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Jaipur Diaries: Part 2 (Food & More Food), Zone By The Park, Jaipur Best Places for Food

Jaipur Diaries: Part 2 (Food & More Food)

Jaipur Diaries: Part 2 (Food & More Food)

Well if you haven’t read my part 1 yet, go HERE. And if you have, we talk about the 2nd main thing in Jaipur now, the food!

I had a fulfilling breakfast at The Bazaar at Zone by the Park in Jaipur for 2 days.

Also I am very picky about my tea, and it was perfect, just the way I like it! They serve it a mini Parle G and some crispies.

They do have buffet options for both lunch and dinner, hubby went with the buffet once. I went with a-la-carte coz I like to try different things.

I tried the Caesar Salad and Zone Chilli Cheese Khakhra Toast the first day, loved both the khakhra was real spicy and not for the faint hearted 😀

Ordered Biryani for room service once and loved it too, perfect blend of spices and served with raita, just the way a biryani is meant to be.

And also tried the Alfredo Pasta once

Not much of a fun, coz I like my pasta more cheesy. I wanted to try their wood fired pizzas which are their speciality but there was some technical issue in the oven and I could not, my bad luck!

Other items I tried were Veg. Dumplings & Noodles with Honey Chilli Potatoes, Mango Blueberry Panna Cotta, Gajar Ka Halwa and Moong Dal Halwa. I found the dumplings a bit under cooked, absolutely loved the honey chilli potatoes. The artificial mango taste killed the panna cotta but it was not the season, so can’t blame them. Love their Indian desserts, moong dal halwa and gajar ka halwa were terrific!

I recommend their buffet and Indian sweets apart from the pizzas, salads, biryani and breakfast of course is included in the stay. I saw many people visiting just at the Bazaar restaurant for the dining experience too.

Few other places that are a must visit in Jaipur when it comes to food are:

Doodh Mishtan Bhandar (DMB Sweets) for sweets of course and kachoris, mirchi wadas, all farsans are equally good.

Rawat Sweets, for their Pyaaz Kachori! They are mind blowing, even got them packed. And rest of the sweets plus ghevar, got all packed! Mawa Kachori is also good if you like sweet stuff, a little too sweet for me. The stuffed khandvi was the best! Hated the lassi, full of essence and way too sweet.

Chokhi Dhani, you cannot not come here when in Jaipur. It’s an experience in itself, a little pricey at Rs.900/- per plate, but it includes an entire experience of seeing around. You can do activities like boating, camel riding, or playing games, buying stuff,etc., at an extra cost. But looking around, watching the dances and shows, and the different historical and religious places recreated is all included in the entry. The food is amazing, authentic and pure Marwadi food full of ghee! The way they serve and feed you is amazing.

Coming back to Zone by the Park, they also have a mini infinity pool, a rooftop bar, a gym and a spa. They have a separate club area which they were making sound proof and the work would have been completed before 31st Dec.

Rooftop Restaurant & Bar

I also tried a spa service, went for the Swedish Body Massage as I wanted something with light pressure coz of my back and leg fractures. The masseuse was very gentle and I felt completely relaxed. I was a bit nervous at first since this was the first body massage post the accident, but she was quite light with her hands and I loved it! She used lemongrass oil for the body massage and it also covered head massage. My body felt light and skin felt super hydrated even in that cold climate, post bath too and without any additional moisturizer.

Swedish Body Massage at Zone By The Park Spa

I do recommend trying out the spa services too and burning all the calories from the yummy food at the gym or by swimming! You have so much to do in Jaipur outside and within the hotel too!

This was one memorable trip for me!

Have you been to Jaipur? Tried all the yummy food?

Food Review: Lunch Buffet & Cocktails at O22, Trident BKC

Food Review: Lunch Buffet & Cocktails at O22, Trident BKC

Hi guys,

It was my husband’s birthday yesterday and we went to O22 at Trident BKC. We had buffet and there was a special cocktails promotion going on, so I tried one cocktail too, hubby did not since he had a doctor’s appointment later on.

I loved how the lunch buffet was a good mix from Indian to continental to a hint of street food. A perfect balance of veg and non veg dishes when it came to main course. Only when it came to desserts, there were just 2 options in eggless and there was ice cream, where as rest 10 options were all with egg 🙁

I made this small vlog, I hope you like it..

The veg and non veg salad options were equal and both had a separate dedicated table. One table was just all types of cheese and crackers.

I loved the salads. We were served Paneer Tikka and some Kebabs as appetizers, but they went cold by the time we went to get the salads. We did not get it exchanged though, hubby did not want to have the appetizers, I had one of each to try. I liked the Paneer Tikka but not the kebab.

There was a live Pav Bhaji counter where the chef made it fresh for everyone. And it was the best and yummiest Pav Bhaji I had ever had!! I had that twice, couldn’t resist 😀

Yummiest Pav Bhaji

The main course was ok, I did not have much of it. I liked the tomato rice.

I had this ‘Red Arrow’ cocktail which was a blend of strawberries, cranberry and basil with a hint of white balsamic in Ciroc vodka. It was refreshing with the perfect hint of vodka blended in the flavours.

Red Arrow

When it came to desserts, there was Fresh Fruit Cake and Lychee Baked Yogurt in eggless. I tried those and Honey Crunch ice cream. Loved the Lychee Baked Yogurt, cake was light and fluffy but I would have loved more fruits in it. Ice cream was very creamy with perfect sugar, not being over sweet.

Lychee Pista Baked Yogurt, Fresh Fruit Cake

They got me Tiramisu and Gelato in eggless option. I have had it before and it tasted exactly the same.The best Tiramisu I have ever had. (had it only here before :D) Coffee and mascarpone was balanced, again not over sweet, light and fluffy, just the way it should be. And with the perfect presentation of course.

Tiramisu & Gelato

Overall, an amazing lunch and I would definitely recommend the lunch buffet at O22 whenever you are around and searching a buffet option. I would love to try their Sunday brunch the next time.

Lunch Buffet Price: Rs.2050/- + taxes per person

Timings: 12.30 to 3.30pm

Cocktails: Rs.900/- excluding taxes

What are your favourite lunch buffet options in Mumbai? Do let me know.

P.S: I was invited for the lunch but it has not affected my opinion.

Unboxing and Review: The Gourmet Box

Unboxing and Review: The Gourmet Box

Hi guys,

Today I am reviewing a different box, its not a beauty box or a jewellery box, but a gourmet box.

What is The Gourmet Box: The Gourmet Box is an online gourmet food store that sells exquisite, handpicked gourmet food products in India. The Gourmet Box is also India’s first gourmet food store which allows you to subscribe to a themed subscription box filled with yummy goodies and recipe ideas. We pride ourselves in providing world foods, prompt service and home delivery, various payment methods and unmatched variety. We stock gourmet food products from across the world and even some fabulous fresh local gourmet products.

Check them out HERE

Gourmet Food Products

At thegourmetbox.in you can buy exotic tea, coffee, muesli, healthy granola bars, organic honey, jams, pretzels, chips, dips, pasta, noodles & much more. Create and taste authentic cuisines such as Mexican, Japanese, Italian, French, Spanish, Thai, Moroccan, Lebanese etc from the comfort of your own home. Buy Gourmet food online.

Gourmet Food Subscription Box

We are the first online gourmet food store that provides a monthly subscription box service. During the first week of every month we launch a new gourmet box curated specially for food lovers who wish to taste, try, sample and eat delicious and new world foods. The Monthly box contains goodies & recipe ideas. It is a great gift to give and receive for food lovers. Gourmet Food delivery.

MRP: Rs.1500/- per month for the big gourmet box and Rs.700/- for the little gourmet box.

I am reviewing this month’s The Big Gourmet Box today.

About the box: This month’s box is filled with the superheroes of the food world – Superfoods . You’ve heard the word countless times but should you really include them in your daily diet? Yes! These foods are calorie sparse and nutrient dense; meaning they pack a lot of punch for their weight as far as goodness goes. They are superior sources of anti-oxidants and essential nutrients making them the intelligent choice. Meet the ordinary foods with extraordinary abilities.

Our Heros!

  • ProAgri Black Chia Seeds
  • Satvikk Dried Goji Berries
  • i2cook Organic Coconut Sugar
  • The Green Snack Co. Kale Chips

The box is a huge one, they generally have 4 to 6 products every month in the big box along with a recipe and product information card. This month it has a granola bar recipe which can be made with all the items in the box.

It was well bubble wrapped and all the individual items in it were also well packed.

I was really keen on trying the The Green Snack Co. Kale Chips, they are not baked, not fried and this one is Cheese and Onion Flavour. There are 2 other flavours it is available: Thai Sweet Chilli and Sea Salt and Vinegar, would love to try those too. In Cheese and Onion, the onion taste overpowers the Cheese.

Dried Goji Berries make a nice snack, something to munch on, in between and also a good addition to granola bars or parfait or the likes. Black Chia seeds are very, very healthy and perfect to top on so many dishes. You get all your iron and calcium content here.

If you are on diet or have a diabetes issue, you can try out the i2cook Organic Coconut Sugar which is natural, healthy and unprocessed. It can be added to any dish for that hint of sweetness plus a coconut tinge.

I love the fact that we have something like The Gourmet Box in India where all the natural, exotic stuff is available at the click of your finger and you get it delivered at the comfort of your home. We always had this issue, of not able to find half the ingredients we need in a dish in India easily. Well, now we can! Just looking at the exotic list of items they stock, makes me want to buy the whole site.

Coming to the box, the total cost of these 4 items included in the box is Rs.1115/- whereas the cost at which the box is sold is Rs.1500/- They also have a ‘make your own gourmet box’ option where in you can include the products you want in the box, and the box itself costs Rs.300/- This is something which I found a little costly. I did not get why the cost of the box should be so high and included in the total cost. This box would have done amazingly well if priced at Rs.999/- or even Rs.1099/-, coz I can always go and order these 4 items individually, right? Why would I even need the box which costs Rs.300/-, of course if you want to gift it to someone, then its fine.

Other than that, I think the concept is nice, and I am going to shop a few items soon from the site, but individually, of course. Overall, I would say, I loved the website and the items they stock. I loved the box as such, but not very happy with the pricing. I hope they lower the price, and there would many more subscribers. The quarterly and 6 month subscriptions are at a discount though, but still nothing covers the huge premium of the box.

What do you think of The Gourmet Box? Have you tried any such subscription before?

P.S: PR Sample.Honest Review

Food Review: Fuhgeddaboudit at Botticino,Trident BKC

Food Review: Fuhgeddaboudit at Botticino,Trident BKC

Hi guys,

We went to Botticino at Trident, BKC yesterday for lunch. They have this Fuhgeddaboudit festival going in which is all about light ‘on the go’ Italian power lunch from 16th to 19th May.

About the fest: Fuhgeddaboudit! Italian gangsters, or ‘wiseguys’, love to eat. With one eye on the pasta and another on the clock, they’re always on the lookout for a great meal. So you might just bump into one at Botticino, where we’re serving some unforgettable Italian power lunches. Whether you’re a Godfather, or one of the Goodfellas, or just another wiseguy, you won’t be able to “fuhgeddaboutdit”!

Manager at Botticino, Alisha Rampal and the Chief Chef, Sushil Multani explained us a bit about the fuhgeddaboudit festival and what it involves. How it is supposed to be light and quick and inspired from the Italian mafias.

These are the items included in the Italian fest.

Coming to the food, we were served fresh bread with a dip, at the start. It was quite fresh and some of them were really nice.

I went with the Chandon Brut Rose and hubby went with his favourite Sula Satori.

For the appetisers, we were served Compressed watermelon and goat cheese salad with citrus fruits, roasted pine nuts and lemon vinaigrette. Chef told us how the watermelon is compressed with kaffir lime leaves and the blend with citrus fruits, feta and roasted pine nuts was delish.

Compressed watermelon and goat cheese salad

And the Tomato and Bocconcini with fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes.

Tomato and Bocconcini

For main course, we were served Eggplant Parmigiana and Spinach Ricotta Crepes with roasted tomato sauce. The crepes were nice. I did like the blend of flavours in the Parmigiana but I am not a fan of eggplant, so couldn’t have much.

Eggplant Parmigiana
Spinach Ricotta Crepes

Since the food was taking time, we were served orange sorbet in between which was quite refreshing.

Orange Sorbet

And lastly, the Penne Arabiatta pasta with garlic, chilli flakes and tomatoes. Ok, so I like my pasta with an extra dash of olive oil and lots of parmesan. While this was supposed to be light and had no cheese, I missed my Parmesan. I wish I could have added the Parmesan additionally on top.

Penne Arabiatta

For the desserts, we had Panacotta with seasonal fruits and raspberry coulis topped with cinnamon honey and hubby went with Mango Cassata.

Panacotta with seasonal fruits and raspberry coulis
Mango Cassata

The panacotta was light and absolutely yummy with the fruits and a tinge of cinnamon honey in between every bite.

I was not very pleased with the waiting time though. For every dish, we had to wait for 20-25 minutes,and I thought according to the theme of the fest, it was supposed to be quick and ‘on the go’. Though I appreciate the chef cooked stuff fresh for us, but we were getting late, I hope that is not the case always.

Nonetheless, the food was nice and I had a great time. If you love Italian food, make sure you go for the fuhgeddaboudit festival at Trident, BKC. Tom is the last day!

Do you like the pics? Which is your favourite dish?

P.S: I was invited for the fest but that does not affect my review.

Food Review: The Salad Bar & Walnut Cafe

Food Review: The Salad Bar & Walnut Cafe

The Salad Bar and Walnut Cafe is a new place near Vashi station, opp. Four Points by Sheraton. There are no salad places as such in Navi Mumbai and only 1-2 in Mumbai, so The Salad bar is a refreshing change indeed.

The ambiance is simple and nice, I liked how they used jars for lighting, etc., for decorating the place. They play good music too.

Coming to the food, we ordered the Legends of Greece,Mediterranean Chick Pea Salad and Cottage Cheese Salad.The Cottage Cheese Salad had paneer in tikka masala which was yumm, red wine vinaigrette dressing went well, it was slightly over spiced and had quite a lot of Cucumber pieces.

Legends of Greece was a nice,basic salad with oregano vinaigrette dressing. But being it a greek salad, I was expecting much more feta cheese.

The Mediterranean Chick Pea was my favourite! Light and creamy tahini yogurt dressing and perfect blend of ingredients.

Hubby tried the Detox juice (which was too much of beet) and I went with simple Lemon Iced Tea. Lemon Iced tea was nice and refreshing with mint sprigs on top.

We tried  the Pasta Creamy Tomato and the Oreo Milkshake from the Walnut Cafe Menu. Absolutely loved the pasta, perfect olive oil and parmesan cheese drizzling. Creamy and cheesy sauce with a nice blend of tomato and cheese,as mentioned. And the garlic bread were slightly grilled too. Highly recommend trying this!

Oreo milkshake was kind of OK, too creamy for my liking. I had to remove quite a lot of cream from it, it was a tad bit sweet as I prefer less sweet.

Overall, I would say its a nice place to chill and have some yummy salads, or wraps, sandwiches, pastas and chocolate milkshakes.

If you love salads and stay at Navi Mumbai, then you know where to head this weekend!

P.S: This review is a part of #NaviMumbaiFoodies #FoodTrail. You can follow them on twitter or Instagram.

Takeaway Joints in Mumbai

Takeaway Joints in Mumbai

Takeaway joints are your best bet when you are pressed for time and want to grab something on the go! I do that a lot. Mumbai is a fast city and most of the times people are running, so you definitely need some good takeaway options.

Here are a few takeaway joints in Mumbai (and mostly in other cities too) I love and recommend..

1. Big Sandwich Company Andheri

From Mexican Sandwich to Mayo to American Veg. and Cheese, you get all kinds of options here. They make it quickly and sandwich is something you can eat anywhere.

2. Smoking Pizza in Navi Mumbai

There are 3-4 outlets of Smoking Pizza in Navi Mumbai and I absolutely love their pizzas. One regular is so heavy that it becomes difficult for a single person to finish. They have number of options available and are super yumm and fresh.

3. Tibb’s Frankie

I had my first frankie from Tibb’s back in college at the Dadar Shivaji Park outlet and I am a fan since. You can find Tibb’s at most of the malls these days. It’s yumm,fulfilling and they make it quickly. Its a perfect takeaway option.

4. Faaso’s

As their slogan goes ‘Wraps On The Run’, you can judge how efficient Faaso’s is when it comes to takeaway. From wraps to rice feasts, all options are good. They are packed so well, that you can conveniently have it on the go. They also had special IPL meals.

5. Paninaro

You get super yumm paninis and brownies here and they all come together in a nice box as a meal which is a perfect option for takeaway. I love their paninis!

And there is McDonald’s,Subway,Domino’s and now Burger King any day, if there are no above options nearby :p

What is your favourite Takeaway joint? Do let me know in the comments below.

P.S: Images from Google

Veg & Non Veg Delicacies at South Indian Restaurants in Mumbai

Veg & Non Veg Delicacies at South Indian Restaurants in Mumbai

South Indian cuisine is what you will find anywhere and everywhere from a local small udipi to a nice restaurant. One can always find the idlis and dosas at the start of the menu mostly. Also coz they are light enough to work as snacks in between, whenever one is hungry.

Some of my favourite South Indian restaurants in Mumbai are Mani’s Lunch Home and Hotel Ramashray at Matunga, Cafe Madras at King’s Circle (yes the entire area had majority South Indian crowd before and hence more restaurants here) Being a Podarite, I have been a frequent at all these places, like every week or even everyday when we studied at the library in college.

Some other good restaurants in Matunga itself are Anand Bhavan,Sharda Bhavan, Idli House, Ramanayak, Shree Sundars. There is Vishwa Bharti and Kirti Mahal at Mulund, Gora Gandhi at Borivali, Babulnath Dosa Centre at Marine Lines. Few chain of restaurants all over Mumbai which are also pretty decent are The Banana Leaf,Sankalp, Tambi,etc..

When it comes to favourite delicacies, I have quite a lot of favourites..

1. Mysore Masala at Mani’s Lunch Home

You have to try this, delicious, super filling and easy on the pockets. Though finding a seat at Mani’s is difficult and all the restaurants in Matunga are closed on Mondays is what you need to remember :p

2. Sheera, Butter Idli and Filter Coffee at Ramashray

So there is no fixed menu here for sheera and when you place the order for sheera, you get the flavour of the day. It can be pineapple,apple or plain or some other flavour. But its super yumm and a must try. Butter idli here is melt in your mouth, you will not be required to chew it. And the filter coffee is the authentic South Indian filter coffee.

3. Cheese Chilli Uttapam at Sankalp

If you are like me who loves spicy food, this uttapam is going to make you cry 😀 A perfect combination of cheese and chillies on your very own uttapam

4. Kanchipuram Idli at Gora Gandhi

I love this masala idli with peas and cashews on top, coconut and hint of masalas..for those who don’t like their idlis bland 😀

Though I am a vegetarian and have not tried any non veg. dishes obviously, some of my friends love their Chicken Chettinad, Kheema in Coconut Curry, Squid Fry and Prawns. But most of these small udipis and restaurants serve only veg. food, though there are quite a few Konkani restaurants where you get all of these sea food and many more options.

What is your favourite South Indian delicacy? And favourite South Indian restaurant in Mumbai?

P.S: Images from Google

Best Fast Food Joints from the Streets of Pune

Best Fast Food Joints from the Streets of Pune

When it comes to yummy food options, Pune is not far behind from Mumbai. I have been a regular at Pune and have spent many weekends there coz two of my best friends are from Pune, one of my aunt is from Pune and even my sister in law.

Coming to the best places for fast food in Pune, here are mine and my friend’s top most picks:

1) Marz-o-rin

Marz-o-rin at M.G. Road is the oldest and also probably the most famous place in Pune especially amongst the college crowd. You get the best coffee, shakes, sandwiches and pastries at Marz-o-rin. They also have Italian pastas and other continental stuff and equal vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.

2) Juice World

Best of all stuff fast food at Juice World at East Street. You get the most amazing paranthas, chole bhature, Pav bhaji, etc. and fresh juices, milkshakes, etc. here

3) The Burger Barn Cafe

The Burger Barn Cafe in Koregaon Park is the best place in Pune for burgers, you can’t afford to miss this place if you like burgers.

4) Bedekars Misal

If you like Indian desi spicy ‘misal’, Bedekars Misal at Narayan Peth is the place. Pune being a predominantly Maharashtrian city, misal is one of the specialities there and Bedekars is the master of it!

5) Kalyan Bhel

Kalyan Bhel at Kondhwa is the place for chaat especially bhel, you get oli bhel, sukhi bhel, dahi bhel and so many different kinds of bhel puri here. Plus the variety of dosas, ragda pattice, etc. All kinds of chaats are super yumm here.

6) Corn Meadow

You get all the types of corn dishes on earth at Corn Meadow in Karve Nagar. It’s an all corn restaurant.

7) Kareem’s

If you love rolls, kathi kebabs, etc., Kareem’s at East Street is the place for you, especially for chicken roll lovers.

8) Dev Uncle’s Kitchen

Dev Uncle Kitchen at Bibvewadi is the place for North Indian/Mughlai food. You also get your sarso da saag and makai di roti here. Go for roti basket which includes a platter of all kinds of naans and rotis. Pizzas, Pav Bhaji and juices are also good.

God, I miss Pune and the yummy food. My mouth is watering as I complete this post, so want to go to Pune for 2 days, just to eat :p

Are you from Pune? What is your favourite place for fast food in Pune?

P.S: Image from Google