Havana Cafe & Bar Mumbai - Colaba,Mumbai

Continuing on our adventure from last time, we were still hunting for spare parts to fix our broken power generator. Our destination today was a large island which would definitely have what we need. These lands were brightly lit at night and I could clearly see the the glowing coast from me looking glass. Suddenly, I spotted something rather strange. This was not the Caribbean, but there was a shack which somehow resembled a Cuban tavern. "Spare parts can wait, lets have a grog banquet first men.", I said. Me crew cheered as me Engineer sighed. I promised her that we would not return without the spares.

Going to the Cuban Capital may be a long stretch for most, but its certainly easier to go Havana Cafe. Located at the Gordon House hotel in the fancy part of town, this place is in a neighborhood with many giants like Cafe Mondegar. The cafe is fairly new but the commerce is running smoothly and one feels as if it has been around for ages. Finding it could be troublesome since it doesn't have many visual cues pin pointing its location and you must ask the Gordon Hotel security staff about its location on the first floor.

Cafe Havana is far from being a perfect replica of Cuba, but it does create its own vibe and embraces some popular Cuban beliefs. The dim lit ambiance is perfect for a long weekend evening and the cafes operational hours(open till 3 am) allow people to really chill out. The music could need some work as it doesn't feel Cuban or Spanish or Caribbean for that matter.

People wearing Fedoras in the cafe was quite intriguing. Though I have positively seen round hats and Castro-isque Caps more often than Fedoras in Cuban pictures.

This evening was almost a convention of Food bloggers, Reviewers, Lifestyle bloggers, Twitteratis, Instagram Influencers yadda yadda etc. There were a lot of guests including myself invited for an opening night party. The establishment is operated by the well known Mars Hospitality (Of Pizza by the Bay fame) group and thus it was expected that they put up a grand show.

To start this off, Cafe Havana is more of a bar and less of a cafe. Don't come here expecting good grub. This place is strictly a watering hole at least for now. There is a small food selection available which mostly can be described as bar nibbles.

There is a large selection of Grog on the offering. Many classics and some Caribbean themed mixtures like Cuba Libre, Mojito, Havana Sunrise, Zombie, Pink Flamingo etc.

Marked as a house specialty - The Jack Sparrow cocktail is a strange one. Its different from the Captain Jack Sparrow cocktail in the west which uses Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum and Pineapple juice. Cafe Havana's variant used white Rum, Kahlua and Mocha to make an unique blend. Being a lover of Rum cocktails, I cannot say that this was the best that I have had. It was certainly fun but the flavor was mostly dominated by the coffee rather than the rum. It carried the kick of the rum but had the flavor of Coffee.

In modern times, Sparrow is probably doing a desk job(software pirate perhaps) and uses this instead of his regular rum fix. Though I think old Sparrow preferred Red or Dark Rum over white.

Captain : Mocha in my Rum? Thats quite queer.

Crewmate : Do you dislike it Cappy? 

Captain : No, but methinks Jack Sparrow wouldn't like coffee in his rum.

Acapulco was my choice for a non alcoholic drink.  Though Acapulco is not in Cuba, I went for the mix anyway. Billed as a mixture of Cranberry, Apple and Honey - its flavor was mostly dominated by Apple juice. The thing about most branded Cranberry juices in India is that they use a mixture of Grape, Apple, red food coloring with some Cranberry essence and call it a Cranberry juice. If one uses this concoction in a mixture that already contains apple juice, then the flavor will definitely be dominated by the Red fruit. It was lacking the tang that Cranberries provide making it a sweet red colored apple drink.

While the grog is definitely top notch and will satisfy most people's evening fix. The grub that accompanies the drinks is quite average and definitely needs improvement.

The Empanadas were tasty but did not feel Spanish, they reminded me of the savory Kachori like snacks we have in India. I am not saying that this was a bad thing but an Indianized Empanada doesn't quite fit in the whole Cuban theme.

Paprika dusted Potata Brava is a decent emulation of the Spanish snack. The flavor was similar to potato wedges. It went well with the Garlic Aioli but not so well with the Mojo sauce. (which accompanied all nibbles in the evening.)

Chicken Aioli skewers resembled Satay but the flavor was distinct due to the chicken being soaked in milk. The meat was soft and felt pleasantly juicy. The only problem was that the served portions felt less.

Crisp fried Nachos were quite addicting and an item that went well beyond its mark. The fried Nachos were coated with a cheesy powder similar to that found in snacks like Cheetos. This not only reduced oiliness, it also added an addicting flavor to the nibble. The item was served with sour cream and homemade salsa. Went better with the sour cream as I felt that the salsa was a bit too mild for me.

Captain : This is not tasty, you wont like it lad.

Crewmate : You seem to be enjoying it all alone though Cappy.

Captain : Oh I am just sampling...you know.

Cubanos may not really require Cuban flags but its fun to see food with flags once in a while. For a vegetable variant, this was certainly flavorsome. The paneer was well flavored and did not feel like an outsider in a savory spicy sandwich. Good for veggies who would otherwise demolish a place for the lack of non meaty grub.

Pan seared prawns was the best nibble of the evening. It was plated well and thus felt appetizing. The taste was savory with the prawns being just right and the garlic butter sauce enhanced the flavor even further. Methinks, this is a safe bet for people looking for bites to go with their drinks.

Captain : I would love to have this at night with me bottle of Captain Morgan on a table under the stars.

Crewmate : I doubt the ship cook could whip this up. 

Captain : Quite sad, isn't that lad?

The Chicken Quesadillas were a major disappointment. The taste was below average and there seemed to be absolutely no cheese in it. The portion size felt too small as well. The flavor was very much Indianized with the chicken tasting like Chicken Keema. A shame since I love Quesadillas.

The Paella neither resembled the Valencian delicacy nor tasted anything like it. If anything, the flavor was closer to an average Risotto. I had a few bites and moved on.

Fish Fritters had an interesting presentation but the flavor was easily forgettable. Best to stick with the prawns if you have a craving for sea food.

The Churros were soft and easy on the palate. Normally, Churros are supposed to be a bit tougher but I personally do not mind soft variants. The problem here was the fact that the Churros appeared undercooked due to the color and the dipping sauce was too runny.

Tres Leches did not quite live up to its name. It looked and tasted very dry. Felt more like a regular cake. The milk reduction had probably been excessive.

Flambeed Bananas was a fun dessert. With a little bit of pyrotechnics thrown in, this sweet banana dessert was served with Rum and orange reduction. The Rum added the sweet tang to the flavor while the bananas added the fullness. Was a good comeback after the first two flops.

Captain : This is pretty lad but I am not fond of Flaming bananas.

Crewmate : From the bonfire of splendour, came golden flamed bananas. Soaked with rivers of rum and orange juice.

Captain : If you were trying to do an impression of me loving desserts, then that was a very bad attempt lad. 

Crewmate : I tried me best Cappy. (laughs)

The service was average. It is understandable that our group was large and a few glitches here and there can happen. However, Havana needs to get its comrades together and work on the service.
Despite requesting the server for non vegetarian variants of certain items like the Cubano, I was never served the same. Mars Hospitality has great service in some of its other establishments and I would like to see something similar here.

The pricing tends to be on the upper side. While it is justifiable for their drinks as its some fine stuff, the grub's quality needs to match up to its pricing.

At the end, I enjoyed my Havana experience. The atmosphere gets to you. The vibes are good and the music works. Their drinks are on the mark for the most part, just that they need to work on the food. I understand that its strictly a bar but as long as food is present on the menu, it should be improved. Since the place is fairly new, it is expected that they will work on the quality and make Havana a better place next time.

The Captain's Score : 7/10

"Its late lads, but the Engineer wont spare us without the spares. Lets sober up and find those parts fast. Until next time."

Map Co-Ordinates
Havana Cafe & Bar
Gordon House Hotel,
5 Battery Street, Apollo Bunder,
Colaba, Mumbai.

Phone 022 22894488

 -I was invited by the restaurant and Boomerang Media as part of a Bloggers and Influencers meet. Thanks go to Chandni Tolani for inviting me.-

Tonic - Mahalaxmi, Mumbai

The seas were as dark as they could be. The only sounds that accompanied me crew's chatter were of the waves crashing on the hull. Sometimes, in darkness its easy to see a speck of light in the distance. Mystified we steered towards the light. We hoped that it was not the sea playing tricks on our eyes. As we closed in towards the light, a cool breeze blew over the warm seas. Soon enough, it was easy to see what the light was. It was a small island with a tavern and a restaurant on it. This Captain has seen many islands but this be the best kind.

Tonic is a new place with a very relaxed ambiance. This place earlier belonged to Auriga which has now reworked itself and become two places instead of one. Two places at the price of one. Who would say no?
The clubby pub Tonic sits at the bottom while the restobar Auriga floats at the top.

On the day of my visit, it had a red dark lounge theme to it. However, they often change the color of the lights making the ambiance quiet dynamic. It could be red today, blue tomorrow and green on yet another day. Its often like entering a different place every time. Although the appearance appears clustered, there is a large amount of space between the bar counter and tables. I feel that this may serve well for people who want to dance to the beats.

The steel cages with lights, hanging from the ceilings are the most attracting objects. While this peculiar decoration has no explanation for its presence. It does however stoke a sense of enigma. One could imagine lights rising in a dark club like fireflies and then they are trapped in a cage. Almost like the scene from Life of Pi with glowy thingies in the dark sea.

The seats are made of nice studded leather although the lack of backs could be an issue for long sitting patrons.

The immediate exterior of the establishment has a nice outdoor clubbing zone. There is also a screen and I am told that there will be 3D projection mapping over here in the not so distant future. For those who are unaware of what that is, its projecting images on flat and irregular surfaces with specially designed visuals and thus creating an illusion of depth. Think of it as 3D without the glasses.

Its time to drink the tonic and power up to the next level. And thus I sampled some of Tonic's in house specials. They use a novel concept of Batli(Bottle), Barni(Jar) and Balti(Bucket) while serving the drinks. Batli serves to cater a few people. Barni is moving up on the scale and if you really feel like going on a merry night with a large party, go with the Balti. But for me its more like Beginner, Expert and Advanced levels in a Video game. If you know what I mean.

The Mad Scientist(Maniacal laugh Ha ha ha- Sorry had to do that) will make you feel like an unappreciated intellectual on the breakthrough of something that will change the world - for better or worse who knows? Mixed with Kiwi juice and primarily Vodka, this is a drink with enough zing and zang to get your night started on a high. Its color is aesthetically pleasing as well.

Captain : I feel like finishing my long due Frankenpirate project.

Crewmate : But you never started an artificial life project Cappy.

Captain : Or finishing my copy of R2D2.

Vanilla Sky had to be the best drink of the evening for me. Its coloring was provided by Blue Curacao. It had a light amount of Vodka and a lot of Vanilla Ice cream. The appearance rather than the pleasant blue skies resembled more of the stormy green skies. I liked the color nonetheless and its sweet alcopop like composition well meant for those with low alcohol tolerance. The taste was dominated by Vanilla and Curacao Liqueur.

Captain : This be like the stormy skies from the far southern seas.

Crewmate : That sky and weather troubled us a fair bit Captain. We almost reached Davey Jone's Locker.

Captain : Now its time to avenge all of that by drinking it all. 

Spiritual Healing serves as a savior in a world of dark trance where people's faces haze out and strange hypnotic music fills your ears. Ok scratch that, in simpler terms it makes you embrace the dark side. When you are one with the beguiling hypnotica, everything is crystal clear. This is made with whiskey and dominantly flavored with apple juice. It blends in the tang of apple and the bang of whiskey. The resultant is a spiritually soothing and a comforting drink.

Jolly Good Fellow's picture serves to show you what a barni (jar) is. It can easily pour out 5-6 drinks. Sadly for me, it didnt quite make the mark. While the bitterness of the vodka was addressed by the watermelon, the pineapple juice felt like a mismatch giving it an overly sweet fruity taste. Reminds me of the old bachon ki drink advert made during cola wars.

Pomegranate Martini like its name was a light hearted cocktail. It felt very easy, sweet and yet alcoholic. It was made with Pomegranate flavoring and Vodkatini as base. Though not particularly fond of it, I did find it quite intriguing.

The best part about Tonic was that it served quality grub. One oft finds standard finger food which is average in quality and taste in many of Mumbai's lounges. Chef Ameya appears well experienced and a man who knows what he is doing. Well his food certainly spoke well for him. The drinks were fantastic but the best part was the food.

Mushroom Crostini was the first appetizer to make it to the table. The difference between Bruschetta and Crostini is sadly not understood by many places which often make Crostini as extended versions of Bruschetta. The thin bread slices serve as a good little plates and one can eat the delicious mushroom toppings covered with cheese. The flavor was perfect, the plating was perfect, it was like scoring a goal in the very first minute of play.

Sweet Potato Fritters with Wasabi Mayo. Another interesting all vegetarian appetizer. Made with sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, it scored a great balance of flavors. Its breading gave it crunchiness, spices gave it a great savory flavor and the inherent sweetness of the potatoes created a myriad of tantalizing flavors. The mayo wasabi and black sesame on each piece literally crowned these with a sense of ultimate completion. If you are vegetarian, fear not and order this right away. So much taste in such a little morsel, its almost illegal.

Captain :  These pockets taste great.

Crewmate : Thats fine Cappy, but could you please not stuff them in your trouser pockets and leave some for me too?

Tie me up is an interesting name for a dish. Though honestly it resembled "Untangle me up" more. Its inherent flavor was a bit bland. Thankfully the chilly garlic sauce bridged this gap but as a stand alone it scored poorly.

Vegetable Gyoza Dumplings is an interesting take on the classical Japanese snack. Though, it matched the visual appearance of the real thing, its flavor felt like a mismatch. It felt a bit mustardy in flavor and a bit unpalatable. I found myself unable to go beyond the first dumpling.

 Just when I thought that this evening will be full of grassy food, the meaty grub started rolling in. First in was Thai Spiced chicken which was made of juicy chicken pieces flavored with ginger and garlic. The final dish was then wrapped in chilli sauce. The dish was tasty but I felt that it had a wee bit of abnormal sweetness.

Soya ginger Fish thankfully used a different fish than Basa. This was made out of Rawas. It was then tossed with scallion, ginger paste and a bit of soya. The taste was very savory and the fish was tender and juicy.

Popcorn Chicken is relatively common nowdays. But Tonic's version is several times superior than the conveyer belt grade popcorn chicken you have at KFCs. To be honest it was more of a lollipopcorn chicken with its presentation but hey it worked quite well. Not only did the texture look great, the flavor was perfect and the spices rubbed on the surface blended in well. It went great with the Wasabi mayonnaise dip provided. I found myself going through several of these in a short time. It was quite an addicting snack.

Captain : I love this lollipopcorn chicken.

Crewmate : Lollipopcorn Chicken! That sounds like a nice name.

Captain : Oh it may become popular someday.

Crewmate : How is that possible? Unless someone heard our conversation.

Prawns and Calamari Crostini resembled little tarts made of seafood and Cheese. Although, it had more calamari than prawns, the flavor seemed well in sync. The item was cheesy, crunchy, salty and savory. The Baguette base added to the crunchy taste. Each bite, was flavorful and an absolute delight.

Cracker Jacker Prawns were jumbo whole prawns marinated in brown garlic and ginger. It had an addition of Barbecue sauce and was finally wrapped in a batter giving it a complex and mystifying texture. Each bite was full of crunch with rarely cooked prawns at the center. An interesting item and my first time with this rendition of prawns.

Cracked and Crumbed Chicken was the best amongst the carnivore foods. It was spiced chicken coated with bread crumbs and placed under a shower of polenta. It was then deep fried to golden perfection. It was almost as if a mountain of chicken received some volcanic dust in the form of polenta. This dish had both visual beauty and a great taste. Almost like having a superstar cricketer who is somehow a great football forward too, a true Sachin Pele-kar.

Captain : Summon the great Volcano of Polenta and dip me chicken in its ash.

Crewmate : This could keep the crew happy for many a nights.

Captain : It would certainly keep me happy.

Crewmate : I bet....hey where did all the chicken go?

Baby Lamb Chilly was hot and sweet lamb cooked in a chilli garlic sauce. The bell peppers added a bit of flair but I felt that they were too less for having any profound effect either in taste or appearance. The flavor also resembled Thai spiced chicken in terms of the seasonings and sauces. You may want to be careful with this one as eating too large a portion may cause a tongue burn. Have your drinks around.

The service at Tonic was excellent with Edmund and his team addressing an unruly group of food monsters with military like sophistication. Not only did they serve the food properly, they also accurately described each of the dishes and drinks. One would mistake them for being chefs with such knowledge.

The pricing at Tonic could be a little high. Although the grub and grog is quite worth the experience, I still feel that they could do a bit better by shaving the price by a teeny weeny bit.

The only major downside I see to Tonic is their difficult to find location. Its located inside the Famous studio lane and its quite difficult to reach by car coming from the opposite side. One has to go quite far to get a U turn to get on the right road. And other than an obscured board at the beginning of the lane, there is almost no hint of an eatery in that quiet vacant passage.  Thankfully, Google maps helped me reach there without glitches as its marked clearly on that.

To round this up, Tonic is a great new pub plus eatery. The environment is full of eclectic energies and colors. The food is surprisingly great for a lounge and the ambiance changes every day. The place is still fairly new so its likely to find it a bit empty. I reckon that this is the best time to visit it before it starts becoming crowded.

The Captain's Score : 9/10

"We are not done yet lads, there is Auriga upstairs waiting to be explored. But that is a tale for next time."

Map Co-Ordinates
Tonic

Famous Studio Lane,
Off Dr. E Moses Road,
Mahalaxmi, Mumbai
Twitter: @tonicmumbai

-I was invited to wine and dine at the pub as part of a Zomato Reviewers/Bloggers meet. - 

Gurukripa - Powai, Mumbai

The waves roared as the ship wafted through the coastal seas. Everyone had their eyes fixed on the coast. The lookout confirmed that we had no visual yet. I took out me own glass and studied the coast. We were on the right co ordinates but could not spot our destination. Then someone shouted that a restaurant had been sighted on the other side. We were looking at the wrong side. Upon moving to the port side, we immediately saw our destination. I removed my looking glass and smiled. "Time to give this salty episode a happy ending lads, its grub time."

So lets be honest, what does one expect when they hear Gurukripa as a name? They expect a traditional South Indian fare in a simplistic Udupi style setting. Did you judge this book by its cover? Shame on ya. Assumptions are always bad. Sometimes, life gives you a lot better than you expected. Despite being on the main road, Gurukripa is a difficult to spot gem. So lets call it a "not quite so hidden but difficult to spot" Gem. Geez, I guess hidden gem sounds easier.
 

The place has both an Al Fresco and an indoor area. However, one would be crazy to sit outside in the sweltering summers of Mumbai. I had come here with a small group of friends with similar food interests. We figured that as a group we could experience more of the menu than one person could. So there we sat around the dining table like the Avengers around a conference table deciding what to eat.

Gurukripa leaves the stereotype of the typical Udupi restaurants down in the dust. It has a classy ambiance with artistically finished walls. The indoors are further divided into a main area and three private rooms upstairs on the mezzanine floor. The main area has a typical restropub feel to it and feels real cozy. There is a proper bar counter with an experienced bartender as well. Methinks, it lived well up to its name, Gurukripa (God's Grace).

At the time of our visit, the restaurants ambiance had been given a festive touch with IPL merchandise all over. In fact, there were even live sized cut outs of players at the door. I am told that the ambiance looks even more classy at dinner time. And the pictures certainly attest to that.

With a little chatter and banter, the group decided to have some grog and appetizers.

Strawberry Punch - Was a strawberry drink which bordered somewhere between a smoothie and a milkshake. The taste was rich and had a natural tang to it which made it well worthy of being called a Punch. Punch your senses up to a new high...wait that sounds wrong.

Captain : Sweet and thick.

Crewmate : Tangy and smooth.

Captain. Yes...Hey wait ! Did you take a sip of me drink?

Mango Blossom was very much similar to my drink. Just remove strawberry and add Mango. The consistency and the milkiness were similar. It did have a very summer like aroma to it which kind of explains why its called Blossom.

Virgin Pinacolada was surprisingly good. Here I thought that without the rum it would lose its typical flavor but the mixer did a great job retaining the flavor sans the alcohol. This goes on to show that a good bartender can perform well in any conditions. It also tells me that I forgot my own wisdom nut about assumptions a few paragraphs above.

To Conclude, I feel that Gurukripa is quite a great place to get your grog fix. 

Moving on to the appetizers.

Grilled Chicken with Black Pepper - This was a tasty snack with lightly moist chicken and an essence of pepper. Could be quite addicting and you may forget that you have to eat mains later. It was quite aromatic and well plated. As an improvement, the spice quotient could very well have been a bit higher.

Chicken Ghee Roast is a true hidden gem within Manglorean cuisine. Its not something that one would find in many places within Mumbai. Unless you are traveling to Mangalore, have this in Mumbai right here at Gurukripa. This was a well marinated and roasted chicken. It was then coated with ghee and spices. This was my first time with this dish. Spicy, tangy and savory at the same time like a tricolor of tastes that tease your taste buds. If you are a carnivore then this dish is an absolute must. In fact if you are a dish trailblazer, a trip to Gurukripa just for this is well worth the effort.

Captain : I never knew you could make such a tasty thing with good ol ghee.

Crewmate : This is like a sea of flavors.

Captain : And we are on a quest to find them all.

Crunchy Mushrooms was a fried snack made out of Mushroom caps and cheese stuffing. They were plated excellently in a manner that made them more appetizing. Mushrooms have been overused for stuffing around the world but some people just do it better. The deep fried batter encasing the Mushroom gave it an unexpected but welcome crunchiness. I am a big fan of creativity and I loved what they did with this dish here.

Filled with my share of appetizers, I moved to the mains.

Just a few years ago, I won't have known what a Neer Dosa is. But with the expansion of South Indian cuisine within Mumbai itself, it was a matter of time before Neer Dosa became mainstream. Its like you suddenly discover after a whole life of eating brown chocolates that white chocolates exist too. But if that was not enough, you also discover that the white chocolates that you have had so far were all an imitation. Sad story indeed.

These Neer dosas or rice batter dosas were soft melt in your mouth types. They had a shiny appearance which made them appear a tad bit oily but I felt that this was an optical illusion.

Captain : What if I told you that lentil brown dosas are not the only ones in existence?

Crewmate : Then, I would ask you to stop playing your Morpheus routine with me.

Chicken Malwani is an excellent coastal dish which I have had in many places before. Surprisingly, each place had its own variation with a basic underlying taste. Gurukripa's variant was succulent and decent. But I felt that the chef should have added spice to the gravy for flavoring rather than adding chopped green chillies separately from the top. This caused a slight off beat flavor which felt alien to the dish's central theme.

Nonetheless, it went great with the Neer Dosa. I would like to thank our server Rajendra for recommending this excellent combination.

Gadbad is an Indian Sundae that is found in many Mumbai eateries. Usually treated as a haphazard mixture, it seems to have lost his sheen over the decades. However, Gurukripa revives the old favorite with its own touch. It is made with Vanilla , Mango and a hint of strawberry ice cream. And added to it is an assortment of local tropical fruits. The jelly at the lowest level provided both flavor and aesthetic beauty to this concoction. Topped with raisins and a wafer biscuit, it was made to please both the eyes and the tongue.
Dive your spoon into this sweet sea of sundaeness and treat yourself to a truly divine dessert.

Captain : Deep within the sea of ice cream lies the fabled red jelly. 

Crewmate : But as you travel towards the bottom you also find semi sunken treasures in fruity forms.

Captain : And as you rise back to the top, you see a magnificent wafer standing grand like a lighthouse.

Crewmate : I reckon that we both should be high on dessert at the same time Cappy.

The service was excellent and it was nice to know a server who was well informed on the menu. Our group felt like a bunch of lost musicians who desperately needed a conductor. Our server Rajendra fit well into that role guiding us with the house specials and flavor combinations.

Gurukripa's pricing could be slightly more than the traditional Udupi joints but then it also provides a superior standard. Its pricing I feel is equivalent to most North Indian/Mughlai type restaurants in Mumbai. I did feel however that the non alcholic drinks were expensive in comparison to other restropubs. In terms of the whole experience, I feel the prices do well.

To wrap this up, I will say that Gurukripa is definitely one of the better South Indian eateries in Mumbai. Its humble name may put off stylish connoisseurs but if you are one for the food then march straight away to dine at Gurukripa.

The Captain's Score : 7/10

"All right lads, the ship wont sail by itself. Time to raise the anchor and venture back into the ocean's mist."

Map Co-Ordinates
Gurukripa

55, Thunga Village,
Saki Vihar Road,  
Powai, Mumbai

Phone : 022 28578763

-Me and a few food friends were invited to visit the establishment-