Restaurant Review: Stacks and Racks, Malad West

If you're like me who goes bonkers over burgers, you'd love to visit this place in Malad West. I'm talking about Stacks and Racks, a local restaurant in Malad West serving mouth-watering American, Mexican and Continental fare at pretty pocket-friendly prices. 

This review is based on my multiple visits to this venue when I was craving some good ol' American comfort food. I kept going back there for more, because I truly love their food!

I'm just gonna put all the photographs of the food first so you get to know why Stacks and Racks is awesome!

Apple Pie A La Mode

Trust me when I say a visit to Stacks and Racks is incomplete without indulging in a perfectly crumbly warm Apple Pie with a scoop of Vanilla Ice-Cream on the side.

Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Poutine

Canada's favourite snack/ appetizer - the Poutine - is nothing but a fancy version of the humble French Fries topped with condiments and garnish. But, let me tell you that this one with Bacon and Cheddar Cheese in gravy sauce is truly delicious! I can make a meal out of this one. If you don't eat Bacon (but, why?) then you can check out the Vegetarian and Chicken versions.

Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Poutine with Chocolate Milkshake - The  Best Appetizer Combo

Another shot of the Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Poutine, I can't get enough of it

Louisiana Chicken Wings with Tartare Dip

On a friend's recommendation, I tried the Louisiana Chicken Wings. It was perfectly cooked with the right amount of spice but had a tangy after-taste. So, I personally don't recommend it but can be tried once.

A bottle of chilled Chocolate Milkshake

I could sing paens of this milkshake if I had to. They blend it perfectly to give you that chocolate-y goodness in every sip. I'm glad they don't put some cheap sugary crap masquerading as chocolate syrup in the milkshake.

Roasted Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Veggies

On one visit, I was feeling like indulging in something healthier than burgers and poutines, I opted for this delicious Main course. Perfectly cooked Chicken, goes wonderfully with the peppery sauce and mashed potatoes. Special mention for the lightly seasoned veggies that had the perfect crunch.

Cuban Chicken Sandwich

If you're in the mood of a quick, non-messy bite to eat, then this sandwich is a perfect choice. It's quite filling too!

Another shot of the wonderful Apple Pie Ala Mode. The guys at SnR tell me it is made with a lot of love by one of the owner's mother.

The Naughty Sheila Burger - Chicken

Nothing 'naughty' about it. It was a good bite, but the patty lacked a bit of seasoning in my opinion. The smokey sauce made up for it.

That's my experience.

Have you been to this restaurant?

What has been your experience like?

Lemme know in the comments.

Until then, happy eating!

Restaurant Review: Mainland China at Infiniti Mall in Mumbai

What does one do when it's pouring outside and all you need is piping hot comfort food for a workday lunch?

You land up at the nearest a specialty Chinese restaurant for an all-you-can-eat meal. And boy was it worth it! My colleague and I landed at Mainland China in Infiniti Mall, Malad West, Mumbai where we opted for the Non-Veg Buffet Lunch (weekday) (INR 645 AI). And by the time we reach the venue at 1.15 pm, the buffet was already in progress.

The appetizers and the soup from the buffet menu are served at the table. While the mains and desserts have to be served ourselves. If you are adventurous like me, you can also try your hand at eating the food with a pair of chopsticks. The staff will oblige.

For starters, we had the soup. Chicken Hakka Soup - It was similar in taste to Manchow Soup, more tart and with less chicken. Forgettable.

In appetizers, we had a delicious fish starter which was so lip-smacking, we went ahead and asked for another helping. Next up were the Drums of Heaven. 

After that deliciousness, we were served piping hot Chicken Momos. The chicken momos were a revelation to me. I felt I was having substandard momos all along after biting into these beauties. Not overpowering, just the right hint of soy and the filling made for a satisfying eat. Post that, we were also served seasoned Potato Fingers. All of the appetizers were well seasoned, spiced and truly flavoursome.

A soon as we left our table to indulge in the mains, the courteous staff swiftly cleared our plates. Full marks for their efficacy. The mains had an array of dishes with exotic vegetables, tofu, chicken, fish and crab. What I truly liked was the Mixed Fried Rice, the Chicken in Black Bean Sauce & a Fish dish, the name of which I've forgotten. Flavourful, but merely average mains. Could be so as we were already almost full after gorging on the appetizers.

The dessert platter beckoned us and we just shamelessly stuffed ourselves. Among all of them, the honeyed Darsaan was the true highlight in the desserts for me.

Report Card:
Taste: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Value For Money: 4/5; rating for buffet

Restaurant Name: Mainland China
Address: 3rd Floor, Infiniti Mall, Malad Link Road, Malad West, Mumbai
Cuisine: Chinese
Best way to reach: Car/ Public transport via the Link Road

A Fantastico Seafood Experience - Zinga - Restaurant Review

It was one of those days that my family and I were in the mood for some seafood. It had been a long time since we had a family get-together and wanted to make the most of the opportunity and gorge on some yummy fresh sea food. And so there we were at Vashi, searching on Zomato for restaurants around that would serve up some lip-smacking sea food fare.

The obvious choices were Mahesh Lunch Home and Tunga, or if neither, then Gajalee in Mumbai. But we decided to go for this restaurant that we’ve never tried before: Zinga – The taste of Kokan

Located at Fantasia Business Park, Opp. Vashi Railway Station, at Sector 30A, Vashi, Navi Mumbai, we head to our lunch destination.

When we arrived, we were welcomed with some foot tapping dance music, to which we realized that it was the lounge next door – Zing.

As we entered by 1.30 PM, we surprisingly noticed that it was relatively empty for a Sunday afternoon. We were seated immediately and ordered upfront. Upon seating, I looked around the creative décor that talked about the Konkan cuisine and the Marathi culture. A boat adorned the décor.

Upon scanning the food menu card, we found the prices to be quite reasonable. So we ordered up.

To start with, I tucked into a Seafood Lemon Coriander soup. Piping hot and spicy, just the way I liked it.

Next, we tucked into some crispy rava fried Bombil fish (Bombay duck). I must tell you, it was simply melt-in-the-mouth. And that is the best way to have bombil. Perfectly cooked and seasoned, we were tempted to order another serving. And in no time, we succumbed to our temptations as we dug into the second helpings of this fish dish. 

Apart from the Malvani menu, we also tried Chicken Tikka as one of the starters. Served with pickled onion and coriander-mint chutney, it tasted well.

  

Next we tried the Chicken Sukkha (Chicken Dry). Mind you, this is better had with rotis, even if sukkha suggests ‘dry’ it’s a dry gravy – a part of the main course. As an accompaniment, we had asked for Jwarchi bhakri (Jowar pancake), but there was only Rice Bhakri available.

We tried the Masala roti, which I liked. 

For the main course, we stuck to Malvani cuisine with two types of curries: Chicken Aagri Curry and Malwani Surmai Curry. (Surmai = Sword fish)

We did not try the desserts as we were overwhelmed by the starters and the main course.

Overall here’s I would rate my experience:

Food:

Taste: 4/5; True to Malvan taste buds. Tangy, spicy and tasty.

Quantity: 4/5; Good quantity of fish

Freshness: 3.5/5

Service: 3/5; Overall, the service was good. Timely and prompt service and attending.

Ambiance: 2.5/5; Simple décor.

VFM: YES

Damages: ~1600 (excluding beverages)

Will I visit again? Most definitely will.

That was my Fantastic SeaFood experience at Zinga. If you happen to visit this place, do let me know how your experience was.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Restaurant Review: Rockville Deli, Vashi

The best thing about Sundays - the brunches. How lazy can it be? 

Combining breakfast and lunch for a leisurely brunch that could go on for hours on end.

I was in Navi Mumbai the other day and on one such lazy Sunday afternoon, my brother and I decided to head to Rockville Deli at Vashi, Navi Mumbai.

Rockville Deli has a very spacious outdoor seating, with limited indoor seating. 

So here's what we devoured:

We ordered Rockstyle Dirty Fries - minus the dirtiness. 

With tangy beans and cream cheese on the side.

Rockstyle Dirty Fries

We also ordered this crunchy and light Grilled Chicken Panini Sandwich.

Grilled Chicken Panini Sandwich

Post which we dug into this - as the occasion called for it - The Lazy Weekend Breakfast. As you can see, it comprised of 2 eggs to order (scrambled for me), 2 sausages, 2 salamis served with yummy mashed potatoes, baked beans and toast bread.

The Lazy Weekend Breakfast

Contrary to my opinion, I thought this spread won't be enough for the two of us. Boy was I wrong!

And to finish with a flourish, my brother chose a delectable looking slice from heaven - The 7 Layer Death By Chocolate cake slice!

Death By Chocolate Cake slice

We truly reached 7th heaven post that. The rich taste still lingers on one's taste bud memories.
So if you are in Vashi, have around 600 bucks to spend, you can order what I ordered and chill over the weekend.

Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored review of the restaurant. The author has visited the restaurant, had the food and paid for the meal herself. 

Restaurant Review: Flavors, Navi Mumbai

Of all the restaurants in Navi Mumbai I have been to so far, I've been to Flavors Restaurant of Yogi Metropolitan at Sanpada the most. The only reason we keep going back is for the yummy fare and impeccable service.

So just like another visit, my family and I visited for dinner.
I was utterly relieved and glad to see the restaurant relatively empty in spite of it being a public holiday.

What we ordered:

Fish and Chips - Batter-fried Basa fish with a side of french fried and dipping sauce.
Absolute favourite!

A Greek salad with olive oil dressing, and feta cheese

and a mayo based salad whose name I cannot recall :D

Both were nice and fresh.

We dug right in into the main course. Sizzlers!

One was Chicken Shashlik Sizzler with rice.

Rich makhani gravy was poured over two batter fried chicken breast pieces with a side of french fries and assortment of vegetables.

Another Sizzler we had was an Indo-Chinese one.

It was Chicken Chilly with Hakka Noodles. Cooked perfectly and tasted very nice.

We also ordered this mouthful of a name:
Petti di polio Arrosto con Olive Nere

(Yeah. Just check the picture) Two breasts of chicken drenched in rich and creamy mushroom gravy with a side or arborio rice, mash potatoes and steamed veggies.
It tasted absolutely divine!

We were just too full and struggled to finish these dishes with big portion sizes. So the five of us decided not to go for desserts this time. But you must try their Tiramisu.

All these delicious and lip-smacking dishes was backed with a prompt and speedy service that made for a great experience.

My Verdict:

Food: 4/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Service: 4/5

VFM: 4/5

Budget for two: 1500 (minus drinks)

I recommend you try the food at Flavors at least once when in Navi Mumbai.

Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored review of the restaurant. The author has visited, tasted and paid for the meal herself. 

Restaurant Review: California Pizza Kitchen

I blog this much after my maiden visit to California Pizza Kitchen. I dined their outlet at Infinity Mall at Malad West on a lazy summer weekday afternoon for a quick lunch.

Known for their Tiramisu and their oven baked fresh Pizzas, my visit was indeed long overdue.

The entire restaurant was oddly deserted on a Friday afternoon, even after their menu boasted of specials for office goers. Anywhoo, I entered and sat in a booth and was promptly handed the menu.

What I ordered:
I went for the Crunchy Thai Salad as an appetizer.

Crunchy #Thai Chicken #salad. Semi sweet, #tangy and yummy. Quite filling! @CPK_India #malad

A photo posted by Gauri (@missalpao) on Feb 14, 2015 at 6:55pm PST

Followed by the Classic Thin Crust Margherita Pizza. I usually love toppings on my Pizza -loads of toppings!- however, I wanted to sample one of their original and authentic pizzas.

Thin crust #Margharita #Pizza at @CPK_India #nofilter #cheese #basil

A photo posted by Gauri (@missalpao) on Feb 13, 2015 at 3:06am PST

The Verdict:
The salad was nutty, crunchy and tangy.
The Thin Crust Margharita Pizza was warm, topped with basil and Parmesan cheese slices.
I had to try their signature dish - The Tiramisu. But they were out of it.

I was in a rush, else would've waited a couple of more minutes for the Tiramisu.

All in all a good experience.
Would definately visit again, albeit will surely have the Tiramisu.