Thai Ban

It rarely happens that I praise restaurants more than 50 times in the span of an hour! And I couldn't stop but thanking Tanay for taking us to this small Thai outlet, near Pali hill. Thai Ban is a 6-7 table restaurant which serves mainly Thai food alongwith some Chinese varieties. Serves both Veg and Non-Veg.


Date: May 17, 2012
Time: 10 PM - 11.15 PM
Occasion: My birthday!
Place: Thai Ban
Location: Pali Hill, Bandra (W)
Ratings: ****1/2
Courses Tried: Thai
Decently priced.
Pricing: Around 150-300 per dish.
Quantity: 1 dish = 2 people
Address: Shop No 8/9, Gaspar Enclave, Junction of St. Johns & Pali Road, Pali Naka,
 Bandra West, Mumbai 
Telly: 022- 26459775
Closest Station: Bandra


Thai food closely resembles our coastal Konkani food with coconut used very generously in most preparations. Thai Ban comes across as a tiny restaurant, cramped for space (which it sadly is). But the food it has to offer more than makes up for that. And when you go to a Thai place, order Thai. Don't even think of meddling with Chinese. We were in a hurry as we had reached quite late and our tummies were making noises ( :P ) so we skipped the drinks and starters and directly jumped onto the main course. We ordered a plain Ginger Mushroom Rice. Its a basic rice with invisible mushrooms and ginger (or maybe I was too busy eating). You can't have it without a gravy so we ordered a veg. Phad Phak. It comes with zuccini and tofu of which we got the tofu replaced with paneer. And we ordered veg. Phad Khi Mao which essentially are flat noodles. In non veg. we ordered a chicken Gaeng Phed or the famous red curry. The flat noodles were very spicy and I had to resort to the honey-based sauce which lay on the table to temper the spiciness. The red curry was par excellence. Superlatively brilliant. I strongly recommend it.

Prices as on the abovementioned date -
Ginger Mushroom Rice - Rs. 165

Veg. Phad Khi Mao - Rs. 230

Veg. Phad Phak - Rs. 295

Chicken Gaeng Phed - Rs. 345

It's worth a visit or a few more if you really like Thai food. Lot of varieties and very nice preparations. 

Disclaimer: The publisher, writer, blogger, or otherwise of this blog accepts no responsibility of whatsoever is written hereinabove. No claims or suits in any court of law will be entertained. Any similarity with living or non-living beings and/or things is purely co-incidental.

Sardar Pav Bhaji

Not every good food experience comes planned, does it? Some of the best tastes are so unplanned that they just strike at your belly,right out of the pan and leave a very delightful taste on your taste buds. at the slight mention of Sardar, I eagerly pounced on the opportunity, without actually being invited and ended up travelling all the way to Tardeo in a bus with Gaurav Agrawal ( who is on his way to become a LEGEND ).

Date: July 4, 2010
Time: 8.00 PM to 10.15 PM
Occasion: Aiwehi!!!
Place: Sardar
Location: Tardeo
Ratings: ****
Courses Tried: Indian (on being asked for the Menu, the waiter promptly replied - Pav Bhaji ONLY )
Moolah: Moderately Expensive ( Considering Cannon or any other Pav Bhaji Joint )
Pricing: Around 60-80 per dish
Quantity: 1 dish = 1 person
Address: 66A, Tardeo Road Junction, Tardeo, Mumbai
Telly: 022-23530208
Closest Station: Bombay Central
Buses: 63, 67, 85, 89, 91, 92, 93,124, 125, 132, 133, 166, 305,351, 357, 385 et al

A Sardar deal is always a yummy one. However painstaking the wait is, the eventual reward - the utterly butterly delicious Pav Bhaji more than makes up for it!!! Luckily, this time, I didn't have to stand in the queue for too long, the honours went to Amit and Anuj.

The moment we found place for ourselves, we began shooting orders. 'Menu Card laana', 'Table saaf kardena', 'Empty Glasses laana', etc. Till the waiter actually found time to visit our table, we were already decided as to what to order - 2 Amul Pav Bhajis and two cheese Pav Bhajis ( the cheese ones going to the less healthier ones ). The Pav Bhajis arrived soon as they make it in heaps. The gorgeous sight of the delectable Pav Bhaji, layered with white cheese and laden with a rectangled cube of amul butter. What more can a hungry person ask for? The Pav Bhaji is less spicy and full of butter. The vegetables contain more of potatoes and less of tomatoes which gives it a yellow ocherish colour. The Pav Bhaji is laced with freshly chopped coriander and the Pav is lightly dipped in butter seemingly. The taste comes more from the copious amounts of butter though.

The masala Pav is very expensive with one single peice priced at Rs. 25. But the amount of butter soaked in the Masala Pav is certainly higher. The onions, finely chopped, with chaat masala and nimbu, are a good side dish of sorts. The cheese Pav Bhaji is quite expensive at Rs. 80 when you compare it to the one at Cannon (CST). But all in all, it's certainly a worth visit!

Prices as on the abovementioned date -
Amul Butter Pav Bhaji - Rs. 60

Cheese Pav Bhaji - Rs. 80

Single piece Extra Pav - rs. 7

Single piece Masala Pav - Rs. 25

It surely is highly recommended for the eternal foodie and also for all those who would mind tucking in a few scoops of butter and not bother about its results on their waistline. Makes for a nice food joint to be with friends and family alike. If you can manage the half-an hour or more waiting time, then you will certainly relish the place more.

Disclaimer: The publisher, writer, blogger, or otherwise of this blog accepts no responsibility of whatsoever is written hereinabove. No claims or suits in any court of law will be entertained. Any similarity with living or non-living beings and/or things is purely co-incidental.

New Yorkers!

Date: May 20, 2010
Time: 8.00 PM
Occasion: 1st of my 21st Year Birthday Treats!
Place: New Yorkers
Location: Kings Circle, Matunga
Ratings: ***1/2
Courses Tried: Mocktails, Pastas, Sizzlers
Moolah: Moderately expensive
Pricing: Rs. 180-250 per dish, mocktails 135-155 odd !
Quantity: 1 dish = 2-3 persons
Transport - Closest Station - Matunga East



finally i turned twenty-one and it was time for those beckoning treats. the first one was to be an all-veg affair so we decided upon New Yorker's at Matunga. I reached a little late and since most of the tables had a maximum of six chairs, we had to order an extra chair - free free free !!!


hungry as ever, i entered late, only to find ayushi, nisha and pooja (the first two read as dummies), were already there. the sofas are quite comfortable but the negative point is that it can seat maximum six. so bigger groups will have to split. also people who would want to talk and share their joys with others - beware! you will be non-chalantly chided for talking too loudly! so we first began with mocktails... of varied hues and sizes, filled in differently sized glasses. so we had lemon breezers, blue caracao breezers, strawbeery, peach, etc etc the blue curacao breezer was yummy. fizzling with soda and draped in the sea blue colour, topped with a spring of mint and a slice of lime. and the strawberry was a treat for the eyes. then came along the nachos. with the ever-favourite cheese!!! it was really good. the nachos were more like kahkras though and there was an evident dash of turmeric. but it tasted good with all the capsicums. next on the menu was pasta and sizzlers. we had the two ring pasta - a nice blend of sweeet and spicy, spaghetti and penne, white sauce and red sauce! the sizzlers were not good though. overly priced, less quantity, VEG and not great! the italian one had only pasta , beans and cabbage!!! all for 320??? whereas the shashlik was more like manchurian! a big let down given he starting fare!

Prices as on the abovementioned date -
Lemon Breezer - Rs. 155
Blue Curacao Breezer - Rs. 155
Peach Margarita - Rs. 135
Strawberry Margarita - Rs. 135
Nachos with Cheese - Rs. 200
Two Ring Pasta - Rs. 200
Italian Sizzler - Rs. 325
Veg and Paneer Shashlik Sizzler - Rs. 365

its a good place to go if you are a veggie. they don't tolerate too much noise though and you will be served with regular reminders to keep your volume low. good place to dine with one's family. they have many branches here and there so location is not an issue generally.

Timbuctoo

Date: May 1, 2010
Time: 9.00 PM
Occasion: Nightout at Akanksha's!
Place: Timbuctoo
Location: Mulund R Mall
Ratings: ***
Courses Tried: Mocktails, Starters and Continental
Moolah: moderately expensive
Pricing: Rs. 125-145 per dish, mocktails 100 odd !
Quantity: 1 dish = 2-3 persons
Transport - Closest Station - Mulund


surprise surprise!!! one more outing after exams, this time at Mulund at Akanksha's amazing Place. and we had to go out for dinner so we zeroed in upon timbuctoo. I was rather indifferent about the place but certain people made it sure that we ended up there. The place is a part of urban tadka and pop tates and is an open air affair! the place is filled with hooka fragrance and there are many tables for the ever-starving tummies.


we were 9 of which 4 were vegetarians ( :( ) so we arranged ourselves that way affording us convenience to eat directly from the plate! We concluded on ordering separate mocktails for each of us rather than share. I particularly didn't want to share those thirst quenchers. So we ordered around 7 mocktails with names like Sunset and Sun rise, Virginia and Zulu something. Virginia was quite nice, with lots of strawberry and a hint of other flavours. The zulu thing was colourful too, with the major drink being Orange juice. I was gettign restless with us having ordered zilch food. So we decided to order starters. a few veg and 2 non-veg. Dunno what the vegetarians ordered but we had Thai BBQ Chicken and Blasted Chicken. Thai BBQ chicken was little spicy, tangy, flat chicken discs fried in oil. The blasted chicken was good. Very tender and superbly herbed, roasted to perfection. It had a dressing of a tangy sauce and served with mashed potato and sour onions. The main course included a Chicken Lasagne and something called as bananani (not sure of the name though). The Lasagne was piled with layers and cheese and flat pasta and was filled with a very tasty mixture of minced meat. The Bananani was a sort of penne and chicken pasta with white sauce. I certainly disliked the fact that they served it an hour after we ordered and only when I threatened them to cancel the order. But it was more than sufficiently cheesy. We ordered an additional barbeque starter called Friday Night Fever or something (sorry but I really dont have an online menu to quote the correct names). That was the most awesome chicken started I had had. The chicken was deliciously soft and tender. And was roasted to perfection.

I guess it is a good place to hangout with friends. It is more of a hookah place and is a very good deal for non-vegetarians. It's not too costly and the bill came to around Rs. 300 per head. The quantity is okayish though. You could book a place in advance during peak times.

Bombay Blue

Well I have been to Bombay Blue once before with Mrugank and Gayatri, but since I hadn't begun blogging then, I am writing the review this time on my visit with Ankita and Kaustubh. (Notice I'm the Kebab mein haddi in both the places. :P) I prefer writing a combined review of both my visits in order to cover a greater variety. So Lunch it was!!!
I have had Humus with Pita and wasn't too pleased with the thing itself and would not blame Bombay Blues therefor. Its cold, tasteless and slimy!!! Not for those who love spicy food ( I don't but still ) and tasty delicacies. I specifically remember having Corn and Cheese Balls. Very succulent, cheesy and crispy! This time we began with Sev Puri which was nice but unlike the Chaat wale Bhaiyya's tasty, lip-smacking ones. We chose to have sizzlers rather than the regular fare. So One Veg Shashlik with noodles which was little bland, the noodles were not too tasty, and not many fries. Whereas the Non-Veg Sizzler of which I do not remember the name was amazing. It had Lamb, Salami, chicken, Sausage, etc and had an appropriate amount of everything and mustard made it sizzlier. Do try the sizzlers.

Date: January 9, 2009 and a few years ago!!!
Time: 1 PM
Occasion: Helping Puneites hang out in Mumbai
Place: Bombay Blue
Location: Phoenix Mills
Ratings: ***
Courses Tried: Snacks, Chaat, Sizzlers
Moolah: Moderately Expensive
Pricing: Rs. 250 approx
Quantity: 1 dish = 2 persons
Transport - Closest Station - Lower Parel
Buses - 70, 80, 91, 167


Prices as on the abovementioned date -
Humus with Pita - Rs. 145
Corn and Cheese Balls - Rs. 135
Sev Puri - Around Rs. 50
Veg Shashlik with noodles sizzler - Around Rs. 275
Non Veg Sizzler - Around Rs. 350

Bombay Blue certainly rocks. you get a variety of continental stuff alongwith a few Mumbaiyaa dishes. A good place to hang out with family due to the serene ambiance.

Disclaimer: The publisher, writer, blogger, or otherwise of this blog accepts no responsibility of whatever is written hereinabove. No claims or suits in any court of law will be entertained. Any similarity with living or non-living beings and/or things is purely co-incidental.

Costa Coffee?

There was no real reason to visit this place anyways. I was going to eat here for the very first time and since I had heard a lot thereabout and was very keen on trying it for once. Kaustubh seemed to be a regular pro here and he guided us and Ankita (Pune Return) to the one at Phoenix. The first thing Kuku told us to do is sit on the black couches. We literally swamped in as the seat beneath us caved in. We had loads of time to spend so were in no hurry to order. But then how can I not order??? So I ordered one Tropical Temptation described as 'Thick shake with fruit flavours'. I regretted that decision in the next 15 minutes!! I mean it stunk of milk, had no hint of any tropicality, and was certainly not 'thick'. On the other hand, Ankita had a Green Apple Mojito and it was indeed refreshing. Fizzy, minty fresh, and aptly laced with lime. A bit strong andit was enough to make me regret the Tropical thingie further. Kuku had a Peach Ice Tea which was ok.
Round One - Very bad ratings!!!

Surprisingly I went to another outlet of Costa Coffee in the same very premises. This time it was for desserts. I again made a not-so-good choice, weird by my standards - Marble Chocolate Cake or something. It was like the quintessentially homely cake, a bit on the dry side but nice. Sadly, in front of what the other two were having, it was a paltry second. They were gulping down Chocolate Truffle Cake with Vanilla Ice-cream and hot chocolate sauce. yummy! If I give this place good ratings, it is only for this dish.
Round two - Ratings Saved!


Date: January 9, 2009
Time: 11 AM
Occasion: Helping Puneites hang out in Mumbai
Place: Costa Coffee
Location: Phoenix Mills
Ratings: **
Courses Tried: Beverages, Cakes
Moolah: Moderately Expensive
Pricing: Rs. 250 approx
Quantity: 1 dish = 1 person
Transport - Closest Station - Lower Parel
Buses - 70, 80, 91, 167


Prices as on the abovementioned date -
Tropical Temptation - Rs. 80
Green Apple Mojito - Rs. 80
Peach Ice Tea - Around Rs. 80
Marble Chocolate Cake - Around Rs. 70
Chocolate Truffle Cake with Vanilla Ice-cream and hot chocolate sauce - Around Rs. 125


It's a welcome relief from the every evening Cafe Coffee Day though one is advised to not chose one's course based on the supercilious descriptions in the menu. Go for the tried and tested!!! And listen to Kuku!!!

Disclaimer: The publisher, writer, blogger, or otherwise of this blog accepts no responsibility of whatever is written hereinabove. No claims or suits in any court of law will be entertained. Any similarity with living or non-living beings and/or things is purely co-incidental.

ChandraGupta!!!

I know this is my first post and as I had mentioned to a few people I wanted to first write about my Mom's Cooking, which I can only make a feeble attempt to review though. But all said, I need to post something right? So here goes...

Date: December 27, 2009
Time: 1.30 PM to 4.00 PM
Occasion: My Cousin Brother's Party
Place: Chandragupta
Location: Dadar, Shivaji Park, Opp. Sena Bhavan
Ratings: ***1/2
Courses Tried: Indian
Moolah: Moderately Expensive
Pricing: Around 200-300 per dish
Quantity: 1 dish = 3-4 people
Address: Vidya Bhavan Co-op Society, Opposite Sena Bhavan, Dadar (W), Mumbai
Telly: 022-24446405, 022-24440606
Closest Station: Dadar
Buses: 1, 2, 4, 28, 37, 39, 40, 61, 62, 85, 324, 200, 201, 241, 440, 79, 520, 93, 463, 46, 35, etc

The restaurant was pathetic with lousy service as I know it some years back. They tried changing the name and menu by opening a Chinese place there.But that failed too, miserably! Thus, I expected hardly anything good. I was pleasantly surprised by seeing the huge crowd with people actually waiting their turn? That's the first thing to look for in a restaurant - whether it is full or empty. It helps if you go there during Food time to get a better idea. so back to Chandragupta. Till I reached all had already finished their soups. I shared a Crab Meat soup with my cousin Sister. It was mildly spicy, full of meat but not all of it tasted like crabmeat, seasoned with hints of celery. I couldn't but notice and obviously crush few crab shells in my mouth which were still there in the soup. The starters were amazing to say the least. The seekh kebab was not bad but the Chicken Pahadi Kebab was luscious, tender, generously marinated with Mint and Corainder, not too spicy and roasted to perfection.
The main course was all chicken too. Chicken Kothimir, Chicken Vindaloo and Chicken Peshawari. I would vouch for Peshawari and Vindaloo. Soft and tender, boneless, and deliciously spiced. The Butter Garlic naan is worth a mention here whereas the Missi Roti was okayish. to top it off, the desserts!!! I had Honey Flakes with Ice Cream which was yummy. The flakes were crisp and honeyish, adequately sprinkled with sesame seeds. The Kulfi though was not upto the mark.

Prices as on the abovementioned date -
CrabMeat Soup - 145
Rotis - 45
Starters - 250 ish
Main Course - 290 ish per dish
Honey Flakes with Ice Cream - 165
Kulfi - 145


I feel it is worth a try. One is advised to go with parents as it can wipe out your entire month's pocket money. The quantity is nice so one should take more people so many varieties can be tried.

Disclaimer: The publisher, writer, blogger, or otherwise of this blog accepts no responsibility of whatever is written hereinabove. No claims or suits in any court of law will be entertained. Any similarity with living or non-living beings and/or things is purely co-incidental.