Farmer and Sons - Fort, Mumbai

The mountains adorned the far side of the horizon as we sailed towards our next destination. The island of six mountains and four rivers lied ahead of us. Though grapevine suggested that its not four rivers but rather four roads. I wondered if I would find the blue compass on this island. That could possibly not be true. The most coveted artifact in human history cannot be found so easily after all. A part of me wanted the compass on the next island while another yearned for greater adventures. 

The radio suddenly came alive. 

Radio : This is the Navy, state your business for visiting this island.

NAVY?!! Barnacles.
Lads, hide all the Rum, gunpowder and pirated music. Put on yer best faces. Let em know that we are uh...merchants carrying uh...spices. 

Farmer and Sons (Hereby known as F&S) takes the place of the erstwhile Nico Bar. The management is still the same but the re branding exercise seems largely pointed to right the wrongs of its predecessor. While the place may not seem as popular as Kapoor & Sons, this Farmer has his heart in the right place.

The eatery feels like a mix of a small bistro and a bar. The narrow bar comes before the slightly wider dining area. The entrance can thus get a bit of a bottleneck if the bar gets too crowded. The bar resembles classy taverns found in West European destinations. The Golden light also felt comforting and calming, though it could be a little troublesome for food photography.

I was part of a Blogger/influencer bunch invited by Food Blogger's association of India. The bunch gladly occupied most of the bar area creating the aforementioned bottleneck. The first course of course(ha) were the drinks. The barkeep Sylvester explained the house specialties like the Drunken Dragon Milk or Mumbai Ice tea for example. His explanation was accompanied by busy food paparazzi gulping the cocktails with their cameras.

Rhubarb and Rose Mojito - After patiently waiting for the battle field dust to settle, I managed to get Sylvester to whip me one of these. The mixture contained Rhubarb compote, Rose Syrup, White Rum, mint and lime. It was a sweet take on the classical Mojito. It was quite an interesting flavor. This was pleasantly sweet(as opposed to traditionally sweet sour Mojitos) and yet was still a Mojito.

Navigator : Rum with Rhubarb? That is quite unheard of. Could this be our clue?

Captain : Unheard to you perhaps. Stop looking into your drink for clues.

Navigator : Yes Sir :(

Salads make an odd course for a dinner but that is easily forgiven with F&S's stellar salads. This little forest in a bowl was made out of Quinoa, Kale and Broccoli. It was dusted with flax seeds, pomegranate and feta. A bit of Honey mustard dressing added a sweet and tangy flavor to the otherwise leafy salad. It easily pleased my palate and I could heartily hog down spoonfuls of this.

The Grilled sea food salad however was the one that took the cake.(That sounds like such an Oxymoron) This salad resembled a sunken island which had re-surfaced after many years. Containing Fish, calamari and prawns - this salad had quite a flavorful depth. It also had a rather generous amount of spade leaf which dominated the salad. The Tamarind Vinaigrette dressing added subtle sour undertones.

Chicken Doner sounds like a homage to Kebab Doner and sounded similar to Kebab Doughnut(I swear that I heard one of the servers say this). This pita pocket was full of a mixture made out of roasted chicken and Tzatziki. It also had pickled beetroot and house made fresh Aioli. One cannot help but sense the flavor resemblance to Shawarmas. The only problem that I saw with these pockets were their inherent ephemeral nature. They got over too fast.

The Braised Pork Belly with Kimchi was quite pedestrian. The Pork belly had an acceptable flavor but it felt far more buttery/fatty than normal. The salty meaty flavor was overshadowed by the uneasy feeling of oiliness. The accompanied Kimchi was a damp squib in both visuals and flavors. It felt like cabbage leaves coated with some sauce. Have easily had better Kimchi than this.

Beetroot Borani is a rarely found variant of the famous Irani yoghurt dip. This was sweet, slightly savory and all around fun. It also had a "just right" mixture of spices which enhanced its flavor to near perfection. The visuals, aroma and the taste all worked well with this one. Vegetarians would enjoy this dish.

Sassoon Dock pizza was recommended by a few Zoman reviewers that I follow. Thus I made it a point to sample it while at F&S. True to its billing, it was a genuine Napolitano pizza. The rustic crust was a hall mark of a genuinely wood fired oven pizza. It had the aroma of Naples and was loaded with sea food. Calamari, fish, clams and fish - all cooked to perfection. The toppings felt very Mediterranean.

But just like how a bad singer can adversely affect the performance of a choir, the pizza sauce somehow felt excessively salty. Mistakes do happen and I am told that I may have drawn a bad straw with this one. Well, I guess that I may try this again on another day.

The Finger Lickin Duck was the star of the night as far as my opinion goes. This sandwich was made of whole duck, caramelized onions, Gruyere Cheese, poached orange segments and a bit of house made mustard sauce. The flavor was a mix of salty, slightly zesty, sweet and pungent flavors. The flavor captured me taste buds like a veteran cowboy rounding up cattle. There were many things happening with every bite. This sandwich was an experience in itself. Despite being a bit pricey, the experience felt well worth it.

Captain : Poseidon be upon us. This is quite juicy.

Navigator : Hmmm.

Captain : Why are you staring at the map?

Navigator : I think I saw something interesting. But I am not sure what it means. 

Captain : Tell me when you figure it out and stop wasting precious dialog space mate.

The White Chocolate cheesecake was sure a strange one. On visuals, it did not appear to be a traditional cheesecake but yet it was made of cream cheese and tasted like a genuine Philadelphia cheesecake. It also had a sweet and pleasant aroma. The chocolate scrolls and pomegranate coulis didn't seem to augment the flavor and were merely added for visuals which ironically could be improved.

The service was decent but greatly stressed under chaos since a ton of bloggers had dropped upon the small place. But I think that under the pressure, they acted quite professionally and decently. Though, they could be a little more informed on the names and ingredients.

The pricing is on the higher side of the scales. While its a welcome climb down from the steep pricing structure at its former avatar, the pricing still feels a bit high. Some items on the menu feel well worth the moolah though some feel a bit of scroogey on the portion sizes.

As I mentioned before, the farmer has got his heart in the right place but there is still a long journey that needs to be covered before he reaches his zenith. The food is good, the pricing can be adjusted and may give this place another shot in the future.

The Captain's Score : 7/10

"
Captain : This place shows no sign of the next clue. Maybe we should ransack the place till we find it.

Navigator : That may not be needed Capitan. Have a look at the map.

Captain : What the...? Why did you draw these lines on it?

Navigator : Have a look closely. I took the four places that we have been to so far including this one. Then I drew lines between this place and the Daily Bar. And another line between Cafe Free India and Please Dont tell.

Captain : And what of it?

Navigator : These lines intersect at a certain point. That point is a small but popular isle in the blue yonder.

Captain : Sounds like co - incidence to me. You are over thinking it mate.

Navigator :  Perhaps I am but the intersection happens at the exact center of this tiny island. It cannot be co-incidence. I think that this restaurant's location itself was the clue.

Captain : Hmm, I don't like this theory but you do make it sound intriguing.
"

Map Co-Ordinates
Farmer and Sons
105, Apollo Street,
Bombay Samachar Marg,
Kala Ghoda, Mumbai


 -I was part of an invited Food Blogger(FBAI) delegation, hence the meal was on the house . But my post is objective and neutral.-

The Salad Bar & Walnut Cafe - Vashi, Navi Mumbai

The waves rose and fell as the ship traveled over rough seas. A storm was on the horizon and I wondered if I shall make it to a safe coast before hitting the tempest. I looked up at the sky as I heard a distant thunder. I took out me looking glass and stared into the infinity. I spotted something in the distance. The lookout looked down at me and smiled, "Land Ahoy, Captain." I grinned as we avoided the storm and made it to the port. "All right lads, haul in the sails and dock the ship."

Traveling to Vashi is like traveling to another town. In fact, its so far that even free grub may not be a carrot large enough to lure me. Although if thats a cooked tasty carrot, then I may re-consider ha. So when I was offered an opportunity to taste at a newly opened establishment, it did put me in a fair amount of thought. Traveling through Mumbai's rains can be quite a daunting task and if one gets stuck in traffic due to the rains then it can be a self haunting decision. So like any sensible person on the planet, I left my decision on nature. If rain then no game.

On the fateful day, there was no rain. Smiling, I picked up my stuff and went ahead with my trip. The fare was well worth the trip in the end. My destination was a little hard to find since its located inside a building whose main entrance says "Do not Open Door." Yet one must push that door to go in. The Salad Bar & Walnut Cafe is located on the first floor of Haware Infotech Park and by that I actually mean a single building. The small cafe sits quietly near the balcony facing Hotel Sheraton. It resembles an evening pub due to its decor and such but its a cafe indeed.

I would have loved to come in the evening. The lights and the colors felt like they would be more lively past sunset but I guess that is for another time. I quietly sat on a table by the large glass panes facing Hotel Sheraton and some giant beehives on a building far far away.

The Salad Bar serves healthy grub while the Walnut Cafe serves continental grub. My experience was a mix of both these worlds. Its important to note that this place offers 26 different kinds of salads so its a heaven for a salad lover.

Citrus Cooler was a health drink and each of its ingredients played a key role in it. The Orange provided the color and primary flavor, the carrots added the roughage, the ginger supplied the secondary flavor and a tinge of honey for natural sweetness. Although not billed to contain pomegranate, I positively felt that there was some Pomegranate in it. Strictly for health and salad buffs.

Captain : Somehow, I feel that this little muggy would have done better with some rummy.

Crewmate : Well Cappy, we do need strong hands on the helm or we are doomed.

Captain : One for the crew then.

Arugula Curried Chicken Salad was a house special made of glass noodles and contained Arugula(obviously), Water Chestnuts, Curried Chicken, bean sprouts and Lettuce. It came with a Orange Carrot Vinaigrette dressing and a generous sprinkling of Orange Zest. As a vegetarian salad this item was perfect. The plating appeared appetizing and the grub was made of healthy ingredients. As a chicken salad however, I felt that it could not make the mark. The amount of chicken felt too little to make much impact on the taste. It almost felt like Irrfan Khan's screen time in Jurassic World.

Moving towards the Walnut Cafe world, I started with a Minced Lamb Steak. The presentation was amazing. The potato mashing was very flavorsome and felt much like the potato stuffing used in Aloo Parathas. It was much better than the tasteless potato mashes served in some upscale places. The Lamb steak was made out of minced meat and served with Demi glaced sauce. Herbed Rice completed the roughage segment of the dish. The steak was very tender and full of flavor. It's taste was further enhanced by the Demi Glace which is akin to giving a buffed bodybuilder a loaded machine gun. More win on something that already wins. A bit of meat with some mashing and a spoonful of rice provided a fulfilling bite.

Chicken Teriyaki is a dish with which very little can ever go wrong. A nice tender leg of chicken completely draped in Teriyaki was served with some vegetables and a mixture of Pea puree and Humus. The Pea-Humus mixture(or Phumus henceforth) was an excellent concoction. I was initially worried that it will pale in front of the Teriyaki but it was a formidable teammate in itself. The flavors complimented each other quite well. The plating was good but just for aesthetics, a little Teriyaki art won't be bad.

Captain : Tis' be just one drumstick. Now how do we share that?

Crewmate : Well we can try cutting...

Captain : You can have all the greens, leave the little drumstick for me.

Crewmate : Quite generous Cappy.

Basil Pesto Pasta was one of the best Pasta dishes that I have ever had. Toasted garlic bread topped with a portion of Pasta and chicken tastes quite heavenly. This dish pleases three senses namely smell, taste and sight. The plating may not be the best but its quite good. The flavor was a wonderful blend of Parmesan, Pesto and Basil with soft pasta (slightly beyond Al Dente). A true tease to the tongue if I may put it loosely.

Captain : So I take one slice of bread, put some pasta in and cover it with the other. A perfect pasta sandwich.

Crewmate : That be a fine idea Cappy but that doesn't leave any bread for me.

Captain : (nomnom)

Crewmate : Are you even listening?

Brownie with Ice Cream looked good on visuals but the taste was no different from the average Brownie elsewhere. Apart from Brownies, there was an eggless pastry and cheesecake on offer. I felt that they could do with a few more dessert options.

The service was decent. I did feel that the server fumbled with descriptions and could have been more informed.


The pricing seems to be tipped on both sides of the scale for me. For Salad Bar, I think its slightly on the upper side. For Walnut Cafe, I feel its just right for the mains. Some items feel cheaper than the prices that I am accustomed to in Mumbai and some feel higher.


The Salad Bar & Walnut Cafe has a lot of highs. The highs include the health food, flavorsome mains and the pub like ambiance. The only low for me was the lack of choice in desserts on the day.

Leaving this Vitamin periodic table picture here since I felt it was hilarious.

The Captain's Score : 7/10

"Oye fellas, all that health food should have powered your lazy arses up. We have dark clouds on the horizon. Put all yer sweat and power in. Lets steer through the storm."

Map Co-Ordinates
The Salad Bar & Walnut Cafe

F9, 1st Floor,
Haware Infotech Park, Sector 30 A,
Vashi, Navi Mumbai

-I was invited by Pooja Trehan Dhamecha of NaviMumbaiFoodies to try out the place. These interesting folks can be found on twitter.com/navimumfoodies -

Quiznos - Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai

It was a day like any other. The vast infinity of the sea, the normalcy of life and average fast food. Suddenly, one of my crew mates ran into my cabin yelling, "Submarine...Captain,  Submarine." I got up and asked. "Where?" I was worried that me ship will collide with a submarine but then the frantic lad clarified that he meant submarine sandwiches at a place called Quiznos. After giving him a week long duty of sweeping the decks, I set course for Quiznos.

Located on a well known land of food called "Bandra Linking Road", I wondered what mysteries await me at Quiznos.

Quiznos is the new champion of the ring when it comes to American Submarine sandwiches or in short Subs. I had written off Subway months ago since I was tired of cold, soggy and unloved subs offered by them. But I had not written away subs. Quiznos was the perfect answer to my cravings for Sub. Toasted, warm and made with real ingredients. Quiznos has delivered a knockout blow to the competition in terms of quality. If you want a good Sub, it has got to be at Quiznos.

Located opposite National college on linking road, Quiznos is relatively easy to reach. It just took me a ten minute walk from the Bandra station to reach here. If you are located in Bandra or Southern Mumbai then there is always a direct bus route that connects you to a hundred meter vicinity of Quiznos. It could be a little hard to spot for first timers. But it is near the traffic signal and you would see it if you walk towards the signal.

At first glance, Quiznos appears as a typical mini cafe type restaurant but in spirit it is entirely different. Once you step inside, it feels like a different world compared to the chaotic college street-traffic junction outside. You leave the chaos at the doorstep and step through a portal that transports you to a place of relative tranquility. Indeed, that is what I felt as I entered Quiznos. And this is during the day. At night the place goes gold, literally. The indoor lighting work is nothing short of brilliant.

I soon met one of Quiznos' Chiefs - Bhavna Khatri. Along with her husband Bhavesh Khatri and his cousin Kunal Khatri, they make up a very young trio of entrepreneurs. Their feat is commendable as they have introduced Quiznos to Mumbai.

After going through the menu and discussing the subs with Bhavna, I decided to try something which I have never had as a sandwich before.A Tuna Melt Sub accompanied with Chicken Breast Salad.

Crew Mate : Cap, it looks like a regular Sub to me. Whats new ?

Captain : Appearances aren't everything lad. Lets have a taste.

Crew Mate: So how is it Cap?... Captain ?... You could stop eating for a second and tell me.

Captain : The love of the seas. The Tuna aye. So good, must eat first. Must ignore me silly pesky crew.

At a cursory glance it resembles any other sub but the experience begins when you touch it, savor its aroma and then eat it. I was skeptical at the start but as soon as I took my first bite, I knew that it was top notch. Tuna is a fish which can taste very differently in the way its prepared. Tuna in Japanese food or pizza or a Sub can taste different. The Quiznos Tuna Melt Sub was a flavorsome preparation. Unlike Subway, the sandwich was not soggy and did not disintegrate when I lifted it up. It remained in one piece and I could comfortably take bites without dropping the stuffing out of it. There was no over dose of vegetables and sauces. The flavor of the "sweet n savory" Tuna meat remained intact. Along-with mayonnaise dressing and melt in your mouth cheese, this sub was exemplary.

One oft wonders how the world would be if things evolved differently. What if ships were made using a different principle? What if Gravity was a lot more complex than we understand it as? What if Subs were toasted instead of being dumped cold on a roll of paper?

Subway Subs are not warmed. They are assembled at a record speed using ingredients which are the opposite of pristine. Impressive for the assembler. Not so much for the consumer. Quiznos uses better ingredients, meats and is even a bit healthier than its competition. Everything is baked, nothing is fried. And then they add the secret ingredient. Chemical X ? No silly, they toast it *wink*. Food is made with lots of love and a little chemistry. And temperature is a pretty big aspect of that chemistry. Toasting a sub gives it a distinct flavor which definitely befriends your taste buds. And you get such Subs only at Quiznos.

Captain : I dont like Greens, A man of sea cannot eat Salad !

Crewmate : But you must try  Green salad and chicken.

Captain : Don't you Dr. Seuss me.

Despite not being a big fan of Salads, I was still tempted to try the Chicken Breast Salad. The delicate balance of the vegetables and the chicken could be tasted in every bite. The olive was the dominant ingredient in sense of flavor from the vegetarian team. And for the other team, the chicken blended perfectly with the ranch dressing.

The vegetables appeared to have a good texture and quality. This was a much welcomed contrast to the lackluster greens used in salads at other fast food chains. It was visibly enticing and tasted equally great. And as a bonus, it was quite healthy as well. If you are on a diet but your taste buds keep you awake at night then the Quiznos Salad is definitely a viable option to your cravings.

Captain : I like Green Salad and chicken in a Cafe, I like Green Salad and chicken on a ship. Thank you Sam.

Crew Mate : My name is not Sam, Captain.

They offer gourmet cookies as desserts. They offer pizzas too. Since I did not try the Pizzas yet, I can't comment much about them. I would just say that if they follow the same standard like they do for their subs, then these are positively good pizzas.

The pricing is slightly higher than Subway. But given their greater standard of food , the difference is not even worth mentioning. Quiznos doesn't show less than believable TV ads or have excessive brand promotions. But they win at taste and that's all that matters for an eatery.

Quiznos is still a fledgling in Mumbai and it has a long distance to go. They certainly have the food for it. I would like to see Quiznos outlets in the suburbs. If there was a Quiznos outlet near my home, it would definitely be one of my regular hangouts. I would certainly choose it over McDonalds, Subways and Cafe days.

Concluding, I would say that the food was definitely worth my long epicurean trek to Quiznos. I would recommend it.

Score 9/10

"Time to move ya lazy lads. The oceans are waiting. Until next time!"


-The Writer was invited to try Quiznos-