Of Coffee Shots & Sister Bonding

Review:  The Pier

A lonely shy kid once prayed to God, to give her sibling (er.. a brother actually so that she could tie him a rakhi every year).  But God had different plans for her...

After 2 cancellations (one due to a private party & one due to it being a weekend), I finally get my booking at The Pier. A dinner reserved for some bonding with The Sibling.

My sister and me are poles apart. Clearly our sizes are the first testimony to this fact. We have quite different tastes too. Her Music: Boulevard of Broken Dreams; My Music: Pani Da Rang. It’s hard to get along with such contrasting tastes, let alone bond!

Aptly named The Pier overlooks the Arabian Sea and is where Tetsuma used to be, right next to what used to be my favourite club Athena and not so favourite one Prive. The décor of Pier is chic and minimalistic; dim lighting setting the cosy mood, the long bar looking promising and antiques that remind you vintage shops around Colaba.

The menu is quite unusual in a good sense actually, the cocktails our maitre d’ stresses were specially designed for Mumbai’s scorching summer and the mains are fusion European with hints of Asian flavours.

The sibling is quite a forgetful missy. She leaves her wallet somewhere, keeps her marksheet somewhere and can take the whole house on her head when she can’t find things. I frankly want to give her lecture on responsible behavior... (psst I hope this blog does the trick)

The Mushroom Cappuccino

The French Onion Soup

We start with soups – Mushroom Cappuccino for her and French Onion Soup for me. Both of us love the cappuccino – frothy mushroom broth served in a cuppa makes for a delicious dish. The French Onion with its promising presentation was however horrible. As sweet as sugar water and with a bad after taste. Must completely avoid!

The Sibling obsesses over herself 24/7. Is my hair proper, how’s my top, do they go with my new Zara Pants? Yes! I want to scream, you are so perfect that anything looks good on you! But sisters know better than to tell the other they look better. Stop rolling your eyes, it’s a sister thing!

The Watermelon Cooler

In the drinks we are recommended the Hot Toddy – for my soar throat, good for the throat but you can give it a miss otherwise; The Red Wine Sangria – a beautiful blend, a must have! And the Watermelon Cocktail – again smooth on the taste buds.

Beer Battered Calamari with remoulade sauce

After that we go in for our appetizers – the Beer Battered Calamari – beautiful crisp calamari rings giving you the crunchy noise in every bite! And when teamed with the spicy remoulade you have a perfect brunch snack.

The Sibling and me love shopping, we can walk for hours and hours in malls to spend The Father’s mehnat ki Kamai. On our recent trip to the US both of us would eat sleep and breathe shopping. Alas we have something in common, however superficial it may sound!

Atlantiv Scallops with Thai Curry

In our mains we order for the Pan Seared Atlantic Scallops with Thai Curry – a dish with a name so fancy could not be any less, beautifully cooked succulent pieces of scallops surrounded in a pool of zingy thai curry with passion fruit bitters made it delighting.

Mushroom Risotto

The Wild Mushroom Risotto – was another dish I totally recommend here. Now like those heavy on the stomach risottos, this one has the perfect consistency!

The Cottage Cheese

The next was Cajun Marinated Grilled Cottage Cheese with Saffron Sauce Summer vegetables and Olive mash – very okayish dish.

The Gnocchi

The Gnocchi – with its garlic, sage and butter combination was heavenly. Again a must have.

The Sibling and me can’t stop chatting with each other if we are in the same room, we can comment on each others dressing, skin, hair, dark circles, choice of men. What follows are huge sarcastic arguments. The ‘Talk to the Hand’ & ‘Rolling My Eyes’ don’t get over and by the end of it both of us are in splits...rolling on our beds in the humor we have, but can share with no one except each other!

The Coffee Shots

Before moving to the desserts we have the Coffee Shots – I liked the milk one but the black coffee was to strong. The maitre d’ then asked me to mix them. Potent is one word for that. Not for the faint hearted for sure

The Panna Cotta

In desserts, we choose the Vanilla Panna cotta – beautiful silky creamy pudding (the French will kill mw for calling it that) surrounded in a pool of cool strawberry soup. A beautiful end to the meal.

So God must’ve thought and thought and rethought of the 7 year old’s ardent prayers and instead of giving her just a sibling, he gave her a friend. For life!

Like all good things, The Pier’s food comes at a price. A meal for two would cost Rs 3500 - 4000 with alcohol.

Verdict:

Food: Good
Ambience:  Serene
Service: Courteous

Quick Tip: The Pier, brings to you some beautifully chosen dishes. Kudos to the chef for his selection. Have the Panna cotta, stay away from the French onion soup and you’ll be happy!

The Co-ordinates:

The Pier
Where: 41/42, Minoo Desai Marg, Behind Radio Club, Colaba
Tring Tring: 022 60660036, 022 60660037 
Timings: 7:30 PM to 1 AMFood Type: European
Payment Methods: Credit cards accepted

By the Sea

Review: Corniche

The word ‘corniche’ means a winding road cut into the side of a steep hill or along the face of a coastal cliff. Thus aptly named the eatery ‘Corniche’ is situated right off Carters Road, opposite the Sea.

Pic Courtsey Zootout.Com

You must know the phrase ‘hard to miss’ well Corniche is just the opposite! With the Carter’s Road Cafe Coffee Day and Yogurt Bay hogging the limelight, Corniche can hardly be seen (it’s just adjacent to Cafe Coffee Day). But as you enter the place you can’t help but be mesmerised, by the ambience and the view! Directly facing the ocean, surrounded by palm trees, you can actually hear the waves lashing across the shore, making for sweet music especially while on a date.

Pic Courtsey Zootout.Com

The menu at Corniche seems to offer a wide range on cuisines from Italian to Mexican, Lebanese and Thai.

We begin with the Wild Mushroom Soup – Thick, creamy, smooth and ‘absofuckinutly’ yum!

Wild Mushroom Soup

We move on to the appetiser – Tangerine Chicken- Chicken Supremes marinated in tomato concasse and orange juice – brilliant tastes with freshness of thyme and rosemary and the zest of the orange.

Tangerine Chicken

The Greek Salad with the Vinaigrette Dressing was a bit of a disappointment – first you couldn’t see or taste the feta cheese ( for me cheese is really important part of a salad and for god’s sake this is a GREEK SALAD) and secondly it just didn’t taste well either. Like the veggies seemed to be limp.

Next was the Amatricana Penne Pasta –a tomato based pasta with bacon- while again I couldn’t taste any of the bacon the pasta tasted yum! Slightly on the piquant side, not something you would expect a pure haul Italian pasta to be but what the hell it tasted good!

Amatricana Penne Pasta

The Chicken and Bell Pepper Risotto, I thought was overdone and the rice didn’t have the ‘al dente’ touch!

Chicken and Bell Pepper Risotto

On the whole, I would go back to ‘Corniche’ for the ambiance, the soup and the pasta!

A meal for 2 would cost between Rs.1000 -1500/-

Verdict:

Food: Mixedbag

Ambience: Serene

Service: Okay

Quick Tip: Go enjoy a serene view at Corniche, but be warned not to be too experimental with the food, stick to the basics! Mushroom Soup is a must have!

The Co-ordinates:

Corniche

Where: B-15, Gagangiri Co-Operative Housing Society, Carter Road,  Bandra West , Mumbai

Tring Tring: 022 26460147

Timings: 11:00 AM to 12:30 AM

Food Type: Continental, Mexican, Thai

Payment Methods: Credit cards accepted

Snow White & Some Food

Review: Smoke House Deli

You enter Smoke House Deli and you get the feeling that Snow White could have stayed here. White washed walls with cryptic, ‘hand made black marker’ kind of designs. A book shelf, a gramophone and a bar, all in one place! Riyaaz Amlani has sure given alot of thought to the design of his new brainchild.

The menu at Smoke House looks very limited while it has good range – soups, salads, pastas, mains & desserts; the choices in these categories are not many. And more so I think the vegetarian options are sparse.

To start we are served with a bread (in cute sack) and some flavoured butter. Didn’t impress me much and they didn’t refill it either going forward.

Sangria Rosso

To quench our thirst we order for Melon Sangria & Kiwi, Cantaloupe, Melon & Lemonade Mocktail.  The Melon Sangria to my surprise came in sparkling wine, which wasn’t what I expected. I told the waiter that I was expecting the red wine Sangria. He twitched a bit explained to me that melon sangria was white but politely went back to get me the Sangria Rosso. It feels great when the staff at restaurants really take care of your needs rather dismissing you. Hospitality isn’t just serving people it’s much beyond. Delight would be close but beyond that too. The Sangria Rosso – was nectarius mix of fruity flavours! The Kiwi, Cantaloupe mocktail was refreshingly soothing!

 

Mushroom Risotto

We dived right into the mains with Smoked Mushroom Risotto – thought Arborio rice was not cooked to well. Not the al dente kind. Also the flavours were quite disappointing. Too bland! The next dish Peri Peri Smoked Chicken + Pimento Reduce was scrumptious – grilled chicken breasts drizzled with pimento (bird chillie) sauce. Both Peri Peri and Pimento originate from these bird chillies of African. They add a beautiful piquant aroma! The Chicken Peri Peri was a dish full of such enticing flavour.

Cambodian Basa

Peri Peri Chicken

Next we move on to Lemon+Dill Cambodian Basa oak smoked pimento & Garlic Sauce – Marinated in batter the fish was soft and succulent. It had this herbaceous Lemony zing to it.

Overall my experience with non-veg dishes was better. They also have a value for money option a soup+ half sandwich option which have added to my totry list

A meal for 2 would cost between Rs.2000 - 2500/- with alcohol

Verdict:

Food: Good for Non-Vegetarian

Ambience: White

Service: Polite

Quick Tip: On the weekend, after exploring the pathetic sale at Zara & Mango at palladium, park yourself at Smoke House for Sangria Rosso and Chicken Peri Peri. You just might get over not having shopped for anything!

The Co-ordinates:

Smoke House Deli

Where: Unit No.9G, Block No 3, High Street Phoenix,  Lower Parel , Mumbai

Tring Tring: 24933222, 9619863248

Timings: 11:30 AM to 11:30 PM

Food Type: European, International, Lebanese, Mediterranean, Fusion, Italian, American

Payment Methods: Credit cards accepted

The French Kiss

Review – Chez Moi

Food always carries with it certain memories, especially when you savour it amongst people you love. To me this particular lunch did just that! A couple of friends and me have started this community called as ‘Food Caravan, Mumbai’ (Check this link http://www.facebook.com/pages/Food-Caravan-Mumbai/225739017456745?sk=wall & you can join us too!) as our way of discovering Mumbai through it’s food!

Bandra Station

Our first official ‘food trail’ took place on Sunday August 14, 2011. We all met at Bandra Station, and headed to Chez Moi, a bistro/café located at Bandra reclamation. Flanked by a couple of eateries like the ever famous Candies (which now by the way should be a landmark in Bandra along with The Bandra Fort and The Mount judging by it’s popularity) and some newly openend ones like Quench, Chez Moi sure does enjoy some competition.

The word chez moi literally means ‘At my house’ in French and when you enter this quaint, almost hole in the wall café , it’s like you have stepped into a time machine that transported you to the French Country Side somewhere in the Victorian Era. The walls are painted white in a make shift manner and you can still see the wood through it. There are ancient curios, wall hangings, gothic clocks, Victorian and contemporary painting and even a book shelf on the walls. It literally give you the feel that someone from ancient Europe has invited you back in time and to their house. Beautiful, Eclectic & Surreal.

We are seated next to the bar, by joining around 2-3 tables. Yes there are just about 6-7 tables in the entire place and a counter with some stools. We are served a menu that’s is actually spiral bound fashion magazine (that too in a different language) with a printed menu stuck on some pages! Quite innovative but can get a tad bit confusing also the fact that the magazine is in a different language beats the purpose!

Anyhow after we are able to  figure out the menu, we observe that it has quite a good blend of French and Italian dishes. As a policy Food Caravan doesn’t do drinks, however it also seemed to have an impressive collection of blanc et rouge vin as well.

The Brocoli & Walnut Soup

Chicken Neptune

We order for our soups, the Broccoli and Walnut Soup looks great but on stirring we notice that the swirl of cream does not mix well and almost breaks forming pieces of cream in the soup, and the taste on the whole was quite bland. The Butter Corn Soup – had a nice thick consistency with the rustic taste of corn and a hint of lemon, a good option for the Vegetarians. But the Chicken Neptune, was actually what I can call a culinary revelation. A thick broth with chicken slivers, creamy texture and a hint of nutmeg. This is what Bruce Almighty would call B-E-A-utiful.

Chicken Roulade

Bruchettas

For starters we have the Vegetarian Bruchettas – finely chopped fresh tomato, herbs and cheese on toasted bread slices. Will give them credit for doing a good job at that. The next was Chicken Roulade – a cold cut and French signature dish. The word roulade originates from the French word "rouler" meaning "to roll". Typically, a roulade is a European dish consisting of a slice of meat rolled around a filling, such as cheese, vegetables, or other meats. If I had to draw an Indian parallel to it, it would be patra. The Chicken Roulade at Chez Moi was delectable with pounded chicken, cheese and herbs rolled in slices of chicken served with the most amazing kind of salsa sauce.

Risotto with Sundried Tomatoes and Vegetables

Mediterranean Paradise

Review – Moshe’s

Set-up in 2004, Moshe’s was one of Mumbai’s first signature chef restaurants. The brain of a Jew chef Moshe Shek, the restaurant introduced Mediterranean cuisine to Mumbai with a slight East Europe twist. Over the years the menu has been revised retaining some of its signature dishes like Penne Paprika yet evolving with new dishes from Lebannon, Turkey, Israel & Italy. I remember the first time I went there way back in 2004, I tasted the Chicken Tagine, a brilliant Turkish – Egyptian dish of chicken stew served in a conical earthen pot with accompanied by cous cous. Quite a hearty meal. I don’t know whether the dish has made it to the new menu, but there are lots of other things to savour & try!

You can spot Moshe’s everytime you drive past it courtesy to small bright twinkling lights that line up the trees outside. As you walk to the porch, a beautiful alfresco ambience greets you with wooden chairs and tables. However the hot summer that hasn’t got over and unpredictable monsoon that hasn’t quite started yet compels us to the more comfortable A/C confines of the interiors. The interiors give you a feeling of entering those dimly lit English/Scotish barns with wooden flooring and dark maroon walls. The mosaic mirrors add a Middle Eastern touch to it.  They have their own bakery and patisserie giving their food a freshness and an old world organic sort of charm to the place.

The menu as I mentioned earlier boasts of not so typical Mediterranean – Middle Eastern Dishes. Quite an impressive selection, indicating a well travelled chef.

Spinach & Mushroom Soup

We order for the Spinach and Mushroom Soup – now don’t go by the look of the soup, because it’s ‘greeness’ can give The Hulk a complex! However the delicate Spinach flavor, with Mushroom juliennes and a dominant garlic taste make for a very delicious broth.

Jalapeno & Parsely Fondue

We move on to Chicken Steak with  Garlic, Watercress and Ratatouille Sandwhich served in wholewheat flatbread which was zesty with a lemony flavor. Quite wholesome and delicious! The next was the Jalapeno and Parsley Fondue which was good  - thick cheesy melt served with bread crumbs and lavache but did not match up to the Dukkah, an Egyptian style fondue with cheese, jalapeno peppers, almond and pine nuts. The nutty flavor of this fondue is just to die for.

Penne Paprika

Chicken Steak with Plum Sauce & Red Wine

For the mains we had Penne Pesto – quite bland and lacking any sort of distinguishing flavor, the Penne Paprika is delicious with it’s fiery and cheesy mix. But wat really stole our hearts is the Grilled Chicken in Plum sauce and Red Wine - A delectable dish of grilled chicken fillets served on a bed of mash potatoes and vegetables. Brilliant and so filling!

Penne Pesto

The place is pretty expensive with a meal for 2 costing anywhere between Rs 2000- Rs 3000 without alcohol

            Verdict

Food: Excellent

Ambience: Beautiful

Service: Not Very Helpful

Quicktip: Take a date along for a beautiful meal or just go with yours friends for a cup of coffee and melt in the mouth chocolate cookies. In the winter go enjoy the alfresco ambience. The Dukkah Fondue and Chicken Steak are a must have!

The Co-ordinates

Moshe’s, 7 Minoo Manor, Captain Prakash Pethe Marg, Cuffe Parade , Mumbai

Phone: 22161226, 22161266

Timings: 7:30 AM to Midnight

Food Type: Continental, Mediterranean, Moroccan, Turkish, Isreali, Egyptian

Payment Methods: Credit cards accepted