Royal China, Bandra, Mumbai

Royal China prides itself on serving authentic cantonese cuisine in a fine dining setting. The outlet is also one of the best places for celebrity spotting in Mumbai and one hears that the restaurant is also one of Sachin Tendulkar's favourite restaurants.

The decor at Royal China is spacious and exudes a certain class. The colours are dark and sober and one gets the feeling of dining in a comfortable high end establishment. The service as expected is prompt and polite. The waiters are well spoken and at ease with the dishes on the menu. They are more than willing to add their suggestions and recommend specials for the customer to taste.

The menu at Royal China has a dim sum and a regular section for patrons to choose from. We ordered three dumplings the last time we were there, the prawn and chives dumpling, the seafood dumpling with ginger and chilli and the chicken sui mai. The dumplings were all tasty and with a lot of flavour but my favorite would have to be the seafood dumpling, which was a touch spicy but left ones taste buds yearning for more. The dumplings at Royal China are served in small quantities of 2 to 4 dumplings a serving allowing the customer to sample different varieties. We had heard that Royal China also has a dimsum lunch option, but were informed that the same is only for customers who dine there atleast four times a month. A slightly tough criteria given the food options available in Mumbai!

For main course we ordered egg fried rice, roast duck cantonese and flaming chicken in superior sauce. Mainland China is my usual benchmark when it comes to fried rice quality and Royal China meets the benchmark in texture and flavour of the rice. Tasty, but not too overpowering so as to not detract from the flavour of the side dishes. Royal China prides itself on roast duck, but I found it a bit too bland for my liking, this, in spite of being a fan of Singapore chicken rice and being usually appreciative of blandish food. The part i really liked about the duck was the crackling on the skin, but i thought that it could do with a bit more flavour.

The flaming chicken in superior sauce was fantastic and greatly elevated by the way it was presented. It is served in a mini counter which is set alight in front of you. The visual appeal definitely added to the mildly spicy and very tasty chicken preparation.

We capped off our meal at Royal China with an order of lychee with ice cream and a helping of apple toffee with ice cream. Here I wish to remind you that we were surprised by the quantities and could not get through the servings. The lychee with ice cream were nice, but we were not really impressed with the apple toffee. To my mind, the apple toffee did not work. Overall though Royal China is definitely a visit for people who like Chinese food and specially for those with a soft corner for dim sums. Do go there and freak out!

A meal for two at Royal China, without drinks, will cost you approximately Rs 2500/-

How to get there: Royal China is on Turner Road, Bandra West. It does not have a great facade and there are chances that you may miss it if not looking out. It will fall to your right, If you are driving from Moti Mahal towards Carter Road.

Persian Darbar, Bandra, Mumbai

Persian Darbar is one of Mumbai's more famous Mughal food eateries and has been welcoming its clientele since 1976. Persian Darbar tries to serve authentic food in an authentic setting and that needs to be appreciated. The Biriyani for example is served and is had by its regular patrons in the true tradition of community eating with people expected to have food from the same very large plate served at the centre of the table. Lately I have read advertisements of its Byculla branch renovating its decor to add to a truly Mughal experience and setting to sample some fabulous food.

Persian Darbar also drives home one of the oddities in my culinary discoveries in Mumbai. The fact that the non Mughlai dish of crispy chili prawns is so fantastic, yet so Non Mughal had been first discovered by me at Shalimar and the version at Persian Darbar underscores that fact. The dish if you can get yourself to order it is fantastic and the serving is also very, very generous.

The last time we were there, apart from the prawns, we ordered the Raan Biriyani and Bheja Tava Masala.

The Biriyani needs to be ordered just for the grandeur of the dish, the Raan is very obviously the star of the show and is covered with Biriyani rice and adorned with sliced boiled eggs, cucumber and onions on the sides of the serving plate. The biriyani rice does not have the greatest taste and sort of disappointed me but the Raan was succulent and with loads of flavours. I would definitely recommend the dish for the taste of the Raan and the way the dish is served up.

The bheja was also disappointing, the masala was greenish and sort of overwhelmed the taste of the bheja. I prefer the version at Bade Miyan and Jaffer Bhai any day. Overall though, the meal was still worth it because of the Prawns and the Raan!

A meal for two at Persian Darbar will cost you approximately Rs 450/- without drinks.

How to get there: Persian Darbar is on Bandra, Linking Road. If you are driving from Khar towards, the highway, Persian Darbar will fall to your left once you cross Shoppers Stop.

China Gate, Global Fusion, Bandra, Mumbai

Global Fusion is a place I have been to a number of times and is a place that I always love going back to. The place provides a combination of Japanese fare with some other South East Asian influences that cater to most palates and covers most bases on mine. The place also offers one of the more unique culinary experiences in the city with multiple counters providing all - you - can - eat food options. The options are so plentiful and the array of delicacies so overwhelming that one would need at least two visits to sample all the food properly. But then, if you make one visit to China Gate, Global Fusion, you will keep coming back.

The decor at China Gate is very nice, the seating area is large and comfortable, you see a number of waiters milling about but the service is not very good at all. They have yet to work out the operations and in my experience the food is inconsistent apart from the self serve options.

There are four buffet areas at China Gate Global Fusion, the first and my favourite area is the sashimi and sushi area. The range is mind blowing and the options range from lobster to eel to smoked salmon. They also have a vegetarian option. Dips of wasabi, ginger and soy are available and best of all is the fact that one can go on eating unless ones appetite is satiated or one is tempted to try out the other options.

The second area is one of the features of the restaurant and resembles an open kitchen which is surrounded by one dish each placed with an open bowl. The concept is to place pegs with your table number (found at your table - ref pic) in the open bowl in front of the dishes to indicate your interest at sampling. The offering range from a whole host of dim sums to fried food and teppanyaki preparations. Here is where the service at Global Fusion becomes wonky with large variations in quantity and arrival time with what you order and what you get. Often what you order does not arrive at your table at all. The saving grace is that whatever you receive at your table is truly delectable and great to eat!

The third section is a regular buffet with counters which serves the staple fried rice, chow mien and regular Chinese fare of fish, chicken and prawns in black bean, oyster and XO sauces - good to eat but in my mind a distant second fiddle to the first two sections. I guess the restaurant needs the section for the less adventurous foodie but if you listen to my advice, you will steer clear and save your appetite.

The 4th section is the dessert counter with a few sweet cake options repleted with a Baskin Robbins ice cream counter, the same is a big hit with the kids but disappoints me slightly as i have never found good chocolate ice cream variations which I am completely partial to as far as ice cream is concerned. The flavour I choose is usually coffee but there are usually 5 to 6 options for the ice cream connoisseur.

If that was not all the offer comes with unlimited soft drinks though alcohol has to be ordered and paid for separately. Needless to say China Gate Global Fusion is highly recommended for South East Asian food with a largely Japanese influence. The only blemish from a food perspective would have to be the absence of pork from a single dish which is not served for religious reasons.

A meal for two at Global Fusion without hard drinks would cost you approximately Rs 1700/- on weekdays and Saturdays and Rs 2200/- on Sundays. I have lately visited on Sundays but am given to understand that the spread remains the same.

How to get there: China Gate Global Fusion is just off Linking Road, Bandra West. Its on the lane right beside KFC. Its on the 4th floor above Mumbai Times Cafe.

Shiro, Worli, Mumbai

Shiro is one of the few restaurants in Mumbai offering a Teppanyaki experience and that fact by itself makes it a definite "do" in a Mumbai foodies list. For the uninitiated teppanyaki is effectively translated from Japanese to iron plate "teppan" cooking "yaki". That effectively means searing, grilling, frying meat and yes, the occasional vegetables on a hot iron plate and if that was not enough, teppanyaki is also about performance. The chef in Teppanyaki is supposed to keep the diner entertained as food is savoured and that could include knives being whirled, spice holders being juggled and food being moved from one end of the hot pan to the other as it is being perfectly cooked. Shiros offers you all this and most importantly superb quality food.

Shiros is a top end fine dining restaurant and the decor and the service exude that feeling. I felt like I was entering a pyramid as I walked into Shiros, a huge imposing statue greeted us around two stories high as we were led to one of the chic seating areas. A very very nice ambiance. We were later led up to the 2nd floor which hosts the Teppanyaki table.

The service was prompt and attentive as expected. The only issue was that we had not mentioned that we wanted the Teppanyaki table so make sure you mention that while making the booking. There is only one Teppanyaki table at Shiros which can seat around 15 people and we had to wait around till a birthday party of 15 got over. The upside was that we got to view the chefs performance twice over!

We waited for our turn at the Teppanyaki table while sampling fantastic Miso soup and a salad of zucchini, bell peppers and mushrooms. The servings were part of the Teppanyaki meal where you have to select a main course of your choice which comes with the soup, salad and dessert thrown in. There was some smart service offered as we were ordering the pork, the waiter said that he would check if the highest quality pork was the one that was received and came back with the assurance. He returned saying that it was available which gave us the feeling that the best quality protien was being cooked with. Shiro also has a set menu of dumplings and sushi which we have decided to definitely sample at a future date.

The Miso soup was fantastic, miso is a traditional Japanese stock which consists of a stock, mixed with miso paste which is a traditional seasoning. The miso we were served had fresh ingredients like mushroom, tofu and combu leaves served with it. The taste was delightful with a strong essence of sea food from the stock. Some people at our table thought the smell of the sea was a bit too strong but I personally loved it. The salad was also fantastic and the mushrooms specially were beautifully spiced with a strong soya sauce essence that I absolutely loved.

As we were eating we also took in the acrobatics of the chef, the highlight apart from the swish and sharpening of the knives, were twirling the meat cutter and breaking the egg in mid air with the aid of a knife. I have seen more Teppanyaki stunts on TV but what I saw pretty much took my breath away. The added fun parts were throwing some dummy eggs at the audience for fun and some pretty neat card tricks on the side to keep the audience entertained. The chef was friendly as well and told us he was Fillipino as what life is like for him in Mumbai.
Finally it was our turn at the Teppanyaki and we were first served some egg fried rice cooked right in front of us. The broken egg fits in as the chef is cooking this part of the meal. Then the mains were cooked as per order which in my case was tenderloin and shrimps. Fantastic quality meat and excellently cooked, apparently the usual spice used in Teppanyaki is peanut butter but the chef at Shiro has sufficiently altered the same to suit the Indian spicy palate. The flavours were strong and the food very tasty, what made it better was undoubtedly the fact that it was cooked in front of us with a flourish and was obviously hot and spicy.

After our meal we were also served chocolate mud pie for dessert as we were regaled with the chef's magic tricks. Apparently he stays up at night and learns the tricks from the Internet!

A truly fantastic experience for both the foodie and the theatre lover - from an experience perspective alone, Shiro is a must do for people wanting to experience a slice of Japanese food in Mumbai. Highly recommended!

A meal for two at Shiro without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 3000/-

How to get there: Shiro is at the Bombay Dyeing Mills compound in Worli which also houses Hardrock cafe. If you are travelling from the Eastern Express Highway from Kurla, you have to take a right under the ITC flyover towards Lower Parel. After you drive towards the west you should be able to find enough people to guide you towards Bombay Dyeing.

Aaswad, Dadar, Mumbai

In my mind if I were to serve you an authentic Maharashtrian food experience it would not be possible to do so through one meal. I would need a minimum of four to introduce the distinct and authentically Maharashtrian food experiences that the state has to offer. The coastal cuisine from the Malwan coast is a fish and sea food lovers delight. The spicy Kolhapuri cuisine with the famed Tambda and Pandhra Rassas that take the meat eating experience to a whole new altitude, only to be shamed by the even more spicy Saoji cuisine from Vidarbha. The three aforementioned cuisines are however the glitz which sits atop the basic vegetarian Maharashtrian cuisine. The fare is the 'ghar ka khana' the Marathi manoos survive on everyday and Aaswad is one of the more famous eateries in Mumbai where you can taste hearty vegetarian Maharasthrian cuisine, may not be glamorous, but it is definitely very very tasty.

Aaswad is a value for money food joint and the interiors seem to state the same. Space is a bit cramped with almost all tables designed to seat four people at the most. Most importantly the place appears to be clean and hygienic. The service is prompt and attentive with language being a slight problem. The waiter we had was not very fluent in Hindi and we were lucky to be bailed out by a Maharashtrian who could converse with him as well as suggest a few of the local must haves. You could be restricted to try your luck pointing out dishes on the English menu card without knowing a great deal about what might be served to you but I think that's a risk worth taking.

At Aaswad we sampled quite a large number of dishes due to us being a pretty large group, we sampled piyush, pithale bhaji bhakri, dalimbi usal, kharwas and puran pohli. (I think you may understand now that it is safer to go there with a Maharashtrian :)).

Piyush meaning "amrit" is the Marathi Manoos' food of the Gods. We were served this first at Aaswad, piyush is a yellow drink with a lot of milk, kesar and shrikhand (if you are Bengali the taste is somewhat like a "Ghol", only better). Piyush looks a bit like liquid custard and has a sweet curdy taste. It was the perfect filler as we waited for the meal without taking too much stomach space.

The pithali bhaji bhakri was served next, the dish had three parts, the bhakri which is a round bread cam with choices of bajra, rice and jowar. We sampled a bit of all three:). The bhaji was made of brinjal which the Marathis refer to as "Vang", it was spicy with a generous helping of tomato and coconut. The pithale was the undoubted star of the piece, it looks exactly like daal but is cooked using 'besan' or chikpea flour spiced up with mustard, cumin with a generous amount of coriander, the texture is exactly that of a thick-ish daal with the coriander clearly visible. It was brilliant both from a taste perspective and when you know what the ingredients are.

Our meal was rounded off by the dalimbi usal and the special pola usal, the dalimbi usal was a preparation of sprouts cooked in soury kokum. Again extremely tasty and easily one of the best ways to have bean sprouts. We had it with some more bhakri and also ordered a couple of puris as a side. The dishes were also wonderfully complemented with a kokum chutney and another spicy chilli chutney on the table - added spice on offer at all times.

For dessert we ordered kharwas and puran pohli, the 'kharwas' is a pudding made out of the milk from a cow which has just given birth, soft, not too sweet and positively delectable. The puran pohli appears to be a bread but is stuffed with some lentils and a generous amount of jaggery. The dessert made us wish that we had not had the main course but then that is always the case in a great meal. Overall a truly outstanding meal and a must have for the all round Maharashtrian culinary experience.

A meal for two at Aaswad for two people without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 250/- on the higher side.

How to get there: Aaswad is perhaps aptly located right out side the Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar TT. Bal Thackeray's imposing statue looks to the restaurant situated slightly towards the left of the gaze. It serves as a rightful beacon of the unequivocal competency of the Marathi Manoos with a clear niche in the city with much cosmopolitan competition - at least on culinary terms. Jai Maharashtra!

Celini, Santa Cruz, Mumbai

Celini at Grand Hyatt is rated as one of the best Italian food experiences in Mumbai by Rashmi Uday Singh's Times food guide, and after our last visit I would tend to give a big Thumbs up to the place and her recommendation. The food was exceptional and undoubtedly one of the best Italian food experiences I have had in Mumbai.

The restaurant in advertised by the Hyatt as serving Italian food in a modern setting, the ambiance was supposed to be a big draw with a show kitchen aiding the food experience. However we found to our disappointment that the restaurant was closed for repairs and we would have to be seated at the bar. Although the seating was comfortable, it was a disappointment as we were not made aware of the situation when we were making the appointment. I hope that the ambiance will reflect the food when the repairs have been completed.

The service as is expected in a 5 Star was attentive and prompt, the slight downer was the fact that our plates had some dirt when our second course was about to be served, I would like to believe that the same was a result of the make shift seating but dirt on the plate is definitely not the expectation from the Hyatt.

We ordered a 3 course meal at Celini, and I would like to say that we were served two exceptional dishes and one which was very very good. We ordered the spicy white bean soup with lobster and carpaccio, a risotto with asparagus, lobster and speck (pork) and capped it with a Tiramisu to finish. As we were waiting we were served freshly baked bread and a salsa with a generous amount of tomato and olives. The bread was fresh and very good to taste, went well with the salsa. We were slightly disappointed though when we saw that we had only olive oil to season with at the table. The balsamic vinegar which i personally love was missing and was given only on request.

The spicy white bean soup when it arrived however more than made up for the slightly disappointing experience till then. The soup was effectively a broth of pureed white beans with generous helping of cheese and lobster essence. The texture was very thick, smooth and creamy. It smelt and tasted heavenly. The middle of the bowl had the spicy carpaccio and the lobster pieces. The carpaccio was great but the lobster took our breath away. It was cooked perfectly with a delightful crunchy texture which was an excellent complement to the thickish broth.

The risotto followed which was very good without being exceptional. It was slightly a bit too salty for my palate than what it may be should have been. The Tiramisu was too die for, soft and replete with the flavours that you expect, if I were to pick a slight fault it would have to be the bread layer which was not soaked as much as it maybe could have been. It tasted great but it was not dripping in coffee and chocolate.

Overall Celini was a grand culinary experience which can be bettered by ironing out the glitches mentioned. A definite recommendation for the outstanding Italian cuisine.

A meal for two at Celini without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 3000/-

How to get there: The Grand Hyatt hotel is almost on the Western Express Highway between Andheri and Bandra. You have to not take the Kalina fly over and take the first left after the Kalina crossing. Grand Hyatt's gate should be visible to you on the left after driving for another 200m after you take the left from the highway.

Punjab Grill, Juhu, Mumbai

Punjab Grill is an attempt to fill one of the most obvious need gaps in the culinary land scape of Mumbai. The city (at least the suburbs) really has relatively few options (discounting the 5 star chains) if you want to sample high quality North Indian / Punjabi cuisine and to a large extent Punjab Grill manages to fill that rather glaring culinary hole.
Punjab Grill is a fine dining restaurant aimed at bringing you the best flavours of the undivided Punjab and as soon as you enter the restaurant, one gets the impression that the evening will be an enjoyable one. They have two layouts, an air conditioned interior as well as an adequately fanned outdoor option. The outdoor option is very classily done up, so much so, that we decided to sit outdoors inspite of the Mumbai heat. What I particularly liked from a customer experience perspective is the outdoor bar they have set up near the entrance which can and was being used by guests while waiting to be seated.
What also strikes you is the amazing level of service you experience, the waiters are all smart and knowledgeable. Service is paramount and their is no division of tables or zones at least visibly, in case the waiter allocated to you is busy, others are most willing to pitch in. What I appreciated from the waiters was also their honesty with the items on the menu, we were very clearly informed when we were ordering some aam-panna that the same was not original Mango and so might not be as authentic as some other available options, especially the shikanji.
The food at Punjab Grill is something that they take a lot of pride in and not without reason as we experienced. We sampled their kebab platter, the galouti kebabs, Daal Punjab grill and Kheema naan. The Kebab Platter had servings of Mutton Chaap, Chicken Reshmi Kebabs, Chicken Tikka and Fish Amritsari. The chicken was soft, well flavoured and very tasty, the fish was authentic with the flavour of ajwain standing out. The star of the platter was undoubtedly the mutton chaap, well chosen pieces and cooked so that the mutton adequately stays attached to the bone while perfectly cooked. The melt-in-your-mouth Galouti kebabs were also very good, among the best I have sampled in Mumbai, the only negative being the way they were served, on a small bread with an onion slice. It looked great and tasted okay but it was almost presented too well to be interfered with. I like a little bit more freedom in the way I want to have my Galouti.
The Daal - Punjab Grill was as good as you expect in any high quality Punjabi restaurant and did not disappoint in the least, I however felt that there was room to improve with the Kheema Naan as I felt that the flavour did not really come through and got a bit awkward to finish and reduced me that I had opted for the Garlic Naan. Overall, while I would have to say the food was very good but did not floor me and make my mouth water. Call it being spoilt but the food of undivided Punjab makes me yearn for food I have sampled in Amritsar, Chandigarh and Ludhiana. I expect the food from present day Pakistan to be as good as the kebabs in Lucknow. While Punjab Grill does a fantastic job, those levels of culinary experience are never quite achieved. To be honest I have sampled similar culinary excellence only at the ITC Grand Maratha in Mumbai so the comparison might not be fair.
Punjab Grill however won my heart with the little touch at the end. I absolutely adored the complementary Paan shots. Served in Tequila glasses and with all the flavours of a good paan the Paan shot made me rank Punjab Grill as one of the restaurants I would definitely go back to, inspite of the slightly steep price.
A meal for two at Punjab Grill without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 3000/-
How to get there: Punjab Grill is opposite the Costa Coffee in Juhu. If you enter Juhu through Juhu Gali and turn right towards Juhu Circle, it will fall on your left. The gate falls to your left, after you take a left past the restaurant boards visible from the main road.

B. Merwaan and Co., Grant Road, Mumbai

The Iranis are the "other" Zoroastrians who have made Mumbai their home along with the Parsis. The Parsis visibly have a greater share of the Mumbaiya wallet, mindshare and the history of the city but the Irani's do have a greater share of the citys facade with numerous corner shop Irani cafe's. The number of cafe's may be dwindling ( a result of rising real estate and business feasibility) and the set ups may mostly be in town rather than suburbs, but the Irani cafe will always be inextricable linked to the Mumbaikar's day to day life and the city's truly cosmopolitan character.
The most obvious reason to like Irani Cafe's, is obviously the food, for the non cholesterol conscious the Brun Maska alone is a reason to preserve such café’s as world heritage sites, add the mawa cakes, samosas, the vegetarian patties and the wondrous egg preparations and we are basically talking wonders of the gastronomical world. The main reason I like the café’s is its dedication to serve the wallets of the common man and the intention to keep the margins wafer thin so that the common Mumbaikar can retain his favorite haunt. Rising real estate prices is obviously the major modern obstacle to the business model and I hope that more café’s can do what Merwaan B. is trying to do and double us as a Kirana store to sustain a long cherished and much lover business. Which brings us to another interesting thought as to how the café’s started in the first place as the prices were always cheaper even on a comparative basis? The answer lies in simple economics, demand and supply. In the Mumbai of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, corner plots were considered unlucky for business by the Gujarati and the Sindhi. The entrepreneurial Irani stepped in and created the ubiquitous corner Irani café to make a living and give Mumbai its unmistakable cosmopolitan character. Unfortunately for the sustainability of the café’s and in an ironical tribute to the Irani’s entrepreneurial competence such false notions no longer exist.
B. Merwaan and Co. has been around since 1914 and has been supplying countless sumptuous meals to weary travelers entering and exiting Grant road station. I was introduced to the café by my cousin Shirsha Guha Thakurta and her friends Delnaaz and Mithun. The three of them, specially Shirsha are responsible for one of the tastiest and definitely one of the largest and filling breakfasts I have had in the city of Mumbai.
The breakfast we had started with a round of vegetable patties, the vegetable patties were filled with primarily carrots and it almost stuns me even when I write that I rate the patty better than any patty that I have tasted in Kolkata’s Nahoum or Flurys. The vegetable patty was followed up by Brun Maska which is nothing but hot Pav with oodles of butter. I have had well buttered pavs and bread earlier but for sheer decadence bordering on obscenity nothing beats the amount of butter on an authentic Brun Maska. Delnaaz, who accompanied us for the meal is the daughter of the proprietor and I think they were being slightly over generous in an effort to impress the bosses daughter, but the description still stands as we were reduced to scraping some of the butter off the pav using knives in an effort to commit lesser sin.
The follow up to the Brun Maska were the Mawa Cakes and the Mawa Samosas, the taste is difficult to describe but I loved them more than any Mawa sweet I have ever had before. The cakes and samosas were just the right temperature to aid the melting of the morsel as it enters your mouth and the sweetness of the Mawa was beyond perfect. This was followed by a double egg half fry with some more brun maska, there was about as much butter on the egg as on the pav. We literally had to beg the mind and the stomach to ask the tongue to stop ordering for more goodies and rounded off the marathon err…. meal with some authentic Irani tea, milky and just with the right amount of kick. A truly brilliant breakfast but with a major downside, driving home after a meal like that can be a real pain! A side note: The mawa cakes and samosas are made at 5:30 AM, so if you go after 7:00 and are even lucky enough to get a few before they are all devoured, they will taste only half as good as they taste when they are really fresh. I agree good food can sometimes be a “labour” of love, but then there is no greater love than the love of eating!
A meal for two at B. Merwaan and Co. will cost you approximately Rs 80/- even if you really gorge.
How to get there: B. Merwaan and Co. is bang outside the East gate of Grant Road station. There is no way you can miss it as it is right opposite the main exit.

Chilis, Powai

Chilis is an American Burger and Margarita joint that started out of Dallas in the year 1975. They opened in Powai around a year back and is fast developing a reputation of being a preferred watering hole of upmarket corporate types inhabiting the offices that have mushroomed all around the suburb. While it definitely is a great place to have a drink with airy well spaced out sitting area and smart, well spoken waiters, the food is under rated and deserves far more mention and word of mouth than the place currently gets. Guess the reputation of a bar first is good on the economics but the food as I found out is very good and deserves more credit.
Chilis was hosting a Fajita festival during the week when we visited, the effort part of a visible positioning strategy of the outlet as an authentic Mexican option in Mumbais foodscape inspite of their Burger centric origins - I guess they feel that the Burger has limited viability in an already McDonald-ised India. To partake in the festivities we decided to sample the Chicken Prawn Fajitas and for starters, we went with the ever popular. The Nachos were distinctly and pleasantly different from what you get at most joints and looked and tasted more authentic (although I have had very few brushes with Mexican cuisine). They appeared as they were freshly baked and the cheese sauce was tasty without being incredibly over powering. The salsa sauce served with the Nachos was positively brilliant and what was better was there willingness to serve seconds when we requested for more. An outstanding dish and a must - have if the best Nacho you have presently tasted in Mumbai is at Cream Centre, Bombay Blue of TGI Fridays.
The Fajitas were also served in a very different manner. The prawns, chicken and vegetables were served sizzling on a hot plate, the Tortillas were served separately in a covered dish almost similar to how you would serve hot chappatis in a typical Indian meal. The condiments and sauces were also kept completely separately to be mixed and had as per once flexibility. Again the authentic way to serve the dish and very different from the usual rolled up version available in the Mexican sections of most restaurants. The patrons are then expected to roll up the Fajita as per their individual tastes and proceed to have the dish. A very nice dish both in terms of taste and in concept and it definitely left me yearning for more.
We wrapped up the meal at Chilis with a dessert so sinful it deserves mention, we ordered the Molten Chocolate Cake, a large dollop of chocolate cake with molten chocolate on the inside waiting to burst out given the opportunity, served on a hot plate with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. Just before serving chocolate sauce is served on the sinful mass to add the sizzle effect on the hot plate. Calorific, sinful but completely delightful.
The sense that you get from Chilis overall is a over riding sense of style, the food, the decor, the service all exude a certain confidence and class. What I would also ask you to do is to order a Margarita as '007 'would have ordered it. The waiter will literally shake the drink in the mixer on the way from the bar to your table!
A meal for two at Chilis without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 1200/-
How to get there: Chilis is in Hiranandani Gardens, Powai. If you are driving from Haiko to D-Mart, Chilis will fall to your right. It is situated right next to Great Kebab Factory.

Red Box Cafe, Bandra

The best thing about Red Box Cafe is the atmosphere that the restaurant exudes and inculcates. The lights are bright, the overwhelming colour of the decor is bright red interspersed with clear white patches. The music in largely rock and roll from the halycon days on the late eighties and the early nineties, and the moods of ninety percent of the patrons you see seated in tables around you in unmistakably happy. Red Box Cafe is easily one of the "happiest" restaurants I have visited, and is definitely in contention if you are wanting to spend an enjoyable evening with friends and family in Mumbai and are deciding where to go.

Red Box offers continental cuisine and the menu card contains the usual offering of steaks, sizzlers and other English favourites. They have also added the usual Italian and Mexican specialities which is increasingly becoming must haves in most restaurants in Mumbai today. The food though passable is however not the main draw and it would be best to tone down the expectations of the palate at least in terms of authenticity.

The last time we were at Red Box I had the opportunity to sample the Chicken - Lemon Thyme, The Penne Machelleria and one of my Old Favourites - The Lobster Thermedor. The chicken - lemon thyme was expectedly very good, lemon and thyme go very well together and served as excellent flavour on the mildly grilled chicken. The Penne Machelleria (Machelleria is Italian for Butcher Shop) - essentially Penne tossed with chicken sausages in a meat sauce was Ok, while the sausages were good on their own, I guess the meat sauce suffered and largely tasted of tomato without the juices of minced meat. The lobster thermedor was excellently presented with the flesh kept inside the beasts outer shell.

The taste was however slightly overwhelmed by the excessively cheesy white sauce served with the dish. Disappointing after the really great presentation. The other slight downer was the service which was really slow. The saving grace remains the great ambiance and atmosphere, we did not really mind spending a little extra time in the restaurant - even though it meant waiting for the food. Go to Red Box Cafe to have a nice time and decent food with friends and family.

A meal for two at Red Box Cafe without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 1000/-

How to get there: Red Box Cafe is on Waterfield Road in Bandra at the corner of the junction which also houses China Gate and Caravan Serai.

Out of the Blue, Pali Hill, Mumbai

Out of the Blue is arguably one of Suburban Mumbai’s best places to eat, but is definitely one of the best places to hang out. This is a restaurant that appeals to your senses because of the ambiance and the décor. The food is quite good but is not the highlight. The atmosphere at the restaurant is what keeps me going back to Out of the Blue and will doubtless make you want more of the same. Out of the Blue offers its visitors four different options in terms of seating. There is a brightly lit café like option as soon as you enter the restaurant to your left. There is an indoor section on your right. The main seating area is further up which appears like an outdoors option but you realize that is a really high asbestos roof. The outdoor eating area offers two types of seating. The main area is regular tables and chairs, slightly erring on the side of being over crowded. The other option is the table on the sides which are slightly elevated having floor cushions where you will see a whole horde of people whiling away time, drinking and nibbling at very well cooked food – essentially capturing the value proposition of the restaurant. Out of the Blue did have a 5^th option which was actually outdoors on the terrace which was my favorite but they seem to have done away with the same a couple of years back.

The staff is friendly and smart if slightly slow. The lighting is dim, apart from the café seating on the left and they believe in candle light which are covered in some very nice wooden lanterns placed at your tables. The music is not too loud and during times I have visited have been selections from Dire Straits, Clapton and other artists of the 1980’s. The combination of the décor, the lights, the music and the non-interfering casual service make the restaurant a great place to visit someone you love as well as the perfect setting to catch up with a bunch of old friends. The food? It is good without being spectacular. The last time I was there, we ordered the leafy spinach and mushroom soup, the ham and chicken fondue and the Spaghetti Bolognese. The leafy spinach and mushroom soup is a definite re-order in my book. The soup is based in cream and there is a very obvious stock of mushroom used. The leafy spinach add a great texture to the soup and went excellently well with the mushrooms which were cooked just right. The fondue was a disappointment. The chicken and the ham which are pieces served on the side as an alternative to the bread were the savior as the cheese sauce was just not up to the mark and was quite flavorless and tasted of flour more than anything else. We ended up wasting half the bread that was served although the diced meat was juicy and tender. I would recommend that you order the fondue only if you are in a group of 8 or more which would leave two to three pieces of bread for everybody to dip their skewers into the cheese sauce which would be the maximum that one can take before starting to hate the taste. The Spaghetti Bolognese was ok. The sauce was tasty but had a bit too much of an overdose of basil for my liking, there was also too much meat sauce for the amount of spaghetti in the preparation. We rounded off the dinner with some chocolate mud pie which was a highlight but then dessert is one of the specialties of Out of the Blue and you must save space for it if you visit.

Overall a definite recommended for the overall experience. Go there and have a really great evening.

A meal for two at Out of the Blue without drinks would cost you approximately Rs 1600/-. I would usually crib slightly at the expense given the food quality but the ambiance makes it worthwhile.

How to get there: Out of the Blue is at Union Park, Pali Hill. It is located right next to Olive Bar & Kitchen. If you are unfamiliar with Bandra, the easiest way to reach is to take the right at the Café Coffee Day on Carter Road and keep going up the road. The restaurant will fall on your left.

Kareem's, Galleria, Powai

Firstly, Kareems at Powai is in no way related to the similar sounding Karims in Delhi. Not only is the spelling different, the Mumbai chain spelling a “double e” against the “i” of Delhi, the font is different, the logo colors are different and alas from the point of view of the Mumbai restaurant, the quality of the Biriyani is completely different. Not that Kareem’s in Mumbai is devoid of brilliance some of the food at the restaurant is of a very high standard, but you need to know what to order. You need to steer clear of the Biriyani!

I love the décor at Kareems, it is one of my favorite restaurant decors in Mumbai. The restaurant has brilliantly used the natural beauty of the Hiranandani Gardens, has take advantage of the natural roof the Galleria building provides and has made the seating space in the restaurant completely outdoors. Yet, and this is where Kareem’s deserves a pat on the back, one does not get a sense of any lack of hygiene that is so evident in the food court next door. They also have an open kitchen and you can see the chefs at work, as well as the succulent kebabs hanging from well ordered sheekhs in front of you.’

My favourite dish at Kareems is the Peela wala daal and the Kali Miri Kebabs. Both are extremely tasty, the chicken kali miri kebabs have the overwhelming taste of pepper, but the chicken is very tender and very amenable to whatever the marinade that they used. The daal however is the highlight and is one of the better daals I have tasted in any restaurant, rivaling the Kaali Daal at Bukhara. The daal is definitely not at rich but is served with a Tadka, which Kareems does an excellent job of. It is however important that you finish the meal at Kareems with the daal, as the Biriyani really, really sucks, one of the worst that I have tasted. The other dishes whatever I have tasted are not very great either. Kareems is a restaurant that combines the brilliant with the pathetic. Hopefully when you do go there you will order the brilliant.

A meal for two at Kareems without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 450/-

How to get there: Hangla’s is on the first floor of Galleria in Powai.

Hangla's, Galleria, Powai

Hangla’s is probably the best name possible for a Bengali, restaurant that serves primarily snacks, and that is what Hangla’s is. “Hangla” is the Bengali word for greedy and I think it makes for a great name for a snack joint. Most people, on seeing the sign, break into a smirk and are immediately curious about the kind of food on offer at the restaurant. Gluttony after all is one of the most popular and safe of the seven sins, and along with lust, probably the Bengali's favourite!

Hangla;s is situated on the food court at Galleria, Powai. It is no more than a hole in the wall and shares rather unattractive seating with 5 or 6 other restaurants, all operating on a primarily home delivery based business model. The service is almost non existent with dishes arriving at their own sweet time. You will be lucky to get what you order and it’s about a one in a million chance that you will be served on time, if you have ordered anything outside a chicken roll.

The last time I was there at Hanglas, I sampled some chicken Rezala with Paratha and some mutton biriyani. I had actually ordered Mutton Rezala and Chicken Biriyani but was served the opposite. It was also served rather late so we went along with what was brought before us. Excellence in operations is obviously not one of the restaurants strengths. The Chicken Rezala tasted ok, but seemed to be more like a Chicken Kassa rather than a Rezala, if it was indeed the Rezala then it was the most curd-free Rezala that I have had in my life. The Biriyani was decent without setting the world alight, but Kolkata Biriyani always tastes good as the same is infrequently available outside Kolkata. What was brilliant though, were the Parathas which were served with the chicken. Soft, tender and going excellently with the chicken that was served! Although brilliant, the parathas could not completely salvage the meal as the service really sucks. Placing an order at the restaurant seems to be rather pointless. It is advisable to stick to the rolls which are tasty, if slightly expensive.

A meal for two at Hangla’s without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 450/-

How to get there: Hangla’s is on the Galleria food court in Powai. The food court is on the first floor.

Mia Cucina, Andheri West

Mia Cucina came with a reputation. In the times food guide that I have Rashmi Uday Singh had rated the food as the best Italian restaurant in Mumbai. I tend to agree partially with her and would rate the restaurant at par with Don Giovannis as the place to sample Italian food in Mumbai. Mia Cucina, "My Kitchen" is a high end Italian restaurant which has just opened in Versova. The place is chic and the decor very classy and very Italian. I loved the picture of Marlon Brando as the Godfather at the entrance and was pleased to see that the place had both outdoor and indoor seating options. The tables were long with a wood finish, the interiors were well lit without being too bright and the walls had a brick finish adding to the overall feel of the place. Mia Cucina is also a favorite with the film/ TV Serial crowd of Suburbian Mumbai and we spotted Arshad Warsi, Maria Goretti and Anchal Kumar in the time that we were there on a Saturday night.
We ordered quite a spread at Mia Cucina, the food at Mia Cucina as we found is served not as full plates but as smaller bowls from which you can share which was a departure from the regular high end Italian restaurants which I think is great as you can taste a larger number of dishes without awkwardly transferring food from largish place. The other slight difference that we noted was the fact that the restaurant accommodates slight changes in the ingredients of the preparations. If you want your favorite ingredient added to a particular dish and it makes sense, the chefs comply to your request.
At Mia Cucina we tasted Lasagna Al Forno, a lasagna made with a mince mix of beef and pork, a really nice taste though I felt that the cheese was slightly on the lighter side, Risotto al pollo - a risotto made with chicken and mushrooms which was good without being really brilliant. We also sampled a bit of grilled Rawas which was also very tasty and had a lot of herb flavour going well with the fish - again very good quality. The undoubted highlight of the meal however was the tagliatelle pasta with mascarpone cheese and spinach. My sister had the brainwave of adding chorizo or pork sausages to the preparation and it tasted absolutely fantastic. The spinach, cheese and the pork was a truly outstanding combination which must be tried and will be definitely repeated in my next visit. As is the case at most high quality Italian restaurants, leaving space for dessert is a must and we sampled the cheesecake, the tiramisu and a chocolate pastry all of which were of the highest standards as far as taste goes. Do go to Mia Cucina for outstanding Italian food!
A meal for two at Mia Cucina would cost you approximately Rs 1300 without drinks.
How to get there: Mia Cucina is on the main Versova road. If you are coming from the station side. You have to keep driving down the road past Indian Oil Nagar and straight past where the old Versova bus stop used to be. You have to drive straight as the road bends left from the bus stop and then goes straight before turning left again before taking a half u-turn towards the right. Mia Cucina will fall towards your left just after you take the half u-turn.

Mani's Lunch Home, Matunga

Mani's Lunch Home rounds off the corner of Mumbai that will forever be Tamil Nadu. The location with the Aayappa stall serving regular South Indian snacks, the Nalli Silks outlet situated right opposite and the typically South Indian temple at 45 degrees from the outlet gives one a picture that would be completely at home in Chennai. Mani's rounds off the picture with a typical Tamilian lunch home serving delightfully well cooked and hygienic vegetarian Tamil meals at incredibly affordable prices. Mani's is however definitely not a fine dining option, it is a small place and believes in community seating. You will most probably have to wait till you get a table and will definitely have to share the table with other ravenous eaters.
Mani's has two meal options the rice plate and the full meal. We were

not at our hungriest and ordered the rice plate. The rice plate consists of unlimited chappati, rice, rasam and sambhar, one bowl full of three standard South Indian Subzis, a bowl of curd and one chhaas. The food is very simple, is served hot and is brilliantly authentic to taste - highly recommended by my Tamil friends. Amazingly the cost of the rice plate is Rs 35/- and you have to buy the coupon before sitting down for the meal from a counter at the shop entrance.
The other option is the full plate which costs Rs 70/-, the full plate is served on Banana leaf instead of the steel plate we were served food on and has some extra bits in sweets and banana chips that we could see from a photo of the dish that we saw. After devouring the rice plate we ended with a little helping of Mysore Pak and the typically Tamil slightly fat and dry Jalebi which we bought from the counter at the entrance of the shop. Great food and definitely recommended if you want a typical vegetarian Tamil meal in Mumbai.
A meal for two at Mani's lunch home without drinks will cost you Rs 100/-
How to get there: Mani's is on Telenga road in Matunga right opposite the Nalli's Saree shop. If you do not know the area you have get to Kings circle. From Kings Circle you have to get on the road leading to Matunga station. From there you have to take the first right to get on to Telenga road. Mani's will fall on your right. It is almost impossible to find parking on that road near Mani's so chances are you might have to walk a bit to get to the lunch home.

Great Punjab, Cypress Market, Powai

Great Punjab is a typical Punjabi style dhaba which is usually difficult to find in Mumbai. Replete with a Sardarji owner who is not averse to loudly telling you that you are parking your car too close to his vehicle even when your on your way in as against on the way out. I love sardarjis for their forthrightness and the Great Punjab is an honest attempt at a Punjabi style Dhaba in Mumbai. Great Punjab does most of its business through the phone on the delivery model and the seating space is slightly on the cramped side. The ambiance is not great but the food usually is.
I say usually because while we swear by the Chicken Malai Kebab and have ordered the preparation multiple number of times at home, when we ordered the 2nd helping at the restaurant we found that parts of the Kebab were slightly raw. Although implicit in the statement is the fact that we were so delighted at the first helping that the second was demanded. The other problem the restaurant faces is the inability to step up to the plate and serve up a deserving follow up to the outstanding starter that is the Chicken Malai Kebab. The last time we were there we ordered the Chicken Dopiyaza with Roti, which was eatable but nothing to remember the meal by. We left the restaurant slightly disappointed at the undercooked second helping of the Chicken Malai Kebab, but that will not stop me from continuing to order and devour the preparation. Maybe, they were really under time pressure for speedy delivery of the 2nd helping and ended up serving it slightly raw - I will give them the benefit of the doubt based on my home delivery experiences.
A meal for two at Great Punjab without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 600/-
How to get there: Great Punjab is on the Cypress Market road in Powai. If you are driving from Haiko towards Cypress Market the restaurant will fall on your left.