Review: Tiffin Box etc, Sakinaka, Mumbai

I was invited for the grand opening of Tiffin Box etc third outlet in Saki Naka, Mumbai. Luckily I was in that part of the city so decided to attend the event. Don't get confused by the name 'TiffinBox', this place has much more to offer. The idea behind the name 'TiffinBox etc' as explained by Mr. Ashwani Basantani, Brand Head is that the working class should not bring their tiffin boxes with them as they offer a big grand lunch buffet which includes the regional Indian specialities from four metropolitan cities namely Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkatta. One can also enjoy the A-la-Carte option with families and friends. They are also launching new website www.tiffinboxetc.com  for online orders and payments.

Ambience: The restaurant has 104-seats at Sakinaka and exhibits a contemporary ambience, which makes you feel comfortable in its casual setting and vibe. 

Food: The restaurant offers a scrumptious buffet at an introductory price of INR 399 (all inclusive) during lunch. The restaurant’s signature menu includes both an extensive vegetarian & non- vegetarian dishes. The items I tried from their buffet spread:

AamPanna: The refreshing aampanna had a homely taste with a perfecty balanced taste of sweet and sour. The much-needed drink after travelling in summers.

Appetizers: After totally getting confused from where to begin with as the spread was really huge I decided to start with appetizers. I tried mini samosa, glaouti kebabs, chana dal kebabs and mushroom tandoori. All the items very tasted good. I tried murg dahi bhalla which was an interesting twist to the normal dahi bhalla we usually have. The buffet had the various variant of veg and non-veg curries from different regional specialities.

                                                            Gatte Ki sabzi

                                                           Mirch Ka Salan

                                                   Rabri falooda

Service: Service was fast and the staff was courteous. They were ensuring to provide the best of service.

Overall a new good addition to the list of restaurants in SakiNaka. This new outlet  has a Bar too that will enhance your dining experience.
You can  follow them on Twitter, Zomato and Instagram.

Note: Pictures used in the post are mainly provided by the TiffinBox etc, few clicks are mine.

My overall rating is: 4/5

My opinion and words are not biased and the review is totally based on my experience at the restaurant. But rightly said, “Food is subjective and everyone has own taste” so kindly exercise your own discretion, with the understanding that this is reviewer’s personal opinion.

Review: Biryani Guru, CBD Belapur

Weekends are mostly eat out day and a happy day for me as it mostly becomes a " no cooking day". I love exploring new restaurants in or near my area. This time, I was in search of some authentic Mughlai cuisines. So, my search began on Zomato, after checking out few outlets the name"Biryani Guru" caught my attention. After reading the reviews and checking out the menu, we decided to visit the place and give them a try. As they name was very catchy so my expectation from the place was already heightened. Well... "Biryani Guru" justifies the name or not will check out...

Ambiance: We reached this place around 8:30 pm. As expected, it was moderately crowded so we found a table for us easily. The outlet is of decent size with almost 8-9 tables. ( I guess) The decor of the place is retro style with Beatles and Harley Davidson logos. Lots of photo frames of musicians and artists. Overall, the it is decently placed but for me frankly speaking, this was a kind of mismatch. Call it old-fashioned styling sense but for me somehow a place serving Biryani and muglai dishes must be designed with some antique theme. But, anyways the food quality can overrule this easily.

Service: Service was quick and good after the staff attending us was replaced by another knowledgeable staff. The first person attending us was not very updated about the menu and the description of the items stated on the menu. As they have clearly stated that tandoori items take time to get cooked so be patient, so the wait for of 15 minutes approx.

Food: My main focus is always on food because I strongly believe that if food wins your heart you can ignore all the other drawbacks if you find any. So, below are the things we ordered for our meal:

Masala Chass: They have both the option of glass masala chass and bottle also. I had this bottle masala chass at Bhagat Tarachand for the first time and liked it and the design of the bottle too. At Biryani Guru, this was a complete hit. Perfectly thick and not too thin exactly as I like the. So, I would list it under "must have" category.

Chicken Lasooni Tikka: I love tikkas and I am a big fan of Chicken and Paneer tikka. So it, has to be on my order list. We ordered this Chicken Lasooni Tikka. The looks of the tikka were tempting. It was mildly spicy and flavorful. I like the fried garlic pieces which were sprinkled and gave the tikka extra garlicky punch which I liked. There was three variety of chutney provided so I enjoyed this with the green chutney and would recommend to trying this one.

Tandoori Chicken: Tandoori chicken is my another favorite. At most places I order this dish so how can I miss ordering it at "Biryani Guru". Tandoori chicken was not up to my expectations. I had better and delicious Tandoori at many places than this one. Somehow the tandoori masala used lacked that "waooo" factor.

Chicken Tikka Dum Biryani: Okay, so this was the time for the "hero's entry".. as Biryani has to steal the show, after all, it's the "Biryani Guru". We ordered Chicken Tikka Dum Biryani which comes in a beautiful and eye-catching pot( I missed clicking the picture). Well, Biryani is something which I had at numerous places. But the first bite itself was a complete disappointment. The rice was over cooked and lacked that richness that the authentic biryani rice have. The goodness of the biryani is greatly decided by the quality and the perfectness with which the rice is cooked which lacked completely here. The masala in which the chicken pieces were cooked was decent nothing much to talk about. So, this actually spoiled the show.

I was totally in love with this mango chutney which was placed on my table and I was not able to stop myself from licking it :P

So, this was my dinner experience at Biryani Guru. Some good some bad, overall a decent place.
I will not call this place a value for money as I felt the place is slightly overpriced.

 Will I go Again: Maybe Not.


Total Rating: 3.5/5

Enjoy !!

My opinion and words are not biased and the review is totally based on my experience at the restaurant. But rightly said, “Food is subjective and everyone has own taste” so kindly exercise your own discretion, with the understanding that this is reviewer’s personal opinion. 

Review: Just Bing'g'e - The extra g, Vashi, Navi Mumbai

 Well, haven't thought that Tuesday sunny afternoon is going to be so happening for me. I was invited to review the newly opened outlet of Just Bing'g'e, Vashi by Pooja Trehan Dhamecha, who runs Nuvo Foodies. Just Bing'g'e ( with extra g) is a beautifully decorated boutique restaurant. Its a cafe which offers  good ambiance, music and yummy food where you can have some good time with friends, family or even alone with your book. The decor of the restaurant is done very artfully with interestingly designed wall makes the place very attractive. This cozy place has a sitting arrangement for about 10 people. On my table, cute stuff were placed along with some books too.

Just Bing'g'e, co- founded by Hardik Patel and Amit Patel, has Chef Aditi Juneja and Chef Salil Fadnis who have curated the dishes on  the menu of Just Bing'g'e. This centrally located outlet is the second outlet of Just Bing'g'e, first being at Sanpada.

 So, I started the meal by placing the order for Raspberry coolers and Vol-Au-Vents as suggested by Pooja of Nuvofoodie.

Raspberry Cooler: I just love the colour of the drink. The drink was perfectly sweet and bubbling. It was very refreshing exactly what I needed in a sunny afternoon.

Vol-Au-vent: Vol-Au-vent listed in the lite bite section of the menu are basically cylindrical hollow puff pastry which is stuffed with mushrooms or chicken and topped with cheese. It was a perfect combination of crunchiness and soft stuffing. The mushroom were sauteed with garlic and was topped with cheese. So, with every bite, you enjoy the cheese and mushrooms along with the crunchy pastry. It is a must have and not to be missed.

 Just Bing'g'e have some amazing variety of sandwiches and salads. The salads are very innovative and so are the sandwiches. Next we ordered Chicken Herb Sandwich and the signature Le Pout salad which is available in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian variation.

Chicken Herb Sandwich: Out of the sandwiches and subs listed in the menu, we ordered Chicken Herb Sandwich. The chicken tikka pieces were very nicely mixed with mint salad combined together with cheese, cream and sauces in soft bread. The stuffing was so fulfilling that it oozes out as you take a bite. I wish they would have added more of chicken pieces to it, so it would have satisfied me more :) (chicken lover can't help :P) but overall loved it.

 Le Pout: Le pout the signature salad of Just Bing'g'e is something which is not to be missed at all. The crispy hot french fries mixed together with sauteed mushrooms and fresh lettuce and dressed with three different sauces. This amazing blend was so creamy and crispy that it won my heart in the first bite itself. Although its listed in the salad sections but definitely not recommended for the people on a serious diet. But yes, this unique combination was really amazing. Even if you are not a salad lover you must not fail to order it.

By this time, I was already full but was still willing to try some more salad from their extensive menu so we decided to give Chicken in Pisa a try. This was salad listed in the non-veg section in which chicken pieces are mixed with pasta and variety of sauces and cream added on top of it.

Chicken in Pisa: Chicken in Pisa was a good choice that we made and the same was suggested by the restaurant staff as well. The salad had chicken pieces mixed with pasta, olives, veggies and variety of sauces and mayo. The flavor of this salad was amazing. I loved it completely. Just a suggestion to increase the quantity of chicken into as it would have made it more amazing. ( for me, at least :P). Rest the salad was very nicely presented which definitely makes a good impression. This is going to be definitely in my order list next time I am visiting the place.

Overall I felt this cafe is a good addition to the list of cafes in Navi Mumbai to hangout and relish some exotic food which doesn't go very heavy on your pocket as the average meal for two would cost around Rs 400-500. I wish that they should expand the sitting space in near future so that you can go ahead with the complete gang itself without giving any second thoughts. 
My overall experience was great at Just bing'g'e and would definitely plan to binge there again and this time with my family.

 

Total Rating is 4/5

Thanks again Pooja @ Nuvofoodies for inviting me and introducing me to this new place.

My opinion and words are not biased and the review is totally based on my experience at the restaurant. But rightly said, “Food is subjective and everyone has own taste” so kindly exercise your own discretion, with the understanding that this is reviewer’s personal opinion.

Review: BOX 8 - Food for every kind of Hunger

After reading so much about this new food chain, I was really looking forward to giving them a try. But, I had to wait as they were not delivering in my area. So, the day I saw them listed in Kharghar area without a second thought I decided to order food from them. Since, they offer wide variety to choose from like sandwiches, wraps, all-in-one meal, biryanis, salads and now introduced pizza as well, I opted the all-in-one meal - Bhuna Kebab Meal. The meal was delivered promptly at my door steps with a very nice packing which flattered me completely. So, Yes! "Superb Delivery" - bang on! "Kickass Food"---- Hmm, lets find out !!

BHUNA KEBAB MEAL:

After getting impressed by the awesome packaging of the food, the next thing which impressed me was the quantity of the food. It was more than sufficient for me to finish it alone. The kebabs were perfectly cooked and rich in flavor. They were succulent and tasty, so I enjoyed having it. The rice was perfectly cooked and mixed with a spicy gravy which made it a complete meal. I especially liked the green chutney which was like a cherry on the cake as it made the meal spicier which I liked :)

So  after enjoying this meal, I posted the pictures on my Instagram handle @amchi.foodie and to my surprise, I won a complimentary meal from Box 8 under a photo sharing contest which was going on. So happy me :) got another chance to try the meal from Box8. This time, I ordered Chicken Overloaded Meal.

CHICKEN OVERLOADED MEAL: The meal was overloaded with chicken pieces as the name suggest. The meal had three variety of chicken tikkas combined in a meal with some masala curry. Well, I was happy with the quantity of the chicken in it but the gravy was a bit on the sweet side which didn't please my taste buds much :( So, I might skip this meal when ordering next.

MOONG DAAL HALWA: Served in a small box this moong daal halwa won my heart. I love desserts and this halwa was perfectly sweet not on higher or lower side( just as I like). So, moong daal halwa is on my favorites list.

ICE TEA:  Well, nothing great about the ice-tea. Therefore, I can be skipped if you don't need something to drink along with the food. As the drink was sugary I didn't find it very pleasing.

  And again few days back on a lazy day again thought of ordering from Box8, this time, it was wraps and salad.

CHAR- GRILLED SALAD: Oh Yes ! this one was good. If you love salads, give them a try. The grilled chicken pieces tossed with lots of vegetables - corn, jalapenos, olives, cabbage and some desi dressing which gave it a sweet and sour taste I loved it. If willing to start your meal in a healthier way do try the salad.

CHICKEN BHUNA WRAP: unlike the wraps you get in the market which have a lot of oil to make it crispier this one from Box 8 was different. This Chicken Bhuna Wrap had chicken pieces cooked in some spicy tikka masala. The wrap was filled with mustard sauce which gave it a very raw taste and the onion added for the crunch gave it a bitter taste. So, overall it was just okay not very appealing.

CHICKEN SEEKH KEBAB WRAP: Out of the two this wrap was the one which I enjoyed. The seekh kebab pieces were mixed with some spicy sauce which gave it a sweet and sour taste. And the seekh kebab pieces were well cooked so this one comes in 'order again list' :)

Overall my experience with Box 8 was satisfying. I love the compact food packaging and the timely delivery. The food is tasty and the options provided is extensive. And they offer value for money food.

Total Rating :4/5

My opinion and words are not biased and the review is totally based on my experience at the restaurant. But rightly said, “Food is subjective and everyone has own taste” so kindly exercise your own discretion, with the understanding that this is reviewer’s personal opinion.