Cute Cafes and Bustling Bakeries

Mumbai has many cute continental cafes and bakeries. These eateries (including The Pantry) are known for their brunches and/or pastries, so I went for lunch on the weekends during the festive holiday season.

In Bandra, there is a little cafe called Fat Mans Cafe (no apostrophe after “Man”):

There are kitschy cartoons of fat men on the wall:

Kitschy fat man quotes on another wall:

It was a few days after Christmas, so I ordered a seafood stuffed rolled pasta from the Christmas menu. I also ordered a Nutella coffee shake.

While waiting for my food and drink, I looked at my surroundings in more detail. In doing so, I noticed on a little chalkboard that Fat Mans Cafe was offering a fresh strawberry milkshake as its Christmas special (it was not listed in the Christmas menu). I asked if I could change my drink, but the waiter said that the Nutella coffee shake had already been made for me. Initially I felt disappointed, but as soon as I tasted my drink, I was really glad that the order couldn’t be changed. This Nutella coffee shake was just perfect – great texture and not too sweet. I tried not to drink too much before my food came out, but ended up finishing half of it by the time the pasta arrived (normally I try to reserve my last bite/sip for my most favorite food item so that its flavor would remain on my tongue after my meal is over).

The seafood stuffed rolled pasta was really good too; the pasta was very generously stuffed and the flavor of the sauce was delicious. I’d make this dish part of the regular menu if I were the owner of Fat Mans Cafe.

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On another weekend morning, I visited Bandra again to try out The Birdsong Organic Cafe. This cafe has rustic charm:

I first ordered a cup of hot chocolate:

This hot chocolate was excellent; it was very thick and full of flavor. At the end of the drink, I left behind the milk skin that was sitting on top of the hot chocolate.

I then ordered honey mustard chicken served on a bed of mashed potatoes and vegetables:

The honey mustard flavor was delicious, and the textures of the chicken, vegetables, and mashed potatoes were just right. However, the portion size was small; I would have preferred four or five pieces of chicken instead of three, more vegetables, and less mashed potatoes (generally I feel that mashed potatoes are just fillers).

I get a 15% discount for Organic Birdsong Cafe from my Coup card, so overall that makes this place worth a repeat visit.

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In downtown Mumbai, there is a relatively new cafe that opened up in November called The Nutcracker:

This is an eggetarian cafe (vegetarian + egg), and it is incredibly popular. Normally when I go for lunch at noon, restaurants are empty. At The Nutcracker however, I had to wait for half an hour. Granted the cafe is small and probably seats only 20-25 people, but still, waiting around noontime in Mumbai is a new experience for me. After I finally got a table, I took a look at my Christmassy surroundings:

There were interesting books behind where I sat, including E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Nutcracker. I skimmed through the book while sipping on a mint lemonade:

The mint lemonade tasted okay (I got it because it had great reviews on Zomato). It is good to order if you want a healthy-tasting drink.

I had ordered a warm Lebanese sandwich (crisp warm falafel, fresh salad, and pickles topped with garlic mayo and a spicy harissa):

This sandwich was good, but not great. Just when I started eating, the waiter asked me if I mind sharing my table with other customers. I said that I didn’t mind, so I ended up listening to other people’s conversations. One person told the other that she had been to The Nutcracker three times already, that the food is incredible, and that the black bean burger is the best. Immediately I couldn’t help regretting ordering the Lebanese sandwich. At one point, one of the girls called over the manager and said, “There is too much of sauce on the salad, it’s very pungent. I’m sorry but I cannot eat it.” The manager apologized and asked, “Is the burger okay?” The girl said, “Haan it is yum, no issues.”

I finished my meal with the seven layer cookie, which also had rave reviews on Zomato:

The seven layer cookie dessert consisted of biscuit crumble, gooey Belgian chocolate, butterscotch, and almonds served warm with vanilla ice cream. While this dessert looked good, I felt that I would have been better off sharing it with someone; I was tired of eating it halfway through because it became too sweet.

Overall, I felt that The Nutcracker is overhyped, or perhaps I didn’t order the right items. I may consider another visit to try the black bean burger.

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I used to go to Theobroma in Powai at least twice a week to buy a brownie or some other goodie after school in Gorai. The only reason why I stopped going regularly is because I don’t think regular visits would be good for my health in the long run. Normally I don’t go out of my way to buy sweets, but Theobroma’s offerings (both sweet and savory) are really good. Specifically, I like the different variety of brownies, banoffee pies (English pies made from bananas, cream, and toffee), dense chocolate cakes, and butties (fries, garlic mayo, cheese, and your choice of bacon, egg, or chicken stuffed in between toasted burger buns). I was informed that the owner of Theobroma used to work as a pastry chef for Oberoi (a luxury hotel chain throughout India), but then she decided to branch out and open up Theobroma (literally means “food of the gods”).

A few days before Christmas, I decided to eat at Theobroma’s in the downtown Mumbai location. Most people (including me) do takeout due to slow service and limited seating, but this time I decided to eat on the premises. Theobroma’s in Mumbai was very busy and crowded, making my experience less than peaceful:

I wanted to try something new, so I ordered a Parsi Akoori (spicy scrambled eggs cooked with garlic, spices, fresh herbs, and (when available) green mango) and a fruit & oat lassi (banana, apple, yogurt, oats, and apple juice). To my disappointment, the waiter told me that green mango was not available, but I went ahead with the Parsi Akoori anyway. The Parsi Akoori came out before my fruit & oat lassi did:

The Parsi Akoori tasted like a healthier version of egg bhurji sold on the streets, except I actually prefer the spicier, greasier, unhealthy street version. I looked at my nearest neighbor’s frittata and had temporary food envy.

My fruit & oat lassi tasted okay too:

It’s not bad, but it tasted like something I can make myself.

I also bought a Christmas cake (left) and a German stollen (right):

I didn’t really like either of them; the Christmas cake tasted like Indian fruit cake with rum, while the German stollen was not memorable.

I’ll continue to try new things at Theobroma, although now I know not everything there tastes great.

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There’s a small bakery in Bandra called The American Express Bakery, and unlike all the other places I have mentioned so far, this place has no seating. Generally I prefer Theobroma over this bakery, but whenever I feel like spending less money for continental baked goodies, I go to The American Express Bakery. On my last visit, I purchased a lemon flan, a spicy mutton sandwich, and two macaroons:

I have had the lemon flan before, so I knew that it would be good. It has a hint of lemon flavor and mostly tastes similar to regular flan, which I like. The spicy mutton sandwich was very spicy and flavorful. It could be improved with better tasting buns, but for the price it’s what I expected. The macaroons did not taste like macaroons at all, but they were decent in their own right. One flavor was chocolate, and I don’t remember the other flavor. I probably wouldn’t repurchase them considering that there are many other options in this bakery.

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Fat Mans Cafe

Address: Shop No. 9, ONGC Building No. 3, Kosamba, ONGC Colony, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050

Phone: 022 2640 2055

Birdsong Organic Cafe

Address: Shop No. 1-5, Jenu-Jenai, Off. Hill Road, Waroda Road, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050

Phone: 022 2642 2323

The Nutcracker

Address: Modern House, Dr. V.B. Gandhi Marg, Opposite One Forbes Building, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai

Phone: 022 2284 2430

Theobroma

Address: Shop 24, Cusrow Baug, Colaba Causeway, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400005

Phone: 022 2288 0101

The American Express Bakery

Address: Villa Sushma, Hill Road, Ranwar, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050

Phone: 022 2641 5769

A New Twist on Mumbai Favorites, Healthy Eating, and Breakfast Recipes

There were two weekday holidays last week, so I had more time to visit restaurants and make breakfast. I had been unsuccessful walking in at 9 pm to SpiceKlub before, so this time Priam and I arrived at this restaurant right when it opened at 6:30 pm (on a side note, booking a table is also an option). SpiceKlub is a vegetarian Indian restaurant that serves food highlighting molecular gastronomy. We ordered three appetizers and one dessert, and afterwards we were comfortably full. The first appetizer served to us was naanza (the menu described naanza as “mini naans stuffed with spice cottage cheese served the Italian way gratinated”):

They looked like little slices of pizza to me, but they did not taste like pizza. The toppings were really delicious, the cottage cheese was very creamy and spicy, and the naan had the perfect soft texture. This naanza was my most favorite dish out of everything we ordered.

After we finished the naanza, the waiter gave us our pav bhaji fondue (tomato-based fondue with cheese, onions, and possibly other vegetables):

A Mumbai street food favorite, this particular pav bhaji was all gussied up complete with fancy fondue forks. This version was creamier than the pav bhaji I have had in the schools. The flavors were good, albeit not mind-blowing.

The third appetizer we ordered was pani puri:

This was the first time I’ve seen the chili liquid in test tubes on dry ice and the sweet liquid in a syringe (click here for my description of pani puri). I had a fun time assembling my pani puri together. While the presentation was unique and eye-catching, in my opinion the taste isn’t any different from the pani puri available on the streets.

For dessert, we had the bubbling kulfi (Indian ice cream traditionally made with condensed milk):

This kulfi came in little pieces on a flask filled with liquid nitrogen. The five sauces (from top left to bottom right counterclockwise) are rose tapioca pearls, malai (Indian sweet cream), caramel, blueberry, and chocolate. They all went really well with the kulfi (I tried them each separately with the kulfi and then combined some), with my favorites being the rose and the caramel. The combination of rose tapioca pearls, malai, and kulfi tasted like a falooda (Indian cold sweet drink traditionally made with rose syrup, basil seeds, jelly pieces, tapioca pearls, vermicelli, and ice cream). Priam was at first wondering why the kulfi was in little pieces, and then he came to the conclusion that the kulfi would be too difficult to break apart if it were in one large piece. This presentation was also unique and fun, with liquid nitrogen smoking out of the spout and flower petals strewn around the sauces.

Overall, I really liked the presentation of the dishes and their flavors, although you can get the same flavors of pani puri for much cheaper on the streets. SpiceKlub is the most innovative restaurant that I’ve ever been to, and I would like to visit again to try their other dishes.

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Yesterday I went to The Yoga House, not to do yoga but rather to eat. I had eaten here over a year ago and liked their food, so when I used Google maps to find this place, I was surprised to see that The Yoga House relocated to a much bigger house than the one it was in before:

The Yoga House had an upgrade, as there are now more rooms and seats available. I really like the ambience of this new house because the colors and decor make it look very serene and peaceful:

The Entrance

The First Flight of Stairs

The Second Flight of Stairs

The Third Flight of Stairs

Where I Eventually Decided to Eat (I painted my bedroom in Boston in this same shade of blue)

My View as I Ate Lunch

I ordered The Yoga House’s signature quinoa burger and signature smoothie (the menu listed the following ingredients: banana, milk, almonds, cashew nuts, raisins, grated coconut, puffed rice, beaten rice, sesame seeds, dates, figs, poppy seeds, ginger powder, and cinnamon):

Both my beverage and food tasted very healthy and organic. There were extra hummus and greens on the side, which I slathered onto my burger. Unlike most restaurants I’ve been to in Mumbai, this quinoa burger tasted like no chili was added. The water was in a copper cup, which I have heard gives health benefits. I really did not like the metallic taste of the cup though, so I avoided the water.

For dessert, I ordered masala chai and three homemade ladoos (ball-shaped Indian sweets):

For some reason I can’t really put my finger on, holding this particular cup of masala chai (top left) felt really soothing to my hands. Initially I did not know what was in the metal bowl in the top right (looked similar to Indian pickled mango to me), so I tried it and found it delicious. I asked the waiter what it was, and he told me that it is organic jaggery to be used as a sugar substitute for the masala chai. According to Wikipedia, jaggery is concentrated date, cane juice, or palm sap.

The ladoos tasted healthy, yummy, and not too sweet. I could see pistachios in the ladoos, and I think the crunchy texture was due to puffed rice, though I’m not sure. I had no problem finishing off these three ladoos.

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Last Tuesday morning, I decided to make breakfast consisting of caramelized onions, spinach, and eggs:

I followed the recipe online (click here for the recipe) with the following modifications:

1. I used ghee (Indian clarified butter) instead of butter. Ghee smells really nice when it is used for cooking, and a small amount is sufficient. I had gone to the supermarket last week and decided for the first time to purchase ghee instead of butter. This was the first time that I had cooked with ghee, and my kitchen smelled great for many hours afterward.

2. I used Spanish cheese that was given by Priam’s brother’s friends from Spain instead of Parmesan cheese. This cheese is hard, so I think it’ll last for a while.

3. I microwaved the dish in the end instead of putting it in an oven because I don’t own an oven.

Overall I thought my dish was good, although the spinach for some reason had a slightly bitter taste. I think that this dish would have tasted better if I had an oven to put it in.

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This morning, I decided to make French toast. I had made French toast several times in the past, and each time I had not been satisfied. This time I decided to do more research (click here and here for tips). These were the changes I made based on the recommendations:

1. In the past I had used multigrain bread, so this time I bought brioche. The brioche was indeed perfect for soaking up the custard. Additionally, the multigrain bread I used before were pre-sliced too thinly, so this time I cut the brioche myself into 1-inch thick slices.

3. One online article advised not to add too much sugar to the custard, while another article advised two tablespoons of sugar per cup of milk. Since my previous French toasts had been very bland, I opted to add two tablespoons of sugar.

4. I added three eggs per cup of milk instead of two (I had previously looked at a different recipe calling for only two eggs).

5. I blended my custard in a blender to avoid egg whites forming on my French toast. The articles above did not specifically mention using blenders, but one recipe did so I decided to try it out.

Generally I followed a recipe I found online (click here for the recipe) with the following modifications:

1. I added three eggs while the recipe didn’t require any.

2. I used slim milk instead of coconut milk because that’s all I had.

3. I omitted the nutmeg and cornstarch because I didn’t have any.

4. I did not serve with maple syrup because I had added two tablespoons of brown sugar to the custard beforehand (I don’t have white sugar).

5. I did not have any bananas that Americans eat (long and big), so I used two Indian bananas instead (short and small but more flavorful).

I think that the articles are great because my French toast tasted much better today than they ever did before. They were sweet enough that no extra syrup was needed. This was the first time that I used coconut oil, and it imparted a very nice flavor and aroma. One improvement I can think of is if I had half-and-half or whole milk instead of slim milk, since skim milk wouldn’t produce as rich a flavor. Still, it was the first time that I felt satisfied with my French toast.

My ingredients:

Some of my French toast after eating several slices:

I cooked six slices and two end pieces, and Priam and I became pretty full after that. Since I still had a fair amount of custard left and I did not want it to go to waste, I decided to add about 1/3 cup of flour to it. This amount was enough to make the resulting batter suitable for making crepes, which I did:

Since the crepes were very thin and light, I was able to eat them despite being relatively full from the French toast. I liked them even more than my French toast because the crepes were less dense. I had pinned quite a few breakfast recipes on Pinterest, so I will be making them on future lazy mornings.