Bandra, Food, Launch, Lebanese, Maroosh, Mughlai, Preview, Salads

Maroosh is now MM! Maroosh

2 Comments

Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Maroosh. Famous for their wraps, rolls and shawarmas, in addition to their Mughlai fare, Maroosh is a popular post-partying-drinking haunt. Ideal for grabbing a roll on the move, they have established themselves as a popular Lebanese fast food chain across the city. In fact the owner of Maroosh, Ketan Kadam, decided to launch Maroosh because people were looking for a place to grab a quick bite after a night of partying at his famous night club.

The popularity of Maroosh over the years has recently led to them revamping the brand as MM! Maroosh. Mumbai Food Lovers were invited to the recent opening of their reinvented Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) at Bandra Reclamation.  In addition they launch a take away at Shivaji Park, Dadar and kiosks at PVR Cinemas across the city, planning to have 30 revamped MM! Maroosh outlets by the end of this year.

The menu includes Lebanese food like shawarmas, falafel, hummus with pita bread, and Lebanese salads. Indian fare such as wraps, starters and a few mains are on the menu too. The restaurant is brightly done up in cheery yellow and white. I loved the fun vibe to the entire place. Even the food is served in kitschy wrapping paper, interesting take away containers and trays. They even have yellow Vespas to home deliver your orders. I loved the new feel to the place. This new look and feel is intended keeping in mind their idea for Pan-Asian expansion.

The MM! Maroosh Prototype Restaurant

They’ve launched three new dishes to the menu, out of which, the Baked Falafel Wrap was my favourite dish of the night. Succulent falafel pieces, crunchy vegetables, and hummus that were enveloped in a wrap. Go try this new addition to the menu!

Baked Falafel Wrap

However, the Falafel Salad we tasted was not as good. It contained falafel, veggies, and hummus. I found the falafel a bit crumbly, and not as good as the ones I tasted in the wrap. The Paneer Shawarma was average. I wish the paneer pieces were a bit spicier. Overall the shawarma was slightly bland.

The Paneer Tikka Roll however compensated for this. Succulent, spicy paneer tikka pieces wrapped in a roomali roti and this was served with lovely, mint chutney on the side. I also loved the hummus platter with pita bread. Three hummus types: Garlic, Sundried Tomato, and Jalapeno were served in containers, which makes it perfect to eat on the go. All three went perfectly with the toasted Pita bread. The Sundried Tomato Hummus was exceptionally good, and we scooped off the entire dish.

The other new dish of the night was the Chicken Tikka Shawarma. I’m replacing my regular shawarma with this one. Perfect combination of two popular favourites: Chicken Tikka and Shawarma. The chicken in this was the perfect spicy, tikka flavour. 

Chicken Tikka Shawarma

The Chicken Hummus Salad was all that is contained in a shawarma, without the outer pita wrap. So if you want to do the healthier version of a shawarma, this is for you. Not that this is too healthy, but still. (On a random thought I wonder if we get whole wheat shawarmas anywhere. Anyone knows?)

Another favourite dish of mine that night was the Chicken Bhuna roll. The chicken stuffing was similar to chicken makhanwala. So this roll was basically a portable Butter Chicken- Roomali Roti. Absolutely yummy, despite the excess oil. 

Overall MM!Maroosh retains the qualities it was known for: easy, take-away, delicious, filling, Lebanese food. All of this in a revamped avatar!  Sometimes, the sequel can be better than the original, as proved in this case. Maroosh or MM!Maroosh , we know where to get our fill of shawarmas and rolls late at night!

Bandra: (Sit-Down)
Address: mm! maroosh (Reclamation) – Shop No. 14, Ground Floor, Building No. c3 (Kosamba), ONGC Residential Complex, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra (W) – 50Restaurant Contact Details: 9819844933

Dadar: (Take-Away)
Address:mm! maroosh (Shivaji Park) – Plot No. 120, Shop No. 7, Shakuntal Building, Keluskar Road, Shivaji Park, Dadar (W), Mumbai – 28

PS: Sincere apologies for lack of photos in this post. Lost phone, no backup, long story! Promise to make it up with excessive photographs in the next. Cheers!

Continue Reading

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

Poppaddum Anyone?

2 Comments

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.

Continue Reading

Cleanse, Fitness, Healthy, Juice, Review

Juicing It Out….Literally!

4 Comments

God knows I needed a detox. God knows I needed to cleanse. All this eating out, writing blog posts, uploading food pictures on Instagram, and tweeting food reviews can take a toll. Weight gain, heaviness, and breakouts on my skin began to happen. So much so, that my face began to resemble a constellation on a night sky. Detox was the need of the hour. And when I read about Raw Pressery’s juice cleanse program, I knew I had to do this!

About Raw Pressery: The company which launched last year basically offers juice packages to suit ones daily needs. They make India’s first raw pressed juices. Raw pressing is basically hydraulic technology that involves naturally extracting the juice, without involving any air or water to even come in contact with the juice. This preserves the nutrients and ensures the juices are as fresh as possible. Read more on www.rawpressery.com

About the Raw Cleanse: Apart from offering monthly juice packages, where juices are recommended to you as per your needs, and then delivered home, they also offer juice cleanse packages. It basically is a day where you detox, and survive on juice the entire day. The juices fulfill your nutritional needs, so you’re not really starving or deprived. They recommend eating light a few days prior to prepare your system. On the cleanse day, they advise drinking loads of water and fluids to flush the system. Read more about the Raw Cleanse here

Continue Reading

Asian, BKC, Desserts, Dinner, Food, Healthy, Review, Salads, Sofitel Hotel, Tasting, Vietnam

A Taste of Vietnam in Mumbai

2 Comments

This blog is about Vietnamese food at a place called Pondicherry Cafe, in Bandra. Geographical disorientation, much? Vietnam has always been on my bucket list of places I want to visit. So when the Sofitel Hotel in Bandra Kurla Complex, hosted a Vietnamese food festival, and invited me to come sample some of the fare, I was elated. I could now cross off Vietnamese food from my bucket list. Vietnam nahi, khana toh sahi. Vietnamese food is known for using fresh, raw produce with tons of local seafood. The food is simple in preparation and taste. 

The Vietnamese Food Festival was held at Pondicherry Cafe, Sofitel Hotel, BKC till the 3rd of June. The menu was specially curated and prepared by Chef Dao Van Son, Executive Sous Chef at Hotel Sofitel Saigon Plaza, Ho Chi Minh. We were lucky to not only get to taste his food, but also meet him and talk to him about Vietnamese food and his passion for cooking. 

Pondicherry Cafe is done up with the most beautiful drapes, gigantic armchairs, and warm colors. In the middle of the regular buffet spread, we got a sneak peak at a traditional, Vietnamese food stall.

Continue Reading

Beauty, Freebies, Makeup, Malad, Review, Skincare

An Afternoon with Kiehl’s and Branded Bawi

No Comments

Kiehl’s is synonymous with skincare. Established in New York in 1851, they’ve been providing skincare solutions to women (and men) all over the world. Ever since they have launched in India, they’ve fast become a name to reckon with in beauty and skincare. I have been a fan of their products, because they are natural yet scientific in origin. In fact I always have my Kiehl’s lip balm on me at all times. 

When Kiehl’s called me to organise an ‘Afternoon with Kiehl’s’ at their Malad store, I was elated. Now I had heard of this concept before, and was even invited to one which I was unfortunately unable to attend. The concept is loads of fun. It basically involves bringing together a group of 10-12 women, over an afternoon of skin consultations, product trials, and finger foods.  Invitations were sent out, and the word was spread.

Mini Event Emailer Branded Bawi-Inorbit-2
An Afternoon with Kiehl’s Invite
Continue Reading