Category Archives: Restaurant Review

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?

Jaipur Diaries: Zone By The Park

Jaipur Diaries: Zone By The Park

Hi guys,

I travelled to Jaipur at the end of December, last year we went to Hong Kong, Macau and Andamans which I wanted to pen down on the blog but couldn’t coz of the accident in Jan and then it never happened.

This time I didn’t want to procrastinate one bit and made sure I post about my Jaipur trip. I always wanted to go to Jaipur (Rajasthan in General), having covered most of the parts of India, Rajasthan somehow never happened. This time it was a sudden plan at the end of November coz December was birthday and anniversary month 🙂

My trip started with this amazing take-off hyperlapse video (I love window seats!)

We stayed two days at Zone By the Park located in Bani Park in Jaipur. It’s a four star property. The rooms available are Zone Room, Zone Quad, Zone Trio and Zone Suite. We were in Zone Suite and it was huge and spacious with a beautiful living area, huge bedroom and a perfect bathroom. The rooms are modern but yet have the classic, old world charm through the paintings and artifacts. What I absolutely loved is the cleanliness and hygiene factor! The rooms were super clean and had smart, organized storage cabinets to keep your luggage, etc. I had place for my laptop, camera, bags and nothing came in between. The hotel is a bit far from the airport, the distance being about 13-14 kms but it is just 3 kms from the railway station and 2 kms from the central bus station.

The hotel has 47  rooms and they come with complimentary breakfast, fast Wi-Fi and one way airport/railway transfer. It has a restaurant named ‘The Bazaar’ which has global and regional cuisine, from the South Indian breakfast to the vast buffet spread for lunch or dinner, to the various a-la-carte options. I will share more on the restaurant and other facilities they have in my next post. It is a perfect stay option for corporates, families and even couples.

The Zone Suite room..

Here are a few pics from my Jaipur trip, some of you must have already seen the pictures on my Instagram.

Entire Jaipur view from Nahargarh Fort (Panorama)

We visited the City Palace, Amber Fort and Nahargarh Fort. Jaigarh Fort, Jal Mahal and Hawa Mahal we saw from a distance as it was not open for public. I was told the royal family lives at Jaigarh Fort and hence it is restricted. Jal Mahal was open for public untill 15 years ago.

Hawa Mahal
Sunset View from Nahargarh Fort
The Door at Nahargarh Fort
At City Palace

At Zone by the Park, they had beautifully decorated the entire lobby for Christmas.

There is also a seating arrangement outside, but we did not dare to sit out, since it was quite cold!

Zone by the Park Hotels are currently in Jaipur, Chennai and Coimbatore. They are soon opening in Raipur, Jodhpur, Goa and Mahabalipuram.

The best thing about Zone by the Park has to be the amazing staff and hospitality. They were very courteous and always smiling, you can feel the warm welcome. One of my best hotel experiences till date! I am definitely looking forward to visit more of their properties.

If you are in search of a hotel in Jaipur, you can blindly book Zone by The Park. You will thank me later 🙂

One of the best thing about Jaipur is the food! I will include it in my next post coz this post would be way too image heavy otherwise.

Have you been to Jaipur? What do you like the most about Jaipur?

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.

Food Review: Wembley,Prime Time Sports Bar

Food Review: Wembley,Prime Time Sports Bar

About Prime Time and Wembley: Primetime puts forward over 40 interactive and thematic arcade games like Archery zone, Hammer – Nail It, Speed of light box, Beer Pong games, Dalfie Video booth, Cannon Ball Blaster, Music games, Bowling lanes with giant size projector displaying videos as you roll the bowl, a digitally equipped party room for dance and music lovers, interactive arcade and nostalgic indoor and board games.

​Primetime’s food arena ‘Wembley’ is a high-spirited hangout place cum restaurant. With over 70 delectable items comprising classic bar food favourites to an array of lunch and dinner meals including pizzas, burgers, pasta, Indian delights and the signature items – Tikkas (Kebabs) and Draft beer which gives a wholesome experience to customers.

Last Saturday, I and hubby went to Prime Time which is a newly launched sports bar at R-City Mall, Ghatkopar, Mumbai. They have lot of games and bowling, laser room, archery,etc., so it’s like spending a good 3-4 hours and also have your lunch/dinner at their restaurant Wembley.

We reached quite late in the afternoon and headed for lunch at first as we were quite hungry and also there was a corporate booking, so lots of guests for games and bowling.

Wembley has everything from Indian starters to Italian pastas to American Cheese French Fries and Burgers. I loved the variety of cuisines offered. Also they have a separate drinks menu which includes all sorts of Cocktails,Beers, and the usual.

I went with a Breezer and ordered BlackBerry which was out of stock sadly. I wasn’t expecting Blackberry and Cranberry to be out of stock on a Saturday though,I had to go with Jamaican Passion.

Let me tell you,we ordered smaller portions to try out more dishes, so do not go by this quantity.

For food, we started with Cheese French Fries which were hot and crisp, I would have liked a little more cheese though as the fries were quite a lot comparatively.

Cheese French Fries

Nachos with Cheese Sauce and Mexican Beans,super yummy is the word for this. Amazing salsa sauce and a perfect blend of cheese,beans and salsa on the crispy nachos.

Nachos with Cheese Sauce and Mexican Beans

Classic Burger was just perfect, soft buns and a perfect patty,one of the best burgers I have tried.

Veg. Classic Burger

Veg. Popcorn which was served with mayo, it was nice but slightly under cooked. You know how fried stuff tastes a bit raw from the inside.

Veg. Popcorn & Breezer

Crispy Chilli Potatoes where small pieces of potatoes were deep fried and mixed in the dry chilli garlic gravy. Very,very spicy :/ I am someone who loved spicy food, but this was actually very spicy.

Crispy Chilli Potatoes

Last thing we tried was Soufiya Paneer Tikka, super soft paneer and perfectly grilled on the tandoor. The saunf (aniseeds) gave it a royal touch and the spices were just perfect and the paneer was well marinated.

Soufiya Paneer Tikka

I wanted to try the Pizza or Pasta but was too full by then, maybe next time.

Then we went to play games. We were heading for bowling and even changed our shoes, but hubby reminded that I shouldn’t do bowling as it would involve lifting weight and bending which is not good for my spine currently, which I completely forgot. Hence, we skipped bowling and tried the laser games in the laser room. We played the Laser Squash, Hit & Run and hubby tried the Mission Possible. This is the first time, I tried laser games and they were definitely fun. Recommend trying them for sure.

We also played some throwball. They also have massage chairs in between, where you can just take a break and get your back massaged for some time.

The concept of this sports bar is similar to Smaaash at Lower Parel, though I haven’t been there but hubby has.

Overall, I would say, it’s a fun place to go with your friends and chill out,play some games and have yummy food. I liked the food in totality, plus it is also very reasonably priced. A big thumps up from me.

Now next when you are confused what to do on a weekend, you know where to head 🙂

P.S: I was invited by the sports bar but that has not affected my opinion.

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.

Food Review: Skky Restrolounge & Bar,Ramada Powai

Food Review: Skky Restrolounge & Bar,Ramada Powai

SKKY RESTROLOUNGE & BAR: SKKY is Ramada Powai’s signature restrolounge and bar, and one of the first rooftop dining experiences in Mumbai.

Embark on a culinary journey so unique and satisfying that you may just forget about the ambience of lush greenery and flowing waters, the surrounding hills that whistle with cool breezes and the sheer expanse of open skies and twinkling stars above you.

Tantalize your taste buds with a selection of Pan Asian cuisine, Gourmet Pizza, Middle-eastern delicacies and an absolutely divine dessert menu with handcrafted ice-creams, all of it complemented by a superb selection of domestic and international spirits, wines, signature cocktails & sundowners.

The perfect setting for a romantic evening, a celebration with family or office colleagues or to ask her the magic question.

Timings: 5 pm to 1 am
For Table Reservations Call : 022 61998042

Last week I and fiancee went for dinner at the Skky Restrolounge at Ramada in Powai. Its an open restro lounge cum bar where people can just sit and relax and enjoy their drink in the pleasant breeze.

I loved the ambiance and setting. I ordered for a Passionfruit Martini which was just perfect. The y have a tab menu which is super easy to navigate, though its not updated and few things were missing from the tab menu.

We were served the Spicy Veg Bean Curd Soup to start with. I did not like it much, it was kinda ok.

Followed by the Spicy Tofu in Garlic Tomato Chilly Sauce. Loved it. The tofu was soft enough and the sauce was also amazing.

Followed by Kamal Kakdi (Lotus Stem) ke Shaami Kabab served with garlic sauce. They were soft and nice, the melt in your mouth kinds. I loved the garlic sauce especially. It went well with the kababs.

Since they had a dimsum festival going on, we were given 2 pieces each of 3 different kinds of dimsums. Served with the three sauces of dimsums. I really liked 1-2. The stuffing was well cooked and seasoned and it was perfectly steamed.

And the final main course was Braised Green Shao Hsing Wine Noodles, Burnt Garlic Fried Rice served with Wok Tossed Soba Veg. I really liked the noodles. Rice though did not have enough burnt garlic flavour. The Wok veg. were ok. What I did not like is, we had to wait for a long long time for the main course and by that time we did not feel like having much.

But the saviour was the desserts. Amazing ice cream platter and flavours which I tried the first time. Dulce De Leche,Green Tea, Lemon and Paan flavoured ice creams. They were absolutely yumm. Definitely recommend trying out ice creams here.

And I also tried chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream. The brownie was also gooey and perfect. Desserts and the cocktails,mocktails are an absolute hit here!

I liked the fact that they are pretty reasonably priced and are quite economical for the variety and ambiance.

Overall, I would say its the perfect setting and good food. I did not try the pizzas which I should have, maybe next time. The dimsums, tofu and noodles were good. Their Pan Asian cuisine and desserts is what I would definitely recommend.

Have you been to Skky Restrolounge & Bar at Ramada Powai ?

P.S: I was invited for review but that has not affected my opinion as you can read.