What: Teacher’s Scotch pre-mixed cans available at Topmost Wines, Union Park, Khar (W) and Peekay Wines, Crawford Market, Rs 160 for a small.

Why: These new cans, filled with Teacher’s Scotch and soda or Coke are going to give Janata’s party packs serious competition. Perfect for pre-gaming, before you get to those thousand-rupee whiskies at the club. Scotch bright!

When: You want to Teach(er’s) for India.

What: All night food delivery from MAD Orders, order on www.madorders.com or call 8080204041, Rs 100 for cheese pav bhaji, delivery between Sion and Mulund (Bandra included).

Why: Delivering between 11 pm and 7 am, this brand new culinary service will send you pizza, pav bhaji, sandwiches and even chocolate mousse within an hour. Watch out for the full bpb review!

When: Perfect for late night jam sessions or a 3 am toast.

What: bpb and Aurus’ Gourmet Science Class at Aurus, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu, to register email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , limited seats, Rs 1,500.

Why: Aurus head chef and the ever-entertaining Vicky Ratnani invites you to his science lab where you’ll use syringes and pipes and calcium chloride to make watermelon caviar, cheese soufflé-stuffed mushrooms and Argentinian chicken. The course includes a lecture but not without hands-on work stations, tongue twister techniques like spherification and the chance to poke injections into (chicken) breasts.

When: Pans and needles on Saturday, January 21 from 3.30 pm to 5 pm.

Chef Glyston Gracias, Chef Manager at Smoke House Deli sends his love with a recipe for the delicious Chili Crusted Cobbler with Citrus Thyme Velouté.

Ingredients

200 gms John Dory

10 gms smoked chili paste

40 gms french beans

20 gms panko crum

10 ml lime juice

80 gms California orange juice

60 gms cooked risotto rice

20 gms parmesan cheese

2 gms turmeric powder

20 ml fresh cream

2 gms chili flakes

2 gms thyme fresh

20 gms butter yellow

20 gms flour

2 gms salt

2 gms black pepper crushed

2 gms balsamic reduction

50 ml fish stock

10 ml olive oil

Method

Marinate the John Dory fillet with smoked chili paste, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Sear the pan with olive oil, and then finish it in the oven at 160 degree Celsius for 5 minutes. For the sauce, combine the fish stock with the California orange juice and reduce with thyme. Finish this with yellow butte In a pan, sauté some onion, garlic and turmeric and add the cooked risotto rice along with the fish stock. Allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. Finally finish with butter, cream and parmesan. In a hot pan, sauté the French beans with yellow butter and parsley. On a plate, place the turmeric risotto, top it with the chili crusted John Dory, butter tossed French beans and finally the citrus thyme velouté sauce. Serve hot. Garnish with dill, balsamic reduction (reduce balsamic vinegar, 100ml), port wine (250ml) by half and drizzle on the plate.

They Tried To Make Me Go To Rehab

When we pictured a club called Rehab, we imagined a stark space with white padded booths and fake capsules in shot glasses doled out by bar maids dressed like nurses. But that clearly isn't the  case at the soon-to-open bar at Linking Road, Bandra where bpb got a sneak peek last night. The 1,700 square feet bar (formerly Shooters) owned by Suvedh Lohia - the fellow behind Fellas cafe - houses medieval chairs and laser lights and furniture that gives you advice. So lights spell out "be amazing", tables tell you whether you're 'insane ' and wall posts urge you to 'whip me'. As one of us Scouters leaned towards the 'sane' table (yes, you think otherwise, but who asked you anyway?), the floor pointedly told us to 'loosen up'. While most of these are fun, we're not sure we can say the same about the random notes scrawled across grungy walls that don't go with the decor in the first place.

See slideshow here.

Chow Bella!

Bandra Locals, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. On the maddeningly crammed stretch that is the station road, you’ll now find Mangiamo, a day-old Italian eatery where walls are painted in hushed hues of beige and blanche plates are prettied with delicate salmon pin-wheels. Next stop, Milan subway?

This restaurant and bar that comes from the guys behind Juhu’s Mangii Ferra (you can guess by the moniker and the orange-brown colour scheme), houses a leafy outside area, as well as a formal indoor bar and seating, and a few more tables in the basement. In all their endeavours to make you forget the proximity to the station, though – illuminated coconut trees by the gate, cheery signage,  shady foliage - your mind continues to stay on track so we suggest you visit post 10 pm when the rush dies down. We did the same, settling on an inside table, browsing the extensive menu and ordering despite our New Year resolutions. Must not eat bread. Bread it is!

With inputs from France, Britain and Belgium, Mumbai’s culinary scene grew even more cosmopolitan in 2011. We even got back a sadly missed restaurant space on the beach.

Here goes with a round-up of the best new restaurants of the year. Read the full story on CNNGO.com.

The Table, Colaba

One of the biggest culinary hits of 2011, The Table is reminiscent of a fancy jazz club, complete with black-and-white floors, green velvet armchairs and sparkling cocktails.

Manned by San Franciscan expat chef Alex Sanchez, the kitchen is as impressive as the decor, sending out French-American dishes like lobster sliders, quesadillas with green pea guacamole and the prettiest beet and mascarpone risotto in the city.

The Table has recently added Sunday brunch, a high tea service and daily cocktail hours -- when the drinks are wincingly expensive.

Still, if there’s one place you should drop Rs 1,000 for a cocktail, this is it.

G/F, Hotel Suba Palace, next to Indigo Deli, Colaba; +91 (0)22 2282 5002

Hakkasan and Yauatcha, Bandra

These Michelin-starred sister restaurants from London arrived on our shores this year, bringing with them great dim sum, silky soups and sexy spaces.

Hakkasan is the fancier of the two, offering diners whole Peking duck in a lush, dimly lit room and ginger martinis across a long blue bar.

Yauatcha is younger and hipper, with wide windows letting in natural light, a larger dim sum menu (try grilled Shanghai dumplings and duck rolls) and a selection of the best macaroons in Mumbai.

Both places will burn a big hole in your pocket, so prepare to splurge.

Hakkasan, Krystal Building, Waterfield Road, next to Chemistry, Bandra (W); +91 (0)22 2644 4444;www.hakkasan.com/mumbai

Yauatcha, Raheja Tower, Bandra Kurla Complex; +91 (0)22 2644 8888

Smoke House Deli, Lower Parel

Restaurateur Riyaaz Amlani’s latest offering, Smoke House Deli has to be one of Mumbai's cheeriest, brightest, prettiest places to eat.

Here, everything from walls and sugar jars to telephones and gramophones seem to have been doodled upon by a crazy artist with an exceptional eye for detail.

Once you’re done marveling at the sketches, turn your attention to the predominantly salad-and-sandwich deli menu including grape and brie salad, soft scrambled eggs folded into a warm croissant and a burly beef burger.

Pair these with a fresh kiwi and mandarin mojitos or a glass of chilled Chardonnay.

C-90G, High Street Phoenix, 462, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel; +91 (0)22 6561 9618

Neel, Mahalaxmi Race Course

After a slew of successful European restaurants which started with Indigo, Rahul Akerkar returns to his Indian roots with Neel, which literally means indigo in Hindi.

Opened in place of Tote on the turf at the Mahalaxmi Race Course, Neel retains the fairyland interiors (slender white trees, twinkling lights) of its predecessor, but overhauls the menu completely, focusing on Nawabi cuisine from Hyderabad, Kashmir and Lucknow.

Hyderabadi fish and whole lambs make appearances, along with chicken tikka and biryani.

Akerkar gives these commonplace dishes a new twist though, serving them alongside pineapple chutney, orange soup and even mildly spiced apple curry.

Mahalaxmi Race Course, opposite gate 5 and 6, Keshvrao Khadye Marg, Mahalaxmi; +91 (0)22 6157 7777

Suzette, Nariman Point

Featuring delish crepes, quirky decor and super friendly (and good looking) French owners, this tiny creperie is many kinds of adorable.

One of the few dining options in Mumbai’s corporate district, it is also crazy busy for lunch, so we suggest you visit during off-hours or prepare to wait.

Once seated, you can take in moody photographs from Paris, browse through an eclectic collection of French novels and order from a drool-worthy menu of smoothies, salads and of course, crepes.

Pay special attention to the Nicoise salad, Complet crepes (with chicken bacon, Emmenthal cheese and egg yolk) and superlative chocolate mousse.

Unfortunately Suzette serves no alcohol, but comfort yourself with Mariage Frères tea, fresh fruit smoothies or rich hot chocolate.

G/F, Atlanta Building, Nariman Point; +91 (0)22 2288 0055; www.suzette.in

 Read the full story on CNNGO.com.

What: Miss U Donuts & Coffee, shop no 5, ground floor, Shiv Darshan Building, 33 Road, opposite Marc Cain, Bandra (W); and shop no 7, Amritlal Mansion, LN Road, Matunga, call 9323878557 or view the Facebook group here, start at Rs 40.

Why: This Malaysian chain that opens today, will serve donuts with fruit centers, dipped in chocolate and topped with orange, peach, apple, coconut or cheese. Prepare to binge, hate yourself for it and then return the next day. They're viscious circles, these donuts.

When: Make a round today, December 22.

What: Don Giovanni takeaway and delivery (within 1 km), opposite JW Marriott Hotel, Juhu, call 67426770, Rs 150 for a salami baguette.

Why: After much delay and speculation the Don Giovanni takeaway counter finally opens in Juhu, doling out fresh baguette and focaccia sandwiches, delish bruschetta and signature thin crust pizzas. bpb loves salami baguette sandwiches, ham and salami pizza and Italian Ladyfingers (Rs 275), light-as-air tiramisu biscuits that go wonderfully with coffee. Occupying the shelves are also imported olive oil, dry pasta, Italian balsamic vinegar and several cheeses.

When: You’re waiting for Don 2.

Soba Central

If the Japanese advocate minimalism, Sushi Cafe takes it a little too seriously. This new Japanese den at Santacruz is essentially a bare white garage where lonely snow-drenched chairs park themselves and pine for company, whether in the form of lush wall art or even just a lush. Yes, we’re talking about you.

We visited the five-day old cafe yesterday to find that the restaurant has morphed out of Sushi Spice, a home delivery service we’d written about way back in 2009. The menu now goes beyond sushi, serving miso soup, rice and noodles, tempura and skewers. There’s even a section for those who want to venture out of Japan (although, why would you come to a place called Sushi Cafe?) featuring a random assortment of dishes like Singaporean Laksa, Syrian rice and Turkish dumplings. With both feet firmly planted in the Land of the Ricing Sun, we ordered.