the mango season begins, people crowd up at fruit stores buying them like hotcakes. Actually in India, one must say that hotcakes sell like mangoes.

I proudly declare that I am not in that majority. Nope, the fruit's presence or absence doesn't affect me. But Mango desserts are another story, they give me a high. I dropped by last week to sample a special menu of Mango based desserts at the Sin patisserie within Hotel Marine Plaza.

This seasonal special menu would last till the mid of June.

The Special Menu. 

At INR 375(plus Taxes) per dessert , the place actually offers cheaper desserts than the likes of a place like Indigo Deli. The desserts are made of premium ingredients and have a great flavor. There is no compromise on quality.

This platter would make most of humanity salivate in front of their screens.

Aam Ka Panna would be India's favorite summer drink. Sweet and sour in flavor, this spice filled beverage isn't really a dessert but one could never have a Mango themed menu in India without the mention of this.

Mango and Mint Panna Cotta was a delectable panna cotta topped with a thick Mango paste and Mint pearls. Though initially I was a bit disappointed that it was Mint and not peppermint, the rich flavor of the cream made up for everything. I gobbled this up in a jiffy.

Mango Baklava is probably something that the Ottomans and the Greeks would never have imagined. The chefs at Sin took this old world favorite and gave it a Mango Twist. The result was classical Baklava with a perfect mango infusion. Baklava itself is rare to find in the city and Mango Baklava may just only be available at Sin. Though not aesthetically pleasing as its colorful counterparts, this was one of the high points of the seasonal menu.

Mango Cheesecake in my opinion was the best dessert in the menu. It delivered in both visuals and flavor. Not only was it the prettiest of the lot, its flavor was quite amazing. Unlike Cheesecakes at other places where vanilla cheesecake is merely topped with a compote, this truly was a mango cheesecake. The cream cheese and Mango had been perfectly fused together. The texture was smooth and perfect. Mango's sweet and tarty flavor combined with Cheesecake's original sweet flavor was quite a party in my mouth.

Mango Chocolate Sensation was Sin's take on the popular melting chocolate ball. Though these balls have long lost novelty due to being too common, these still make an excellent dessert for a bunch of food shutterbugs. I was disappointed with this one though. The flavor of the mango was far too subtle and as far as Chocolate ball desserts go, this was too mediocre.

Mango Raspberry Criollo was a delicious comfort dessert. Made with a Mango mousse centred with a Raspberry compote, the hero of the dish was undoubtedly the raspberry. While the mango served as a nice and alluring exterior, the flavor profile was dominated by the Raspberry. The dessert was however one of the best on the menu. Again like the cheesecake, it was both visibly pleasing and quite delectable.

This seasonal menu is said to last till the Mid (15th) of June, 2017. That is about the time when the Mango season goes offline from India and the Monsoon sets in. If you are a dessert fanatic like me, don't miss this opportunity to sample things like the Mango Cheesecake or the Baklava.

The Captain's Score : 8/10

Map Co-Ordinates
Sin,
Hotel Marine Plaza,
29, Marine Drive,
Mumbai


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

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.-


 

Yauatcha - Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai

Yauatcha derived from the Chinese words Yum Cha(meaning tea and Dim sum house) is a classy fine dine that is popular for its dim sums(or the most famous of Chinese dumplings). Though it does have other things on its menu, the place is best visited for dim sums.

This isn't my first post on Yauatcha as I had been here for a festival last year. I thus won't be covering ambiance or service in this post as those have remained exactly the same as the previous time.
You can read my older post over here :
http://www.grubzon.com/2016/06/yauatcha-bandra-kurla-complex-mumbai.html

So let me pull a Dan Brown here and jump straight to the action, The Food.

I was here for a Blogger's meet to sample some of the newest additions to their menu. A communal table blogger's meet often ends up with things being disproportionately divided between bloggers. So I will write about things I was able to sample properly.

Fried Turnip Cakes were dry in texture and quite savory. The flavor felt very similar to savory cakes that I have had in India. The appearance was an accurate rendition of Turnip cakes eaten in East Asia and abroad. This was my first experience with these and all I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed these. There was somehow a familiar feel to the flavor. Vegetarians would love these savoury cakes.

Crispy Asparagus rolls had a subtle savoury flavor of corn and a pleasant asparagus undertone. There were hints of spices but otherwise this was a very gentle on the tongue dish. This would complement well with various Chinese teas like Jasmine tea. In essence, these rolls with piping hot tea capture the true spirit of a yum cha.

Spicy Hargau dim sums were pretty little things that were gently spicy and had an earthy feel to them. Another treat for the vegetarians though I felt that more effort was put behind the optics than required. Nonetheless, this was a unique experience. There are a few places in Mumbai that serve Hargau and I would definitely vouch for Yauatcha’s experience.

Crunchy Iceberg dumplings topped in terms of optics but the flavor felt a bit on the flatter side. The dim sum was not crunchy enough for its name. The thing that worked for this dumpling however was its rural flavor. One could feel as if this was food from the refreshing countryside.

Spicy Pork Sichuan Wontons - These were very delicious and one of the highlights of the menu. This item is popular in the Yauatchas abroad and I am glad that this finally made it into India. Served in a traditional bowl, the wontons were submerged in a savory soup. This is the correct way of having wontons though we were used to having dry fried wontons in India.

The flavor was a mix of savory, sour and salty. There was an undertone of peanut and these dumplings were easy on the palate. Contrary to its naming, I felt no spiciness in this.

Crispy Prawn Dumplings were my favorite of the night. These rather simple looking rolls were packed with an amazing flavor. The rolls were made out of bean curd sheets which gave them the smooth velvety appearance. The flavor was savory with minced prawn filling most of the roll. It was slightly crunchy as one chewed past the bean curd. There was a creamy flavor to it as well. I think these rolls really pampered my taste buds.

Yauatcha is well known for its artistic desserts made in the patisserie below the restaurant. Though I was not able to sample all of these as tossing unguarded desserts in the midst of certain food bloggers is often akin to tossing a piece of meat in between a bunch of hungry wolves ha.

Pear and Almond Tart was a fruity end to the meal. This colorful dessert had pear and kiwi in the top layer while almond meal dominated the lower layer inside the crust. I do feel like coming to Yauatcha separately for the desserts someday.

The pricing at Yauatcha is definitely on the higher side though it does do good business which speaks in favor of the food and quality served here.

The new menu seemed to have more hits than misses for me. What impressed me the most was the fact that the chefs were rigorously trained to produce near exact versions of those produced by Traditional chefs in China. Do note that I am not using the terms "emulation" or "replica" here. Yauatcha is a little bit of China in India.

In a posh office district dominated by high quality niche eateries, Yauatcha does stand out high and ranks among the best, I would definitely visit the place again though not part of any group ha.


The Captain's Score : 7/10


Map Co-Ordinates
Yauatcha,
Raheja Towers,
Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai


-I was invited to a bloggers event by the Restaurant's PR. My review however remains objective.-