There’s something about Bandra and the burger. After Burgs opened up at Carter Road and Between Breads opposite Hawaiian Shack, The Big Burger now brings its buns down to the suburb.

Launched last Tuesday to replace one half of Open Affair, The Big Burger is cute with a kitchen fashioned to look like a shiny red bus. On one side of this bus you can place takeaway orders (a slow process), and on the other, there’s four or five tables in case you would like (v)room to eat your meal. There’s also a board with a number that says they will deliver to your parked car, anywhere on Carter Road. Wastrels, take note.

BEST Bus?

We went to The Big Burger yesterday to realize why we’ve stopped visiting the Carter Road strip of eateries. It’s calm sapping this patch of culinary chaos, and the slow line at this burger joint didn’t help. Since there was no room to sit – of course – we thought we’ll take our order to go.

Hardcore burger fans will be disappointed, but not surprised to know that The Big Burger doesn’t serve beef. All non-vegetarian burgers are available in either chicken or mutton, plus there are veggie burgers and chicken hot dogs. We got the vegetarian Miami burger, the Indian mutton burger and the chicken shawarma hot dog. While we stood in line we noticed cute burger wrapping (despite their small operation) and the fact that all food here is served in blue baskets. The bus seemed to be off to a good start. All aboard?

So what’s new on the drinking scene? Cask nicely and we’ll tell you about The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) that’s all set to launch in India. The international members-only club that’s spread across 19 countries and specialises in bottling single cask, single malt whiskies, will make its debut at Indigo (Colaba) on March 19. Tip(ple) off!

Crowd Ila: Sign up

One of the cool things about signing up to become a member is that SMWS won’t turn its nose up at newbies. For Rs 19,500 (plus taxes) for the first year, your perks as member will start with a kit that includes four small bottles of limited edition whiskies, a book on tasting notes and your own lapel pin. Look at you being all fancy! For the second year, membership drops to Rs 10,000.

During your tenure as an SMWS member, you will gain special price access to between 10-16 single malt, single cask whiskies every quarter, which aren’t available to the public. This membership is valid not just in India, but across 19 countries and the whisky society’s entire bottling list. Also meet other whisky enthusiasts at SMWS tasting events and parties that will be hosted at Indigo and get a subscription to award-winning magazine Unfiltered.  You’ve got mail and malt!

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society kicks off in Mumbai and Pune, and will eventually expand to other Indian cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chandigarh. Go get your sign up form at the Indigo Colaba bar. And remember, don’t drink and write.

Getting there: Visit www.smws.co.in, collect membership forms from Indigo, Colaba, Rs 19,500 (plus taxes) for the first year, Rs 10,000 for the second year.

With its central kitchen located at Wadala, you’ll miss the waft of rising bread at The Baker’s Dozen, a new  artisan bread store that opened at Prabhadevi this past weekend. However, the display of baskets full of stocky, crusty, deliciously brown breads dusted with grains and seeds, studded with apricots and olives, in various shapes from oblong to rectangular, means your eyes will be compensated for what your grumpy olfactory senses might miss out on.

Baker’s Dozen started two months ago as a delivery only service, following which they decided to launch this cute, European-style shop that features chalkboard-style fonts, an autobiographical story of bread and a wall of arty black-and-white photos showcasing the bread-making process at their kitchen. Yeast India Company?

Polly Wants A Cracker

Four new baked goods – ragi crackers, croutons, ciabatta and dinner rolls - feature on the bakery’s menu apart from the existing eleven varieties of bread such as Puccia, Focaccia, Pain Au Levain, Brioche and Four Grain. You should know that there are no tables or chairs here, The Baker’s Dozen doesn’t dish out serving portions and most breads are available as full loaves, and no accompaniments such as flavoured butter, cheese or pesto are available for purchase at the counter. Twenty-seven year-old co-owner Aditi Handa plans to keep it that way for now because all she knows and is good at is bread, we’re told.

Crusty the Clown

bpb took home a mixed bag of Focaccia, Pain Au Cereal, Pain Au Levain and croutons and paired with a bunch of jars that tumbled out of our kitchen cupboards - cheese spread, hummus, butter and jam. Carb fest!

The Focacia, soft and fluffy, is good enough to eat as is or slather on some mustard and veggies for a cold open sandwich. We paired the Pain Au Levain, a French bread avec walnuts and raisins (also featured in bpb’s last Dessert Box), with cheese spread and then later with hummus; both offset the sweetness of the raisins and heightened the wheaty taste. We also liked it with mixed fruit jam as a morning meal. The Pain Au Levain is also available with apricots and cherries, and blueberries and cranberries, and the latter is the bakery’s most popular bread. Skip the Pain Au Cereal, packed with sesame and flax seeds, if you don’t like the jaw-breaking variety.

The range of artisan breads at The Baker’s Dozen is a good balance between unfamiliar French breads that are a mouthful to say and said-before ones such as dinner rolls and multi-grain sandwich bread (available as half loaf and full loaf). If you happen to stop by, go by co-owner Handa’s recommendations: the Four Grain loaded with four different types of seeds (pumpkin, sesame, flax and sunflower), Brioche, Pain Au Levain with berries and the ragi crackers.

Le pain point.

Getting there: The Baker’s Dozen, 9 Jayant Apartments, Appasaheb Marathe Marg, Prabhadevi, near Century Bazaar, call 8655331313 / 67431313, delivery areas include Worli, Mahalaxmi, Prabhadevi, Lower Parel, Dadar, Mahim, Matunga, Parel, Wadala West, Lal Baug and Sewri. Rs 100 for the Pain Au Cereal, Rs 60 for the Focaccia.

With two padded walls designed to appear as burger buns, Between Breads, a new sandwich shop in Bandra is like a giant burger that features you, among its many transient ingredients. We visited last night to find ourselves sandwiched in with two cute boys (also the owners), a Bandra bunch on a quest for beef burgers, a pile of Archie comics and an unfortunate wall note from a boy whose girlfriend is vegetarian. Lettuce eat?

Patty Smith

Newly opened opposite Hawaiian Shack (we gave you a sneak peek last week), Between Breads is a tiny sliver of good news for those who’ve been looking to casually stop by somewhere for a meat burger minus the fuss or fat bill. The menu above the self-service counter has creative burgers and sandwiches featuring bacon, beef, chicken, eggs, paneer, potato and even jalapeno poppers. Don’t go by the insipid-looking ready paneer and chicken junglie sandwiches in the showcase, and order a fresh one from the kitchen instead.

We started with the vegetarian jalapeno and beef burgers. They were all out of hot dog buns when we visited, so we got the buffalo chicken sandwich instead. We were seated on one of the high bar stools, sipping an interesting sweet iced tea-salted lemonade fusion, with upbeat music and abovementioned time-travel comics for company. If you have your meal at Between Breads (recommended), it will be served fresh in a basket with a side of fries or chips. If you take it to go, eat while it’s still hot.

Well Bread

One look at our order and we could tell that these guys don’t skimp on ingredients. The tasty Buffalo Chicken sandwich was substantially filled with spicy shredded chicken and bell peppers. The beef burger, featuring a melting middle of juicy, big-as-your-fist patty and cheese, supported by lettuce and tomatoes, is worth a go-back-for (although our companion still prefers the beef burger at Gondola, Bandra). Pair with bacon fries for a mini coronary or get the double beef burger instead. And speaking of blockages, vegetarians, just for you, we tried jalapeno popper burger that not only features a flavourful potato-corn-pea patty but also a layer of three jalapeno cheese poppers. Heart!  On a previous visit we also got a lush, thick mango smoothie and plan to return for The Morning After featuring what sounds like a satiating pile of bacon, egg and meat. All walks of shame lead here! The fries at Between Breads could have been more slender and an optional side of interesting condiments would up the order. Some more advice: either the ready sandwiches should look more appetising or go completely.

The Reuben Sandwich

If you’re visiting Between Breads, don’t go expecting artisan burgers, but quick and tasty comfort food, sure. If the owners, 25 year-old Paresh Chhabria and Reuben Borah, a media professional and ex Kingfisher employee, maintain price and consistency, they should score over other bread treats in the suburb (we’ve had two bad experiences at Burgs). Plus, if you’re named after a sandwich – The Reuben Sandwich – you already have an edge.

Getting there: Between Breads, 16^th Road, in the same lane as Hawaiian Shack, Bandra (W), call 26045577, approximately Rs 630 for two burgers, a sandwich and two non-alcoholic drinks, sandwiches start at Rs 250.

bpb reviews anonymously and pays for its own meals.

Get fresh with Chef Mukhtar at Neel as he teaches you how to cook Awadhi cuisine with fruit. The super interesting menu at our hands-on class (two people to a work station) will feature Kokum Cooler cocktail, (Kokum Fizz if you don’t drink – boo!), Subz Santre ka Shorba (use of orange),  Kashmiri Seb ki Sabzi (use of apple) and Parde me Khubani (use of apricot).

And you thought you couldn’t put out an Indian food brunch in the summer.

Getting there: Class at Neel, Mahalaxmi Race Course on Wednesday, March 20 from 6 to 8 pm, to register email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (limited seats available), Rs 1,500 per person.

At Singkong, you half expect a tiny fountain to spring out of the bun platter – a rectangular grey stone-slab with a big round pebble separating two delicately folded pieces of bread. Bring in a Feng Shui expert and you’ll probably be eating it while facing North for luck.

Any meal that starts with calm and blessings is a good indicator of what’s to come, we predicted, as we settled into a table for four at Singkong,  Bandra’s newest Pan Asian restaurant. The latest offering by Dish Hospitality (the guys behind Sancho’s and Aurus), this one replaces Tasty Tangles, retaining its glass wall and open kitchen structure, but changing the colour scheme to bullet grey and brown with a wall full of foliage. There’s also a small sushi bar setting by the entrance.

Fortune Ice

If you’re going to be drinking – of course you are – we recommend you get the Thai Martini, a pleasant leaf green cocktail made with basil and pineapple juice that’s a great meal opener. Wine drinkers try the tropical sangria, a white wine and citrus vodka mix with pieces of kiwi and pineapple, but avoid the Beijing Bellini, featuring luke warm sparkling wine and lychee syrup, but missing the fruit promised on the menu. Once returned to chill, it tasted much better.

Three Piece Suit

The food selection here starts with sushi, steamed buns and dimsum, and goes on to include a wide range of soups, appetisers and mains segregated according to the type of meat you will be ordering. We started with the beautifully textured Philadelphia Uramaki featuring smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado, cucumber and made crispy with a coat of sesame seeds. The Dill Salmon Nigiri (serves two pieces) was fresh and at par with the one we love at Kofuku, eaten just two nights ago. The vegetable and egg Futomaki was far less pleasing, with too-big chunks of veggies. These were supported by yum appetisers: soft cottage cheese cooked in spices and coriander and wrapped in pandan leaf; 2-piece sticky buns with an interesting filling of black pepper chicken and cool cucumber slices that are pretty for gazing and grazing; and our favourite for the night, the shrimp oriental nest on sticks (on the house), a one-up over old school Chinese restaurant appetizers coated in nest-like batter and served with a ginger soy sauce.

Singkong provides the palatable chaos that comes with an open kitchen, the sounds of veggies being tossed and orders being transferred, wafting above your talk. It’s a fun dinner place, we’d decided by now, turning to order mains.

Curry Club

Bowls for this course held a must-try stir fried tenderloin cooked in hot sauce that thankfully wasn’t overwhelmed with garlic; a sweet-spicy roasted chilli honey pork; and aromatic vegetable green Thai curry with super silky pieces of tofu. Plus, bowls of jasmine rice all around.

After mains, we all had happy ends save for one person at the table who ordered an Oreo white chocolate cream pie to find that the cream was a little spoiled. The others sipped and spooned Thai iced coffee (black coffee, condensed milk and Amaretto); signature Singkong martini with espresso vodka, old monk and cinnamon; and a fruit crumble that nicely melded mango and pineapple, a combination we didn’t expect to like. But the cutest dessert came at the end - four mini sesame honey cones, crisp and tasty enough to be eaten without the vanilla ice cream hats. Top of the morning to you!

At the end of all this food, four people were satiated, despite no eventual appearance of the good luck fountain. A non-exorbitant Asian restaurant serving good food is all the fortune we need for now.

Getting there: Pinnacle House, 1st floor, PD Hinduja Marg, off Linking Road, above Sancho’s, Khar (W), call 67094444, Rs 3,800 for a meal for four with one alcoholic drink each (Rs 445 for Philadelphia rolls, Rs 395 for stir fried beef, Rs 175 for pineapple-mango crumble).

bpb reviews anonymously and pays for its own meals.

Regulars crowd around their favourite table, recommend the smoked cocktails they’ve tried before, and guess what rock song could be next on the track list. It’s hard to tell that this Bandra bar has been around for just ten days as newbie, The Daily, makes its debut with the nonchalant ease of a been-around.

For vibe and viewing, think Elbo Room but with a lot more creativity. Designed by the super folks over at Busride Designs, The Daily is done entirely in rosewood, a glass partition separating the outside and inside sections. The fun element is brought in by framed newspaper clippings of good news from around the world – because all you read is horrific headlines these days - that hang from the ceiling, and one by the door that changes daily. ‘Boy 6, Writes Chocolate Bar Book To Raise $30,000 For Friend With Rare Liver Disease’. This plus a yum Pre Prohibition Era cocktail meant we were probably headed for a feel good weekend.

The Bee’s Knees

Before we get to the food and drink, this Scouter must say that one of the owners is a friend and so the review could not be conducted anonymously. It was paid for however, but also preceded by several feedback tasting sessions, which means we’ve tried our fair share of cocktails. And that’s essentially what you should get at The Daily. Spoiled for choice you’ll find molecular and Tiki cocktails; signature drinks using pear and maple spice and dill; and pre prohibition era cocktails. Already turning out to be a favourite order is the Gypsy Queen (Rs 650), a whisky-peach-lemon concoction smoked with apple wood, cinnamon and clove, which could be a fragrant forest that featured in the bartender’s dream last night. With the Mai Tai (Rs 500) you can tell the ingredients are top notch as the syrups and grenadine don’t catch your throat. If you like sweet, then the Coconut Mountie (Rs 500), a boozy dark rum and chocolate milkshake-like mix is deliciously potent, as is the thick Banana and Passion Daiquiri (Rs 500). If you’re looking for a more summer-friendly drink, get the Bee’s Knees (Rs 500), a Pre Prohibition cocktail that features a refreshing gin and lemon juice mix with sweet, comforting notes of honey, which remind you that you are surrounded by good news at The Daily.

While we had no complaints with the way our drinks were mixed, we did hear whines from the next table about getting whisky without ice and receiving beer pints after too long. First weekend teething troubles we hope, but trying nonetheless. While the track list on weekdays includes rock music, the weekend set is much more clubby.

What: Between Breads, 16^th Road, in the same lane as Hawaiian Shack, Bandra (W), call 26045577, Rs 250 for a sandwich.

Why: Sent on a reconnaissance mission to the far yeast (yes, this Cuffe Parade-based employee is a bit of a snob but we’re working on him), this writer made a trip to Bandra to check out the almost-opened Between Breads.  Started by 25 year-old Paresh Chhabria and Reuben Borah, a media professional and ex Kingfisher employee (new ways to earn their bread?), this new eatery sells burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, sides and smoothies. During a tasting we tried a delicious Philly chicken sandwich and a thick mango smoothie. You can either choose to eat at this tiny space for 12 with a giant padded burger on the walls and a bacon strip jutting out to form your table, or order for delivery if you live in the area. The chef seems to know his mince, so we’re waiting to try the 10 ounce beef burger. Oh and there’s also a sandwich called The Morning After. All walks of shame lead here. See you then! Review out soon.

When: Burger off on Monday, March 11.

Until you become the  'name' in namedropping, here are some names you can toss around at the office lunch. "So Chetan Bhagat's organic food caterer and my dabba supplier = #SameGuy." "The woman who teaches Hrithik Roshan and the Goenkas how to do the Downward Facing Dog is coming over tomorrow at sunrise (see link in the newsletter below). Throw in words like "organic" and "super yoga" and they'll be calling a conference any second now.

But celebrity names and new age trends aside, seriously look up Sahi Tiffin, a family-run organic dabba service that delivers yum, vegetarian food to offices across Mumbai. The food is cooked using  fresh and organic produce procured from the farmers themselves, Pankaj Gohil from the Sahi tiffin team tells us. We tried their theplas, chutney and bhaji, and can vouch for the yum non-oily ghar ka khaana type food that comes out of these dabbas. Seriously light and healthy, it's the non-snooze-inducing meal you  want to eat before that big meeting. Leader's Digest?

Each Sahi Tiffin dabba contains a  complete meal, consisting of dal,  subzi, chapatis,  salad, a snack and dessert that we're told will keep you well-nourished and immunity boosted. Mr Gohil informs us that his dabbas can be spotted from Monday to Friday at The India Bulls Financial Centre at Elphinstone Road and Raheja Chambers at Nariman point among other office addresses. The tiffin costs Rs 190 per day ( 10 days minimum), plus Rs 400 for the dabbawalla.

Sahi can also do organic food catering for your next party, like they did for author Chetan Bhagat. A hot organic thepla kiosk at your next terrace do? Snicker now, but it will make for a yum post-many-drinks snack.

So you're reading this and it will be lunch time soon. And your dabbawalla isn't famous. We suppose you're just not ready to be the popular one at work yet.

Getting there: Call Pankaj Gohil  on 9819865135, delivery across  Mumbai, Rs.190 per day, minimum 10 days, Rs 400 per month for delivery.

We could almost hear a fire crackling at The Barking Deer, Lower Parel's new micro-brewery plus all day restaurant where nude brick walls with jute finished chairs and warm wooden tables feel like you’re at a Gulmarg den house getting your stout on after a tiring ski day. Freeze frame, please.

Recently opened opposite Blue Frog at Mathuradas Mills, The Barking Deer will really get fun when they procure their brewery licence expected next month. Until then, this 4,000 square feet space with two levels has a spacious bar with imported beer and spirits, as well as a fun food menu.

We took our seats under antler-like lights and wondered about the Canadian rap sounding music that was playing. We suppose where there's Snow, there will be Informer.

Shot and Stout

Dreaming of freshly brewed beer, we got an Irish Stout and an impulsively ordered peanut butter and banana smoothie (Rs.225). Made with soy milk and honey, it's refreshing and guilt free, well partially at least. Accompanying this were the grilled pork ribs with barbecue sauce (Rs.375) that weren’t really sliding off the bone. They may have been a bit well done, but if you found the few meaty pieces on your plate, it worked great with the tangy barbecue dipping sauce. We sampled some char-grilled  paneer next, which was  marinated in a cilantro based chutney, grilled and then served with the creamed up version of the marinade as a dipping sauce. Soft succulent pieces of paneer covered big ground for the lack of flavour. We devoured the beef tostadas with guacamole (Rs.375) that featured  crisp tostadas topped with mince and made better with melted cheese. Fill up our stockings with a dozen of those and we won’t complain about grandma’s ugly sweater.

Vertical Limit

The night got better with the DIY sandwich section. We got a cheddar and ham sandwich (Rs.425) with a garlic mayo spread in multi grain bread. They have a range of bread options, so if you aren’t as health conscious as this writer is, you can get a baguette or croissant. They were a bit stingy with the side of fries, but the ham cut was generous and also quite fresh.

Next, we moved on to the grilled chicken in early grey jus: a well cooked chicken breast with a subtle tea flavouring, red wine reduction and  fantastically sautéed grilled veggies. Vegetarians, get the three cheese and madras chilli risotto with grilled fennel  cooked (Rs.475) in a yum white wine stock with hints of spice and lime. At the end, we were given complimentary dessert because it was opening day (no, we're not special): raspberry cheese cake, coffee crème brule and white chocolate bread butter pudding. Sweet!

We'll be back, this bunch of stags, to chug mugs at The Barking Deer when they start making their own beer next month. Brew story! Come have a drink with us.

Getting there: Mathuradas Mill compund, Senapati Bapat Marg, Call 61417400, meal for two Rs. 2,000 (without alcohol).