Dumpling Diaries & New Bar Launch

Radio Bar

Bandra gets a new bar – The Radio Bar. Decorated with old school radios, jukeboxes and cassettes, this new hip bar is the latest edition to Linking road alongside the likes of The Daily

The place has some quirks – a wall full of old radios almost telling you a story of the genesis of this machine; a basement where you have a corner for live band performances and another wall, this time full of cassettes. Do you remember those rectangles with two holes in the middle and a thin black tape running inside it? Most of you would not even have been born at the time when these things were a craze

This place is almost like a museum for audio systems!

The drinks were interesting I had the Mojito and Radio Special Cocktail. Quite nice but the food needs some definite working!

Mamagoto

Meanwhile Mamagoto, the fun Asian place gets an all new dumpling menu! “We were being questioned” said a spokesperson, “How can you be an Asian restaurant and not have a dumpling menu? So Voila”

The restaurant turns 5 this month as well and is on an expansion spree. Sources say that after Delhi, Mumbai & Bangalore they are headed to Pune

Mango Cocktail

I first tried the Mango Cocktail - the hint of vanilla and subtle flavour of mango just make this cocktail right to beat the heat this season. Mamagoto infuses their own cocktails

Prawn Crackers

Prawn crackers - beautiful things come in crunchy! I could eat this all along!

Chinese Chicken Puff

The Chinese Chicken Puff - was horrible, you rather eat this at Hersh! They are the best

Gyoza

Street Style Dumpling

The Street Style Spicy Dumpling was nice, silky and melt in the mouth and so was the Old school Gyoza

Tokyo Metro Mantau

The Tokyo Metro Mantau again needed some working. It just tasted like a limp burger

Porky Apple Mantau

The Porky Apple Mantau Makeover was sweet as hell. It might as well be on the dessert menu

Muse Tip: Drinking plan with office colleagues head to Radio Bar and then hop into Mamagoto to eat yummy dimsums and fight the hangover!

The Co-ordinates

Radio Bar - Ground Floor, Hotel New Castle, Linking Road Bandra

Mamagoto - 133, Ground Floor, Gazebo House Hill Road Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Hoppiness!

Review: Hoppipola

It’s been some time since I wrote. 6 months more like it! In between I got married, shifted to another town, got back to work and I am now dealing with the pl/reasures of marital bliss.

I have to admit, I had my apprehensions. Managing a chaos called the wedding, leaving my home, more importantly my bed, moving to a place called ‘khopat’ from a place called ‘colaba’, living in a different house and most of all living with a boy!  A boy I had no doubts about loving but nevertheless a boy. I didn't think this would survive without any of us getting hurt. But I was wrong. Completely, thoroughly, perfectly, fully wrong!

This boy and his mom take care of me like no one else. From waking me up in the morning, to redefining their living as per my notions, to eating mushrooms (Mushrooms never entered the Vaidya household, they were thought to be by products of dog pee. Ridiculous I know.)

Marriage isn’t a nightmare after all, or am I making this statement too early? Nevertheless, am willing to take a chance. Learning to share your life with someone is the greatest gift or curse, depends on what you work towards making it.

So today, I officially get back to my promise of bringing to you the yummy, the delicious and the most extra-ordinary food experiences.

My latest discovery is Hoppipola - Icelandic: jumping in puddles. With outlets in Mumbai & Pune, Hoppipola is this quirky place that has slate boards as tables and games to keep your brain occupied.

Blaring loud music greets you on entering and you can’t help but notice the ‘Greek’ feel to this place with white washed walls and blue rims

The menu too, is pretty quirky with dishes named like ‘Lambada, Fishful thinking’. A lot of thought seems to have gone into designing the idea behind this place.

Watermelon & Basil Mojito

We begin with the Watermelon & Basil Mojito – quite a refreshing drink, but I would vote the one at Mamagoto is better any day

Aila Aioli Chicken Skewers

The Aila Aioli – Chicken skewers topped with aioli was brilliant & succulent

Harissian

Next was Harissian – I personally don’t prefer Basa, find it quite tasteless but the this dish of fish skewers generously rubbed with spices tasted beautiful

Fishful Thinking – the regular fish fingers

Chiseled Prawns

Chiseled Prawns – now this was a show stopper! Prawns cooked in garlic and spices with beautiful tangy flavour. A must try

Lambada

Lambada – soft lamb kebabs on pita. Again a must try

On the whole, I really liked the place & its vibe

Muse Tip: Go there on the weekend with a group of friends, enjoy the music and play some board games while you enjoy your drinks and starters

Co-ordinates

Hoppipola

Address: 136 & 138 A, Galleria Shopping Centre, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai

Phone: 022 40150436

Cuisine: Snacks, Finger food, Continental

Credit Cards: Accepted

50 Shades of Blue...

Review: Dome, Intercontinental

The Dome at Intercontinental easily has the most enviable view in Mumbai. And the monsoon sky just adds to its serenity. Plush white sofas, a musician playing some soulful tunes on his flute and the sound of the waves, my idea of heaven!

I begin with a Watermelon Mojito – chunks of watermelon getting stuck in my straw not a very pretty sight, not a very great drink either!

Watermelon Mojito

The Popiah Rolls – spring rolls filled with asparagus, water chestnuts and cream cheese served with this hearty dip. Yum!

I order for the next drink option, the Chamomile Martini – This has to be THE BEST DRINK I have ever tasted. Beautiful, light and fragrant. Combined with the view? What can I say my idea of heaven...

The Shrimp Tempura

The Shrimp Tempura – crunchy battered prawns. Tasted good but were too soaked in oil

Bamboo Squid Twists

The Bamboo Squid Twists – you know when squid is overdone, it just gets too chewy

Sliced Tenderloin Teriyaki 

The Sliced Tenderloin Teriyaki – thin shavings of beef rolled around peppers topped with that delicate Japanese sauce, sesame seeds and spring onions. Divine! My most recommended after the martini.

The Three Ways Potato Platter – potato patties & wedges lacked flavor and zing

Vietnamese Basa

The Vietnamese Basa – Beautiful succulent fish chunks flavoured with lemongrass

Chicken Sate

Chicken Sate – The usual

Flamed Grilled Shishito Peppers

Flamed Grilled Shishito Peppers – Hot peppers with molten cheese in the middle. Very Yummy

Corn on Cob – you rather not spend 700/- on this

Vegetarian Sushi

Vegetarian Sushi – Not so great, the rice and vegetables didn’t quite come together

The Chamomile Martini & Beef Teriyaki - A Must Have

On an average one starter & one drink would cost around Rs 1500 plus taxes at Dome

Verdict:

Food: Good

Ambience:  Divine

Service: Helpful

Quick Tip: After a hard day’s work, this is place you can come get a drink sit of the plush sofa’s face the sea and watch the world go by...

The Co-ordinates:

The Dome

Where: Hotel Intercontinental, Roof Top, 135, Netaji Subhash Road, Marine Drive, Nariman Point, Mumbai

Tring Tring: 022 39879999

Timings: 5:00 PM to 1:00 AM

Food Type: Bar Food

Payment Methods: Visa, Master, Cash, Credit Card Accepted

Interacting over Latin Indian Food & Chocolate Martini

Meet-up with Rohini Dey & I Bar Review

The IPL season is finally over! I particularly am very happy. First of all I don’t understand why cricket is played? Secondly you come up with a series called the IPL  by the ICC, the great Indian Cricket Circus, the basis of which is ‘entertaining’, money-making and selling. I am surprised at the public outrage over spot fixing. The IPL is a form of ‘reality show’, which by the way is fixed, the outcome pre-decided. Hype factors are weaved in everyday to make it entertaining. Sad reality, but the truth. Let’s accept and move on....

On a more cheerful front, I had the opportunity to meet Rohini Dey – ex World Banker, ex McKinsey economist, who left the corporate world (which by the way is treating women like shit #Phaneesh case) to start her own restaurant. Not just any other run-of-the-mill Lassi the Parothe, Chinese or Japenese but a Latin-Indian restaurant. Yes where Latin America’s fiery sauces meets India’s gravies, where tandoori meets steak & where kheer meets pudding! Sounds like a east meets west story but Rohini actually pointed out a lot of similarities in the cuisines – use of fiery spices, need for coconut stew or a gravy-like base and and use of peculiar ingredients like tamarind (imli)

Rohini talking animatedly about her cook-off

Rohini had come to India to host a cook-off, the winners of which will be work at her restaurant Vermilion (New York, Chicago) and get pay packet of upto $70,000 to start with.

She spoke to us about her journey of becoming a restaurateur, the Bengali and Mallu dishes that inspire her menu at Vermillion and how she now wants to put Indian cuisine on the world map. But not in its stereotypical curry & biryani way but with twist of Latin flavours to it. On being asked whether she looks at getting Vermillion to India. She almost naturally quips, if you finance it! Ah well, Rohini, I am anyways loosing monthly salary to Mumbai’s ever increasing and ever so expensive restaurants. Don’t push it, I say!

Moving on to the pub we met up at – I Bar. Located in the ‘sacred’ galli of Bandra Reclamation,  (sacred cause it also houses Candies, yes THE CANDIES) I BAR is this hip new joint with interactive tables and I Pads for menus. Hence the name – Interactive Bar!

The Menu at IBAR sports some really tempting concoctions, bar food along with some mains.

We start with the -

Fries

Fries with 5 dips: Crispy potatoes with 5 kinds of dip. The dips are refreshing from the otherwise boring options of mustard & tomato. A must try at this place

Pesto Prawns: While the prawns were fresh, there was something very off about the colour – hulk green & taste. A definite no no

Tequila Prawns

The Tequila Prawns – beautiful king sized prawns marinated in potent liquor. Beautiful silky taste!

Coconut Crusted Chicken

The Coconut Crusted Chicken – chicken strips served in a fancy martini glass drizzled with mustard, the chicken can get a bit soggy, but not a bad dish

Salmon Sushi

The Salmon & Cream Cheese Sushi – this is one of the best sushi’s I have tasted so far in Mumbai. Beautiful balmy smoked chicken rolled in sushi rice.

Cajun Spiced Potato

Crispy Cajun Potato – Umm I didn’t like this at all. A bad version of what Sindhi’s make called ‘Tuk’. Totally avoid

Kebabs

Special Kebab - An Iranian preparation of kheema pattice, this was smooth & melt in the mouth!

Camembert Jalapeno – Literally cheesy, melt-in-the-mouth again

Mushroom Focassia – Beautiful crunchy bread topped loads of mushroom pate. Delectable

Veg Wrap

Vegetarian Mexican Wrap – Extremely sweet. Must stay away to avoid diabetes

Prawn Tempura – crispy, crunchy & yum! All you would expect from a tempura!

In the drinks –

Chocolate Martini

Chocolate Martini – Was yum! But I don’t know how the liquid nitrogen added any flavor to it

Mai Tai – Puke. TOO STRONG. HAVE AT OWN RISK

Kamikaze- Lemony & refreshing

Black Grape Mohito – Yum yum yum!

Apple Sangria with black grape caviar with strawberry and tequila infused jelly – too fancy Naam Bade, Darshan Chote

Gimlet

Gimlet – My favorite, zesty, rejuvenating

We end  our meal on an extremely sweet with the Chocolate Cake – again stay away to avoid diabetes!

On an average one starter & one drink would cost around Rs 500 – Rs 700 at I Bar. Quite a steal I say!

Verdict:

Food: Good

Ambience:  Fun in a party way

Service: Very Confused

Quick Tip: I Bar is a great place to have some innovative drinks & finger food. Must have the sushi, tequila prawns & chips with 5 dips & the Gimlet

The Co-ordinates:

I BAR

Where: 7, 8, Gelekia, ONGC Colony, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra West, Mumbai

Tring Tring: 022 26400288

Timings: 7:00 PM to 1:00 AM (12.00pm To 1.00am On Sundays)

Food Type: Mixology, Bar Food

Payment Methods: Visa, Master, Cash, Credit Card Accepted