Boulevard – Hotel Orchid, Parle

Experiencing class is a feeling understood by those who visit a very good place and have the time of their lives. A place with good food drinks and ambiance becomes better with the people that work there. It is them who would work their life off towards giving customers a memorable experience and bringing a smile on our face.

I encountered a similar experience when I visited Boulevard at the Orchid. Located right outside the Domestic Airport, the Orchid houses the very elite and premium customers. Boulevard is situated on the first floor. This fine dining space has a buffet spread good enough to keep everyone happy.

My experience with their food was good. My experience with their hospitality was better. They really know how to take care of their customers. Sure, it is a part of their job but not everyone can pull it off with such ease. They treat everyone as equal and that goes a long way in understanding how Orchid as a brand is.

Here’s what I tried on my visit;

We began with few of their mock tails;

Their mock tail spread included;

  • Cranberry Juice
  • Thandai

As for the food, I must say that the variety of different cuisines here makes this place perfect for a foodie. Indian, Continental, Italian and many more can be found in their spread right from the salad to the appetizers to the Mains.

They have three live food counters;

  1. Chaat
  2. Icy Gola
  3. Pizzas

It’s a treat as you can gorge on food made right in front of you. It’s a good feeling. You’ll love the outcome.

Next up is their salad menu which has all the possible variations you could imagine. Apart from the basic vegetarian and chicken based salads, you can also witness the magic of the squid salad and the assortment of mayonnaise dips at your disposal.

They have decent appetizers with each option for a vegetarian, chicken and fish tikkas. You will have to place an order for them separately.

For the mains, they have options ranging from North Indian, Chinese, Italian and various other International options like Lasagna and many others. You will be spoilt for choices. The food is hot, tasty and to the point.

For the desserts, I would definitely recommend the variety which Boulevard maintains. It’s a spread like no other. Being a person whose guilty pleasure lies in sweets, I went like a child visiting Disneyland. Do have a look at the pictures as they just don’t have chocolate. There’s a lot more to it than you can imagine.

 

Overall, I would like to mention that the place has such good feels that you wouldn’t realize how time passes by. It’s a good place. Do check them out. Their buffet prices change as per weekday/weekends and for a weekday lunch expect the rates to begin from 1500++ taxes per pax.

Read my review on Zomato – http://www.zoma.to/aBMvBb

Best Japanese Restaurant in Mumbai

Kofuku Juhu – An Amazing Japanese Restaurant in Mumbai

Aisatsu!

Which is also called as “greetings” is how we were greeted while entering Kofuku. Also called as “Happiness” in Japanese, Kofuku aims at spreading happiness through its scrumptious food.

If I had to look for the Top Japanese restaurants near me in Mumbai, Kofuku would definitely be on that list.

You are bound to be transported to all your memories of television shows and movies that display how a restaurant styled in Japanese is. Kofuku has two types of seating; One with your basic tables and chairs. The second one is the Japanese traditional “Izakaya” sitting where you sit on the floor. It’s quite a good feeling and very intimate too.

Kofuku has an amazing staff and we were treated well by the Manager “Rajesh”. One of the staff named “Roger” choose the best food options Kofuku has to serve.

Here’s how we began our meal in Kofuku i.e. one of the best Japanese Restaurant in Mumbai;

Pomegranate lemonade and Dark Berry – These two mocktails lived to its name and tasted exactly as it should. We liked them.

Kofuku in general is well known for its amazing sushi options. We tried 2 varieties of sushi here and this is what we felt;

Best Sushi in Mumbai Japanese Restaurant

Oh My God Sushi – Also called the flaming sushi, this one has my favorite sushi combination of all time i.e. Cream cheese, salmon, and Avocado. I always would make it a point to try out this combination anywhere I visit. Here too, the sushi was amazing.

Drizzled with creamy spicy and sweet sauce, you are bound to declare your unconditional love back to sushi. Served with sweet-sour and a salty soy dip, wasabi, and pickled ginger, my mouth salivates as I remember the meal from last night.

Prawns Tempura Sushi

Prawns Tempura Sushi – Another revelation in recent times has been the prawn tempura. I am not fond of prawns but when it comes to sushi, I can’t let go of this option.

This is supposed to be crispy sushi along with its creamy spicy and sweet sauce.

Yes, the crispy quotient was not fully up to the mark but it indeed was a good choice. They serve this with a sweet-sour and a salty soy dip, wasabi, and pickled ginger. The strength of the wasabi is indeed strong. Eat wisely.

Chicken Yakitori in Kofuku

Chicken Yakitori – “Roger” suggested we take an appetizer instead of third sushi. Although we were not sure about that, we are glad he helped us choose this. Here you have grilled Chicken pieces that are placed on skewers and are glazed with sweet-spicy Yakitori sauce.

This one is more on the sweeter side and the meat is cooked well. I would suggest you opt for this only if you prefer sweetness in your meal.

Balinese curry in yellow coconut flavor - Best Japanese Restaurant in Mumbai

Kofuku Balinese curry in yellow coconut flavor – This is one of the three “Chef’s curry specials” available in Kofuku. As the name suggests, this curry has a lot of coconut in it. Cooked well, balanced taste, amazing texture, thick curry goes so well with the boneless chicken chunks.

Being a Mangalorean, I have always seen coconut being mixed in our curries. I love them and hence when I tried this chef’s special, it felt like home.

The curry taste is so good, no doubt they are one of the best Japanese Restaurant in Mumbai.

Teppanyaki fried rice in Best Japanese Restaurant in Mumbai

Teppanyaki fried rice – This one is one of Roger’s suggestions. He said the traditional Balinese curry would go well with the traditional Japanese fried rice with eggs and veggies. So we did try this and yes, this sticky rice does go well with the curry. I must say, the rice bowl looks too cute.

Mochi Ice cream – Finally to end this scrumptious meal, we opted for a traditional Japanese dessert. They had many other options and we took one which had no chocolate.

Here they have pounded sticky rice with two separate ice cream fillings of Vanilla & Mango. I must give them credit for the presentation of this dessert as they make this look like a fruit cut in 4 pieces.

In the end, we left this amazing Japanese restaurant in Mumbai with a very good meal experience. I’m sure you will too. Do visit Kofuku for an authentic meal experience.

Arigato! (Thank you)

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Yazu Andheri – Best Japanese Restaurant in Andheri

I’ve always been fond of Asian cuisine varieties. There’s so much you can bring to the table using a mix of hundreds of ingredients and spices to tickle your taste buds. And then there is my love for sushi. Hence when I visited Yazu Andheri also called as the best Japanese restaurant in Andheri, I knew I was in for a good experience.

Location and proximity to the station – Situated beside the best landmark in Andheri west i.e Infinity Mall, Yazu Andheri is the best lounge in Andheri and has space for more than 100 guests at one time. You can reach here via the DN Nagar metro station within 10 minutes, 15-20 minutes each to Jogeshwari or Andheri station.

Yazu Andheri

Seating and Ambiance:

There’s comfortable seating along with seating allocated at the bar and a separate area with a high table for those who want to enjoy the live screenings. There is absolutely no problem whatsoever in terms of space congestion.

Food and Drinks in Yazu Andheri – Here’s what we tried;

  1. Bhut Jolokia Mule – I am a whiskey cocktail person. But something about this place made me try different options. The staff suggested Bhut Jolokia Mule. For those who don’t know, Bhut Jolokia is the spiciest chilly all over the world found within India. They have made a paste out of it and added vodka along with ginger and lemon. This drink gives the perfect hit and taste. It is spicy and lovely. Highly recommended that you try it out.
  1. Yazu special Gin and Tonic – I also am fond of the classic gin with tonic water at the Yazu restaurant Mumbai. It really has amazing taste. Here too they have served with cinnamon and the end result is so good. There is a nice aroma coming out of the glass and it is amazing. Please do try it out.
Yazu Restaurant Mumbai - Best Sushi
  1. Prawn Tempura with creamy salmon – Perhaps one of the most surprising moments of my dinner here was this sushi. I am not a prawns fan but on their suggestion, I did try it. Along with prawns and salmon, there was avocado, cucumber, and Togarashi sauce which is almost like the sriracha mayo sauce. This was fantastic and I highly recommend you try it.
Yazu Andheri - Japanese Sushi

4. Yazu Signature Roll – The Yazu signature roll is a smoked salmon special. I love salmon sushi and hence I liked it a lot. It tastes really nice and is not spicy at all.

  1. Red Tuna Nigiri – The classic Nigiri is a type of sushi that has the raw meat or fish which is placed on top of pressed vinegared rice. I had this with a pinch of wasabi and I must say it was good. I usually prefer salmon nigiri but red tuna did surprise me.
Yazu Restaurant Mumbai - Best Sushi
  1. Spicy Lamb – Again, the suggestion by Yazu’s staff is bang on target. This one is a chef’s signature dish where the meat is cooked very well. They’ve made it spicy and I must say it is the good kind of spicy where you cannot stop eating until it’s over. Do try it out if the lamb is your favorite.
Yazu Restaurant Mumbai - Best Beef
  1. Yazu signature green curry fried rice – This one is your basic green Thai curry along with their basic version of fried rice. These are served with 4 prawn crackers for the company and topped along with sunny side up fried egg. I love green curry and hence these mains is amazing. The rice tastes well and so does the meat. Please do try this out.

8. Japanese Cheesecake – I love matcha. I cannot deny it. Hence when I saw the cheesecake here along with matcha ice cream, I had to try it. They have added their baked cheesecake along with matcha green tea ice cream. I loved the texture and consistency of taste. It’s really good.

To conclude, there’s good food at Yazu restaurant Mumbai and also an amazing variety of drinks. A special thanks to their staff, especially “Kreo” and “Piloto”. They made us feel at home and were always there to help us make the right decisions and ensure we had a good meal. People as such make your dinner a memorable experience. Do check Yazu Andheri. They’re worth it.

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Food Review – MusTea, Marol

For those who love Tea and swear by it are very happy as there are many outlets opening up with tea as their primary USP. MusTea is also one of those who swear by their love for not only tea but also snacks. They open up by 8am. Currently planning to open up earlier than usual.

They have a variety of tea and also a lot of options with regards to snacks like sandwiches, omelettes, desi options like poha, idli, missal, vada etc.

Tea is delivered like this!

Location and proximity from Station:

This one’s not too hard to find. It’s a 5-7 minute walk from JB Nagar metro station. 15 minutes from Andheri Station. Located in the by-lane of Kondivita, the nearest landmark to this would be the hotel Apna Dhaba.

 

Ambiance and seating:

MusTea is a small place and can easily seat 10-12 people maximum. The place is air conditioned. There’s no space congestion as such. The staff is courteous and will respond well to your questions too.

 

Tea and Snacks:

Yes, we were spoilt for options. My friend Mike had just returned from Bangalore that very afternoon and I got him along me for some tea and snacks. We tried 3 types of tea along with few snacks. Here’s what we had:

Kesar Tea with cookies: A clear winner. The aroma, the taste and yes it’s really hot. That’s how I like my Tea. The 2 cookies given alongside really compliment the overall feel. I must recommend this.

 

Mint Tea with cookies: Another clear favorite. Suggested by them, we tried this one and we thanked them for this choice. The taste is too good and for those who like pudina, this one’s a definite recommend.

 

Oolang Tea: Oolang here is full of antioxidants and gives you more of a green tea and healthy feeling. My friend didn’t like it much. I found it okay. It’s all about the acquired taste in the end.

 

They have almost 30 types of tea serving (with/without milk). You’ll be spoiled for choices.

 

Cheese Bun Maska: How can you miss having tea without bun maska. Here, they’ve gone a step further and added cheese. The overall impact? Yes, it’s fantastic. My friend loves cheese and went bonkers over this and every other dish with cheese.

Please note that there are a lot of snacking options available for you to enjoy your tea with. We tried the bun maska. You can try many other choices too.

 

Chicken Samosa: Yes, the chicken samosa. It was funny when we heard about it but on their insistence, we gave it a shot. I’m impressed. The bits of chicken with our regular samosa fit in well and we did like it.

 

MusTea’s signature omelette: They have a wide range of omelettes. It’s amazing. We were confused as to what to try and they again suggested their signature omelette. This one’s made with a lot of precision and with different layers. Makes you feel like you’re having a sandwich! And yes, there’s a lot of cheese too. This is served with partly fried bread. The 2nd best dish of the day!

 

Chicken Wrap: The chicken wrap here is very decent. The plus point is the quantity. I’m sure you’ll be full after you’re done with one full wrap! This is served along with wafers and veggies!

 

Mushroom on Toast: The best dish of the day. Mushroom on toast is an open faced sandwich with a lot of mushroom and cheese. God these guys love cheese too. Anyway, it’s our gain that they like cheese too. It’s really good.

 

Conclusion:

To conclude, I wish they had a lot of space but it’s alright as they deliver to the nearby places and a lot of corporate offices too. They deliver tea and snacks. From where I stand, that’s a win win! They have a reasonably priced menu and a lot of options in their menu. I’ll be surprised if someone doesn’t find something that they don’t like here. Cheers to MusTea.

 

MusTea Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Thai Food Festival – Red Olives, Powai

The Thai food festival is on at the Red Olives multi restaurant in Powai from the 1st to 15th September 2017.

There’s a menu curated just for these 15 days and the food is worth it.

Location and proximity from Station:

This is located at Hiranandani in Powai. It’s quite at the center if I must say. Although it’s almost a 15-20 minute rickshaw ride away from either Ghatkopar station or from Saki naka metro station.

Ambiance and seating:

The place has good vibes and I liked the ambiance. There’s ample of seating available for almost 70 people. Also I was amazed to see more crowd on a Saturday afternoon than usual weekdays when this place is packed with teams coming for corporate lunch.

 

Food and Drinks (Appetizers):

We began with few mock-tails in the menu. We tried the mandarin mojito, kiwi and kokam and also the Red Olives special. While I liked all the three due to their flavors, the best one had to be the Mandarin mojito. It’s a recommend.

 

 

 

 

Soups :

Tom tum (Chicken) – Spicy chicken soup with lemongrass. I must say, this is a delight for those who are a bit unwell and also for those who like their soups with more spice.

Tom Yom Talay – A coconut and tamarind flavored fish soup. The thickness in the coconut soup was amazing. For the first time, I preferred the fish rather than the chicken soup.

Pho Pia Kung – I am not a person who likes prawns. But I did try these spicy thai prawn rolls. They look tiny but taste good.

Ki Satae – Chicken satay with peanut sauce. Yes, I never thought this combination would go so well but it did. It’s amazing.

Khek pla – These fish cakes have a decent taste and you can try it with the dip provided. There’s nothing too good nor bad about this.

Main Course:

Chicken Thai curry with steam/jasmine rice – I ought to try the green curry always. So when I’m at the Thai festival, there’s no way I’m missing it. Here, the Thai curry is indeed amazing and I can recommend you to try this. Easily the best dish of the day.

Phat Thai Sho Wong : This one’s a combination of fried rice and noodles with prawns and vegetables. Well I’m not a prawns fan but the dish was decent. A bit of tangy feeling but I’m sure that can be dealt with.

Desserts:

Orange and kafir panacotta – The panacotta in general was good but took a bit of effort to have. Yes, there was a lot of taste but maybe an off day for them. Could get way better.

Tapioca start-fruit pudding : This one had tapioca pearls and starfruit puree which made this a dessert to try for sure. There’s a lot of sweetness here.

Mango and toasted coconut cheesecake : The best dessert of the day. This mango and coconut flavored cheesecake is worth fighting for. There’s flavor, there’s a lot of sweet and yes, please do try it.

Conclusion:

Overall, this food festival is worth trying and must not be missed. There’s still another week to go for this and I urge you to try this. It’s new and different from what we try usually.

 

Red Olives Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato