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.-

Harry's Bar + Cafe - Andheri West, Mumbai

I sat bored in me bridge as the ship traveled through well known routes. The quartermaster suddenly barged in looking all zealous. His eyes suggested that he had seen something new. I quietly followed him out and he handed me my looking glass. I looked in the direction that he was pointing at and saw a tavern in the distance. Not just any tavern mind you but the famous Harry's which I last saw in my trips to the Straits of Malacca.

"This better be the real deal," I said as we steered our ship towards the closest dock.

Harry's Bar + Cafe is a well known brand in Singapore and has recently opened shop in India. When I first read this outlet's name, I erroneously read it as Harry's Fun Republic(Combining the name of the place its located in) but wow that actually worked to good effect. Friday Evening at Harry's was indeed fun.

The ambiance comes off as a classy uptown pub. Indeed, one forgets that they are down in the suburbs when they pass the door. The pub was already full of early evening comers. And thanks to an IPL match on the weekend, a good lot was noisy as well. Dim lit with golden lights, it felt quite cozy to settle in for some evening entertainment.

The pub feels very western and has everything one would expect from it. A DJ, a bar counter, a large screen playing the IPL and even a pool table at the end. Whether you are alone or chilling with your buddies, Harry's is definitely for a great choice for some grub-grog. As for me, I was part of a Food Bloggers Association of India meetup and had the honor of meeting some of Mumbai's finest food bloggers.

And the evening reached stellar heights with the presence of celebrated Chef Vicky Ratnani (Vicky Goes Veg fame) who joined our table.

                                                        This be the passport to Fun.

Moving on to Grog and Grub.

Harry's has a large number of beverages including a large selection of wines. There is also a large number of popular cocktails. But what a shame it would be if I don't try the house specialty - "The Singapore Sling".
Slingshot into divine oblivion with this sling. Made with a blend of Cointreau, Cherry Liqueur and pineapple juice - This is a mild cocktail that feels very tropical. 

Do note that the drinks were served with Marinated Olives and Feta in a jar. This item was mildly addicting but sadly the dim lighting and its color did not allow me to get a legible picture for the same.

Harry's serves quality finger food and expect vast diversity in that as well. We tried a lot of different things, so this will be one colorful post.
Our Evening started with Muchos Nachos Con Carne, which to be fair tasted well but had Indian influences. The balance of chicken, veggies and spices was good and the nachos weren't soggy.

Crispy Chilli Potatoes was one of the stars of the night. These were made with a mix of potato crisps wrapped in chilli and soy.  Tangy, addictive and full of flavor. No one can eat just one...plate. Goes well with any drink.

Captain : Tangy Matey! I could eat this all night.

Crewmate : Better leave some space for the rest of the grub Cappy.

Captain : I am quite sure that four plates of this wont hurt my appetite that much.

Sichuan Barbeque Chicken was charcoal grilled chicken loaded with spice. While the flavor was great, the extra addition of paprika flakes made it a tad bit too spicy for me.

Chimichurri Chicken is an Argentine Chicken dish which is made of grilled chicken. It is then wrapped with Chimichurri sauce. And finally rubbed with extra Coriander and Parsley. This was my first time with this exotic dish from across the oceans. It certainly had a flavor that I had never tasted before. It was aromatic and mystifying. The food universe is vast indeed.

Captain : How much do we know about Argentina lad?

Crewmate : Football and rough Hockey players.

Captain: Add Good grub to the list.

Spicy Chicken Supreme Satay is the ideal Satay as its meant to be. These Big lumpy tender chunks of meat on a skewer were thoroughly satisfying. Many mainstream restaurants in India serve flattened and leathery preparations in the name of Satay. It was pleasing to finally find a place which knows what Satay truly is. The sauces and spices were in the right amount.

Crewmate : Captain, where are the Satay sticks?

Captain : Here lad, I saved you one. 

Crewmate : That's mighty generous of you Cappy. What about the rest?

Crispy Chicken was a colorful dish with tender juicy chicken pieces. The color-taste diversity was aided with bell peppers, shallots, sprouts and chilli. The colors and flavors came in well resulting in a dish that was pleasing both to the eye and the tongue. 

The Fisherman's basket was an assortment of Calamari and prawns wrapped in a crispy batter. These crunchy snacks were served with Remoulade sauce. Again addicting and go well with the drinks.

Jamaican Spiced Jerk Chicken was another new for me. This was wrapped in Jerk spice which is usually hot and flavored with Thyme. The minty pleasant flavor of Thyme dominated the item. The chicken was tender and succulent. The plating was top notch as well.

Crewmate : I wonder if we will find this in the Caribbean?

Captain : Yes and because all sailors must mention the Caribbean at some point of their journey.

Paneer Fingers was a vegetarian take on the classic Fish fingers. This was a very ordinary item and was bland on its own. Thankfully, the provided dip helped provide taste.

Pattaya Beach Fish Goujons was a spicy and flavorsome preparation of Basa with garlic and Soy. Though the overuse of Basa in Mumbai eateries has been a troublesome thing for me, the Basa here was cooked to perfection and complimented well with the sauces. This is one of the few Basa preparations that I have come to love. It was so good that I would have been happy to have ONLY THIS all evening. Yes, that good.

Ratatouille stuffed mushroom caps - Long before the movie popularized the word, it always stood for Ratatouille Niçoise. It is one of the few vegetarian dishes found in the west and a popular French delicacy. Harry's converted it to a Finger food variant by stuffing the dish inside Mushroom caps. Although I doubt that it would be an exact replica of the French Delicacy, it was certainly a good dish and my vegetarian friends went through it like Pacman on power pills.

Captain : I don't like food, I love it.

Crewmate : Did you know that the word Ratatouille wasn't invented by that movie?

Captain : Of course not, the movie was based on a real life story right?

Tandoori Chicken and Thyme Sliders were a trio of Mini burgers in a big world. I felt that the flavors did not sync in properly with this one. The Thyme intruded with the flavor of Tandoori Chicken and the result was not a likeable one. Too many flavors killing each other.

Spicy Potato and Bean Sliders were a tad bit better than their chicken counterparts. The flavor reminded me of home cooked Sukhe Aloo. It even had cumin inside. As I am not too fond of Sukhe Aloo, the flavor did not please me much. However, my vegetarian friend on the other side of the table gobbled these up pretty fast.

Singaporean Chicken Lollipops were tasty and juicy morsels wrapped with Sichuan Garlic sauce,sprinkled with Lemongrass and enhanced with Galangal. These were some of the best Chicken lollipops that I have ever had. The meat easily came off the bone and there was quite a lot of it on each Lollipop. It had an appetizing aroma and a fulfilling taste. A self sustaining and wonderful combination. Carnivores absolutely must go for this.

Wasabi Cottage Cheese cubes or Wasabi Paneer was a savory preparation of Paneer, Spinach and Wasabi. While I did enjoy this dish, I felt that either the Wasabi was too less or absent since my taste buds found no trace of the typical Wasabi zing. It was more spinachy, if there is such a word.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls were visibly pleasing and transparent Spring rolls. However, the flavor of this item was too flat and it was quite soggy. It was perhaps the only dish that I found myself disliking completely in my Harry's experience.

Fondue Stuffed Mushroom was visibly similar to the Ratatouille. However, it had cheddar cheese stuffed in mushroom caps and was laced with spring onion sauce and paprika. The flavor was very ordinary for this one. It was lacking the zest that it was supposed to have and the flavor was largely overpowered by the sauces.

Although, Harry's does have quite a few mains. Its principal serving is the finger food and drinks. Nonetheless, our group decided to try Thai Green Curry.

The curry looked beautiful to the eye and it tasted equally well. This was the vegetarian variant and as a carnivore I found it pretty good. Sadly, I was full and could not relish it more but that's definitely a thing to do for my next Harry's trip.

The Dessert that marked the end of the grub session was the Drunken Volcano Cake. Harry's doesn't have a wide diversity in desserts so that is definitely a department they need to work on. However coming back to the Volcano, this was the real deal. It was served in flames literally. My picture does show a few flames but I missed the exact moment when it was aflame in a flamboyant style. A real cool dessert that was served in flames. Pardon me for the bad Oxymoron.



It had a sweet rich chocolaty flavor. And as is tradition with such desserts - one has to have the Cake, the choco lava within and the gelato in one bite. Only then shall the circle be complete and you will taste the real dessert. This Dessert was one of the most memorable food experiences that I have experienced.


Captain : If we sail around the Chocolate lava and through the caramel straits, we will end up at the Gelato mountain.

Crewmate : You just translated Navigation into food language. Are you well Captain?

Captain : And then we climb the mountain and reach the wafer straw peak.

Crewmate: Ah right, dessert high...again.

The service at Harry's was excellent and our server Dilip was balancing things pretty well. We did keep him busy between serving and explaining the dishes. The service appeared great at all other tables in a crowded pub.

Since this was a meal on the house, I really cannot comment on the pricing. However, I will go by the menu for objectivity's sake. The pricing tends to be slightly on the higher side but the food and the pub experience are worth the money. Harry's provided a great experience and it was leagues better than what I have experienced in many other pubs and lounges.

To sum it up, Harry's mostly had positives. The few negatives being the extreme loud music coupled with people cheering IPL becoming a bit of a conversation killer and the lack of a dessert diversity.

The Captain's Score : 9/10

"All right lads, the night is young and we are full. Set out sail and sing down the grog. Until next time."

Map Co-Ordinates
Harry's Bar + Cafe
1st Floor, Fun Republic,
Shah Industrial Estate, Andheri Lokhandwala, 
Andheri West, Mumbai.


-I was invited as part of a Food Bloggers Association of India Meetup-

Vedge, Andheri Lokhandwala, Mumbai

While sailing through some rather adventurous seas, I received a message on my radio. It provided me a map of a food paradise called Andheri Lokhandwala and with it was an invitation to an isle of pure vegetarian food. Intrigued, I turned the helm and set my course for Andheri Lohandwala.
 

Let me be very clear, I am a carnivore. I eat Fish, Turkey, Mutton and Chicken. I don't usually do grassy stuff. When I got an invitation to a buffet tasting session in a pure vegetarian restaurant called Vedge, I was in two worlds about attending it. It is located quite far away thus requires a lot on conveyance and time simply to reach here.

The city of Mumbai still lacks direct public transport connections between the east and west sides. I either have to take a taxi or switch three buses to make it here. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to meet fellow bloggers and reviewers, I decided to make the trek. Since the bus route would have taken ninety minutes, I decided to use an Auto Rickshaw which is the suburban version of Mumbai's taxis.


The name Vedge also intrigued me as it was obviously a clever portmanteau of vegetarian and edge. Passing through a road lined up with some of Mumbai's finest restaurants (temptations temptations), I arrived at Fun republic in Andheri West. Fun republic is a Multiplex but also houses a few restaurants.


Facing giants such as McDonalds and Irish Pub, Vedge was the brand new place in Fun republic. 


The Captain and his landin' party walked down the gangplank and stared at the new isle. Surrounded by other flashy isles, the Captain said out aloud. "Aye lads, the grub better be good here."

A witty crew mate then quipped. "But my Captain, Free food is almost always good."

The Captain smiled. "That be true lad, but we shall see !"



I met the event organizers Chandni and Purvi, who were working hard to make the evening a success. Since it wasn't dinner time yet, the place was still empty and allowed me to savor in the ambiance.

For me, the feel of the place is always an important factor. A good decor always lightens up the mood and sends your imagination on a high. The ambiance of this place was a bit of a collage - Part modern, part street dhaba and part colonial (1900s). I would say the part colonial and the part dhaba style worked for me.

The lighting in the section where our group sat was lovely. It generated a feeling of a roadside Dhaba located on a lesser used road. It was a shame that I could not capture the scene properly. I would have needed a very high resolution camera to capture the visuals in the way I saw it. My crappy phone camera had to do for now.


We were greeted by the young owner of the establishment who was only 22. Well, he certainly is on the right path. If he does well, he could have a chain of places in the next five years. He had hired a professional team of chefs who look well groomed. These weren't your run of the mill chefs found in Udupi restaurants all over Mumbai.

Before the buffet started we could order a drink as a part of the preview. I requested a Kiwi Margarita. After we were done marveling at each others drinks, I looked at my drink to find a way to drink it. I think that it was a bit too icebergy for me at the start. I had to wait for the slush mountain to become a glacier. Not a big issue but certainly could certainly be improved. It should have been be a glacier when served.


Finally it was time to dine.

The platter was a nice mix of Italian, Indian and Chinese. Maybe a hint of Mexican as well. The platter changes everyday but I will write on what I experienced.


"My ravenous appetite calls out to me lads. Lets dine, for tomorrow be a long day at the sea."


After taking my plate, I went back to my table which had the friendlier of the two groups of the invitees - A group of experienced food bloggers, our hosts, Twitteratis and me. We had a lively conversation on the hits and misses of the food. The food was decent. Not too special I'd say but definitely a good start for a new restaurant. The international cuisine had been adjusted for Indian palates so it tasted all too familiar.

However, I liked the chef's creativity when he created a stiffer vegetable only version of the Chinese dumpling and called it Money bags.( On the left side) 


Crew mate: Captain, can we use these money bags to buy us some stock and grog.


Captain: Don't be thick lad. The only thing this money bag can buy is a full stomach.

Crew mate: That be the best kind of money bags.

Captain: Indeed lad.

The tomato soup was a tad bit thin. I just took a small portion for tasting and was not particularly interested in having more. They forgot to serve toasted bread pieces which are usually a must with tomato soup.

The highlight of the platter was definitely the basil noodles. It tasted a bit tangy as if it had a hint of cilantro somewhere. It was definitely a new experience for me. And entirely a new creation on part of the chef. And this is something I would like to praise. When you create, you are always better than the times you imitate. I took seconds for this item.

 

There was a small selection of salads as well. I suppose the stand out was the pasta salad which was sweet due to mayonnaise. The other salads did not look very appealing.

There was also Sev-Chaat in the salad area. No idea what it was doing there(Salads are healthy, Chaat is not) but it seemed be a popular choice for everyone at the table.  Poppadums and bread were available as well. Although, there was no item on the platter that the bread really had a combination with hence I skipped it.

The dessert platter was a wee bit of a disappointment. It was just Vanilla ice cream, Anguri(or grape sized) Gulab Jamun and Fruit salad. The ice cream was at the right temperature but it tasted very ordinary. I wrapped it with streams of chocolate sauce which was probably Hershey's syrup. The Gulab Jamuns were tasty but again nothing out of the ordinary. I often judge buffets by the desserts they serve. And well it was very limited in this case. 

However, for a budget buffet for INR 299, it is an acceptable platter size.

We were treated to this lovely fruit flavored drink after the meal. Made out of musk melon and mint (pudhina), it was one good gulp.


Crew mate: But Captain, Why is the rum...

Captain: Zip it lad. Not like we have rum all the time. Enjoy your drink or you will be sweeping decks for a year.

As we approached Sayonnara time, the chef team presented us with a special that they had whipped up just for us. Made with cinnamon, spices and pieces of apple - it was a sumptuous gesture. It was presented well and made us feel all special. On our way out we were presented with Paan shots(betel leaf) as a mouth freshener. It contained mukhwas, mint, rose water and other ingredients as well.


It was a good experience. The restaurant was neither the best nor perfect but it was a great experience. The ambiance definitely fits a fine dine. The management had energy and is willing to go up the steep slope of progress. In an area where you can find a dozen fine restaurants for every popular cuisine on the planet, this place has bravely opened up as a pure vegetarian place.

The food is far more decent than your average vegetarian fare found all across Mumbai. For INR 299, the buffet was certainly good. I would recommend this place for the strictly vegetarian types.

Score : 7 / 10

"All hands on deck lads! Time to sail back to the high seas. Until next time."


-I was invited to a preview buffet for bloggers and Zomato reviewers.-