Desserts

Very nice place to visit. Also has valet parking, you will generally need it on weekends when long queues are inevitable too.

All the veggies are nice. I was also recommended non-veg dishes by friends. The Dal Sigree is awesome. Combine that with one of the biryanees and you are setup for a sumptious dinner. There is a particular starter made of Bhindee (Lady's Fingers) that is so good that it makes you wonder whether you are really eating Bhindee ! Good desserts too.

On weekdays, there is the sit-down buffet available for lunch, for about Rs. 300.

Overall, its a bit pricey but worth it. Don't go there if you are looking for a 'light meal'. Enjoy !

Ivy is a restaurant/banquet hall establishment to the right of the Shoppers stop in ghatkopar

The ambience is nice, kinda like the quadrangle inside an old indian home. the lighting wasn't quite right though, too bright or too dim in different pockets.

The food was interesting, they have separate veg/non-veg menus. There is a wide choice of starters and main courses for seafood/chicken/lamb (we didnt pick the veg menu)

The kerala prawns were nice, prawns lightly sauted in curry leaves and lightly crushed white peppers. So the flavour starts with the prawn and the curry leaves, and with fresh peppery finish.

We ordered a chicken starter, was supposed to be fiery hot. it wasn't great. the meat was a little stringy, and the masalas were too general.

also tried a khabuni chicken, described as a 'kashmiri dish with yellow paste with apricot' was more orange, and didnt find an apricot. come to think of it, there is a parsi version of this which tastes much better.

the joy however was the dessert offering. everything on the tray looked appetizing, the mouse, the berry cheesecake. all portions were big, and we picked the mango cheesecake. turned out great. The cheesecake itself was light, not too heavy, and not grainy at all. it had some diced mango tossed in, as well as a stewed mango topping. and a chocolate crust instead of toasted breading.

service was good, and large menu, with lots more on offer. worth a shot.

Indigo Deli is an off shoot of the famous Indigo which is a short walk away. This is a bit more toned down less experimentive but still excellent restaurant.

Its created to be like a New York Deli and it works quite well. Equal parts casual, comfortable yet stylish.

The menu is extensive and you can choose from breakfast items Eggs,Waffles, Pancakes (150-250)Soup (200) Salads (200-250) to Pasta to Pizza.

I would highly reommend just about everything on the menu, the pasta is spectacular especially the spagetti as are the pancakes. The salads come with a balsamic vinegariette dressing which really magnifies the taste. The pizza is highly likeable but i personally dont like it very much, its almost papad like.

Drinks are just general, nothing too dramatic or new though i think 100bucks for fresh orange juice is criminal.

The desserts are varied, tiramisu, cheesecake, mousse, all excellent.

Overall, i have been here multiple times and i think the food is excellent, the menu is extensive and eclectic enough to have something for everone.

The service can be quite wanting sometimes as they can be painfully slow sometimes. Seating can also be difficult even at 4pm on a weekday. However the waitstaff is courteous and accomodating if you are nice as well.

Pricing is on the high side (not 5 star coffee shop high) i would reckon a meal for 2 without alcohol to be between 600-800.

Describe the place. As long as you want. Include some food/drink tips, what not to miss, what to avoid, etc.

A rating based on one visit might be misleading - try and keep things fact-based. Remember, we are a hitchhiker's guide to eating and drinking.

I can never forget the bowl of “green chilli ice cream” I relished one winter evening on Marine Drive and the zestful taste still lingers on my tongue. Never before had I enjoyed eating ice cream so much. It was indeed a unique gustatory experience. Let me tell you about it.

I love ice cream. One morning a friend of mine told me that there is a place opposite the Mumbai Chowpatty Sea Face that serves “green chilli” ice cream. I didn’t believe him. I have savored myriad flavours of ice cream but “green chilli ice cream” seemed a bit far fetched. On questioning, my friend confessed that he had only heard about it, not eaten it himself.

The very concept of green chilli ice cream whetted my curiosity so much that at sunset I was standing in front of Bachelorr’s (that’s the spelling on the menu card) Ice Cream and Juice Stall, my appetite fully stimulated by a long brisk walk.

It was there on the menu card – Green Chilli Ice Cream. I ordered it and walked with the bowl to a lonely bench nearby to enjoy the eating experience in glorious solitude.

The ice cream looks a creamy pink (not chilli green as I had expected it to be). I close my eyes and smell the ice cream – a nice sweet milky fragrance, a bit fruity; certainly no trace of the piquant penetrating sting of chillies. I spoon a bit on my tongue. My taste buds are smothered by a sweet mellifluous sensation as the cold creamy ice cream starts melting on my tongue. I am disappointed, feel conned – it seems it was just hype. This is run of the mill stuff. Or is it? Wait a moment. As the ice cream melts away I suddenly feel a sharp piercing fiery taste that sizzles my tongue, stings through my nose and penetrates my brain. My tongue is on fire and, like instant firefighting, I instinctively spoon a blob of ice cream onto my tongue. The cool ice cream quenches my burning tongue with its almost ambrosial taste but the moment it melts away I am zipped like a rocket with the sharp punch of the green chillies.

So that was the art of eating green chilli ice cream. Hot and cold. Burn and quench. Sting and soothe. Contrasting sensations. Like alternating current. Sharp tangy kicks burning through the cool syrupy sweetness till your system is fully perked up. And a trace of the biting flavour of the green chilli remains within me for a long long time as I walk away.

Green chilli ice cream doesn’t satiate – it excites, gives you a “kick”, zests you up. Try it. And let me know if you liked it.

VIKRAM KARVE

vikramkarve@sify.com

http://vikramkarve.sify.com

This is a little boutique and chocolate lounge, and quite a dangerous place for a chocaholic! They have some amazing chocolate confections on offer: like chocolates flavoured with Earl Grey tea, or saffron, or decorated with a spray of gold. The hot chocolate is simply slurpilicious. Cookies are ok. Best of all, they actively encourage you to taste the wares. Hampers are beautifully packed, and there are loads of books on chocolate that you can browse through while sipping your espresso. Chocolates are about AED180 per kg. Great quality!

Badshah in main Crawford Market junction has been around for ages. They have great deserts, especially Faloodas, Milkshakes, Sherbets, and Juices. It is also a snack-joint and restaurant but that is nothing special.

Badshah has been an institution for Falooda in Bombay. Fresh juices and sherbets are very good too and all very cheap. Royal Falooda and Kulfi Falooda are great - some old timers will have noted a slight decline over the years - but it still rocks. It is open till about midnight and beyond.

On University Road, Esquare is quite significant. It sort of screems at you " hey guys, look I am here". The Invitation is not very much those kinds. It is a very insignificant with no neon board or large sign boards. I would expect you to miss it, the first time. It is bang on the turning of the road that goes to SIMS or range hill.

Even when you spot the small, insignificant signboard, you would feel that the restaurant is closed or something. It is not, just walk in. It's a garden with just 1 room which acts as a kitchen. The garden is very dimly lit. Infact the tables are arranged quite far from each other under trees and you have just one low wattage bulb and a shade hanging from the tree. The whole ambience is very romantic, and I think thats the business plan because they take their own sweet time to prepare the order. The whole idea, I think, is to take some time out with your loved ones in a very peaceful ambience and enjoy some good food.

As for the food, I would say DO NOT order anything other than wanton soup, steamed rice and caramel pudding. You get Indian tandoori food too, but not that good. Steamed rice is particularly good, its boiled rice with large chunks of veggies n chicken in white sauce. It may seem lil bland at first, but thats the taste! some soya sauce might help.

You have a nice end to your experience too as the bill is not too heavy and if you closely notice, the owner writes on every bill "Thankyou, Please do come again". He sort of ends it with an invitation :)

Cafe Mocambo is now apparently run by Cafe Churchill people. This is unconfirmed.

Nontheless they have very good Continental and Parsi food. The lamb and steak are especially nice. The lasagna is too cheesy. The bar is decent. Parsi stuff is good. There are two levels of seating. They have the standard fridge displaying yummy deserts. Would like to see the cake slices become larger. Many phirangs usually hang out here.

Cafe Churchill has long been an institution for continental food in Bombay. It has survived multiple rumours of management changes, shutting down, diversification, etc. It still stands strong.

They have very good continental food. Period. Goulash, Stews, Pasta. All very good. Priced reasonably at 125-175.

Excellent deserts. Everyone is however cribbing about the rapidly and continuously diminishing cake slices.