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.

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.

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.

Yoko's, Galleria, Powai

Yoko's along with Kobe's are the two 4 letter - well 5 letter word's which define Sizzler eating in Mumbai. I have gone from hating the Mumbai steak to accepting and even liking the preparations. I have a simple policy of always checking with the waiter if they serve rice or noodles with the steak and insisting that my sizzler is well clear of either - both of which in my mind renders the sizzler as a complete hotch potch mess without any semblance of harmony.

Yoko's in Galleria, Powai however was a throwback to the sizzlers I used to hate when I had initially moved to Mumbai. The restaurant has recently moved from one part of Galleria to another and seems to have left its decor and the quality of its food. The nice decor has been discarded and the new place is quite plain, which is disappointing but not necessarily bad. The food however has really dropped in quality and the well done Garlic steak that I had ordered was devoid of the essential juices that really are a must to a good sizzler. The quality of the meat was good enough but the serving was so dry that the last quarter of the meal was a bit of an effort. I may be comparing the experience to Kobe's and the earlier meals at Yoko's that I have had but, Why Not? Same price, Worse Decor and Worse food. Definitely a come down and not at all recommended. Powai is in need of a good Sizzler joint!

A meal for two at Yoko's without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 900/-

How to get there: Yokos is next to the food court in Galleria, Hiranandani, Powai.

Mainland China, Powai

Mainland China has been a revered fine dining option for Chinese food for quite some time now. The chain opened its first restaurant in Mumbai in 1995 and has since opened stores in all of the major Indian cities. Mainland China is famous for its buffet; but I particularly love the a-la-carte menu. The last time we visited the relatively recent Powai outlet of the chain, we were treated to a delicious Chinese lunch.

Mainland China, Powai is very well done up, the decor is distinctly Chinese - lots of red, lots of dark wood - very Mainland China in fact. The Powai branch decor scores over the other branches of the chain I have visited on two counts, firstly it has some very nice Chinese statues and artifacts which add to the Chinese feel, secondly the restaurant has its seating together without smallish rooms and divisions and gives the impression of an open, friendly dining space.

The food as is the trademark of the chain was of the highest quality, the last time I was there we ordered for the Lemon Coriander Chicken soup, Jiangs Chicken, Burnt Garlic Fried Rice and Prawns in Oyster sauce.

Of the dishes mentioned, prawns in oyster sauce is an old favorite and I absolutely love the preparation created by the Mainland China chefs. The flavour seeps through the prawns delectably and the taste is replicated every time I order the preparation. The lemon coriander chicken soup was ordered due to a slightly sore throat and proved to be the perfect antidote. Spicy and with a strong kick of lemon and coriander flavour, the soup completely got rid of the soreness of the throat and set the rest of the meal up perfectly. The burnt Garlic fried rice was also very nice, but so are most of the a-la-carte rice preparations in Mainland China. The highlight of the lunch however was the Jiang's chicken. The chicken cooked with chilli and ginger as the lead spice; it was seriously delicious and seriously spicy!. The dish is a definite must have if you are visiting the chain anytime in the future. Mainland China seems to have a thing with these dishes named after Chinese chefs/ leaders, General Tao's chicken is also an old favorite though I did not see the dish in the menu the last time I was there. The only downer in the meal that we had was the noodles, which was just about okay, maybe it was the wrong order, but unless any of you can recommend a seriously good preparation of noodles, my advice if you are planning to dine at Mainland China would be "Stick to the Rice!".

A meal for two at Mainland China without drinks would cost you approximately Rs 2000/-

How to get there: Mainland China is located at Hiranandani Gardens, Powai. The chain is on the second floor of the building also housing Yellow Chilli. There is a large signage on the road indicating the location. If you are driving from Haiko towards DMart, you have to cross the DMart circle and continue to drive straight. Mainland China will be at the left on the next crossing just before the market.

Cafe Mangii, Powai

Cafe Mangii has decided to spread; joyously and smartly they have moved to address Powai's need of a really classy fine dining Italian Restaurant. I am sorry but I do not think Spaghetti Kitchen is worth your hard earned penny. If you have been to the groups other outlets in Juhu and Bandra, you will know what to expect and the food and the experience both lived up to the decently high standards.
The decor is very much like the Juhu outlet of Mangii Ferra. Bright lights adorn the trees outside making the restaurant very difficult to miss. They have used the rather wide footpaths very uniquely to set up a couple of tables where people can sit and presumably eat if it isn't too hot/ raining. That kind of weather may bless Mumbai only for two months but it is a nice touch and gives the classy yet casual bistro-ish European look to the restaurant. The set up indoors is also quite nice. They have two types of seating - sofas on the side and 4-seater tables with nice high chairs on the main floor. The waiters are also neatly uniformed and very polite and attentive.
We had a pretty long leisurely dinner at Cafe Mangii. We had two starters, one was a mushroom stuffed with cottage cheese and something that I usually associate with Konkan food - Butter Garlic Prawns. The mushrooms stuffed with cottage cheese was okay, I thought it tasted more Indian than Italian. The Butter Garlic Prawns were however outstanding. The influence of butter relative to the garlic on the taste was far more significant than the Konkan namesake. The dish was also on the sweeter side giving a really delightful taste to the dish. We also ordered some garlic bread which we soaked up with some olive oil. This was one area where I was slightly disappointed as usually in these high class Italian joints the bread is complimentary.
For main course I ordered was Beef Lasagne, the others at the table ordered Lavender Steaks and Chicken Mangii. I was slightly disappointed with the Lasagne at Cafe Mangi as I thought that it was slightly light on the tomato based meat sauce which I absolutely adore. The Lasagne was also slightly crunchy with something resembling a carrot interspersed with the meat. My friends however absolutely raved about the courses that they had selected. Their feedback and the Butter Garlic Prawns makes me give Cafe Mangii the benefit of the doubt. I will go there again, but I will not order the Lasagne.
A meal for two at Cafe Mangii will cost you approximately Rs 1600/- without drinks.
How to get there: Cafe Mangii is in Hiranandani Gardens right beside the Fab India. If you are not familiar with Powai you will need to start from Haiko and drive towards the KFC. TO get to KFC you will have to take a left at the circle. Take the left and go straight past the KFC. You will soon come to a T junction where you will have to take a right. Take the first left after the right and go straight down the road which curves to the right. Cafe Mangii is the last shop before you hit JVLR.

Bijoli Grill, Powai

Yes, I was overjoyed when I heard that Bijoli Grill had opened in Mumbai. Yes, I was overjoyed that it had opened in Powai. And yes, I went to Bijoli Grill salivating at the thought of Prawn Cutlets, Fish Fry and Kosha Mangsho. The food was good and was authentic Bengali cuisine. But, No, I will not recommend it unless one desperately wants to try out good Bengali cuisine in Mumbai and does not want to go to Andheri West. Bijoli Grill food, the little that I had tasted does not get you the quality or the variety served up at Oh! Calcutta. Nor is it the decent value for money fare that you sample at Calcutta Club. To me it seemed like Bijoli Grill was trying to cash in on the brand that it has built in Kolkata but it seems to me that erosion is all that will happen to the brand value unless they get their act right and that too very quickly.

I went to Bijoli Grill during the Puja's for a relatively light lunch due to the amount of snacks that had been devoured during a quintessential Pujo morning. Given the potency of Bengali food however we landed up sampling a bit of Prawn Cutlet, Shaada Bhaat and Kosha Mangsho. The Prawn Cutlet was good, it was prepared with the bit of the prawn tail sticking out; which to me is definitely the way to set the saliva racing. The taste was OK without being exceptional. The Kosha Mangsho was not too spicy but seemed to be in the middle without anything in the preparation to make it memorable, the mutton itself was soft and well cooked. The shaada bhaat was good as per standards at most high end restaurants. In case you are thinking why the review of the food is at a disconnect from what I said in the first part of the blog, it is because I really crave and love Bengali food. It is not that the food is not tasty. It is, but Bijoli Grill charges a premium and as a customer I would demand a value for that premium which I did not get. For this type of food, I would choose a Calcutta Club any day.

A meal for two at Bijoli Grill without drinks would cost you approximately Rs 1500/-

How to get there: Bijoli Grill is at Hakone, in Powai. It is situated right at the mouth of the entertainment park. In case you are unfamiliar with Powai, travel down the JVLR and enter the Hiranandani Gardens through the Pizza Hut entry. Hakone falls to your left before any turn can confuse you. Bijoli Grill is on the entrance slightly to the left.

Sankalp, Powai

Firstly, my sincere apologies to all those of you who have clicked on to the link over the past one and a half months and have seen no updates on the site. Its not that I have not been eating as the next set of posts will testify. Just been a bit busy and lazy... I promise that the same will be rectified going forward.
Sankalp, Powai is in the Guinness Book of world records, they are there because they have made the longest Dosa ever in the world - some 27 feet long. The achievement is prominently displayed as part of a pretty classy upmarket decor - spacious and very comfortable. The only issue is the Hindi music which according to me takes away from the ambience of a South Indian restaurant.
Sankalp serves both your traditional dosa, idli , uthappama as well as appams and non veg preparation from the South of the country and we ordered a mix of both. We ordered a Dosa platter and were served a combination of Paneer Dosa, Chettinad Dosa and Dhaniya Dosa. The dosas were tasty although slightly on the more generous side when it came to the oil. The highlight was the assortment of podis and chutneys on offer. Alongwith the standard white coconut chutney they serve chutneys based on garlic and mint which were really nice and different from the usual fare that one is usually accustomed to. We wanted to also try out the main course preparations and also ordered Iddiyappams and an Andhra Chicken preparation Royal Vepudu. The chicken was OK, but the Iddiyappams were a disaster, they were served like you serve noodles which really put me off and will put off anyone who has had the real stuff down South!
Overall I would say that Sankalp serves a better than an average Dosa given the options usually available in Mumbai, specially Powai. Stay away from the main course South Indian dishes - the same is not a patch on what the authentic fare down South is like.... Maybe its not really there fault. After all they are a North Indian South Indian food chain based primarily out of Gujarat. The ubiquitous Dosa is prepared quite well but the South Indian food should be steered clear of.
A meal for two at Sankalp, without drinks will cost you Rs 200/- if you stick to Dosas.
How to get there: Sankalp is in Hiranandani Powai. If you are driving from Haiko towards DMart the restaurant will fall to your right.

Aromas, Powai

Aroma's in Powai is one of the classier cafe in Mumbai. I really like the place. I do not know if I can put a finger on why I like the outlet so much. Maybe its the frontage and the location, giving it a feel of an European bistro. Maybe its the get up with some options of outdoor seating separated from the interiors with glass doors. It could also be the well placed, yet unobtrusive televisions or may be its the colour of the seats and the interiors a mild and very understated crimson. I just feel that it is a very chic place, perfect for an evening out with someone you love, or even for a quick lunch with some office colleagues. I have been to Aromas, a number of time, mostly for some coffee and snacks, both of which were decent without being extra special. Last time I was there was for dinner, which although not really exceptional will stay with my taste buds for a decent amount of time, especially the lemon grass chicken.

We were two of us and between us ordered servings of Egyptian Keftas with Pita Bread - the place has some uncommon sounding dishes, a club sandwich and a plate of Chicken Lemon Grass. The Egyptian Keftas with Pita bread definitely had some arabic influence, there was hummus and pita bread and a few keftas which were very like kebabs. The kebabs were made with minced chicken and were very light, with a decent amount of lime and olive. I must say they were presented very well and were pretty tasty, at least as much as minced chicken kebabs can be.

The club sandwich was just about Ok. Not as good as a club sandwich should be, but really how bad can a sandwich having ham and eggs get? What was really worth remembering was the chicken Lemon Grass, when I hear Chicken Lemon Grass the tendency is to think Thai or Chinese but this particular preparation was chicken pieces served in skewers. It tasted good but what was really noteworthy was the essence of Lemon Grass that the chicken pieces had. It was really strong, without being over powering. The dish is a definite must have for Lemon Grass lovers and fans. I would recommend you go once anyway for a coffee - just for spending some quality time at a pretty cool place.
A meal for two without drinks at Aromas should cost you approximately Rs 600/-

How to get there: Aromas is in Hiranandani Gardens Powai, on the opposite foot path to D-Mart. You just cannot miss it as it covers the entire corner.

Bistro Grill, Hiranandani, Powai - Paradise Lost

Bistro Grill was till a year back one of my favorite Mumbai restaurants. It was in Juhu where a fancy upmarket hotel now stands and it was no more than a shack. It was easily one of the most hard core food joints in Mumbai. No more than 7 or 8 plastic chairs in front of an oven where you could see that around 4 or 5 whole chickens being roasted. To me that presented a surreal sight. The chickens were tasty and the fact that you got the same on the road added to the taste-buds delight. One could order whole barbecued chickens for Rs 250 ans it was right up there with the more Value for Money non veg food options in Mumbai. At that point of time I also was not a Shawarma fan (which I am now big time), and they had a pretty decent Shawarma option as well.

Then one fine day we found the 4 seasons and we mourned the fact that Bistro Grill was no more. The mourning was over once we saw take aways ads in Powai. The Bistro was back with Shawarmas being ordered regularly, though the chickens were not being barbequed in full view, we were still happy.

Then the Bistro moved upmarket, we saw that they had moved from Powai and had opened a restaurant. I fell out of love with Bistro Grill, the day we had dinner there. No plastic chairs, No live oven, the Bistro Grill was a plush lounge. Quite frankly, I really do not care about the food which I guess is and would still be quite good. It would definitely be more comfortable, great for a romantic evening and I am sure they will do well with higher margins. Maybe those who have not visited the outlet in Juhu will rave and rant and salivate...but I wont. Not unless the same format as what was there in Juhu is back. Maybe a Bistro Cattle Class? I hope so but unlikely... You don't advertise in bus backs if you are opening a VFM format. Go there... As the Bus Back Ad says "Sheesh Taouk tastes like Shees Taouk" but I won't. I will continue to miss the food and yes, even the ambiance of the Juhu outlet.

A meal for two at the High End Bistro Grill will cost you Rs 450 without drinks.

How to get there: Bistro Grill is in Hiranandani Gardens Powai. If you are going towards D-Mart from Hirco. Take the right from the circle. Bistro Grill will be on your left.

Yellow Chilli, Powai

The restaurant has a lot of hype. The location is on top of Mainland China, Powai. The restaurant is owned by Sanjeev Kapoor - probably the most famous culinary personality in India - at least on popular TV. The offering is quite creative, having an option of having Chilli-Q or unlimited mouth watering offerings or so they say (to be fair we actually chose a-la-carte).
On the whole however i would have to rate the restaurant as rather disappointing and is easily out done by any of the other fine dining options in Powai. The food is just about ok; eatable but none of the dishes that we had left us wanting for more and given that we ordered a kebab platter and two other non - veg curries that was a really bad return for a place with hype. The decor was neat without really leaving a lasting impression and sort of added to the damp squib dinner experience on the whole. Overall, it was rather uninspiring and is not recommended which is saying a lot as it is probably the first such instance in this rather kind blog.
Oh! forgot to mention the onion pickle which was served along with the Indian fare was the highlight of the meal (meant to be sincere and not sarcastic!).
A meal for two at Yellow Chilli without drinks would cost you approximately Rs 1100/-
How to get there: Yellow Chilli is on the left if you are driving towards Chandivali from the main Hiranandani circle after passing Haiko on your right.

Urban Tadka, R-City Mall, Ghatkopar

Urban Tadka has always been one of my favorite Mumbai restaurants with one big problem - getting a place to sit. Though they have increased their network of late, but as we recently found out, getting space to sit still remains a huge problem.

The food at Urban Tadka is to die for, none more so than the Nimbu Chicken, the same is present in there starters section as says that it is not to be missed. The point I believe needs to be highlighted far more that it currently is. The Nimbu Chicken is one of the best dishes I have ever had in Mumbai and i have found the offering only at Urban Tadka. Cooked with generous helpings of butter, ginger and lime, the dish is so good that it is often the only thing I eat at Urban Tadka... I would like to add that it goes very well with the Rumali Roti.

Other dishes you can try if you can get away from Nimbu Chicken are the Rajma, Methi Paneer and Mutton Rahrah which are really good also. The Mutton Rahrah which consists of pieces of mutton is cooked with kheema acting as gravy - this deserves a special mention. Do not forget to cap off the meal by keeping some stomach space for some Rabri and Garam Jalebi. Though keeping space might prove to be a challenge I would recommend the same as a perfect dessert for the Nimbu Chicken and Mutton Rahrah.

The decor of Urban Tadka is very Punjabi with a decent sprinklings of wall frescoes depicting country side scenes, though recently I thought that they have gone slightly over the top with dholaks and the like. Though going by the crowd reaction and the dancing customers it seems that it is very much here to stay. Oldies like me I guess always have the option for ordering in!

A meal for two at Urban Tadka without drinks would cost Rs 500/-

How to get there: Urban Tadka is on the 3rd floor at R-City Mall next to the food court.

Malgudi, R-City Mall, Ghatkopar

Great Coffee! Fantastic size of the Dosas! but rather ordinary taste - would be a one line description of Malgudi at R-City Mall... The same is to be taken with a pinch of salt however as

1) I am not really a fan of Veg food and as for Dosas even less so.

2) My better half consistently orders the Rava Masala Dosa from the joint and claims it is rather good.

Anyways, last time we were there at the R-City food court, I had ordered a Paper Masala Dosa and a Filter Coffee. This was one of the days when i was just feeling like a dosa and I was almost over the moon at seeing the size - which was about 2 and a half feet long. The Dosa came with the Masala served separately, sambhar and two chutneys instead of the usual one. The additional chutney was slightly reddish and actually rather nice - a sort of tangier version of the standard coconut chutney that you get. The Dosa was rather sad as it seemed tasteless, maybe in part due to the humungous amount that was served but was not a patch on what is served at say... Madras Cafe. The masala was decent but unfortunately did not make up for the Dosa. The coffee however was really very nice as filter coffee always seems to be and did not disappoint in the least.

Overall I would rate this as ok and one of the more viable options in the food court... only do not be greedy like I was and steer clear of Paper Dosas.

A meal for 2 at Malgudi would cost you approximately Rs 250/-

How To get there: Malgudi is on the food court of R-City Mall.

Bowl House, R-City Mall, Ghatkopar

Bowl House is a restaurant that I have been eyeing for a long time, but given the glut of competition from Urban Tadka and the food court - Malgudi and KFC, we had not been able to zero down on the outlet. The opportunity finally presented itself when we felt like having east Asian food, and did not want to travel too far... Bowl House was not a disappointment.
Bowl House introduces itself as serving cuisine from South East Asia and has a menu containing dishes from quite a few countries of the regions, Tibetan Momos, Burmese Fish Cakes and a smattering of dishes from Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and China. The decor I felt was reasonably tasteful although slightly overdone with Chinese Dragon wall painitings vying for attention with the ubiquitous Thai Buddhas. The circular iron bars constructed on the outside having circular cut glass was one feature that stood out in particular.
We were to see a movie after lunch and so did not order heavily. We ordered a plate of steamed rice, Thai Prawns as starters and Vietnamese Orange Chicken. The Thai prawns were very good, with the sauce especially standing out, i think hint of ginger makes silghtly hot east Asian food taste better and the combination was very nice in the Thai prawns. The Vietnamese Orange chicken was however easily the highlight of the meal. Completely non - spicy and almost sweet, the chicken cooked in Orange juice was really tasty and is highly recommended. The little pieces of zuchinni and orange pieces really added to the overall taste. Lastly the steamed rice, I felt was perfect and went very well with both the dishes corroborating my theory that it is easily the best carbohydrate to accompany East Asian food unless one is in the mood for some old fashioned Bengali chinese.
We rounded off the meal with some Vanilla and Honey noodles to round off a really good lunch!

A meal for two at the bowl house without drinks would cost you approximately Rs 800/-
How to get there: Its on the food court floor at R-City Mall, opposite Rajdhani.

Kentucky Fried Fabulous Chicken!

I love Chicken! Period. My Dad used to disregard the chicken saying that it was half vegetarian as do most professed meat eaters. But ever since childhood the chicken has been my choice of meat if only just. I do not know what it is about the bird but I find the same incredibly tasty almost at all times and in all preparations. So much so that i had once calculated that in my lifetime i will consume approximately 5000 birds in my life @1.5 Birds a week for 60 non - veg consuming years but more on that later.

I also love fried food. "If its Veg, it should at least be fried" is a comment i once made at an office party and am still regularly ribbed out. The colonel, God bless his soul made the perfect synthesis when he opened his chain and started Kentucky Fried Chicken.
I had my Nth helping of some fried chicken on Friday night at the R-City food court and would recommend the same who can relate and enjoy watching the advertisements of

1. The friends having chicken in a car just gone turtle.

2. Muraliltharan licking his fingers. As also the Sikh Boyfriend.


If you love chicken you will love KFC. If you love chicken and you love fried food you will be able to smell KFC Chicken when you day dream and think KFC.

Go to KFC! Now! Its finger licking good!!

P.S. The original recipe and the other (i forget what it is called) is as good. I really cannot decide. Have both!:)

How to get there: Its on the food court in R-City Mall, Ghatkopar

Great Kebab Factory, Powai, Mumbai

Friday, January 22nd would have been Babas 68th birthday. I celebrate his birthday every year and this year was no different. Dripto , my in-laws, Ritwika and myself decided to go to the Great Kebab Factory that has newly opened in Powai. We had already been there once and thought that the place though slightly expensive definitely served the best Galouti Kebabs in Mumbai. Yes better than what you get at Caravan Serai but alas no patch on Tunday in Lucknow. I think Mumbai really has to work on good Nawabi cuisine.

The Great Kebab Factory works on an all - you - can - eat concept. One pays Rs 736 not including taxes. There is quite a bit of tax as you end up spending slightly more than Rs 1000, but the money I would say is worth it for special occasions. The money includes everything apart from drinks. It includes 5 types of Non Veg Kebabs, the Galouti (they say its their signature dish) + 4 other kebabs which keep changing. I saw in the menu card that they had added a Jhinga (for Rs 400 additional). I personally do not like prawns in the tandoor/kebab form (the price is not worth the taste) and we decided against it. The kebabs are unlimited - all you can eat, and the Galouti (the highlight) is delectable - they serve it with the Ulte Tawe ke Parathe and you are supposed to have it with some mint chutney and Onion pieces - a truly sumptuous combination. I usually save appetite for at least 4 kebabs - you are advised to do the same.
The Kebabs are followed by Roti and two types of daal and Chicken Biriyani - again both unlimited and reasonable OK. If you are going for the first time you may try out the same but 2nd time onwards (as i did) you will probably fill up your entire stomach space with Galoutis.
The meal is then capped off with unlimited dessert options from Phirnis to Gulab Jamuns - I am not a sweet buff but my In-Laws and my wife loved it.

The only sour point of the restaurant is the service, the waiters (dressed smartly in blue collar factory clothes) are still to get the act right, although the chef adds a nice touch by enquiring how good the food was towards the end of your meal. So if you miss having kebabs in Mumbai and are looking forward to spending some time in a great ambiance, do go there. I will go there just for the Galoutis.

How to get there: The Great Kebab Factory is in Hirnandani Gardens, Powai and is located on the right if you are driving from Olympia to D - Mart. For those un familiar with Powai. Take the main Pizza Hut entrance to Hiranandani complex and drive straight. You will find a circle, drive straight beyond that. You will find Haiko on your right, 50 m onwards is the Great Kebab Factory besides Chillies. If you miss it you will come to another circle where you will see a D-Mart. Take a U Turn and look to your left, you should find Great Kebab Factory.