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.

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Cook-off with Sonali Bendre!

      Going for restaurant reviews day after day, week after week, can prove to be really monotonous. That's why this particular invite inviting us for a food cook-off excited a lot of us food bloggers and food influencers. 

      All geared up for a fun evening, we all reached the venue, Hoppipola. A brief introduction of the product was followed by the CEO and Mrs. Sonali Bendre whipping up a few simple yet delicious dishes for us. The most awaited masterclass followed suit. 

      16 participants were selected and divided into teams of two each. There was a huge spread of ingredients, a few recipes and all the variants of Fun Foods mayonnaise at our disposal. Given a span of time, we were asked to prepare whatever we wished to and the creative juices of all the participants started to flow. The judges were ofcourse Mrs. Sonali Bendre, and the CEO, Mr. Oliver Mirza. We managed to put up a mayonnaise pasta roll. 

        The winners, obviously, were rewarded handsomely with a basket full of goodies and vouchers. 

      Our take on the mayonnaise - We tried our hands on all the different kinds of mayonnaise they have to offer. And, we were pleased! As goes, it actually does turn boring food into beautiful delicacies. Every flavour has a different taste and a different use. Our favourite would definitely be the tandoori one. We know have the secret ingredient to make everyday boring food into something mouth-watering!

       A big thank you to Edelman and Fun Foods for having us over and for all the hands on cooking experience. 

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

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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. 

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Restaurant Review : Amritsari Chaat

           What's the one thing missing from the Mumbai food scene, you ask? A week ago, my answer would've been nothing. This was until I was introduced to this small little joint opposite Phoenix specializing in authentic Amritsari Chaat.

           The owners, Mr. Deepak Thadani and Mr. Ajay Jain have brilliantly ensured that all the food maintains the original Amritsari taste after multiple visits to the city and carefully getting one of the best chefs available. The food is strictly vegetarian and totally hygienic.

       It is located in the central hub of everything; bang opposite Phoenix Mills. The pricing, according to the area is really moderate and allows you to indulge in some flavourful food without ripping you off. 

            We started with all the chaats - Sev puri, Pani puri, dahi bhalla, dahi puri and aloo tikki.  

Pani puri

Dahi Puri

Sev Puri

Dahi Bhalla

Aloo tikki

     The best part about all these items were how different they were from the regular chaats available in Mumbai. The pani puri, is not served normally. They have taps for the different pani and no direct contact between the pani and the hand is made. The regular Sindhi puris are ditched for a healthier alternative, thus making it fuller and heavier. The aloo tikki, topped with imli chutney and curd, accompanied by diced onions and grated radish, was made up of cottage cheese, chickpeas, peas and corn, Sev puri and dahi bhalla, too, were made with the chef's secret ingredients. 

          Then we tried the kulcha and the chole - one of the best dishes on the menu, Piping hot chole served with the softest kulchas, achar, onions and green chutney.

      The chole/chana were seasoned with well-balanced chef's secret Amritsari spices, leaving a great after taste. For me, this dish is a total winner. All their ingredients blend well as well as are delectable even when had alone. The kulchas, perfectly soft, were so well made and seasoned that one of our colleagues relished them down without any other accompaniment! This dish is a total win-win and can serve as a complete meal on its own. 

        Next, we had their speciality - chaap and chaas. 

      

                                        

       
            Chaap, is a very famous delicacy in terms of vegetarian food. Soya, seasoned with some strong flavours is then barbequed on charcoal, garnished and served with a few mild components for a well-balanced taste. On the other hand, it is a rare dish when it comes to vegetarian meals. Amritsari Chaat, has managed to hit the taste buds using nothing but soya. It was our first time trying chaap and we were so glad we tried it at the correct place. Two words for the chaap - Bang on! We tried the chaap platter and couldn't stop ourselves from indulging in this treat. And the best part of it is that since it's soya, it's actually nutritious and a healthier alternative. Our pick of the three would be the achari one. Once we dug in, our taste buds refused to let us stop. 3 plates later, we were finally satiated and just writing about it is making us salivate. A definite must try for all the vegetarians. 
  
              Their chaas wasn't anything like the typical chaas we consume. It was green in colour and was made using some of the finest herbs. The end result - fabulous!

           Overall, it was a brilliant experience and we would like to call this one of the best places for authentic Amritsari food in Mumbai. The next time you're at Phoenix, ditch the overpriced food at the court and opt for this simple yet brilliant place serving some delectable food for really moderate prices. 

       We would like to thank Mr. Ajay, Mr. Deepak, Mrs. Harshna and Ms. Yashasvi for giving our taste buds such a unique experience.

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Airport Diaries - Part II

The airport, for a lot of people (like me), is an incredibly happy place - families, friends, lovers, re-uniting, the fresh tan on people's faces, the ruggedness and jet lag, the excitement of carrying around gifts for the entire family, people waiting for their loved ones.

The Mumbai airport never fails to cheer me up. This Diwali, they made other millions of people happy. 

How, you ask. The answer is Delight-full Diwali. A number of stalls put up in and around the domestic and international airports, with various ongoing contests which led to people winning various prizes and gift vouchers. There were also lucky draws and distribution of gifts to random people walking by. Not a single soul was left unhappy or disappointed. This engagement succeeded in making the airport a better shopping destination as well as creating a hype and generating interest from the flyers.

Like the last visit, this visit, too, we got to visit the new outlets opened at the terminal by Devyani hospitality. The man behind this being, Mr. Jitendra Kumar. Kumar is the Chief Operating Officer with Devyani International-a subsidiary of RJ Corp and is responsible for the overall administration and operation of the Food & Beverage Division at the International Airport including the maximization of profits, establishment of quality standards, maintenance of high staff performance and customer satisfaction.

The domestic airport has revamped their entire look and introduced several new food outlets and a few from the existing ones at T2. The outlets we tried were -

• The Indian Kebab Grill
• Irani Cafe
• Nizam's
• Häagen-Dazs

We started off some refreshing raspberry sodas. Not much description is required when it comes to this drink. A good one is like a cold winter breeze on a summer day. And, that's literally how we felt after our first sips.

Raspberry soda

Then came the famous kebabs from The Indian Kebab Grill. Already a favourite amongst the fine dining crowd at the international airport, this one is more of a casual place with all-you-can-eat buffets and a more relaxed meal. 

Aloo kebabs

Kand ke kebab

Achari paneer tikka

The best part about all these kebabs is how incredibly well-cooked, yet soft they are. To turn something as boring as yams (kand) into something so succulent shows how experienced and well the chefs know their food. The best out of the three would be the achari paneer tikka. Melt-in-your-mouth paneer barbecued with a flavourful paneer making your taste buds jump with joy. 

Next we tried the much hyped potato roll from Nizam's. Nizam's, a popular chain in Delhi serving some of the best kathi rolls has been brought down by Devyani Hospitality to the domestic airport. The best term to give the roll would be 'al dente.' The flavours were not too overwhelming and were balanced really well. Thus, we realized what the hype was all about.

Potato roll

One of the most awaited openings at the terminal was of The Irani Cafe. Serving authentic Irani food, breakfast, tea, biscuits, this has been one of the major attractions since its opening. People of Mumbai love to experiment and with something not so heavy on the pockets and yet, offering you some amazing food, it makes way for a lot of happy diners. 

Here, we tried our hands on the soya kheema and sherin berry pulao. 

Soya kheema

Sherin berry pulao

Being a pure vegetarian, we couldn't try their specialties. But instead settled for the best options in vegetarian food. Soya kheema with freshly baked pav and sherin berry pulao are two things no vegetarian should miss out when visiting this outlet. Crispy soya kheema, pretending to be mock meat, bursting with a typical Irani smell and loaded with rich dry fruits; and berry pulao with various components cooked on different levels served potato crunchies and fresh vegetable salad. The berry pulao was the best thing we laid our hands on, that day and is making us salivate, just while thinking about it.

To end our wonderful meal, we had lustrous ice creams and sorbets from Häagen-Dazs. Need we say more?

Dulce de Leche

Raspberry sorbet

Mango Sorbet

    All in all, one of the best dining experiences till date. I would like to thank Mr. Jeetendra Kumar and Mr. Ajit for this one of a kind experience. 

    The next time you're at the airport and you hear your stomach growl, you know what to order!

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Best waffles in Mumbai

The new talk of the town in terms of food seem to be freshly made waffles generously loaded with toppings.

Earlier, these were limited only to places like San Churro or a few European places serving high - end English breakfast. Nowadays, these can be found at every nook and corner; there are a few outlets that are exclusively for waffles, too. 

We have curated a list of the best waffles you can find in Mumbai -

San Churro -

These win the battle of the waffles, hands down! Prices at Rs. 325, you're served 4 pieces of crisp waffles with 6 toppings - Vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, maple syrup, whipped cream, warm chocolate sauce and seasonal fruit. 

Belgian Waffle Co. - 

This outlet, that opened a month ago, has already been on everyone's tongues. They have introduced the novel concept of wafflewiches which are a boon for people who eat on the go! Priced from Rs. 90 to Rs. 150, these sinfully loaded babies are pure egg less. 

Prithvi café -

This quaint little café in the midst of the hustling streets of Juhu is often visited by a lot of top celebrities for its wonderful ambience and delectable food. The waffles here are priced from Rs. 200 to Rs. 250 and make you question why you haven't yet ticked off this place from your bucket list! 

Image source - @thefood_dude

Waffle House - 

Waffle house was the first place to come up with Waffle sticks. Another innovative concept, this has been a hit among the youth because of its great taste and hassle-free concept. They have recently come up with Waffle sundaes.

Food for Thought -
This under-hyped place is one of the best spots for book lovers with a sweet tooth. Hidden inside Kitab Khana, you can tuck yourself in a corner with your favourite book with a gorgeous cupcake in hand. Or you can enjoy the cute little cafe, helping yourself to some amazing waffles with a side of some sinful hot chocolate.

Tuk tukk -

This one is a special mention to savoury waffles.

Tuk tukk in Shivaji park offers its diners waffles made with French fries. Yes, you read it correctly! French fries. Topped with some guacamole and sour cream, these ones are a must try for people without a sweet tooth.

Now for the photogenic ones - 
Di Bella and Wafflist - 
These have been quite the talk of the town since the beginning of these two. A lot of people describe them as the best waffles they've had in their lives. However, both are over-hyped. Kudos to the presentation; but the waffles fail to live up to the hype. While Wafflist serves extremely chewy waffles, Di Bella waffles always seem to fall apart.

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Keep Gobbling!