Friday, April 24, 2009

Mochamojo

Classic Corner Building, Next to Holy Family Hospital, Hill Road, Bandra (W), Mumbai - 50.

The former Mocha Bandra has recently reopened with a new name ‘Mochamojo’ . The CafĂ© has been given a makeover, and how! Retro is the flavor used, with bright psychedelic colors and print adorning one wall and Warhol type cartoon strips adorning another. The rear of an ambassador car has been converted into a sofa
Mochamojo
even as a cozy red fur lined cubicle is tucked away into a corner. The seating outside was eclectic as well, with a swing set and some pretty eye catching furniture spread around.

The descriptive and colorful Menu, which has a vinyl record for the cover, is a delight to go through. Menu: Mochamojo
The food and drinks have only got better.
I had a Bailey’s Irish Cream shake (Rs 135) and a Multigrain Bread Chicken Panini (Rs 165) both of which were super-yum!

They serve their smoothies and juices in jam jars which we thought was a cute touch.
Pink Lemonade: Mochamojo
Smoothie: Mochamojo
Their unusual custom made cutlery was another thing we noticed, and found delightful.

Regular water is served in a bottle with a sprig of basil in it.

Service was good; with attentive waiters who guided us through the vast menu and helped us choose the right dishes.

Mochamojo is vibrant explosion of color that delights you with every discovery you make.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Sammy Sosa

Shop N0 18, Meera CHS, Oshiwara Link Road, Near Mega Mall, Andheri (W)
Phone: 65278722/8744.


Cuisine: Mexican and Continental.

Serve Alcohol: Yes

Valet Parking: No

Ambience:A small and cozy little restaurant, with two levels on the inside and the option of open air seating on the outside. They play good music which, when coupled with all the talk around, does get a tad noisy when the restaurant fills up. A strategically placed flat screen TV played the IPL match while we were there which had most eyes glued to the television and most mouths glued to draft beer. Seating is really close but comfortable.

Service: The service was great. The slim slat-like menu is descriptive. (Going through the menu was like reading a very interesting book :) The waiters, dressed in cowboy hats, are prompt and polite. The Maitre de was conversant and we loved his recommendations. The owner, Samrat Kapoor, is a lively presence as when he wasn’t stopping by every table to exchange a few words, he was whizzing around the restaurant busily checking the orders or placing them. Our desserts took a while to arrive and the waiting time was studded with profuse apologies from the Maitre De and the owner.

What we ate and drank:
Starters;

Nachos Chico’s (Rs 120) Cheese nachos and chilli and with sour cream and salsa dip on the side (The crispest, most delectable Nachos I’ve had in a while)

Charmulla. Chicken slices coated in thick coriander sauce, served on individual skewers (Rs 180. 6 skewers) (The distinctive sauce made this dish really outstanding)

Main Course:
Rick Onion Chicken (Rs 230) Chicken slices suffused in Onion sauce with boiled potato disks smothered in sour cream and onion sauce on the side (HEAVEN!)

Mama’s Enchilada (Rs 190) Chicken and beans with sour cream and salsa dip on the side (This was okaish. Found it to be a wee bit dry)

Ranchado Chicken (Rs 220) Chicken bathed in tangy dressing with Mexican rice, with just the perfect hint of sweetness, on the side. (Unusual and delish!)

Mama Sita Chica (Rs 240) Chicken with mushrooms covered with a medium spicy sauce on a bed of Mexican rice and mashed potatoes in sour cream and onion sauce on the side. (Really good)

Desserts:
Mud pie with ice cream (Rs 130) Piping-hot scrambled mud pie served in a martini glass with a table spoon sized scoop of vanilla ice cream (Delightful! Though a regular sized scoop of vanilla would have worked better)

Belgian Delight (Rs 130) A layer of brownie sandwiched between two pancakes and generously drizzled with chocolate sauce (Loved the unusual dessert!)

Virgin Kiwi Margarita (Rs 130) (Really good)

Pepsi (Rs 30)

Total Bill for 4: Rs 1800 (including the VAT charge of Rs 200 @12.5%)

All the dishes were presented beautifully. The portion sizes were really good. The chicken used in all the dishes was succulent and the cheese they used was simply delicious.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Royal China

192, Turner Road, Bandra (W) Mumbai – 400-050. Ph – 26425533, 26425111, 67049553

Serve Alcohol: Yes

Parking: Valet available

Ambience: Plush, spacious,comfortable and serene. Beige and red are the basic colors used with a dash of purple adding some more color. The restaurant is warmly lit which adds to the decor. Comfortable furniture is spaced apart well, through the two levels of this restaurant.

Service:Quick, efficient, intelligent and courteous. While placing the order my friend mentioned she was allergic to seafood and would prefer vegetarian, to us. The Maitre de taking our order made it a point to specify if seafood or eggs were a part of any of the dishes we were considering ordering. ‘The Mud pie contains egg, Ma’am, I think you should know’ made us smile.

What we ate and drank:
Creamy Sweet Corn Soup (Rs 275) (Nice)
Thai Veg Tung Yum Soup (Rs 215) (Nicer)
Chicken with Vegetable Clear Soup (Rs 225) (Nicest, and very filling)

Starters were;Stir-Fried Chicken with Chilli (Rs 375) (Finger licking good!)
Dim-Sum: Chicken Cheung Fun (Rs 285. 3 pieces) (Good)

Main course was;Sauteed Chicken with Chilli (Rs 395) (Very nice, but tasted a lot like the stir-fried chicken starter)
Greens with Black Mushroom (Rs 400) (Really nice, if you love your mushrooms)
Chicken Fried Rice (Rs 350) (Delish)

Dessert of the day:Mudpie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (Rs175) (Y.U.M.M.Y)
Caramel Custard (Rs 175) (A wee bit eggy, felt some)

Coke (Rs 60)

Total: Rs 3,106 (including a 6%(Rs 176) service charge) for 4 people

The delicious aromas that emanated from the food whetted our appetites even as we were being served. The dishes were garnished and presented well and the portion sizes were good. They are known for their dim-sums and though the dim sum was good, I’ve had better.