burrp! Stats
- 14 Reviews
- 1 First to review
- 2 Places Added
- Been to 26 Places
- Burrping since Feb 29, 2008
- Burrping fromPeddar Road, Mumbai
Reviews by bellybytes
May 10, 2008
Hotel Pali Hills, 14 Union Park, Off Carter Rd, Khar (W), Mumbai
Rated: Excellent
A perfect Sunday lunch!
Die hard townies need a really good reason to make a trip to the suburbs especially for Sunday lunch. So what dragged us to "Out of the Blue"?An airport drop at an odd time like 12 made it impossible for us to eat lunch before or make it in time for a lunch after. So we thought we'd lunch in Bandra instead.
Our young daughter who loves hanging out with her friends in Bandra recommended this place which she said has recently opened. The USP she said was actually its restroom!!!!!! What a strange thing - I always thought people went to restaurants to eat but obviously having a good restroom is a plus.
We were told to go down the street from the Cafe Coffee Day corner at Carter Road till we came to the restaurant. But going down we realised meant going up - because this is a hill ( duh??) . Anyways, we very nearly passed the Blue board announcing its name and were about to turn back home when we saw it.
After this unpropitious start, I was a bit apprehensive about how the experience would turn out. Would it be a generational clash? Would it be another re-inforcement of how terrible the service is in the suburbs? My worries were unfounded.
A pleasant hostess gently reminded me that I was over an hour later than my reservation but still escorted us to a nice table overlooking the courtyard.
While the decor is not spectacular, it had a comfortable and pleasant feel. The air conditioning was just right, the resturant suitably full and a general air of happiness.The outside looked equally tempting despite the May heat thanks to the canopy placed over head which made dancing patterns of muted sunlight on the tables below. Soon after we settled down, we heard the wonderful sound of the Beatles and were surprised to find that it was not a recording but the regular singer ( Sagrif the hostess told me though I am quite sure this is not his name). She said that he and his friend play in the evenings on weekdays while he plays on the weekends. So this was an unexpected bonus - a live singer who actually sang well and could sing the songs we asked for. Of course our requests were not unusual but there are some singers who have not heard of Frank Sinatra let alone "My Way". So if a singer can give us his rendition of "My Way", it definitely puts him high on our scale of a good musician.
The food we had was simple : A Caeser's Salad, a spaghetti in tomato sauce and a Penne with creamy sauce with ham and chicken. The portions were just right and tasty - not too cheesy and not pasty.
The staff were courteous and helpful with the young hostess obligingly carrying our requests to the singer. The waiters were polite and willing to please by taking back the not so cold soda and getting us a bottle that was chilled to our satisfaction.
While the place is not cheap, it is definitely value for money and with the singer thrown in - worth making a trip from town!
And yes, the restroom is unusual - with actual Art works on the wall! "Out of the Blue" has a distinctly "young" feel, quite unlike the restaurants in town which seem OOOOLD and jaded - at least full of old people ( may not be chronologically but definitely attitudinally).
May 05, 2008
Shop No. 4, Ground Floor, Western Breeze Building, Colaba Causeway, Mumbai
Rated: Good
Definitely not a regular bread butter place!
At one end of Colaba Causeway, Wich Latte is so small that we actually walked passed it once despite having had the good luck to find a parking spot just 10 ' away, this tiny little sandwich shop is about the best thing to happen to Colaba.
Of course it is small and cute so naturally even when it has four people inside it looks crowded but I must say, for a variety of unusual sandwiches, this is the place to go to. Wich Latte serves up stuff that one can only dream of. Exotic sounding Cascadilla Crisp, and Renwick Reuben , fare so different from the standard sandwiches at clubs and even more standard sandwiches in school lunches.
California Turkey ( which we wanted to have but were advised to go for the better alternative "Danby" by the helpful waiter) was the reason why we made this trek to Colaba. But being women, we easily got side tracked and went for the waiter's recommendation instead - Danby. the sandwich was disappointingly small for two ( but of course good enough for one) and though we tried we could not find any Guacomole. However, the multi grain sandwich was toasted just right, with a generous amount of Turkey ham. Unlike most ham sandwiches, this one was easy to bite into without the fillings falling all over your fingers so at Rs. 140, it is not exactly cheap but worth the money.
Since we had more gossip to exchange we ordered a Margarita which was actually just right. The crust was thin enough, the cheese melted just right and all in all, great.
This was washed down with Peach tea, ( which my daughter said was just right), Ice tea ( regular which my friend claimed was too sweet) and cold coffee which I thought was good.
Wich Latte has an informal college kid kind of ambience but meant for real sandwich and salad connoisseurs. So the next time I feel like a more "heavy" light meal, I shall pop in for the salad, soup and sandwich even though I know this will make a slight dent in my wallet. Especially after I've spent a good hour or so bargain hunting on Colaba.
Apr 25, 2008
ITC Grand Central Sheraton & Towers, Dr. Ambedkar Road, Parel, Mumbai
Rated: Excellent
I'll be back for more
Friday afternoon is not exactly conducive to a lunch date but since this was the only day free for all of us, we decided to eat out.
Shanghai Club is just the place for a quick executive lunch without having to trudge to either side of town.
The ambience is perfect - a round table with its lazy Susan, by the window letting in the dappled sunlight through its blinds, is the best seat in the house though the other tables are equally well placed.
Our food was quickly served - hot steaming and tasty ( steamed veg dumplings with a single basket of four being enough for the four of us) followed by the yummiest man chow soup ever. The fried noodles were light and crisp while the soup was translucent and temptingly clear ( quite unlike the goopy mess of cornflour it normally is in other restaurants).
The rice ( golden fried garlic) was perfectly flavoured while the pan fried noodles had just the right amount of sauce. The chicken slices in soya sauce too was succulent and of course all this was washed down with generous amounts of jasmine tea.
We rounded off this delicious meal with a platter of assorted desserts .
I would recommend this place to all those who value good taste and excellent service. The staff were attentive without being overbearing or obsequious and even though ITC is expensive, it definitely is value for money in the sense that you actually go home feeling pampered and well fed.
Apr 20, 2008
12/13, Sukh Sagar, Hughes Road, Mumbai
Rated: Average
I've eaten better
Since Kobe's at Chowpatty/Opera House is a really old joint, it needs no introduction in terms of ambience etc etc. Everybody knows that what started out as the only decent hang out spot for the college kids in the area is now a well established eatery. Infact what amazes me that this is the only restaurant which is actually allowed to serve non-vegetarian food in this otherwise die hard VEGETARIAN Kingdom. For that alone, I think Kobe deserves praise for standing up to all opposition!
So though Kobe's is good, serves good stuff, serves standard stuff, it is not really the place I would go for a good steak. It has a lot going for it - nostalgia being the prime factor, proximity to home being another, and one of the few non-vegetarian joints in the area being yet another. But it is lack lustre and at the end of the day, I have eaten better steaks. My pepper steak was particularly chewy, not the melt in your mouth ones I can dish up chez moi!
While the sizzlers sizzle into your ear and fill up your eyes with smoke, the diners on the next table are talking above the sizzle and considering the closeness of the tables and the constant filled to capacity restaurant, meaningful conversation ( at least in hushed tones) is not a possibility. However, if you wish to enjoy over hearing other people's conversations and watch what others are eating, Kobe's is the place.
But all in all, this place is decent enough for a quick meal ( since the place is always packed, the management is only too glad to get a quick turnover so service is quick and efficient). The biggest negative, though, is the complete lack of parking particularly on a working day .
Apr 16, 2008
Perin Nariman Street, Behind Old Reserve Bank of India Bldg., Fort, Mumbai
Rated: Excellent
Five Spice is Everything nice!
I personally feel that a large part of the dining experience is the waiters. After all, the waiter is really the interactive face presented to you so if your waiter is lousy, no amount of good food will make up for this!
Which is why, I feel that Five Spice offers a great dining experience. A clean and neat eatery, tucked away in a very crowded and chaotic part of Mumbai in the day, it becomes a welcome haven after office hours.
We went early in the evening because my daughter who is a regular warned us that it gets crowded pretty fast. Actually it is not very hard to fill up the space as it is very small. But small is beautiful and I can fit into a small space so............ I don't really mind.
We had lots of parking space available since the whole street had emptied out . In any case, there is valet parking available for all those who can't manage a parking spot right outside the restaurant.
We were given our choice of seating since we were almost the first diners. We went into the air conditioned section which was different from the outside only in terms of temperature. Perhaps it was because the place was empty that the air conditioning was so effective that we chose to eat outside rather than have our teeth chattering in tandem with our chop sticks!
Seated in a comfortable spot, we settled down to choosing our food. Since my daughter was familiar with the menu, we left it to her. She chose Butter Garlic prawns (Rs. 200) for starters , a Chicken Moon Fan rice ( Rs.150) and Hunan Fish (Rs.210).
Of course the waiter was not only helpful but also knowledgeable in terms of portions, taste and suggestions of complementing dishes and flavours.
The starters came quickly while the prawns were still hot and crispy - just right infact. Juicy inside with the subtle flavourings of garlic, pepper and butter enhancing the natural taste of prawn.
The simply aromatic Rice giving off the distinctive whiff of Star Anise came in a hot clay pot . We lifted off the top and bit into succulent lightly batter fried pieces of chicken combined with shitake mushrooms. It is the star anise which differentiates this rice from the normal "Flied Lice" available in all Chinese restaurants. Also according to the waiter who recommended this dish over Fortune Rice, it was dry and would go better with the gravied fish.
While my daughter was thrilled with the Hunan Fish since it was her preference, I would have preferred a Soy based sauce but I am not complaining about the fish which was served in a fish shaped chafing dish.
And the last course was the main reason for our being there - the Chocolate Brownie with Ice Cream (Rs. 100) According to my daughter this was the raison d'etre of this restaurant and sure enough by the time we left, we found people pre-ordering this delicacy as the restaurant tends to run out of it! Incidentally this One dessert was enough for the three of us to share though I did pig out by ordering a Chocolate Mousse Cake (Rs90). This chocolate chip covered mousse was insipidly disappointing particularly eaten alongside the sinfully rich chocolate brownie.
The servings were large - so large that the three of us couldn't finish what we had ordered so we doggy bagged it for lunch. Actually it would have been better if we had taken one more person along as it would have been just right.
So along with three aerated drinks and a bottle of Aqua vita, this became a wonderfully affordable gem for all of a princely sum of Rs.870!
Five Stars then for Five Spice which according to me scores 10/10 for all the ingredients that make for a happy meal
Location and ambience - easily accessible, simple and clean
Waiters and general staff - helpful, pleasant , knowledgeable and very efficient.
Variety and Taste - Great food and choice
PRICE - All the better to eat more!
Icing on the cake : Five Spice does Free Home Deliveries so you can literally have your cake and eat it too. Of course minimum order is Rs.500 but for two people that will easily amount to that much
Final verdict - GO FIVE SPICE