Jam Session

Review: Jam Jar Diner

Marrying a foodie has its benefits. They will go to any lengths to find the best places to eat, ensure you are upto date on any new restaurants and you don’t have to visit any websites to check reviews cause you have your own personal ‘Zomato’ . They pride that. But then there is a flip side to it as well. They will wake you up on a Sunday morning and make you drive 30 km just to try a restaurant. 

Warning: Don’t marry a foodie, if you don’t want to share their love for food. 

And that’s exactly what I did. I convinced my (co-orperative) husband to skip breakfast take me and my mother in law for brunch. A long listless drive all the way from Thane to gloomy Versova. Eerie yet beautiful, we reached in flat 45 mins. Jam Jar is located in the aptly named Aram Nagar opposite an array of buildings which face the beautiful Arabian Sea. The quirky décor of rickety haphazard book shelves, colourful bird cages and a juke box makes for a very pleasing ambience. It also has this beautiful al fresco seating on top which could be quiet pleasant in this weather especially at nights. The menu is designed in a typical ‘American Diner’ way with a comprehensive range of breakfast options, cocktails, continental mains and deserts.

 

The Fluffy Egg White Omlette with mushrooms and cheese is beautifully well done (that’s how I like mine).

The Masala Omlette too was scrumptious.

The regular omlettes come with bread. Sides will cost additionally.

 

The Full Monty was a wholesome treat with bacon, sausages and baked beans. My husband devoured it till the last bite. 

The Ceasar Salad with Chicken was a ginormous bowl of soulfull food. One of the best I have had so far. The fresh watermelon juice was good as well.

 

We ended this on a sweet note, like literally, Fluffy Pancakes with Berry Compote and Whiped Cream. Ambrosia. 

Like Mother (in law) like Daughter (in law)

Jam Jar definitely is a must visit, the food quality is excellent and so is the fact that there is a plethora of options to choose from. 

MuseTip: Drive down like we did, on a Sunday Morning, for a quiet brunch and follow it up with a walk on the beach. Then come home and nap it. Trust me it will be one of the best naps you have had. 

The Happy Family

 

How to get there 

Jam Jar Diner+91 7506640066/022 26358880

Versova, Andheri West › 7A & B, Arram Nagar 2, Behind Washing Bay, Yari Road, Versova, Andheri West 4000619 AM to 1 AM

 

The Good Life!

Review: Dolce Vita

As a kid I used to frequent this store called Rustoms located at Wodehouse Road in Colaba. Now what was so special about this store you may ask? Rustoms was one of the few and I mean very few stores that stocked foreign food! So from the Laughing Cow cheese cubes (I used to love them) to alphabet soup to mac &  cheese, Rustoms stacked it all. Sadly, a few years ago it shut!

On entering Dolce Vita, I was reminded of Rustoms. I was reminded that there are two kinds of stores I can spend my entire day at  – Bookstores and Foodstores. Even when I go abroad I love shopping at the food section of the supermarkets. Its an amazing experience. What was really surprising about La Dolce Vita was that it was well stocked! From Doritos to Flavoured Tea to a variety of Cheese to meats to even alcohol! Unlike Natures Basket, which never has what you really go there to buy!

So like supermarkets abroad DolceVita has also a dining area where Chef Rohet Khanna and his team delight their patrons. The menu at DV is quite impressive  too with international dishes like Laksa, Terriyaki Chicken, Pasta, Shish Tawouk making it to the items.

But Culinary Muse was here to sample the new ‘High Tea’ menu. Priced at Rs 500 for 2 guests, the high tea menu offers a choice unlimited tea or coffee, choice of Vegetarian and Non-vegetarian Sandwiches, desserts and scones! Now thats what I call value for money!

(On Top) Cherry Jam & Cream; (2nd plate) Mocha Cheese Cake, Cream Roll, Lemon Tart, Blackforest Cake; (3rd Plate) Assorted Sanwichs)

I started with the Veg Mushroom and Garlic Sandwhich – delicate flavours of fresh mushroom and garlic wrapped in multi grain bread. The Chicken Coronation Sandwich which was flavourful with the mayo based sauce and curry powder (yes curry powder and it just did wonders). The Burnt Garlic Chicken was nice too! However the Prawn & Rosemary one was a tad bit bland for my palate. The best part about these sandwiches was that you can combine them with your choice of breads – Whole Wheat, White, Multigrain

The next were the Scones – absolutely delicious, just the right consistency served with this heavenly freshly made Cherry Cinnamon Jam! A must have at this place.

Scones with Cherry Cinamon Jam (bottom)

Then we moved on to the Cream Roll- delicate shell shaped pastry filled with light cream – again exquisite. I particularly fond of small portions of dessert that give you that satisfaction of taste and don’t make feel too full either. Which is the reason why this worked for me and which is also the reason why the next one didn’t. The Lemon Tart – the filling was really refreshing, but the crust was too thick. Two bites into it and it felt heavy.

The star of this evening was clearly the next dessert – Mocha Cheesecake. Dulcet cubes of melt in the mouth coffee flavoured soft cheesecake. Marvellous! If orgasms were possible in the mouth, this would be it.

Overall my experience here was amazing, I would rate this one of the best mid level cafe’s far better than the Barista’s and Cafe Coffee Days and quite cheaper than the Moshe’s and Indigo Deli’s

The High Tea for 2 costs 500 plus taxes!

Verdict:

Food: My dil goes hmmmmmmmm

Ambience: A bit noisy with the supermarket

Service: Very polite and helpfil

Quick Tip: Come with your office colleagues or your friends and gauge on the yummy Mocha Cheesecake & Scones with cinnamon cherry jam

The Co-ordinates:

Dolce Vita

Where: Grand Galleria, Pheonix Mills, Lower Parel (Next to Lush)

Tring Tring: 022 61272107, 022 40044432 

Timings: 11 AM to 11 PM

Food Type: World Cuisine

Payment Methods: Credit cards accepted