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!

Literally "Out of The Box"

With the constant innovation and revelations in the food industry in today's day and age, one is constantly on the lookout for newer and better things. Having said, here's another one that will definitely blow your mind!

OUT OF THE BOX (Wholesome gourmet kits delivered to your doorstep) -

The idea behind this being, a lot of people want to opt for homemade food but don't have the time to go and shop for all the ingredients, or don't know the proportions of the ingredients involved or just want to ease their cooking. According to me, these meal kits will revolutionize modern cooking to another level and make life easier for the modern homemakers.

Out of the Box is an answer to all the cooking dilemmas and makes the job of cooking, easier, hassle-free and quicker. Started by duo Kapil and Reshma Sanghi (owners of the picturesque Food for Thought cafe, it was started with a passion for wholesome and tasty food.

The process is pretty simple; all you have to do is log onto the website and pick a dish from the menu. OOTB will prepare a meal kit with pre-measured ingredients, absolutely free of preservatives, and deliver them to your doorstep with easy to follow recipe cards that have step-by-step instructions and images. All that's left to do is unearth the chef inside of you and enjoy a gourmet meal within the comfort of your own home.    

We tried 3 things - Paneer steak with red pepper sauce and corn succotash, cajun spiced mixed pepper pasta and mocha- butterscotch silk pudding.

Cardboard boxes with pre measured quantities of all the needed ingredients and easy to follow recipes stuck on the other side. If only cooking was that easy!

The part that I liked most was the fact that they sent everything down to the exact proportion and that all the ingredients were absolutely fresh. The boxes aren't heavy on the pockets and cost about 300, which is very reasonable as every dish serves two. 

Our favorite would be the mocha - butterscotch silk pudding as it one of the simplest, and most delicious desserts you can whip up at home in absolutely no time! The name does full justice as the texture of the pudding is like silk in your mouth; it melts off instantly.

Would I call for more gourmet kits? Definitely!

 Gobble On.

Sunday Brunching with Vinod Cookware

                 5th June -  just a normal Friday evening, anticipating how the weekend is gonna be. Suddenly someone hits me up on my email account and surprise surprise! It's an FBAI invite for a Sunday Brunch at Out of the Blue, Bandra with Vinod Cookware. Any food blogger would be really excited with the mention of FBAI, and so was I!

         

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Besides being an FBAI meet, this was one by Vinod Cookware. 

Vinod Cookware, having started in 1962, has long flourished since then. Almost every household has these single bottom, user friendly utensils. As they reduce the cooking time by 20%, they're the most preferred household items by modern housewives for faster and simpler cooking. 

Promoting the concept of "It's about how you cook and not about how you eat," Vinod Cookware has definitely been a favorite among the women and has been ruling the marketplace because of the thought and effort put into each product for better, smarter and healthier cooking. 

One product that we've been using and would be recommended by us (Rather, my mom) would be their pressure cookers. Perfect for a long term use! 

This is their Pearl Range, which were given to all the bloggers. (Pretty thoughtful, na?)

We are already in love with these 3 because of their unique features like - 

The isstick resistant feature naturally repels the stickiest food letting you cook without any hassle. The non – porous base which enables it to resist sticking without letting the food to get burnt or over cooked.  No matter what you prepare the even heat distribution allows you to cook till perfection without leaving the food uncooked. The isstick resistant feature and the non- porous base increases the durability of the product lending it a longer life span which is acceptable in 

Indian home. Keeping the traditional cooking and cleaning in mind the tough body of black pearl is resistant to abrasive pads and doesn’t corrode or rust with tamarind or acidic food. 

An amazing experience, some decent food, really friendly people and a lot of knowledge taken back from this hell of a time!

Gobble on.

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.  

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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! 

Hoppi Times are Good Times!

Are they, really?

           Thursday night, mustering some courage, I managed to walk through the Todi Mill Compounds & headed towards the doors of Hoppipola for the third time since its opening. Finally, we were allowed in!

Location - Lower Parel! Need we say more? Proving to be one of the most happening places in the city, it has become the go-to place after office hours and on weekends! Todi Mills is home to a lot of great restaurants serving varied cuisines.

Ambiance - As it is known to be a drinking place/a place to get rid of your weekend woes, most of the visitors were below 30. The music played at 7 was a wee dull and failed to liven our moods; the crowd wasn't that interested either. Post 8:30, it was all uphill! People started flooding in, funky music brightening up everyone's mood & a new wave of energy in the air! One of the most unique and best parts of this place is the number of games & books they provide! Want to enjoy a good meal alone? Grab a book and you're good to go!

Seating - They have 2 seating arrangements, indoor and outdoor. The outdoors are far more beautiful and appealing, but with this scorching heat, who can dare to sit outdoors? They can accommodate at least 50 people at once.  

Service - The service was a bit too slow, they definitely need more staff. For a moderately huge place like this, they had really few people to tend to the tables and take orders. 

What our order comprised of - Hoppi Bomb Shots, French Fries with Buffalo Sauce, the Hotato Burger, Cheesie Pizznezz, The Immigrant's Favorite - Classic Mac and Cheese & Peach Iced Tea. 

What you must try - 

• Hoppi Bomb - 

A beer based alcoholic drink, with a hint of coffee in it. As a person who doesn't like alcohol much, I must say that the beer did not overpower the taste of the drink & leave a foul, unpleasant aftertaste unlike other alcoholic beverages. 

• Fries with bufallo sauce - 

 The fries - crisp and salty; just the way we like them. The buffalo sauce however is what makes the dish a winner. The sauce, a balance of tangy and spicy, went really well with these well cooked frites.

• Cheesie Pizznezz - 

Cheesie Pizznezz - The 4 cheese pizza. Because a pizza with a single type of cheese isn't enough.
The pizza, as you can see, is divided into 2 - both with different toppings. Needless to say, we loved the pieces with the chunks of buffalo cheese & strands of oregano and basil on them. The other side tasted like a regular pizza that needed a generous helping of a strong flavor.

• The Immigrant's Favorite - 

Definitely our favorite too! 

The Immigrant's favorite - The Classic Mac and Cheese. We've had some really mixed experiences with mac and cheese at a number of places in Mumbai. And it was proven to me that people can screw up the classics also! Well, this place definitely knows how to cook up some mean mac n cheese. Baked to the right temperature, giving it a perfect consistency and bringing out the perfect bouncy texture of the cheese, we give it our thumbs up! Just a minor complaint - it needs a bit of seasoning!

What you must NOT try - 

• The Hotato Burger -

The only Vegetarian burger served here, is an absolute no no for a lot of reasons. The burger consists of 2 patties & a few veggies tossed together. That's it. There is no trace of any mayonnaise or any sauce to hold the burger together. The coleslaw salad and the fries were pretty decent, but not good enough to compensate for the dry "burger."

• Peach Iced Tea - 

The Peach Iced Tea consisted of 50% ice and 50% what the name suggested. A regular glass of peach iced tea, (good flavor and everything), nothing extraordinary or unique.

In all, I would say the place is a 4 on 5. Good music, quirky interiors and great ambiance make up for a few shortcomings in a few food items! 

Would I go back? Definitely! 

Gobble On!

Restaurant Review : The Salad Bar & Walnut Cafe

We were invited to one of the newest additions to restaurant chains in Vashi - The Salad Bar & Walnut Cafe.

So What's new?
Before the advent of this place, Vashi has suffered from absolutely no cafes/restaurants available for fresh and organic salads. The Salad Bar & Walnut Cafe, which is located in one of the most prime & posh areas of Vashi, offers its diners a variety of 26 vegetarian & non vegetarian salads to choose from. Along, with these sapid and flavorsome salads, this new addition also serves a lot of other mouthwatering food which includes soups, sandwiches, wraps, juices, pasta, a lot of Mediterranean food and a variety of breakfast options.
The owners, Mr Kunal and his wife, Rakhi who were around for the entire meal, made sure we tried their specialties & took care that there we faced no troubles.

Things we had - 
Peanut Butter Banana Cafe, POWL (Pineapple, orange, watermelon and lemon), cottage cheese salad, warriors salad, mezze platter & waffles with blueberry and whipped cream.

What you must try -

•  POWL - 
  

It is a blend of pineapples, oranges, watermelons, and lemon. All the ingredients are used in the correct quantity and none of them have an overpowering effect, thus creating the perfect blend of goodness of all 4. Personally, it wasn't too sweet, was very refreshing and is just what you need in this scorching heat.

• Cottage Cheese Salad - 

This salad is literally all the summer colors on your plate! Along with being really pleasant to the eyes, this salad which included cottage cheese grilled in tikka masala, lettuce, olives, onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumber with basil & Parmesan in red wine vinaigrette. The seasoning on these veggies was beyond fabulous. 

• Warrior Salad - 

The warrior salad, one of their signature dishes, shouldn't be mistaken for a salad. It is definitely an entire meal for two! With some succulent teriyaki tofu, lettuce, buckwheat noodle, grilled mushrooms, broccoli, peanuts in spicy soy ginger dressing, this is definitely one of the best salads I've had till date. Amazingly fresh veggies, the perfect seasoning and some really creative presentation are the perfect recipe to this delectable item.

• Mezze Platter -  

The mezze platter with pita bread, hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh and a Greek dressing was our favorite! The hummus was thick & creamy, with a strong flavor of garlic which hits you & will make you fall in love with it. The baba ghanoush was not in the regular paste form, making it an entirely unique experience for us! A must try! 

What you must NOT try - 

• Peanut Butter Banana Frappe -

The peanut butter banana frappe, was a bit of a disappointment and can be made better. They hadn't blended it well & we could taste the banana in the beginning, leaving the peanut butter at the bottom. After stirring it vigorously, it yet wasn't satisfying enough. 

• Waffles with blueberry and whipped cream - 

This was the part of the meal that we were most excited about. But, alas! The waffles weren't crunchy, but were hard. The blueberries used were canned ones, so that was a major disappointment. Also, it clearly lacked a generous serving of maple syrup.

All in all, it was a great experience and I would like to thank Mrs. Pooja Trehan Dhamecha a lot for this wonderful meal & the amazing time. Don't forget to follow her on Twitter & on Instagram 

I would give it a 4 on 5. Would I go back? Definitely!

Restaurant Review : Loco Chino

Loco Chino opened its new outlet in Oshiwara & a few bloggers were invited to review the place. Here's what I felt about the place  -


Ambience - The place has a lot of stuff going on inside in terms of wall paintings, wind chimes, dream catchers, wall hangings; all themed according to the cuisine - Chinese or/and Mexican. It's a bigger outlet than the ones at Bandra and Peddar Road & can seat about 20 - 25 people at a time. The place seems quirky but tries to fit in a bit too much. Since it had just opened a couple of days back, it was pretty empty & was filled only by us bloggers.

Location - Being in Andheri, it has opened in the hub of newly opened restaurants and eateries such as Tuk Tuk Thai Bistro, Sammy Sosa, etc. Pretty easy to find too!

Food - Loco Chino has recently introduced bits and pieces of the Chinese cuisine to the food they offer. 
Our order comprised of - peach iced tea, lemongrass iced tea, sassy senorita, mexican twist, chimichangas, kung pao potatoes, vegetarian dumplings, veg burrito bowl, vegetarian wok, banoffe pie & churros with chocolate sauce.


What you must try - 

• The beverages. All the drinks were refreshing, fresh, weren't too sweet and had some amazing flavors. We all helped ourselves to more than two.

• Kung Pao Potatoes -

  

These kung pao potatoes seasoned with kung pao & schezwan sauce, were tangy and spicy, had a great texture, thus making a good appetizer. The only complaint was that these seemed like an adulterated version of potatoes.

• Burrito Bowl - 

The Burrito Bowl, was definitely the best part of our meal! It can serve 2 people; the quantity is pretty generous. It included perfectly cooked rice, crisp nachos. some fresh & delightful veggies, herbs, guacamole, sour cream and other creams that blended perfectly. 

• Banoffee Pie -

Not the best banoffee pie there is, but this one does a decent job in satisfying those dessert cravings after a good Mexican meal. So, go ahead and indulge in some sweet bananaey creamy goodness! 

What you must NOT try -

• Dimsums - 

The dimsums, a mixture of all their vegetarian options, were a big no no for us. They were filled with pasty mixture which was grainy, instead of your regular veggies. The dumplings were soft and the dipping sauces were impeccable, but the fillings weigh them down.

• Wok -

The wok was a major disappointment; it was a big bowl of rice, with a few veggies and minimal sauces. What it lacked was a handful of spices and condiments, thus resulting in a really bland and effortless taste.

• Churros - 

The churros, an irreparable and inedible disaster, were definitely the worst I've ever had. Dripping with oil, they seemed to have been deep fried 4-5 times for such an end result. The taste of oil, overpowered the actual taste of the churros & the chocolate itself! A horrid disaster.

To sum up, I would like to say that they should either only continue with their Mexican food or work a lot on their Chinese. My overall rating would be a 2.5 on 5. 

Would I go back? Only for the Mexican food.

Keep Gobbling!