THE NEW AND RENOVATED BINGE!

Binge, (which literally means excessive indulgence) is one of my favourite Bakeries in Gurgaon and has been for quite a while. It started with a small shop and has now opened another branch in Sohna Road. The earlier dull and damp store has now been redecorated into a refined and plush bakery, making it more beautiful than ever!

The wooden rustic interiors with the soft touch of flowers and colourful teapots give it a European feel. They have added a few tables for seating and expanded into more choices for desserts and breads.

Food Review : 

Blueberry Cheesecake – A crumbly base with smooth, soft, fluffy marshmallow cheesecake and slightly tangy blueberry compote. The sugar crystals in the base add another texture, taking the dessert to a new level.

Chocolate Tart – The pastry is beautifully short and crumbly with a decadent dark chocolate ganache which isn’t too overly sweet or bitter.

Chocolate Mousse Cake – This was my least favourite. Chocolate overkill ! A chocolate biscuit base with chocolate mousse, dark chocolate ganache and tempered chocolate cigar. The mousse which should be the star, was too dense and not as airy as it should be.

Caramel Custard – Creamy, soft but not as velvety smooth as it should be. The caramel wasn’t as sweet and had a slight bitter taste. It wasn’t the best.

Almond Biscotti – Biscotti is an Italian twice-cooked biscuit. Traditionally they are oblong shaped and eaten dipped in a drink. The almond biscotti at Binge is quite thinner and not exactly like a traditional biscotti. It’s not as sweet and was slightly overcooked.

Thin crust pizza base – The best you can find in town.

Binge is a delight to visit. The variety makes you spoiled for choices and their fresh breads are an added advantage!

Shake Delight At Keventers, Saket

Most of us remember the small shop near Wenger’s in Connaught Place, when someone mentions Keventers. However, that is not the original Keventers and they have now changed their name to Shake Square. Also, unlike that old shop Keventers, this is pretty high end.

The open kiosk blends in with the people around and the classy Parisian Décor inspires you to stop by. The bottles placed on display make you want to grab one even before the shake is ready! They have two small tables for seating opposite the counter to relax and enjoy the shakes.

They have a wide range of flavours along with originals like vanilla, butterscotch and strawberry. The service is quick and the staff is courteous. I love their take-home canister bottles in which they serve all there shakes now! (So glad, they stopped serving thick shakes in throw-away milkshake glasses; not that they weren’t pretty! )

The shakes are light and refreshing, perfect for a sunny day and even a chilly one! Even the thick shakes aren’t exactly thick but have more intriguing flavours like Kit-Kat or Bubblegum. I never liked the milky taste most shakes have and how heavy they feel, these on the other hand do not have that milky taste. Some people might find it watery because they are used to that milky flavour but this is how I like it.

Original Strawberry Shake                               Mint Oreo Crumble

I observed them make the Mint Oreo Shake I ordered. They begin by blending Oreo Biscuits, adding in Ice cream, some milk and Mint Mojito Flavour. When I first visited in the month of the kiosk opening, I assumed they use Gelato Ice cream as a base which gives the shake such a light and non-milky flavour, however that is not the case (sadly).

Another one of my favourites is Strawberry Fields, which is just a burst of fresh strawberries in your mouth. The original Strawberry shake is made using artificial flavour which you can easily identify but is still refreshing and delightful.

Chocolate Peanut Butter is a delight for all Peanut Butter Lovers with the added bonus of Chocolate.

Overall, Keventers is a must try for all milkshake lovers.

An Almost Royal Experience – Sahib Singh Sultan

After a binge shopping experience you often find yourself in need for a relaxing and filling lunch. This time we headed to Sahib Singh Sultan in search for some Indian Delicacies.

The ambience speaks Royal Elegance. The idea is to give you the feel of a feast in a Royal Train. The theme is well executed and the folk instrumental music along with railway announcements complete it. The dim lighting and partitioned tables are perfect for a quite meal.

The service is quick and efficient. The staff however, kept talking amongst themselves, creating enough disturbance to keep us from having a nice conversation. It is possible this was because we had a late lunch and the entire restaurant was empty by then, but needless, I wasn’t very happy.

Food Review : 

Chicken Tikka Masala – The preparation was extremely well done, the blend of spices is just perfect, with slight pieces of chilli to give a hit. The chicken pieces were a little chewy. When you serve a dish like this, with boneless chicken you want it to be falling apart and just melt in your mouth soft. Sadly, it wasn’t. Otherwise it would have been a perfect dish! I recommend this with Garlic or Butter Naan.

Kacche Gosht ki Dum Biryani – Made in Hyderabadi style, it also did not meet my expectations. It was excessively oily and even though the flavours were there, it did not deliver a punch. The quality of the mutton was good.

Fresh Lime Soda – This is worth mentioning because, there are a very few restaurants who can get the balance of sweet and salty just right to make it perfectly refreshing; they did.

Overall , they did not meet my expectations. I would however, like to give them another chance, hoping that it was just a ‘bad’ day.

Dinner at SideWok

I recently discovered this quaint Pan-Asian restaurant in Gurgaon. Though it has many branches and has been around for quite a while, with the first one on a corner in Khan Market, I only decided to visit it now.

The ambience is cozy, elegant and simple. Chinese folk songs playing in the background and paintings hanging on the walls it feels comfortable and satisfying. The decor is not over the top, however I really loved how their dinnerware collection goes so well with the theme. The only issue I had is how heated the restaurant feels.

The service staff is well informed and always ready to cater to your needs. Courteous and more importantly observant; they never leave your water glass empty.

Food Review : 

Mizutaki Soup – Mizutaki is a lightly flavoured hotpot dish, commonly known as Nabemono in Japan. Traditionally served with Ponzu Sauce, the broth contains enough flavour to eliminate its need. Its perfect for a winter night, a clear soup with glass noodles, vegetables, chicken and seafood.

Chicken Dumplings – These steamed chicken kothe are my favourite. The chicken is juicy, fresh and the dumplings are light and refreshing.

Crispy Fish in Piquant Sauce – Soft and flaky from inside and crispy from outside, this is everything you can ask for. They use sole fish and the quality is really good. The piquant sauce is just the perfect addition. It can be too hot for some people, so you can ask them to adjust the chilli levels according to you.

ClayPot Chicken – After having a filing soup and delightful appetisers, a claypot is the perfect way to engage your palate. I usually go for fried rice with sweet and sour sauce. Chicken is soft and melts in your mouth. The sweet and sour sauce is not overpowering and perfectly balances with slight hints of garlic. Each bite is a delight.

You can also opt for Pad Thai Noodles which are equally good.

To end the meal they serve you with Fortune Cookies and Jasmine Tea, the cookie is paper thin, light and has a beautiful vanilla flavour.

Overall, I am in love with SideWok. Their food is true and reflects pure flavours. It leaves you with a smile on your face.