The Good Food Co. is the first outpost of a chain of cafes planned by Anuj Jodhani, part of the team that organized Washoku, the Japanese street food festival in Mumbai. We therefore arrived at this brand new, all day cafe expecting excitingly different cuisine, but were much disappointed by the rather unimaginative 100 % Vegetarian menu, which consisted of tired, randomly assorted dishes like pasta, burgers and sandwiches.

Snack attack 

Nevertheless we forged ahead, beginning our meal with Nachos Supreme, a pile of bland chips dotted with a stingy amount of salsa and rather insipid melted cheese, along with Mushroom Stroganoff that had too much rice and very little sauce.

Penne Arrabbiata came next, and was a good attempt - nice and spicy. The veggie Paneer Burger was even better, crispy, crunchy, and earning a thumbs up by even the hardcore non-vegetarian at the table. 

Starting Small

The Good Food Co. is mainly a takeaway joint, with only 4 tables. It is also unfortunately located, with construction work happening right outside that seems to coat every bite of food with dust. Nevertheless, with the large number of offices and banks around, competitive employees can happily up their Tiffin-carrying colleagues with Penne for lunch.

All in all, Anuj Jodhani should jazz up the menu a bit, and would do well to remember that a little innovation can save the world, or at least Vile Parle.

Getting there: Nand Prem building, opposite Shiv Sagar, Nehru road, Vile Parle (E), call 26112020, Rs 300 for a meal for two. 

After nine years of playing Grease Lightning, Bandra's Hawaiian Shack finally shares its retro track list with a new suburb - Juhu. Sleeker and shinier, this new split-level Shack stacks a hip hop room over a retro lounge, and takes off the Bollywood section housed at the original three-storey Bandra outpost.

The retro floor is roomy (it just opened on Sunday, so give it time) with plenty of tables and a bar in a boat. The hip-hop level is quite the opposite, with less seating and more room for your flailing arms and legs. The ceiling here is covered with inverted silver umbrellas and feature that Mumbai club favourite - laser lights that are synchronised with the music. Drunks will definitely have a biblical moment, as they walk over tiles which give the illusion of water.

Menu-pause

The menu at Hawaiian Shack features some new additions - a range of cocktails that mix lemongrass with basil, curryleaf and passion fruit and vanilla with coffee (all for Rs 450). The food also gets an upgrade with a vast variety featuring Chinese, Tandoori and Continental fare. House specials include LIT Beach Party (Rs 700) and Hawaiian Chicken Salad (Rs 350).

In short, Hawaiian Shack seems like a fun place for Juhu-Andheri residents to get their fix of feel good, for where else in the city can you hear Jail House Rock every night? And if we know Hawaiian Shack like we do, Elvis won't be leaving this building any time soon. 

Getting there: Hawaiian Shack, 48 Gulmohar Road (previously Tian), JVPD Scheme, near Costa Coffee, call 33784444, cocktails start at Rs 300, couple cover charge Rs 400.

Crest Of What's Around

If you can almost taste the salt at the oceanfront Cafe By The Beach, rest assured it won’t be off the glass rim of a potent margarita. Occupying the controversial but stunning beach site at Chowpatty once taken by Salt Water Grill, this new eatery comes sans a liquor menu (gasp!), but plenty of sand, sun and servers in shorts. “It’s what a dry day must be like in Goa,” commented one of our fellow diners. We agreed, but not without shuddering at the thought.

Contains Traces of Yesterday

On a sunny Thursday afternoon we settled on a table where mats looked like waves and salad bowls assumed the shape of boats. The pretty interior - or should we say exterior - of the open space retains several elements of its predecessor: deck chairs, a beach bar and a few tables with individual pavilions.

Besides killing their spirits, the regulations also dictate that food cannot be cooked here, narrowing the menu options down to salads, wraps, sandwiches and cold platters. We started by ordering the red grape and goat cheese salad and chased the sun with a round of refreshing mocktails - Maltese Peel, Cafe by the Beach Colada and Choco Tsunami. The first of the trio made with orange and lime peel was yum (though it could have done with more ice), a liquid version of the orange boiled sweets we used to have as kids. The Choco Tsunami, a mighty thick shake with bits of dark chocolate cookie won instant approval, unlike the Colada which tasted like diluted milk. A bottle of pineapple-flavoured Energy would have fared better, was our intern’s opinion. But two out of three’s not bad.

bpb has some pearls of wisdom this Wednesday and it would do you good to eat them. Round, smooth, glistening and really quite precious - they’re made of dark chocolate - these ‘pearls’ are sold by the cup at Choko la (get me chocolate in Hindi?), a new cocoa boutique at Phoenix Market City.

So Delhi-cate!

After opening stores at the Mumbai domestic and international airports, Delhi-based Choko la founder Vasudha Munjal (she comes from the family behind Hero Honda and was educated at Le Cordon Bleu) finally sneaks one past the border and into our fair city. And if you'd rather not trek to Kurla for cocoa, they home deliver too, on a minimum order of Rs 1,000.

bpb sniffs out six Mumbai eateries where meals come with melodrama a la reality TV, and chai with cursing. Time to unpack the idiot...er lunch box.

Emotional Atyachar: Family Court Canteen at BKC

Watching the slap-happy couples on Emotional Atyachar (reality drama based on US TV show Cheaters) can be addictive, but you know that stuff’s scripted right? For the real deal, head to the Family Court canteen at Bandra Kurla Complex where to-be divorcées share tables and yum medu-vadas, downed with a helping of stony silence or frothy dialogue, egged on by supportive relatives. Even the smallest gesture can sprout a squabble, after which fights ensue about who pays the bill.  Get a corner seat, order some chai and watch the drama unfold; if you’re lucky you might even catch the beginnings of a rekindled romance.  But don’t hold your breath - it’s mostly cat fights at this hen house.

Family Court Canteen, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Rs 27 for a plate of medu-vada.

Hell’s Kitchen: Koolar & Co.

To really feel the heat, head to Koolar & Co. at Matunga where the owner comes with a temper that can rival Gordon (Ranting) Ramsay’s on reality cooking show Hell’s Kitchen. Visit this pretty Irani café (get the table at the far end for a bistro-like feel) when he’s in a bad mood and you will bear witness to the choicest curses hurled at the most solemn staff. In the rare event that you catch him in a good mood, he’ll pester you about what music you’d like to hear. We suggest you pick Celine Dion, unless you want to piss him off. Fork this!

Koolar & Co., Noor Mahal, Dr Ambedkar Road, Matunga (E), Rs. 7 for an Irani chai.

Bandra's The Elbo Room launches  in Powai today. Can't make it for opening night? The pub owner sends two D-I-Y LIT recipes for bpb boozies who'd rather stay in. Cheers!

(Note: These LITs are  made using the built up method where the cocktail is not shaken, instead each spirit is poured in one after another and then topped off with a mixer)

The Cosmo Long Island Iced Tea

Ingredients:

30ml vodka
30ml white run
30ml gin
30ml tequila
20ml brandy
15ml triple sec

Fill a tall glass with ice cubes and mix the spirits together. Top it up with cranberry juice and garnish with a slice of orange.

The Beach Long Island Iced Tea

Ingredients:

30ml vodka
30ml light rum
30ml gin
30ml tequila
15ml triple sec
30ml sparkling wine
15ml dark rum (float)

Fill a tall glass with ice cubes and mix all the spirits together. Top it up with orange juice and add a float of dark rum. Garnish with apple and cherry.

Getting there: The Elbo Room, 135 Galleria, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, 40051800

What: Hard-to-find beer pints and kegs at Kashmir Wines and Beers, shop no. 10, Corner View, 33rd Road, next to Marc Cain, Bandra (W), call 66939886 or view the Facebook group here, Rs 600 for Chimay pint.

Why: bpb wishes to pint out that you can browse artisan beer, hard-to-find ales and fruit-flavoured brews from around the world at Kashmir Wines and Beers. So poush!  In our cart: Chimay Blue, East India Ale, Victoria Bitter, Jenlain, Erdinger (served at Oktoberfest), cherry flavoured Liefmans and a super fun 5 litre metallic keg filled with Sagres draught beer from Portugal. Who wants to get draughted now?

When: You want to have two Leffe feet.

It might seem a world apart from the center of the city, but Powai -- in the north-east of Mumbai -- is one of the buzziest emerging neighborhoods and a favorite spot for weekend business conferences.

From tiny home kitchens to brand-new hotels, here’s what you need to check out on your next trip to Hiranandani Gardens, Powai's thriving township. Read the full story on CNNGO.com.

EAT

Aromas Café: Early bird breakfast

While the Khar branch of this Australian café chain is battling to launch, Aromas Café in Powai is doing brisk business.

It opens at 8 a.m. -- a rare opening hour for anything in Mumbai -- and the sandwiches and salads are fresh.

It's got great coffee and a relaxed vibe, but shore up your patience in advance as service can be extremely slow.

Aromas Café is good for a midday meeting.

Aromas Café, G6, Ventura, Central Avenue, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai; +91 (0)22 6522 0313

Maddu’s Mess and Gary’s Menu: Quick, late bites

Hidden in a warren of chawls and almost impossible to locate is Maddu’s Mess, a tiny home kitchen that doles out delish South Indian fare between 5 and 9 a.m. daily.

Here you’ll find South Indian filter coffee, idlis and an egg dosa often described as legendary.

Also popular amongst students is Gary’s Menu, which serves up quick, cheap Indian and Chinese dishes.

Pay special attention to biryanis, which come with chicken, prawns, eggs or veggies.

They deliver too, and are open late.

Maddu’s Mess, opposite IIT Market Gate, in the lane next to the chicken store, Powai; +91 (0)22 2578 9912

Gary’s Menu, Shop One, Daffodil Building, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai; +91 (0)22 2570 1786

You might think applying E M Forester’s description of the world – “a glimmering, ethereal plasm” – to a bowl of soup is hyperbolic, but that’s only until you sample the hot and sour at newly opened Yauatcha in BKC. Almost identical to the version served at sister-restaurant Hakkasan, it is thick and shimmery, swimming with silky tofu and slivers of mushroom, spicy enough to clear the most stubborn sinuses. And for a few heady, fragrant minutes, it truly becomes your universe.

A Good Start

The rest of the dishes at Yauatcha aren’t as sublime, but they make for a good meal. We kicked ours off with pan fried Shanghai dumplings (also from Hakkasan – according to management, about 30% of the menu overlaps), flavourful in translucent, scorched skins and perfectly fried duck rolls filled with minced meat and slices of crunchy cucumber. Coat these with jammy plum sauce and you’ll have a perfect melding of sweet and savoury, crisp and soft. Stay away, though, from Chicken Char Sui Buns – they are gluey, oversweet and largely unpalatable.

Main Attractions

Mains of spicy fried rice and double cooked pork belly with chilli sauce arrived in thick ceramic bowls along with steamed rawas in a dim sum basket, glistening under spicy black bean sauce and pretty enough to have the our entire group sit up. It tasted of sea and spice, fat and fresh in a shallow bath of sauce and whole chillies.

The above-mentioned pork belly was tender and flavourful, complemented by a sauce that balanced perfectly between sweet and tangy, but had no spice to speak of. This we poured over steaming yellow rice, which was indeed spicy, and studded with diced vegetables.

Over the Top

What: Gaia Home Chef catering service, call Shilarna on 9820036525 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , starts at Rs 800 per head.

Why: Goa’s loss is our grain, as Ashwem restaurant Gaia morphs into a catering service in Mumbai. Started by Shilarna (Le Cordon Bleu chef and owner of Ninja Sushi) and Christophe, Gaia’s menu features morel mushrooms, melon gazpacho, mini cheese burgers and Shilarna’s risotto version of her grandma’s Maharashtrian prawn khichdi. They cater to parties of 10 to 30, and bring crockery and bartenders if required.

When: Now because they cater to your every Ash-whim.