Fabulous Foods:: The Bandra Desert Garden!

     A Sugar Rush Day!

Hey guys!
So I know this post has been overdue for quite sometime now but I've been a little swamped. Anyway here's my review on the Bandra Dessert Garden:

Held on 1st August, 2015 Bandra Dessert Garden brings to you the first of its kind, exclusive dessert exhibit in Bandra. The event organisers, Chrome Entertainment witnessed a phenomenal response with people streaming in even at 5;45pm, just a few minutes before the event ended.The event served as a great exposure platform for new start ups and several home bakers looking to enter the market. Here's something about each stall and what they brought to the table:

1) Sweetish House Mafia: 

Having created quite a buzz with its 'Secret Mafia' approach to launch the venture, Sweetish House Mafia has already gained quite a huge fan following over a very short time period. Needless to say, their desserts are well baked, delicious and  melt-in-the-mouth good so if you happen to be a chocolate lover like me, this place is going to soon turn into your happy place!

With her love for chocolate, Ms. Ritika uses Belgian chocolate to prepare her goodies, most of which are chocolate - based. However, she does bake for those who don't like chocolate as much as well.

The stall was filled with her famous cookies, milkshakes and cookie jars to take home. When you visit Sweetish House Mafia, be sure not to miss out on the Nutella filled cookies with sea salt and The S'MORES cookies stuffed with Nutella-coated marshmallows and from-scratch graham crackers.

To place orders or know more, contact:

Ritika: 9022765966

Smores Cookies

2) Baking Bridges:

Bringing you to a unique range of perfectly made delicious cheesecakes, there's no doubting why Baking Bridges sold out so quickly! Coming out with a new concept of "Teascake" i.e. a Teacake combined with a cheesecake and combinations such as a Lemon Cheesecake stacked over Red velvet sponge and a Mocha cheesecake stacked over a Fudge brownie, it was hard to believe that almost all of these scrumptious cheesecakes were egg less! If you're looking for something a little lighter or safer, you could always opt for their Oreo cheesecake, Hazelnut cheesecake, Peanut butter and salted caramel cheesecake, lemon-berry and many more!

Contact: 

Rhea - 9920994052/ 9820835555

3) Caramella:

Located in Khar, Caramella offers to you a diverse range of combinations to satisfy your sugar cravings. Not only is their taste incredible but so is their presentation. I would personally recommend that you try them out if you're looking for something new to soothe your taste buds. The Red Velvet with Cream cheese cake jar was absolutely delightful with its freshness adding to the taste. The Molten Chocolate Jar is every chocolate lovers dream with 3 layers of excessively sinful chocolatey goodness in every bite. The stall featured a kitkat chunky with nutella ganache jar, a raspberry & ganache in white jar, a snickers and chocolate jar and a sea salt and caramel jar. Needless to say, this stall had my mouth watering with its variety and oozing sweetness!
Contact:
Ketki -  9820352213

       

Red Velvet Jar

Molten Chocolate Jar

   

4) The Dessert Street:

With the most out-of-the-box cookie innovations and ideas, the Dessert Street blew me away with their Seven Heaven cookie, a cookie made of seven layers of ingredients and crumbles. They also had a delicious cookie in the bread which resembles a croissant, only better and much more fresh and cookie cups (yum!). The team was incredibly hospitable and despite the overwhelming crowd, they did not lower their service quality. This place is definitely going on my top cookie joints, I hope you guys visit it too!

Contact:
Dhawal Shah - 9819927987

Seven Heaven Cookie

 

Cookie Cups!

5) Mix It Up:

As the name suggests, this start up brings to you a wide range of mock-tail mixes that can take you to paradise. The flavors ranged from a tangy Green Apple to a sweet Peach-Apricot blend or even just a simple Blue Curacao, Black Current, Pina Colada and many more!
Contact:
Aakanksha 9920425482

6) Fluffy Candy Floss:

  

For all those people whose inner kid is as dominant as mine and who haven't outgrown this delicious cotton ball, Fluffy Candy Floss is a must visit. They have a wide range of flavoured cotton candy options to choose from including Strawberry, Orange, Kachi Kerri, Green Apple, Pineapple, Butterscotch, Mango and many more. Yes, you did read that right, we now get to eat flavoured (and not just coloured) candy floss! They also have 24 varieties of popcorn variations and flavors to choose from, just to compensate the sweetness from all that yummy cotton candy. Forget sweet and sour, go for sweet and salty instead.
Contact: 9833436322

7)  Harsh Chocolates:

Here with an innovative invention, Harsh chocolates presents to you, "The White Pot'. A blend of gooey chocolate syrup and chocolate crumbles that draws out a delicious balance between a creamy mousse and a crumbly cookie wrapped up cutely for you to take away.
Contact:
Anuja Jain - 9867080093

8) The Cake Pop Company:

A stall full of personalised, customised and adorable egg-less cake-pops, they had the cutest designs ranging from minions to sponge bob to pandas! However, their offerings are not limited to cake pops only and include Jars, Brownies, Chocolates and more.

Contact:
Simrin 9820101291
Aafiya 9819781613
Nausheen 9833741438
  

9) Divine By NC:

Bringing to you a range of healthy, wholewheat & egg less cakes, Divine by NC had a wide spread range of cakes options to choose from including dry fruit and fruit cakes like Apple Cinnamon, Pineapple and Almond and also chocolate cakes like their Nutella Pound cake. They also have a range of delicious home-made chocolates for order and a Chocolate Pizza just for you.
Contact:
Naina Chibbar 9819361991

10) Flakes:

This stall had the best mousse I have EVER had. Their Fererro Rocher mousse and Truffle mousse are just to die for. Not to mention the Oreo Mousse and the Oreo  Mint Mousse! Apart from their irresistible taste, they are uniquely served to you in a tube kind of shape that intrigues you. This baker has put in much thought into her wrapping & much love into her baking. Their logo rightly says, "No one can have just one'!

Contact:

Pooja Sethia 9820884356

                 

11) Nice-Kream:

Bringing back with him from New York the concept of Liquid Nitrogen Ice-creams, Janam was more than happy to explain to us how instead of selling factory made ice-cream they make fresh ice-cream in front of the customer using Liquid Nitrogen. The entire process is so designed to let you design a customised ice-cream for yourself based on your moods. You can choose everything from the base to the the toppings and also the "inject-in" sauce flavour! The smooth velvety texture of the ice-cream just adds to its delightful taste.
Contact:
Janam 9167594951

                              

12) Cup-a-licious:

No dessert pop-up could be complete without our favourite cupcakes and macaroons and here they were. Cup-a-licious lets you choose from a wide variety of flavored macaroons to soothe your senses and fall in love again!
Contact:
Priyanka 9833182460

                   

           

13) Deliciae Patisserie:

A stall which provides you with exquisitely designed cakes for all occasions. Their cakes are consistently well made and beautifully customised to make your day even better. Don't believe me? This Game of Thrones speaks for itself.

14) Fat is Flavour:

Here with their quirky customised cakes and Chocolate soil, Fat is Flavor sold out incredibly fast. Up for grabs was their sea salt cocoa, a new launch that hits just the right taste buds!
Contact:
Pratik Kukreja 917738076793

15) The Cupcake Factory:

Ever felt like maybe the Red Velvet Cupcake would taste better with a Chocolate frosting? Have you ever wanted to just design your own cupcake to overload it with a particular flavour? Because I have. And I finally got the chance to make my own cupcake mix right here at The Cupcake Factory stall! They had their very own Make-it-Yourself Cupcake Bar filled with different frosting flavours, decorations and more. Some of the frosting flavours included were Nutella, Oreo, Peanut butter, Strawberry and Cream cheese Vanilla. Decorations weren't limited to just chocochips or sprinkles but also had edible glitters, sugar initials and Disney characters  for the child inside you! I don't you about you, but the mention of a Make-It-Yourself Cupcake Bar is all the motivation I need to go visit this place over and over again.

Contact:

Trisha 9820382534

16) Yo Brownies:

This stall had a beautiful assortment of brownie and brownie variations to choose from including Walnut, Hazelnut, Oreo and Choco-chip. We've all had dessert in a jar and velvet in a jar but this stall presents to you a nutella & white chocolate Brownie in a Jar. This stall was just oozing chocolate!

Contact:

Neha 9821890624

      

17) The Dessert Cart:

The Dessert Cart came stacked with Tarts and Pies in so many options, I couldn't pick just one! They had a fantastic Mississippi Mud Pie, a variety of tarts including a Salted caramel, Chocolate passion fruit, Raspberry lychee and Lemon meringue. They also came up with the concept of "Pie on a Stick" in 3 flavours Nutella, Strawberry and Apple Cinnamon and a Peanut butter chocolate pie jar! Yup, we now get to have pies in a jar as well. Their Salted caramel chocolate tart with Fleur de sel, with its dark, rich chocolate base filled with smooth chocolate ganache, salted caramel and sprinkled with just the right amount of sea salt, blew me away.

Contact:

Shraddha Agarwalla 9930398884

18) Polka Dots:

Polka Dots had their very own installation of a Chandelier cake at the event and I must say, I never even thought there could be something like this! It's such a sight.

Contact: 08454002202

 19)  Out of the Blue:

Last but not the least, we had the dessert counter from Out of the Blue itself offering a beautifully made Crème brûlée, waffles with maple syrup (or just a waffle) and a peach and walnut waffle. These warm, freshly made for you desserts just melt in your mouth.

Contact: Out of the Blue restaurant at Carter Road, Bandra.

 Apart from all this sugar to get you pumped, the event organisers were nice enough to have a Photo Booth for us. Photos and a day of Chocolatey Gooey Sugary Overdose with my friends! There's nothing more that I need to make my day. Thank you Chrome Entertainment for this much needed exhibit. Until next time..

Fabulous Foods: Quench - All Day Pub

                               Quench Your Thirst!

Located among all the coffee shops at Juhu, Gulmohar Road is the Quench -All Day Pub, always willing to quench your thirst! A brilliant place to catch up with friends while enjoying a creative and cozy ambiance, good music, delicious food and a great vibe. Compared to the other slightly pricey drinking places in Juhu, Quench is pocket friendly enough for all college students or those who don't wish to shell out a bomb over a few beers. They have some of the most unique ambiance I've seen in a while with inviting and vibrant colors plastered on the walls in the form of retro art, quotes and paintings of various artists,

They have a wide range of  quirky innovative drinks which might make it hard to decide what you would like to try first, especially if you're looking for something other than the usual beers and shots.

The Quench Highland

We ordered the Quench Highland, a mocktail that made my day. A sweet explosion of flavors on your tongue, this drink takes me back to the days of having multi flavored golas on the beach and left me incredibly refreshed after an exhausting day.

Peanut Butter Chocolate & Banana Milkshake

Their peanut butter chocolate & banana milkshake is a must have for all chocolate lovers who have a soft spot for Reese (the chocolate spread and chocolate brand). A delicious blend of ingredients that go perfectly well together, this milkshake is a must have!
Talking about their food, the restaurant offers you a diverse platter to soothe your palate ranging from sizzlers to Italian to finger foods. Some of their best dishes include their Cottage Cheese Paprika, Paneer Sizzlers and pizza!
The cottage cheese paprika is an appetizer that ought not to be missed, especially for all the vegeterians out there! Served with a beautifully colored sauce and soft, fresh cottage cheese, this dish is just yum!

Paneer Steak Gunzanio Sizzler

The Paneer Steak Gunzanio Sizzler is the right choice if you're looking for some well cooked fettuchi pasta. The cottage cheese steak was soft and fresh made in pepper sauce and served with saute baby corn. A perfect combination of ingredients.
The Paneer Bascilico Sizzler is served with one of the most delicious pesto sauces I've had in a
long time and a Rissoto gone absolutely right. There is nothing about this dish that didn't melt in my mouth and leave me wanting to come back for more,

The pizzas are at par with most other places and nothing extra ordinary. However, if you're looking for a healthy pizza option, then the Exotic Veg Pizza served with several toppings is the way to go.

Last but not the least, the Gnocchi with herb pesto sauce was the best dish on the table that night with perfectly made potatoes and the sauce finished to perfection.

Gnocchi With Herb Pesto Sauce

                       

Exotic Veg Pizza

                         
                                         

  Food: 4/5

Service: 3/5

Pricing: 2.5/5

Location: 3.5/5

Ambiance: 4/5

Overall: 3.5/5

Visiting Quench was definitely a great idea and a much needed drinking place for college students in Juhu. A place that's definitely worth your time to leave you in a great mood.

    Zomato Link:

                      https://www.zomato.com/mumbai/quench-all-day-pub-juhu/menu#tabtop

Fabulous Foods: Leo's Boulangerie

         Leo's Boulangerie - A Sugartooth Away! 

On a pleasant evening while I roamed around the Lokhandwala market with a friend, it began raining torrentially and suddenly. We found respite in this small bakery and that's how we stumbled upon this beautiful place.

Located next to a bookshop in Lokhandwala market, Leo's Boulangerie is the perfect cafe for anyone who loves coffee and desserts. They give you the variety to choose beyond the regular Red Velvet or Chocolate Truffle. The food options are innovative and absolutely mouth-watering. They are currently expanding their menu to include snack foods such as pastas, sandwiches and much more.

However, what highlights them so distinctly from all competitors is not only their delicious food but also their incredible customer service. They never fail to greet and serve you with warmth, focusing on the customer more than the sales. This comes off as a welcome surprise where all businesses are focused only on sales and tend to sideline the customer's needs and wants!

My absolute favorite is their Chocolate Opium cake which just happens to melt in your mouth, with a perfect balance between milk chocolate and dark chocolate making you fall in love with every bite.

                         

           Chocolate Opium Pastry                                                    Leo's Famous Leo's Cheesecake!

Their Red Velvet cheesecake is much better than that at most restaurants around as are most of their cheesecakes. Their specialty cheesecake, Leo's Cheesecake, is a Philadelphia baked cheesecake which is a great choice when you want a break from red velvet or chocolate! They have Banana Walnut bread which could entrance with you every slice. And, last but not the least, another one of my favorites is their 3 chocolate cake. That delicious pastry derives a perfect balance among milk,dark and white chocolate as well as between soft cushion textures and a bit of a crunchy bite! 

Red Velvet Cheesecake

They also make customized 3D and picture cakes and are one of the best bakeries in town! 

A quiet cosy place, filled with warmth and gooey goodness, I know for sure that once you go there, you're always going to go back! 

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 5/5

Pricing: 3/5

Location: 3.5/5

Ambiance: 2/5

   
                                                                                   

Zomato Link:

https://www.zomato.com/mumbai/leos-boulangerie-andheri-lokhandwala

The New Year Resolution Tradition!

It’s that time of the year again, December is here and that means Christmas trees lit up and cold bites in the air, sugary foods and Christmas carols everywhere! But along with this it’s also time for the New Year. It’s time to let go of the past ghosts and welcome the future with open arms and revived hope. It’s time to say goodbye to mistakes and welcome changes. But most of all, it’s time for the New Year’s Resolutions.

The tradition of New Year’s Resolutions owes its origin to the ancient Babylonian civilisation. The ancient Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts. This trend became globally adopted and these promises got termed as New Year’s Resolutions; the promises went from being promises to God to becoming promises to God and ourselves. But today, New Year’s Resolutions last only as long as the month of January and during the month of December. The remaining year is passed away without even considering your New Year Resolutions!

So yes, December brings with it the time to rummage through everything we have, hunting for that one sheet of paper with all our unfulfilled promises for the year. Your new resolution maybe to find your dream job, lose weight or learn a new language. Basically the New Year’s Resolution is just an expression of something we wish to do, something we wish to achieve and indirectly an expression of the change we wish to see within ourselves. But with every passing day, we change and as we change, so do our wishes and ambitions. Yet we must try to keep as many of our New Year’s Resolutions as possible as it helps us to achieve our goals and become the person we see, while making modifications in the resolutions based on changes in us on a daily basis.

I’ve got my sheet out and I’m looking at it to realise that I’ve barely completed any of my previous New Year’s Resolutions. So yes, I’m working on that but in addition, I’m trying to pick my New Year’s Resolutions for 2014-2015! Putting down New Year’s Resolutions on paper is easy but actuating those New Year’s Resolutions, that’s the real challenge.

This December, I’m ready for the challenge, are you?

The Ghost Of The Past

At some point in our life, we all take a break from our hectic schedules to just sit and breathe. This is when it hits us the hardest because we are at our weakest. There is nothing to distract us or keep us occupied. When we pause our routine, is when the ghost of the past catches up with us. It is human tendency to look at the past with negativity and to remember all the rejections, heart breaks, fights and arguments while ignoring all the breath-taking moments, good days and conversations. This doesn't mean we need to keep running always, it just means we need to try to focus on the positive things in life. When the past strikes, there's no dodging it. We remember the goods times spent with people with a sort of bitterness which makes us want to go back in time and change the course of events, thinking that maybe that would stop the people from leaving us. No matter how much we want to, going back to the past is always a mistake. It will hurt you over and over and leave you shattered, no matter what you do to change the tide of events. Maybe some people weren't meant to be with us forever, maybe they were just supposed to be there for a certain time period to help us become who we are today. The familiar, warm and inviting past is any day more appealing when compared to the scary, unknown future that lies in front of us but going back is always a mistake. You can't take a step backwards and still expect to reach the finish line of the race! You have to keep moving forward and overcome the obstacles to get there! The pain of the past has made you strong enough to face the hurdles of tomorrow. 

The only reason we hold on to the past so strongly is our fear of never being able to find something that great again, but we all forget that losing something good always leads to finding something better ; all it needs is a little bit of belief and hard work. So let yourself believe in a brighter tomorrow, prepare yourself for the unexpected and never go back to the familiar past for the past is a ghost -  a ghost that will haunt you till you let go. 

 You Never Get To See It Come, You Only Get To Watch It Go...

They say what you want in life is what you get; I don't know how true that is but I do know that thinking about what you want does push it away. It is always the unexpected which occurs in our lives leaving us astonished with the events that take place. Life seems like a puzzle ; the more you concentrate on a single piece to complete the puzzle, the fewer are your chances to complete the puzzle but the lesser you concentrate on a particular piece & more on the picture , the more chances there are of using that piece to complete the puzzle. In this case, looking for answers only leads us to more questions. Maybe life isn't supposed to be crystal clear, maybe it isn't supposed to make sense right now & maybe we won't get all that we wish for ; we need to take a breathe, stop worrying about things & people & how we think everything should be & just appreciate the mystery of life. Someday life will be better than you could have ever imagined. Reality will be better than your dreams & you'll feel like the hero of a movie in the happy ending. That's when the mystery of life will begin to unfold for you. But to get there, we need to take a deep breath, use the view from the top as motivation and continue our uphill journey of life with no expectations because You Never Get To See It Coming But You Always Get To See It Go!     

The Coastal Cliché

All teenagers today claim to be obsessed and charmed by the beach, but no one ever bothers to find out why. With our hectic daily routines, the beach offers to us the soothing effect we crave. Priceless are the moments spent sitting on the rocks, by the shore with the waves lashing gently at our feet while our mind stays lost in the turmoil of thoughts. Watching the birds fly at the horizon, reminds us of the freedom we can achieve if only we are willing to let go of the past & all attachments which tie us down. The simple beauty of the sunset leaves us mesmerized ; in this world where beauty comes with nothing other than complications & pretense. For once, we don't feel conscious about being by ourselves even though we are surrounded by a huge crowd. It's not loneliness but inner peace which we finally manage to achieve. As the waves of the ocean rise, our hopes rise with it. Just looking at the rise and fall of the waves, reminds us that we will fail several times before becoming successful in life but you can't succeed unless you try; just like the waves never stop trying to touch the shore until the two do meet. I must say though, the romantic movies & novels, also contribute to spreading the beach charm. The concept of beach love, has its origin in these and we will always be filled with gratitude for that.
That feeling, that moment, the simple beauty of the surroundings & the solitude, is what draws us to the beach. So next time someone claims to be in love with the beach, remember, this cliche location has so much more to it than just being the trend of the time.