Bandra, Food, Hungry Duck at Pali, Review

Hungry Duck at Pali – Can a Restaurant Flourish Without Marketing?

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Last week post my round of avocado scouting in Pali market, I saw a tiny restaurant nestled away inside Pali village. The Hungry Duck at Pali situated in a tiny lane after Janta bar, can easily be missed especially if you’re not proficient with Bandra by-lanes. The next day I dragged Bee down there for dinner, after a quick Zomato search brought out some wonderful reviews. Selling points included the words – roast tongue, Messi burger, and grilled chicken. 

The space is tiny. An open kitchen counter ensures you can smell the meat aromas wafting through the kitchen – no complaints there. The menu is exhaustive and covers meat of every kind – buff, pork, chicken, and the namesake duck – in dishes of every kind – roast, grilled, chops, sandwiches, and burgers the size of your face.

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BKC, Food, Not Really Indian, NRI, Review

NRI, BKC – Indian or Not Really Indian?

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I love restaurants that tell me a story with their food. Restaurants that transport you to a different place or time, with food that enriches and enlightens. Which is what happened when I dined at Not Really Indian – shortened to NRI – the newest addition to the ever increasing list of restaurants opening in BKC.

I learnt about the lineage of dishes such as South African Bunny Chow, and a Caribbean Goat Curry. I tasted dishes such as the Mamak Lamb Chops, for an authentic taste of which I’d have to travel to Malaysia.

This is the entire concept of twice Michelin starred chef Atul Kocchar’s new flagship restaurant – Indian food that has traveled out of the country. This is the food that migrating Indians took abroad with them, and started hybridizing with ingredients and cooking techniques of their new home. Thus, the food is Indian but Not Really Indian!

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Alcohol, Dadar, Desserts, Launch, Pizza, Preview, restaurant, Review, Terttulia

Terttulia: Preview

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There are new restaurants launching left, right, and center in this city, but very rarely have I been as excited for the arrival of a new place as much as I have been for Terttulia. Terttulia is one of Pune’s iconic restaurants known for their relaxed, brunch-y vibe, sangrias and delicious pizzas. I remember visiting the Pune outlet a while ago and I fell in love with the place. I was thrilled to hear that they were all set to launch in the city shortly and I was hoping they would live upto the sky-high standard they have already established for themselves. 

We were lucky to have been invited to a special preview of the place, before it opens to public on Sunday, July 13th. Situated prominently at Shivaji Park, I think the location is definitely going to work in its favour because there aren’t many fine dine options in that area. Also it’s midway between South Mumbai and the suburbs, so either group doesn’t have to travel too far. 

Ambiance: I was in love with the place the minute I stepped through that door. Dining out is not just about the food and having the perfect decor contributes immensely to the experience. I think Terttulia nails that aspect completely. The restaurant has a chic vibe, with armchairs, ornate chandeliers, and curios sourced from vintage shops. My favorite was the Casio keyboard mounted on the lower half of a sewing machine. 

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Contest Win, Home Cooking, Lunch, Review

Foodees Tiffin Service: Review

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Eating lunch at work becomes such a hassle for me sometimes. Some days I leave home too early in the morning to be able to take a dabba. Eating in the canteen becomes pretty monotonous since its hospital food at its best. Ordering in everyday turns out to be expensive and time consuming. So I was looking for a dabba service for lunch since a long time. 

I knew about the Foodees Tiffin Service since a while since I’ve been following them on twitter and even visited their website once or twice. I’ve been wanting to try out their food but hadn’t got around to doing so. As luck would have it, I won a twitter contest they conducted recently and got to try out their tiffin service for lunch for a week. Woohoo!

On a Saturday prior I got a mail mentioning the entire menu for the following week. I had to undergo the tough job of deciding what I wanted to eat on which day. Mouth was watering already! They offer a number of set meal options from salads, sandwiches to Indian Veg/ Non Veg meals to continental Veg/Non Veg meals. I decided to try all that they offer. 

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Bandra, Cooking, Desserts, Home Cooking, Lunch, Review, South Indian, Tasting, Thali

Poppaddum Anyone?

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I love Mumbai city for the sheer number of people from different caste, creed, and religion who inhabitate it, each rendering a different flavor to the culture of the city. This is reflected in the different food and cuisines that are available in abundance. South Indian food goes far beyond idlis and dosas, and luckily we have a few, landmark restaurants to prove that. 

Mahim and Fort areas are home to a number of hidden gems, that have been serving up traditional Malayali food since years. Especially since there are so many people from the state of Kerala that have made Mumbai their home. But when you’re looking for traditional, home cooked Malayali food, your neighbors or friends house is your best bet. And even if those options are not available then a concept like ‘Poppaddum’ comes to the rescue.

What is Poppaddum?

A concept initiated by Sneha Nair; whose profession is economic research and passion is cooking. She put her flair for cooking traditional, Malayali, home food to good use through Poppaddum. It is basically a pop-up restaurant that she hosts every Sunday at her place and serves some delicious food that she whips up. It is a fun concept where not only do you get to try out some traditional Kerala cuisine but also get to meet some interesting, like-minded foodies.

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