Our admiration for the Italian bread is an endless love affair. Well, it began during our internship days when we first tasted a piece (read mouthful) of this heavenly bread. 

Robert Browning was right when he quoted,

“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens”

Although focaccia is not crusty and baguette-like, it is soft and ....Oh! So Delicious! The edges of the bread gets toasty and when cut open, has the most wonderful and bubbly crumb. Every time I visit a restaurant that has focaccia in its bread basket, I'm a happy girl! Soft and warm focaccia is one of the most enjoyable gourmet affairs for me, and good focaccia with fresh butter is amazing! So, full marks to places like Smoke House Deli and Salt Water Cafe for getting that right.

Anyway now, let's get down to business! Our last kitchen class this term was a 'Make Your Own Sandwich' which included making the bread from scratch. No prizes for guessing the bread we chose to bake. We decided to make a Barbecue Chicken Sandwich on Focaccia along with Red Pepper and Chilli Jam. I must confess that I'm always doubtful and impatient when it comes to bread baking because there's the whole proving...resting business. But, we thought this was a good chance to try our hands on making our favorite bread. 




In my earlier posts, I have laid emphasis on my love for Eggs Benedict and it being my favorite breakfast item. So, one such craving for the lovely egg preparation got me looking for a restaurant with All Day Breakfast (because it was around 11), thus, Smoke House Deli, Lower Parel! This was the only SHD outlet that I had not visited. The ambiance of all their outlets are unique! Passing by very often, I've always wanted to see what story the hand-sketched walls of this outlet had to tell. From where I was sitting, I didn't see anything related to Phoenix Mills, but a lot of sketches of vintage cars and trains, arty butterflies on them. I absolutely love the 'all white' antique showpieces too.




*Bing* Phone Notification - You have a new email. *Opens it* It's a Zomato Meetup! *Bing* Joy wave through my brain. It may seem like I am overly excited about Zomato Meetups. As a matter of fact, I am! Why?? Because, Zomato Meetups are interactive, informative (not in a bookish way) and a whole lot of fun! Every meetup is a new experience. This was my second and it was held at Boveda!

It's a well spaced out place and I can say well thought out, because you know, people would like to move around when they karaoke! Boveda is known for the eventful nightlife that it offers and I can see how the place can get crowded on weekends. Great cocktails, I mentioned the space, and the food was great too!


This meetup revolved around mixology and the tweaks and tricks you can do to make a great and unique cocktail!! We actually got to get behind the bar and make some out-of-the-ordinary ones. 
There were four of these cocktails on our menu: The Watermelon Burst, The Smoke Screen, The Cheesecake Martini and last, but definitely not the least, The BVD!


Le Pain Quotidien! The Belgian Bakery has been in my top 5 places to eat for a while. Very recently, it made it to the very top. Yes, lpq is officially my favorite place to eat!! My lpq journey began with an urge to try 'Eggs Benedict' (which is my favorite breakfast item, followed by Danish Pastry). It continued with random pre or post work meals (BKC), BBQ Nights (Powai), the Summer Menu Tasting (BKC), and my latest - dinner at the Colaba outlet.

The ambience of the Colaba outlet is stunning, all wood interiors, a high ceiling, a beautiful chandelier, the communal table, and a wall clock above the dessert counter that really caught my attention. Even the entrance to the restaurant looks really really nice.


We started the good evening with a Tomato Basil Soup. It was the soup of the day, and the flavours of the two ingredients always appeals to me. 


Tomato Basil - Soup of the Day

One of my most cherished tartines at lpq is the Chicken and Pesto Tartine. That little dollop of ricotta cheese and slice of pear adds a nice kick to the dish. We also ordered a Chicken Cobb Salad to share. It had bacon and Danish Blue, and also some Green Tea Dessing! 
A while ago, I was invited to a Zomato Meetup at Noodle Play. This took place at The Hive, Khar. It was an evening of ‘Wok and Talk’. There was some wok tossing action along with the talk by, and with the founders of Noodle Play, and also talk with other food bloggers and restaurant reviewers. As I entered, I got a name tag (I like the idea because there were so many people) and a goodie bag that had chopsticks with my sun sign on it (Taurus), three of Noodle Plays signature sauces (which was put into great use), my dining kit (explained later), and the menu for the evening.



Noodle Play is a take away joint that is like none other. Founded by Hitesh Bhatia and Ishmeet Chandiok, their aim, through Noodle Play is to bring the restaurant dining experience to your home or work place. Personally, I love this idea because it makes even eating alone a little more interesting. And this is how they do it: a table mat with activities on it to entertain you when you are munching, disposable cutlery and Chinese food take away box so you don’t have to trouble yourself with any washing, and mint and tamarind sweets to end your meal. If you’re a fan of selfies, you will definitely like the tissue. You wear it like a bib and well actually…order to find out. And do you know what is better than free food, having gotten free food when you actually expected to pay for it. Yes, Noodle Play has a 29 minute or free policy! 


Ishmeet Chandiok, one of the two founders of Noodle Play giving us Wok gyaan
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