O Pedro, BKC, Mumbai

Had a superb experience at O Pedro, BKC, Mumbai. This restaurant has been around for quite some time and I was looking forward to this. We made a last minute booking and had to settle for a high chair seat as the place was going full. The ambiance was cheery and somehow had a very Goa feeling.

We started with a soft shelled crab masala which was super crisp and delectable.

We tried the grilled beef which was the day’s special. Cooked medium rare, the beef is soft and juicy rather than chewy. It was served with a chickpea and potato salad and a tamarind-salsa chutney.

We followed this up with Chorizo Pulao and Bhetki fish curry with steamed rice.

And a Bloody Mary….

Our server was Abral (Apologies if I didn’t get the name right) who deserves a special mention for the excellent service he gave us that day. Highly attentive and giving us the right recommendations, he made our experience better.

 

 

JIA The Oriental Kitchen, Colaba, Mumbai

Really good food at Jia, Colaba. We had a Jia Special roll (non-veg) sushi (recommended by Navin, our server) and it was fabulous. Especially loved the crisp fried fish roe on top and the topping. Delicious and highly recommended.

We followed it up with Korean fried rice and some lamb, both of which were also very enjoyable.

The ambiance is pleasant and the service is prompt. They offer Zomato Gold as well – this restaurant is totally worth checking out!

Bayroute, BKC, Mumbai

Landed up here without realizing that it was so new. Getting a booking was a little difficult – don’t know why certain restaurants follow this trend of sounding very reluctant to give tables. Reached there and found that most of the tables were empty. It did get filled out slowly but there were still one or two tables free when we left. 

Anyway, the restaurant is pretty (it is the place of the erstwhile Le Pain Quotidien – the view outside is really pretty. It’s bright and airy, and a nice place to be.

We started with a Chelo Kebab and a Machboos Al Kuzu. The Machboos Al Kuzu is somewhat similar to a mutton biryani – a more sophisticated take – the meat was soft and anyway, I am a sucker for biryani. Absolutely delicious dish. Totally recommended. The Chelo Kebab came with seekh kebabs (very different from the usual oily, spicy stuff), a divine-smelling rice, a roasted tomato, a salad and a poached egg. A perfect meal by itself.

The reason for giving a 4 is that our next dish which was a grilled prawn – had a very strong, bad smell. We returned the dish. That dish was really not good. What was good is that the server changed the dish immediately without much of a fuss. We ordered the Pide – Dijaj instead – a pretty decent dish. A middle eastern bread topped with a chicken preparation. Service was pretty good and the issue was handled amicably enough.

All in all, I look forward to more experiences at this restaurant. Have visited their Cuffe Parade outlet before and had a really good experience.

Pa Pa Ya, Lower Parel, Mumbai

We went to the restaurant only to have spicy prawn tempura sushi (which is seriously tasty, do try this here) but who stops at only one sushi? We went on to have a California Maki roll and a salmon cream cheese sushi – both of which were excellent as well. For main course, we had a chicken Khao Pad Kar Pao (fried rice) and a braised sliced chicken – which were both good. We were also served a couple of amuse bouche, which we always look forward to at all Pa Pa Ya outlets.

Service was good. We were in a hurry and the food was served quite fast.

Sea Lounge, Colaba, Mumbai

After a spot of shopping on the ground floor, we decided to take a short tea break at the Sea Lounge, Taj Mahal Palace in Colaba, Mumbai. Walking up the (red) carpeted stairs transports you into an elegant world of high teas.

The  place is graceful and sophisticated. High ceilings, beautiful arches, precious carpets, a musician gently playing the piano, you get the drift…

It makes a world of difference if you have a window seat. Sip your tea while looking out at the grand Gateway of India, the blue sea, the many-hued boats and all the people! This is even more fun in the monsoons, when people come and wait to get drenched by the high tidal waves. Their happiness is infectious.

We ordered a Victorian afternoon tea – a selection of teas, some chicken sandwiches, cakes, tarts, macaroons and awesome scones. They have vegetarian options also.

Don’t come here if you are in a hurry to grab some tea. Come when you have a long, free afternoon. Come with someone you like to chat with or with a book.

If you have even more time, walk around the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and walk around the bylanes for great architectural finds.  Just behind the hotel is this view:

Or visit some art galleries. There are quite a few in the area. We visited Gallerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, on the first floor of Sunny House. Climbing up the wooden, winding stairs from another world:

You could also take a short taxi ride and go to the Prince of Wales museum and the Jehangir Art Gallery. The Jehangir Art Gallery is one of my favourites in Mumbai – has year-round interesting exhibitions.

(Pic of the general area – a pretty part of Mumbai)

Right opposite the Prince of Wales museum is the NGMA (National Gallery of Modern Art) – which is host to some of the best artists of India. It is currently running an utterly exhibition of A. Ramachandran’s paintings and sculptures.

(Also, that’s not me :P)

You could also go up to the Asiatic Library, which has a free public reading room and a lot of history (entrance is from the left, if you are facing the library). Not far from the Kalaghoda Starbucks.

Loved this tree in front of the entrance:

Ministry of Crab, Bandra, Mumbai

Seriously, can’t praise this place enough. Was not sure about what to expect considering some of the reviews here but the food is, without exaggeration, mind-blowing.

We started with clams – described as a simple Japanese preparation made with butter and soy sauce in the menu. The sauce was seriously yum, perfect to be mopped up with some generously buttered kade bread. The bread is a Sri Lankan wood fired bread, basically a soft bread which goes very well with butter and soaks up the gravy without getting too soggy. Totally recommended.

Next came our Garlic Chilli crab. We had taken the Jumbo crab (above 1.1 kg) as recommended by our server and it was just right for three of us. This is the height of indulgence, seeped in olive oil, garlic, chilli flakes and Japanese soy sauce. The best crab dish I have ever eaten – and I have eaten a lot of crab. I would rate it higher than the one we ate at the Ministry of Crab, Colombo.

Must mention here that the quality of the seafood – both crab and clams – was extremely good. The clams are soft and juicy and the crab was full of meat. We were informed that the seafood is sourced from various places in the east coast of India.

We tried the Story of Cacao for dessert (as recommended by the server). A dark chocolate mousse on a bed of chocolate soil with chilli to cut through the sweetness. And some coconut gel on the soil. It was interesting and a pretty looking dish but I will not repeat this dish.

A word for Akash, our server – he recommended all the dishes and insisted that we take the Jumbo crab. I thought he did a great job on all his recommendations, both regarding the size as well as the dishes.

As far as the ambiance is concerned, we were seated on the ground floor, which is bright and had a high ceiling.

We had booked almost a week in advance and for the Sunday brunch and just about managed to get a table of two with an additional head chair. The place was going really full the day we went.

So get there fast, and while you are at it, do some celebrity spotting as well.

Woodside Inn, Colaba, Mumbai

Very cozy small restaurant  in Colaba, great food and ambiance. That just about sums up my experience at this restaurant. Have been visiting this place since quite some time and have never been disappointed. They have a good bar as well. They serve continental food and their burgers and pizzas are excellent.

Those on a diet can try their salads – I would recommend the whole burrata cheese salad with roasted almonds, rocket leaves and tomatoes.

The roast lamb was also delicious – served with a lamb jus, tossed potatoes and greens. The meat is soft and the jus is well incorporated in the meat.

Service is good – perhaps a wee bit laid back but that goes well with the general ambiance. Super place.

The Belgian Waffle Co., Lower Parel, Mumbai

The Belgian Waffle Co. is a small dessert parlour at Kamala Mills, Lower Parel. Apart from waffles, it serves pancakes, coffee, tea, shakes and smoothies.

The Classic Honey Butter waffle is really nice and crisp. Not too sweet and quite a nice dessert to have after a light dinner.

The chocolate overload was exactly what the name suggests – loads of chocolate, gooey and sweet in all its glory. Good for kids but can get too much for adults.

Coffee was ordinary – that’s one thing that needs to be improved.

Prices are pretty reasonable.

Ostaad, Lower Parel, Mumbai

Ostaad is a new restaurant in Kamala Mills, Lower Parel, serving Iranian and Afghani food. We walked in on a Friday night and there was live music playing, mostly older Hindi numbers. Unfortunately, the sound check was done right in the restaurant for quite a long time and quite loudly, which was a poor experience for us. Also, there were too many mosquitoes and they didn’t have any repellent spray (we asked!). Anyway, service was very good and prompt. Food was also served promptly.

For starters we ordered, Silky Mushroom Galawats, Peshawari Paneer, Tazik Qarch chargrilled (stuffed mushroom) and Baghdadi Murgh Tikka. This was the first time I ate vegetarian galawats and it tasted quite good. The rest of the starters were decent but not outstanding.

The mains consisted of Turkmani Dal, Damboli, Kagarcha Gosht and Chaina ka kofta. The dal was recommended by the server and was the best dish of the evening. The damboli is like a mixed vegetable curry which was decent. The gosht and the kofta were drowned in too much masala, thick gravy and lacked any distinctive taste.

The staples included Taftan, Afghan Khameeri, Bharme Kulche and Warqi Paratha (all different kinds of bread) which were all average.

For drinks we ordered, various mocktails including  Shooting Plum (decent), Raw Mango Lime Crush (lacking any flavour – not recommended), Kala khatta (decent, but very little of the drink and too much of the crushed ice) and fresh lime sodas (slightly insipid).

Didn’t really enjoy the Ostaad experience. Located as it is at a place teeming with excellent restaurants, it really needs to up its game.

Botticino (Trident), BKC, Mumbai

A pleasant place to sit and chat while having a fine dining experience. Ambiance is very pleasant and service is excellent as expected at the Trident.

We started with a Lobster and Prawn Bisque – quite a subtle and smooth one. It was creamy but thankfully, not too rich.

This was followed by 9 Hours Slow Braised Pork Belly and a Black Truffle Risotto. The pork belly was very soft and melting. Very delicious. The risotto was dotted with burrata cheese – a classic dish, made well.

We were given some complimentary Tiramisu as a Mother’s Day gift – quite nice! Just wish it had a little more Kahlua in it.

On the whole, it was a good lunch spread over a couple of hours (or more, I think), chatting and laughing while having great food.