Waah Ustad!

Review: Masalchi Ustad

Agla station Bandra, next station baaaandra gets a new takeaway joint.  Masalchi Ustaad claims to be an 'indian QSR'.  Now thats an oxymoron! The complication involved in preparation with its myriad of ingredients and long drawn cooking process' makes it very hard for any Indian dish to be quick! And not to forget it would always be incomplete without being paired with with the accompaniments like chutney pickle etc.

The Kebab Platter

Nevertheless, Masalchi Ustad boasts of some indian fusion dishes - Naan Turnover, Basa Fish with Orange Malta sauce, basil chicken tikka as well as the regular mogul fair - Nalli Nihari, Kebabs & butter chicken.

Culinary Muse decided to give this 'so called' QSR a shot.

The Naan Turnover are hot  stuffed naan pockets with butter chicken like gravy and hints of molten cheese on the edges. Quite a sumptuous meal in itself. Although i found the filling is a bit sweet though

Naan turnover

As part of the kebab platter we had:

The Seekh kebab was succulent and beautiful

Billayati Murg Tikka

The billayati murg tikka was beautiful and silky

The Murg Sunheri kebab was also delectable 

Aftabi fish tikka

The Aftabi Fish Tikka - fish kebabs coated with green coriander masala was juicy and delicious

Nalli Nihari

The Nalli Nihari was flavorful but really rich. Those watching their calories must truly avoid

Dal Makhani

The Dal Makhani was wholesome and beautifully flavored. A must try


On the whole Masalchi Ustad is worth a try. Ample quantity and wholesome make it a good option when one has guests over or a party to host. Sadly they only deliver in and around Bandra as yet

MuseTip: The kebabs are sure shot winner!


The Co-ordinates
Masalchi Ustad
Address:Masalchi Ustad, Sherly Rajan Road, Khar, Mumbai
Telephone: 09029077516, 09029077517, 09029077518, 09029077519
Type: Only takeaway

Food for Nawabs

Review: Golconda Bowl

The word Golkonda derives itself from Golla konda literally meaning shepherd's hill. It is a ruined city of south-central India and capital of ancient Kingdom of Golkonda  somewhere in the 16 century about is situated 11 km west of Hyderabad.

The time you enter Golconda Bowl its hard to not take the cognizance of the walls painted scarlet, matching wooden tables and chairs of chestnut hues. Brass cutlery laid out well, that add to the earthy ambience of the place.

It’s taken me a couple of phone calls and tweets to book a place here. They do not do bookings on weekends due to past experiences of customers not turning up. But post my tweet the owner himself `sweet enough to call and book a table for me.

So here I am with my family on for our Sunday brunch ritual, my dad a bit cribby for making him travel all the way to Bandra (in the Bandra fair traffic). I do a quick prayer that this meal is worth it.

A look at the menu and the contents are as Hyderabadi as the name would suggests. We proceed to order with much consultation from our courteous steward.

Pathar Gosht

The Pathar Gosht – succulent pieces of meat, minced to very fine consistency, Our stewadrd later described that that dish derived its name because pounded meat is roasted on a fiery granite stone. Beautiful, melt in the mouth! A must have dish in my opinion.

We then order for a Nalli Nihari, which sadly is not available. 

How the Pathar Gosht cooked

The next dish – Haleem – again very finely pound mutton cooked with barley & lentils till it’s a thick meat stew. Have it with Roomali Roti and that will be the most immaculate moment of your life. The sweetness of the caramelized onions on top combined with slight hint of lemon juice and the spicy flavor of the condiments makes for a ephemeral combination.

Haleem

The Kache-Gosht-Ki-Biryani here comes with Raita and a curry sort of a thing. Not to mention it is topped with boiled egg to maintain an authencity. The meat well marinated tasted succulent with the long grain basmati. Although I’d expect some more of the masala/gravy to coat the meat inorder for it to entice me more.

 Kache-Gosht-Ki-Biryani

Golconda Bowl is truly gives you that regal – Food For the Nawabs kind of feel. I could see it with me family, even my father seem to be satisfied with our feast.

A meal at Goconda Bowl w/o alcohol would cost anywhere between Rs 400-600 per head

Verdict:

Food: Excellent

Ambience:  Good

Service: Very Helpful

Quick Tip: In the mood for some really exotic Indian food, go get yourself food for the Nawabs at Golconda Bowl

The Co-ordinates:

The Golconda Bowl,

Where: Hotel Metro Palace, Hill Road,  Bandra West , Mumbai

Tring Tring: 26431234

Timings: 12:00 PM to 3:30 PM, 7:30 PM to 11:30 PM

Food Type: Indian, Hyderabadi, Mughlai

Payment Methods: Visa, Master, Cash