Nudging its way into the recent fray of food delivery aggregators (DeliveryChef, Food Ka Mood, Just Desserts) is Grabagrub, a new hotline service where you can place  delivery orders for over fifteen (and counting) restaurants  in the Andheri (W) neighbourhood, from Pizzaroma to Maroosh.

Dial Mmm!

Along with the phone service, which operates from 11 am to midnight daily, GrabaGrub provides diners with a nifty little book containing detailed menus, special offers – soft drinks at MRP! – discount coupons and even an eating-calendar. Dates, anyone?

When we called, our operator was polite and efficient, but informed us that deliveries are strictly restricted to the neighbourhood (they don’t even go to Andheri East) and can take up to an hour to reach us. That means advance planning and a meal that would need reheating, but it might be worth the convenience of swapping out multiple restaurants’ digits and often incoherent waiters for one  easy to remember number (66696669) and professional service. You bite?

Getting there: Call 66696669, visit www.grabagrub.in or find the Facebook group here, deliveries free, minimum order varies.

Estate of Affairs

Ami Bhansali grew up vacationing on her family tea plantation in Ooty, but oddly enough, the PR executive has always been a coffee drinker. It was only when she decided to pursue chai professionally last year, did the words “I’ll take mine black” mean something different. “I discovered the most fragrant black tea with blends of rose that when brewed and iced, is perfect for Mumbai’s weather,” says Ami. Now, she’s hopelessly addicted.

The good news for you is that Ami has started retailing tea bags of this blend and a few other favourites under the label Chai Diaries, a teaser to a more promising project coming soon for tea lovers. Besides the usual green and jasmine tea that you drink hot, there are also fresh hibiscus based blends in berry blossom, apple pie and rose delight that work as yum coolers. Ami says she can bore us with talk of benefits and anti-oxidants, but all she’d really like to say is that they’re yum. And also “your room will smell like a bouquet when you open a packet of Rose Delight”. I'll put the petal on!

What: Brownies from Mrs Brownie, call Anupama on 9821899832, pick up from Hill Road, near Mehboob Studio, Bandra (W), start at Rs 350 for quarter kilo.

Why: She might sound like a character from an Enid Blyton novel, but Mrs Brownie is really a Bandra-based happy baker who doles out magic chocolate walnut and cheesecake brownies to grateful patrons all over the neighbourhood. Highly recommended by the cool cats at Azaad Bazaar.

When:  You want your own brownie eyed girl.

What: Soul Food Chinese and Thai takeaway/delivery, Silver Croft, shop no 7, 16^th and 33^rd Road, next to Mini Punjab, Bandra (W), call 26004520 / 9819145558, Rs 170 for a chicken appetiser.

Why: Allow “half an hour” for home delivery of Shanghai chicken that has nothing to do with China, and you still won’t be disappointed. If you ignore the typos in Taipei at Bandra’s pokey new Asian eatery (don’t opt to dine at one of the three tables), you’ll find that it works well for quick delivery/takeout of yum and inexpensive fare. We got Thai grilled chicken - succulent pieces of flattened lemony, chilli-rubbed chicken – and Malaysian rice, but didn’t have the stomach to try the Hot Red Prawns. Mighty shellfish of us, haan?

When:  You yearn a yang.

The second act of the upstairs bar at Tote on the Turf highlights the best parts of the original – luxuriously long bar, clusters of red roses on every table, Ferrero Rocher walls – and addresses some of its pain points, turning what used to be an awkwardly long and narrow floor plan (remember how getting to the restroom from across the room would take half an hour?) into an open, welcoming space. The split-level floor has been flattened, the deck taken out and replaced by leather seats and barstools. There are kebabs on the menu now, attentive wait staff. All good changes.

Ruby Tuesdays

We went on a rainy weekday for cocktails and a post-dinner snack, and were heartened to find that Tote’s super deal on shots – a rack of six for Rs 1,800 plus taxes – had survived the revamp. This made for a more debaucherous Tuesday that we had planned, but the hangover was (mostly) worth it.

Our batch of cocktails included Ruby, a vodka, pomegranate and cranberry concoction that tasted unpleasantly greasy and seemed to coat our throats with a thin layer of plastic –  must be avoided at all costs, despite how highly your server recommends it. Try instead Juvenile, a happy mix of orange juice, orange liquor, mint and vodka, or even Tic Tac, which can best be described as an unusual but appealing apple caprioska. Sangria here is delish too, smoky and spicy and laden with fruit.

Open Plate

What to eat at Restaurant Week

Chefs from participating eateries recommend their favorite dish on the Restaurant Week menu. Read the entire story on CNNGo.com:

Shadab Khan, chef de cuisine, Saffron
Vegetarian: Tohfa e zameen
Non-vegetarian: Siya mirch ka murgh
JW Marriott, Juhu Road, Juhu, +91 (0) 22 6693 3000

Alex Sanchez, executive chef, The Table
Vegetarian: Herb gnocchi à la Parisienne with mushroom ragoût and fines herbs
Non-vegetarian: Provençal lamb ragoût with pappardelle pasta (available at dinner only), chicken quesadilla with sweet pea guacamole, sour cream and salsa fresca (available at lunch only).
The Table, G/F, Hotel Suba Palace, next to Indigo Deli, Colaba, +91 (0) 22 2282 5002

Clinton Cooper, executive chef, San-Qi
Vegetarian: Crispy ginseng squash with wasabi mayonnaise
Non-vegetarian: Yuzu baked salmon with edamame mashed potato
Four Seasons Hotel, 114 Dr E Moses Road, Worli, +91 (0) 22 2481 8000

Paul Kinny, executive chef, Koh by Ian Kittichai

Sight Seeing

So you’re looking at a pile of nachos, but smelling Curry Laksa while tasting peanut butter on bread. You’re feeling rustic-Italian vibes, but listening to ABBA. Your senses will indeed be bewildered as you dine at the newly opened Hometown, a jumbled phenomenon that as a friend pointed out, is a ploy to divert attention from the fact that the food isn’t as good as it should be. Olfactories act!

Recently replacing delItalia in Juhu, Hometown (a China Gate property) is an all-day cafe that serves a bunch of snacks and Asian food, including a selection of Malaysian fare (disappointingly no roti canai) not usually seen on Mumbai’s menus. The large, clean wooden space here houses an upstairs section, two open kitchens, bar, and dining area embellished with stained glass lamps, wicker chairs, and huge canvas painted with a village scene that strangely boards up the beach view.

Belgian bakery Le Pain Quotidien (Dhanraj Mahal, opposite Indigo Deli, Colaba, call 66150202) just launched its new menu and you want a recipe. We're on it. See D-I-Y red bean tartine instructions.

Red Bean Hummus Tartine

Ingredients

4 wheat bread slices
12 cucumber slices
20 gms scallions
200 gms refried beans
200 gms red beans
30 gms ricotta cheese
30 gms tahini paste
20 gms mesclun (mix of young salad leaves, including lettuce, arugula, spinach, endives)
15 gms harrissa paste
5 gms parsley
30 gms roast peppers
12 red radish
20 gms butter

What: Kuchh Nai Scotch whisky, available at wine shops including Topmost Wines and Juben Wines, visit www.kuchhnai.com, Rs 1,950 for 750 ml.

Why: What can we get you this fine Friday morning? Say “Kuchh Nai” and you’ll receive a tumbler of full bodied whisky with a trace of smoke, that recently travelled from Scotland to Mumbai. This giggle-inducing golden liquid is just the sweet nothing you want on a balmy night.

When: You’d like an offer you can’t refuse.

The stir fried beef with chilli, garlic and basil is one of the first dishes that chef Nikhil Chib (see picture) cooked up at Busaba. On September 22 the dish and the Colaba restaurant it lives in, turn ten years old. Ahead of the birthday celebrations, we get Nikhil to fill out our Fussy Eater’s Guide to Food (the first of many), where he finds fare for every fuss – whether you’re vegetarian, allergic to soy sauce or don’t like Asian food, plus the most potent cocktail at his restaurant and an-off-the-menu dessert you’ll get if you’re extra nice to him.

The best dish to get if you’re vegetarian: Thai green curry or the vegetarian khao suey

If you’re allergic to soy sauce: Stir fried morning glory with crispy garlic.

If you don't like Asian food: Sliced tenderloin or the stir fried duck in orange sauce.

Best value for money (one dish): Chicken momos at Rs 300.