Restaurant Review: Young Chilli

Location:29/30, Satra Plaza, Palm Beach Rd, Sector 19D, Vashi, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra 400703

This restaurant is among the beehive restaurants in Satra plaza. Our visit here was completely unplanned. It was during the days of world cup when Dineout app credited wallet balance for correct win prediction. I had to utilize the amount I won before it got expired. This was one of the restaurants I had not been to and discount was available on dineout app. Hence, this visit and it was worth it.

It is located in Satra Plaza on the ground floor as soon as u enter the main complex. The decoration is modern and perfect lighting and colour co-ordination. The sitting area is quite spacious with sofa as well as chair arrangement. There is bar section which is beautifully decorated using wine barrels.

For drinks, we had beer on 1+1 offer and a coke. We though to binge only on starters and to skip the main course. For starters, we ordered Grilled Chicken Olive and Drums of heaven in Java style. Drums of heaven were literally like drumsticks from heaven with perfect sweet, spicy, tangy flavor. They were tossed in Thai herbs which enhanced the overall taste. Grilled chicken Olive was rolled chicken stuffed with cheese and Olives. It was something new for my palate. I like olives, cheese and chicken, so the combination went well. The chicken was tossed in a barbeque sauce that gave it slightly sweet taste.

Grilled Chicken Olive

Drums of Heaven Java style

We were almost full by the end of two starters. Next came, Peppery Fish sizzler. We didn’t enjoy the sizzler entirely. It was way too peppery. The mashed potato was as usual great with a slight hint of cheese. Basa fish was cooked in garlic and pepper. The fish was average.

Peppery Fish Sizzler

Overall, the visit was worth it considering the money I paid for.

Food: 3.5/5

Service: 5/5

Ambiance: 5/5

Book Review: Siddhartha

Title: Siddhartha

Author: Hermann Hesse

I picked this book as it is one of the famous to be read books. It’s written by Hermann Hesse depicting a man named Siddhartha during the time of Gautam Buddha. It’s very simple and short to read. The book was originally written in German.

It describes spiritual journey of a man who goes through various phases in life. He fights with his father to get what he wants. He takes various cumbersome paths to attain enlightenment. He forgets his life purpose when he sees material wealth. Then, eventually, he comes back to his initial stage. The best was the plot twist at the end that teaches him the most important thing in life.

A very different story narrated beautifully.

About the Author:

Hermann Hesse was a German poet, novelist and painter. He received Nobel prize in Literature in 1946. All his books delve into spirituality and self-knowledge.

Book Review: If You Could See me now

Title: If You Could See Me Now

Author: Cecelia Ahern

Yet another novel by Cecelia Ahern that left me thinking how does she gets these out of the box concepts. This story is of imaginary friend. It’s really intriguing to read. The reader constantly wants to know how it ends.

Many a times, kids make up with some random name and comes up with a funny theory about existence of that person. They also go about talking to that person and telling their stories. The older people always dismiss such stories. Mostly, adults are so engrossed in their mundane tasks that they forget they are supposed to live and enjoy the life. They mostly function on auto-pilot.

This books shows exactly why not to do that. One should not live with prejudices. One should take risks in life. One should not keep pondering about past and think how to change the future for betterment. One should not worry about every minor thing. One should live life to the fullest.

This is a lovely read with the perfect mix of humor, romance, suspense. Waiting for my next by Ahern.

About the Author:
Cecelia Ahern is an Irish novelist from Dublin. She published her first novel 'PS I Love You' at a young age of 23. Till date, she has published about 16 novels two of which have been adapted as movies.

Book Review: See Me

Restaurant Review: Big Burp Deli

Location: Shop No. 7, Manek Complex, Sector 29, Vashi Road, Vashi, Navi Mumbai

One day after dropping off baby to daycare, I wanted to grab a bite as I was super hungry. Wondering through sector 29, I came across Big burp Deli and hopped in after making sure they serve non veg.

The cafe looks welcoming from the outside. It's a cute little place with minimal decor. Another thing to grab my attention was a wall shelf dedicated to books which one can pick while sipping a hot cup of coffee. The menu is vast; ranging from sandwich, burger, fried chicken, toast to tea, coffee, shakes and various desserts. They also let you make your own burger with the choice of sauce, patty and other add-ons. 

I ordered for a cold coffee and fried chicken sandwich. Such a satisfying combination. The coffee had a creamy layer of froth and most important, sugar was just right. But the sandwich was a what blew my mind. It was lip-smackingly delicious and super filling. The soft bread had fried chicken filling with chili mayo and jalapenos. It was by far one of the best sandwiches I had. The chicken was tender and when combined with mayo, it always enhances the entire flavor.

Fried Chicken Sandwich

Cold Coffee

The service was quick and even on a weekday afternoon, all the tables were full. The price was about average but the best part was the taste of food. 

Food: 5/5

Service: 5/5

Ambiance: 5/5

Restaurant Review: Mukkam Post Malwan

Shop No.15, Opp. Bank of India, Juhu Nagar, Sector 15, Vashi, Navi Mumbai

Mukkam Post Malwan had been on my mind since I came across reviews claiming it to be one of the best places to have fish in Vashi. The Goan in me went for a lunch here the first chance it got. It was a Saturday leave from work to get household chores finished. Dropped baby off to daycare and headed to this tiny restaurant located amidst the garment stores in Vashi market.

From the outside, one cannot gauge that it is a family restaurant. But, once inside, you get a different feeling. The seating arrangement is quite limited with about seven 4-seater tables. We reached the place at around 2.30 and to my surprise, all the tables were occupied except two. Beautiful paintings depicting the beauty of Konkan region adorn the walls.

Pomfret fry

The order taker informed us that the fish available were prawns, pomfret, kingfish and mackerel. So, we ordered pomfret thali and kingfish thali along with fried prawns. My usual companion of seafood i.e. fresh lime soda was also present. Thali comprised of rice bhakri, a good piece of fish, dried prawns kismoor or sukat as we call it in Maharashtra, solkadi, fish curry and rice. Pomfret thali had an entire medium sized pomfret. The fried fish was delicious properly coated with masala. The fish curry lacked the taste. The curry had a piece of mackerel which was good. The solkadi had perfect pink color and tangy taste. The sukat was very simple and delicious. Fried prawns was the best part of the lunch. They were perfectly marinated in masala and crisply fried.

Pomfret Thali

Kingfish Thali

    

Prawns Fry

Overall, the fish was very tasty and fresh. But, the curry needs to be  worked on. The service was quick. Another best part is that this restaurant is light on the pocket.

Sure to visit again when there is fish craving.

Food: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Restaurant Review: Edward's Yard

Location: PAP Road, Dando Wado, Pilar Goa

I had been hearing about this hidden gem since long but never chanced upon going here. So, made a special plan to visit Edward's Yard. The best part about this restaurant is that it's a garden restaurant surrounded by lush greenery and pet animals. Secondly, it's a seafood place.

The grand entrance

It was a Sunday afternoon and the place was super crowded. To reach here, one has to follow Google maps since it is located on the innner lanes.

The entrance is like a fairy tale.. There is a swing and a wonderful set of doors which transports one to a different world. The walkway till the restaurant has various beautiful trees adorned with flowers as well as fruits. One can even spot rabbits and other animals along with some caged birds.

The seating area is quite spacious and divided in 3 separate segments. There is also a separate private setup like a treehouse which is amazing. There is an artificial waterfall nearby where soft melodies are being played. I was bowled over by the entire setup.

Beer

Lime Soda

Now coming to food, I was bowled over yet again. The food was awesome and quantity very much sufficient. For drinks, we had lime soda and beer. (How can one not have beer with seafood??)

Mussels Rawa Fry

As usual, the first I do at any seafood restaurant is ask for mussels and I did the same here. Voila... They had mussels.. and they were so delicious, crunchy, soft and surprisingly big. Next was chicken clear soup for the baby girl which was perfect. There were small chicken pieces and some veggies in it. The flavour was overall mild the way I had asked. Then came crab butter garlic and it was time to get our hands dirty. Me and hubby attacked the crabs not bothering about the hands but my mom and baby happily ate crab after I gave them the cleaned piece. Now about the crab, the butter garlic marinated the crab so well and enhanced the overall taste. There was slight taste of ground pepper.

Chicken Clear Soup

Crab Butter Garlic

We also had masala fried chonak. It was very well marinated and cooked in red masala.. but the fish did not seem very fresh. Next was dry fry chicken. It was nicely prepared with cubes of bell peppers and spring onion. It was a perfect dry dish not much spicy but flavourful.

Chonak Masala Fry

Chicken Dry Fry

For main course, we had steamed rice and thought to try Sri Lankan prawns curry. It was something different and tasty too but did not appeal to my palate. It was coconut curry but had some different flavour than the one we are used to. The prawns in the curry were yummy though.

Sri Lankan Prawns Curry

By the time, we were finished, there was no place left for desserts.

Everything that we had here was absolutely delicious. The service was quick and the servers helpful. The place is very well done and maintained.

So, obviously this place deserves a 5/5, and also brownie points for the ambiance.

Food: 5/5

Ambiance: 5/5

Service: 5/5

Restaurant Review: Rajmanya

Location: BSEL Tech Park, Opp Vashi Railway Station, Vashi

Rajmanya is a newly opened restaurant near Vashi railway station and within a short span of time, it has become a top rated restaurant in Vashi. We visited here for our wedding anniversary celebration and found out why.

Thali comprised of Chicken Lapeta, Surmai Curry,
Rawas rawa fry and Rice Bbakari

This restaurant is located right opposite Vashi railway station in a very buzzing area. But, inside it's like a different world altogether. The dining area is decorated with the names of all the Maharashtrian cuisines that are offered here. The staff are dressed in typical Maharashtrian attire complete with a topi.

When we came here, we had to wait as the restaurant was full on a Wednesday afternoon at around 2 pm. So one can imagine how crowded it would get during peak hours.

Chicken Lapeta

Coming to food, we had a complete and fulfilling meal. Chicken lapeta was a medium gravy chicken dish infused with various spices giving it a lovely flavor. Rice bhakari was perfect to go with it; soft and thin.

This was followed by konkani surmai (kingfish) curry and steamed rice. This was by far the best fish curry I have tasted in Mumbai. There were three big pieces of fish in the curry and they tasted so well. We also had rava fried ravas. The marination was nicely done. The fish fry was crispy from outside and juicy on the inside. Both the fish were fresh and tender.

We ended our meal with delicious tangy and spicy solkadi.

Surmai Curry

Rawas Rawa fry

Best part about this restaurant is their food preparation. It's authentic and made to perfection. Loved the attitude of their staff very friendly. They were actually playing with my baby so that we could eat.

Last and most important thing.. the food is very very reasonably priced.

Superb experience. Hats off!!

Food: 5/5

Service: 5/5

Ambiance: 5/5

Restaurant Review: Rooster Town

Location: Caculo Enclave, Opp PWD office, St. Inez, Panaji

This is a new venture in St. Inez near Caculo mall. It's spread across a huge space and divided into 2 sections... One is snack galli which serves vegetarian and other is rooster town which is all about chicken. That was reason enough to pay a visit.

We ordered 2 burgers crunchy burger and grill-o-burger. The best part was their size. The burgers were big and delicious.

We also ordered crispy chicken and it was a disappointment compared to the burgers... The quantity was very less.

Overall the restaurant is average.

Food: 3/5

Service: 4/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Restaurant Review: Ibaco

Location: DB Bandodkar Road, Campal, Panaji

An ice cream parlour with a twist. Here ice creams are sold based on their weight... Went there just to see what the fuss was all about. This parlour is located on DB road at Campal.

There are two levels with upstairs seating. The lower level has a huge spread of ice cream flavours and toppings. You can choose anything to fill your bowl... The final product is weighed and charged accordingly.

They also have ice cream cakes and assorted chocolates.

Heaven for ice cream lovers...

Food: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Restaurant Review: Black Vanilla Cafe

Location: Ground floor, Landscape Excelsior bldg, Opp Kala Academy, DB Road, Campal Panaji.

I had been seeing this place for quite some time now but could not get around to go. At first thought, when you look from outside, you seem to be little unsure what the place has to offer. But believe me, it's a wonderful place. It's a cozy nook for peace (+books+ food ) lovers like me.

One of the evenings when I was alone and wanted to grab a bite, I thought of checking this place out. It is located on the DB Road opposite last gate of kala Academy near Crossword Book Shop.

This cafe gives a feel that it is just picked from somewhere in US and placed here. They offer burgers, sandwich, pizza, crepe, salads, coffee, milkshakes and other beverages. I ordered a Pulled chicken sandwich and peach apricot iced tea.

Tree of books

The cafe has two levels. The lower level has the counter and 2 single seater stools with tables while upstairs there are about 6 tables with chairs. When I went upstairs, I could just say woww... What caught my attention was a bookshelf designed like a tree and few of bestsellers peeking out at me.

The food took me by surprise. It was an open sandwich with a dome of Shredded chicken mixed with barbecue sauce and some lettuce. And it was to say the least, MIND BLOWING. It tasted wonderful and was filling. The iced tea went well with the sandwich. It came in a mason jar and was super refreshing. 

Pulled chicken sandwich

Peach apricot iced tea

 Loved everything about this beautiful cafe. Waiting to visit again.

Food: 5/5

Service: 5/5

Ambiance: 5/5