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!

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

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.

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

Keep Gobbling!

Wok the walk.

   Wok, a couple of years back, was a delicacy only enjoyed while opting for fine dining restaurants like All Stir Fry.

   Thanks to places like Wok in the Box, you do not have to shell out 700 - 1000 bucks for some quality Chinese food. Wok in the Box, serves fresh, healthy, and delicious food, prepared right in front of you, without burning a huge hole in your pocket. 

    The concept is no rocket science; you pick a base, your preferable veggies, protein, sauce and garnish of your choice. The wok is prepared right in front of your eyes, where you can add things if you don't like the taste/flavour. It is served in a easy to carry box, which makes it easier if you want some delicious food on the go. 

   Priced at Rs. 180 for a vegetarian box, one box satiates two and is worth every penny. With 6 outlets already being the talk of the town, they are soon planning on opening many more. All in all, it is a brilliant concept and offers some amazing food.

Gobble On!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.

There's a new ice cream parlour in town (well, literally) and it's nothing like your conventional ones. 

 
   PapaCream, is a parlour where the main component is liquid nitrogen, a trend not unknown lately. Their biggest USP is the fact that they have turned the wackiest combinations into some beautifully prepared ice creams. Some of the flavors are so beat you wouldn't even have dreamed about them. Who would've thought of classic old pani puri being turned into ice cream would've actually tasted so good? They have savoury, signature, premium and classic, all of which are so different from everything the other places have to offer. 

   Our favorite out of this crazy mess has to be the Mexicano. Four types of nacho chips - plain, cheese, spinach and beetroot, served with ice cream that tastes exactly like cheddar cheese and jalapeno. It's like eating frozen cheese. One minute you thing you're hogging down some nachos and the other minute, you get a brain freeze! We know it sounds horrible, but you won't regret ordering this one.

Mexicano

Other dishes we would recommend would be the pani puri, ferrero crunch, horlicks ice cream with nutella pancakes and red velvet ice cream. They also whip up some mean sorbets which should definitely be on your list. Our favorite was the spicy guava one. It gives you exactly what you expect from a sorbet; no surprises here! The sweetness of the guava is what you first take in and then the spices really hit you in the end, leaving a pleasant aftertaste. 

Spicy Guava Sorbet

   Another quirky thing they’ve come up with is thai sushi ice cream. Fulfill your sushi cravings for only Rs. 260. A chocolate crepe roll infused with coconut lemon grass ice cream and a kiwi and passion fruit jelly in the centre. 

   Another signature creation is the doughwich. A humongous dish, it is a homemade donut layered with belgian chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, oreos, fudge sauce, caramel sauceand dipping chocolate. 

   

   However, both of these seemed to be major disappointments. The sushi was highly overpowered by the lemongrass and ruined the taste of the entire thing. The doughwich was too huge to be bitten off of or to be humanly completed by someone who doesn’t like excessive sugar in his food. The chocolate did no blend well with the ice cream and the bananas aren’t necessary.

Thai Sushi Ice cream

Doughwich

   The owners of PapaCream do not believe in delivering the same old product that is available all over the market to their customers. That's why even their classics have a few twists. For eg, vanilla is with bananas in it, and Belgian chocolate has crackling orange chocolate in it. If you're not willing to try any of these flavours, you can pick up a flavour of your choice and spice it up with a few toppings.

   The place is a 100% pure vegetarian and has some really good stuff to offer at moderate prices. However, it is not your normal go-to ice cream parlor. It is not something you would visit when you have a craving for classic ice cream. The location might just be in its favour as it is the hub of 3 premier colleges. Whether this place works or not, is something that only time will tell us. 

   A few of the other ice creams we sampled - 

Pani puri sorbet

Horlicks ice cream with nutella pancakes

Peach and nut

Chocolate ginger creme brulee 

Ferrero crunch

Red velvet cupcake

Salted caramel

Keep gobbling!

   

The 'Grand' Thali

Tip Top Plaza, known for its Indian sweets and has 10 branches across the city of Thane, started the Grand Thali in 2003 in their hotel. Alongside is also a all you can eat buffet including only live counters serving items from pav bhaji to pasta, from piping hot pizzas to hygienic street food. 

A couple of bloggers were invited for the thali one Friday afternoon. As soon as I walked in the restaurant, one word came into mind - grandeur. The hotel, has a royal look to it. No wonder this place has witnessed so many weddings! 

According to the owners, there are a lot of places serving the regular Rajasthani/Gujarati thali. They wanted to come up with something unique and hence, he came up with the fusion thali, which benefits kids as well as breaks the monotony. They include a few Chinese and Italian dishes in this scrumptious thali consisting of 30 different items.

The picture does not include a few items - jaljeera, 4 types of rice and a Chinese dish.

The thali can be divided into 8 types, ie, starters, Indian breads, sides (vegetables), fusion mantra, rice, dal, extras, and last but not least the sweets.

We started our meal with some soft drinks and jaljeera doing the rounds.

Starters - 

Starters comprised of corn pattice, malai dhokla with mirchi ka thecha and dahi bhalla. Our favorite among these would be the dahi bhalla. Two types of wadas, covered with rich, perfectly sweetened dahi, topped off with some chutneys for the added zing. The thecha too was commendable and loved by everyone. 

Indian breads - 

They served us three types of breads to accompany our sides - a chapati, palak puri and cheese garlic naan. The naan was the hero of these three as the garlic was neither overpowering nor undermining the side elements. 

Sides - 

Our favorite here would definitely be the valoor muthia. A Gujarati dish, this one was a really winner. It was cooked perfectly and went well with all the three breads. Another one which tingled our taste buds would be the paneer mastani kofta. Absolutely delish!

Fusion mantra -

3 fusion items were served to us, namely veg stir fried rice with cottage cheese gravy, paneer in schezwan sauce and alfredo pasta. It was a nice break from all the items and added that surprise element. The pasta and the paneer in schezwan rice were your typical dishes, nothing extraordinary there. The rice, however, was disappointing. The gravy was very bland and needed a tangy element.

Rice & dal -

There were 4 types of rice for every kind of palette - darbari pulav, steam rice, mogar khichdi and masala khichdi which were accompanied by dal fry, and gujarati dal & kadhi. The gujarati dal and kadhi were a bit too sweet for my taste, and the mogar khichdi was something to be served to patients. The dal fry, on the other hand was delicious; well blended dal with a good spicy quotient. The masala khichdi was one dish that absolutely stood out. It wasn't just some rice stir fried with vegetables. The spices were mixed into the batter and resulted into the delicate outcome.

Sweets -

The sweets were my favorite part of the thali, they being the best too. We devoured 5 types of these sinful plats du jour - rabdi, dry jamun, akhrot halwa, cream roll and angoor basundi. Oh my, I'm salivating just thinking of these delights. The dry jamun, akhrot halwa, cream roll and angoor basundi were spot on and were gobbled down within moments. Every bite left us wanting for more of these flawless delicacies. The only glitch here would be the undercooked rabdi. Well, everyone's allowed one mistake!

We also had buttermilk to wipe off all the food we gorged upon.

The service was brilliant. They literally believed in the phrase, 'Atithi Devo Bhava,' and were given utmost importance and special care was taken of all our needs. The place was jam packed with a few patrons waiting outside for a table on a Friday afternoon. Well, I guess that speaks a lot about the reputation, hospitality and the food of the place. 

We would like to thank Arvind and Nisha of Guiltless Foodies for organizing this wonderful meet. You can follow them here -  Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Zomato | 

The damage for one thali is Rs. 475. It's a bit expensive, but well, its worth it.

Would I go back? If I'm ever in the vicinity, then definitely!

Healthy munchies?!

Yes, you read it correctly. Now say goodbye to the deep fried midnight snacks and binge eating on loaded cakes/ice creams, Snackible is here!

Snackible solves all our snacking problems with their wide range of healthy munchies. It offers all-natural and healthy snack options from dehydrated fruits and roasted chickpeas to easy to grab whole-wheat waffles.The snacks are prepared using innovative methods such as dehydrating and baking (instead of frying) some of your all-time favourite snacks. To ensure you have easy access to the right kind of snacks, the team of ‘snackologists’ at Snackible put together a box of healthy and tasty snacks using the best quality ingredients.

This is what a weekly box looks like. Consisting of pizza sticks with dip, granola crunchies, jalapeno peanuts, oat, honey and raisin cookies and a whole wheat chocolate waffle, this will suffice me through the entire weak without leaving me guilty or with added inches on my waistline. One thing we really liked was how they served everything in separate air tight pouches.

'A moment on the lips, forever on the hips.' Well, none of us want that, but now with Snackible, we can munch our way to happiness!

They deliver all across India and offer various plans and payment options too. Our favorite would definitely be the jalapeno peanuts. Spicy, full of flavor and healthy - that's the dream!

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!