An Unforgettable Feast

When I came to Navi Mumbai 13 years ago, I couldn’t help feeling lost. Leaving Bengaluru wasn’t easy. It meant leaving close family members, friends, a huge spacious home, wonderful weather, and last but not the least, my favorite restaurants.

When I came here, I had hoped this city would embrace me and make me feel at home. Back then in 2006, Navi Mumbai was in the process of growing and didn’t have many places to dine out. There were a few restaurants that we frequented but being foodies, we decided to explore more; so Mumbai was the obvious destination.

Navigating through the streets of this big city in search of gastronomical delights, we soon realized that the city has so much to offer in terms of cuisines from different regions. But again, it depends on the mood as to what one would want to eat on a particular day. Like chaat, the city’s all-time favorite street food. I got so hooked I was gorging on it every week without a care in the world. I just couldn’t get enough of it.

Food

April 29, 2017

Restaurant Review: Jus T Café is the Perfect Place for Some Casual Dining

An unplanned dinner with a friend led me to Jus T café, an amazing place that ticked all the right marks when it comes to visiting again. It was already late in terms of dinner time and we wanted to grab a quick dinner before we parted. Hence, we decided to search for places in and around Edapally so as to not waste time travelling. We zeroed in on a couple of places but finally decided to try this wonderful restaurant since it came with high recommendations from my friend.

Located inside Oberon Mall on the 4^th floor, it is not difficult to find the place at all. As we walked in, I couldn’t help but notice the warm, welcoming ambience and the friendly attitude of the staff. The place wasn’t crowded and hence we got to choose our seating. The interiors are done tastefully with attention to details and I loved how the dim lighting just lifted the whole ambience.

A few minutes after we were settled comfortably in our seats, we were given the menu. The menu here was a pleasant change from the usual, with a lot of variety dishes that you rarely see elsewhere. I loved scouting through their menu that I sat more than a few minutes just reading through it and understanding each dish that they offered. There were some amazing grills and starters in the menu and their tea range is quite noteworthy.

Entertainment, Food

By Atheetha Raghuchandran

April 22, 2017

Restaurant Review: The Asian Kitchen is a Great Choice for Authentic Asian Flavours

Couple of weeks ago, it was my husband’s birthday and I was looking for a great place to take him out for a quiet dinner. I was looking for a new type of cuisine as we both are fond of trying out new flavours. And when Asian Kitchen popped as an option on Zomato, I thought, why not. I didn’t think there was any need for reservations as it was a weekday night. So we sauntered in casually by 9 for a laid back dinner. I was impressed by the word go and so was the birthday boy! Located at the Cochin Club near Parade Grounds, the place is truly a hidden gem.

The colonial inspired place decorated with pretty lanterns is perfect for a date night with your special someone. The ambience and music puts you in the mood for some really sumptuous Asian fare. The place was almost empty except for a two other tables that were occupied. Which was a shame as the food was simply superb! So, it almost felt as though we had the place all to ourselves, which is also thanks to the knowledgeable, attentive, staff.

We started with a Japanese soya paste soup or miso soup and an assorted platter of dim sums. Now, while miso makes for a great base for a broth, the dried fish is an acquired taste, especially if you are like me and don’t prefer dry fish- the flavour and saltiness is a tad too strong for me! My husband surprisingly enjoyed it- surprising is the term here, since he usually doesn’t favour seafood.

Entertainment, Food

By Sumitra Nair

April 15, 2017

Restaurant Review: Head to Café TVM for Some Sumptuous Naadan-Fusion Fare

We were roaming around the city late in the night wondering where to go for dinner, when suddenly we realised we haven’t been to one of the much hyped places in the city recently. Café TVM, located in Vazhuthacaud, has been the talk of the town for a while now and the moment the name popped up we knew where we were going to have our dinner that night.

While the restaurant is in the basement, the part of the building, facing the road, serves as their take away counter. As we walked down the stairs, the place felt quite welcoming.

I loved the cheery, orange walls and the framed pictures of Trivandrum landmarks that adorned each table. Since it was quite late in the night, the place wasn’t quite crowded and we made ourselves comfortable in one of the corner seats. As we sat waiting for someone to assist us with placing the order, we drooled over all the lovely items listed in the menu, confused about what to order. Although the place was empty, it took a while for the staff to come over to our table to take the order. Sadly, though, half the dishes that we asked for weren’t available – The Vazhakkappam with beef, God’s Own Chicken Fry and even Pathiri. Finally, after much dilly-dallying with the menu, we placed our order for a Veg Kothu Parotta, chicken Kothu Parotta, Parottas, Chilli Chicken and Schezwan Noodles. A few minutes into placing the order, we were told that the Kothu Parotta and Parotta too isn’t available – a moment when we almost thought we should maybe come back to this place some other time and have dinner elsewhere that night. However, finally we were told that we could be served our order including the Kothu Parotta and Parottas.

All the dishes came within a reasonable time period and we started greedily digging into the dishes. Considering the disappointing start we had, we had a wonderful time tasting all the dishes that we ordered. The Parottas were flaky and layered well and it perfectly paired up with the saucy, spicy, Chilli Chicken. We sat there having countless parottas and fighting for the last piece and it was indeed worth the wait. The Schezwan Noodles too were commendable. I loved that it was not too oily as compared to many other places and the heat was well balanced too. The portion size is reasonable and can be shared well between 2-3 people. What stood out to me, though, was the Kothu Parottas. I may be a bit biased here, since I am an ardent fan of Kothu Parottas, but I must say, these were amazing. Perfectly shredded and mixed well with the chicken, the Kothu Parotta was definitely the star of the day. I loved how they had the veg version of the usual chicken Kothu Parotta and I am happy that the Veg Kothu Parotta was not a let down as compared to its chicken counter part. Rather, it was at par with the chicken Kothu Parotta in terms of taste and balance of flavours.

Entertainment, Food

By Atheetha Raghuchandran

April 8, 2017

Restaurant Review: Head to the Chocolate Room for Some Sinful Pampering of your Tastebuds

A sweet-craving post lunch led my friend and me to try out The Chocolate Room. Located inside Lulu Mall at the second floor, it wasn’t difficult for us to reach there neither did we have any difficulty to find it. Tucked in one silent corner of the second floor, slightly bigger than a hole in the wall and with the smell of cocoa wafting in the air, I fell in love with how this small café looked and felt.

We couldn’t contain our excitement as we walked into this tiny café, dreaming and talking about the delicacies that we would order. Once there, and having gone through the menu, we were confused as to what to order – we wanted them all! Finally, we settled for a Ferrero Rocher shake, Death by Chocolate Pancake, Tandoori Paneer Sandwich and Tandoori Chicken Sandwich. We decided to wait for the order at the open bench outside the café, in the alley. We sat talking and playing with the kids, and before we knew, we had the Ferrero Rocher shake on the table. One sip each and all of us were fighting for the drink. It was rich yet refreshing, chocolaty and the subtle taste of Ferrero Rocher in the shake took the taste a notch higher. In contrast to many other places where shakes tend to taste too syrupy and artificial, this was a pleasant change. As we sat relishing the shake, the Death by Chocolate pancake was served. We were eagerly looking forward to it and the wait didn’t disappoint us. It was quite appealing and we dug in straight away without even waiting to get a proper photo of the dish. Layers of hot chocolate pancake drizzled with chocolate syrup and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream – need I say more? I loved how the heat from the warm buttery pancake blended beautifully with the cold ice cream in the mouth. You really can’t stop at one spoon! The pancake was cooked at the right thickness and it perfectly nailed the chocolate part – neither too minimal nor too overpowered with bitterness. This was one of the best pancake dishes that I’ve ever had and I can go on and on about how utterly delicious it was.

We also ordered two sandwiches to cut the sweetness from all the cocoa – a tandoori paneer sandwich and a tandoori chicken sandwich. These sandwiches were indeed a refreshing break from all the chocolate goodness. Grilled to perfection and stuffed generously with the filling, which I must say, were flavourful and spiced well, the sandwiches were up to the mark. Yet, amongst all the chocolate goodness it failed to create a mark of its own. The shake, and especially the pancakes were a level apart with the perfect blend of taste and creativity, that the sandwiches got side-lined.

Entertainment, Food

By Atheetha Raghuchandran

April 1, 2017

EAT Group by Foodies to Bring Together Culinary Experiences

Birds of the same feather flock together, goes the saying. And that’s exactly the reason why the EAT group on Facebook has become a huge hit among the foodie crowd in Trivandrum. Started by Arvind Soju, an IT professional working in Pune, for the love of food and inspired by the ‘Pune Eat Outs’ food group on Facebook, the Eat At Trivandrum, more popularly known as EAT, group has been the most sought after group among the food lovers in Trivandrum in the last one year. Conceptualized and started in the October of 2015, the idea of EAT, as per Arvind, was to have something good for the food lovers in Trivandrum, that would have a positive impact both on the customers and the restaurants.

The initial members of the group were Arvind’s friends who then added their food enthusiast friends, and now, this foodie group stands in a position where there is no looking back. It took almost a year to gain momentum, a year of patiently waiting to see the group would flourish, where it took so much effort on Arvind’s part to keep the group going by posting about food and restaurants in Trivandrum, pointers on what he expected from the group and likewise. Now, at 33,000 members and counting, the group receives around 400-500 requests a day and the group has definitely had an impact on the food scene in Trivandrum, especially the relation between the restaurants and the customers, that has improved drastically, with the restaurants being more open to positive feedback and eager to improvise based on the customer feedback, and the Trivandrum crowd being equally enthusiastic about the food and restaurant options. The main protocol while screening requests, is to accept requests only from people who are associated with Trivandrum, adds Aslam, one of the moderators.

As the group expanded, Arvind, through the group, came across three likeminded people – Vinay, Aslam and Anjana – who shared his same passion for food, who, currently, along with him, works as the moderators for the group. Between them, they work relentlessly to ensure that the group is free from spam by making sure that every post gets their attention and if a post is against the group’s policies or is offensive in nature, then the particular member would be messaged to modify the post, failing which it will be deleted. There are also certain unwritten guidelines, ones that have evolved through continuous support of the patrons, that are followed to keep up the spirit of the group, mentions Vinay.

Entertainment, Food

By Atheetha Raghuchandran

March 25, 2017

Restaurant Review: Visit Brindhavan Restaurant for an Enviable Vegetarian Spread

There are a handful of vegetarian restaurants in Cochin but finding one that leaves you happy and wanting to go back soon is hard to find. Yet, I found one – the Brindhavan Vegetarian Restaurant, located in Palarivattom.

Everything about the place was near to perfect, right from the beginning to the end. We walked in on a weekday night and much to our surprise the place was full. However, within minutes, we were directed to a table and given the menu card.

The menu looked very appealing with South Indian, North Indian and Chinese options. Apart from this, they also had the day’s special, three different dishes each day, which itself was tempting if not for the rest of the menu. We were spoilt with choice leaving us confused on what to order. Finally, after going through the menu a couple of times, we ordered for a plate of Vada, Ghee Roast, Wheat Idiyappam and Vegetable Stew, Five Taste Oothappam, and Mushroom Upma, the last two being the day’s special. I was excited to try the Mushroom Upma and was eagerly looking forward to it when we were told that the Mushroom Upma was not available, much to my disappointment, leaving me with no choice but to go through the menu again before settling for the Puttu Set.

Food

By Atheetha Raghuchandran

March 24, 2017

Meet Neena Thomas who loves to Trek, Recycle Sarees and make Quilts at the age of 67

She greeted me with a most infectious and energetic smile. No sooner had I stepped into her humble dwelling, than she began telling me stories that weren’t only old but mesmerising as well. “How about some lunch before we begin our chat session,” she said in a most pleasing manner. Indeed, it was tough to refuse and thankfully I did not do so. As I walked around the house, I noticed a few wall-hangings that reminded me those that I had seen at an exhibition. The fine precision with which each piece was stitched was truly commendable.The wide spread on dining table – fish biriyani, steamed sweet potatoes, fish curry, a unique Arabic dish and of course apple crumbles were to die for.

All this, however, was only the tip of the iceberg.

Meet 67-year-old Neena Thomas. A resident of Ernakulam, Neena is a seasonal trekker and believes that anything and everything is ‘worth a shot.’ “There is no harm in trying. In the case of not being able to complete the task, I can always step down. After all, being ‘old’ has its advantages,” Neena said in a most humorous tone.

Food, Health, Life, People

By Gitanjali Diwakar

March 23, 2017

Honey, Rose Apples and Ceramic – Check out Alice’s very own ‘Shelter’

Have you ever had a dream and dared to make it happen in every way possible? Then this tale of a ‘magical world’ in God’s Own Country is bound to life your spirits.

‘The Shelter’ at Kottayam

If you have grown-up reading the tales of Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood or even Beauty and the Beast, then this house will bring your imagination to life.

Food, Health, Life, People

By Gitanjali Diwakar

March 18, 2017

Restaurant Review: Café Papaya is the Place to be for a Leisurely Meal

Café Papaya has been on my list of places to try out for sometime now, especially after looking at photos of the brilliantly done interiors. So, on a lazy weekday afternoon, my friend and I finalized on this place for lunch.

The café opens only by 1 p.m. and we had to slow ourselves down, as eager as we were, to reach the place just past 1 o’ clock. Tucked away in a bye-lane in Palarivattom, this little café is safely hidden from the hustles and bustles of the main road, yet not quite difficult to locate. We used the google map to be on the safer side and we reached the place without any confusion.

I fell in love with the place from the doorstep – a beautiful house converted into a café with sufficient parking space and openness. There’s a warm, welcoming feel that the place exudes that was reflected throughout the time we spent there. As we entered, we were mesmerized by the beautifully done interiors and efficiently managed space. Beautiful posters adorned the walls and there was a cosy library corner, to your right as you enter, arranged with some amazing books. There is a special dedicated place, a small stage, for live performances and ample seating area around it too.

We chose to sit in the library area, since it gave the feeling of a private space and well, there were books to give us company! As soon as we settled down, we were given the menu. The menu had limited options comparatively, and we ordered for a Mushroom and Bell Pepper Toasties for starters and a Classic Cheese Vegetable Burger and Chicken Steak in Mushroom Veloutte for the main course. Once the order was made, we resumed our chat and we indeed had a fun time, along with the kids, considering that we had the library area to ourselves. The food takes time to be served, but I shouldn’t complain about it since that’s the whole point of a café – take your time to unwind and chat, and not to be rushed through your meal.

Entertainment, Food

By Atheetha Raghuchandran

March 9, 2017

KVVES and KVVS to Boycott Cold Drinks by Pepsi Co and Coca Cola

Following a recent boycott of two major soft drink brands- Pepsi and Coca Cola in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasaya Ekopana Samithi (KVVES) and Kerala Vyapara Vyavasaya Samithi (KVVS) are jointly moving to boycott soft drinks from these brands. Both the trade associations want shopkeepers to stop stocking and selling cold drinks from other multinational companies as well. The main reason stated for the boycott is over use or misuse of the State’s water resources.

According to KVVES State Secretary, T Naseeruddin, the multinationals haven’t been following proper protocol to manage waste generated from their factories. He had also stated that he expects shopkeepers to stock and promote local cold drinks like coconut water. Post boycotting of cold drinks by these companies in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, several shopkeepers apparently approached him to move for such a ban.

If executed, close to seven lakh shopkeepers and merchants will stop stocking and selling cold drinks from Pepsi Co and Coca Cola India. Both KVVES and KVVS expects cooperation of the State Government in this matter.

Food, Politics

By Sumitra Nair

March 7, 2017

How Safe are the Fish We Eat?

Amidst chemical pesticides in fruits and vegetables and hormones injected into chicken, fish seemed to be the most safe and easily affordable option. However, as per reports by our sources, vendors and fishermen have been sprinkling chemicals along with ice on fish before it reaches the market to keep it fresh.

According to sources, the powder earlier thought to have been salt, is actually sodium benzoate. Sodium benzoate is a preservative that is usually found in processed foods and shouldn’t be used for fresh fish.

Post news of chemical preservatives being used by fish vendors doing the rounds, the enforcement wing of the Food Safety Department have been conducting raids and inspecting samples of fish that comes into Kerala from other states. According to Dr. Ashok Kumar, principle scientist at the CIFT (Central Institute of Fisheries Technology), Kochi office, “Only ice should be used to keep the fish fresh, not even salt is allowed. Sodium benzoate is a class two permitted preservative that is usually found in jams, squashes etc. Fresh food like fish, fruits and vegetables should be sold as it is to the customer. The problem here is, that the customer isn’t aware, that the fish is being chemically preserved neither do they know how to check for presence of chemicals in the fish. If someone is a frequent fish-eater, they actually end up consuming this chemical in a large quantity which can cause allergies and other implications on health,” says Dr. Ashok Kumar.

Food, Health

By Sumitra Nair