Restaurant Review: Cafe Zoe, Lower Parel, Mumbai

Hidden in the middle of Todi mills is this surprisingly huge French cafe. First impression, WOW. Seriously whoever designed the place definitely did a fantastic job. It's got a very classy touch of an old French cafe, it even has a book corner!!!

Moving on to the menu, totally impressive, I was blown away. Like I personally wanted to try every damn thing on the menu. On a more realistic note, we tried their Zoe's Tenderloin (cheese) burger with bacon (which was exactly how delicious they made it sound); Roast pork belly carbonara ( a must try as it's a different type of carbonara); Salmon Wellington (the best dish EVER! Generous portion of Salmon, WIN) and lastly the Tenderloin Bolognaise (this touched the spot).

Oh and we couldn't resist trying their desserts hence we went for their New York cheesecake (by far the best cheesecake I've had in the city) and the Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse which was not bad at all.

They have a very impressive Wine & Liquor list and the over all pricing of this place is above average (Mains avg between INR 300-500). But totally worth the value and quality your paying for.

Totally love this place. I plan to go there soon on a completely empty stomach and completely destroy my waistline.

The God of Food clearly looks after this place.

For more details visit http://www.zomato.com/mumbai/cafe-zoe-lower-parel

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Easy-Quick Breakfast of Champions

Honestly, I’m not a breakfast person. I have a quick cuppa chai before I zoom out of the door. However lately since I have been working out (That’s right) I tend to get hungry in the mornings, hence breakfast has been vital for the past month.

Besides my favorite scrambled eggs, here’s another quick, easy, filling and delicious thing I do for breakfast.

All you need is:-

• Cereal/Muesli (whichever you prefer or both)
• 1 tbsp Honey
• Skim Milk
• 1 banana (sliced)

So take your cereal bowl, fill it with cereal or muesli or both. Then chop up your sliced banana and drop them in the bowl.

Then take some honey and drizzle it over your cereal and banana. Lastly pour in some milk. Et Voila!

A Colombian friend used to make this for me every Sunday in university and it was so damn refreshing and delicious unlike a regular bowl of cereal. Go give it shot. I’m sure you won’t skip breakfast again.

Restaurant Review: The Daily, Bandra West

Brilliantly located is a mid-sized restaurant/bar that has a lovely ambiance of an old fashioned press house. I loved the outfits worn by the waiters who got their journalist look on with nerd glasses and suspenders just added to the touch. Once you’re inside you’ll see how they've framed ‘Positive’ real-life news and hung them all around the place. A very nice vibe, this is their first month so I am looking forward to more great news!

Food-wise we tried their Garlic bread with cheese & chicken on a stick for starters and Pasta of Love and Grilled Chicken with porcini sauce and chives mash for mains.

The food was good but they could do better. For some reason our food got cold rather fast hence we couldn't eat it towards the end.

We had a couple of drinks as well, didn't experiment much, and just went with some Gin & tonic and Sangria. However they have this really wicked concept of Molecular cocktails and the sight makes you feel you’re in a chemistry lab.

The experience was good however I think they are a wee bit over-priced on their menu. Again depends on what you order, that and also we were there really early and most places in Mumbai have this wonderful thing called ‘Happy Hours’. The Daily should probably consider having them too.

For more details on location, menu and other things visit: http://www.zomato.com/mumbai/the-daily-bandra-west

Overall Rating: 2.5/5

Note To Self: Need to start taking pictures.

Restaurant/Bar Review: IBAR, Bandra West

Before I begin, I have to thank my darling friend Maddy for bringing me to my new favourite bar in Mumbai. I can't express how much I love this place. I've been there almost every night of last week just because I loved it so much (and I was on a drinking spree :s)

Located in a small quite lane near Lilavati Hospital, IBar from the outside doesn't do any justice at all. It looks like a dark den and if I was walking along not knowing  about how AWESOME the inside was, I doubt I would have entered. However the inside has a completely different aura altogether (remember that old saying 'never judge a book by it's cover'). Well surprise, it is dark inside too, but the vibe is just brilliant. Initially the DJ starts with some soothing alternative/rock/retro music and then it picks up with some more moving tracks and tunes.

The menu is in an IPad. Fancy. Very smart and very convenient as you can place your order directly through the Ipad without having to wait to get the attention of the waiter which on a busy night could take hours.

We always go for their pitchers as it is very economical and their variety of pitchers is pretty awesome. They've got the obvious Beer pitcher, Mojito Pitcher, LIT Pitcher, Sangria Pitcher and a few more. They've also got crazy shakers, cocktails and killer shooters :)

They serve food as well which I honestly haven't tried yet as it has been my drinking den; but from the menu I can tell their variety in food choices is also quite brilliant! Oh and they have just introduced Sushi, so I'm undoubtedly going for it and will give my true review.

If your looking for a place to chill out and grab some drinks, IBar is the place. It's crazy on the weekends so I suggest you grab some friends and head out to their direction. Oh and for the IPL crazy fanatics, this place has a crazy buzz during the games, so go mental!

Overall rating: 3/5

For more information on the bar,food,directions visit http://www.zomato.com/mumbai/ibar-bandra-west
 

Restaurant Review: Facing East, Juhu

I think I've found my new favourite Asian food place. Facing East, located right next to Natural's in Juhu and Juhu Gymkhana is an Asian cuisine delight!

Once you enter, you have a choice to sit inside or outdoors (which is still very pleasant as they have ventilated the place very well) and the decor style is homey with archaic paintings and wall hangings making the entire restaurant seem very passé, which I love!

As it was only 2 of us and we were running a little late, we went straight for the mains and ordered their Thai Me Up (stir fried noodles with curry paste, bell peppers, basil and chicken) and a Roast Lamb to go with it.

I kid you not the service was exceptionally efficient. It took them 10 minutes or less to get our food out. I was extremely hungry hence I was easily very pleased.

The portion size for 2 (rather big eaters) was undeniably very good. We had to take a to-go bag, so you get the picture.

I really relished both dishes, it was a super combination together and it didn't feel too heavy or greasy like most Asian cuisine.

Without a doubt I will make another trip and try out more items from their heavily listed menu. I clearly am itching to go back and explore.

Overall Rating: 4 / 5

For more information on the Restaurant, Location and Menu you can visit http://www.zomato.com/mumbai/facing-east-juhu/menu#menutop
 

Product Review: TRESemmé Shampoo & Conditioner

I gave in to the hype. I tried the drugstore shampoo that claimed to have a 'Salon effect' and everything about the hype was pretty much on the dot.

Courtesy:TRESemmé

 

I tried the TRESemmé Climate Control/Climate Protection Shampoo and Conditioner hence the review would be on these 2 products.

 

For a person with fine/limp hair this is a heavy combo which actually works as an advantage as the heaviness weighs down your hair making it feel more voluminous. The combination is perfect, it does bring down the frizz due to heat/humidity/weather quite noticeably and it does feel salon like after a quick blow-dry. I am guessing that is because of the presence of Keratin and Olive oil in the shampoo and conditioner.

 

I've tried other drugstore Shampoos and conditioners however this one does seem to stand out in every way. The price is very reasonable for everyone to have a pair in their shower and for 'hair should always smell good' people like me, the scent is very refreshing, just like berries and spring.

 

Overall I am very pleased with both of the products and I can't wait to try out the styling range very soon :)

 

Overall Rating: 4.5/5