What to eat at Cafe Basilico

I recently had dinner at Cafe Basilico and I thought I should recommend two dishes in particular which you must try when there.

• The Chicken Lemon Grass Soup - spicy and very tasty
  
• Moroccan Chicken - This is different because it's served with a nice gravy and rice. A good meal by itself.
  

And of course, when you are at Basilico you can't forget to leave some empty stomach for the lovely desserts. On weekend nights book them as soon as you walk in.

Strawberry & Raspberry infused Tea

How do you make your weekend mornings more interesting?

Wake up to drink a cup of tea which is not your regular office tea like tasting. Saturday morning I discovered the Naturally Spicy Berry - strawberry & raspberry fruit, herb & spice infusion tea. Very different than your regular tea. It gives a lovely pink color and a fruity taste. I didn't need to add any sugar.

Restaurant Review: Lemon Grass, Lower Parel

If you are seeking good asian food in a not so fancy place, then you can head over to Lemon Grass in Lower Parel. Actually the setting is much more informal at their Bandra outlet however in Lower Parel, the setting is bit more chic with nice interiors. I was there on a friday night and we actually had to move around 3 tables before we could get settled down completely. The last move was after we had finished with our appetizers. I think it was just bad planning by them because there was a huge group of 45 people in there.

Also due to some technical problem, their Air Conditioning system was not in Full Power Mode which made it really uncomfortable. The tables are a little small and cramped up for four people to dine comfortably without hitting each other's plates. Add to that a fifth person and you got a traffic jam on the table. They have a long bar where you could enjoy a drink before moving to the table for your dinner. I am not sure but they might be even willing to serve you dinner at the bar if it's just two of you.

Surprisingly the service is fast and smooth, they are very courteous and tend to make some good recommendations based on your preferences. The food is a good mix of thai, chinese, korean and indonesian. There is a good collection of Dim Sums and you could try the one with Asparagus and Cheese filling. The corn curd in black bean sauce was a bit salty and could have tasted better. The Garlic and chilly paneer sticks was NICE.

As a special gesture for all the trouble they had caused us moving tables again and again the manager presented two pastries (complimentary) to end the dinner on a sweet note. Appreciated and we were pleased they they were concerned.

For the five of us with 2 alcoholic drinks and no desserts we paid just 1400 bucks which I think was a steal for that kind of a place.

Conclusion: Good food and good service. But maybe it was a bad day due to the faulty air conditioning and the big group of 45 people who really rocked the place down.

Cross-posted at burrp.

Taxi Restaurant - good fusion food

Taxi is tucked away in a narrow lane of old Cuffe Parade (technically off Wodehouse Road) which you surely can miss if you don't have proper directions. Thankfully there is valet so parking is not a problem.

As you step in you will notice they have an outdoor section which caters to the huka smoking clan. Although I am guessing it could be a little uncomfortable without the A/C.

Taxi is divided into three sections (sort of) you have bar where you sit across the barman and enjoy your drink. Then there is the lounge where you have sofas and low tables. You can dine here or you can request to be seated in the formal dining area. The interiors are very classy and if you've visited the next door furniture store - Masterpieces, you would feel they have shopped from there. The high ceiling gives the place a grand look and vastness which otherwise would have looked cramped up. They have an in-house DJ churning out some good trance numbers.

We were seated in the lounge area since there was no table available in the formal dining area. The bar menu has a good mix of spirits, cocktails and mocktails. The waiters are well-informed and help you make some good selection. The appetizers have an equal selection of veg and non-veg dishes. We choose to have the jalapeño and cheese poppers which were nice.

As soon as we finished our appetizer the lovely stewardess moved us to the formal dining area. The dinner menu is a good mix of thai, italian and a little mexican dishes. We went for the silken tofu noodles with capsicum (There was an over-dose of capsicum) and a wood fire oven magherita pizza with olives and mushroom. If you like domino's style pizza you ain't going to like this one - The pizza had a strong taste of olive oil. It's a thin & crispy making it very light on the stomach.

In conclusion: Nice, cosy place NOT TOO NOISY and some good food.

This review is also cross posted at burrp.com

Lonavala Food Bites

I was in Lonavala for the weekend with friends. On the way we dined at Chenab Restaurant in Vashi. Although I had heard greatly about the food, I was a bit disappointed. The dal makahani was bit too salty. I liked the paneer dishes. The masala papad had some masala which really disturbed the taste. I couldn't eat non-veg but I could smell some very nice aroma from the neighbouring table. Should be worth a try.

When in Lonavala you must drink coffee at Pragati (it's a little before Coopers Chocolate Fudge store). They serve some of the best cold coffee.



At Tiger Hills there is just one stall which will serve you hot spicy bajiya which is a great treat around monsoon time. They serve onion, potato and corn baji. Of course the staple wada pav is also available. Rahul who serves you these bajiya is a great talker and will jump across those slippery rocks as if its a monkey on the trees.