Tuskers at Sofitel - BKC, Mumbai.

Tuskers is the only pure vegetarian restaurant inside a Five star property in Mumbai. Located inside Sofitel in BKC Mumbai, the restaurant feels like a different world in the otherwise French themed Sofitel. However, the place has a certain charm to it which can be felt by both tourists and locals. With no shortage of purely vegetarian places in Mumbai, one must wonder why Tuskers?

The location immediately cuts out the noisy and undesirable crowd for one. The experience of veteran Chef Maharaja Jankidas Vaishnav (Lets call him MJV for now) is another thing. The man loves his job and when I found that he personally traveled to some of the most remote locales of India in search of new dishes for his new menu, I just had to sample his find. Beats traveling by back roads to rural places that I have never heard about.

The set up was very typical of a fine dine inside a five star. Golden dimmed lights and fancy furniture were the first things to catch attention. Some faux elephant tusks in form of plastic decorations hung around the place. The kites visible in the picture were a temporary addition to observe the Kite festival. The basic set up reminded me very much of Artisan downstairs.

Ratalo Ki Tikki were soft Ube (purple yam) cutlets. These were spicy, savory with a cornmeal like flavor. The dry texture was well complemented with the chutneys served along with it.

Mathania Mirch ka Paneer was paneer wrapped in a spicy chili mix sourced from the village of Mathania in Rajasthan. The flavor felt like a mix of tandoori paneer and a bit of Achari(pickled) flavor. I wouldn't say that is a bad thing but I did expect something unique out of this one.

Pyaaz Kachori was definitely the highlight among the appetizers. Unlike most items on the menu which were rarely heard of, this was a well known item in North Indian locales. A flavor commonly found in Delhi and Jaipur. The Kachori was very savory with the flavors of sev, curd and chutney orchestrating a perfect harmony.

Suwa Dal Wada tasted much like the regular Dal wada found in Mumbai. The addition of dill was unique and its dry texture was typical of the food made in the desert regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat. I however found this a little too salty for my liking. 

Sangri Ke Kofte were vegetable balls made of potato, spices and the treasure of the desert - Sangri. Sangri is a bean that grows in the arid regions of Rajasthan. From being initiated into Rajasthani cuisine as a means to survive when no other vegetables were available to evolving as a top quality ingredient used to make wedding dishes.

These soft Koftas were immersed in a gorgeous orange gravy made of cashew.  The flavors were spicy, subtly pungent and a bit of fennel could also be felt. This dish cannot be found elsewhere. So if you are in Tuskers, this dish must be on your table.

Suwa Palak chana Dal was a dish with very thick consistency. It was primarily made of Spinach(palak) and chana dal which made it rich and delicious. The flavor also had subtle hints of dill. I have had Lentil soups (Dals) and Indian Spinach preparations before but this was something completely different from either.

It felt very West Indian and I could feel myself transported to the rural Rajasthani - Gujarati locales. And for me, food that evokes memories or transports your senses to a place far away is absolutely the best.

Rajwadi Dhokli is a take on Dal Dhokli which is basically chickpea dumplings immersed in a strong curd based curry. While it carried the pungency and the savory flavor of Dal Dhokli , this variation was quite salty which is typical of a desert dish. It went well with the served breads as the breads reduced the salty sensation.

Kathiyawadi Undiyo is a colorful dish with a depth of flavors from the Saurashtra region located at the westernmost tip of India. India is a colorful tapestry of varied cultures and infinite culinary treasures and Undiyo itself has three different variations. This variant was full of pot cooked vegetables and spices. It carried the flavor of coastal Gujarat and the hot summers of Saurashtra. The dish is a vegetarian's delight with savory and spicy flavors. The aroma is very earthy and appetizing. Another must have dish from the new menu.

Dal Panchmel was a lentil soup made out of five different Dals(lentils) forming a flavor completely different from any of the five dals taken individually. It was very similar to the popular Gujarati-Rajasthani lentil dish found in many restaurants known as Dal Paanch ratna. It went great with the Rajasthani Khoba rotis which were spiral breads with many indentations.

The bread was more beautiful than what you see in the picture. The low light cloaked the texture in the picture. These breads are extremely rare and considered a luxury in today's times. It was a pleasant surprise to find these at Tuskers.

I ended the meal with a Raj Bhog which is an improved version of Ras Gullas. These sponges were full of crushed dry fruits and were sweet and juicy inside. The experience was not much different from the Raj bhogs sold in Indian Mithai shops. Dry fruits were once considered a luxury afforded only by Royalty and nobility. Hence, its apt that its called Raj Bhog which literally translates to Royal delight.

The service was professional and as this was a chef's table, Chef MJV also gave us a bit of wisdom about the origin of each dish. This is stuff one cannot google and formed the basis of this post as well.

The pricing is typical of what is expected inside a five star Hotel. It is on the higher side but the restaurant has been popular with the local folks as well as the tourists residing in the Hotel. It is another one of the must visit places for any epicure in Mumbai.

I will admit that I prefer non vegetarian food over vegetarian and quiet meals for two over a communal table full of bloggers. But the experience at Tusker's was on a level of its own. The grub was delicious and a delightful experience. Have a taste of the finest food from Gujarat and Rajasthan at Tuskers.

The Captain's Score : 8/10

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

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

Belstone - Lower Parel, Mumbai

As we camped near the coasts that night, it started to rain heavily. There was a storm nearby. It be a good thing that we were near the coasts but the seas were incredibly turbulent. There was always a risk of the ship being pushed onto dangerous rocks near the coast. I sat in me cabin resting as the thunder and the rough seas deafened the sounds from outside. Suddenly my radio came alive breaking the passive moment. It was firsty.

"All hands on deck mate, we are under attack."

Belstone used to be a small restaurant near the Palladium mall. I had passed it countless times but never actually been in it. So when my inbox received a mail from their rep about their "opening", I was a little bit confused. It turned turned out that Belstone had actually opened a new place in Raghuvanshi mills. A much larger place and a completely new restaurant so to say.

Belstone is large with a lot of empty space. The decor looks very spartan and the place may resemble a large lunch home. It kind of reminded me of thali restaurants in Surat, Gujarat. The decor, motivational slogans and lighting have completely been done by the owner Vinay Jain who happens to be an interior designer by education.

There were also these private rooms which can be booked by groups for a private meal. The low lying table reminded me of Japanese private lunch rooms though the North Indian roll-a-pillows added a very Indian feel to it.

The menu at Belstone is as large as their dining area. There are a lot of options covering Indian, Chinese, Italian and Mexican options.

The Kiwi Lychee cooler was suggested by the serving staff. The drink was cool, sweet and slightly tangy. Worked well as a cooler though not as a mocktail. The restaurant is purely vegetarian and doesn't serve alcohol so coolers among other drinks are your best options to accompany food.

Lemon grass soup was slightly on the saltier side but that could just be me with my over sensitivity to salt. (I love Japanese food and low salt). The lemon grass was not immediately perceivable but as I dug deeper into the bowl, the flavor got better and I got a subtle and "just right" flavor of lemon grass. The soup worked well in creating a food appetite.

Paneer Hariyali was as good as they come. The flavor was perfect. The paneer was soft and fresh with great texture. The vegetables complemented the chunks perfectly. I am used to having this nibble with a cocktail in pubs, mostly with a Pinacolada or Mojito. Would be a cool idea if the restaurant adds virgin versions of popular cocktails to the menu.

Belstone Sandwich was the restaurant's specialty that fared quite well in its older avatar. It seemed to be a crowd favorite too as this image(Different angle) became kind of viral on my instagram. It does have the street food vibe to it. The flavor was smooth, savory and simply delicious. The cheese and the greens were in a balanced proportion and it was topped with a light layer of butter, cheese and paprika. Whether you are a food writer or a regular patron, this sandwich is a must for both visuals and flavors.

Captain : Who would be attacking us on the sea in the middle of a storm? Those yellow bellied cowards. 

Crewmate : The leader calls himself Little Cuvo. Imbecile ordered us to surrender the ship and disembark.

Captain : I am gonna carve up this Cuvo scallywag.

Fusion Nachos was the best dish of the night. These green colored nachos were the result of spinach being added to the the tortilla mixture. Vinay states that he encountered the dish while traveling abroad and thought of bringing it to India. And he did well. The Nachos were among the best I have had, these were loaded with generous amounts of cheese and had an island of vegetable Manchurians in the middle. Though not the best combination, the two savory delights did seem to work together in this Fusion dish. There was even a little lake of sour cream in the middle of the manchurian island.  Definitely a must have.

Enemy Fighter : Boss, what do we do? We haven't really fought a real battle in our lives.

Little Cuvo : Just see what they be doing. And do the same.

Enemy Fighter : That cannot work, they will always be one step ahead of us.

Little Cuvo : I have lived my entire life like that. We will kill them and take their ship and bux.

Enemy Fighter : Bux? You mean their Gold right?

The Menu does not have many desserts at this point but I am told that the restaurant plans to open a separate patisserie somewhere on the property.

The service was fine though this being born out of a press invite, a server always kept a watchful eye on my table appearing instantly whenever the need arose.

The Pricing is similar to other premium vegetarian places in this part of town. Its kept pocket friendly for salary men and students alike.

Belstone shows potential. There were ups and downs but the overall experience was good. There is a lot that can be improved and I look forward to that patisserie being added.

The Captain's Score : 7/10

"

Captain : These fools are attacking us for real? They are just trying to imitate our moves. 

Firsty : Their powder is wet mate. Ours isn't, we can attack them from the cannon deck.

Captain : This ought to be fun. I want this Cuvo guy captured alive and brought before me.

Gunner : They way these scallywags are going, that shouldn't take us too long.

"


Map Co-Ordinates
Belstone,

Raghuvanshi Mills,

Senapati Bapat Marg,

Lower Parel, Mumbai

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

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.-

Food by Chef Sisters - Borivali West, Mumbai

We sail to the farthest ends of the ocean for good grub so when I saw a mark at the very edge of this ocean's map, I took it as a challenge. Rough waves, sea monsters, Ship Jams(Those dense sailors congest narrow lanes) and bad directions did not deter me from reaching me destination. This was almost a new frontier for us. The islands over here were much different from those in the southern seas, but eh true adventure lies in the unknown.

Borivali West is not your typical food district. The food is very local, the crowds are harsh and its out of reach for most people living south of Andheri. However, there have still been a few legends in this area on the food scene. City of Joy/Zip Zap Zoom for example was an iconic place. All residents of this side probably know about this. However, old legends die and new players take their place. The newest player in this part of town is "Chef Sisters - The freshtraunt."

The place may look like any local Borivali eatery from a distance but upon closer inspection one can find an attractive patisserie and a cafe within. I had walked in not expecting much, but came out as happy as I was after visiting places like Skyview Cafe, Firki or Spices & Flavors.

The place is helmed by two cousins who are both Chefs, Hasti and Hiloni. Hasti takes care of the patisserie while Hiloni takes care of the grub. Both cousins have worked hard to adapt Mexican, Chinese and Italian cuisines to the typical vegetarian eating populace of Borivali west. But this place is far more than the local Shiv Sagars and sandwich shops. The food is good, like really good.

As the meals were being prepared, I was treated to this shot platter by Chef Hiloni Goradia who is one of the Chef Sisters. The platter known as Volcano shots uses dry ice to create the namesake effect. The other five tubes have different flavored virgin shots. Orange, Raw Mango, Strawberry, Pineapple and blue Curacao. They all taste like liquid candy. For INR 120 this is quite a treat.

Tibetan Thukpa Soup is a vegetarian rework of a popular soup found in North east India. As per visuals, the soup is a good emulation of the original. Just that it is a little greener. That largely owes to the fact that its a pure vegetarian version without meat and more greens. The soup has an earthy flavor and savory spicy undertones. It has noodles and garden vegetables inside it. I think its quite a good soup for cold climates. Makes one feel warm inside. Its served with a side of fried noodles which in my personal opinion does not pair well.

Masala Cheese garlic bread contained more than just cheese and garlic. It contained spiced and finely chopped vegetables which added a Mumbai street food like touch to it. It tasted like a fusion of Cheese-Garlic and Bhel Puri.(Or a fusion with Pico de gallo - take your pick.) This was much more satisfying than the run of the mill Garlic breads.

Bianca Pizza is a snow white pizza which naturally is vegetarian even in good ol' Italy. The version here appeared slightly greener and had large chunks of Pineapple in it. The fusion of white sauce, pineapples, herbs and Jalapenos was quite a unique mix of salty, savory and sweet. Chef Hiloni combined Western with Indian quite well. The end result was amazing. Its difficult to describe the flavor here and one must visit the place to sample it for themselves.

Moroccan spiced vegetables with garlic rice. This was a mix of a Moroccan base recipe with a lot of Indian(prominently Gujarati techniques). The end result was an addictive curry and rice. While the rice on its own tasted a little better than boiled rice, the magic lied in the curry. It was smooth, savory and full of flavor. It was great on its own but pairs well with the rice too. It is quite a designer option against the same old home made Dal Chawal. This was me favorite among the mains.

Captain : I decree that we will use this Moroccan curry. No more lentil that makes us mental.

Crewmate : Quite a rhyme, its cheesiness makes it a crime.

Captain : Watch yer tongue mate, now yer gonna wash the toilet.
.

Pasta with smoky mushroom sauce was quite a delight. It was as good as the Moroccan dish. This was smooth Pasta with a cheesy sauce mixed with mushroom bits. The smoky flavor was not perceived instantly. It was an undertone sensed at the end of the bite. The pasta offerings at Chef sisters are quite diverse. They have ten different variants and offer Jain customizations as well.

Its easy to overlook the desserts inside the restaurant due to the attractive pastry case at the patisserie outside. But great are the rewards for those with patience. Sample this Rabdi Cake for instance. Its a visual treat. This large chunk of cake sits in a Rabdi pool. Pastry Chef Hasti has perfectly fused Indian and Western together.

The sweet Rabdi, the delectable milk soaked cake, the cream above and the terrace made out of white chocolate ganache completes this saccharine structure. Its sweet, aromatic and possibly one of the best sweet dishes I have ever had.

The Rabdi Cake is unique to this place so Chef Sisters is your destination, if you are cravin' . Before I forget to mention, this thing costs only INR 180(210 in the indoor A/C area). Desserts of similar size and caliber usually cost over 250 INR in other places.

Captain : Did I mention about my duel with Captain Bellamy?

Crewmate : That isn't possible unless you are over three hundred years old...wait.

Captain : The bastard wanted me pearly Rabdi cake. I fought hard for it but he ran away with it anyway. Now I finally see it again. And its beautiful.

Crewmate : Cool story Bruh.

The service is decent and my server was genuinely concerned that I might let my food get cold getting caught up in photography.

The pricing is very easy on the pockets. It is quality food at suburban prices. It seems to be targeted towards the student crowds. For working white collared folks, these prices are almost nothing.

Since I did mention the patisserie outside, I managed to steal a few shots. Trust me it looks better in real.

Captain : O_O :)

Crewmate : O_O

Captain : O_O :Dp

Crewmate : We should totally plunder that case.

Chef Sisters has the potential to be a local legend. It is a gem in a coal mine. This side of town was in need of a famous landmark other than Sanjay Gandhi National Park. This little cafe can be the answer. The owners are doing well and can do better. Meanwhile, Captain says give Chef Sisters a try. Ya won't be disappointed unless yer heart is two sizes too small.

The journey to the other side of town was well worth it. 

The Captain's Score : 8/10

"Aye Lads, we should have raided that patisserie. But lets leave that for next time."


Map Co-Ordinates
Chef Sisters
7 & 8, Hari Om Apartments,
S. V Road,
Borivali West, Mumbai.


-I was invited by the Restaurant's PR to meet the owners and sample the grub. However, my review is neutral and free of any biases. I genuinely enjoyed the food-




 

29 - Kemps Corner, Mumbai

"I noted that me sense of direction is better at sea than on the land. A few minutes back we had landed on this glitzy island of fun. But we were completely lost in the landlubber's paradise. I asked me men to spread out into different directions and locate our destination. As they dispersed, I along with one of me mateys walked in our chosen path. I saw a strange sight in the distance. It was a map made out of paint cans. And then it hit me, 29 is the number of states in India. This strange place had to be our destination."

"All aboard the Indian Super Express." That was literally the first thing I could think of when I entered 29. It being a really long and narrow community hall, I could feel that I was inside a train of some sort. The restaurant was brand new at the time of my visit. It still had some smell of the newly done paint job. And if that wasn't intriguing enough, the owner Nishek Jain told me that depleted paint cans from the restaurant's paint work were used to make an outline of India at the entrance.

29 sports a simple ambiance, apart from the train like feel. The tables mimic those used in small town restaurants and the decor has a very spartan feel to it. There are two lanes as evident from the pictures with differently done walls and ceiling lights on both sides. 29 literally mixes a city restaurant with a dash of small town culture.

A visibly tired Nishek(Getting a newly done place into service) was looking like a server himself. And the bloke was actually proud of it. He explained how he desired to bring the food of the twenty nine Indian states under one roof. Great Emperors have failed in bringing it all under one roof, could Nishek achieve what they couldn't?

There were some hits and some misses with 29's food. The place has a long way to go before it becomes a popular mainstreamer but it certainly had spirited beginnings.

Nimbu Paani - This was supposed to be a lemonade but I felt that it tasted more like a Jaljeera (cumin spiced water) drink. There was Jaljeera present in it and it overpowered the lemon's sour. I actually think this was a communication error. Jaljeera is usually used as an appetizer in Indian cuisines and this drink did a great job of that.

Following up next was the Four state platter served in a fancy and interesting way. Let me close in on each of the passengers.

Captain : Lets spin tis' thing and pick one of each.

Crewmate : What about the Dilli Chaat Cappy? There is just one of that.

Captain : I will spin first.

The chutneys served with the platter. There is mint, Sanmeholi and Tomato paste.

Potato chops with Assamese Sanmeholi Chutney. These tasted like soft potato cutlets with some onion and garlic thrown in. This complimented very well with the Sanmeholi Chutney which literally translates to mixed green chutney. The chutney is made out of garden herbs and chilies. This could make a great snack.

Dilli Chat is a mix mash of Samosas, crunchy poppadoms, Namak Pare(Salty Indian fried snacks) and pakodas. It was topped with sev and curd. Visibly, it does emulate Dilli chat with that edible basket bowl. It had the right amount of savory as well but what I felt was lacking was the right amount of chatpata. It lacked the spicy tangy kick that was expected of it. And the basket had a blistered texture which could be a turn off to food photographers.

Bharwan Khumb is one of the few known mushroom based Indian delicacies. I have usually associated this with the frontier Punjabi cuisine though its billed as Garwahli(Mountainous Uttarkhand State) delicacy at 29. This is usually supposed to be made of the Khumb mushrooms which may resemble button mushrooms. The mushrooms were apparently stuffed with spices, a bit of cheese and fried with a batter coating. Truth be said, I felt that the flavor was insipid. I could not sense the stuffing. And the batter coating seems to be atypical to this dish. It robs the dish of its naturally soft textured appearance.

Jodhpuri Pyaz Kachori (Jodhpur's fried Onion dumplings) was a delicacy from Rajasthan. This was the highest point of the four state platter. Figuratively and literally(It was at the highest position of the serving contraption) both. The outer shell was made of flour mixed with semolina, carom seeds and milk. It had more flavor depth than samosa like deep fried dumplings.

The stuffing was made of potatoes, onion, peas with spices and seeds. The appearance was not only colorful, befitting of the foodporn tag but the flavor was like a book in which each page was a separate story. Several shades of savory and salty entwined into a masterpiece that tantalized the tongue.

Mizoram Lal Hara Chaat was more than lal hara(Red Green) with a significant amount of Peela(yellow) as well. This was served as a palate cleanser but eh it had too much of a flavor of its own. This tasted exactly like the sprouts-gram salad that I have at home which I admittedly am not too fond of.

Dalimbichi with Usal ani Arbi Amti The dish was as difficult to capture on camera as its pronunciation. But it was quite a soulful dish. The sweet and sour colocasia(Arbi) curry had the flavors of rural Maharashtra. The dry field beans(Usal) tasted earthy and were great when mixed with rice and the curry.
This may be a simple looking dish but the flavors speak volumes.

Captain : I can never pronounce tis' right but I still love it.

Crewmate : Maybe you should have brought along the linguist to remember it.

Captain : We have a linguist?!! 

Crewmate : Somehow I feel you have said that before.

Kashmiri Paneer Rolls were a vegetarian avatar of the famed Kashmiri meat Rolls. The rich red gravy inside and the bread seemed to be an accurate emulation though the paneer felt a little too big. The flavor had not wrapped well around the paneer. Methinks this would have worked better with smaller cubes or minced paneer.

Litti Chokha with Baigan Bharta - Litti Chokha is literally stuffed bread eaten in the states of Bihar and Jharkhand. Though its mostly stuffed with minced meat, a purely vegetarian variant is quite popular too. The breads here were well cooked. Too well cooked actually. A little blackening would have helped it gaining a smoky rural flavor which is very much enjoyed in the North (This is an actual practice).

The stuffing was flavorful with minced greens and spices. The breads and mashing went really well together. The Baigan Bharta (Cooked Aubergine) however felt a bit out of place though that could be due to my personal dislike of the bitter vegetable.

The breads should not have bisected before serving. That would have helped retain the internal aroma which largely escaped by the time the dish reached the table.

Kanpuri Tikka Pulav was a delectable rice preparation. I wouldn't know how much influence did Kanpur actually have in it since the flavor resembled a vegetable herbed pulav found at many places in Mumbai. The only element that could perhaps have been from Kanpur city were the twin paneer add ons. The Spicy red paneer tikka and the makhani yellow versions faced each other in some sort of duel over the rice. These cheeses independently tasted great though they appeared like post work additions hence played very little influence on the rice itself.


I felt that there was a lack of diversity in the desserts served. One could find twenty nine desserts in twenty nine states but I cannot seem to bring myself to sing paeans about what was served to us.

Kesar Malai Ke Ladoo were fragrant, soft and spongy dumplings with little sugar and had a saffron flavoring. These felt incredibly light and pleasant flavored. Would be quite the treat for those with low sugar tolerance.

Captain : This be a soft affair.

Crewmate : Tasty affair too.

Captain : Wait a minute, did ya eat all of them?

Crewmate : Sorry Captain, I could not hold meself.

Captain : Guess who is getting Deckswe...no toilet scrubbing duties this week.

Mawa Jalebi with Kesar Rabadi had a remarkably different color and texture from the everyday street side Jalebis that I am used to. These were made of flour mixed with Mawa(Reduced Milk) and fried in good quality oil before being bathed in the sugar syrup. The taste seemed to mimic regular jalebis. But it had a better aroma. These were served with saffron infused Rabdi which I could not get to taste.

The service has a lot of room for improvement. There were a lot of teething issues and the desserts were delayed by quite a bit. The servers need to know about the vast array of dishes or at least have cheat sheets. They were clueless on many of the dishes. Their demeanor however was good and the crew was polite.

The Pricing seems fair for the portion sizes served. It is the kind that encourages patrons to come again after a good experience.

The food felt like an eclectic mix of cuisines from all over India. I think the essence of this place truly comes out when one orders stuff from one region instead of many. Ordering from many different regions tends to make a person feel that there isn't much diversity. Its simply a case of a palate suffering from several cultural shocks in a short period of time.

One should stick to one or two states instead of several. So the place is worth several trips and each time a different experience can be lived. In fact, one could even sit under the certain state nameplates and order food from those regions. Sounds like an interesting idea.

The Captain's Score : 7/10

"Some done, many to go. We will ride our sails and come back to this place some day again."

Map Co-Ordinates
29

Ground Floor, Mohammedbhay Mansion,
Near Cumballa Hill Hospital,
Kemps Corner, Mumbai


-I was invited to a Bloggers table meet by the restaurants PR.-