The Vegetarian Foodgasms

Hello one and all,
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Now this blog-spot is purely dedicated to all those hunger pangs and those wholesome desires to try every new restaurant you can feast your eyes on and of course, the third basic necessity of life- FOOD!!!!

Before I begin, I'd like to say that being a vegan, I can't review all the non-vegetarian delicacies  but keeping in mind that many of you out there are non-vegetarians, a brief suggestion from my friends are mentioned at the bottom of the reviews.

Being an Indian, as a very wise saying in my country goes (psst..we are very well known for our hospitality): "कुछ अछा काम करने से पहले  कुछ मीठा हो जाये " which means "Every new work should start off with an auspicious sweet beginning!" So I'll start off with my very first post on a sweet note with the review of a famous little bakery stop in the one of the most happening parts of suburbs in Mumbai - Merwans!

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For all those who really get winded up reading lengthy reviews, to cut a long story short -

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Now for those of you who are in no hurry, you may continue reading ahead:

Location: Merwans is a quaint little bakery stop, at a stone's throw distance from Andheri Railway Station west, on the SV Road, bang opposite the BSES hospital.
Still confused?? Just check the Map Location right at the end of the post.


Ambiance:
Now Merwans has 2 outlets, both a shop away from each other. The smaller one dedicated plainly for the Non-Vegetarian fare, while the larger one has the egg-less desserts on the first floor while the rest on the floor below, along with a special counter for all the savories (veg and non veg alike). In the larger one, there are small tables in one corner seating 4 each and the walls leading to the upper section are tastefully decorated with murals and some witty cartoons which are hilarious, while the smaller one is devoid of any seating arrangements.

Food:
Coming to the most important part about a review - the food.
Now Merwans is a legacy in itself. It's been here since ages, and trust me the quality has never wavered a bit. The price if nothing has gone up a rupee or two, but the quality, as amazing it can be.
Now as soon as you enter this place, you'll be greeted with the aroma of freshly baked pastries and rolls. The scent is enough to enchant you to have a couple of bites. "Job well begun is half done!"

Starting off with the desserts,

• The "Dutch Truffle": It is an absolute delight. There are very few places which can whip up such an amazing creamy truffle. Perfect softness, perfect taste of chocolate and just about everything a truffle is all about. The egg-less version is not as delightful as the non egg-less one, but way better than the most you'll find outside.

• Next up is the "Lemon Crackle" and the "Chocolate Crackle". Now this is one dish that is loved by amasses. A must-try!

• The "Caramel Custard Pastry" is a perfectly whipped creamy custard pastry with delightful morsels of caramels in between.

• Amongst the Exotic cakes here, the "Exotic Blueberry" wins hands down while the "Exotic Cranberry" is the one to freshen up your mood on a gloomy day. The "Orange Volcano Spill" is decent while the "Tiramisu" is as good as you can get.

• Perhaps the cheapest item on the block will be the "Chocolate Squares" currently worth Rs.10/- only, gulp a couple down and be happy to satiate your hunger and taste buds simultaneously.

Amongst the other things offered, you have the "Chocolate Roll" (delightful!), "Chocolate Club" (more or less similar), "Lemon Tarts" (MUST-HAVE!!) and the "Chocolate Eclairs" amongst many others available.

Coming to the savories, as I mentioned earlier, being a vegan I shall be reviewing only the vegan food available here.

• Amongst the must-tries, you SIMPLY NEED TO try their "Veg. Mini Pizza". A 10/10 dish and that too cheaper than a packet of big "Lays" and definitely without the air (:P). It's got the perfect spice and cheesiness that a standard pizza needs to have and the size is pretty decent for the Rs.15 it charges you for one.

• The "Pepper Mayo Roll" is something which will not leave your taste buds for hours at the least. This is one of their specialty and as they say "Good things are hard to find!", you should feel lucky if you get a chance to lay your hands on this particular dish. A fabulous one!

• Next up are the "Paneer Capsicum", "Palak Paneer" and the "Veg. Kolhapuri" rolls and ye nahi khaya toh kya khaya! These are splendidly tasty vegetables wrapped inside a soft roll bun and served hot enough to leave you tempted to try another.

• The "Manchurian Pattice" is splendid: crisp and with oodles of Manchurian perfectly placed inside the pattice while the "Paneer Pattice" is decent.

You also have a "Smoothies" counter and also the normal "Mawa cakes", "Chocolate Cookies" et al are also available. The Christmas period is perhaps the best time to visit Merwans as it is beautifully decorated with Xmas lights, an inflated Santa and the Xmas tree. The best part about Merwans is that you really don't need to spend a lot of cash to fill your empty stomach. Even with a minor budget of 200 INR, you can easily be satisfied gorging on their freshly baked dishes.

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To sum it up,
What's hot:  
#1-Mouth-watering pastries at unbelievable cheap prices and amazing quality. 
#2-Amazing rolls and pizzas which will keep haunting your taste buds till you visit this amazing place again.
What's not:
#1-Merwans being a very famous bakery in this area, you'll seldom find it empty, even if you do visit it in the afternoon. It takes some time for the counter staff to listen to your order but once they do, you'll be served with a warm smile and in case of the savories, microwaved and heated.
#2-For all those visiting this place for cakes that melt in you mouth, you shall be sorely disappointed. Merwans is famous for its creamy cakes and pastries, and is perhaps the best in Mumbai for the same. It's not that you may not find the former here, but they are few and the creamy cakes beat the former by miles.

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Recommendations:
Desserts- Dutch Truffle, Chocolate Crackle, Lemon Crackle, Chocolate Squares, Lemon Tart.
Savories-
(Veg) Mini Veg Pizza, Pepper Mayo Roll, Manchurian Pattice, Cheese Roll.
(Non-veg) Kabuli Chicken, Mushroom in white sauce, Tandoori Chicken, Garlic chicken, the Chicken Puffs.

Cheers to Happy Eating! Bon Appetit!