Review: Le Pain Quotidien

Just when you thought Bandra is cool enough, it got cooler. The 161st outlet world wide and 2nd in the city (1st in Colaba), Le Pain Quotidien, popularly known as LPQ, has set shop in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). With an airy outdoor seating and a cozy section indoors, LPQ quickly made place for itself on the list of our favourites.

The indoor section comprised of a display of desserts and breads, a bar area, a private dining area and the regular dining area. Without wasting any time, we called for the food and drinks. A chilled glass of Sangria along with a platter of cheese to take off. Next up, we called for the Tuscan Platter with Parmesan, Ham, Black Olive Spread, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Ricotta. The Ham was delicious, the bread however, was a little too hard. When we asked the server, we were informed that since the bread is baked inhouse and is completely organic without any preservatives, it tends to get a little harder than normal bread. Excused!

Moving to the mains, we called for the Organic Penne Pasta with Tomato sauce, basil and chicken and the Seared Basil Chicken with chili potatoes, spinach and lemon sauce. The pasta was well cooked and full of flavour, a little too spicy, so be sure of informing them if your taste buds are sensitive. The Seared Basil Chicken was tender and the sauce went really well with it. 

Finally, the most awaited part of the meal, desserts! Blueberry cheesecake, mmm, and the Soft Centered Chocolate Cake, mmm. The only word that could describe these desserts would be mmmmouthwatering! We made a trip to heaven and back! 

Are we coming back here? Hell yeah. And next time, we are going to start our meal backwards, last course first! 

Venue: Le Pain Quotidien

Maker Maxity, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East

Landmarks: Next to California Pizza Kitchen (CPK)

Phone: 66431617

Review: Cuppa Joe

Carter Road has always been the topic of discussion when it comes to small, new eateries. Latest on the block is Cuppa Joe, an initiative by the owners of Escobar. The cafe is located right next to Yogurtbay and has experimented with a couple of new things on the menu. 

Divided into two sections, the upper section has an inviting display of desserts and lollipops. The underground section has a small seating area with about 4-5 tables. The highlights of the menu are the Mashmallow Mocha, the Butter Beer and the Red Velvet Cake.

We tried the Chocolate Tart, the Butter Beer, the Walnut Brownie and the Marshmallow Mocha.

The Chocolate Tart was sinful, very gooey and tasted best when heated. The Butter Beer was a complete let down considering the hype created around it. It was a version of the regular coke float, with soda and ice-cream. The Walnut Brownie was passable, not the best we've had. But the entire experience was uplifted by the Marshmallow Mocha. A generous amount of marshmallows in your regular mocha coffee. The size of the cup was also quite overwhelming.

Will we go back here? But ofcourse, we love the ambiance and the feel of the place. And we still have to try a big slice of the Red Velvet Cake!

Venue: Cuppa Joe

Gagangiri Apartments, Off Carter Road, Bandra West

Landmark: Next to Yogurtbay and Cafe Coffee Day

Phone: 26494040

 

 

Ralph Lauren Fragrances Launch

 We attended the Ralph Lauren - Big Pony Fragrances for women, launch meet for bloggers. The four fragrances emphasize on colour and claim to compliment personality attributes of women such as Sporty, Sensual, Free Spirited and Stylish. 

The sporty or the blue fragrance is a combination of Grape Fruit and Blue Lotus; the Pink, sensual fragrance of Cranberry and Tonka Mousse, the Yellow, free spirited fragrance of Pear and Mimosa and the Purple, stylish fragrance, of Wild Cherry and Purple Amber. 

Our favourite was the pink, sensual fragrance. It was subtle, fruity yet very alluring. We would totally recommend it.

Venue: The fragrances are available at all leading perfume stores in the city.

Price: 50 ml @ Rs 2900, 100 ml @ Rs 4100

Review: Deliciae Patisserie

Bandra's popular dessert shop, Deliciae has recently opened it's second outlet in Powai. Just like the Bandra outlet, this one is also sited right next to Out Of The Blue and is known for its sinful desserts and yummy shakes. 

The display is fancy with cupcakes, cheesecakes, mango desserts and lots of chocolate desserts all over the place. More of a take away outlet; on insisting, we were directed to the Cafe Bean Garu section since we wanted to sit and indulge in some of the best desserts we have had so far. 

First, we ordered for the Blueberry Cheesecake Shake and the Hazelnut Cold Coffee. The Blueberry Cheesecake shake came across as a pleasant surprise and it actually felt like having a cheesecake. The Cold Coffee however, was a let down. We couldn't taste much of the Hazelnut flavour. 

After a short while, we decided to call for the desserts. The season's special Mango Meringue and one dessert that not many can get right, Banoffee Pie. 

The Mango Meringue came first, with fresh mango pieces on the top and centre, sandwiched between fresh cream and a crispy layer of biscuit. Perfect dessert for the summer, refreshing and what better way to enjoy the king of fruits than this! 

We saved the best for the last, the Banoffee Pie. Lots of chocolate with a layer of banana pieces in the middle topped with whipped cream. The dessert was not too sweet and very close to perfection. We are sure we will come back for this. 

We were also informed that Deliciae prepares wedding and birthday cakes on order. They have a huge variety from character cakes, 3d cakes to photo cakes and tier cakes. They also customize cupcakes on order. And Pune folks, they are soon coming up with an outlet in Pune (again, alongwith Out Of The Blue).

Overall, Deliciae scores high on the scale of taste and quality. Not to forget, we give them full marks for their presentation. Afterall, the first impression counts! 

Venue: Deliciae Patisserie

1st Floor, Haiko Place, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai

Landmark: Above Costa Coffee

Phone: 25717000

Review: Bianca

Khar has a brand new bakery that serves desserts, dips and more. Bianca,located in the same lane as Costa Coffee, Khar, is a tiny, cute little place where you can satisfy your sweet tooth cravings. They have two tables inside where you can park yourself although take away is recommended.

The display at Bianca is colourful, with cheesecakes, cupcakes, pastries, dips and more. We decided to try the Red Velvet Cupcake to see if it beats our all time favourite at Candies, and the Oreo Cheesecake which looked very tempting.

The Red Velvet Cupcake was dry and not something that we would have on our second visit to Bianca but the Oreo Cheesecake was splendid. The cheesecake layer was delicious with a crusty layer at the bottom. Very different from the ones we have tried before, this one totally scores. 

Our take, opt for the take away, skip the cupcakes and go for the cakes and dips which seem to be quite promising.

Venue: Bianca

Crystal Blue Premises, In the lane of Costa Coffee, 16th road, Khar (W)

Landmark: Next to Curio Cottage

Phone: 26000403, 26000404