Go Cheese Factory Visit

Imagine the excitement of an avid cheese lover upon learning about the Go Cheese Factory by Femina and Go Cheese. 

    A farm visit was conducted on March 19, 2016 for a few bloggers and food enthusiasts to the Go Cheese Factory in Manchar, Pune. We were provided transport, and food for the entire day. 

    Go Cheese aims to bring awareness to Indians with their wide range of dairy products. At present, the consumption of cheese by Indians is barely admissible. With their extensive line of products, Go Cheese aims to stop this and encourage the use of cheese in our diets. 

    The manufacturing unit at Manchar was one where we shown the different processes of milking cows, production, storage, and so on. They are up to date with their technology and overlooking all the processes. No wonder, they have such a humongous line of amazing products. 

Milking cows

    Gowardhan, the mother brand of Go Cheese, produces a lot of other products, including milk, flavoured milk, buttermilk, butter, cottage cheese, lassi, fresh cream, ghee and yogurt, all of which have made their mark in the industry. 

    A few other pictures from out visit featuring all their products which we laid our hands on -

    We also received a hamper from Go Cheese and Femina post the event including a few of their premium products -

    We would like to thank Go Cheese and Femina India, for this enriching experience and for all the amazing hamper. 

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

Sunday Brunch : Momo Cafe

    Sipping on a glass of Sangria, while basking in the beautiful view outside and letting all your week's woes and tension drown in the beautiful spread; yes, that's what Sundays are for!

   

   This Sunday, we had the privilege of being hosted by MoMo Cafe, Courtyard by Marriott for brunch. Courtyard by Marriott is a great property in the midst of Andheri and has 4 restaurants - MoMo Cafe, ARK, Red Zen and MoMo 2 Go. 

    The minute you enter, you see a completely different world inside with the beautiful MoMo Cafe on the left. There's a gorgeous spread with 6 live counters that change every week. Last Sunday, the specialty was cocktails. There were various flavours and different combinations and concoctions that one could choose from. We laid our hands on the dragon fruit mojito and flavoured sparkling water. 

    The dragon fruit mojitos were great. With just the perfect flavour, we were sipping away to glory. Not being huge fans of sparkling water, we didn't relish the sparkling water with cucumber and mint much. 

     Later, we moved on to the salads and soups counter. There were around 5-6 varieties of freshly baked breads, the sinful burrata, soups, various kinds of salads with fresh veggies, a delicious spread of cheese, live omelette and rosti station and so on. 

    Later, we sampled 3 other live counters - chaat, pasta and pizza; whereupon we tried the ragda pattice, dahi puri, penne in white sauce and the veggies pizza. All 3 were amazing and did not leave us disappointed. 

Dahi puri and ragda pattice

Penne in white sauce

Veggies Pizza

    

Then we moved on to the most anticipated part of our delightful Brunch - the humongous dessert section -

    With over 30 different kinds of desserts and Indian sweets, this section is a mini heaven for people with a sweet tooth. We being avid lovers of the same, helped ourselves to 2 servings each and still couldn't sample all of them. However, we couldn't get ourselves to try anymore as we had already satiated our taste buds. A few desserts that would make it to the top of our lists - Strawberry sandesh, chocolate square, chocolate pastry and the coconut peda. Absolutely delish!

    We would like to thank Courtyard by Marriott for hosting us for the wonderful Brunch. 

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.

Keep Gobbling!

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.

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

Gobble On!

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.

Gobble On!