How to judge if you are at a good restaurant

Eating well is the ultimate measure of luxury these days and ‘just how well’ really defines the class and level of indulgence you are willing to buy yourself. And when there are quite so many options to choose from, you would definitely want to part from your money for a place worth it. However, this need of assurance of quality shouldn’t keep you from experimenting for food is pleasurable only if you keep adding diversity. But then how do you try out new places without running the risk of being ripped-off. 

Here are a few tips to see if the supposedly best breakfast places in Bangalore or anywhere you go is worth the money. Without having to order full-fledged meals you can tell if it’s worth it, and can excuse yourself with a cup of coffee or soup saving the rest of your money and appetite for some delicious smoked food in Bangalore at your go-to.

Bathroom

If the bathroom is gross the kitchen is surely grosser. It is usually the tell-tale of a restaurant’s attention to detail. Well sure there are lots of street side joints and dhabas that have dirty bathrooms but the food is still heavenly but that’s quite another thing. If you are coughing up big money for the experience rather than just taste then cleanliness is one of the primary facets of it. 

Prompt Service

Someone receiving you at the reception and then seeing you to your table might be customary to exorbitant five-stars but prompt service is the least you should expect at a respected place. A server coming in quickly to fill out your glasses with water is the right signal. I remember going to one of the best breakfast places in Bangalore where the outsides were decent but simple but the moment I got seated water and the menu was by my side and the waiter was politely observant of when I would be ready with my order. He neither left me ignored nor stood on my head for a hasty choice. And I knew I had made the right choice.

Light it up for the ambiance

While good food and courteous service take all the brownie points for being the most crucial factors in running of a successful restaurant. And ambiance and lighting must be the last few things you would ever consider putting on the forefront, yet the two are incredibly important if you are planning the success of your restaurant.

Talking about the famous restaurant in Vasant Kunj, the ambiance plays an indispensable role in wooing consumers. But what exactly is ambiance? Simply put, it is the atmosphere or mood in your restaurant and mall which sets the tone for the customers and lets them feel good about their surroundings.

One of the most crucial factors in ambiance is lightning. While sumptuous furnishings and opulent floorings constitute a bigger picture, it is the lighting that makes the restaurant score all the points.

Coloured lighting is definitely in vogue these days. Flamboyant and bold tones are in rage, yet a dimmer look is necessary to instantiate an intimate, cosy feel. Depending upon the theme of the restaurant, it can go for either go for loud lighting or for mild and mellow tones.

This reminds me of Smoke House Deli, which has set a hallmark in producing the best burgers in Delhi. The ambiance at SHD is one of its kind- quirky and playful. The paintings and writings on the wall are cool enough to leave people befuddled and spellbound at the same time. The food is delectable, and the service quite prompt.

As it turns out, lighting makes a place come alive with the real flavour of life. Chandeliers, LED lights and coloured lighting put together everything that is required to set up the atmosphere- all in the right proportions. Lighting is a sure-shot tool that meets the visitors’ and the restaraunteer’s choices with an elite and a delectable charm.

Advantages of Being an Egg Lover

Eggs being the Super Food are savoured by many in many interesting and unique ways. With a long history of proven facts about the goodness of being eggs benedict, there is no denying that they should certainly be an essential part of our regular diet.

Apart from the lot many tasty recipes which can be prepared using eggs, these are also known to provide nourishment to your hair and skin. Here are some more reasons to gorge on these palatable healthy egg recipes:

-Improves Satiety: A fact which is well taken states that consuming eggs from breakfast places in Mumbai aids in increasing satiety for longer hours thereby rescuing you from impromptu eating. A sense of being full prevents mid-morning snacking while compensating for and providing with all the necessary nutrients required by the body.

-Promotes Iron Intake: You might not be acquainted with the fact that individuals with high levels of irritability, fatigue and headaches have a high risk of suffering from iron deficiency. In case you are low iron levels you can benefit a lot from eating eggs. Eggs contain a rarely found heme iron which when absorbed by the body assists in getting rid of anaemia.

-Helps in Weight Loss: While vouching for high satiety index, eggs facilitate in weight loss. Therefore it is a safe diet plan in overweight people. A study says that eat eggs to stay full and lose weight. It surely is not an overnight process and does take time but it certainly works.

-For the strength and health of your bones: Abundant in Vitamin D , eggs helps in the absorption of calcium which in turn helps in marinating the health of the bones. In northern hemisphere, where the atmosphere is chilly, it is almost impossible to survive if you are not an egg benedict calories mainly because it is an essential source of Vitamin D.

-Health of nails and hair: In case you suffer from nutritional deficiency, it is the hair and nails which are affected the most. Eggs having plenty of amino acids and other nutrient keeps the hair bouncy and nails strong.

Breakfast for the Week!

If your daily breakfast is boring, puts you back in a slumber, and adds that extra curves, it’s time for some breakfast makeover. Breakfast makeover doesn’t have to mean that you torture your mornings with a glass of tasteless milk or treat yourself to a boring combo of bread and butter. You can always kick-start your mornings with a set of creative morning meals.

Here is how you can plan out some early morning fun!

Mondays

Start your day with a two-egg omelette every Monday. Dress it up with spinach to start with a healthy dose of proteins. When it comes to having breakfast, nothing beats eggs. They contain eight amino acids and are extremely nutritious. Doctors suggest that one must have eggs daily, but twice or thrice a month would do good too. Bon Appetit! Many best breakfast places in Mumbai are famous for serving the best 2 egg omelette.

Tuesdays

Treat yourself with quinoa cereals with apple, cinnamon and flaxseeds sprinkled all over. Quinoa is loaded with fibre and proteins and hence makes for a good start to Tuesdays!

Wednesdays

Make it porridge for Wednesdays. Dress it up with cinnamon and berries. Cinnamon is clinically proven to stabilise blood sugar levels and helps curb sugar cravings. It also boosts high level of proteins and fibre.

Thursdays

Try scrambled tofu with tomatoes for healthy Thursdays. Not only is tofu a source of omega 3 fatty acids but also helps fight sign of menopause.

Fridays

Go with a low GI breakfast scrambled eggs and feta for Fridays. Low GI carbs release energy into your bodies slowly and hence help keep your energy levels consistent throughout the day.

Saturdays

Kick off the weekend with a delightful concoction of avocado, basil and tomato on freshly baked bread.

Sundays

It’s Sunday, and you are free to pamper yourself to a weekend treat. Have pancakes with a dollop of natural yoghurt for a perfect weekend meal. You can visit a top restaurants in Mumbai for the same too.

Spicing up the lamb burgers in Pitas

A lamb burger recipe sounds pretty fine, not dramatically easy, but neither particularly difficult too. Something a person who has a fetish for non-vegan culinary stuff wouldn’t mind trying once in a while.

The recipe I came across on a television show was a different one though. Till now I was living under an assumption that burger is just served in a pita. But the show broke the confines of my assumptions- the burger is cooked in a pita!

Well that was something never even heard of before, let alone tried. But then, an ardent non-vegan, I had to try that version of lamb burger. I had no reason for doing so, I just had to.

So I hopped into the apron, all geared up to take the challenge. It wasn’t one of the most daunting, time-consuming recipes ever neither was the effort way too draining. The burger baby just demands attention- plenty of it too—to grill it to the right temperature and level in order to bring out the delectable flavour. It’s not difficult though—the pitas need to be just filled and sealed properly. You just need to shift and turn the pitas around in order to prevent them from getting charred. Sprinkle the lamb with coriander and cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper and cover and chill for at least one hour. 

Prepare the pitas and open one pita one at a time by cutting along the seam, halfway around the perimeter. Spoon-fill into the pitas and spread the veggies till the edges. Grill the pitas until the insides are thoroughly cooked and the bread is crisp.

And believe me, it works. Like wonders.

Cooking burgers in pitas is a delightfully wonderful stuff. The lamb is flavourful and the coriander and cinnamon adds delectability to it. The genius idea can as well be applied to tenderloin steak as well.

Breakfast to Gain Weight

In a world which is struck with obesity as an endemic and the obese lot while trying to lose weight by practicing several methods as can be seen in their calorie consciousness at several breakfast places in Delhi. There are others who are struggling to gain weight due to multiple reasons.

Several conditions which might result in an individual’s inability to gain weight include but is not limited to genetics, high metabolism and fussy eating habits. One of the easiest ways to gain weight is to eat piles of delicacies like pastries and several fried palates in a restaurant in Vasant Kunj or cooking these in your home itself. However take a note that this is not a healthy way of gaining weight. In spite of gorging on thoughtlessly it is essential to gain weight in a manner which is natural. Apart from these fried and other stuffed with calories food it is important to include natural and healthy food in your meal plan. Go for high energy and nutrient rich food for weight gain. Here are some foods which you should be incorporating in your breakfast regime:

-Oatmeal Peanut Porridge

“100 grams of oatmeal provides you with 400 calories and 28 grams of unsalted peanuts give you about 166 calories” quotes a renowned health magazine. What better than including health and taste at the same time! Begin by dry roasting the oats and then soak them in a cup of water. Now add some water in a pan and add roasted oats with water. Cook it for 3 minutes while stirring it continuously. Now remove the pan from fire and add peanuts and raisins to it followed by milk and honey. To make it more interesting, add banana slices to it. Serve it hot in any breakfast placein Delhi.

-Dry Fruit chocolate milkshake

Begin by adding banana, almonds and dates to the blender. Blend this mixture to have a smooth paste. Add Nesquik and mix it, followed by the addition of milk and blend it to have a thick and smooth milkshake. Serve it hot to enjoy it early morning. 

Organizing an Office Party

Work. Home. Work. Repeat.

This is all that is there to a working person’s life. The corporate landscape has made a cut into our daily lives, sapping it off of things essential to living a quality life.

I don’t remember the last time I even planned a “Fun Friday”, let alone enjoy it. The voracious work requirements don’t leave time for anything else, yet only if we could incorporate frequent, informal meet-ups between company professionals, things would be positively different that way.

Social gatherings are imperative to infusing work life with an easy going vibe. I, for one, have seen company professionals bonding over a drink in restaurant in Vasant Kunj, or merely gobbling down burgers in Delhi streets. Such rapport eases the competitive climate and provides employees a much needed getaway from the daily shackles of work life.

Organizing a party, an office party for that matter, needs some planning in advance though. Depending upon the nature of the corporate a restaurant is booked. If you are booking a venue for an entire office, be careful with what you go ahead. If you are a group of colleagues contemplating some fun, a regular restro would do for you.

Next stop on the platter, undeniably, should be food. Even if the organizer is a vegan, he ought to spare a thought to the other employees too. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian delights should smoothly make to the party menu. Drinks, of course, are a big YES, too!

Sending in the official invite to all the employees is a crucial step too. Merely making announcements about the event won’t do; you have to send in a formal invite via mails or via calls. Sending in a formal invites via email is a hassle-free process; it allows you to conceptualize the strength and make arrangements accordingly.

Curb the Culinary Cravings at Delhi’s Hauz Khas

Hauz Khas doesn’t sound like a place that will have one go all Ga-Ga over it. But then, what’s in a name?

Hauz Khas is a place that will make stand up, and take notice. No, it isn’t one giant cauldron of beauty that will have you drool over it; in fact it is dingy. And dark, much like the usually crowded and littered streets in Delhi. It may be a little scruffy at the edges, but there is no funkier spot in Delhi to shop, eat and generally unwind.
 

Hauz Khas is a thriving hub for some absolutely punk restaurants. Punk, because they are not the usual north Indian restaurants where all you find yourself doing is forcing your taste buds into accepting the taste of the otherwise painfully mundane Dal-Makhani and Naan. Because restaurants in Hauz Khas, and the ones in nearby markets, are notches above that.
 

With a gamut of vegetarian and non-vegetarian delights, Hauz Khas’ palate dances to the tunes of the unconventional. I, personally, have both tested and tasted its waters, and my, was I impressed! Be it any genre of food, from Italian to Portuguese, you just can’t stop reveling in its cuisine. And it’s not just one restaurant that gets away with the food-junkies’ attention, all the restaurants in Khan Market and Hauz Khas offer an equally sumptuous mouthful.
 

Thick with an air of majesty, Hauz Khas’ restaurants offer nothing but a king-like experience. When I walked into Smoke House Deli, I was almost flattered by the over-the-top kind of treatment that I was being subjected to. I am not much of a spoilt brat; quite clearly it was only but overwhelming to have all that royalty gulped down the throat.
 

But if you are one of those spoilt little brats, the ‘Mumma’s’ all-time favourite who just can’t do without some good food, you know where to hunt, right?

Smoke House Deli all the Way!

It’s smoking hot when I put a step inside, onto the labyrinth of the swanky restaurant. Smoking hot, not in a literal context, but in a metaphorical connotation; Smoking hot, not because of the heat or the dust, but because of the quirky ambience that exudes a charm of another magnitude, and Smoking hot, because it’s nothing but Smoke House Deli.

An unusual combination of beige and white interiors tells that it’s not any next door cafe. A wide assortment of flavours fills the air with an aura that is good enough to bring the dead to his feet! Smoked food, burgers, pizzas, pastas and salads rustle your taste buds like nothing else does. Shovel down a few refreshing drinks, a variety avalanche of coffee and tea, and you feel sorted for the day. Add the chirpy music to your taste, and you will never feel like leaving the comfort of the seat. 

Smoke House Deli is noted for its tongue ravaging smoked food in Mumbai. From quick hearty bites to an elaborate, royal eating experience, SHD serves every mood. Eggs Benedict for breakfast offers a grand experience which otherwise is missing from typically boring breakfasts. Smoked lam burger and tenderloin steak clothed in mustard sauce make for an irresistible affair. Peri Peri Smoked chicken with potatoes is one of the most cherished specialities of Smoke House Deli, and is offered with every ounce of delicacy and charm. Heart crusted lamb chops with mango chutney is a delicacy to die for! Once in SHD, you will be a nut to miss it. The burgers are juicy, better than any effing burger in Delhi too!

The menu is heatedly appetizing and the ambience a pure delight. An equally terrific choice for casual lunch as much as it is for formal meetings; Smoke House Deli ruffles the taste buds and leaves a long lasting imprint.

And that’s How we Got the Burger

There is a warm reverence in the way we talk about food history. The jewels of local fare that have run in the family for ages have become a part of the culture. We can trace the traditional back to the Mughal era and many even older. But ever fathomed the burger store next door is serving a legacy from the past or just a creation spotted a couple of decades ago?

Yes it’s an American dish, but burgers in Delhi are equally adored by the locals. Actually the origin of this favourite fast food is drowned in controversies and contrasting folklores. I will not touch the debate on who made it first. But the common facts floating around are quite intriguing.
 

It can be traced back to the medieval times when in Central Asia, people used to put beef under their saddles to make it tender and then it was eaten raw. However the modern burger did not come into existence before 1895. A theory says, it was served at a restaurant in response to an impatient customer’s quick lunch order. But whoever was the inventor would be proud to see burgers in Delhi have come this far.
 

And it was transformed into a commercial success after 1921 with White Castle launching the hamburger we fondly refer to. However, with quick popularity and insane demand, sloppiness in the cooking methods crept in. then in 1934, a store, Wimpy Burgers, inspired from famous cartoon series Popeye the sailor man took its popularity to a new level. Later of course, came the McDonalds’ which is how we recognize burger.
 

However, today this snack is not dependent on a single brand for its recognition. It is far more localized and has become a public property across the world. Some restaurants in Vasasnt Kunj nearly beat the set brands in taste.
 

Burgers share the spirit of America: all embracing and free. So chefs have taken to invent there variations. And honestly, nobody really wants to tie it down to a stereotype. So go ahead, choose your own variant or rather invent your own, and who knows you could be the maker of the next burger buzz.   
          

Cost Effective Homemade Cocktails

The usual night outs usually consist of expensive dinner with friends and a spree to the club which are generally tight on your budget. However when you chose to stay at home instead of hopping beyond the finances you have planned you can still enjoy a great time drinking with your friends. However when you watch professional bartenders with countless ingredients you haven’t even heard about you get a feeling that you need a knowledge of some sort of chemistry to come up with those when you are staying back at home. But my experience says the best night outs and parties are those well managed at home with the best cocktails.

What you need to know these mouth and spirits savoring cocktails require nothing more than the basic skills of being able to measure the ounces and squeeze lemon. It may sound too unbelievable to start with but the honesty in this statement is as much as the sun rising from the east and the setting best remains unsaid. So it is just with the few essentials, a little planning and with lots of variations and your taste you can come with the best cocktails in Delhi anytime and anywhere.

Here are some of the cocktails you can enjoy relaxing or partying at home:
 

-Cape Coder
Preparing it as simple as spelling it right. Vodka and cranberry juice is a great drink for all occasions. You can easily get hold of a cranberry bottle from any shop nearby add to it the vodka of your choice. You can pick the vodka bottle as per your budget and don’t wait more, turn the music on.

-Margarita and Daiquiri
Both of these are the most cost effective drinks you can pick from the range of all the best cocktails you have known so far. What you need is seasonal fresh fruits and a liqueur of your choice and there you go. Shake them or blend these into all the possible flavors you can imagine.

-Gin Rickey
As pretty as it sounds it will be a sure hit in your party. All you need to do is buy soda siphon and few CO2 cartridges. Don’t let the party and mood end experiment with the myriad of cocktails you can then come up with. SmokeHouseDeli.

Quick and Easy Egg Recipes

Eggs are globally regarded as the staple food for breakfast from times long and of course for all the good reasons. Eggs are a rich source of vital nutrients essential for a healthy diet. However a single egg contains 80 calories and therefore its smart inclusion in your diet is imperative to avail the related health benefits. The health related benefits and the eating delight have warranted its place in morning menus in several restaurants in Khan Market and others.

Eggs are also a good storehouse of proteins which needless to say are an indispensable part of the bones, muscles, cartilages, skin and blood. Our body also uses these proteins to further build and repair the tissues as well as for making several enzymes, hormones and other chemicals found in the body. It is for this particular reason that Eggs Benedict savor on these not only for breakfast but also for the rest of the meals for the day. Here are some of the quick and delectable egg recipes:

-Shrimp and Bacon Deviled Eggs
The potato flakes provide these with the filling and then stir these in shrimp and parsley, add other spices as per your taste and finally sprinkle the bacon. You can also prepare a day ahead of any of the event you are planning to serve it. Wrap them with plastic and refrigerate.

-Simply bake it (Simple Baked Eggs)
It is a 6 ingredient recipe vouching for the swiftness when preparing this. With an elegant presentation it is a treat to an Egg Benedict and count for an excellent choice for a brunch. Break an egg into an already prepared ramekin, sprinkle these with pepper and salt covering each of it with cream and put them for baking.

-Egg Salad
The platter has a creamy texture and together with crunchy bacon, lettuce and tomato it is just pure heaven for all the foodies. You can also add lemon rind and sour cream to make it taste even better.

My Sweet Home Bar

Keen on having home bar? Well, yes it’s certainly going to be a challenging task. There’s sea difference in merely wishing to have ambience similar to the bar that you have had visited recently and having it at the home bar. Well, experience counts and this is what is instigating me to say this.

I am a Mumbai locale, and now i don’t think i need to further justify anything. This place is famous for its nightlife and so as restaurants in Bangalore adds on to the charm of this beautiful place. I worked for around three years in a private firm in Bangalore and there i did not have to think much. I was accommodated in a flat, which was given to me by the company. I had a small sweet corner, restaurant in Bangalore which was a virtual spa-center to me. Well, having least said, even till the day, i miss the sweet-own-corner.

So post leaving the job, when i came to Mumbai, it became really difficult for me to adjust. But yes, luckily i as able to give my small bar again the similar cozy touch that i was missing out on a lot. So those who are planning to set up a home bar in Mumbai, the only thing that i would personally suggest is don’t overboard vibrant shades and bling. A home bar won’t be the place wherein every other hour you’ll be going to, but yes, might be a possibility that ideal setting might keep you hooked for hours and hours. Got the difference?? Go for it! So better that you keep a check over it! Have dim lit ambience instead of going too very high with ambience and so as with shades to give that ‘perfect’ look to the place.

A Village To Die For

Walking into the village lanes sounds a tad too retarded, right?
 

Or maybe not, especially when you are loitering into the lanes of Hauz Khas Village. People who don’t know much about Hauz Khas often mistake it for some flat-footed place- the kind of place that fails to arouse any consumer activity. But, ask a person who has experienced the marvels of shopping or binging in a restaurant in Hauz Khas and you would know how terribly mistaken you probably are.
Hauz Khas is a place where once you set your foot into, you will not be able to help but admire it for the chirpiness of its restaurants. Right from the quirky decor to glitzy menus, everything is admiringly bang on. There are restaurants where you will find walls decorated with pastel sheets and paintings- paintings that have stories to tell, like in Smoke House Deli. Punctuated with weird artefacts and a jazzy ambience, restaurants in Khan Market and Hauz Khas have an illusionary touch pivoted to them. 

Smoke House Deli, Flipside Cafe, Warehouse Cafe- these are just a few of the wonders that Hauz Khas is palmed with. Breathtaking ambience littered with every element of happy peculiarity is what makes it the most visited places in New Delhi. The cosy corner of SHD revs up the appetite and demands an instantly brewed espresso; the shakes and ice creams of Warehouse Cafe lit up the excited audience.

Hauz Khas Village and Khan Market in vicinity are studded with some incredibly Jazzy restaurants, breezy enough to put you in a culinary reverie. Be it Hauz Khas or Khan Market, there is a signature twist to every restaurant that you will ever set your foot into, and that twist is everything to die for!

Into The Lanes Of Saket- Smoke House Deli

It was a regular monsoon evening in Delhi, clad with glistening trees and mushroomed with the ethereal monsoon-y fragrance. Naturally, for any typical Delhi-wallah, monsoons are synonymous with food- fried and smoked food. As a Delhite myself, I am not any different.  Spurred by a strong urge to break bread, I set off into the lanes of Saket hunting for something that could satiate my spewing hunger for food- probably a smoked burgers in Delhi or something of that like.

It was then that I sniffed something of my delight.  Huddled together in a peculiar place and bearing the look that was different to what I get to see normally, I strolled inside Smoke House Deli. Crammed in the lanes of Saket, this all quirky restaurant soothes. It was the delectable decor of the place that I almost forgot what I was there for in the first place. It took my about 10 minutes to breathe in the ambience, and honestly, even that was not enough.

A few moments later I glanced at the menu. Just a glimpse was enough to get a taste of what SHD serves- anything and everything that your taste buds might not have tripped onto before. While I was randomly looking at the menu items, one of them managed to hold my gaze- Eggs Benedict. While I had heard about them a lot of times, I couldn’t ever get the chance to gorge on them. Going by the popular opinion, I ordered a plate and started waiting in excitement for it.

The ensemble of it a few minutes later hinted that I had actually ordered something divine. The fat slices of ham, nicely toasted English Muffins clothed in Hollandaise sauce did cast a spell. The eggs melted in mouth, quite literally. The heaven- licious taste was hard to get enough of. So was the monsoon-ish touch that fuelled the craving!

Beat Morning Blues With Tangy Smoothies

It’s no secret that everyone likes savouring well-cooked food, but there’s a world of difference in taste and preferences of an individual. On one hand wherein vegetarian food taste divine, conversely for others nothing can ever surpass delighting taste of non-vegetarian food. Similar to this, if an individual is a diehard Best cocktails in delhi lover, others like relishing extra-ordinary taste of mock-tails. Be it Best egg benedict or mind blowing mocktail, there’s multitude of options to choose from at restaurants of repute including smoke house deli, hard rock café and Dhaba by Claridges.

Well, having least said, below mentioned is recipe of mind-blowing recipe that can make you feel rejuvenated early morning and you can kick-start your morning refreshingly. Not every smoothy is meant to beat the heat, indeed many smoothies and shakes are rated high on health-card for Breakfast places in Delhi.  The best part is that making lip smacking smoothies is not a time consuming affair, this one is least time consuming and is beneficial for health as well. 

 

Ingredients required:

Banana crushed, half glass of chilled milk, ice cubes, chocolate syrup and honey (if you need it).

Methodology:

It’s as simple as it sound, blend crushed bananas well in mixer, add-in milk, followed by honey (depending on your taste and preference), add choco syrup and put in ice cubes to add that extra flavour. If you are not really comfortable putting in ice cubes, no issues! You can have it the way you feel like relishing. This is all that you need to do and it’s as simple as it sounds.
So, it’s as delicious as it certainly sounds that can be tried on every morning. Well, Best cocktails can be tried on any time but contemporarily when life is nothing less of marathon, we hardly have time for anything. It is very necessary to prioritize health in best way possible.Some more restaurants in khan market delhi.

Mumbai Restaurants And Streets- A Treat To Your Taste Buds

I am a hardcore non vegetarian- almost a fanatic when it comes to gorging on the brilliantly stewed steak and freshly prepared chicken.  For years I have lived with an unsatisfying appetite for chicken and steak, but now that I have shifted to Mumbai, life seems spectacular. Yes, yes, it’s the food I am talking about. The Non-Vegetarian delights, to be more particular!

If there is one thing that I have learned about Mumbai, then it is its magnetizing power to galvanize the non-vegans. I ended up ravaging my taste buds (well, almost) whilst trying the tenderloin steak of every single outlet that ever promised to offer the best tenderloin steak in Chandigarh. And still nothing could quell the spewing penchant to have the best steak – literally the best. And then Smoke House Deli, Mumbai happened.

Smoke House Deli revs up the taste buds through its delectable menu that is littered with some of the coolest non-vegetarian dishes. It is also the one stop destination for binging on Smoked food in Mumbai. If you have been running a marathon to dig up the best restaurant for smoked food in Mumbai, please stop and rest; Smoke House Deli will the rest for you.

Mumbai has been kinder than I thought. Not only did its delectable restaurants cast a spell, its street food put my taste buds on a dance. I couldn’t help but smack my lips at the very sight of Pani Puri and Bhel puri. There is something about Mumbai’s street food that sets it apart from what the normal street joints offer. It’s fresh and the garnishing is creative. If decked up restaurants are not a cup of your tea or coffee, you can just visit a nearby market and satisfy your appetite with the spicy golgappas and bhel puri!

Home Bars And Designs

Turning unused space in a bar??? If so, seems to be a great idea and if not, then it is advised to plan something innovative instead of having usual space. Be it an imitation of Mumbai bars or replication of having food like smoked food in Bangalore, the bottom line is that you should feel good about it! Well, having least said, follow up makes a mention of different set up that can be finalized from while having a home bar:

It’s no hard and fast rule that you must have a specific set up in your home bar; you can be as creative and imaginative as you want. There are umpteen options to choose from and you will come across while searching:

Outdoor Wet Bar: you can always use your imagination and cross the boundaries. No matter how small is your house, you can always use it effectively. Yes, likewise to those innovatively constructed bungalows, you can also set up you own small bar in the backyard or patio area. Teaming it up with an inbuilt barbecue would serve the purpose well. Apart from this, just ascertain to the fact that arrangements are taken care of.

Lighting Options: instead of making it too gorgy to handle, try and have a low-lit ambience so as to create perfect setting. Do not forget the better your bar is lit, the more it will add-on to the fun and style element. Bright and vibrant spotlights may kill the lively essence.
Countertop-concept: if you do not have a spacious area for bar, no worries! Still you can add-in perfection to your bar, for which granite countertop has to be accredited. Apart from this, you have every reason to replicate the acclaimed designs of bars in Mumbai.

What to eat while in Mumbai

While in Mumbai, never miss out on anything. Well, that’s the melody that I have practically crammed; because Mumbai spoils you with choices, quite literally. While many people call Mumbai ruthless, I would aggressively digress. Okay, it might be polluted and terribly crowded. But it takes care of your needs, specially your eating needs like no other Indian City. There are restaurants in Mumbai, and then there are some best restaurants in Mumbai, too.

Be it breakfast, lunch or dinner, Mumbai never fails to surprise. With a never ending slew of some absolutely breathtaking restaurants coming up every other month, the consumers are as good as pushed into a dilemma. Take Baba Ling’s Ling Pavilion in Colaba, for instance which is a Chinese restaurant.

Or wait, correction- It’s one of the most authentic and distinct Chinese restaurant that produces the most authentic and distinct Chinese restaurant. Be its pork soup dumplings, pepper prawns or chilli garlic pomfret or even eggs Benedict that are hard to find anywhere else, everything is equally lip smacking and tongue ravaging.

The next stop, again, can be a tough deal. Even while writing this, I feel slightly baffled! What to write about next?

Probably Sindhudurg at Sena Bhavan. If you ever face a craving to have the best Breakfast spiked with all the typical Maharashtrian elements, Sindhudurg is the place to be. Masalas are freshly brewed and the food has the exquisite element to it. In vegetarian and Non vegetarian both, you will be blessed with ample choices.

If you wish to pamper yourself with a royal ambience, try The Sahib room. It’s an upscale fine dine that would leave you marvelling at its lavish aura. The food is terrific, and creatively cooked. No decoration drama, rather the flavours are tampered with, and for good too!

The list of divine restaurants in Mumbai is eternal, and immortal. The chase to find the best among the best, that even rules out the posh restaurants of Vasant Kunj, the will leave out panting for breath!

Evening Delights :Hot Momos With Tea

So there I was in the middle of my random wanderings which have become a lot more frequent than before. Just out of nowhere, I realized I had ignored my hunger pangs way too long and the sudden craving for food was not unwarranted.

Luckily, I was blessed to be passing by one of the most popular destinations for food in Delhi. Though the place is not entirely familiar to me, I had heard a lot about restaurants in Khan Market being one the hottest of all eatery settings Delhi hosts.

Of course, a lot of it had to do with my old friend Rahul boasting of restaurants in Hauz Khas for a personal fetish for meat and I not being very comfortable his ways of devouring into flesh. Nevertheless, our friendly banters had made us challenge each other on knowledge of local places and in only a few months after meeting at college, we had started hitting it off together and discovering new palates and places to eat.

I stepped out the car and made way up a very small joint selling steaming hot momos. The tiny restaurant in Khan Market had all it takes to be a hotspot except may be ambience.  But for food explorers like me, such places are the best bet for their flavours and the feel of the city.

I had a plateful of those little veg delights arranged neatly in an ordeal fashion, each resting side to side like little white angels. The fiery red sauce spread casually on the sides, interspersed with a bit of white mayonnaise was the perfect blend.

As around the cup of hot tea, shooting off a strong aroma of cardamom based masala, the mini-meal was complete. And it was Rahul standing next to me, grinning ear to ear at us bumping into each other, the reason for which was our shared love for food.

Burger Bonanza

Busting a myth most humbly, I would begin by saying, a foodie is not known by a big belly they can’t help but by the number of eateries they have visited and explored in their most sacred food quest. It is a marvel in true terms  when they know, how best fit is pakoda’s for rains with chutney or a smoked lamb burger with lots of cheese, perennially  with of course the obvious knowledge of the best joints and restaurants which serves these in the entire city.

Walking to the metro, munching in office or enjoying your favorite TV show, burger in Delhi is a national food, bewitching and delightful. Apart from it being convenient to carry around, you can pick the ingredients, to savor it accordingly. If calories bother you, prepare it the healthy way. Since my calorie count permits me, my personal prized is a smoked lamb burger, possibly one of the driving forces in my life after kebabs. After evident exaggerations, I can’t help confessing even the mention takes me down the memory lane when I was still treating myself to Delhi and its ways and food.

Before moving to Delhi, I did hear volume about its street food with golgappas and burger topping the chart. Burger in Delhi is a merry mix of desi vada pav and hamburger from Germany. As interesting as it sounds, so its flavors do not fail you. Something as simple and cheap as that, has become my share of happiness during my stay in town. Delhi in general always offers something or the other to its dwellers, the warmth of its people is reflected deeply in the taste this city offers. More than its palatability, the city’s food is the first mnemonic I have registered to my memory, the first encounter I had with the place.

Visit Khan Market And Hauz Khas For Some Real Taste!

If you are one those people who seeks solace in the refreshingly dingy lanes of Hauz Khas and Khan Market- congratulations, you have a brilliantly classy taste.

Yes, the streets are dingy and dark, and the roads muddied with pebbles and dirt. Yet, Hauz Khas and Khan Market are considered to be the most elite markets of Delhi. Wonder why? Plan out a weekend getaway at any of its restaurant, and you would surely get your answer. 

Restaurants in Hauz Khas are brimming with name and fame. It’s a throbbing hub where people are setting up their restaurants. And believe me, they are no normal restaurants. The moment you set your foot into them, you would experience the magic of its creativity- restaurants in Hauz Khas are artistic and prolific in their own way. 

The Flipside Cafe, for instance, casts a spell on its consumers through its enchanting ambience. It is most popular for its cakes that you would set your taste buds into turbulence. Another bakery famous for its cakes at Hauz Khas is Elma’s Bakery. It’s a pretty little doll house that would shower on you some of its sumptuous delights. From tea to cakes, the aroma and the taste will leave you craving for more.

Another market that happens to share the same spot as Hauz Khas is the Khan Market. Restaurants in Khan Market are a delight of another magnitude. You would normally find a Khan market restaurant slightly more expensive than its some other market counterpart, but the ambience will be worth those few extra bucks, for sure! Khan Market will pump up your tastes, from good to the best- because that’s what Khan Market is famous for! Khan Chacha is a never-miss delicacy; once you tread your foot into the Khan Territory, make sure you don’t come back without having Khan Chacha serve you!

Here’s How I Came Well-Fed From Old Delhi -part (2)

In conjunction to my last post, titled as Delhi and its own magnificent charm, I have a lot more to make you guys feel pity on me and laugh it out!

Finally, I decided to go to a best breakfast restaurant, but whether I was really right or not, will get to know soon. In old delhi, wherein there’s hardly space where people could walk through freely, it was a next to impossible thing for me to find a good restaurant. All I could see here was stalls and thela walas. There were two people making egg parathas on their thelas, but it looked as if the both of them were carrying some precious gems with them and were bagging it off right there. I could figure out more than 40 people lined up there. I did not had balls to stand anymore, but the tantalizing aroma of spices resisted me. I stood there for an hour and finally managed to get 2 egg parathas, which were reasonable enough. I thought one won’t suffice so I ordered for two. But that was it! The mind blowing taste was enough to make me forget that I have had to stand for half an hour. Parathas were really heavy, couldn’t think of jumping to the second one, but was helpless enough to throw it also, so packed it. for the reason that I could not even dare stand in the queue again, I did not took it for my friend, who was frowning at me like never before. Finally…this is how I came back well-fed. I managed to cool down his anger by giving the piece of paratha that I have had with me.

Now comes the real fun, Aniket, my friend and me were up for a one day outing. He took me to different spots including India Gate, Qutab Minar, Raj Ghat, Lajpat market. It was hectic but very much worth it like the parathas. For the reason that I kept poking him that there are no restaurants here in Delhi like Mumbai yaa…but it’s okay…I repeated it twice. Well, my intention-fun-complain resulted in sweet results. He took me to a restaurant in khan market followed by restaurant in hauz khas, which personified luxury. Each and everything varying from food to ambience was just perfect and I was dumbstruck with the same!

It was a great trip two-day-trip to Delhi and feel like visiting to this lively land soon. first part

Dieting From A Foodie’s Journal

‘Eat healthy and eat well’- somehow this is a phrase I have difficulty to stomach in. ‘A foodie’s soul can never be chained by diet restrictions’- now this is something more refreshing and practical. It sounds good, isn’t it? 

However, before you dig into your favourite mound of cheese, inspired by the above notion, how about considering a mid-way out? Well, after I started getting worried about the rounding belly and the cringing foodie in me under the weight of a diet, a friend of mine came to my rescue. He helped me work out a reasonable diet that kept my doctor and senses happy. And now I am happily enjoying my burgerin Delhi without a hint of guilt.  

Well, if you are not planning up for some massive six pack crunchers, a moderation in your present insane consumption might be all you need. I do not say that you will have to live without your smoked lamb burger, but all I say is how about subtracting the mayonnaise and adding an extra lettuce leaf. Simple maths you see. And instead of indulging every second day, let’s just keep such treats for Saturday lunch. 

Another favorite part of mine in this lovely diet design is that I have the leverage to satiate my sweet tooth every second day. Desserts are the loveliest portion of a meal and the reason I used to wait for dinner to get over. But lately, after I feasted on my favorite extra cheese pizza I had to eventually sacrifice my dessert under the guilt. But not anymore, with carefully calculated calorie intake I can take a small healthy dessert every second day and a wholesome one once a week.

So, actually when worked out wisely, a diet doesn’t have to be all bad. Treat yourself with your favorite delicacies often enough but not regularly, so that your health allows you to enjoy them over a longer period of time.