Thursday, April 29, 2010

Not just JAZZ by the bay !!!




Date: April 28, 2010
Time: 10.00 PM
Occasion: Celebrating end of third year exams !!!
Place: Not just JAZZ by the bay
Location: Churchgate
Ratings: **1/2
Courses Tried: Continental, Mocktails, Desserts
Moolah: Very Expensive
Pricing: Rs. 200-300 per dish, desserts 120-175, mocktails 150 odd !
Quantity: 1 dish = 1-2 persons
Transport - Closest Station - churchgate


aha!! this is what you call - being Green to save electricity!!! I had to actually use the torch of my mobile, which I rarely get to use in Mumbai, to read the Menu... the lights were way too dim temporarily making us feel we were nocturnal creatures :P The only thing that shone was the fluorescent marking that was stamped upon our hands.


Whatever the consequences of our decision to come here, we did end up relishing the food. we were asked to pay Rs. 100 per head as 'entry' fee to hear some tom-dick-harry bands play some music. We were sitting right besides the band so we could hear it quite 'loudly and clearly'. I felt more than once that they should have provided every table with a few pens and a few loose papers, just so that people could atleast communicate as to what they would want to eat. The loud din made it quite impossible for us to have a conversation, and I should not be blaming the restaurant for this. Maybe the ambience is what people come here for and I was a bit away from reality! We began ordering with the drinks, a few hard a few soft. I had something called as Tropical Storm which was quite refreshing and tangy due to the heavy presence of Orange! The others had God knows what. Ankita had sprite whereas the girl on my right had Virgin Mojito which the others wrote off as a 'Tulsi' drink!!! Kaustubh did have a Long Island Ice Tea and I distinctly remember someone ordering a 'Ginlet'... God know what that is... When I do begin drinking alcohol ( which is quite not that easily possible ) , I will offer better reviews of non-alcoholic beverages also. Till then I'll stick to food and patchy mentions of these drinks. :) The bands began playing songs which I had never heard before, but were well appreciated by the more music-educated crowd ! They alternated as there were two bands that night, so that the rest-endowed band could sip their chilled beer. Our conversations were thus restricted to the neighbours ears! I as usual was 'damn' hungry. We began the ordering process and finally decided on cottage Cheese Paprika, Penne & Barbeque Chicken and Jamaican Grilled Chicken. It arrived sooner than I expected. The Cottage Cheese Paprika was served with 2 paneers tikkis with bell peppers and spicy paprika sauce. The paneer was soft and tender, sufficiently marinated in the sauce. The Penne and Mushroom was as usual creamy and the chicken succulent. But I was disappointed with the quantity of chicken therein and the quantity of the dishes per se. When you charge a lot, you are expected to serve sufficient quantities and the waiter had the audacity to tell me that this would be enough for all of us. Bah!!! Thereafter we moved towards desserts and people were already decided on what to order. New York Chocolate Cake and Ebony and Ivory although cliched and passe, we ordered them. I wasn't too amused. I ordered for myself a Mandarin Chocolate Mousse. It turned out to be the piece de resistance! Served in a tall slim glass, cold, liquefied chocolate with a hint of orange and brandy ( which I couldn't fathom till the end). But it was sinfully delicious! A very good end to a not so good beginning.


Prices as on the abovementioned date -

Long Island Ice Tea - Rs. 425
Tropical Storm - Rs. 175
Virgin Mojito - Rs. 175

Cottage Cheese Paprika - Rs. 325
Penne & Barbeque Chicken - Rs. 375
Jamaican Grilled Chicken - Rs. 385

New York Chocolate Cake - Rs. 110
Ebony and Ivory - Rs. 155

Mandarin Chocolate Mousse - Rs. 150




I would say if you are looking for a musical night, without much of talking or sharing the days events and do have a huge purse or have someone who will shell out for you too, then this place is worth a visit. They have different bands playing everyday and you can sit for as long as you want. The food is not bad but excessively priced. The desserts are better than the main course and I would say DO NOT MISS THE MOUSSE!!! Bon Appetit!