It’s that time of the month again. It’s time for my February food favourites, where I list down the restaurants I ate at, and the dishes I tried that were memorable enough to make the cut this month. Now February may have only 28 days, but that did not deter me from eating my way across the city to bring you my February food favourites.

1. If you want to bring the boys to the yard – Keventers, Carter Road

The notifications on my phone went berserk after I Instagramed my Keventers milkshake bottle on their launch night at Carter Road. I was returning back from my evening walk and decided to undo the past hour’s hard work with a thick shake from here. With barely any buzz or fanfare, Delhi’s favourite family milkshake store launched their first Mumbai outlet. The menu spans fruit-based shakes, indulgent thick shakes and a few warm beverages. The shakes are all served in their trademark milk bottles, which you can take home, which excited me as much as the milkshake did. The Mumbai-inspired Keventers bottles have the Gateway of India, Bandra Worli Sea Sink, the Taj Mahal hotel and other landmark structures embossed on the exterior. 

The shakes are delicious, refreshing and homely. I tried the Strawberry Fields – a beautiful strawberry and chocolate fusion.  Not saccharine sweetness or extra thickness; very unlike the sort of shakes one finds at joints nowadays. Was the shake good? Yes! Was it worth all the excitement that people around me seemed to be exuding? Not sure. But then again I am not a Delhi kid, and I truly understand the value of childhood nostalgia. Keventers is a classic, and for all the right reasons.

Keventers, Shop 9, Building B, Gagangiri Premises Co-Operative Society Ltd., Carter Road, Bandra West.

2. Best New Biryani Delivery Joint – Bombay Biryani, Bandra

This should be a permanent award category considering the number of biryani delivery joints mushrooming all over the city. What makes Bombay Biryani different is the sheer number of biryani varieties on offer. Apart from your run-off-the-mill dum and tikka varieties, here you’ll find some innovative versions such as the Murg Mussallam biryani, Lollypop biryani, and a biryani named after a certain Tony Paaji.

Both the biryanis we ordered from them, came packaged firmly in plastic boxes and accompanied by a burhani raita and sliced onions. 

The Murg Mussalam Biryani was an interesting ‘Bombay’ style biryani with loads of masala, chunks of boneless spicy chicken interspersing the rice, topped with some grated egg on top. Their USP is the Chicken Lollipop Biryani and rightly so! It’s a wonderful amalgamation of desi with Indian chinese. The masala in the biryani has a shezwan like taste to it, with lollipop pieces dunked in the rice. Cannot wait to try out some of the other biryanis they have on offer considering their VFM pricing and generous portion sizes.

Bombay Biryani, 12-A, St. Peter’s Road, Next to St. Peter’s Church, Off Hill Road, Bandra West

3. If you want to buy yourself a present – Taste Case by ShopHop

You know what I love more than monthly subscription boxes? Monthly subscription boxes focused around food! ShopHop‘s monthly subscription box called Taste Case focuses on highlighting natural, artisanal or homegrown food brands from across the country each month. This is a wonderful way to try new products, and discover the stories of the home chefs behind each brand. 

What I loved about the February Taste Case was that most of the products were organic and centered around wellness. This month’s Taste Case comprised of products from Brown Salt Bakery, My Mom’s Granola, Exotic Healthy Bites and Circa Dried Fruits and Frozen Meals. I wish they’d put in information regarding the prices of the items received within the box, which would further help customers make informed purchases. The next time I want to buy myself a surprise gift, I know what I’m getting.

You can find more details regarding Taste Case here.

4. If you’re in the mood to experiment – Pizza Burst Dosa at Food Bites, Borivali

This unassuming, little snack shop in Borivali is perpetually thronging with people who’re looking for a twist to their regular dosas, idlis, and pav bhajis. Food Bites isn’t for the purists or the hipsters, it’s for people who unabashedly love their street food and wouldn’t mind seeing (and eating) the old classics in a new avatar. 

 Here you’ll find some crazy dishes like an Italian Pav Bhaji, Chocolate Dosa, Pasta in White Sauce Dosa, Cheese Schezwan Vegetable Idli…you get the drift.

But the popular Pizza Burst Dosa warrants an order here. The ‘pizza’ base is a thin, crisp dosa. The toppings include pizza sauce, sweet corn, capsicum, tomatoes, oregano, chilli flakes and copious amounts of grated (Amul) cheese. The chutney on the side is redundant, this one must be devoured like you would devour a pizza. Good stuff!

Food Bites, Shop No B/1, Ma Krupa Building, Shimpoli Road, Borivali West, Mumbai

5. If you want to party till you drop – Drop, Bandra

Bandra’s longstanding nightclub Royalty was recently replaced by Drop – a gastropub that converts into a nightclub as the evening progresses. The large space is dimly lit, with clearly demarcated sections for dining, drinking, and partying. Their USP is their intelligent pricing during the weekdays where beer prices start at a measly 100 bucks. I am not sure how having two menus depending on the day of the week and time of the day will work among patrons, but I believe a lot of clubs work like that.

I tried a few cocktails on the menu including the refreshing Watermelon Mojito, and a Red Wine Sangria served in a glass the size of my fist. Their Polenta Crusted Chicken served with a sticky glaze made for a perfect bar snack. The pizzas here have a thin base and are perfect to nibble along with your drinks.

Drop, G1/B, Krystal Building, Below Hakkassan, Waterfield Road, Linking Road, Bandra West

6. If you’re looking for a ‘paan’ty pal – Yamu’s Panchayat

(Now, normally I would never cover a ‘paan parlour’ on this blog, but I am just so amused that a place like this has been in existence since so long without any of us knowing.)

Yamu’s Panchayat claims to be India’s first paan parlour. I walked into their Bandra Reclamation outlet one evening craving meetha paan. And meetha paan I got. Seven different varieties of it to be precise, not including their chocolate paan and flavoured paan options. Here you can customize your paan, playing around with fillings and toppings to create a version unlike any other. We stuck to their fixed menu, ordering the Nakhrewali – a meetha paan stuffed with coconut, dates, saunf, and silver vark on top, and the Mehfil-e-khaas stuffed with dates and supari. Ignore the cheesy names, and give the paan enthusiast within you a treat!

You can find an outlet closest to you here. Branches present in Bandra Reclamation, Andheri Lokhandwala, Versova, and Borivali.

(The author dined anonymously and paid for her own meals at Keventers Milkshakes, Food Bites, and Yamu’s Panchayat. The author was invited to review Bombay Biryani, Taste Case by ShopHop and Drop. As always, the views are unbiased and her own.)