ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Phone: +91 8657521337, +91 8657521336
Address: Ground Floor, Inorbit Mall, Sector 30A, Opposite Vashi Station, Vashi, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:30 AM
Meals for two: Rs. 700
Cuisines: Desserts, Ice Cream, Fast Food, Beverages, Pizza
Facilities: Home Delivery, Vegetarian Only, Indoor Seating, Kid Friendly, Desserts and Bakes, Catering Available, Self Service, Serves Jain Food
I don’t have a sweet tooth. I have sweet teeth! I’m a dessertaholic, a chocoholic and not an anonymous one at that. Six months ago, when I was in Ahmedabad, Huber & Holly made all my sweet dreams come true. I had been invited to address an Ahmedabad chamber of commerce, and after my talk, I met a charming friend and very distant relative who used to own an ice cream brand. I hadn’t met him for over 20, or is it 30 years? He took me to Huber & Holly owned and run by his dynamo daughter-in-law Gayatri Chona. It pandered to the child in me, and served many a sophisticated adult flavor, too.
I had no idea H&H had opened in Mumbai. Two months ago, on an exploratory trip to Vashi with a foodie friend along with Rani Sharma and Yash Kolhatkar, we walked into H&H in the bustling Inorbit Mall. Thankfully, we were not recognized and we ate our way through the menu. Paid the full bill. At a neighboring table, Pooja Patil, Janmejay Deshmukh, Pramod and Reshma Chavan pointed out that H&H made their birthday celebration very bespoke and they loved it here.
A completely objective unbiased review follows.
Huber & Holly, Vashi, Navi Mumbai: Decor
Cheerful, bright and well lit ambiance. Brilliantly balanced between being too childish and too intimidating. Kid friendly interactive DIY counters. H&H’s cheery red and white colors pop everywhere.
Huber & Holly, Vashi, Navi Mumbai: Food
Truffle oil lovers are in for a treat. Ask for the thin crust pizza topped with intense heady shiitake mushroom and truffle oil. The ‘Truffle Oh Dome’, an innovative ice cream pastry in a sphere, is a must try. A good choice of thin crust pizzas (Margherita passes the acid test). Ask for the Avocado Sandwich and the Chatpata Cheesy Jalapeno Nachos, wash down with creamy thick Tornado Shakes (all fudged up).
Feeling extravagant? Go for the luxurious signature ‘Mighty Midas’ (see picture). Oozing and billowing over with more than 20 or more sinfully delicious ingredients, velvety, molten, custardy, crisp, crunchy… all transcendent. And, it’s crowned with 24k gold leaf. Priced at Rs.1000, it’s enough for the three of us. But heres what takes the cake — first time ever, the ice cream is being freshly churned. Continuously. The result? Indescribably velvety luxurious texture. No preservatives, no artificial colors. Even the finicky purist will be thrilled. Flavors? Toppings? The list is long. It runs the whole spectrum from the very adult charcoal lychee (awesome implosion of fruity smokiness) to vanilla. Mix and match your flavors and toppings. It’s all about DIY. The ice cream cakes and pastries sound like fun, but are serious and accomplished concoctions in myriad flavors and delicious, too.
Minus Points:
In the Ahmedabad H&H, the foot-long fries were crunchy, warm, comforting hugs, some drizzled with truffle oil, others with parmesan cheese. Though they were not available on the menu in Mumbai. Small Mumbai kitchens leading to smokiness, we were told. Gloopy Mac n cheese. Overdone pasta. Some of the ice cream flavors are too exotic like mango yuzu burrata, avocado chocolate, etc.
My Point:
Huber & Holly are fictional characters who obviously love ice cream and desserts. They pander to the child in you (bubble gum and cotton candy) as well as the adult (charcoal lychee, Truffle Oh Dome, ice cream cakes et al) and to your tycoon streak (Mighty Midas). Well travelled gourmet and masters in nutrition from the UK, Gayatri Chona, ensures that it’s not just a unique dessert haven but an open all day cafe, offering pizza, nachos and sandwiches, too. H&H’s USP is the first time ever, freshly churning ice cream with no preservatives and no artificial flavors. Kudos! It’s branched out in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune. H&H is sure living up to its motto of ‘making the world a happier place, one scoop at a time’.
