Travel Photo Contest @BlogAdda

What? Another contest? This one is right up my alley though!. BlogAdda’s latest contest in a long line of contests is one where people contest with each other by giving a context to the content of the photos in their blogs. Phew! (trying to be funny is doubly difficult bah!)

It isn’t so difficult to write a travelogue of a certain place but it is so difficult to actually pick out five of your best/favourite photos from a whole bunch of pictures! Come to think of it, travel photo folders in my computer are competing with each other for a place in this blog, as we speak!

That line from Pringoo is so true. Have seen such ‘fast’ travelers who wants to see everything but ends up seeing nothing and more importantly ends up being a lonely traveler without any experience to share, without any experience to enrich their soul!

Shot this picture at Juhu Beach. Had gone during a weekday thinking it won’t be as crowded as it generally is but was proved wrong by the thrones of burkha clad or dressed to go to a shaadi women! A fair was held at the beach with people thronging the make shift shops to buy accessories, household items and anything and everything else with the sea as the back drop. Come to think of it, even the Anjuna Flea market doesn’t offer this kind of view! Saw this balloon guy who tried to sell those balloons to everyone and anyone but if you did not have change (Rs.5), he wouldn’t sell it to you! Ironic in some ways but funny all the way! Sir buy balloon? Only Rs.5 sir. What? you do not have Rs.5. I no sell you balloon!

The dude in the centre got an earful from his supervisor and he kept pleading he did not do no wrong. After sometime another supervisor comes and says some things in a South India language (I think it was Tullu) and you could sense the tension between those two. Once the guy left, the worker was back to doing his job but his eyes said more than what he could possible say with words to his supervisor!

Found this lonely log at Diveagar Beach, Maharashtra. What was intriguing was this erstwhile tree was so close to the sea that I wonder how old it must have been? There were many shrubs growing a little further away but this was different. The footsteps in the background add to the mystery of this photu!

Clicked this at Bhandardara, a hill station in Maharashtra. Bhandardara is popular for its lake, known as the Arthur Lake and fed by the Parvara River. We were here just before the onset of summer so the weather was cool, the water was clear and the sky was blue! This small abandoned hut makes for the best view of the lake no matter what time it is. Imagine getting up in the morning and gazing at the reflection of the sky on the calm waters of the lake. Not many sights come close to this!

This picture is one of my favourites. Clicked at Manori Beach, Mumbai. This was also perhaps the first time when people were clicking me instead of the scenery. Why you ask? Well for starters, I was flat on the ground when taking this picture and onlookers were bemused at what I could be clicking from that height that I couldn’t click standing up. Well, it was the sea shells, which look humongous from this angle!

Hope you enjoyed reading through!

The contest is sponsored by

Java Green vs. Mocha Shoot – Who is better?

Been to Java Green and Mocha a few times already so though of doing a shootout. Read on to find which is better.

Mocha is a well established coffee house, well know among the urban youth. It is more than just a café as alcoholic beverages and hukka is also served here. These two put together put the vote in favour of Mocha. Don’t forget the coffee they serve here is far better than any other café in Mumbai. Try out the Brazilian or Colombian coffee or just the espresso. Coffee here is as good as it gets.

Java Green on the other hand has coffee that I would  call ‘average’. It won’t keep you awake late in the night but that is not the point here. Coffee is cheap here but the flavours aren’t as diverse as what one may find at Mocha.

Coming to the food well it is a tie in that case. Though Java Green has far better Chicken Crispy Panini than Mocha. The bread is crispy and the chicken is tender. More important the chicken pieces are bigger than at Mocha which is a real disappointment. Overall, the food is better at Mocha.

Lastly, the ambiance at Java Green is no match for Mocha. At Mocha, one feels like spending time, chill out, relax, drink coffee and have conversations. Java  Green seems more formal and the seating isn’t as comfortable here.

Overall, Mocha is excellent for Coffee, Hukka, Booze and Ambiance. Desserts are excellent here and as well as at Java Green. Prices are on the higher side at Mocha so if you are in the mood for some cheap food, coffee and desserts than Java  Green is the place to be.

For those lazy to read, check the rating graph below.

Coffee:  Mocha (M) – 9/10 | Java Green (JG) – 6/10

Food: M – 7/10 | JG – 7/10

Desserts: M – 8/10 | JG – 7/10

Ambiance: M – 9/10 | JG – 6/10

Service: M – 8/10 | JG – 8/10

Price: M – 6/10 | JG – 8/10

Mocha, Coffee is as good as it gets!

Mocha is a popular cafe among the urban youth. Their Coffee and Hukka flavours are well-known and are probably the only Cafe to have a strong fan following for both the heady mixtures!

I don’t remember the last time I had hukka at Mocha but Coffee here is my staple food. Always on the look out for something new, I tried out the Brazilian Bourbon Santos. The hot coffee has a rich flavour. It was a refreshing drink which is generally not the case with Indian coffee. It had a hint of chocolate I thought but it could just be the home-made chocolate I chomped on before chilling out at Mocha.

We also ordered for a Dutch Truffle Cake Shake which was exactly like the Dutch Truffle Cake with whipped cream on top! Along with the shake, ordered for a Honeyglazed Chicken Sandwich. The sandwich was filling and it almost felt like having a soft Panini sandwich.

Mocha is never a let down in terms of experience and the food though we wished we got better seats! Mocha is a bit expensive, which is the reason why I prefer other coffee houses but then again, Mocha has so far being without any disappointments and I intend to keep it that way!

Twist, The new Hukka place in Town!

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is such a huge commercial opportunity that even pubs, lounges, bars and restaurants are cashing in on the demand for live screening of matches. One such place is Twist, a relatively new Restobar cum lounge cum discotheque located in Andheri West, near PVR Juhu and Croma Juhu.

Went here with friends to enjoy the screen of Mumbai Indians vs. Deccan Chargers. Honestly, it made for great viewing. Lots of fans cheering on Mumbai Indians and going wild with every six hit. The only thing missing I guess were the cheerleaders though there was a fashion show to be held after the match, so we guys did get a view of the delicate darlings!

While watching the match, we ordered for a Pan Masala Hukka. The Hukka was aptly named IPL Mixed Hukka. The flavour was good and lasted for sometime but the price wasn’t worth it. Probably a price tag of Rs.200-250 would be a better price point.

To go with the Hukka, we ordered for a Veg Wanton. In my opinion, it was better than at Wanton House. The filling was good but the size of each Wanton was small though the overall quantity was good.

We continued smoking Hukka and in the meantime even shifted tables for dinner. For dinner, we ordered for Veg Korean Rice and Pan Fried Noodles. The main course was nothing to write home about. The veggies felt uncooked and the overall dish was bland. You’d expect that from a Chinese and Korean fare but I have had better Chinese Rice and paid half the price.

Overall,  Twist is a good place to hang out. Apparently the owner of this place is dating Miss Pantaloons (not sure of this info) who was present amongst us on the day of the match.

Anyways, the ambiance of Twist is really good. The lounge area is excellent to wile away time with your friends and enjoy the evening. The restaurant has a more formal decor and especially for those who intend to enjoy a few drinks and have dinner over a corporate meeting or just a casual conversation with friends.

While the place is nice, the same cannot be said about the food. We were disappointed with the food especially since the Rice and Noodles were priced at INR 150 each. A similar meal (with similar tastes) can be had at Yummies on Carter Road.

Ratings in Brief:

Food: 2.5/5

Service: 4/5

Ambiance: 4.5/5

Mocha – Lot of Coffee!

A coffee lover who doesn’t frequent most of Mumbai favourite coffee hangouts is a statement that defines me! But today it was different. A beautiful evening and the best drink I could think of was beer errrrr (now where did that come from!)… coffee! Been sometime since I went to Mocha, so decided to try the Brazilian coffee here while my friend went for the Colombian version.  Both coffees were served in a big cup, so big that my friend had to use both hands to lift the damn thing!

The coffee lovers that we are, we spent quite a bit of time taking in the strong aromas emanating from our freshly brewed caffeine concentrates. The Brazilian coffee was strong though the Colombian one was the more bitter of the two. Took us a good hour to finish the coffee as we engrossed ourselves in conversations on just about anything!

The coffee was excellent but a sound parameter to judge its effectiveness is how alert it keeps you in the wee hours of the morning. Its 3 AM and I quite alert even at this hour. Though ironically, my friend who had the ‘stronger’ of the two coffees is fast asleep!!

Harish Bar and Restaurant

Irla is not a place I have eaten much at except for the overpriced Papillon and Amar Juice Centre. So it was a surprise for me when a friend suggested we go to Harish Bar and Restaurant for some choicest meat dishes and off course some drinks.

For starters, which for this post means drinks, we ordered for Royal Stag quarter at INR 220 which is quite reasonable by any standards! For the food though, there was a long list which included the choicest of prawns (Prawns Lassuni), the sweet tasting Crispy Chicken, Chicken Lollypop, and the evergreen Surmai Tawa Fry. I think the fish here was awesome and so were the prawns though the lollypops held forth for the chicken!

The main course included Chicken Hyderabadi and the Chicken Sukha. The Sukha I rather have at Janta Bar and Restaurant. Though not bad,  it wasn’t the same as at Janta. The Hyderabadi Chicken was lip-smackingly good as were the Parathas we had them with.

Overall the place is on the expensive side though the booze is reasonably priced.

Verdict

Food: 3.5/5 – No complaints with the food. Though the prices could be reduced a bit here.

Service: 4/5 – Attentive and friendly waiters.

Price: 3/5 – The real downer here. Harish could possible be a back up if only the food prices are slashed by 20% or more, which seems unlikely to happen!

Night Out Eating @Cooper Hospital

One would think that an eating joint outside a hospital at 4AM is impossible but not here in Mumbai. One can understand if Tea or maybe a Vada Pav is available but steaming hot bhurji pav and pav bhaji and it is a different ball game altogether. And that is exactly what we found outside Cooper after a long night out.

The thing about late night food joints such as these is that food is available dirt cheap but is very oily and fattening. So for the health conscious this is a strict no-no but when hunger pangs call there is nothing like ‘healthy food’! We paid about INR 100 for the two anda bhurjis and extra pav. The food is excellent here, better than at Anna’s @ Andheri Station. Though more expensive and a little further away from my house it is worth going to Cooper for the anda bhurji!

Aurus @ Juhu

Been to Aurus once but this time it was different. Came here for a dinner date with my school friends who I was meeting after ages. We almost had conversations like ‘OMG! Look how old u look! or ‘You have grown big’ you get the drift… Anyways, Aurus being expensive, I curtailed myself from ordering and let the orders! Though I should have known better. Had a chicken starter, which was just alright. The presentation (I assume that matters at Aurus) wasn’t up to the mark either. One would have thought they chicken would be accompanied by some salad dressing et al but none, we found.

Next up were a couple of vodka shots but since I had already had my pre-party pegs I avoided more shots! But sadly, still ended up splurging INR 1500 on a dinner that never was!

Pune Trip

It’s been a long long time since I made a trip outside of Mumbai. So when a friend told me about a few cool parties happening in Pune (one of which was by Pete Gooding – one of my favourite House Djs) I could not resist the urge to say ‘Yes lets go rock Pune’! And that is exactly what we did!

It took approximately 3.5 hours to reach the city and another 1 hour to find the place (Koregaon Park) where the parties were happening. To see the city hustling and bustling – dup up roads, upcoming residential/commercial complexes, crazy traffic – was enough proof that Pune is indeed in the ‘big boys’ club now. A small town no more!

There was this road, a long one at that, where we travelled, which had an unusually high number of eateries. Oh! the aromas made my mouth water! But we had a plan, to head to Post91 (buffet) for lunch and then go pub hopping.

After filling ourselves to the brim at Post91, we headed out the Stone Water Grill. This place was right up there amongst the list of places which would ideally be frequented by the rich and famous and not the forget the good looking women as well!

I fell in love with the place, the decor, the ambiance, the seating arrangement, the dining room, everything here was just that good! Offcourse prices were high but that’s not going ot stop you from going now is it?

Vachan Chinappa was playing at the lounge-restaurant which greadually got crowded as the day progressed. Did not stay for the rest of the evening as we were to go Gaia. Stone Water Grill is definately a must check out place if you are in Pune. Chk Santanu’s blog here for an in-depth review: Stone Water Grill.

Next Stop – Gaia.

Gaia, though open air like Stone Water Grill, was in stark contrast to the lounge. While Stone Water was refined, Gaia looked like a treehouse (Atleast parts of it) and most of the place was a lawn which became the dance floor. Oh yes, the place also had an indoor dance floor which resembles the one at Vie Lounge in Juhu, Mumbai. Loved the place, the music and the many dark corners which did put some *ahem* *ahem* thoughts in my head!!

Gaia was the last place on the list before we headed out to have some pav bhaji and finally drove back to Mumbai. Got lost on the way but still managed to reach in 3 hours.

Overall an awesome trip and am definately looking forward to going to Pune soon!

Garcias Famous Pizza

Address: Juhu Vile Parle Scheme, Road-13 , Juhu , Mumbai- 400049

Opposite Juhu Church

Full Review:

I have been to quite a few different Garcias’ outlets and I must say the place has held its own amongst the worst pizza places you can go to! Me and my college friends were out for some pizza treat and Garcias being nearby we thought we’d drop in.

After waiting for 30 odd mins we had to call the waiter to place our orders of pizzas. And we waited another 30 mins for the pizzas to arrive! So for an hour all we did was just wait!

The pizza’s themselves weren’t what you would expect. Thin, so thin that it was impossible to hold them and eat instead we were rolling them up and eating them like spring rolls!

I do not know about the veg pizza but the non-veg one really sucked! Incidentally, I had the same pizza (chicken pahadi) as I had when I went there for the first time. Back then, more than 3 years ago, it was cheap, and very very good and almost the best pizza you could have! But this was 3 years ago and now they are just milking the customers by offering sub-standard products.

My veggie friends had also ordered some veg sheek kebab pizza which had diced chilly in it making it taste a whole like something totally different that a pizza!

We paid nearly 175 per person and honestly speaking thats like way too much for sub-standard pizza! A 12 inch pizza hardly looks 12 inch, is way too thin and had very less topping!

We had gone to Joey’s just a day before the trip to Garcias and I must say, Joey’s is the king of pizza joints! A 12 inch pizza is cheaper than the one you get in Garcias, is a lot bigger in size, a generous amount of toppings and no let-off in the quntity of chicken or paneer either!

Its a shame garcias isn’t the same it used to be. So definately not worth it atall!

It’s Mirchi

Address: Hotel Ramee Guestline, 462, A.B. Nair Road, Next to Holiday Inn, On the road to Hare Krishna Temple from the J W Mariott, Juhu, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai

Tel: 66905555, 669355555

Full Review: Hotel Ramee Guestline’s rooftop resturant, It’s Mirchi was recently ‘raided’ by me and three of my friends. All four of us are big eaters so a buffet seemed the best way to satiate our desires to stuff ourselves to the brim!
We started around 9, seated on a table meant for 10; lucky for us it was not very crowded, so no one really bothered us with seating issues.
Immediately after we reached there we got down to our business.
While i ordered a Beer, the other guys ordered Ice Tea and Bacardi. The Ice Tea was very good plus much cheaper than many other places!
The drinks were followed by the starters. Each table has a place in the middle to keep the grill where the starters can be roasted/heated to your liking. Very similar to BBQ Nation.
We were served with Prawns, fish, chicken kebabs, paneer and small pellets of palak paste ( i think) with kaju pieces in them.
I liked the chicken, prawns and paneer. Me and my friend only had starters while the other two moved onto the main course.
The main course changes from time to time (or on a daily basis, I am not sure) so it is better to call them and ask about what will be the main course on a particular day.
The main course was pretty minimal, with some mutton and lamb dish and biryani. There was some chicken dish too.
I do not know the names of the dishes in the main course as i was busy hogging on the starters.
I left enough space for the dessert though. Since i was down with a cold i decided to stay away from mango ice cream which tasted like it was bought from Naturals Ice Cream Parlour. The other dessert items include Jalebi and the Gulab Jamun which were both hot and very very delicious. The Gulab Jamun were very soft, just the way i like em. The same can be said about the Jalebi. I am not a big jalebi fan but here i was helping myself for multiple servings of this delicacy from up north.
I must have taken atleast 5 servings of both the Gulab Jamun and the Jalebi. I could not help it, it was just so good!

Well that was the food part, next is the ambiance.
The one reason why i wanted to go there was because it was an open air restaurant. Well, open air, it is NO MORE. This was a big let down for all of us. But even then the over all ambiance was very good. A good place to come with a family or friends or your girlfriend/boyfriend. They have a place for everyone and that is what struck me the most. Nice corner seats for couples and big balcony seats for a family. Will keep this in mind.
The staff was very responsive, always with a smile when serving us. Even though it was a buffet they did not mind bringing the food to us (especially desserts).

Overall it was a good experience. Yes, the food could have been better but i think i would not mind going there again for the same quality of food either. If they do make it open air again then i am there for sure.

The bill came to around Rs.3000.

Here’s a breakdown:
Beer (Pint) – 99
Ice Tea – 60
Buffet – 349
Rum 60ml (large) – 300

(The prices are exclusive of taxes)

Vie Lounge

Address: 102, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai

Tel: 26603003, 26604884

Full Review:

I have been to Vie now twice in three weeks and each time as a stag, thank god for the guestlists!!
Anyways, both times I entered, I headed straight to the dance floor cause that is exactly what I was there for. I really liked the place for one thing: its right there overlooking Juhu Beach. The feeling that surrounds you while you stare at the pitch black ocean from the comfort of your seat cannot be compared. It is by far one of the best places to take a date or just hangout with your friends, I must say.
Just had a couple of drinks while I was there, Jack Daniels being my preferred poison. A small dance floor but that is acceptable if you look at the larger scheme of things. People wouldn’t come here to just shake their booties but to sit, eat, relax, chill, de-stress and maybe then shake a leg or two.
Overall, not a bad place to chillout but then i rather go to a disc or a lounge not a place that wants to be both.

Barista

Address: Juhu Leather Shop, 16/28-29, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Juhu, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai
Tel: 66025793
Full Review:
Barista is well known for its many coffee flavours and other snacks besides a chilled out ambiance. Well this outlet was no different. I was out with friends winding up at Barista after a hard day’s work. Wanted something small to fill me up so ordered for a Chicken Tikka Sandwich and a Barista Frappe with Vanilla Ice Cream to go with it.
The sandwich was, by any standards pathetic to say the least. I have had better sandwich, yes chicken tikka sandwich, for a quarter of what I paid at Barista.
The coffee on the other hand was better but not worth the Rs.155 I paid for it!
The only thing that makes me give the outlet two stars is the ambiance which I think is really the best part about place.

Prices:
Chicken Tikka Sandwich – Rs.73
Barista Frappe with Ice Cream – Rs.100+Rs.33
Corn and Spinach Sandwich – Rs.66

Verdict:
Overpriced, sad food coupled with an overpriced drink was not what we bargained for at Barista. I wont be going to any Barista outlet anytime soon.

New Yorker

Address: Grace Apartments, North South Rd No. 13, Vile Parle, Juhu, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai
Tel: 26246049, 26246049
Full Review:
New Yorker is one of the better eateries in the city, or so we thought. It has that ‘Very Expensive’ feel to it though in my opinion it is a much cheaper place than say Mochas.
I like the posters on the wall, pictures from all across the city, in black and white. Really nice! (Thinking of getting something like that done in my room!)

Food:
Anyways, moving on to the food, first up was the Ice Tea followed by Swiss Cheese Fondue, Pinwheel Cannelloni and Bruschetta.
The ice tea, was a real downer, tasted like lemon juice. Not even a hint of tea in there!
The Cheese Fondue, hmm, I’d give it a 4/5 for being cheaper than Mochas and a little bit better as well. The melted cheese was much thicker that expected and was not bad at all. We got good quantity of side servings as well, good enough for two people at least (We were four of us).
Next up was the Pinwheel Cannelloni which had a lot more gravy (made primarily out of tomatoes) than stuff inside the Cannelloni. Though the waiter told us that it serves two people, I have serious doubts whether it can even serve one person. Pinwheel Cannelloni wasn’t very filling so we ordered for something small, Bruschetta. (ya ya its a starter which we ordered after the main course, ha ha!) Bruschetta is essentially garlic bread but bigger and better. Its like Version 2.0 of Garlic Bread! Jokes aside, Bruschetta was by far the best item so far. Laced with mozzarella cheese, it was quite a treat.

Price:
Iced Lemon Tea – Rs.69
Swiss Cheese Fondue – Rs.175
PinWheel Cannelloni – Rs.179
Bruschetta – Rs.89

Service:
The service was not upto the mark. The waiters took their own sweet times to come to the table when called. This when the place was relatively empty. He took quite a long time to return back with the credit card too. I didn’t expect such shoddy service from a place like New Yorker.

Verdict:
Overall the place was not so bad but could be better, especially in the food and service department. The 3-star rating signifies, that though some food items maybe worthwhile the rest are just not worth for the price you pay for it.

Patio

Address: Amrapali Shopping Centre, V. L. Mehta Marg, Juhu, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai
Tel: 66960902, 26107042
What’s it good for: Wine,cheese cakes,
Full Review: Alright Alright, yes I will talk about the entire dining experience but damn the range of cheese cakes they had, I so wish I could parcel each and everyone one of them!!
Anyways coming back to the review, it was a friend’s treat so we could, for once, not worry much about the bill!
So we ordered a liberal serving of starters and main course and some drinks as well. I know, or came to know, that this place is more known for its sea food but since we had a veggie with us, we decided to pass.
In drinks, we got lassi, ice tea and a smirnoff orange twist. They have a wide variety of wines as well and quite reasonably priced compared to most other places in and around Juhu.
Coming to the starters, we ordeed Aloo Cheese Ball and Paneer ka Salan. Expensive but worth every morsel!
Later we ordered for a Paneer Handi and Dal Bukhara. Quality wise – no complains, Quantity wise – a bit more wouldn’t hurt!
Lastly, for desserts, we had Malai Kulfi and a Bluberry Cheese Cake which was devoured by yours truly! I have come to like cheese cakes quite a lot these days and I thought it was the best cheese cake I have had till now. (Even though it seemed it was kept at the shelf for the whole day!)
The total bill came to Rs.1437.00. Pricey affair yes, but no complaints as far as quality is concerned.
Somehow I really liked this place a lot (Except for the noisy kids which is why it gets 3 stars!) the food and the ambiance were good and offcourse the cheese cake!!!