Imagica!

       A few of us, bloggers and food enthusiasts had the privilege of embarking on a one-day trip to Imagica. This was a full paid trip to Imagica by Seatrr, including deluxe passes, pick up and drop facilities, and reviews at 5 different restaurants. 

      First off, let us explain what Seatrr does. It is an online food discovery platform for the foodie in you. It is like a database of users reviews and ratings, based on which different lists are formulated. For eg, if you're craving a plate of some mouth-watering pav bhaji, Seatrr will give you a list of the best places for the said dish based on all the information uploaded by the users.

      We started our journey with everyone being picked up at different pick up points by the bus and we set off. As soon as we reached, we were given our deluxe passes and we then went to our first destination - Roberto. Here we were greeted by the Chef Mr. Veeraj who explained the basic concept behind the place. It was a set breakfast menu to get us started for the day, including aloo parathas, vadas, bread butter, juices, herbal tea and so on. The food was pretty average. There was one particular dish which everyone loved - chocolate brownies. Some sugar rush to start our day with! We also met Mr. Manish, the Vice - President of Adlabs Imagica who gave us a brief introduction and welcomed us to the place.

      Then we all went to explore the theme park. It's a huge space with a lot of rides and other attractions. There are a few informative rides too, like one which helps us understand the beautiful culture of our country. The other ones are for the adrenaline rush and the thrill of it all. We experienced all the  major rides before lunch so as to not have any stomach problems later on. The best ride, according to us would definitely have to be the 'Scream machine.'

      We now headed off for lunch at Zeze - The African Grill. The entrance to the restaurant is that from a hut and the place is really well made. The decor is really beautiful and gives a typical South African vibe. No prices for guessing the cuisine! For the vegetarians, the options served to us were really limited - fries, barbecued paneer and rice. And, kulfi for dessert. The food again, was pretty average. But again, the fare served to us was different from the actual food served in the restaurant.

      Our next restaurant to review was Red Bonnet. The place gave us really strong 70's American diner vibes and we enjoyed every bit of it! Here, we could order straight from the menu and we ended up ordering a lot of variety. Here, our taste buds were satisfied with the awesome sauce cheesy fries, zesty burgers, thick shakes, rolls and other American fare. Our favourite thing to gorge on here were the strawberry shakes. So thick, so flavourful and so delicious!

      Post such a heavy lunch, we all were strolling around, clicking pictures and admiring the beauty and the scenery of the place; the lake in particular. The lake is one of the most beautiful attractions here and gets even more gorgeous in the evening with all the fairy-lights. We also went and enjoyed the other, more subtle rides post this. 

       We then witnessed the much-talked about Imagica parade. It had all the characters of the shows, a few dancers, and a few Disney characters. It was vibrant, lively and had us all tapping our feet to the groove. Felt absolutely magical and was one of the highlights of the day.

        Despite being so full, we then visited Arrmada for high tea and snacks. Arrmada is famous for its cocktails and snacks. It is a restaurant based in a ship - some level of creativity! We were whisked to the topmost level where food was already set up for us so that we could refresh ourselves while enjoying the beauty of the entire place. 

      

      As the sun set, we finally saw how much more beautiful the entire place could look. Fairy lights all over, it felt like a magical land. One other thing I would love to mention is the Christmas decoration. There was a huge life-size setup of Santa, his helpers, Rudolph, and elves. It just elevated the entire Christmas and winter spirit. Then a few of us went to enjoy other rides and a few of us just sat admiring the beauty.

      Lastly, we headed to Imagica Capital for our final stop. It was time for dinner with the Disney characters! A small stage in the corner, one by one, the characters kept pouring in, allowing us to interact with them, or even go and shake a leg. There was a huge spread of aromatic food, calling out to us. With a variety of Continental and Italian dishes, we stuffed our stomachs. Nearby, the host was asking us a few fun questions entitling us to a few vouchers and gift prizes. 

      We headed to our bus, all tired and carrying back all the memories of the day. It was an amazing one-of-a-kind experience where we got to mingle with so many like-minded people and enjoy the beautiful theme park while enjoying the food at 5 different restaurants. We would like to heartily thank the entire theme of Seatrr and Adlabs Imagica for such a wonderful day with loads of pleasant memories which we will reminisce upon later.

Any suggestions/comments/feedback is welcome. Do follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Zomato.

Gobble On!

Sunday brunch at Fratelli Fresh

    Whenever I heard the word Sunday, the first words to strike me are laziness, relaxing and brunches. Now a perfect brunch according to me would be one where you're having a quality time with a few loved ones, sipping on some great wine/drinks and gorging on some delicious food whilst enjoying the pleasant view outside. We were able to do all of the above with some amazing artwork on display during our recent Sunday Brunch at Fratelli Fresh. 

       First off, we definitely must start with the ambience. The sheer beauty of the Renaissance is such that as soon as you set foot inside, you're bound to never come back. The Sunday brunch at Fratelli Fresh is one of its major attractions. We were invited to Art and Lunch - R Art Series by artist Ram Kamath, followed by an exotic Italian Sunday brunch by Chef Cristian. 

       Here is some of his well-known work -

       The spread at Fratelli Fresh is a humongous one, including some gorgeous breads, cheese platters, salads, pastas, pizzas, cold meats, over 30 varieties of desserts and what not. It is an absolute treat for the eyes and the body and the taste buds. The spread is beautiful and leaves you tantalized.

       Our favourite out of these would be the jalapeno ones. Bread with a strong flavour of jalapenos, topped with cheese and an jalapeno in the middle didn't need any other component alongside and were baked to perfection.

       Out of the main course, the best would definitely be the Chef's specialty - the ravioli. One of the best things about them is that they make their own pasta in their kitchen. Their pizza, lasagna and pasta were pretty ordinary and didn't meet our expectations. 

        Next, we moved on to the desserts. Just looking at the variety took us on a sugar high. We had to take 3 rounds of the entire round to taste even 1/4th of the desserts. Did I mention that they have a chocolate fountain too!? Here a few pictures of the desserts to leave you drooling -

        Lastly, we would like to thank FBAI and Renaissance for organizing this lovely meet. 

Any suggestions/comments/feedback is welcome. Do follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Zomato.

Gobble On!

Restaurant review - Moksha

Moksha - a part of Jewel of Chembur Hotel, Mumbai, is one of the most preferred restaurants by people there. We went and found out the reason for ourselves. 

Moksha, recently has come up with a new menu. It caters to all kinds of people - Chinese, Indian, Mughlai, oriental. Want to go on a date? Want to go for a family dinner? Want to go for a business meeting? Moksha is the place. Divided into various sections with different themes, its a place for everyone. 

We recently went to try out their new menu with a range of Indian and Oriental additions -

Hare chane ka shorba

Cream of chickpeas soup. With the base of roux thickened milk, this creamy soup had a rich taste and was a great start to the meal.

Ragda Pattice

Innovation at its best! A modern take on the traditional chaat, ragda pattice was served in small glasses, comprising of 4 layers - ragda, a melange of chutneys, a freshly roasted potato pattice and a garnish of finely chopped onions, tomatoes, sev and coriander leaves. One of our favorites on the menu!

Alu vadi with mirchi ka thecha

This traditional Maharastrian dish, prepared from Colocasia leaves, served with mirchi ka thecha and salad, was a bit bland and lacked moisture, making it seem like it was prepared a couple of days before.

Flora Kebab

A Punjabi starter, consisting of broccoli and cauliflower grilled and seasoned with some hot Indian spices. Loved it!

Phak bua krob

This was one of the dishes we wouldn't mind going back for! Crispy lotus stem and scallions tossed in tamarind sauce seasoned with spices for the perfect balance in its tangy and spicy flavor. In all, a gorgeous dish.

Kai prik krappaw thwy

Thai corn cakes served with cucumber salsa. The thai corn cakes were riding solo on the corn, which sadly was not the hero of the dish; the sweet salsa was a good diversion from the overpowering corn.

Gucchi bharwan kumbh

Button mushrooms stuffed with assorted vegetables and cheese, delicately cooked in a traditional tandoor, were light and delicious, but had a pungent aftertaste.

Chinese Bhel

This pretty dish was a classic chinese bhel, bursting with flavors. Spicy with a hint of tangy sauces, this was cooked to perfection and was devoured within moments. An absolute must try!

Glass noodle salad

This fresh salad was a much needed neutralizer after all the flavors hitting our taste buds. Consisting of a lot of freshly diced vegetables, herbs and dressing, this works as a great nullifier.

Phad phak no mai head

Ginger rice served with stir fried bamboo shoots, mushroom and broccoli in oyster sauce. The food lives up to the mark set by the beautiful presentation. Ginger infused rice with a well cooked curry with plenty of well cooked vegetables. What more can we ask for?!

Cottage cheese kofta with korma sauce

This is one dish that is definitely not something that you'd want to share with anyone. A pre-plated dish, it consists of pieces of fresh naan, 2 cottage cheese koftas, korma sauce and some good old pulao. The hot naan includes small pieces of fig, giving it a totally different flavor and texture. The scrumptious koftas made with cottage cheese and dry fruits, blend with the creamy korma sauce in such a manner that it leaves you baffled.

Shahi Tukda

 Shahi tukda is basically deep fried bed served with some cold rabdi. The deep fried bread was a bit too oily for us and couldn't be consumed after 2 bites. The rabdi, on the other hand was wiped clean within moments.

Fried Ice cream

 As soon as we noticed fried ice cream in the menu, we just knew we had to have it. Vanilla ice cream deep fried in a batter with coconut served on a bed of rice flakes. The outer covering was soft and as soon as you bit into it, you'd be hit by a tinge of cold ice cream. The rice flakes added a good texture to the entire dessert. Kudos for trying something so innovative!

Phirnee

The phirnee, served in the traditional clay matki, could've been better in terms of flavor and sweetness.

Tub tim grob

Tub tim grob, one of the most famous Thai desserts, is a coconut milk based dessert. The small reddish/pinkish jewels are water chestnut covered with tapioca flour, served with sweetened coconut milk and shaved ice with additional bits of jellied coconut flesh too. Great texture and just the correct amount of sweetness!

To sum up, I'd like to say that Moksha has some pretty good food and service. A few of the dishes could've been better. 

I'd like to give it a 3.9 on 5.

Would I go back? If I'm in the area!

Choc Le!

When the package is so pretty, who cares about what's inside?

                   Imagine coming home to such a pretty little surprise waiting for you at your doorstep. I couldn't bear my excitement having received this and hurriedly tore it down, to find even prettier boxes containing some sumptuous desserts and chocolates from Choc Le.

            The desserts included a lemon cheesecake, coffee mousse cake, a jar of mixed berries compote, and a box of assorted chocolates.

      The cheesecake shaped in the form of a delicate soap had a slight hint of lemon for the perfect tangy and sweet flavor, creating the perfect balance. This was definitely, our personal favorite, the texture being wobbly, slimy and the cheesecake super moist and delectable. A must try for all the cheesecake lovers out there!

          Next I dug into the coffee mousse. Every bite of it was pure bliss! Not a huge fan of coffee, I loved this cake as it had just a bit of coffee. The surface was extremely soft and the base slightly firm. The chocolate and the coffee flavor worked really well for me!

          Next we stumbled upon this jar of mixed berry compote. At first look, I thought this was just another bottle of jam. But it wasn't. The taste is fantastic and you can identify all the different berries blended to form that.

                        The next and the final item was the chocolates! 8 flavor packed varieties of chocolates. That's correct. Did someone say chocolate heaven?! The flavors being Pista, Coffee crunch, orange, chilli, hazelnut almond, sea salt caramel, cookie dough, and masala chai. 

                 All the chocolates and the flavors are pretty self explanatory and are exactly what the name suggests. Our personal favorites were the masala chai and the chilli one. Being a sucker for innovative stuff, I loved what different flavors can do to enhance the taste of chocolate even more. 

          You can follow Choc Le on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Zomato for their mouth watering delicacies apart from their official website.

 I would like to thank Mrs. Pooja Trehan Dhamecha, the owner of Nuvo Foodies, without whom this review would not be possible. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @NuvoFoodies. 

                 Personally I would give Choc Le a 4.3 out of 5. Would I go back? Definitely!

IT ALL STARTED WITH THE BIG BANGGG!

               

No, I'm not planning to bore you with the evolution of the earth. The Big Bang Theory - the signature dish prepared by the Chef right in front of you, which costs Rs. 1750, was one of the major reasons for Umame being on my wishlist. Having been to Joss before and experiencing one of the worst dining experiences, I was really hoping Umame would make me change my mind about them. 

Ambience - 

Umame, a fine dine restaurant, is one where you can come for a family get together, or a Sunday brunch, or when you're in the celebratory splurging mood. Good lighting, spacious seating, soft furnishing and a really niche crowd can be the recipe for a good conservation over your meal.  

Source

Service - 

The service was remarkable. One thing I really liked was that they weren't rushing into anything, they let us take our time and let us enjoy our food peacefully without any distractions or any waiter hovering over our table. 

Food - 

We called for the Vegetarian Edamame rolls and the Big Bang theory. Thankfully, we didn't call for anything else as the dessert was massive and must be ordered in the presence of 3-4 people with a good appetite and a taste for sweet stuff. The vegetarian edamame sushi was layered with spicy mayo and served with a handful of wasabi, thus proving the myth that sushi is always bland, false.

• Edamame Sushi rolls - 

People often laugh off the idea of vegetarian sushi rolls as they feel it loses its essence, sushi means meat, etc etc. These edamame sushi rolls with a serving of wasabi were just beyond brilliant. The serving consisting of 8 rolls was wiped clean within minutes of arriving. The consistency, texture and flavors of these rolls were just perfect and left us craving for more. 

• The Big Bang Theory  - 

The Big Bang theory was a story, an experience in itself. The signature dessert is prepared live in front of you by the Chef and narrated with a back story. The Big Bang Theory, as the name suggests, is how the description of how the entire galaxy came into being. 

The above pictures show the various stages of the dessert. Each one having a different flavor and representing a different part of the galaxy. For eg, cocoa powder was the stardust, berries were the stars, the orbits were made of chocolate, caramel and blueberry sauces. The huge centerpiece which was the sun, was made up of soya powder, cheesecake, ice cream and blueberry compote. It was a task to complete this dessert and we were thanking our lucky stars for ordering for more food before this. 

This dessert is a visual treat and must be had by the people who love food that speaks to them. For 1750, the presentation is beautiful, the quantity is humongous, and the experience is enriching, unforgettable, innovative and really quirky. 

However, we were tad bit disappointed with the taste. We're not saying that it was all show and no taste. The taste was decent and the different flavors were really fascinating and added a surprise element every time you snuck your spoon into the glorious mess. Albeit, we would've preferred a lot more of the cheesecake and the ice cream bit as the entire cover of the sun, which was made of soya powder was hardened and therefore, the texture was not distributed well. 

Nonetheless, it was a great experience. You can watch the video of how the entire dessert was made below - 

Keep Gobbling!