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Review: Haochi at Sun N Sand

We recently visited the much talked about Chinese restaurant at Sun N Sand, Mumbai - Haochi. Run by celebrity chef Gautam Mehrishi, this one exceeded our expectations! Everything we had here was amazing, no wonder the restaurant was pack at lunch hour on a weekday.

Here's a glimpse of our meal!

Bombay Fizz

Great Wall Martini

 

The drinks were impressive. Bombay Fizz was extremely stiff and one drink could be good enough to get you in high spirits. The Great Wall Martini is a fusion of gin, pineapple and passion fruit, tangy and delicious. They don't disappoint the teetotalers either. Look at the fancy presentation of a non-alcoholic beverage!

Char Siu Bao

Crispy Peking Duck served with Hoi Sin sauce and Julienned Greens

Soba Noodles

The appetizers at Haochi are absolutely delicious. The Char Siu Bao or the pork buns melted in the mouth. The Crispy Peking Duck went well with the Hoi Sin sauce. Also, one of the must try dishes at Haochi is the Lotus Root, vegetarians, you will love this! The Soba noodles and Buttery rice pairs up excellently with most of the mains.

Chocolate Lava Cake

Mandarin Orange Infused Creme Brulee

Almond Yogurt

The exciting range of desserts were something that we left enough space for. The Chocolate Lava Cake, emmm, sinful, an overdose of chocolate. The crackling Creme Brulee with Mandarin orange infused was fruity and refreshing. The Almond Yogurt on the other hand was light and a perfect way to end the meal!

Overall, Haochi lives up to the meaning of its name - Simply Delicious! We totally recommend this one!

Venue: Haochi

Overall Rating

Sun n Sand Hotel, Juhu

Landmark: Next to Novotel Hotel

Phone: 26201811

Follow:
Haochi at @HaochiMumbai
Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid

Review: Smoke House Deli

The oh-so-popular Smoke House Deli has opened a new outlet at BKC. We attended the preview dinner and here's what we tried!

The lovely looking signature cocktails- Fruit, Herb and Floral Infusions.

Californian Plum, Star Anise, Lily and Vodka

Kiwi, Melon, Jasmin and Vodka 

We started our meal with the Paprika Puffs. Crispy and delicious, with a strong kick of Wasabi. If your taste buds can't handle too much spice, make sure you mention it to the chef while placing your order.

Paprika Puffs with Wasabi

The mains were delicious! The Pan Charred Vegetables and Cheddar Sandwich with Chipotle Mayo is a great option for the veggies. Crunchy vegetables with a flavourful hint of Chipotle. They say, cooking risotto rice perfectly well is the toughest. Smoke House Deli does a fairly good job with their Smoked Mushroom Risotto! Carnivores can add Chicken or Prawns to the same. Last but not the least, the Peri Peri Rubbed Smoked Chicken with Smoked Pimento Reduce was quite a winner. The Chicken was Tender and delectable, definitely our favourite.

 

Smoke House Deli is usually popular for their desserts, but guess, they were having a bad day. The Philly Cheesecake was grainy and not smooth although the flavour was perfect. The Flourless Fudge Cake on the other hand was warm but not warm enough. 

Philly Cheesecake

Flourless Chocolate Fudge with Ice Cream

Smoke House Deli has been a favourite since it opened at Lower Parel. We hope it maintains the standard and quality through all its outlet and we will definitely keep visiting!

Venue: Smoke House Deli 

FIFC Building, Bandra Kurla Complex

Landmark: Behind Starbucks  

Phone: 02226530762 

Follow:

Smoke House Deli  at @SmokeHouseDeli

Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid

Review: Amritsari Tadka

When we heard of Amritsari Tadka's launch in the neighbourhood, we expected a hard core North Indian Dhaba like experience. Did the place meet our expectations? Read on to know...

When we entered Amritsari Tadka, which has been started by the same group as Only Parathas, we were a little upset about the ambience. An average looking restaurant with little or no sign of Amritsar. 

Tikka Platter

The service was impressive though: Servers were prompt and well trained, the restaurant was clean and pretty crowded on a Friday afternoon.

We ordered what the server recommended, a platter of tikkas, a 'Chinese' prawn starter (yes, they serve Chinese as well) and a Lemongrass mocktail to begin with. Amongst the starters, our favourite was the Ajwaini Fish Tikka - perfectly cooked and full of flavour.

Amritsari Naan and Prawns with Raita

In the mains, we had the Prawn gravy alongwith the signature Amritsari Naan. The mains didn't impress us much. A little more spices could have helped!

Sizzling Brownie

For the desserts, we had the jalebi with rabdi and the sizzling brownie. The jalebi was not hot enough although it was juicy and crispy! The sizzling brownie was... umm... we have definitely had better.

Overall, Amritsari Tadka is a great option for the kitty party ladies or for a family dinner! Skip it if you're planning a date or looking to have a traditional Punjabi meal!

Venue: Amritsari Tadka
Linking Road, Khar West

Landmark: Level below Only Parathas

Phone: 022 66694199

Follow: 
Mumbai Candid at @ChandniT @MumbaiCandid

Review: Philips Saeco Espresso Machine

Ever thought of waking up to a cup of hot cappuccino just like you would get at your favourite cafe? With the Philips Saeco Espresso Machine, you can make that possible.


Philips has launched this new coffee machines for residential use, targeting the business class. With this machine, you can manually select options and make yourself an Espresso, Mocha, Macchiato and the likes, but the automatic function only lets you make a Cappuccino.

What we like: The Cappuccino tasted as good as it could get. The Espresso was also quite impressive. You could select how strong you want your coffee to be. Also, it's quick and takes less than a minute to get one cup of coffee.

What we dislike: The machine is not very user friendly and can get quite complicated if you're tech-challenged. In a day, the machine can serve upto 50 cups of coffee, hence it is not recommended for commercial use. The coffee servings are not quite consistent, the first cup might look and taste quite different from the second cup. The internal cleansing process of the machine is tedious and unavoidable.

Our take: For a cost as high as Rs.75,000, we hope that the machine would be easier to use and less complicated. Although, if you love your morning coffee and don't mind spending a few extra bucks on it, then this one is for you!

What: Philips Saeco Espresso Machine
Where: Any consumer electronic outlets : Click Here
Price: Rs.75,000