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.

A few over-hyped places in Mumbai you can miss

Ever been super excited for a movie or a book launch after seeing its presence all over and once it's all over, wondered what all the buzz was about? 

We have been there too. Repeatedly. Hence, the need to curate this list of a few places in Mumbai that you should definitely give a miss. 

1) Sardar -

Ask any Mumbaikar about Pav Bhaji and 8 out of 10 times, the first place they'd recommend to you would be Sardar. However, we didn't quite like the taste. The only reason behind its hype would be the sheer quantity of butter and cheese it is laden with. 

Image source - www.flickriver.com

Heart attack? Umm, no thanks. 

Brown in colour, as opposed to the red colour, this bhaji did not match up to our expectations. Better alternatives would be Maji Sagar, Amar Juice Centre, Santosh Sagar or Achija.

2) Merwans Cake Shop -

This is one legendary cake shop that's been around since years. It had been on our bucket list since years due to all the praise and reputation is has created. Located amongst the hustle and bustle of Andheri, is this tiny shop, always flooded with customers waiting for their orders or tucked away in corners, enjoying their food.

 We tried their chocolate cake, chocolate square, mawa cake and pizza. The only thing we liked out of the lot was the pizza. The mawa cake had far too much cardamom in it, thus killing all the other flavours; the square got stuck to our tongues and refused to go down our throats. The chocolate pastry tasted stale and inedible. With such a horrible experience, we failed to understand how the overfull bakery was yet working so well. A better option would be B Merwan.

3) Grandmama's cafe - 

Grandmama's cafe is so pretty; Grandmama's cafe is the place to be at; Grandmama's cafe is so vibrant and lively; the food at Grandmama's cafe is absolutely ravishing. These are just a few of the things we heard about this place. Hence, we couldn't wait to visit it.

However, I would like to strongly disagree with all the hype. Yes, the place is one of the prettiest we've laid our eyes on. Yes, it is vibrant and it just makes you want to sit and admire the beauty of it all. However, it all ends there.

We decided to visit the place for breakfast. It was totally packed and we had to wait for 5 minutes to get ourselves a table. We called for waffles with nutella and whipped cream and french toast. 

The waffles were soggy and were torn apart from the middle. One bite into them and we couldn't down them any further. The nutella and whipped cream, we helped ourselves to. 

A basic French toast is bread soaked in eggs and then fried or roasted and served with maple syrup/cinnamon/any other topping of your choice. The one at Grandmama's cafe was a complete disaster. Normal bread toasted sprinkled with some castor sugar and butter is not French toast! 

Post two horrendous dishes, we decided to continue our breakfast someplace else. 

A friend of mine, on another occasion, was served non-vegetarian food instead of the vegetarian she ordered.

4) Di Bella - 

The most photographed and talked off waffles in the city! Di Bella, an Australian coffee brand was introduced to the Indian market just last year and their ridiculously photogenic waffles have already carved a niche for themselves. 

The waffles are loaded generously with the desired topping and served with 2 bowls - ice cream and whipped cream. However, the waffles are soggy and undercooked and reallly difficult to break into. Better alternatives here. 

5) The Fatty Bao - 

This Delhi chain, recently opened its doors to Mumbaikars. And since the day it has, it is always filled with over-enthusiasts. After trying for weeks, we managed to finally book a table here to check out what all the buzz was about. The waiter had given away our table without informing us about it, thus making us wait for a good 40 minutes. 

The food is really ordinary, staff pretty okay, ambiance nothing great. Can totally give it a miss. 

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

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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.

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 : 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.

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

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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.

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

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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!