Y()ga House

GPS: 153, Chimbai House, opposite St. Andrews Church, Bandra (W), Mumbai - 52

Click: www.yogahouse.in (site down at time of writing)

Tring Tring: +91-22-65545001

In & Out: 8:30am – 11:00pm daily

Damages: Rs.1000/- for a meal for two

Must-Order: Mediterranean Salad

Umami Quotient: Sweet

Its takes very little to make us happy on a sweltering summer afternoon. A cool white Greco cottage with billowy curtains, free internet to browse afternoons away on iPad apps and fresh, crunchy healthy food that doesn’t make you feel sluggish, heavy and oh lord, fat! This newly opened oasis round the corner from Hill Road hustle bustle hits the spot on all three counts besides throwing in some soul-shopping and some yoga to live up to its name!

Bar-O-Meter

Since there is no question of toxic stuff like colas, packaged juices or horror of horrors! alcohol we went for the fresh juices in the innovative shot portions which allows one to sample 2-3 variants at a time. Commitmentphobia starts at first sip I guess! Anyhow we were hardpressed (!) to choose between the Multivitamin Juice (orange, carrot, apple, lemon, ginger) which was a bright and tangy upper followed by the Pink Juice (pomegranate, rose water, watermelon) a delicate concoction of all things subtly sweet. Finally we had the Summer Juice (mango date and fresh mint) which was the most unusually combined and had two flavor heavyweights – date and mango – heading for clash but reconciled at the last minute to result in a yum cooler.

Palate

A vegetarian menu usually has us balking but Y()ga House manages to sate our inner carnivores rather impressively. We hit bull’s-eye with our very first order the Mediterranean Salad, a mélange of mixed greens, bulgur wheat, tomatoes n’ sundried tomatoes, parsley, red onions and olives tossed in a delish sunflower dressing with the perfect garlicky edge. Superfresh and crunchy it was delightful despite being unbelievably healthy, just what we always want out of our food! We moved on the Roasted Veggies in Pesto Sandwich with red peppers in multigrain bread and a side of alfalfa sprouts. The pesto had that great flavor that comes from making it fresh and made us forget the absence of any chicken/ham whatsoever. The Mushroom Buckwheat that followed was a hearty mouthful as well though one has to be wary of a buckwheat overdose – it can get to be a monotonous taste for those unused to it. The dessert section in our minds can also be renamed the Magic section because they have the most sensational chocolate mousse which is – hold your breath – sugarless AND flourless, made from cocoa and dates! We heart thoroughly!

Crowd V/S Company

The cool breezy ambience is perfect for whiling a summer afternoon away even (actually preferably) alone. And since most places in Mumbai aren’t solo-friendly that’s a big plus point for YH. Besides you won’t feel guilty if you have seconds of anything on this menu so the binge aspect is sorted as well. In addition to the grub there is a neat shopping option comprising cotton and linen clothes to ease us through this devilish summer, homemade face packs, jaggery, rose water and clay utensils all handmade by proprietor Ajit’s mum as well as local women from his native Uttar Pradesh. Ajit’s girlfriend and co-owner Maude also ensures weekly yoga classes that give the restaurant its name and adds to the overall calm atmosphere.

Comeback Quotient

If you want to chill with friends for a cosy chat, aimless meal or even indulge in some precious me-time YH offers the perfect temporary escape within the city to retreat into, recharge those batteries and emerge healthier, cooler and definitely zen-ner!

Egg Tarts at Royal China

GPS: 192, Turner Road, Bandra (W) / behind Sterling Cinema Building, Hazarimal Somani Marg, Fort

Tring Tring: +91-22-26425533/+91-22-22072492

Click: www.royalchina.in

Damages: Approx Rs.300/-

Much as I love Chinese food it’s not a cuisine strong on desserts. And no, honey tossed noodles with ice cream doesn’t qualify! What does make the grade and take a Chinese meal to the realm of fantasy are the egg tarts at Royal China. With a soft phyllo canapé case, and delicately sweetened egg yolks baked to soufflé-like consistency every bite is a flaky mélange of vanilla-tinged richness that only eggy desserts can provide. Out of most of the standalone Chinese restaurants we have frequented since childhood we can safely say that RC is the only one to stock this treasure. It had disappeared from the menu temporarily a year or so ago but is back now. Go grab your tart before it goes on vacation again!

Going Places: Le Mill

GPS: 17/25, Nandlal Jani Road, opp. Wadi Bunder, New Railway Bridge, Masjid Bunder (E), Mumbai-9

Click: www.lemill.in (site under construction)

Tring Tring: +91-22-23742415/16/17

In & Out: 11:00am – 8:00pm daily

Damages: Rs.2000/- for a meal for two without alcohol.

Must-Order: Tagliata di Manzo

Umami Quotient: Salty

Le Mill is a classic expat experiment. Canny connoisseurs with one eye on culture and the other on cash (the mythical 1 billion Indian consumer market) who have descended into the city of dreams to package its quixotic culture into designer tidbits and sell it to all those too rarefied to sniff the real thing in the name of home décor and lifestyle. Thus the choice of a rice mill in gritty Dongri as their home is almost as if someone is consciously planning to recreate a Meat Packing District a la NYC or Shoreditch a la London. Add to that the retro water tumblers, the designer crows and the colourful rag dolls, all ubiquitous Mumbai/India motifs reinvented in a new luxe avatar. However the Umami girls are undaunted by the forty feet ceilings or price tags and venture out to a gossipy lunch on a hot Saturday afternoon at Le Mill’s newly opened café armed with a sizeable (and decidedly non-posh going by the surrounding company!) appetite!

Bar-O-Meter

There is no alcohol on offer (just as well, there are too many fragile items to accidentally knock over in the shopping section!) so we go for the fresh juice selection. While the intriguing sounding Papaya and Chili juice is not available, the Cucumber and Mint option is a bland medicinal concoction, not chilled enough and not seasoned at all, reminding us of those yucky wheatgrass shots we down every morning in the name of good health!

Palate

The menu is a pleasant amalgam of light all-day dining options comprising, soups, salads, mains and desserts. The soups also come in half and full portions with the former being quite enough for a single person. We had the Chilled Pepper Soup which was a beautifully presented bicolour puree redolent with the flavor of fresh pepper and suitably refreshing for the weather at hand. Next was the Tomato Bocconcini & Couscous Salad with sundried tomatoes and basil in an olive-oil dressing. Again this was like Aishwarya Rai - perfect on paper but the individually yummy ingredients didn’t add up to an aha! moment. There was nothing particularly wrong with it, but there was nothing right either, just one of these things you chomp on in hope of newer horizons ahead. And boy did we hit the horizon with the Tagliata Di Manzo, slices of grilled beef with a parsley and rocket salad, both drizzled with olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. The beef was sparsely seasoned and mostly marinating in its own juices done perfectly medium-rare and exploded in our mouths in a melee of tender intensity broken by the crisp wakeup call of the impossibly fresh salad. Since the French portions (aka elegantly minuscule for the primary clientele who would rather be spotted delicately nibbling instead of actually eating!) hadn’t quite sated us we opted for a second main, the Grilled Chicken with a parsley garnish, roasted potatoes with their skin and a papaya salsa. While the chicken was again beautifully moist and set off by the rough potato skins we weren’t quite so sold on the papaya salsa; its distinct fruity smell doesn’t lend itself to a sweet-sour concoction we thought. And on an aside, if they had papaya to make this salsa, pray, whatever happened to our Papaya And Chili Juice?? For dessert we ordered the Yogurt Cake with vanilla ice cream which turned out to be a massive hunk of dark chocolate gateau. While the cake itself was moist, not too sweet and rather delish, we wish they had specified the chocolate bit since we had ordered it expecting a light n’ fruity cheesecake lookalike.

Crowd V/s Company

Le Mill is a second home for Mumbai’s most influential customers - those who might make or a break an elegant eatery in its first few months - the Ladies Who Lunch (LWL)! Second on the usual suspect list is of course the multitude of expats in Mumbai - whether it’s the consulate or the corporate crowd - looking for an elegant oasis in the midst of Mumbai chaos, which can filter out the smells, the heat and the plebs while maintaining the colours, heritage and ‘essence of Bombay’. However the expansive easygoing environs (and the ever-watchful cloth crows and parrots!) are great for post-shopping lunch for just about anyone needing midday break from a busy day. We would say it’s great for a drop-in anyway but given the slightly off-the-radar address we’re not sure how practical it is to come here just for a meal unless they’re already in the Crawford Market area.

Boo Hoo

After an overall satisfying (if somewhat steep) meal we were lazily browsing the wares (especially the Italian lightweight blown glass wine flutes) when the owner of the café Arjun (pronounced like the first two syllables of Argentina!) walked up to us and enquired why we had been clicking away at the food. Not unused to this question we flashed our pearlies and told him about our blog expecting the usual response of , “Oh that’s great thanks, do send us the link, yada yada” only to be met with a condescending and accented response that taking pictures without prior permission is not the norm and could we run the pictures past him prior to posting them! While we love cooperating with restaurateurs and regularly provide our pictures to them for their general publicity & promotions use, the supercilious attitude in this case took us by unpleasant surprise and to be honest, kind of deflated our experience of the lunch altogether.

Comeback Quotient

While it’s a beautiful space with some very tantalizing shopping options viz. the jewellery, crockery and the florist, our lukewarm encounter with the café proprietor has taken the joy away from the dining experience which is so crucial to our umami. So unless we’re stranded in Dongri by some chance it might be a while since we return.

Chicken Pepper Pot at Tasting Room

GPS: 1st floor, Good Earth, Raghuvanshi Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Road, Lower Parel, Mumbai - 400013

Tring Tring: +91-22-65285284

Click: http://www.impresario.in/uc/tastingroom/ (site under construction)

Damages: Approx Rs.220/-
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There is something about a good chicken stew that"s akin to the feeling of a winter morning under a wellworn quilt. Tender chicken coming apart at the bones, fusing with hearty veggies in an umami broth can simultaneously soothe and delight the palate. Thus to discover Chicken Pepper Pot in Tasting Room's newly launched healthy n' calorie-counted menu had me reaching for it. And it was a risk well taken. Using a base of coconut milk (not too thick, sweet or overpowering) and blending in bite-sized chicken pieces, root veggies, okra (yes the homely bhindi makes a star debut in wellness fine dining!) topped off with cilantro, the dish was home comfort with a South-East Asian touch. And the okra providing the most pleasantly surprising touch since it was the most distinct veggie in the otherwise finely chopped melange. After a fortnight of heavy-duty eating out and vino this is exactly what the doctor ordered at 160 calories, 3gms of fat and 0 trans-fat! Smart chick (en)!

Chorizo and Bell Peppers at Pali Village Cafe

GPS: Ambedkar Road, next to Janata Beer Bar, Pali Naka, Bandra (W)

Tring Tring: +91-22-26050401

Click: www.who?

Damages: Approx Rs.250/-

Its tangy, it’s juicy, it’s colourful, and it’s crunchy. It’s just what you need to whet your appetite for a full-bodied main course or even just accompany your Sangria pitcher or glass of Malbec. The chorizo is always fresh and perfectly spiced, never chewy and the peppers are grilled to al dente perfection. For those used to having chorizo primarily as cold cut antipasti this is a delicious hot alternative. Again not too many counterparts across the city either. PS: Discovered that in Argentina chorizo is a juicy n’ flavourful cut of beef used in steak and has nothing to do with pork or sausage whatsoever! Made this delightful discovery at a superb Argentine steak restaurant in London called Gaucho.

Of Friendship and Foodventures

Some people eat to live.

We are not those people!

Be it our cultures (Bohri and Bengali ) replete with distinct flavours, meals and aromas, our childhoods full of gluttonous misadventures or landmark personal occasions marked by a good meal, food has been an intrinsic part of our lives, in keeping with the true-blue Bombay girls we are. Whenever we get together you can be sure there is a gastronomic anecdote. Like the time in Pokhra, Nepal on a school trip 15 years ago where we ended up at a godforsaken juice bar drinking some distinctly dodgy red concoction out of bathroom mugs! Or the time we celebrated a big raise at our favourite restaurant and pocket-ripper, Wasabi. Not to mention that we are the unofficial Zagat guides to eating out in Mumbai for all our hapless friends wanting instant suggestions for biz dinners/dates/catchup/first meet/breakup eateries!

This blog is our attempt at documenting all the wonderful (or not!) experiences we have had with food which form some of our fondest memories, because great things can happen over a good meal. To decode our 4 sectiuons, in Going Places we explore a new or existing restaurant/bar which has piqued our interest from top to toe, from the menu to the cocktails, the ambience to the damages; we say it as it is. In Relative Values we pick a regular/favourite item and see how it fares across different restaurants in the city from its umami to its price. It’s the full dope on what’s good, what’s affordable and what’s unmissable about that item. Love Bites is our bite-sized take on some of our favourite dishes and drinks across the city, usually unique to that restaurant and maxing the umami quotient. And finally in Home Truths we bring to you the great meals we have had with friends and families who are also kitchen magicians. We bring you the stories behind our favourite dishes as well as the secret family recipes that make them utterly umami!

A love story (which began at Pali Village Café), a toxic relationship (which ended at Mocambo), a big deal (which got celebrated at Olive), a blog between old friends (which kicked off at Wooside Inn), these are just some of the landmarks of our friendship and foodventure. We look forward to sharing many more . . . .

Woodside Inn

GPS: Indian Mercantile Mansion, Wodehouse Road, Opposite Regal Cinema
Mumbai, Maharashtra 400039

Click: www.woodsideinn.in

Tring Tring: +91-22-22875752

Damages: Rs.3000/- for a meal for two with alcohol
Must-Order: Sundried tomato, artichoke n' rocket pizza

Umami Quotient: Sweet

It’s fitting perhaps that our first post should kick off with and at WI. We’ve grown up around the corner in the early 90s since we attended St. Anne High School. Those were the days when we had bad fashion and WI had udipi food! Fifteen odd years later we’re still battling fashion, bulge, bank balances, early morning wakeup calls etc but WI has metamorphosed into those rarest of Mumbai joints; a great restaurant, a cosy all-day café, a fun bar and a homecoming for all those people who just want to hang loose alone or with friends over a drink, book or laptop without overloud music, overwhelming price tags or overdone sartorial expectations. 

Bar-o-meter

WI has been witness to many special and un-special occasions requiring alcoholic fortification. Whether it’s school reunions, breakups, family feuds, first dates, blah Saturday nights, post-regatta Sunday afternoons, WI is tank-up option numero uno. It helps that Mariam has her special connections in the most hallowed spot of them all – behind the bar – our man Christopher, who flashes his pearlies, juggles confusing orders and even extends credit if we’re running short (not to be tried by novices!). While they have daily/weekly special cocktails scribbled on the blackboard we usually stick to straight spirits with our whiskeys or gin n’ tonics here. It’s that kind of a no-frills place.

That’s unless we’re talking about the beer. While Mariam loves her lager above the board I am a beer agnost unless it’s Kings on Goa beaches. But their vast range of national and international beers satisfies the nitpickiest lot, from the Peroni (Italian), Hoegaarden (Belgian) and Stella Artois (Belgian again) to the delightfully dry and crisp Japanese Asahi or my personal favourites, the darker yeasty beers like Leffe Blonde (Belgian again, the monks really know their beer!), Miller’s Stout (British) and the nutty, rich Schneider Weisse (German). Watch this space as we go gaga over their signature Beer n’ Burger Festival coming up in August!

Palate

Great beginning and great endings usually make for a great dining experience. Funnily enough in WI, the starters (largely deep-fried) and desserts (largely banal) make for their weakest links. But it’s soon forgotten thanks to all that lies in the middle. The salads are uniformly crunchy, juicy and fulfilling be it staples like the Caesars Salad or specials like the Summer Salad With Seafood and Pine Nuts. Buts let’s be honest, WI is not the place to come if you’re gonna do frou-frou diet dining.

That’s why we go the full hog (pun unintended!). Their all-day breakfasts have saved the lives of many weary (or plain greedy!) wayfarers. I can personally vouch for the Poached Eggs with thick toasts (wholewheat upon request) and a side of fries having fortified me through many crises and I have another friend who equally swears by their Egg White Omelettes. Their pizzas while not being wafer thin are still not too doughy and come generously layered with (thankfully!) un-Indian toppings. For Mariam it’s usually pepperoni or four-cheese with Gouda, mozzarella, goat’s cheese and feta to provide the comfort lining on those whiskey night-outs. The pescetarian in me prefers the slightly unusual (but delightful nonetheless) seafood pizza or the sundried tomato, rocket n’ artichoke option. The tang, twist and texture of the latter makes it one of the most delightful vegetarian pizzas in Mumbai short of poncy, gourmet offerings. 

While the main course has some real comforters aka sphaghetti bolognaise, wholewheat pasta with sausage, mushroom and roasted tomatoes etc. Mariam and I like our beef. So we usually end up with either the tenderloin steak which they do a fine rendition of as long as you specify medium-rare aka pink-no-blood, or the beef burger which has a juicy ground beef patty grilled to perfection with a choice of wholewheat bread, extra or no cheese, eggs and mercifully no mayonnaise!

Crowd V/s Company

WI’s strength lies in the genuine versatility of its ambience. The compact window seats on the ground level are made for daytime lounging whether you’re alone with your novel, a canoodling couple (we have witnessed a lot of deep throat on these seats trust us!), or with friends. The upstairs is equally comfortable for a work drink or even a quick business lunch. Come evening and the art deco façade, woody interiors and green leather transform into a cosy bar, whether you want to hang at the bar counter or occupy a table. Tables are usually in short supply most evenings ever since WI got discovered by the ‘cool people’ but thankfully I have Dev who always gives me a warm Bengali hello and a table within 10 minutes no matter what!

While we prefer to stroll in in our sandals, jeans and tees we have seen some nocturnal denizens in their awkwardly fitted mini dresses and clutches stop by on their way to Valhalla, Privé etc. and stand around in self-conscious huddles twirling wine glasses. (I am assuming it’s a stopover because if they dressed up like that to come solely to WI they need instant arrest by the fashion police!).

 Loo Hoo

Being a girl with a relatively weak bladder makes the loo an important pit stop for any restaurant bar/outing. WI has two single-use ones (one for the lads and ladies each) which are easily accessible and always immaculately maintained with a bunch of lilies to boot!

Comeback Quotient

Great food, great drinks, great prices, great service, great ambience, great location, what’s there not to come back? Forever and always we say . . . . unless it turns back into an udipi and I suspect even then we might be back, as long as their dosas come with a side of beer!