Lake View Cafe - Renaissance, Mumbai

Renaissance Powai is one of the well known land marks of Mumbai. The view of this Marriot group luxury stay and din place is well known for any one traveling on JVLR. Powai lake view from its rooms and restaurants make the place unique and has been Bollywood hot spot. We had come across their coupons on Dinout app and planned for lunch on my birthday. When we checked at the reception about the coupon, they said they were no longer collaborated with Din out and agreed for a direct discount.

Pic Courtesy The Marriot

This Multi cuisine restaurant offers buffet service with variety of spreads including salads, Indian main course, rice, pastes, noodles. While the buffet includes Indian Gravies, surprisingly rotis(Indian breads) are not included in the buffet, you need to order separately. The Indian street food counter is one of the highlights of the restaurant. The dessert and salad counter at the entrance of the restaurant attracts most of the kids.

Pic Courtesy The Marriot

If you look for more luxurious dinning option, you can book a separate private dining section at Emperor's Court, or if you just want to experience the Mumbai Local snacks, desserts, brewed Cuppa coffee at the Five star luxury you can opt for Mumbai Express. 

For booking check their website here. Dinner for 2 people at Lake View Cafe - Rs. 3000(approx)

Note: Since it was my b'day I was busy clicking my own selfies and pics, and forgot to click pics of food and the cafe ;) So took courtesy of Marriot Page.

The Bombay Bronx Restaurant, Mumbai

I was at The Bombay Bronx for the Aegon Religare blogger's meet. The restaurant has been designed to give it a typical Bombayya look. Chandeliers of the lunchbox of the famous dabbawalas of Mumbai, also the glass top dinning tables, have dabbas lined up.

The cash counter was given the Bollywood and advertisment look from the 80s. Also one side of the restuarant is given the look of a local train.

The entrance has the painting of a koli women and the upper wall is given the look of EROS International.

The food too included Mumbai street foods along with pizza and Punjabi. For starters we tried Dhokla pakoda, vada pav, cheese balls, most of which were served in Mumbai style too, in paper cones placed inside small buckets. The starters maintained the authentic Mumbai taste in all of them. We also tried pizza, which was served on a grill atop wooden pan.

For main course, we had paneer gobhi with naan, which was served on a small carrom board. A single board is served to each table and everyone on the table can have from the same. The paneer gobhi for me was just ok when compared to the starters. At the bar I tried Aam Panna. It tasted very refreshing and I couldn't resist myself from having 3 of them.

Cost: Rs. 1500 for two people.

Stay and Din option at Pathankot..

Due to kiddo's bad health we had to skip Dharamshala and come back to Pathankot from Dalhousie. We were at Pathankot by 8 in the night and our taxi driver who had come to drop us from Dalhousie took us to Hotel R K international. R K International is next to Dalhousie Bus Station and very close to Railway station. We had our bus booked for Chandigarh the next day and the hotel looked convenient.

The rooms are quite big and clean, with bed, dresser, TV, mini fridge, sitting place and cupboard. One of windows of the room we stayed at opened towards the backside, thats Pathankot bus stand. With snow fall on last few days, the view also had snowcapped Himalayan peaks, which is always a bliss to watch.

A budget option if you are looking something just for a night's stay, but they don't have a restaurant. We had our food at Hotel Green which is close to R K International. The food is very good at Hotel Green, with Indian, Chinese, Continental. A very good restaurant at the proximity of Bus stand and railway station. When we checked at Hotel Green for accommodation, we were told the hotel was going on with some renovations and hotel was to start very soon, might be we will head straight to Hotel Green during our next visit to Pathankot.

Tariff at R K International Rs. 1500/- per night, contact detail 0186 223 1888

Aamlicious, Mango Fest at Khandani Rajdhani!!!

I still remember those childhood days when visiting a restaurant was a happy moment. It was either on any of our birthdays or appa-amma's wedding anniversary which took us to restaurants. As times passed, things changed, it was a weekend event, when visiting a restaurant was a matter of relaxing days for moms to take off from kitchen. But recently with restaurants coming up with mid week offers, having restaurant food is no big deal, but part of a routine. 

I was introduced to Rajdhani Restaurant in Dubai, when it was newly opened few years back. Their restaurant in Bur Dubai was just close to my office and that was where most of our friends gathered for birthday treats. Khandani Rajdhani is a vegetarian thali restaurant which serves authentic Rajasthani and Gujarati dishes. Though most of the dishes are regular ones which are offered by others as well, my personal favorites of Khandani Ranjdhani are Dal Baati Churma and Malpua, which I miss in other restaurants, to add on is their sweet khadi. The one which I miss here in Mumbai, from their Dubai restaurant is smoked chaas, the pinch of smoky flavour to the cooling chaas, chaas can be had as many glasses by me.

With the mango season on, Khandani Rajdhani has come up with Mango festival, Aamlicious(Aam delicious, Aam meaning mango). The menu has the mango dishes on rotation, when customers get to taste different dishes on each visit. I am not that fond of mangoes, but visited them few days back for hubby and kiddo, who just love mangoes and can savour mangoes in any form. Though I expected most of the dishes to be of mangoes, it was Aam ki Launji, Aamras, Mango Lassi and Aam Panna in the menu for the day. Off which Aamras was limited to one bowl and mango lassi and aam panna were add-ons which were not included in the thali.

Mango festival is on till 15th of June, at all Khandani Rajdhani Restaurants. Their midweek offers include 50% off on Tuesdays, 50% off for Ladies on Wednesdays. They have other meal boxes and offers on them on particular days.

Costing: Rs. 900 for two(Unlimited thali)