Escobar - Linking Road, Bandra West

Me voyage to the Emerald isle left me with fool's co-ordinates. Fool's co-ordinates are locations which don't exist on a map. I should not have trusted the old scammer. But yet there was something intriguing about the numbers. Besides how did that old man know about my quest for the Blue compass? I kept staring at those numbers as if hoping that they will reveal something, anything. The Engineer came into me cabin and told me to take a break. We climbed back to the top deck as I saw lights in the distance.

We were approaching a coast. The strong winds made the sails flap like a bird's wing. The smell of the warm coastal seas filled the ship. Maybe some good grub will get me head thinking. I directed the crew to find a cove to dock the ship at as the landing party got ready set out. At the same time I wondered what happened of the hostile ship with the black sails, we haven't seen them for days.

Escobar is one of India's largest bar. It boasts of an impressive golden lit indoor area and a gorgeous rooftop area from where one can see the entire Bandra skyline. But despite its humongous size, it can be a wee bit hard to find for a first timer. It is located on the fourth floor of a building that looks more residential than commercial. Escobar was the victim of an unfortunate incident last year causing it to close down. But like a magnificent phoenix, it rose from the ashes and it is a beauty to be admired for those who can find it.

Once found, the comforting ambiance will make one feel truly special. One can sit for hours inside Escobar enjoying the grub, the grog or the skyline.

The Twisted Chocolate Martini caught my eye instantly. This beautiful drink was made of Vodka, Chocolate liqueurs, white chocolate, dark chocolate and cream. It had a mild kick to it and felt much like a Chocolate milkshake meets martini kind of thing. The Iceberg in the middle slowly melted away supplying the drink as a glacier supplies a river. The chocolate wafer added a nice visual touch though did not seem to blend in with the drink. In totality, this was a very relaxing drink.

Captain : This be one of me favorite drinks.

Crewmate : Vodka on Chocolate, looks like the barkeep read yer mind.

Captain : If only he could tell me where the Blue compass is.

Jack Punch was a mix of whisky and ingredients one would find in a fruit punch. The punch was heavy and hard. It contained passion fruit, pineapple and a hint of angostura bitter which provided a subtle twist to the punch. A more suitable drink if you like your cocktails rough. But strangely the weight of the world felt lighter after having this.

 
Escobar calls itself a Tapas bar. Drinks and small plates for those uninitiated with the global lingo. The small plates pack big power into them. These were some of the best bar nibbles I have had.

Smoked Salmon Maki Roll or Sushi was a soft subtle creation with the perfect mixture of salmon, sticky rice, and greens. I enjoyed this a lot, though I was a little disappointed with the meager quantity of wasabi served. I enjoy my Sushi with wasabi.

New Zealand Lamb Chops - The Kiwi know how to feed their sheep. The meat was tender, juicy and delicious. The cuts were made in such a manner that there was a lot of meat and it fell right off the bone. These were rubbed with Indian spices and roasted in a clay oven. This added the flavor of a Tandoori Barbecue to the meat. Each bite was an explosion of addicting flavors. Tandoori nights with hearty grog, me likey.

Captain: I love juicy tender Kiwi lamb chops.

Crewmate : Wish I could say the same but you never leave any for me.

Green Herb Roasted Rawas was like a Star Batsman getting dismissed on a duck on the very first ball. This tender boneless salmon was cooked in a coriander sauce and spices. So far so great. However it suffered from two problems. It was too green, too brilliantly green. It is not supposed to be Chicken Hariyali. The other problem was that it was too salty. Even water felt sweet after it.

Roasted Cheesy Chicken - This was a tender chicken kebab, filled with cheese and marinated in yogurt and spices. It was then slow roasted in an oven giving it a mix of tandoori and western flavors. This was among the best things of the night. A dish so tasty that one could fight with the most beautiful woman for the last piece. The core hid a treasure trove of flavor which was released as soon me teeth reached breached it.

Captain : Cheesy goodness...I wonder what those black sailed scallywags are upto.

Crewmate : Lets hope they died or something in a sea storm. Their attacks were so troublesome.

Captain : Battle and endurance is part of every sailor's life.

Crewmate : Its hard with yer Captain eating all yer grub too.

Chorizo Tapas was another one of the better items of the night. The salty savory fried sausages went well with the drinks. The garlic bread underneath felt like a bit of a mismatch, perhaps a smaller and thinner portion of bread would have worked better. I found myself separating sausages from the breads.

Smoked Cottage cheese in Chilly Oil was an amazing dish in terms of visuals, aroma and the flavor. This paneer had an earthy flavor which complemented well with the chili. It was sprinkled with black and white sesame. It was presented stylishly with some rice noodles.  This would easily go well with drinks of all kinds.

Burnt Garlic and Thyme Rubbed BBQ Chicken was simply stupednous. I did not expect a place specializing in Tapas to have a main that would taste so well. These juicy chunks of chicken were smoked and then char grilled giving them a tongue seducing BBQ flavor. If one is a big fan of BBQ then this is must have dish for sure. The Porcini mushroom risotto was also quite earthy and delectable. Both the rice and chicken were scrumptious together. A marriage made in a kitchen.

The Excelsior - Imagine all the cream on top of dark chocolate pastries being condensed to form a dessert of its own. The Chocolate Excelsior was exactly that. This little hexagonal prism despite looking pretty was overly sweet and a little sickly with all that chocolate. This comes from someone with a sweet tooth and penchant for overdosing on desserts.

Chocolate Gooey Cake was ultra dense, sweet, decadent and the best thing since sliced bread. I never thought that I would say this in an era of Cheesecakes and mousses but this Cake was absolutely heavenly.  An old favorite super perfected by the good folks at Escobar. I have not had a good and "real" dessert like this in a very long time. I scrapped the plate clean, not even leaving a single crumb behind.

Captain : Good Sealord, this is chocolate heaven.

Crewmate : Are you going to go high on dessert?

Captain : No lad, those were the old times. I have adapted.

Crewmate : About time.

Tiramisu was sweet and bitter, soft and creamy and absolutely well made. Though not the best I have had by a long shot, this Tiramisu was perfect by text book definition. It may pale in front of the Chocolate gooey cake especially if one is having both like yours truly. Best make this your first dessert.

Escobar may be on the higher side of the pricing scales. But the ambiance, the food and the drinks are worth every penny spent. The place is a luxurious retreat. The moolah is well spent here. Like Godiva is to cadburies, Escobar is to most watering holes.

I cannot comment on the service since this was an on the house meal and we were personally attended to by one of the managers. However, observations suggest that the place is well staffed and the servers are usually polite and pleasant.

Escobar was one of my best experiences in Mumbai and makes it to my personal Top ten bars for Mumbai. The place is the complete package. Captain says, go forth and chug yer grog at Escobar.

"Captain: Time to take the ship out...


(Loudspeaker from Black sailed ship)
Rogue Captain : Found you, you won't get away from us now. 
I am Captain Peter, Peter the Cheater.
Hand over yer map and all yer hard earned treasures. 

Captain : Sorry, can't hear you over the sound of how I awesome I am.

Rogue Captain : Prepare for Battle then.

Captain : Bring it on cheater.
"

The Captain's Score : 9/10

Map Co-ordinates
Escobar
4th Floor, VN Sphere,
Turner And Linking Road,
Bandra West, Mumbai.


 -The food was on the house as I was invited by the restaurant's PR to sample the grub. My review however is objective.-

Cafe Mezzuna - Andheri Lokhandwala, Mumbai

The strange green coin that I had obtained in my last voyage was definitely a hint. Me navigator was right with his theory and it was sheer luck that Nina's friends gave us the next clue. On this ancient map, a legendary emerald city was marked along one of the routes. The city was thought to be nothing more than a ruin of a time long past. These jade coins were once used in that city and are a rarity in these parts. If this coin appeared out of nowhere then there is definitely something to be found within these ruins. 

Contrary to the naming, the ruins were not actually green in color. The place was a mix of pewter shades lost in the dust. But lo behold, there was intense green light emanating from somewhere within the ruins. What was going on? My landing party triangulated on the source of the green light. It seemed to be a, tavern of some kind but our entry was prohibited by a burly man who asked for a Token. Instinctively, I held out my green coin to which the man smiled and let us enter.

Literally resembling the Emerald city from the Wizard of Oz, Cafe Mezzuna is another venture from the people behind Mainland China and Oh Calcutta. With it, comes the hospitality group's good taste for thematic ambiances and excellent service. Life can be chaotic in a mall like Infiniti and places like Mezzuna serve as a nice retreat from the noise pollution and third rate food court eateries.

Cafe Mezzuna was quite full when I had arrived but I had a table booked for me (Yay me?). The vibes felt good and there was a feeling of placid comfort in the cafe.

Without wasting much time I placed my order.

Since I was going boozeless for the day, I started my sojourn with this creamy Mint Smoothie. It was enjoyable though I did expect it to be peppermint and not regular mint.

A tasting platter made on request.

Jalapeno Cheese poppers on the right were passable. A piping hot savory snack but I have had better.

Pan seared Mushroom tarts with mozzarella and a balsamic drizzle were savory, cheesy and finger licking good. These were the perfect combination of the salty and the subtle savory. The ideal vegetarian appetizer for me.

Spinach cheese sambousek at the top right felt very pedestrian and was perhaps the only thing that I chose not to finish on the platter.

Potato Croquettes on the top with leek and cheddar were slightly tough but still a flavorful and savory appetizer.

Captain : So much to eat on one little platter.

Crewmate : Does this mean I get a bite this time? :D

Captain : No.

Crewmate : =(

Harissa spiced grilled cottage cheese skewers. Lets call this Johnny since the original name is longer than the Fellowship of the ring. Johnny was spicy down to the very core and did not feel like paneer rubbed with spices like in most other places. Johnny was like a wall flower that turned out to be a bombshell in disguise. Johnny was good, keep calm and eat Johnny.

Pan Grilled Mushrooms with chili, spices and lemon felt very much like the crispy corn in Mainland China. The flavor was not too over the top but still felt addictive. Seemed to be a perfect bar nibble or a great side to any meal. The mushrooms were not too soft but still juicy with flavor oozing out of every bite.

Grilled Prawn skewers were served in a style that made these appear like a luxury for the plebeians. And these tasted equally good. Garnished in an anchovy butter mixed with garlic, the flavor was really something else. Juicy, spicy and filled with the flavors of the ocean - this was one of the best Prawn based dishes that I have ever had.

Captain : I wonder what clue will we find here. Who expected a Tavern to be here anyway?

Crewmate : Maybe we should have brought the ship cat along.

Captain : She did not want to get off the ship for this island. I think she hates green.

Grilled Chicken Skewers were rubbed with Harissa and served with parsley hummus. Strangely, I found myself like the Paneer skewers more oer here. The Harissa did not seem to suit the kind of cooking used here. It may have worked with the paneer but not with the chicken.

Beer battered fried fish served with lemon tartare. Melty basa is probably not the best kind of fish for deep frying. While the crust was flavorful and spicy, the fish core felt shallow and uninspired. This can be remedied by using a different fish.

The Jerk spiced chicken pizza looked good, had the right ingredients but had a glitch with the flavor. While the chicken used was indeed rubbed with Jamaican Jerk spices as billed, the flavor of the pizza was dominated by the Jalapenos and the Bell peppers. These ingredients had managed to neutralize the chicken's flavor and made the pizza feel more like a pico de gallo pizza. I feel that the veggies could be reduced and the chicken increased to keep the flavor meatier.

Stone Grilled Chicken was served in a most impressive manner with a side of potato salad and sautéed  greens. It was served on a plate that was constantly being heated by a small burner. The chicken portions contained both a breast and a leg. The Chicken leg tasted great and was cooked perfectly. It was full of flavor and appropriately tender.

However the breast portion was too well done. The edges had become hard and chewy. I pondered what could have happened and the only reason I can think of is that both cuts of the meat were cooked in the same temperature and manner - Probably being the leg cut's temperature since it turned out to be perfect.

Vanilla Rock Dessert is an item that is going to be introduced shortly to the public. The blogging folk have been the first humans to beta test the dessert before it goes live. Using molecular gastronomy, a dollop of whip cream is snap frozen and then placed in a rainbow colored puddle made out of various syrups and fruit compotes. The thing is then generously showered with a nutella like hazelnut chocolate sauce. The desert works well as a novelty though mascarpone would make a better alternative than whip cream.

Captain : This looks like a mountain of gems.

Crewmate : It seems to follow symmetry with the colors.

Captain : That being said, where would the next clue be?

Passing Stranger : I could tell you, if you part with some of yer food.

Captain : We don't deal with random tricksters.

Stranger : Your call. You need all the help you can find for the Blue Compass.

Captain : Who told you I was hunting for the Blue Compass?

The service is stellar as mentioned before. The restaurant was adequately staffed and all tables were well attended(despite being crowded). The servers were professional as expected from a restaurant from Anjan Chatterjee's stable.

The pricing is variable. Some items feel a bit on the higher side while some others feel quite cheap. I suppose that one's experience dictates of what they think of the pricing. To keep this brief, it seems to be on par with other Cafes and pubs.

Cafe Mezzuna seems to have a lot going in its favor but suffers from quite a few glitches too. The appetizers here were really stellar while the mains could use improvement. However to sum up my experience, I think that I really enjoyed my trip to Mezzuna. Glad to see Specialty restaurants taking strides in the realms of Western food.

"
Crewmate : So did that scamming old man give you anything?

Captain : A piece of paper with numbers.

Crewmate : What kind of  numbers?

Captain : Fool's Co-ordinates.

"

The Captain's Score : 8/10

Map Co-ordinates
Cafe Mezzuna
Shop 261, 2nd Floor,
Infiniti Mall, Andheri Lokhandwala,
Andheri West



 -The food was on the house as I was invited by the restaurant's PR to sample the grub. My review however is objective.-

Lake View Cafe at The Renaissance - Powai, Mumbai

I quite liked the sound of the ship gently colliding with the piers. After a lot of obstacles, great Calypso had finally allowed us to reach our next mark. But is this really where the next clue truly is? Or is it just some over thinking by me navigator. But now that we are here, I might as well explore the isle. On the exact center was an artificial lake, and a grand palace. The ship was to be heavily guarded lest our attackers cause trouble on the docked ship. Me and firsty decided to explore the island with Nina. The navigator's theory suggested the clue to be at exact center of the isle, so to the palace we go.

(A bit far away and hidden from the view stood a ship with black sails)
Rogue : Should we attack their ship Boss?

Rogue Captain : I am not interested in that ship, I am interested in that map. Their Captain has it.

Rogue : He just went to the island with one crew mate and his cat.

Rogue Captain : Good, send in a party after them. And...stay away from that Cat.

I was just at The Mumbai Renaissance a few weeks back for a food festival. Now in some sort of a re-run, I received another mail for yet another exotic food festival. This time however, it was for Tamil food. This festival lasts till the 19th of April 2019. If you didn't see me yell the same on my Twitter and Instagram, now is the perfect time to see it and grab a bite before the festival is gone.

The Chettinad food festival owes its name to the Chettiar community in the Chettinad region in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu but seems to cover food from other parts of Tamil Nadu as well. The festival was hosted at the premises of the Lake view Cafe in the Renaissance although the blogger delegation was given seating in a small lake facing courtyard outside the cafe.

First things first. Despite being a Tamil food festival, the restaurant had plenty of selections from a general continental fare so as to not turn off patrons who are not into the delicacies of the Chola empire. This measure had shortcomings as well.

Despite having an amazing dessert selection, the buffet ironically did not have a single Tamil dessert. This was reminiscent of the experience at the Iranian fest at Nawab Saheb. The Renaissance should make sure that they cover all courses for themed food fests.

Chettinad Kozhi Biryani was a twist to the famed rice preparation I know so well. It had a distinct curried flavor along with a southern spice mix. I found it to be moderately spicy which was probably done to adapt it to all palates. True Kozhi Biryani can be a rather tongue scorching affair. Either the Biryani was lacking fried cashews or had a lower concentration of the same. Kozhi Biryani usually has cashews.

Kozhi Mulaku or Red Chicken is a curry dish in Kerela. Apart from knowing that, I have never tasted or experienced this before. Chicken chunks were rubbed with a mix of onion and masala in this dish. The dish tasted more mainstream than Tamilian or Keralite food however. The flavor was very familiar and lacked the exotic uniqueness that was present in the Biryani.

Meen Paal Kulambu - Despite not being a visually promising dish, the flavor was quite something. This tender young fish was cooked in coconut milk gravy. It had just the right amount of garlic and spices. Its flavor could touch me deepest senses as such I think of it as the real soul food. This was one of the stars of the buffet platter.

Captain : This fish be tender and juicy in sweet curry. 

First mate : We are running out of time and you are engaging in rhyme?

Captain : Touche

Mutton Chettinad Curry was a spicy carnivore's delight. It was thick, loaded with meat and was an explosion of Southern flavors. This was my first time with a Southern Mutton Curry. I am a regular with North Indian Mutton curries and I could easily tell that this Southern variant was a completely different dish from what I am used to. Tamilian cuisine is not as popular as the Northern ones in the mainstream. Dishes like these are literally undiscovered treasures. It is a shame that this dish would be near impossible to find in Mumbai after the Chettinad festival is over.

Captain : This be a true sailor's grub... Oi Nina, where are you darting too?

Crewmate : Go find yer furball before she causes us trouble.

Captain : Eh more food for us without her.

Palkatti Chettinadu - Though I avoid vegetarian dishes in Buffets, I decided to sample this just to see how the other team feels. This was cottage cheese cooked in a gravy made of onion, tomatoes, Lentils, curry leaves, hot spices and chettinad paste. It felt very similar to the mutton curry in flavor. The heat content was perhaps a notch lesser. I think it works well for a green grubber.

Era Pulli Curry was a tangy and spicy prawn curry which for me was the star of the night. A new flavor can often anger some and please some. While a lot of the other bloggers were unimpressed by this flavor, I  found it quite to my liking. The kind of thing you smack yer lips after.

(Rogues attack the Captain and the First mate)

Captain : (Cutlass out) You scallywags again?

Rogues : Ha, There are five of us and two of you. We are gonna carve you up Game of thrones style. 

First Mate (Flintlock out) : Oye Oye, dont get ahead of yerselves lads. 

Rogues : Ha, look at you. Are you gonna beat us with seventeenth century weapons?

Captain : No one disturbs me when I am eating.
(Skirmish begins)

A Tamil Thali.

A snapshot of the western desserts at the Buffet. Shame, I could not find any traditional Tamil sweets. Not complaining here since these were quite good too but not quite Tamil.

The service was the nadir of the day. The blogger bunch was made to sit in an isolated area. A server would make sorties every fifteen minutes but this caused an erosion of the experience. Dirty plates would not be removed, new cutlery would not be supplied and there was an acute shortage of drinking water. The affair could have been handled better and I feel that we should have been seated inside the cafe. It was hot, humid and uncomfortable outside.

The pricing is on the higher side. The multi faceted buffet felt like a satisfying experience though I do feel that the restaurant Captains played safe with the Tamil aspect of the buffet.

A few more Chettinad dishes and some Tamil sweet dishes won't have been such a bad idea.

In totality, the experience was decent and certain dishes really excelled. Grab a bite at the Chettinad food fest before April 20.

The Captain's Score : 7/10

"
After a hard fought battle the defeated rogues retreat.

Captain : Barnacles, me wound has re opened. Filthy bilge rats.

First mate : I need a good drink after all this excessive violence.

Captain : Where is Nina?

First Mate : Who cares?

(Captain walks around to find Nina and two more cats)

Captain : Aww, she found friends.
(All three cats mew and look at the Captain who is holding a drumstick)

Captain : Oh come on, I need food to heal.

Cats : Nya, Mew, mew :3

Captain : Fine, Fine have it.

(After eating, one of the two cats leaves a coin at the Captain's footstep.)
First mate : Is it paying us for food?

Captain : (Lifts up the coin) I think, Nina's friend just gave us our next clue.

First mate : Wait what?
"

Map Co-Ordinates
Cafe Lake View
The Renaissance Hotel, 2-3B,
Near Chinmayanand Ashram,
Powai, Mumbai



 -I was part of a Blogger Meetup organized by the Restaurant's PR. My review however is objective.-

Now for something different. Viacom18 VOOT - Its happening

This is something different from my regular food and travel posts. It actually comes in the domain of technology and entertainment but hey The Captain is busy braving storms and attackers on his way to his next mark. So he will take a break from his log in this session.

I remember in the nineties when I used to see MTV on my big bulky CRT Television screen. Then Nickelodeon on a less bulky CRT. As the years passed, the screens became smaller, thinner and lighter. CRTs became LCDs and LCDs finally became handhelds. Viacom one of Worlds largest media conglomerates joined hands with India's Network18 to form Viacom18. This network handles the airing of popular channels like Nickelodeon, MTV, Colors etc in India.

Last week, Viacome18 launched VOOT which is an app based Video on demand service. Imagine having MTV and Nick with all of their popular shows like Pokemon, Roadies, Motu Patlu, Chota Bheem on your handsets with the ability to choose whichever episode you like. If that isn't all, Viacom18 would also be airing some unique VOOT only content like Soadies, Badman (With Gulshan Grover) etc.

Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats explains that with the smartphone market maturing and with the era of 4G ushering in, more and more people will have access to smartphones with cheap data. The market potential is immense with over 200 million smartphone users spending lots of time on entertainment. VOOT is a new entrant in the domain of handheld VOD channels. It will face competition from similar services like Hotstar, Sony liv or Netflix. But VOOT has access to many power house brands like Spongebob, Pokemon or Roadies. It is potentially a giant maverick in the domain.

Someone once told me on Twitter that they can already access a lot of Viacom's stuff on youtube. That would be an incorrect statement. A lot of licensed content is not available on youtube. If it is then its probably of bad quality, posted illegally and could be removed at any time. VOOT allows you to see premium licensed content legitimately and with good quality.

Viacom18's Digital ventures CEO Gaurav Gandhi suggests that the service will follow an advertising led model like many apps already use. And they will evaluate the feasibility of Freemium and subscription based models in the future.

VOOT will offer the user multiple categories of entertainment. Above shows a snapshot of some offerings on VOOT Kids. It will offer hugely popular shows like Pokemon, Chota Bheem and Spongebob for starters. Many more to be added in the future. (Yes that is a Pikachu in the right)

That apart, VOOT promises to offer thousands of hours of its already popular content like Bigg Boss, India's got Talent, Roadies etc. That is a lot of stuff on a single app. No longer must one wake at unearthly hours to see their favorite show or spill tears over their favorite shows missed due to overtime at work. VOOT gives the viewer the power to see the content at their time and comfort.

Despite all of its popular content, VOOT like its rivals must have some unique content that cannot be found outside it. Viacom18 answers that challenge with its bouquet of quality web shows. There is Badman which stars Gulshan Grover, Chunky Pandey along with cameos by many B-town celebrities. There is Chinese Bhassad which follows the comic adventures of an Indian Boy in love with a Chinese girl but faces resistance from his Sinophobic father. Then everyone's favorite Alok Nath goes from Sanskari to the naughty Sinskari. And last but not least is India's original rapper Baba Sehgal starring in a MTV roadies spoof called Soadies.

What these shows contain, I won't tell ya that ha. Find out yourself. Download VOOT and explore an entire world of entertainment which is at the power of your fingertips.

VOOT can be downloaded from both Apple iTunes and Google Playstore.

For Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tv.v18.viola&hl=en

For Apple:
https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/voot/id1011777157?mt=8

Pizza Box - Vile Parle East, Mumbai

First an attack by ruffians and now a storm. The quest for the Blue compass was not as easy as I thought. The small island which was chosen by our navigator had a history of being surrounded by storms. Only the toughest and the best of sailors could make it through. Firsty personally came out to man the sails. I grabbed the helm as strong winds and sheets of rain beat against me. The quarter master secured the lines on the central mast. Ah, we never felt so alive. 

The ship musician played some inspiring music which helped us brave the storm. The linguist was almost blown off board but he was expendable anyway. As the ship emerged from the storm, we saw an island. No, this wasn't our destination. It wasn't even on the charts. But upon observing it with me looking glass I found that it had a small village and a pizza place. Time to dock the ship me hearties!!

There can be surprises in the strangest of places. What does one expect in Vile Parle East - the lackluster sibling of Vile Parle West? The area has no famous landmark to its name other than being somewhat close to the airport. Well, I may have just discovered a potential landmark mateys.

Pizza Box is a small outlet fitting the quick serving restaurant archetype. A few tables inside and a few tables outside, the place is your typical local home delivery pizzeria.

The place maybe small but move aside Dominoes, Pizza Hut, Smokin Joes and Garcia - Here comes Pizza Box.


First things first, the grub here is adapted to Indian palates. If you are expecting a genuine Italiano Pizza experience then this may not be the right place. However, if you are a person who wants good grub for their money then yes you are at the right place.

Bruschetta is far better a choice than the over used garlic breads. Apart from having the traditional tomato and basil mix, this variant also had Indian spices and a bit of chili. Think of it as lip smacking chatpata (Peppery spicy tangy)Bruschetta. The salty-spicy flavor will make you forget that this is but a mere appetizer. I desired more of this after I had finished it. Extra credit for creativity that worked.

Captain : This be so colorful and pretty.

Crewmate : Cappy, why do we always end up eating when we are in crisis?

Captain : Because lad, good grub helps ya think properly.  And ya need a good head to steer through a crisis.

Crostini is a sibling of Bruschetta with almost unnoticeable differences to the later. Its more cheesy and crunchier in laymen terms. This variant had a subtle sweet flavor within the cheesy matrix. It was due to the presence of American corn inside the cheese blanket. A fun eat and a nice side with the pizzas.

BBQ Chicken Pizza was the real deal. Unlike the variants offered at other delivery chains, this avatar actually had the sweet BBQ sauce on it. The thin freshly made crust topped with generous amounts of chicken and cheese with BBQ sauce was quite a surprise from a place that does not specialize in Gourmet pizzas. Its a real shame that they don't have a delivery outlet in my neighborhood.

Captain : Hot dayumn, I love BBQ.

Crewmate : Why are you sounding like a cowboy Cappy, bored with the nautical lingo already?

Captain : Son, my words change with what I eat.

Crewmate : We better get ya back to Rum and squid then.

Chicken and Basil Pizza was a pretty looking thingy. The chicken over here was more on the saltier side and the Basil leaves were fried to a crisp. This reduced the flavor of the leaves but added a crunchy overtone to the pizza. This pizza also had a divine aroma. It was almost a gourmet pizza.

Crewmate : I have a feeling that we are being watched. 

Captain : Ya, its one of those scoundrels from earlier.

Crewmate : Should we beat the barnacles out of him?

Captain : Nay, let him feel that he is doing a good job spying on us. I have other plans for him >:D

The place usually has self service or you may get served by one of the delivery blokes. The place specializes more on home delivery but one can still get a good afternoon or evening experience over good pizza.

The Pricing seems to be at par with other delivery chains like Smokin Joes, Eagle boys or Garcias. It however is much cheaper than Pizza hut and its quality exceeds that of Indian Pizza hut pizzas.

I usually avoid cross town trips to small outlets as they often are not worth the time. But this place has all the makings of a local legend to it. If they keep the quality consistent over time, it is likely that this little business will grow and grow greatly. So pizza lovers, if you are around the airport or in Vile parle east - Pizza Box can be a pleasant off the mainstream experience for ya.

The Captain's Score : 8/10

"
Captain : (Drops a piece of crumpled paper) Aight mate lets head back.

Crewmate : What is that paper that you dropped...

Captain : >:| Shhh.

Spying Scoundrel (quietly picks up the piece of paper after the Captain leaves) : Wonder what this be? Maybe a clue to where those losers are sailing to next...  Hey, what is this? A Bill?

Restaurant Server : Oh, so you are paying for those two?

Spying Scoundrel : Wait no. I...I.

Restaurant Server : They said that you will pay and you picked up their tab, literally. Now pay up or you are doing dishes for a month.

Spying Scoundrel : Arrrr, those losers, they will pay for this.

Restaurant Server : Stop ranting and NO, you will pay for this.
"

Map Co-Ordinates
Pizza Box
Kadamgiri Complex,
Hanuman Road,
Vile Parle East, Mumbai
Phone :  022 65550901

 -I was invited by the restaurant to sample the grub. The post is free of biases and made on objective observations.-