Sidhu Punjabi Dhaba "Cheap, Punjabi, Filling, CHEAP Food."

*This is a spontaneous review and I apologize in advance for the lack of pictures in the post.*

So imagine a 21 hour journey from Chicago, and then the very next morning a 4 hour journey for lonavala, Phew! what a frustrating ordeal by itself. About the only 2 booster in the week were, seeing my family in bombay, and then on the vacation after a good 9 months and Sidhu Punjabi's food. The reviews on here weren't very comprehensive and that why i figured, i might as well. Firstly, when in lonavala, you got to eat at one of the dhabas, it's either going to Sunny's or Kinara Village, but Sidhu blows both out of the water as an experience. Don't get me wrong here, I absolutely adore Sunny's Dhaba, but personally before its widely known glory day's and its appearance on everyone's lonavala itineraries, i mean back when the food was as cheap as it was good, those were in my opinion the time i absolutely loved the place, and since a meal for 2 there started costing a good 1200 INR (~$20), I just HAD to find a new place for cheaper. Enter Sidhu Punjabi Dhaba.

So to start, we were a group of 11, so there was a LOT of food, and no it's not because I'm a crazy kabab eating machine (okay, maybe I am). I started the meal with a tomato soup with a lot of fried bread cubes, which was awesome, pretty much like every dhaba. Next I tried the Rashmi Kabab, and to be honest the Rashmi was a little too sweet for my taste (It's probably just cause i prefer all my kababs with a little kick of spice), but almost everyone else on the table loved it. Moving on I had the Tandori Chicken which was between Good and Great, but at 340 INR, it was a steal. The Butter chicken here was about as punjabi as things get, made AND topped with heavy cream, along with a garlic butter naan thing were just great. However at the end of the meal what probably sold me on this place was the Lassi, it was thick, rich, perfectly sweet and it didn't leave that annoying irritation in my throat much like most of the other place do.

There were still some ridiculous things about the place, the indo-chinese food was priced more that a eat all you can meal for 4 at a china town in SF, 600INR, $10. Seriously? Also the Jalabi's, that I'd been craving for months, had to be ordered in a minimum batch of 10 pieces. Whaaaaa? Even I can't eat that much. Oh and the lights went out for a good 5 minutes during our meal.

Everything said and done, the food was priced way below the competition in the area, the place had a very authentic Dhaba feel to it. None of the things we ordered were "Below average", except for the overpriced indo-chinese food.

I'd choose Siddhu over the other Dhaba's around the place any day.
http://www.zomato.com/pune/sidhu-punjabi-dhaba-lonavala

Takasimaya

Fisherios at Takashimaya

Walking through the streets of Singapore, after 5 years the ground slipped from beneath my feet, when I noticed all the street food joints had suddenly disappeared. This was perhaps my worst heart break of the decade. Dejected and miserable, I asked the receptionist at the Somerset why this tradition has disappeared, and I could actually feel the world become a better place when she said, the street food is gone into the malls, and the shops still exist but are indoor.

Beer Battered Fish, Breaded Fish, Sweet Potato Chips & Onion Rings

Anyway putting aside that beautiful and interesting anecdote, one of the best place to eat your meals on Orchard road is Takashimaya mall. Right at the heart of orchard road, Takashimaya is a mall and office center, with a food court in the basement. The beckoning smell of both local and international delicacies casts a spell on you, that would make you never want to leave. Being tight on time I was only able to try a few places, my favorite however was Fisherios. Famous for its beer battered fish, Fisherios is a local delicacy. I ate the Beer battered fish, the Breaded fish, the sweet potato chips and the cream soup.

Breaded Fish

At the takashimaya branch you can see the chef cooking right in front of your plate, with his classic throws and catches of the beer bottle before he empties it into the batter for the fish. Just that makes Fisherois worth eating at. The fish used is basa and is just perfectly soft, with a crisp and thin coating of your choice. The chips are sweet potato and are addicting! As far is pricing is concerned, lets just say Fisherios has maintained the singapore street food tradition of being both jaw dropping and cheap. For about S$20-S$30 you can eat a whole meal, from the soup to the fish to the cola.

Fish Shaped Pancakes

All that’s missing from the perfect Meal now is the desert, isn’t it? Well takshimaya has the best asian pancakes you can eat. The pancakes here come in different filling, different sizes, different shapes, and even different batters! The green tean pancakes, much lighter than the usual one add a touch of bitterness, and with the chocolate filling, the pancakes take you to paradise with each bite.

Seems too good to be true, ehh? Well Takashimaya is at 391 Orchard Road, Singapore - 238873 (+65-6738-1111) Its about a 3 minute walk from Orchard MRT

Fresh Pancakes

Wai Yu Mun Ching

This week, one that has been a long and stressful one for me, yes, even with just 2 days down and a holiday right in the middle, but after a long day of work, when i reached back home, the only thing i wanted was a vacation to get me back on my feet, and you know its surprising how sometimes you get exactly what you wish for, maybe not in the exact for you expected it to be, but nevertheless, you do get what you wish for. That is exactly what happened with that wish i made.

Well it was a family dinner, I did not expect i'd be reviewing the restaurant that evening, it was os much of a pleasure dinner that i hadn't even carried my camera with me (Its another thing I missed it though out my meal, well just for those few seconds when I wasn't concentrating on how good the food was). This place is one in Santacruz (W), called 'Wai Yu Mun Ching', pretty catchy isn't it. I can assure you guys, it isn't only the name that sticks with you.

Specializing in their Thai food, Wai Yu Mun Ching, had the capability to take me back to the small eateries on the streets of Phuket. With every bite of the food I could recall memories of the extravagant meals I ate in Singapore, Phuket, Bangkok, and even in Hong Kong. To top it all up, the ambiance is simple, highly modest, but highly appealing. Another amazing aspect of the place is that, you as the customer can ask for subtle changes to your food (More spice, more sauce, etc.)

WHAT TO EAT

Tom Yum Prawns Soup

For Soup, without doubt, Tom Yum will be a smart choice, although the opions are numerous ranging from Munchow to Tom Kha. The Tom Yum, has the rich taste of flavor like the original Thai Tom Yum, unlike the nasty Indian Interpretations of the soup, which have the of only the red chilies to mask the other flavor. Here however, the soup brings out the vibrant flavor that define thai food. I do admit, the soup was a little stronger in taste than the one I fell in love with back in Phuket. However the difference was way to subtle for any critic to ponder on and miss out on all the other million things that are way more difficult to achieve while cooking this fantastic cuisine.

Wine cooked Fish

For the entrée, I chose the wine cooked fish, and I believe it was a great choice, the subtlety sweet and slightly hot taste are responsible for the flavor frenzy in my mouth. The color was perfect and highly tempting. I also had the 'Teriyaki Chicken' one of the signature dishes here, and again biting the tender chicken I felt myself being transported to the food i ate the Orchard ION, back on Orchard Road, Singapore. This dishes Aromas were captivating and as i was taking picture of the plate, I couldn't wait to relish the chicken.

Terriyaki Chicken

Stuffed Potato

This next dish in my opinion was the Highlight of my meal, and it might just be the Highlight of the Whole week, but the most startling thing was that this dish was vegetarian. Yeah for all you sea food and meat lover, I was in as much shock when i tasted this 'Ambrosia'. The dish not a traditional chinese or thai, was the "Stuffed Potato". The Potato's stuffed with their rich colored filling in the perfectly fried crisp shell, and tender potato starch, topped with the perfect thick sauce, was just mind blowing. The aromas the sauce gave were so full of flavor that it just beckoned everyone in the room. I'd confidently say this dish stole the show and can easily be the Signature for Wai Yu Mun Ching.

Fried Rice

Oyster Chili Chicken

For the Main Course, I had the Oyster Chili Chicken, a good combination of the tastes, and I had the Fried Rice, the 'real' Chinese Fried Rice, not the rice with only the taste of the Ajinomoto (MSG), It was almost like i had been teleported to Tsim Tsa Tsui.

Mr. Ashish Seth With me, at
Wai Yu Mun Ching

The owner, Mr. Ashish Seth, a warm man, who is also a food enthusiast, has been running this joint since 4 years now, and has managed to serve all his food without MSGs (if you request it). He also helped greatly in advising what I should eat and what will appease me the most, and frankly he did an amazing job. The cherry on the top of the cake is that, Wai Yu Mun Ching, home delivers and has a flourishing Take Out service. I know where to order from, when i feel like revisiting my travels to Thailand.

Ratings

Food               ✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✩

Ambience      ✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✩✩✩

Experience    ✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✩✩

Overall            ✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✩✩

Chili-Sugar Affair Comment - Must Try

(http://wymc.weebly.com/contact-us.html) - Website

No Signboard

The Signboard at No Signboard, Geylang, Singapore

Back in the 70's NO Signboard was nothing but a small stand among the million food stalls in Singapore. About the only thing that made it stand out among other stalls of its kind was that its chief dishes were not very mainstream, and the founder, Madam Ong Kim Hoi, ran her stall  without any name (hence the name, No SIgnboard). Selling just about 3 White Pepper crabs a day, This place didn't seem like a revolution to those who hadn't eaten here, the ones who did spread the word and today No Signboard has 4 Branches in Singapore and 1 in Indonesia and 1 in Macau!

Of the 4 Branches in Singapore, the best and the cheapest is the one in Geylang, this is a complete experience in itself, with an outside seating, different ares for smoking and non-smoking, Geylang is, in my opinion the best No signboard you can visit. For a meal of 3 we spent about 90S$ (70 US$).

WHAT TO EAT

The Black Pepper Crab (1kg)

The main reason i went to No Signboard was the Pepper Crab. Extremely mouthwatering, soaked with flavor and certainly the richest color in food you have ever seen, All Crabs are priced at about 50$ / kg, where 1kg is the minimum order, this definitely a fest for your taste buds. The most popular crab sold in the white pepper crab, but this variant is much spicier than the black pepper crab, so depending on your taste for spices, you can choose which dish will blow your mind away. To add to the epicness of the place, No SIgnboard has the all Famous "unofficial" Singaporean National Dish, Chilli Crab, and also other south East Asian Delicacies like the Steamed Crab, ButterCrab and Garlic Crab. With these 5 varieties of Crab to choose from, I did have to visit the place twice.

The Clear Sea-food Soup

For Soup No signboard has just their signature Seafood Clear soup. With in numerous pieces of King prawns, said, strip, baby octopus, fish, crab and seaweed, it is a 'clear' feast for the Sea Food Lovers.

The Hokkien Style Steamed Seasonal Fish

Another Signature Dish at No Signboard is the Hokkien Style Steamed Seasonal Fish, I was unable to try this one, as i feel short of appetite, although i'd strongly recommend this dish for you guys. Although in the sesoal fish i did try the Fried fish with the bean sauce, a beauty in itself, a must try for its crispy batter cover and its ultra soft and hot fish meat.

Fried Chicken Bamboo Rice

No signboard has its partnership with Tiger, and Tiger-waitresses often circle the floor with Ice cold Tiger and TIger Crystal, but if your not in for this locally loved beer, the best option is the Young Thai coconut, a chilled, sweet coconut in brought to your table and you can enjoy the taste of the sweet coconut at its perfect temperature. Sure does Bring a Smile to your Face.

HOW TO GET THERE

The Closest MRT station is Aljunied, on the East West Line, No Signboard is about a 2 Minute walk from here, or you could just hitch a cab.

RATINGS

Food               ✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✩

Ambience      ✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✩✩✩

Experience    ✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✩✩

Overall            ✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✭✩

(http://nosignboardseafood.com/)

Singapore!!

Image Link, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Singapore_Skyline_Panorama.jpg

So well my next few articles are a treat for sea food lovers and non seafood lovers alike. Finding a break from my strenuous routine I decided to visit Singapore for a week. And well the food didn't for even a moment on my trip let me forget that this land is heaven on earth

Well I am going to use this article to tell you guys a bit about the city, that will help you understand where to eat and where to not waste your appetite, on stuff that isn't worth it, here are a few pointers

• Firstly one has to understand that S'pore has had a booming economic rate in the last few years the SGD has almost doubled in the last 5 years. So if you are traveling he food prices may seem astonishingly high for a street food joint and a proper restaurant alike. But the quantities of the serving are very large indeed perhaps as a lone person you won't even be able to Finnish a small portion
• In terms of clearing the city to become even cleaner than it already was/is the city authorities have decided to remove all street stalls that don't have a seating area (the awesome places where you were able to eat a stomach full for a dirt cheap 5-8 SGD (3-7 USD). But it's not just bad news I have, the city, not ready to give up the awesomeness of the food, moved all such stalls into the city malls at not too much of a price increase *annoyingly loud roar of applause*
• Further adding to the good news the malls dont have just these stalls but many more local delicacies not only from S'pore but Taiwan, Thailand, China and even the USA and UK these stalls are simply fantastic the prices are really low and high accessible
• So as mentioned earlier these street joints are easily accessible, the MRT lines of S'pore (the subway, metro, trains, or whatever you decided to call it) are structured in such a way that the stations exit into the basements of the mall, where the food courts are.
• Lastly but certainly most importantly, DO NOT EAT AT THE COMMON FAST FOOD JOINTS eating a Mc Donald's buyer for lunch or a piece of KFC fried chicken is just a waste of your appetite. The choices in street food are In numerous anyway it's not worth missing this food for a mainstream burger but again that is my opinion you are free to choose your food

Jai-Jawan Fish Centre (aka Sardar)

Alright street food is back

Being a Mumbaikar since birth, Jai-Jawan has been a very frequent visiting site. Being on linking road, one of the must visits in Bombay - Suburbs, Sardar is The place to eat Tandoor after a shopping mania.

Again Eating here is the icon semi-evolved Mumbai, "Gaddi Mein", but if you are comfortable with the crowd and the humidity in bombay, you can do it the traditional bambiya style, tell you waiter and he will pop a bottle in your hood to support the sloping surface against your car body and there you have a table. Parking here is one quest, but that just adds to the image of Bombay. Of-course for the rich or the people who aren't ready to experience what a middle-class mumbaikars daily meal is there is a take-away option.

"What to eat?" is the question in your mind ehh?
Well thats what i am here for.
Sardar's Masterpiece has always been Pow-Kilo mix (a quater kilo of Prawns and Fish), or you could order it in as much quantity you want. Adha-kilo(half-kilo), Pauna(3 quarters of a kilo) and ek(one kilo). But if your taste buds are against either of the two, you could go for just one of them in the same quantities mentioned. Tandoori-Chicken and Sheek-Kabab is another affair, which in my opinion is one you must indulge. Thumbs-up, Every Mumbaikars Beverage with Meals, is Just right to top this up.

Price is one great pull factor and one can have a hearty meal for an affordale price

Ratings (on 10)

Food - ★★★★★★★★☆☆
Ambience - ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆  (may vary according to your car)
Experience - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (Total Bombay Style)



Overall - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (DO NOT MISS !!!)

Global Fusion, Bandra (West)

This is a Reply to my first Follower Akash Surti upon the Blog's First recieved request. Also this is a reply to all my vegetarian followers


Global fusion is every asian cusine lovers paradise. They offrer i wide range of Cuisines namely, Chinese, East Asian, Fusion, Japanese, Pan-Asian, Teppanyaki and Thai. They Offer both Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian


The Restaurant is Just Off Linking Road, The shopping paradise of the Bombay Suburbs. Its only 10 mins (4km) by road from Bandra Terminus (Details).


Global Fusion offers a colossal buffet that baffles you when you see it for the first time. There is a fresh cooked Section, A Fresh Sushi Section, A Main Course section and A dessert counter.


For starters one gives the order at the Freshly cooked section by dropping a clip with you table number (Kept at each individual table) in the basket for the item one desires to eat. The Clips are retuned when the Waiters serve you on your table one must eat the Fresh Fried Prawns (These are self Service during peak hours) but they are over within 5 minutes of each batch's display, so be alert :).   If you eat Beef the Honey roasted Beef is a must eat. Vegetarian food is also available with a surplus variety.


The Sushi counter serves Freshly made Sushi. There are about 15-20 different types of Sushi's available.


Main course is whole new issue. Usually one Skips main course here due to the Staggering amount of Starters. But This is where the vegetarians rejoice. With at least 4 items in Main course, with an option of both Rice and noodles There is Enough for you to fill Two Plates every-time you Visit the Counters.


One of my favorites at global Fusion is the Gigantic Dessert Counter. With moose, pies, Cakes, Pastries and a separate Baskin & Robbins Counter, I can Bet you Will curse yourself If u filled up your stomach with the main course. A must Eat Here is the the Mud Cake with its Mouth Watering chocolate, Which Melts in your Mouth you will go back for a second serving


Soft Drinks and Sodas are on The house and there is often a Buy 2 Get 1 Free offer on Beer. The are Innumerous Water Counters with 200ml Bisleri Bottles Of both Chilled and Room Temperature water .


Price of the buffet is Around Rs. 800 depending on your Choice of vegetarian or non-vegetarian and The meal and also the day and Date (Public Holidays have weekend rates)


Ratings (On 10)


Food-  9 
Ambience -  8 
Service -  9 
Price -  5  (Mega Expensive for Often Visits)
Restaurant's Standards -  8 




Overall Experience -  8.5 (Insanely Good) 








 Gaurav Jagiasi