REVIEW: THE BIG FLIP BAR

Another new bar in Bandra and this time it serves great food!
The Big Flip Bar has opened next to Bonobo on Linking Road and is a spacious bar with a few tables for diners. We went here on a weekday and it was pretty empty. They were playing great music and screening the match as well.

We tried a lot of food and most of it was great but here is the stuff I would definitely recommend. The Rosemary Spiced Stuffed Mushroom which was cheesy and yummy, the Ajwaini Spiced Potato Skins, were one of my favourites, came with Yellow Cheddar and Ranch Dressing, the Peshawari Pasliyaan – Tandoori Lamb Chops, so succulent and delicious, loved them and the Teriyaki Chicken Meal Bowl that came with rice was full of flavour and a must try.

Most of the desserts were not available the day we went so we just tried the Belgian Chocolate Verrine, which was alright. The Thandai Mousse and Rum Cake sounded like a better bet but were unavailable. In the drinks, we tried the Bull Frog, super potent, came with Gin, Vodka, Rum, Tequila, Triple Sec and Red Bull. Not for the faint hearted 🙂

The service was friendly and prompt, so no complaints there. Overall, the place looks and feels great. Looking forward to going back there on a weekend!

Venue: The Big Flip Bar

Overall rating

Linking Road, Bandra West

Landmark: Above KFC

Phone: +91 8879015221

Follow:

Mumbai Candid at @chandnitolani @mumbaicandid on Instagram and The Big Flip Bar at @thebigflipbar

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid on Twitter

Review: MYXX

With the few Asian restaurant options that we have, we are always looking for new places to try out. We came across Myxx and even though it was a Tapas Bar, we decided to try it out for dinner.

Located in the by lanes of Juhu, opposite Harry’s, Myxx has two sections – outdoor and indoor. In the inside section they have high tables as well as regular tables, a bar that extends on one side of the restaurant and brick textured walls. There was music but thankfully it wasn’t too loud and we could have a decent conversation.

Their menu is quite extensive and has everything from Soups, Salads, Sushis, Baos, Dimsums, Small Plates, Tapas, Woks, Mains and Desserts. We ordered for the following: Burrata Cheese Salad which came with a lot of greens topped with a generous dollop of cheese. The Sundried Lotus Root was a delicious portion of Lotus Root tossed in a tangy cocktail sauce served on a bed of mashed potatoes, yummy! The Coriander Chicken and Pokchoy Dimsums were wrapped in steamed pokchoy and were extremely flavourful. The Bacon Wrapped Prawns, probably the only dish we didn’t enjoy as the Bacon was not cooked well, the prawns were fine though. We ended up peeling the bacon off and just eating the prawns. My favourite dish was the Steamed Baos. The baos were red in colour (beetroot infused) and the spicy shredded chicken filling was too good. Going to go back for this.

In the drinks, we ordered for a Mango Jalapeno Mojito – extremely potent but no flavour of mango, the Hot Todi – classic and perfect and a beer.

Overall, the food at Myxx tastes good, looks even better. The service is well informed and prompt and the interiors are decent. We’re definitely going back there to try out some more dishes!

Venue:  MYXX

Overall rating

A.B. Nair Road, Juhu

Landmark: Near Juhu Post Office

Phone: +9122 6695 5500

Follow:

Mumbai Candid at @chandnitolani @mumbaicandid on Instagram and MYXX at @myxx

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid on Twitter

Review: The Looney The Lover & The Poet

When restaurateurs get creative with the names of their restaurants, it’s quite commendable. When we first heard of The Looney The Lover and The Poet, we had mixed reactions. What an interesting name, but sad that it had replaced Thallasa.

Anyway, we made a reservation and headed there on a Wednesday evening. The restaurant was relatively full on a weekday. The ambiance was lovely, the outdoor section had dim ferry lights and creepers alongwith soft music. The service was extremely good, the servers were well informed, polite and friendly. They helped us with our order and suggested some great dishes. The menu here is very interesting, they have a range of healthy options as well as gluten free choices.

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We loved the food and here are some things that you must try when you’re here. The Afghani Ashak with Minced Lamb was epic. Literally melted in my mouth and one of the finest mince I’ve had. The Wavocado Toast – borodinsky bread toast with avocado, feta, sun dried tomatoes, pepitas, too yummy! The Khachapuri which is like a flatbread topped with artichoke, sunsried tomatoes, pinenuts, goat cheese, mushroom and onions. Another must try is their Dosa which comes with a curry like filling and is quite unique and flavourful.

For desserts, we tried the Almond and Nutella Babka French Toast with orange caramel, dark chocolate & coffee and orange ice cream. Again, something different, the flavours of the ice creams were great although I’m not a fan of bread in desserts.

Overall, we were extremely impressed with the food and service of this restaurant and it definitely calls for a repeat visit to try the other items on the menu! Keep up the good work guys.

Venue:  The Looney The Lover & The Poet

Overall rating

21st Road, Off Carter Road, Khar West

Landmark: Inside Hotel Shubhangan

Phone: +9198200 29933

Follow:

Mumbai Candid at @chandnitolani @mumbaicandid on Instagram and The Looney The Lover & The Poet at @thelooneyloverandpoet

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid on Twitter

Review: London Taxi, Lower Parel

With all the new places in Kamala Mills, London Taxi comes across as a pleasant surprise. We were here for lunch and must say, the food and presentation is quite impressive.

The interiors are colourful with a long bar on one end, high tables in the centre and comfortable seating on the other end. From the drinks, we called for the Dirty Truffle Martini and the Mimosa. The martini was extremely potent and not for the weak hearted and the Mimosa was a perfect lunch drink!

From the Soups, we absolutely loved the Truffle Scented Dark Chocolate and Cauliflower Soup. It was unusual but at the same time quite easy on the palate. The Watermelon and Feta Salad was next on our table and it came with olives, crotons, feta and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic reduction, refreshing and delicious.

From the mains, we’d totally recommend the Chicken Ramen – a tangy chicken broth with noodles, chicken and a whole lot of veggies and the Spicy Chicken Flatbread – Olives, Peppers and Chicken topped on a cheesy flat bread.

The highlight of our meal was the desserts!

Salted Dark Chocolate and Whiskey Mousse, the Mascarporne and Raspberry Sorbet, the Banana and Toffee Parfait, all were spectacular, in taste and presentation! Definitely going back here for the desserts.

Overall, if you’re looking to grab a great meal alongwith some potent drinks at Lower Parel, London Taxi is a great option.

Venue:  London Taxi

Kamala Mills, Lower Parel

Overall rating

Landmark: Near Farzi Cafe

Phone: +9177100 82222

Follow:

Mumbai Candid at @chandnitolani @mumbaicandid on Instagram and London Taxi at @atlondontaxi

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid on Twitter

Review: Sunday Brunch at KODE, Kamala Mills

If you’ve read about our previous experience at KODE, you’ll be aware that we are already fans of this wonderful restaurant.

Recently, we stopped by to try their newly introduced Sunday Brunches. With a specially curated menu and as well as a buffet spread, the Sunday Brunch at KODE is priced at Rs.1750 + taxes.

The buffet spread included a range of cold cuts, cheese, sushi, salads, mezze and soups. We started off with the salads, and mezze moving on to the sushi and soup.

There was a menu that had hot food coming to our table straight from the kitchen. From the menu we ordered for the Turkish Flatbread with Meatballs – quite an interesting twist to the regular flatbread, came in the shape of a boat. The Shrimp Crostini, Shrimp tossed in a mustard sauce served on toasted bread, Potato Bravas – this was more like baby potatoes tossed in a tomato based sauce. The Buffalo Wings with a Blue Cheese Dip and the Herb Roast Chicken with Rosemary Potatoes and Jus, both were impressive. Well cooked and flavourful, a delight for non vegetarians. The star dish of the afternoon was the Lamb Shank with Red Wine Au Jus – melted in our mouths and was extremely succulent, a must try.

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For drinks, we ordered theForgotten petal sour – Campari soap, with champagne foam, rose petals dipped in nitrogen, drink garnished with beetroot powder – absolutely loved the presentation. The Bird Eye, a vodka based drink, was served in a fish bowl and placed on a bird’s nest also looked spectacular. The drama that accompanied the drinks made it all worth it!

The dessert spread included Cheesecake, Creme Brule, Tiramisu, Chocolate Mud Pie, Chocolate Eclair, Blue Berry Yogurt and Caramel Ice Cream. While desserts are always great, are favourites were the Tiramisu and the Mud pie with Caramel Ice Cream.

Overall, if you’re planning to spend the weekend indulging in some good food, KODE should definitely be your pick!

Venue: Kode, Kamala Mills

Overall rating

Landmark: Near Smaaash, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel.

Phone: +91 7718882923
              +91 7718882924

Follow:

Kode at @just_kode on Instagram

Mumbai Candid at @chandnitolani @mumbaicandid on Instagram

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid on Twitter

 

Review: The Bandra Project by Pizza Express

Our undying and unconditional love for Pizza Express compelled us to try out the newest Bandra entrant, The Bandra Project. Went here for lunch and we were surprised to see it completely packed on a weekday afternoon!

After a wait for 15 minutes at the bar, and a pint of Bira down, we were finally escorted to a table. The ambiance is bright and happy and it’s quite a spacious place. The menu is very interesting and extensive as compared to Pizza Express. Since two out of three of us were  vegetarian, we decided to try the vegetarian fare and I must add that I didn’t miss the non vegetarian too much!

Rosemary and Mushroom Flatbread

Margherita Pizza

Spaghetti Aglio Olio

Cheesecake

We started our meal with the Rosemary Bread and Mushroom Dip. This was a flatbread accompanied with the most comforting Mushroom and Cheese dip, pickled olives and a small bowl of salad. Next we tried the Spaghetti Aglio Olio, not the best I’ve had but nothing to complaint about either. It was just fine. Coming to a sprig of Pizza Express and not trying the pizzas, not possible. So we called for the classic, Margherita Pizza. It was just as we expected it to be, delicious!

For desserts, we had the cheesecake. It was swiped off the table within a few seconds, needless to say it was sinful. We are waiting to go back there and try their non vegetarian fare.

The service was polite and helpful, since they were completely packed, it wasn’t as prompt, but we can excuse that this time.

Overall, this one is the feather in the cap of Bandra’s ever evolving food scene and you must try it out.

Venue:  The Bandra Project by Pizza Express, Bandra

Overall rating

Landmark: Below 145, Bandra

Phone: +91 22 6250 6800

Follow:

Mumbai Candid at @chandnitolani @mumbaicandid on Instagram

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid on Twitter

Review : KODE, Kamala Mills

Welcoming the newly opened KODE – Freestyle Bar and Kitchen, by restaurateur Zorawal Kalra, another one added to the list of awesome restaurants in Lower Parel. KODE offers a variety of cocktails and drinks presented in the most innovative and exquisite way. Not only that, it has the largest selections of whiskey in India. The food menu includes sushi, grills, pizzas and other European dishes. As we entered, we couldn’t stop admiring the bar and how spacious and well decorated the restaurant was. It looked perfect for a formal dinner or for a good meal with your friends.

To begin with, the Togarshi & Garlic Olives Chives Crème Fraiche is a dish perfect for the ones with a liking for bitter palate. The crème fraiche balances the bitterness of the olives making it pleasant to the taste buds.

Charred Chicken & Jalapeno Quesadillas Jerk sauce

Potato Gnocchi Roasted Pumpkin Crispy Sage & Parme

Seasonal Greens & Fungs Ramen Coconut Broth

Herb Crusted Scotch Eggsbaby Greens

Garlic & Pepper Lamb Chops potato Wasabi Cream

Togarshi & Garlic Olives Chives Crème Fraiche

Avocado Carpaccio

18 hours cooked Lamb Shanks Blue Cheese Truffles

We then tried The Old Fashioned Cocktail which is saturated with  Angostura bitters, a Sugar cube mixed with whiskey, garnished with an orange slice along with a Maraschino cherry.  The cocktail was served in a fancy metal like container giving a feel of its origination back to the 19^th Century. The B vs B cocktail is a perfect blend of Benedictine liqueur and Brandy. Served elegantly this one won us over!

The Old Fashioned Cocktail

Our next dish was Herb Crusted Scotch Eggsbaby Greens which was my personal favorite dish. Not only did the dish look so beautiful, it lived up to its taste expectations. One cannot visit KODE & not try out these scotch eggs. The  Avocado Carpaccio definitely worth a try for all you Avocado lovers out there. We then moved on to the Garlic & Pepper lamb Chops potato Wasabi Cream. The chops were well cooked and the combination of the lamb and wasabi cream was heavenly. Who doesn’t love a classic Mexican dish? Charred Chicken & Jalapeno Quesadillas Jerk sauce was a one of its kind. Seasonal Greens & Fungs Ramen Coconut Broth is a portion of noodles with fresh green vegetables adding sweetness using coconut broth. 18 hours cooked Lamb Shanks Blue Cheese Truffles was literally the best lamb we’ve ever eaten. Tender and juicy, the blue cheese truly was relishing.  Potato Gnocchi Roasted Pumpkin Crispy Sage & Parme was the best vegetarian dish. Soft and delicious, this was awesome.

Tiramisu

After such a hearty round of dishes, the desserts topped it all. Tiramisu was beautifully plated, soft, with the right amount of cocoa.

Overall, KODE lives up to the expectations of good food and a lovely atmosphere. Enjoy your meals in the best way, Dine-in today!

Venue: Kode, Kamala Mills

Overall rating

Landmark: Near Smaaash, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel.

Phone: +91 7718882923
              +91 7718882924

Follow:

Kode at @just_kode on Instagram

Mumbai Candid at @mumbaicandid on Instagram

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid on Twitter

Review: Oktoberfest at Q-Bar, VITS Hotel

Oktoberfest is much awaited every year as beers from around the world are available at the bars in the city and celebrated with much anticipation.

This year, we were excited to try the special Oktoberfest menu at Q-Bar, VITS Hotel. A limited menu with about 6 dishes and 2 desserts was crafted for the festival alongwith domestic and international beers and beer cocktails.

The decor was nice and vibrant with beer quotes and a complete festive feel to it. The music was a bit too loud for our liking, but then again, it’s a matter of perspective.

Without wasting too much time, we ordered for the Chicken Roll – Flattened Chicken Breast stuffed with chicken mince and spinach. Unfortunately, we were extremely disappointed with the dish as the Chicken was undercooked and inedible. The next, we tried the Chicken Schnitzel which was served with garlic lemon caper sauce and potatoes. The potatoes were delicious and the sauce was flavourful but the Chicken, again, was bland and unimpressive. Disappointed with the food, we thought we should move on to the beers.

A special mention to the bartender who was well informed and attended to us happily. He offered us a spicy beer cocktail which was really good! We loved the flavour and the fruity aftertaste was the cherry on the cake. Next, we tried a British Bourbon Flavoured Craft Beer called Brody’s Beer. This was again our server-bartender’s recommendation. With a hint of honey, this one is a must try for all you craft beer lovers!Overall, Q-Bar, needs to definitely work on the food as it failed to impress us but the drinks were fab and we might just give it another chance for that!

Venue: Q-Bar

Overall Rating

VITS Hotel, Marol, Andheri East

Landmark: International Airport Zone

Phone: 022 6151 7555

Follow:

VITS at @vitsmumbai on Instagram

Chandni at @chandnitolani and Mumbai Candid at @mumbaicandid on Instagram

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid on Twitter

Review: The Bombay Canteen

Call it popular, call it innovative or call it just the novelty factor, The Bombay Canteen has been open for a couple of weeks now but to get a reservation here is tougher than getting a rickshaw outside Andheri station.

Precisely why we decided to simply walk in on a Wednesday evening to try our luck, to find it completely empty. We were told that we could get a table only till 9 PM and we agreed to take it.

To start off with, let’s talk about the ambiance, bright, airy and soft music. A complete win. The music tends to get louder and the lights dimmer after 8 PM. The menu is quite limited and though the names sound great the food is simple and a fusion of traditional meets contemporary.

Desi Tacos

Desi Tacos

We started our meal with the Aloo Bravas with yoghurt, mustard, red chilli and nylon sev – tasty and definitely a good snack to go with a drink. Next on the table were the Desi Tacos – desi because the tortillas are replaced with theplas. The chicken ones were quite delicious because of the spicy chettinad flavour, the vegetarian ones were average.

Stuffed Grilled Chillies

Next, on the server’s recommendation, we ordered the Cheese Stuffed Grilled Chillies, this one was the biggest disappointment. Bland and tasteless, even the cheese couldn’t make it taste better.

The other quick bites we really enjoyed were the Sprouted Lentil Chaat and the Teekha Chicken Wings.

Drinks at The Bombay Canteen are the highlights. Be it the potent Desi Whiskey Sour or the non alcoholic TZ’s Elixir, we really enjoyed the drinks!

Overall, this ones definitely an add on to the numerous bars in Lower Parel with a limited food menu. A few good finger food options and a couple of drinks and it can be your go-to place for after work parties. Although we wouldn’t know how to deal with the week long waiting list for reservations!

PS: By 8.30 PM the place was packed and there were no empty tables.

Venue: The Bombay Canteen

Overall Rating

Kamala Mills, Lower Parel

Landmark: Near Radio Mirchi Office

Phone: 4966 6666

Follow:

The Bombay Canteen at @Bombay_Canteen

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid

Review: Hoppipola

There’s one more new bar in the city and this one is absolutely delightful!

Hoppipola translates to Jumping in Puddles and there’s also a song made after this phrase. A hidden gem, located in the by lanes of Khar, the location is probably its only con. Because other than that we loved everything about this place.

A huge indoor seating and a adequately big alfresco seating, white and blue interiors, chalk board tables, board games, beer games and amazing cocktails. What is not to love about this place?

Hoppipola is sure to bring out the child in you as it did in us! Try their cocktails, the Watermelon and Basil Caprioshka being our favourite! The food however could get better, some hits and some misses. The Margarita Pizza and the Chicken Skewers were good, all the other bar nibbles had a bit too much salt.

Overall, we have already made three trips to this place in two weeks, so goes without saying that it has made it to our list of favourites!

Venue: Hoppipola

Overall Rating

Off SV Road, Khar West

Landmark: Behind Ramee Guestline Hotel

Phone: 26487365

Follow:

Hoppipolla at @atHoppipolla

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid