Another Fine Day for a Fine Meal

Another Fine Day is a quaint, rustic cafe situated next to Side-wok and run under the same company. As the name suggests, its all about comfort, simplicity and soul food to make your day “fine”. This casual cafe combined with the concept of Reading Room, makes for a perfect place to hangout with your friends (specially the bookworms)!

The interiors are wooden with pop-up accessories like beautiful flower pots on the table and simplistic pictures on the wall. The colours really stand out against the white walls and wooden tables. Their fun and quirky accessories like frogs, horses and other sculptures make for an interesting décor. Since no Reading Cafe can be complete without a bookshelf, they have one on the side, filled with books (and games)! The Cafe is very well lit, so you don’t have to strain your eyes to read your favourite book or play a game of Othello.

The servers are attentive and well informed, however, in the afternoon it gets pretty crowded so service is slow. The portion size is average, not enough to boost about or small enough to complain about.

I like that it’s a place where you can visit with your friends and sit for hours, while enjoying a comfort meal and playing board games or simply talking through.

Food Review :

Pasta in Creamy Carbonara Sauce – Sinful, cheesy, creamy, velvety rich sauce in perfectly cooked pasta. Strong garlic flavour which I personally like, along with pepper, it makes for a filling meal. It’s the American version of this Italian dish but still ravishing! On a cold day a bowl of this pasta in bed will do wonders.

Chicken Steak – Chicken steak filled with cheese and chicken mince, served drenched in mushroom sauce. The steak was well cooked however, the sauce lacked depth. It tasted good but, I feel because the quality of mushrooms available in Gurgaon (unless you want to spurge on the exotic ones) isn’t great, so it couldn’t impart the Unami flavour it would otherwise have.

Spaghetti with Arabiatta sauce – The pasta was cooked al dente and the sauce was refreshingly light and not too spicy.

Baked Macaroni with Chicken – It was creamy and indulgent, with a great cheese crust on top. However, it wasn’t my favourite. The sauce tasted like its made with cream and cornflour and overall, it was just average.

Chicken and Cheese Grilled Sandwich – The use a very generous amount of cheese. Stuffed with grilled chicken, lettuce and a very pungent mustard, which I quite liked, this sandwich is filling to say the least.

Green Apple Iced Tea – It had a nice, subtle green apple flavour. Most importantly they did not serve iced made with powder out of a packet.

Raspberry Mojito – A refreshing drink with strong raspberry flavour elevated with mint and lemon.

Cotton Candy – They have a cotton candy machine right outside the kitchen window, so you can take a trip down memory lane as they spin some delicious, sweet sugar in the form of threads for you. {Who doesn’t like candy after all!}

The quality of chicken isn’t great as I have experienced through multiple visits and dishes, so I would suggest going for a vegetarian meal while ordering at this cafe.

Overall, this budget cafe is more about creating an experience than simply about food. From a food perspective, its average. As a cafe, its amazing! So many things to do, laid back place to chill, small things that make you nostalgic. Its ideal for an extended brunch with friends.

Sorbet Love at Mõvenpick !

Mövenpick is a Swiss Ice cream boutique which opened doors in India in 2014. Ueli Prager  started it as a restaurant in Zürich in 1948 and expanded it to 8 restaurants all over Switzerland within 10years. It then became a group of operations called Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts until 2003, when Néstle bought the international rights for Mövenpick Ice-cream and made it into a separate unit, leading to the birth of Mõvenpick : Swiss Premium Ice cream.

The brand is supported by the ideology of using natural ingredients, free from all artificial flavourings, additives and colourings. The exorbitant creamy texture and the strong flavours are due to the use of finest quality of cream and other ingredients. Even their sorbet’s have an explosive flavour and a smooth texture. The Maîtres Glaciers use gastronomy to invent new creations and achieve excellence in flavours.

The variety available in India is limited and on numerous occasions only a handful of flavours are available. The branch in Saket is more like a kiosk than an ice-cream boutique and the seating is in dire need of upgrade. The chairs are out of balance and often tumbling sideways. They literally had only 6 flavours to choose from, on my last visit. The prices are on the higher side, making it a more luxurious brand.

Their sorbets are truly impeccable and possibly the only reason why I love Mõvenpick! The lemon and lime sorbet is a burst of citrus, so refreshing and rejuvenating, that it can make you forget your entire day. The texture is smooth to a fault.

The ice-creams  are creamy, smooth and have really clean flavours. Double Cream ice-cream has a soft, sweet, subtle cream flavour that can instantly soothe your palate and Swiss Chocolate, is a complete delight.

On my recent visit Stracciatella, the classic Italian ice-cream made with Swiss cream (at mõvenpick) and blended through with fine chocolate chips, tasted fowl. It had a slight pungent flavour, hinting it had almost gone bad.

The waffles are soft, dense and doughy. They use a batter made with a baking soda : the American Belgian Waffle, which is a complete shame, because it is a European brand so I expected some delicious authentic Belgian waffles made with yeast. They lacked the crunchy exterior which would have been the perfect accompaniment to double cream ice cream.

Visit Mõvenpick for their sorbet’s because truly no one does it better than them. However, the limited variety and worn out seating are big negatives. The ice-creams are definitely a step behind Häagen-dazs for me.

FOOD FIASCO AT FOODPORT

I had just come back home after a long day and wasn’t in the mood for anything extravagant or expensive. I checked online and came across FoodPort, which had some really good reviews and a short menu which changes daily. I liked the concept, because it means you will always get fresh food.

I placed my order through Zomato, for one bhuna chicken pita and one butter chicken with lachha parantha. However, within a few minutes I received a call that butter chicken is not available. They connected me through to Foodport and I was informed that the pita isn’t available. I simply changed it to Malai Chicken Tikka Roll. Both representatives from Zomato and Food Port were extremely courteous and I didn’t mind changing my order even though I was really looking forward to the Bhuna Chicken Pita Pocket. After another 30mins or so, I received another call directly from Foodport saying that Butter Chicken isn’t available either. I simply asked them how long it would take for my order to reach if I confirmed it right now, ordering something else and they said 20-25mins. I agreed and they let me know that butter chicken is available so they would be sending that within the stipulated time. The food reached me within the given time so, I was happy with the service {despite the entire fiasco}.

The packaging was not sturdy and had suffered quite a hit during delivery. I assumed that it did not come in boxes as seen in pictures, probably because of the whole mess during ordering.

However, my second experience when I directly ordered through their website was quick, smooth and easy. No problems with the order and the food was delivered within 45mins. Though they could improve on packaging specially since it’s an only delivery place.

Food Review :

Malai Tikka Roll – The chicken quality was okay, the quantity was all right. However, the chicken was not evenly cooked. There were undercooked parts which were still pink. I had to remove a lot of chicken from the roll. Even though the chicken had a nice caramelisation outside with creamy marinade, the addition of sautéed onions gave an unnecessary sweetness, which overpowered the harmony of flavours.

Butter Chicken with Lachha Paratha – It said during order, its served with dal and curd. All I received was limited quantity of butter chicken which was basically just tangy and had no real spices or flavours. The chicken morsels were again undercooked. The naan wasn’t my favourite.

Schezwan Black Pepper Chicken – The portion was small, however, the flavour was there. I really liked the chilli and strong pepper hit. However, the chicken pieces were quite big and just not that appetising.

I have to mention that all food was still hot when I received it. However, it’s not a place I would order from again. I understand the concept of delivering home-like food at affordable prices, but to me it tasted average and that’s not what home-cooked food is about or what I sought out to eat.

Lebensmittel Insight : Lachha Parantha or Lachedar Parantha is popular bread in North India, made with whole wheat flour and contains multiple layers. A South Indian counterpart is Malabar Parantha which is made with all purpose flour.

Hot Now! – Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Krispy Kreme launched in India with the first store in Bangalore in 2013. It later opened doors in Delhi with great enthusiasm and had people waiting in lines overnight for their delicious doughnuts in Saket. The opening day was a complete blast, people were gathered all around, everybody was enjoying there doughnuts and drinks.

But launching and getting a crowd is only the start, it’s making people come back that’s harder. On the first day when I tried their doughnuts and saw the beautiful process of making them in Saket, I was bowled over. I loved the texture, the icing, the toppings, the fillings, everything. I had more than enough reason to come back.

It’s now been over two years since they launched and have spread all over the city, with 5 kiosks in all the major places. Their growth was slow but steady, opening in Cyber Hub and then Vasant Kunj, I really couldn’t fault the chain for consistency.

However, the recently opened branch in Ambience mall is definitely falling behind. I have been here twice and both times, it looked dead. The doughnuts are often damaged or squished. They don’t look as picture perfect as you would find them in Saket. The flavour is still there though.

Krispy Kreme is definitely beating other Doughnut branches for me. That’s for a simple reason: texture of the doughnuts. I feel the true quality of a doughnut is best seen without any toppings and hence I always go for original glazed. Their original glazed donuts are absolutely delicious that are light and fluffy with a beautiful glaze.

Established in 1937 by Vernon Rudolph, it all began with a secret yeast-raising recipe he bought back from a French chef in New Orleans. Vernon then began selling doughnuts using this recipe in a local grocery store of North Carolina. The business began to expand in the 1950’s and they automated the doughnut making process in 1963. There first international store opened in Canada, after which they launched the coffee line. Krispy Kreme has come a long way with its 1000th branch opening in Kansas City. During this time a lot has changed in the company but they are still going strong without fault.

Lebensmittel Insight: Original Glazed is their most selling doughnut! 

They have a special “Hot Now” sign to alert that their original glazed doughnuts are now available piping hot, right after frying and glazing. 

They have quite a variety of doughnuts and introduce new ones during the holidays. Their chocolate icing is perfect with a beautiful shine and the right amount of sugar. The blueberry and strawberry fillings are also just as delicious.

My favourites : Strawberry Filled, Chocolate Iced custard filled {Packed filled with smooth, luscious creamy custard that is just the right consistency}, Chocolate Iced with sprinkles {who doesn’t like a trip down memory lane with sprinklers!} .

Krispy Kreme is doing well ever since they opened doors in Delhi and thats because of quality and variety, which I hope they maintain as years pass.

Comfort and Leisure – Bisque does it Best!

Bisque is a smooth, creamy, highly seasoned soup of French origin, traditionally based on a broth of crustaceans including shrimp, lobster and crab. Creamy soups made from pureed vegetables, fruits or fungi are also referred as Bisque’s. This light, simple soup packs quite a punch of flavours. The bakery cafe stands true to its name, providing delicious, decadent, rustic food with simple flavours and a little zing. They serve comfort food done exceptionally well but, nothing extravagant.

The interiors are wooden rustic and could do with an upgrade but the ambience takes a back seat for the food. The bakery is self-service which is another negative, however the food is quickly prepared and depending on what you order it takes about 10-15mins.

They have quite a range of breads, cakes, cookies and puffs. Their main course menu is limited, with classic dishes to which they do justice and a Today’s special blackboard from which you can order anything and wouldn’t be disappointed.

We normally begin our meal with a salad. Remember the make your own salad stations which were extremely popular till a few years (actually no, a century) back ?  Yeah, they still have that. But this make your own salad bar is never a disappointment, everything is lively and just my looking, you can tell how fresh all the ingredients are. They have enough options to completely stuff your bowl and enjoy each bite with a smile.

My salad is always layered with vinaigrette pasta on the bottom, followed by macaroni with mayonnaise, thinly cut vegetables and chicken salami in vinaigrette, chicken sausages with tomatoes in thousand island sauce and finished off with just a little scoop of pineapple and corns. Even though they have additional sauces, I never felt the need to add them. Once you mix up the salad, its truly amazing!

There soups are a complete meal. Served in a big bowl with a side of garlic bread, it makes for a perfect winter dinner. Cream of Mushroom soup is probably one of my favourites. It’s creamy and rich, infused with strong mushroom flavour, it does justice to the name.

Next on my list is their sizzler: I prefer the Mix Grill Sizzler over Chicken Steak as it has a more creamier peanut butter sauce. (I have tried to replicate it, but to no avail) The good thing is, each time they make the sauce fresh with the sizzler, using juices from the pan in which they cooked the meat, but this also means that it never tastes exactly the same! Yet it is almost always delicious!

The mix grill sizzler contains chicken sausages, grilled chicken, chicken salami, all loaded in the ravishing sauce. The chicken steak is also cooked to perfection but has a more diluted sauce, sometimes with a peanut butter base and often with a white wine base.

All Sizzlers are served on a bed of vegetables, potato wedges which are delight to eat and two slices of grilled bread.

Chicken with Rice is another exceptional dish, whether you opt for Mongolian Chicken, barbecue chicken or even chicken stroganoff. They are all drool-worthy delicious !

Coming to desserts, their Chocolate Excess Pie is a chocolate lovers heaven! Its ganache is rich, decadent, sinful, creamy and with a crumbly base, it’s simply perfection. They don’t shy away in portions and serve quite a generous piece rather than the mini tarts.

Chocolate vanilla cake is another one of my favourites. Soft, light chocolate sponge cake and vanilla cream in between the layers, it is light to eat, but still delicious !

The breads are always fresh as they pretty much sell out everyday. The garlic crostini is a must have! It goes well with just about everything. Whether you making grilled chicken, lasagna or want to serve some canapé’s , it has the perfect use!

Over the past few years, I have noticed a definite decrease in the quality of their puffs. It almost feels like they use leftover chicken for creating the filling of puffs the next day. I do not recommend these, at-least until they bounce back on the quality.

One of the major issues with Bisque is inconsistency. Some days are absolutely amazing and no matter what you order its going to be lip-smacking delicious, whereas some days the food just doesn’t match the strands set by the diner itself. It feels such a disappointment to visit on one of those days. Though, it is always buzzing with quite a crowd whether it’s a good or bad day.

Bisque is a perfect diner {almost}! Quality, quantity, value for money, flavours, it has it all. {Sometimes I literally have to force myself to stop eating before I burst! Just saying} I  hope they can get a handle on consistency, because over the years I have seen what this bakery is capable of and its just amazing!