THE SASSY SPOON, NARIMAN POINT

I am jumping out of my seat with excitement to eat at this inimitably cute, Sex And The City-esque restaurant, which looks straight out of the pages of a fashion magazine.

A huge, hot pink spoon stencilled onto the wall reinforces the branding and unusual name of the restaurant.  The far wall is adorned, nay plastered, with framed art, cleverly concealing a door which leads to the outside should one wish to use the bathroom.

With a predominantly Barbie-esque hot pink and turquoise blue colour palette, this is just the kind of place I'd love to take the girls out for lunch, clad in a floral dress with a big bow in my hair.

Photo credit: zomato.com

The drinks list is fairly basic - I ask to order a few of the more unusual cocktails such as the Ice Spice Martini, I am told that guanabana is out of stock.

I ask to order the Brazilian Fire Margarita, I am told that it is unpopular and always gets sent back. The waiter is well-meaning, but I feel he's telling us to order what he likes.

I settle on a mocktail. The Very Berry Khatta turns up looking quite impressive - a garnish of pomegranate seeds, orange slices, lime and mulberries reclines on a bed of purple-coloured ice.

The surrounding liquid tastes not unlike Ribena with a hint of sour. Like the Kardashian family, the drink is sadly better in terms of looks than taste.

The entrée of Cajun spiced prawns turns up to say hi. The serving size is very small for the price, the plate appearing somewhat empty. The amount of bread served is also minimal.

In terms of taste however, the authenticity of the Cajun seasoning rings true and soaks into the neutral flavour of the bread in a rich, buttery teaser of what lies ahead. Chopped pieces of garlic predominantly mark the flavour of this dish and serve to whet the appetite.

With an excess of butter and oil, the dish is admittedly not the healthiest option available. Perhaps and extra hunk of bread and the addition of more jumbo prawns could have been used to 'fill out' the dish and make it look more visually appealing.

I read from the menu 'spiced baby lamb leg' and my heart starts to pound. I envisage the dish arriving literally as I read it: on the bone, which would ensure the seldom-bestowed honor of tearing the meat off with my bare hands and teeth. Roar.

My face falls as an 'easy' dish is settled in front of me - the meat has been carved off the bone and is surrounded by so much gravy that it somewhat resembles Rogan Josh. The lamb is pleasingly soft and accentuated by the satisfyingly garlic-studded gravy which envelopes the slightly lemony potatoes.

The presence of roast cauliflower adds another neutral element to the entire dish, which comes across as hearty and comforting rather than dazzlingly innovative in terms of taste.

The steak looks just like a football player: big, beefy and immense. I slice into the flesh and am pleased to see it is cooked as instructed, to medium.

The careful preparation of this dish is evident in the softness of the meat; this is one of the more sophisticated buffalo steaks I've been privy to in Mumbai.

The split tarragon and garlic jus is overtly sweet, so much so that it is almost akin to eating a dessert. The glazed carrots contribute a honeyed element to the existing sweetness which is cut by the thin potato gallette. The porcini crème brûlée seems somewhat redundant and does not hold my attention.

Yet somehow, due to its daring combination of flavours, this dish works.

The Sassy Spoon is a restaurant where small aesthetic details like decor, service and quality are observed beautifully: upon leaving, I was given a 'goody bag' of carefully wrapped, bite-sized pieces of chocolate cake.

The service is impeccable, staff are well-trained and knowledgable of each beverage and drink, more so than the average restaurant.

The niggling factors are the serving sizes along with exorbitant prices; most of the main courses average out to almost 1000 INR each after taxes, dishes in which the flavour and complexity of each dish does not justify the market price.

With many popular restaurants serving imported meat and that too at a lower cost than that offered at The Sassy Spoon, one does question if the restaurant is motivated by providing exceptional food or maintaining their profit margin.

Ambience 10, Food 8.

The Sassy Spoon is located at Ground Floor, Express Towers, Ramnath Goenka Marg, Nariman Point.

Photo credit: mumbaiboss.com

BARRIO, VERSOVA

All I know of Barrio is what I've garnered from word of mouth and social media: it has a pool and does 'boozy brunches'. Being a water lover and somewhat of an alcoholic, it is enough to draw me in to review the à la carte menu on a weekday.

Situated inside a health club called The Inch By Inch Body Temple, the vibe at Barrio is decidedly idyllic - an entirely outdoor setting under a large canopy surrounded by plants, with a soundtrack of zen-inducing buddha bar tunes playing from speakers placed more strategically than the fans.

Cheery chalkboards loudly proclaim the somewhat cliched mantra of "eat, drink, love" in front of the open air kitchen, as paper lanterns sway dreamily in the breeze.

I check out the menu and am delighted to see a hearty breakfast spread, that too available all day - pancakes, bacon and eggs, French toast, waffles, toasties, fruit parfaits, you name it. I make a mental note to have Saturday night's date bring me here for Sunday breakfast.

All said and done, I'm chuffed that there's finally a semi-chilled out place to hang in Versova - that too, a Spanish-named cafe whose name loosely translates to 'neighbourhood'.

The mini-salad is a steal at just 135INR, yet does not look small by any standards. Rather it is literally brimming with ingredients, making it impossible to eat without the contents spilling over the side of the shallow bowl.

An explosion of flavours awaits: perfectly ripe, imported avocado wrestles with creamy chickpeas, while soft, fresh fetta waltzes around with sharp, zingy tomato. As an afterthought, a few leaves of rocket lie lonely beneath.

The most significant detail that hits me is the amount of olive oil used to dress the dish in a typically Mediterranean fashion which results in a salad that is smooth and well-lubricated, rather than crisp and crunchy.

The fetta, rather than being traditionally crumbly is soft and creamy.

The socca is a stuffed chickpea and olive oil wrap which sounds like it belongs in a healthy food catalogue.

Intrigued, I place and order and am introduced to a lightly oiled sheet of crunchy, flaky tortilla which houses a multitude of soft vegetables - mushroom, tomato and broccoli held together by a generous lick of hummous.

The accompanying tzaziki dip is in contrast sharp and bitey, although not as peppery as regular tzaziki. For this dish, the dip seems out of place and somewhat redundant, but nevertheless I have a ball eating it separately.

This dish has no need for meat, thanks to the range of flavours and textures used.

The German pizza with sour cream, caramelised onions and bacon has been calling my name.

When it turns up, I am half-impressed, half-baffled by the resounding healthiness of it all; strictly no cheese has been added and toppings are minimal, hence flavour is as such, save for the generous dollop of sour cream in the middle which is the saving grace of this dish.

I am devastated to note that what little bacon featured on the pizza is virtually tasteless, the caramelised onions making a tiny dent of impact on my tastebuds. My mouth wanted more excitement, more drama, that was just nowhere to be found.

The thin crust is authentically made thanks to a pizza oven on premises, but one does not expect the crust to be the best part of a gourmet pizza.

Those expecting a traditional cheesy number will be blown away, either in a good or bad way.

The baked rawas is the man of the match - a sizable portion of excellent quality, it is cooked to exact specifications so that the flesh inside is a coy shade of the lightest pink.

A gaggle of flavours perched on top of the lemon sauce soaked fish ensues in the form of salty capers and roughly chopped garlic, the latter which also features heavily in the accompanying wilted spinach and slick, chewy kale.

Flanked by a clumsy piece of bread which I ignore, this dish screams value for money, cheaper than even the German pizza.

I am given a complimentary dessert, which makes me smile. So few restaurants indulge in this largely international practice that it is a genuine pleasure when an establishment cares more about making the customer happy instead of making money.

The gooey cake bats its eyelashes at me; positively oozing with chocolate and topped by a thick layer of chocolate icing, it only takes a few spoonfuls for my sweet tooth to be sent packing.

The icing is probably not needed as it overcomplicates the dessert and lends an air of artificiality to the dish, likening it to the desserts available at most coffee chains.

Where the icing has not reached however - where the soft, warm crust of the cake sits quietly, taking in the world, this is the most enjoyable part; combined with the decadent sauce, it's a stairway to dessert heaven.

The concept of Barrio is fantastic, just not entirely practical in the sweltering heat or dripping monsoons of Mumbai.

Flies are a problem and if you're planning on using the pool, get in early as there are only three lounge chairs, plus separate pool charges. Be prepared to surrender your personal details if you want to take a tour of the facilities offered by Inch by Inch Body Temple.

The most exciting area of Barrio, near the main entrance has only one fan - not exactly conducive to cooling down a large group of people, especially those smitten by air conditioners.

The service is good but on a highly individual basis - two waiters serving me were attentive and chatty, however the other waiters present took no responsibility for my needs whenever the former two were not around.

Much of the menu has the same ingredients in each dish - fetta, avocado, hummous and chickpea - both a blessing and a curse for those not exposed to traditional Mediterranean ingredients.

On a plus note, the cafe attempts to use organic ingredients for much of its fare and small, fine dining details such as fresh mint sprigs in the drinking water are observed.

The food is simple in its use of ingredients and cooked from the heart - just watch your stomach doesn't suffer from the excessive use of olive oil.

Ambience 8.5, Food 8.5.

Barrio is located inside Inch by Inch Body Temple, Near D Mart, J.P Road, Versova, Andheri West.

SAN QI, WORLI

The traditional Chinese name for a herb, 'San Qi' suggests sophistication and refinement - this immense space which occupies the ground floor of the Four Seasons Hotel in Worli is assuredly elegant in the way that only the ancestrally wealthy are.

Stride through the doors and one is immediately whooshed into a flurry of activity - teppanyaki chefs whirling food around as diners watch on, enthralled, waiters on a hurriedly endless rotation from table to kitchen; the very environment transformed with an air conditioner cranked to full blast - no matter the weather outside, bring a jacket for inside.

The venue is marketed so as to appear to encompass all cuisines of the Asian continent - I relish the challenge of a restaurant which dares to conquer so many different styles.

The Italian red I sample is impeccably stored and presented - no worry of over-refrigeration here.

Photo credit: travel.cnn.com

The salmon on rice is listed as an appetiser, yes - however the serving size of two pieces is probably one of the more minuscule I've seen, keeping me giggling for a good five minutes. My date squirms uncomfortably in his seat.

The rice itself is authentically sticky and appropriately neutral in flavour, serving as the perfect sidekick to the squeaky-clean, fresh salmon.  Nothing is out of place with this dish - however in terms of exponential taste, salmon tends to plateau after a while - I prefer flashier, fattier options of fish such as tuna toro.

Photo credit: fwdder.com

The humble maki roll is usually the last choice I'd choose from a menu overflowing with options, however I restrain myself to ordering a dish which is remotely commercial in order to gauge how it measures up against all the others I've sampled.

The California roll knocks me off my feet in terms of taste - the fact that it engages my tastebuds in a manner more artful than the salmon on rice makes me think twice about the power of basics executed exceptionally well.

Sprinkled with tobiko (sesame seeds), San Qi's interpretation has just enough elements to lubricate the mouth without the need for soy sauce, which generally is a necessity to add oomph to sushi. Crab normally fails to excite me, yet the combination of this meat with the tantalising avocado leaves me breathless.

I have never been one to be overly enamoured by dim sum, thanks to the boiling method of preparation which I feel lends an uninspiring tone which relies heavily on on chilli sauce to sex up the flavour.

Made from glutinous rice rendering a feel which is light and fresh, the chicken dumplings are accompanied by mushroom which gives them some variation in dimension.

Photo credit: seriouseats.com

The tandoori seabass chutneywali doesn't look all that pretty, but who am I to judge a book by its cover? The danger with using Indian spices with a meat as delicate as fish is that it can all too easily go horribly wrong, with the spices overpowering and rendering the diner in a chokehold.

The use of coriander masala in this dish is measured to such careful deliberation that it positively serenades the seabass, its Chilean lineage betrayed in the softness of the fish and the way it vanishes in under two seconds after grazing the tongue.

I spy Burrah Kebab on the menu - this little known delicacy is seldom offered in restaurants - and I can't resist.

While the taste of the masala brims with authenticity, the meat quality is poor, subjecting me to mostly bone which I gnaw dismally on, much to the chagrin of my date. For the standard of fare and price at San Qi, one would expect lamb of an international origin to be used.

What little meat present holds an adequate balance of flavour between the yoghurt and black cardamom used, with fiery peppercorns accentuating the chargrilled flavour of the meat.

I dip my toe into the teppanyaki offering at San Qi, taking advantage of the wide variety of fish available. Chatting nonchalantly, I toss a piece of black cod into my mouth and in an instant a blinding flash of flavour renders me comatose.

Wonderfully fatty with a slightly buttery tone, the cod has been laid to rest in a sweet and salty miso marinade for at least two days judging by the intensity of the flavour, before being cooked. This incredible cod, this unassuming, quiet piece of fish, is the one of the rare highlights of my culinary existence.

Miserably thin, the asparagus as an accompaniment is not the best I've had, but in the shadow of its overachieving partner stands up reasonably well.

The USP of San Qi is that it indeeds provides a culinary visa to the most popular Asian countries, using only the most expensive meats and executed in a flawless manner in terms of taste and preparation.

Although the expansiveness of the menu appears to offer many styles of cuisine, San Qi cleverly stick to just four- Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Indian, and excel within the field of those four with a strategic menu and marketing.

The cuisine reeks of classy, intricate preparation, albeit with small serving sizes appropriate for the fashionable uber wealthy, who tend to nibble instead of dine. With no laurels as such to rest on in terms of an international name, the restaurant works hard to maintain a standard which is, well, pretty much flawless, if you can afford the price of perfection.

Ambience 9, Food 9.5 .

San Qi is located on the ground floor of the Four Seasons Hotel, 114, E Moses Road, Worli, Mumbai.

Photo credit: logopond.com