Mocha – Back with a bang! — Reviewed!

Cafe Mocha has quickly gained popularity for a delicious food in a lovely setting in one of the posh areas of Koregaon Park. Couple of years back, they had shut down their operations and now Cafe Mocha is back with the bang. We all have known Mocha for their fab drinks but now they are bigger and better with not only drinks but scrumptious food. Tucked in the lane no.7, the cafe is easy to locate. The interiors are cosy and contemporary with cargo replicated entrance, book shelves, funky lamps. Cream and Beige color combination adorns the cafe. Live kitchen, active staff and outdoor seating are some of the highlights of the cafe.

The menu ranges from mocktails, to all-day breakfast, some canteen food, platters, then offcourse, pasta, pizzas and yes they have main courses too! It was lazy lunch so we kick started it with the Puneri Pride mocktail, which is Mocha's version of aam panna. Tangy, sweet drink made up of mango and jaggery was just perfect for summers.

From the head starts, we ordered...
Honey Chilli Lotus stem with fries (4/5) This starter is highly popular chinese dish amongst people. It is crunchy, flavourful and awesomely delicious. Sweet, tangy, crunchy french fries and deep fried lotus stems too were sauteed beautifully in the tomato- chilli sauce drizzled with honey to balance the flavours. Highly Recommended!

Next we tried was the insanely delicious Bombay Bhel Version 2 (5/5). It had bang on flavours just the way any bhel should have. Chatakdar! Spicy, sweet, tangy, sour bhel had burst of flavours in my mouth. Can still feel the binge! Quantity was bit less. Served in the baby cycle with a cutting glass full of onions, pomegranate to garnish, this bhel had all the 'Mumbaiya' touch. Highly Recommended!

I had to come out of that bhel 'hangover' by ordering the Pink Sauce Penne (4/5). It was basic creamy pasta with mushrooms, broccoli, cherry tomatoes and the right amount of acidity. Served with two slices of nicely grilled garlic bread. Liked it.

From the main course (I was excited for this), we ordered...
Masala Poha with Kofta Curry (4.5/5)
Half and Half Pizza (4.5/5)

Served in wooden bowl, the masala poha was just fab. Typical poha with peanuts, onions hence full of flavours. Loads of red and green chillis in there, so can be a bit spicy for some. I could eat that whole serving all by myself. Well, it was served with Kofta curry which was rich, thick cashew gravy with veg balls. Though not much needed with Poha but was paired to make it a wholesome meal. Highly Recommended!

Half and Half pizza is a good choice to go for two types of toppings. Well, in our case, one was chicken and the other half was farm fresh. Loved the crunch of veggies like mushroom, bell peppers and the crust was perfect too. Highly Recommended!

And best kept for the last. The all time classic favourite – Chocolate Avalanche (5/5). It was too sinful and a must try for all the chocolate lovers out there. Some might find it overly sweet but for me it was just the way desserts are. Avalanche had chocolate brownie, chocolate mousse, chocolate fudge, chocolate truffles, topped with chocolate ice-cream. Phew! All things chocolate. I personally liked it. Highly Recommended!

Overall, it is a must visit cafe for pocket friendly food, funky vibes, and to spend the casual time. Staff is well informed too. Will I go again? Yes, offcourse! Enjoy few more photos...

Unwind – Time to Extricate — Reviewed!

Koregaon Park, Kalyani Nagar, Viman Nagar, Mundhwa are flooded with some really good contemporary restaurants, cafes, and nightclubs. Recent addition to the Mundhwa is Unwind, which shares its location with the Hard Rock and Le Kebabiere besides Raga Lawns. From the parking, the UNWIND is easily visible. The place have three distinctive type of seating arrangements - At the ground floor, there is an area for gigs and live music, while Bistro on the first floor is the place to enjoy the personal space and the Club area offcourse is to doublefold the weekend vibes.

I was glad to sit upstairs because of the rustic, old home style wooden furniture with cosy cushions to relax and the funky music to lift the spirits high along with the live bar area. The dome, lights, the greenery all around, quaint space is the perfect set-up for having a quality time with your loved ones. That is my personal favourite space for dinner at Unwind.

Menu is a blend of Indian, Continental, Asian and Italian. Our evening started with a couple of mocktails followed by scrumptious food. Summer of 69 was my choice which a slightly tangy, sweet lemon based drink. Let me tell you the staff here is co-operative and the service is quick. In the soup, I tried Mushroom one, which was slightly over the salt. Taste was good, though.

Coming on to the food, I had the following....

• Malai Broccoli (5/5)
• Makhmali Paneer (5/5)
• Bahare Chaman (3.5/5)
• Spinach Dumpling (4.5/5)
• Gourmet Veggie Flat Bread (3.5/5)
• Three Mushroom Flat Bread (5/5)
• Burnt Chilli Rice (4.5/5)
• American Chocolate Mud Pie (4/5)

I am not a Broccoli fan, but Malai Broccoli dish definitely positively transformed my mind to look at it. Perfectly cooked Broccoli was generously coated with the super tasty marination of cream and cashew curry paste. Served with spicy Thechamayo was the best combination. The rich starter is a must try! Highly Recommended!

Not much of the difference in the marination of Makhmali Paneer. Alike Malai Broccoli it had spicy, tangy blend of curd, cashew paste to give smooth and velvety texture. Grilled to perfection, the paneer was fresh and melt in mouth. All the paneer lovers, must go for it. Highly Recommended!

Bahare Chaman was more like seekh kebabs. Assorted veggies filled with less of cheese, spices and to give the crunchy textures, the kebabs were rolled on oats and drizzled with some honey. I found it a bit dry and quite low on the spices and aftertaste of honey. Taste was decent.

Spicy Spinach Dumplings had a very thin outer coating, and the green colored spinach filling appealed to all good senses. Just melt in mouth the dumplings were one of my favourites that evening. Recommended!

Next on our table was the Gourmet Veggies Flat Bread. A mix grilled exotic veggies with scarmoza pizza was bit bland and lacked flavours. Though it looked amazing. I had high expectations but sadly it failed to impress.

Another Flat Bread served to us was the Three Mushroom Flat Bread. Simple, delicious and basic ingredients to make a perfect lip-smacking bread. How can cheese, mushroom and truffle oil combo go wrong. Super flavourful and cheesy. If you ever wanting to try flat bread, try this first! Highly Recommended!

I was stuffed by the time but couldn't resist to try Burnt Chilli Rice. Modified tweaked version of Chinese recipes, it had a nice smokey flavour. Fried rice with strong aroma, minced veggies, extra dose of chilli for extra flavour. I like it. Recommended!

Last but not the least – The dessert. We had American Chocolate Mud Pie. It was literally death by chocolate. So sinful. Chocolate crust, chocolate ganache, chocolate shavings, what else do you want. One dig and go ummmm...Must have.

Overall, the place is suitable for dates, parties, hang out, relaxing. Do try the upper area of the seating. I am sure, you guys will like it. Please let me know your experiences in the comment box below.