The Basha Cuisine, Overland Park, Kansas

Photo shows: Mixed Grill Platter

(Grilled Kefta, Gyro Beef, Grilled Chicken Skewers Shish Tawook, served with garlic, tahini, and hot sauce on the side).

I just love Mediterranean food. I think it is so similar to our North Indian food. When I am at a Mediterranean restaurant I know just what to order. Their Pita bread is very similar to the Tandoori roti we have in India. Also their Baba Ghanouj is very similar to our Baigan ka Bharta. Plus, I am a big fan of Kababs and they always have such delicious Keftas. Even the Tzatziki reminds me of our cucumber raita! The food is very much like what I would cook at home – fresh with seasonal vegetables, healthy fats (olive oil), yogurt and salads, herbs and condiments. 

It just so happens that due to my love of Mediterranean food, whenever we decide to eat out, I always try to look for a Mediterranean restaurant. It wasn’t one of our dates nights though but a moving day when we discovered Basha! We moved to our new townhome and decided to treat ourselves with something delicious. I am so glad we discovered this little restaurant because the food there is really good.

I love their Hummus. If you have never tried hummus before make sure you do next time. It is chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and served with pita. I do wish they would toast the pita a bit more so if you like yours toasty let them know.

This is Chicken Shawerma Plate:

Shawerma is marinated grilled white chicken meat. It is shredded and served with garlic sauce. This is a dinner plate and served with rice, hummus, salad and pita bread. I just love the spice mix sprinkled on the hummus and rice. Now I don't know what all spices they mix in it, but that is super tasty. 

So go to Basha for fresh and delicious food. The place is decorated simply but in good taste. Keep in mind that the business is locally owned so if you want something or expect something, let them know so that they can help you out.

If you are exploring Kansas City, why not explore these options as well:

• A Romantic Weekend at Cedar Crest Lodge (Kansas)
• ABC CAFE (Chinese joint), Overland Park, Kansas
• André's Confiserie Suisse, Kansas City (MO)

André's Confiserie Suisse, Kansas City (MO)

For my birthday brunch this year, Debarshi took me to a new place - André's. This is a Swiss confectionery and you guessed it right, this place is loaded with varieties of delicious chocolates! They not only look pretty but taste amazing as well. Here you will be able to enjoy premium chocolates which will make you feel you are actually in Europe. The flavors are strong and rich and they are so fresh and tender that they melt in your mouth within seconds.

If you love chocolates, then this is a chocolate paradise for you. You can also find gift boxes for special occasions. 

The best part is, they have a Tea Room where you can sit and relax and enjoy delicious chocolates and sweets. 

Well, we went for brunch and it was pretty packed at that time. Mind you, we are not early risers whatever the occasion. So I was really surprised to see all that crowd so late in the day. Just goes to show that when food is delicious people prefer to wait rather than go some place else. Thankfully we didn’t have to wait for long and were soon seated. 

As I have told you before, both Debarshi and I love going to places with a unique character. This whole place is decorated with Swiss flags which I read somewhere represents the 26 member states of the Swiss Confederation. They also have many beautiful paintings which make the place quite unique. 

For lunch they had a pre fixe menu which simply means that instead of serving a variety of items like most restaurants, the chefs decide one or two dishes as special meals of the day. This helps them to present their specialty dishes at an affordable price. So you will have a choice of two entrées at a fixed price with drinks and dessert included. 

We were greeted by an elderly gentleman who was our waiter. He welcomed us and explained about the pre fixe menu of that day. We had a choice of Beef Brisket with Polenta or Croute Zurichoise (toasted French bread topped with tomato, melted cheese & mushroom sauce) as entrées. Coffee and Iced tea were included in the menu with unlimited refills. Within minutes we were served coffee with bread and a sweet cream butter. 

Personally I love this whole idea of pre fixe menu. By limiting your choices to a few dishes the chefs get more time to create and present every dish with equal attention. Plus, we get to spend a lot of time with our loved ones which otherwise is spend in deciding what to eat. Service is fast and efficient and everyone knows what they are doing and exactly how much time it will take for the order to be ready. 

Photo shows our entrées. Needless to say the food was as good as it looks. Very different flavors and so fresh! And do not get disappointed by their portion sizes they do fill you up! 

Once we finished eating, the waiter came back to us with a number of choices for the dessert. I selected a Rum Ball which is basically yellow cake soaked in rum. It is then mixed together with rum butter crème and rolled in chocolate decorates. Delicious!

Debarshi selected a piece of Chocolate Raspberry cake which has layers of chocolate cake with raspberry jam and chocolate butter cream. It’s a piece of absolute heaven!

We enjoyed every bite and the experience was wonderful. Once our brunch was over the waiter brought our check with little pieces of chocolate mints. It was a “Wow more chocolate!” moment for me.

Can you guess how much we paid for all this? Well it was my birthday brunch so obviously Debarshi didn’t tell me the amount but I later checked it on their website and it states: 

Lunch Price is $16.52 +1.73tax = $18.25

So, if you are in the mood for a special lunch or want to indulge in chocolates or a different cuisine, André's is the place for you. As for us, I think it is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. 

Recommended Reading:

• ~*~ Vegas Trip: Bacchanal Buffet ~*~
• Restaurant Review: Rumi’s Kitchen, Atlanta (Georgia)
• Amelie’s - French Bakery and Café, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Cafe Du Monde and New Orleans
• A Special Day!

~*~ Vegas Trip: Bacchanal Buffet ~*~

Hey Foodies!

I am back from our Vegas trip and I have loads of travel and food information for you. I have already started sharing my reviews on Google of all those beautiful places we visited during our trip and I am going to start our delicious Vegas food journey with Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace. This buffet features 500 dishes and although it is really expensive, going there is worth every penny. Why? Let me tell you:


I think for the amount of money we paid for this buffet it passes all the benchmarks I look for - Quality, Quantity and Price. Try to look for a Group-on coupon and if you are in Vegas or planning to go, don’t miss this buffet. This is not just food it’s an amazing experience. Each and every item was top notch almost as if we were ordering food from specialty restaurants and not in a buffet. 

I had loads of items but my favorites are: Raspberry Mousse, Tiramisu and Passion Fruit Pastry. 

I also had filled Croissants and Sushi and you will also get all those expensive varieties of Cheese Plate items here at the buffet! So don’t be shy and try whatever you feel like. I think this is a very good place to try new items especially Seafood where they have everything so fresh. I had Crab (for the first time) with Shrimp and believe me it was really good!

The Chinese section had all the usual delicious dishes starting with Hot and Sour soup to General Tso's Chicken to Dumplings but I would suggest you not to fill yourself on too much noodles and rice. Try the juices and smoothies, they are amazing! Specially the Watermelon and Honey Gazpacho. Then we had some Bread with Clam Chowder and Waffles with Fried Chicken. The best part is, almost everything is available in small portions so that helps you to try different dishes.

I also tried the Egg Benedict but didn’t like it. Couldn’t try the Taco section because you can imagine we were so full by that time! but if you like Ham and Bacon then pair it with the Potato Salad topped with Cranberry Sauce. 

We loved going to this buffet and this is going on our 'Must Go-to places' for our next Vegas trip.

Recommended Reading:

• André's Confiserie Suisse, Kansas City (MO)
• Restaurant Review: Rumi’s Kitchen, Atlanta (Georgia)
• Amelie’s - French Bakery and Café, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Cafe Du Monde and New Orleans