Viviana Mall - Thane

 Let  me first give you a brief about the mall & also tell you that its not much different than all the malls that you would come across Mumbai city. The reason I chose to write about this one, is as have spent many weekends over here with my family & there are fond memories attached to it. 

So without further ado, a brief about the Mall.   It is situated in the heart of Thane, making it easily accessible to residents of Thane as well as neighboring areas like Mulund, Bhandup, and even parts of Mumbai. It has something for everyone. Loads of retail stores, multiplex cinema for moviegoers, fine dining restaurants and also a awesome gaming zone for the kids.

However, as this blog is particular about the restaurants, let me add about variety of options available for you once you come over here. 

Sure, here's a comprehensive list of dining options available at Viviana Mall in Thane :

Barbeque Nation, Mainland China, The Cheesecake Factor ,  Pizza Hut , McDonald's, Cream Centre, Starbucks, Mad Over Donuts, Burger King, Subway, KFC, Bombay Blue, Copper Chimney, Rajdhani- Thali Restaurant, Chai Point, Hitchki, Urban Tadka, Biryani House, Tea Villa Cafe, Barcelos, Yo China, Wow Momo, Chaayos & also Food Court (Featuring various stalls and cuisines).

Even after the above list I have a feeling I have missed out a few of them which you can visit when you are here in Viviana Mall. 

Below are 3 of the restaurants which i love to eat at whenever I happen to go to Viviana Mall. 

 1. Copper Chimney 

2. Hitchki

3. Mainland China 

Hope you all have loads of fun and make tons of sweet and everlasting memories when you come down to Viviana Mall. 

Fusion Kitchen (Borivali (West)

The Fusion Kitchen (TFK) is located in Borivali (West). The best way to locate and arrive at this place is from the Link Road. What you need to keep in mind that you need to come in early, as there are high chances that it would take time to get you seated. Well, though there are space constraints. I believe that the wait time also says a lot about the quality of the meal that you are going to get. Which was amazing!!!

Ambience :- Its a small place but not holding that against the people managing this lovely place. The decor is done really nicely considering the space  constraints . You will find that there is music playing adding to the ambience. There's a TV for matches. The best part is that before you are called at the table everything is arranged & cleaned (though seems like a small thing, but many places falter on this).

Service :- This place is managed by a team of young and energetic people who have made it their personal goal to ensure that the guests have a great time. Really loved to see that. The amount of attention & effort which was taken not just to explain the items on the menu. But also to ensure we were comfortable, made me believe I would be having a great time at this place (which I obviously did). The service is one of the best of all the places I have been.

Food :- Had ordered assorted variety of food to quench the thirst of my taste buds (how cliched do I get sometimes?). So had ordered and loved every morsel of the below food.

salad:- chefs special amazingly yummy
chicken tikka nachos:- Can't even describe the taste to you. The palate is thanking me for this dish.
Veg Paprika:- Awesome
Chinese sizzler with rice:- Great dish
For dessert we had sizzling brownie with ice-cream. It was Yummy.

The overall impression that this reviewer had was that the food was not just great, but amazingly

Would really recommend this place to all my friends for sure.

Overall rating:
Service: 5/5
Ambience: 5/5
Food - 5/5
Value for money: 5/5
so. The rating that the fusion kitchen has is very much deserved.

90 FT Above - Borivali (West) Mumbai, India

90 FT Above is a rare find in Borivali. The reason for this rarity is the fact this is a roof top restaurant in an area like Borivali.  This place lived up to my expectation which was build up by my friends. There were 3 of us who went to this place It's a huge place and its divided in two sections- one is the open roof top and next to it is the covered dining area for a quiet formal or family dinner.


Ambiance - The place is crowded as its the only roof top restaurant in Borivali. The ambiance due to the lighting and the decor makes it a perfect place to go for a dinner. The view from this place was amazing, definitely worth it to go for the view. The music is pretty decent and adds to the ambiance of the place


Food - To start the meal, we had “Pani Puri Shots”. The surprise was the 'pani' used. As we were expecting the traditional pani puri, we got the taste of exotic flavors in the pani. The mock tails were all good and as the day we went there was an offer of buy two and get the third mock tails free. The dal fry is something I would recommend, though slightly spicy than the normal fare, its just amazing. To be honest, really not a big Pav Bhaji lover, but we tried it on the recommendation of the server. This was good (though still don't pav bhaji that much). For me the best dish was "CHAAP E KHAAS". As  being a non-vegetarian I know the texture of meat and with this dish which is made from soya and wheat is THE appetizer to order. We couldn't believe we were not have a non vegetarian fare. Its Served on a stick, it’s a nice medium spicy dish that you’ll really enjoy.Fir Dessert, I would recommend to try the Rose and Paan Ice- Cream.

Service - The service was really quick and we were guided really well throughout.The staff was also really helpful and provided honest opinion and suggestion to go with one's choice. we had a great time over here & would plan for some more visits to this place.

Price - This place is worth a visit for all he things from experience of a roof top restaurant to its Ambience & the food.

Overall


Ambiance - 4.5\5
Food- 4.5\5
Service- 4.5\5

Price- 4.5\5

 

Rude Lounge Malad (West) - Mumbai

Rude Lounge is located in Malad (W) link road. This place stands out among the many pubs now present in malad as it is the only one which is on a rooftop & is open air. I visited this place some time back now. The purpose of the visit was to just relax with some of the friends and have a good time. And that's what we experienced in this place.

Ambiance- This place has a roof top which makes it a great place in it self.And there are no space congestion issues too which we find in some of the places in a city like Mumbai. The ambiance is amazing, compared to the other places that you visit this one has a good positive buzz as soon as you enter and it definitely helps the mood to just relax and enjoy. You'll enjoy more over here when you're with a big group. As soon as you enter you will see how amazingly decorated the place is! The daaru-fied quote frames are quite good, personally I felt that some very funny & some lame, but looks good!The atmosphere and lighting are pretty good as well!. The DJ was good & the music enhancing the good times we were all looking out for.

Food- The menu is decent however there is definitely room for improvement. We had some starters in Veg & non-veg which were nice (nothing to rave about).

Nachos- very out of this world (not in a good way). It lacked both quantity & taste
Cheese corn balls- Cheese content was good, nicely fried and not overcooked so yes we liked it!
Triple schezwan rice: Not bad again. Slight spicing up is needed (according to me), but it was good, nothing to complain about this one!.

If you plan to go for drinks you wouldn't be disappointed as the drinks are cheap. They have happy hours until midnight.

Service - The staff was co-operative & helpful. The only issue was that during billing it took us a long time (30 minutes & more) after we were done.

Price- This place is slightly over priced when it comes to food. The price for drinks are very reasonable

Here's my review.
Ambiance - 5/5
Food - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Price- 4.5/5
Overall Rating -4.0

Cafe Mondegar - Colaba, Mumbai

Cafe Mondegar is a quaint place right in the middle of the hustle bustle of the city. Its located in Colaba. This place holds a special place in my heart is there are lot of memories of my misspent youth which are associated with it. If you are visiting Mumbai just for the experience I would suggest to drop in and spend some time.

I happen to go to Mondy's after nearly a decade & though there were some changes to the place in my mind's view nothing has changed much. 

Ambiance - This placed is completed packed on weekend, so there are high chances you would have to wait before you are seated. Let me tell you upfront that if you are in a rush to have a few drinks and dinner, this definitely is not the place for you. I fell in love with the energy of this noisy place where you have to shout to be heard at your table itself. About the decor the walls are decorated in an iconic fashion(famed Mario Miranda sketches) and tables cramped in together with orders being taken in and out constantly.The Mario Miranda sketches are not just on the walls, but you would also find them on their plates, salt and pepper dispensers and tissue holders on the tables.This is one place for sure you would find people from different walks of life under one roof . There's a juke box which keeps on playing the rock music which I grew on, so that for me is icing on the cake. It's an ideal place to chill with ur drink with your buddies.

Food - We didn't go with the idea to have a meal, but some beers with the usual fried stuff that goes with it. Fries were crisp, not drenched in oil and chicken drenched in garlic. The tap beer was chilled and crisp and went down well  The quantity seems to be a little less for the price but its worth it. The menu is extensive from Indian to Italian to Chinese to American and according to what we tried every dish was worth it.

Service- The people at mondegar were welcoming and nice and the aura at this place is just beautiful. You would find servers all over the place. But to get them at your table might be a effort.

Value for Money- Slightly overpriced, based on the quantity you get.

The rating might seem slightly biased, but honestly how can you put a number to something which is invaluable.

Ambiance- 5/5
Food- 4.5/5
Service- 4/5
Value for Money4/5

Made In Punjab - Malad (West)

Made in Punjab was a surprise for me, as I had a preconceived notion that I wouldn't like it. But I need to thank my wife for dragging me there and to be honest it was a good experience. This is based in In-orbit Mall, Malad (W). You have options for buffet as well as A La Carte.


Ambiance - If you are looking for a Punjabi decor with your typical  khatiyas, firkis or dhols to superficially represent Punjab you would be sorely disappointed as you wouldn't find those over here. We went on a Sunday for lunch and I was glad to see that there was no waiting over there. The decor with lattice wood work and subdued hues makes it looks pretty sophisticated. However the place is bright and well partitioned as well. You have just enough space for your privacy to enjoy your meal. There was soft music playing which added to the ambiance. Its very  sleek, neat, clean and modern. When you are done with your meal you would get tissues which inflate when they come in contact with water.


Food - We started our meal with some chat dishes. These were presented very artfully . We also ordered for Bhatti Da Murgh which was crisp and smoky and not at all dry. I would also recommend the kebabs over here as they are just yum. For the main course we got the Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) which was as per this writer a must have dish over here. The food was hot and spicy and tasted great. The portions of biryani was just right for 2 people.

Service - We got quick service, as by the time we were finishing our drinks the food was ready to be served. The staff could be a tad more proactive on their suggestions on what needs to be ordered. But once we asked them they indeed gave some suggestions on what should we order. To sum it up the service was flawless and affable with the wait staff being abreast with their knowledge of food.

Value for Money - I feel that its slightly over priced, but definitely worth a visit once for the fine dining you would enjoy over here.

Ambiance 4.5/5
Food 5/5
Service -5/5
Vaue for Money- 3.5/5   

Zaffran (Malad - West), Mumbai, India

Zaffran has many outlets in Mumbai. The one I have been to was in Malad (W) in Infiniti Mall.

Ambiance- The place located in Malad & to be honest is not a grand place mainly to the space constraint. However they have made the most of the space. I liked the fact that the seating was done very tastefully and cosy. It Overlooks the food court and Mall and sweeping vista that you can overlook gave me a different perspective from my perch . There is a water stream which i liked and the chandelier looks very artistic. As the place is small there are high chances you would have to wait, would recommend you to reserve a table. When we were there the music they played was very peppy and kept our mood very upbeat.


Food - Had ordered for Galouti Kebabs and they were pretty nicely done. They were prepared just the way I like them, they were not deep fried  but roasted over tawa. Would also recommend the Roomali Masala Papad & Masala Cheese Nan. Unfortunately not many options for vegetarians. The signature Zaffran naanlets were delicious as well. For main course had ordered the Chicken Tikka biryani which was probably one of the best I have had for a long time.  Aromatic rice cooked in a rich, luscious masala and chunks of chicken that melts in your mouth, the biryani. It was just amazing.

Service- The staff is friendly and attentive. They are a professional set of people who are managing the service at this outlet. As I found it very quick and courteous at the same time.

Value for money - Well with the whole experience I would rate this place slightly on the expensive side


Overall - 3.5\5
Ambiance-3.5\5
Food-4\5
Service-4\5
Value for Money- 3\5