Father's Day Brunch at JW Sahar

Leave it to the Marriotts to make any celebratory day even more special! 

We were invited for a special Father's Day Brunch with our dads this Father's Day at JW Cafe, JW Marriott Sahar, one of the best hotels in Mumbai. It was an event dedicated to our first superheroes and successfully made them realize their importance in our lives. 

Italian, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Continental; name the cuisine and it's there! The ambiance is so peaceful and plush that you won't feel like doing anything but sip on a drink and stare at the greenery outside. The service is no less than what one would have expected at a King's palace; there are people waiting at your beck and call. 

We tried everything we could till the point of saturation and managed to try out all the cuisines. First off, we tried the waffles - 

Waffle with whipped cream and blueberry compote

Look at how perfect that waffle looks! Claiming to be the best waffles in Mumbai, these crispy ones with a dollop of whipped cream and blueberry compote were the perfect way to start our meal. 

Next, we tried the sushi counter - 

Assorted vegetarian sushi

One thing not everyone can master is the delicate art of sushi making. JW Cafe has absolutely nailed it! We tried the 4 vegetarian options and couldn't stop relishing them. Beautifully crafted, all 4 were absolutely delicious and were definitely the star of our meal. 

Then, we proceeded to the live chaat counter. 

Tokri chaat and dahi wada

Tokri chaat

We tried the tokri chaat and the dahi wada. Who doesn't like them some good Bombaiya chaat? They had a huge array of options that one could choose from and then they'd make it for you. We absolutely loved both. Bursting with flavours, this was definitely our favourite counter. 

Then we tried the burger station and the Italian counter - 

Veggie burger

Penne alfredo

The burger we tried didn't please us much, The patty was a bit too dry for us and there weren't any other juicy elements or enough sauces to balance the dish. 

The penne alfredo, a classic, was made to perfection. Al dente pasta tossed with a few veggies cooked in a delicious creamy sauce. 

We also tried their kebabs - our favourite being the succulent paneer one.

Next, we moved on to the most awaited and biggest section - desserts!

Yes, that's how huge the dessert spread was. Spoiled for choice, we indulged in quite a few kinds of desserts.

Our favourites were the motichoor ladoos, delicate macarons, smores brownies, smores cookies, and the rich chocolate cake. 

We would like to thank the entire team of JW Sahar for this wonderful experience and for making our dads feel special too. The team put up a special musical performance using only culinary objects, breaking into a wonderful medley as a tribute to all the wonderful fathers. 

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Brunching at MasalaBar

The Kalra family is doing what it does best again! 

The 5th brainchild, MasalaBar is up and running successfully since a couple of months as a great place for sundowners due to its magnificent view and has now opened its doors to diners for the early part of the day as well. 

Having been to Farzi Cafe, and Pa Pa Ya, our expectations for MasalaBar were obviously sky high, and MasalaBar did not only manage to meet them bu to raise them even more for the other family restaurants. 

Known for its molecular cocktails and the breath-taking view of the sea, it is the only functional place that runs solely on candles; not even a single light to be spotted. The dim lights overlooking the calm waves mingled with an intimate ambiance make for a picturesque setting.

We were recently invited for lunch. The menu for both is the same and it is open from noon to 3pm for the same. We tried a couple of things, none of which failed to wow us and left us wanting for more. 

Raspberry smoothie

First off, we started with a raspberry smoothie. Simple well-blended and refreshing! The flavoured yoghurt was a great change for our taste buds. 

Then we moved on to the appetizers -

Truffled fries

Kabuli chana chaat

One of the best truffled fries, we've ever laid hands on, the flavour left us mesmerized. Crispy, salted fries with a burst of flavours, topped off with truffle shavings and some cheese, what more does one want?!

The chana chaat looks like a well-garnished version of a normal chaat. However, that's not the case. Chickpeas boiled enough to not break your teeth, but not so much to lose the texture and crunch, tossed with some well-balanced spices and herbs, to have a tangy yet spicy taste, presented in an eye-pleasing manner. 

Next, we tried the puff pastry, with the pan tossed shrooms

Puff pastry, with the pan tossed shrooms

Sounds complicated, looks simple, tastes delicious! Served in the style of a bruschetta, the crunch of the puff pastry with the texture of the shrooms makes for a delicious appetizer that you won't stop after one. The tiny smear of the chutney with the beetroot isn't only for presentation, but it packs  a flavourful punch. 

Next, we tried the carbon pav bhaji -

Carbon pav bhaji - black pav bhaji. Will this ruin your beloved pav bhaji for you? Absolutely not. Don't worry, the food is not burned to make it this way. The edible carbon in it gives it the rich colour. A bit hatke from your regular pav bhaji, this one is sure to make you swoon, The highlight of our meal, this one is not to be missed. 

Then we opted for the caprese goat cheese buns - 

Caprese goat cheese buns

A bit too mild for us in terms of flavours, we missed the zing. However, the buns sure are appload-worthy. The bun itself is so soft, it will literally melt in your mouth. A little bit of some spice or something tangy would've made the cut for us. 

The last dish we tried was the morel do pyaza, wilted spinach, and jalapeno chutney. 

Morel do pyaza, wilted spinach, and jalapeno chutney accompanied by kalonji naan

Paints such a pretty picture, doesn't it? This dish is basically mushrooms sauted in a gravy, cooked wonderfully to reach the point of perfection. However full we were by the end of it, we just couldn't stop digging into this sinful dish. Another one of our favourites, this one stood out for us. 

We couldn't wait till dessert but we've tried the bailey's lollipops at Farzi Cafe and can vouch for that. 

There are just a few times when you are truly satisfied with each and every dish that you have devoured and this was one of those. Every dish we tried kept wooing us and left us begging for more. 

We would like to thank MasalaBar for having us over and for the wonderful experience, and also the Kalra family for bringing yet another brilliant masterpiece to our city. 

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

Spring on your Plate!

Mezzo - the word has multiple meanings. But the one I'm going to talk about today simply means moderately/ medium. In today's world of gluttony, everyone needs to learn to eat in moderation and not to your heart's content. 

Recently, we were invited to Mezzo Mezzo, JW Marriott to experience the spring allure by Chef Matteo for his production - Spring on a Plate. 

Every dish put up screamed of spring and burst out with lovely delicate flavours balanced with at least one strong element. It was a set menu and we tried not to overeat with the delicious four-course meal ahead of us. 

Our first experience of spring was ravioli di melanzane affumicate e pecorino romano, emulsione leggera al pecorino semi-stagionato ed "acqua" di pomodoro. 

In layman language, this was a smoked eggplant and pecorino romano ravioli, semi-cured pecorino emulsion and tomato extract. A light appetizer to excite your taste buds and leave you wanting for more, the best part of this was the smoky aftertaste of the eggplant. 

Next, we had the risotto mantecato alle erbe e robiola,

Italians always cook their pasta and vegetables al dente. This spotless beauty was, too. Firm, creamy and so beautifully presented, we enjoyed our spring herbs and robiola cheese risotto to the t. 

Our next dish was Primavera nel piatto - 

This one truly defined the concept of 'Spring on your Plate' for us. The taste of spring included the best of exotic vegetables done in such a pleasing manner. Zucchini flowers, carrots, eggplants, broccoli, zucchini, and the puree of various vegetables, The minute we laid eyes on this, we didn't have the heart to cut into it. 

Lastly, we were served the dessert - Limone e limoncello

Simply put, this dish is lemon in different flavours and textures. For citrus lovers like us, this one was an absolute delight. Lemon puree, lemon cake, lemon cream, crystallized lemon and what not! So many different flavours with a single ingredient. Fascinating, isn't it? 

With that, our amazing meal came to end. We would like to thank Chef Matteo, and Mezzo Mezzo, JW Marriott for having us over and for the wonderful experience. 

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

Dineout smartPay

    What if I told you that you can now pay your restaurant bills in a cashless way? No, I'm not joking. Here onwards you can enjoy a great meal at your favourite restaurant hassle free! How, you ask? 

Dineout is the first table reservation app which will now allow its diners the option of smartPay - a quick and easy way to pay your bill cashless. Another incentive being, paying by Mobikwik will get you an additional 40% cashback in your wallet. 

    Recently, we were invited to Shiro to try out the new smart feature of Dineout. Upon finishing the meal, we paid the bill via the app itself making it a better and smarter experience. 

    It is a leisurely activity with some basic steps. Let us show you - 

• Make the reservation for your meal on the Dineout App. 

• Once you're through with the meal and the time for the check comes, go to the Dineout app, go to "You", go to "Bookings", go to the present booking, and in the right hand corner ( as seen in the above picture) will be an option of 'Pay Bill.' Once you select that, you will be redirected to a page that looks like this -

• Enter your bill amount, and use your Dineout earnings, if any. 

• The amount will be deducted from your Dineout account or any other wallet you have linked to. Then you just have to confirm and your payment will be processed. 

    That's all! That's how easy and effortless the smartPay feature on the Dineout app is. 

    During this experiential, we devoured a lot of delicious food and some well-made drinks at Shiro. A few of the dishes we tried were the chilli potatoes, mushroom dumplings, burnt garlic rice with thai greens and thai curry and a dessert platter consisting of mango mousse, walnut pie and mud slice. 

Chilli potatoes 

Mushroom dumplings 

Burnt garlic rice with thai curry 

Mud slice, walnut pie and mango mousse

     The hospitality was great, the food as expected, consistent and met our expectations. Our top picks for the night were the green apple and peach mimosa (The Royal Touch), chilli potatoes and the mud slice. 

    We'd like to thank Dineout, and Shiro for the wonderful experience and for having us over.

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