(This article first appeared online on 30th August 2023 in Mint Lounge, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/mumbai-ranwar-village-bandra-cafes-restaurants-111693320146083.html)
Showing posts with label FAST FOOD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FAST FOOD. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Thursday, February 2, 2023
The Food Dupes
(This article first appeared online on 2nd February 2023 in Mint Lounge, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/fries-topped-with-2-4-dithiapentane-anyone-111675329961526.html)
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Central Europe via North Mumbai
With a menu full of interesting Hungarian street food, this tiny Juhu eatery takes you on a vicarious culinary holiday straight to the food markets of Central Europe.
By Raul Dias
One of the last places we flew to just before the pandemic clipped out travel-happy wings was to the Hungarian capital of Budapest. And while this beautiful Central European city may be better known for its grand architecture and for the serpentine Danube that bisects it into the Buda and Pest sides, there is something to be said about the city’s food as well.
Redolent with copious amounts of the de facto national spice of smoky paprika, the goulashes that we indulged in were just as memorable as the spit-roasted kurtoshes and deep fried langos. Perfect snacks to munch on on a chilly winter's day. So, imagine our delight when we chanced upon Kurtosshhh, a tiny (and dare-we-say numerologically-savvy!) eatery in Juhu that claims to serve Hungarian street food. Albeit with a twist.
With barely enough room for a couple of people to sit at its wooden tables and chairs, with a cosy mezzanine level housing a single table, we realised that dining in at Kurtosshhh in these days may not be such a great idea. And so, we picked up a couple of dishes that came packed in regular aluminium foil containers and paper boxes.
The eponymous kurtosh that is the eatery’s flag bearing dish is a conical spit cake that’s also known multifariously as a chimney cake, a baumstriezl in Germany and a trdelnik in the Czech Republic. Generally served in its sweet avatar, all dusted with sugar and cinnamon, at Kurtosshhh you can also try a number of savoury iterations; ranging from grilled vegetables to cottage cheese filled ones. Out eight-inch tall chipotle chicken kurtosh (Rs.189) was composed of a buttery, blistered dough that we were told was made with a mixture of 18 secret flours. It held forth creamy, well-seasoned succulent bits of chicken with diced onions and peppers.
Served in individual rings and piping hot, the sweet cinnamon trdelnik (Rs.189) was decadently more-ish, all doused in chocolate and caramel sauce. We also tried the open-faced grilled cottage cheese kartoos kurtosh (Rs.229) that was quite different in taste and texture from its conical cousin. And while it may seem similar to a flatbread, the deep fried langos topped with molten cheese and olives, all dusted with smoky paprika (Rs.199) took us straight back to Budapest’s Central Food Market Hall where we had tried langos for the first time.
We decided to wash all this down with the thick and creamy safrany kulfi shake (Rs.169), served in the now-ubiquitous mini milk bottle. As a parting shot, we decided to succumb to a cliché and called for the chicken goulash rice bowl (Rs.249) which, though quite tasty and satisfying, fell a tad short in the authenticity department, missing that all-important paprika hit.
Well, I guess we'll just have to go back for a more genuine one—both to Kurtosshhh and yes, Hungary too!
AT: Kurtosshhh, Shop 12, Juhu Ruturaj CHS, Juhu Tara Road, Santacruz West.
DELIVERY: Swiggy and Zomato
TIME: 11 am to 11 pm
CALL: 9321055321
(An edited version of this review appeared in the 13th January 2021 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 16 https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai-guide/mumbai-food/article/hungary-tide-23155492)
Friday, August 14, 2020
Idli do good
With a menu full of yummy, highly affordable idli iterations and other South Indian snacks, this new, vegetarian takeaway joint makes for a fun ‘tiffin’ time!
By Raul Dias
If there is one quotidian tradition we sorely miss about our earlier work stint in Chennai, then that would have to be the yummy, twice-daily repast called ‘tiffin’ in the local parlance. A short, mid-morning and teatime snack that is punctuated by strong filter coffee (but, of course!) and a smorgasbord of scrumptious treats. Often highlighted by a mindboggling variety of our favourite South Indian snack—the idli.
While there is no dearth of Udupi restaurants in Mumbai that try their best to satiate those basic idli cravings, it is the sheer lack of more local and regional idli iterations like the Kanchipuram and thatte idli that gets to us. The newly opened, all-veg Idli Didli Doo seeks to remedy that. And it does so with aplomb, offering over a dozen versions of the steamed rice cake—some traditional and a few that cheekily defy convention.
The menu here is so extensive that we feel the need to try it out on two separate occasions. We pick up the first order ourselves from the tiny Shivaji Park outlet. While the other, we call in a few days later via a food delivery service provider.
We start off with the thatte idli (Rs 65) that is a fluffy, quarter plate sized single idli that, just like all the other idli varieties on offer, is accompanied by a delicious, drumstick- and brinjal-redolent sambar and two fresh-tasting chutneys (coconut and tomato-chilly). The mustard seed and curry leaf-speckled Kanchipuram idli and the red-tinted ragi idli (both, Rs 65 for two), are equally scrumptious.
The bite sized mini rasam idli (Rs 65 for five), with the thin, lemony rasam, putting an interesting spin on the dish is perfect for a particularly rainy day along with a steaming shot of filter coffee (Rs 15 for a half cup). Seeing the rarely-found-in-Mumbai paniyaram (Rs 80 for six) on the menu, we could not help ordering a portion of the ball-shaped dumplings, that are also known as paddu in Karnataka, and made from idli batter in a specially indented griddle pan. The neer moru (Rs 40) is a refreshing, South Indian take on traditional chaas and a cooling antidote to the fiery tomato-chilly chutney that we dunk our crisp medu vada (Rs 55) into.
Wanting to go a little ‘off-piste’, we try the rather wacky Italian idli fry (Rs 105) that sees chopped up bits of regular idli tossed in a hot pan with a squirt of olive oil and served with a sprinkling of herbs like oregano and shavings of cheese. Carrying the experimental leitmotif a bit further, we try the chocolate idli waffle (Rs 155) that almost tastes like a sour buttermilk waffle, thanks to the tangy idli batter it is made with.
We end our eating marathon with a ghee-enriched bowl of the utterly satisfying kesari (Rs 55) also known as sheera to us Mumbaikars. This one is all good things a sweet send-off should be—memorable and more-ish. Just like our twin ‘tiffin’ sessions have been.
AT: Idli Didli Doo, Devkunj Bldg., Shivaji Park, Dadar (W).
TIME: 8am to 9pm
CALL: 9372463949
(An edited version of this review appeared in the 14th August 2020 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 17 https://m.mid-day.com/articles/time-for-tiffin/22934215)
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
(Not So) High Pie!
With a menu full of yummy pizzas in a range of sizes more than making up for the uninspired service and lacklustre ambience, this new mid-town pizza place gets some of its basics right, never mind its rather misleading name.
By Raul Dias
Over the years we’ve come to realise that expectations can be dangerous things. Especially in this context, when pitted against one of the most interesting iterations of the humble pizza pie—the Chicago-style deep dish. That gooey 2-inch high creation crammed full of molten cheese and other scrumptious treats like good old pepperoni and spicy chicken sausage is made famous by iconic Chicago pizza places like Lou Malnati’s and Giordano’s.
Driving by Mahim’s main L.J. Road, seeing this new pizza place take shape over the last couple of months, we couldn’t wait to give it a try. Hoping fervently that we’d finally find the deep dish at Chicago Pizza. After all, it’s even named after it. We’re sad to report that we didn’t! There’s everything but the said deep dish pizza on their rather extensive menu.
Greeted by an empty restaurant and a deserted counter, we sat ourselves down on the uncomfortably low chairs, fronted by an even lower table. It would be almost ten minutes later that the restaurant’s staff finally emerges from their hibernation in the back kitchen and we are beckoned over to the counter to place our order in typical QSR style. All payments made upfront; we waited another half an hour to see some action on our table.
Choosing the large (14-inch) thin crust Italian pepperoni pizza (Rs 529) from a wide range of sizes that range from a single slice (Rs 189) to an extra-large (Rs 909 for an 18-inch) one proved to be a good decision. Bursting with the gooey umami goodness of cheese with the spicy hit of the pork pepperoni, we were in love with this pizza from the first bite. Equally scrumptious was the medium sized (9-inch) four cheese pizza (Rs 269) where one could taste the distinct flavours of the Monterrey, cheddar, gouda and mozzarella cheeses in this creamy, tomato-sauce bereft pizza.
Sadly, our trio of mocktails were rather disappointing. While the Indian spice soda (Rs 99) was anything by spicy, the virgin mojito (Rs 99) was a watery, over-sugared miss. Faring a tad better, though flat and minus the fizz, was our strawberry cooler (Rs 99).
While wishing the pizzaiolo (pizza chef) was a tad more generous with their light-handed sprinkling of mini chicken meatballs, we still loved the herby taste of the large chicken meatball pizza (Rs 399). Packed with the punch of robust Indian flavours, our medium sized rustic mushroom pizza (Rs 269) rounded off our pizza action for the day perfectly with its savoury goodness.
Choosing to go a little ‘off-piste’ in our final selection of savoury items, the Italian chicken pasta in a white sauce (Rs 259) was composed of perfectly al dente penne with BBQ chicken morsels, corn and jalapenos, giving both the dish and us a spicy send off!
AT: Chicago Pizza, 148-150 Kadriwadi, L.J. Road, Mahim West.
TIME: 10 am to 11.30 pm
CALL: 9833783615
(An edited version of this review appeared in the 24th February 2020 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 21 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/slice-of-goodness/22638243)
By Raul Dias
Over the years we’ve come to realise that expectations can be dangerous things. Especially in this context, when pitted against one of the most interesting iterations of the humble pizza pie—the Chicago-style deep dish. That gooey 2-inch high creation crammed full of molten cheese and other scrumptious treats like good old pepperoni and spicy chicken sausage is made famous by iconic Chicago pizza places like Lou Malnati’s and Giordano’s.
Driving by Mahim’s main L.J. Road, seeing this new pizza place take shape over the last couple of months, we couldn’t wait to give it a try. Hoping fervently that we’d finally find the deep dish at Chicago Pizza. After all, it’s even named after it. We’re sad to report that we didn’t! There’s everything but the said deep dish pizza on their rather extensive menu.
Greeted by an empty restaurant and a deserted counter, we sat ourselves down on the uncomfortably low chairs, fronted by an even lower table. It would be almost ten minutes later that the restaurant’s staff finally emerges from their hibernation in the back kitchen and we are beckoned over to the counter to place our order in typical QSR style. All payments made upfront; we waited another half an hour to see some action on our table.
Choosing the large (14-inch) thin crust Italian pepperoni pizza (Rs 529) from a wide range of sizes that range from a single slice (Rs 189) to an extra-large (Rs 909 for an 18-inch) one proved to be a good decision. Bursting with the gooey umami goodness of cheese with the spicy hit of the pork pepperoni, we were in love with this pizza from the first bite. Equally scrumptious was the medium sized (9-inch) four cheese pizza (Rs 269) where one could taste the distinct flavours of the Monterrey, cheddar, gouda and mozzarella cheeses in this creamy, tomato-sauce bereft pizza.
Sadly, our trio of mocktails were rather disappointing. While the Indian spice soda (Rs 99) was anything by spicy, the virgin mojito (Rs 99) was a watery, over-sugared miss. Faring a tad better, though flat and minus the fizz, was our strawberry cooler (Rs 99).
While wishing the pizzaiolo (pizza chef) was a tad more generous with their light-handed sprinkling of mini chicken meatballs, we still loved the herby taste of the large chicken meatball pizza (Rs 399). Packed with the punch of robust Indian flavours, our medium sized rustic mushroom pizza (Rs 269) rounded off our pizza action for the day perfectly with its savoury goodness.
Choosing to go a little ‘off-piste’ in our final selection of savoury items, the Italian chicken pasta in a white sauce (Rs 259) was composed of perfectly al dente penne with BBQ chicken morsels, corn and jalapenos, giving both the dish and us a spicy send off!
AT: Chicago Pizza, 148-150 Kadriwadi, L.J. Road, Mahim West.
TIME: 10 am to 11.30 pm
CALL: 9833783615
(An edited version of this review appeared in the 24th February 2020 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 21 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/slice-of-goodness/22638243)
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Short and Sweet
Exuding an easy, laid-back vibe with a menu featuring a few simple, yet delicious offerings, this tiny new Juhu café has a lot going for it.
By Raul Dias
We’ve always been firm believers that serendipitous discoveries are the best of their kind. And My Cafe, Juhu with its non-descript façade—further exacerbated by bare minimal signage—is just that kind of place. With no proper address or location available online, all we had to guide us to this brand-new café was a couple of pics taken by a colleague who’d chanced upon this charming, if a tad tiny, space a few days ago.
Cosily perched atop a dance studio and sitting cheek-by-jowl to a beauty salon in a bylane dominated by the iconic Prithvi Theatre and its equally famous and eponymous café, there’s a lot about this diminutive, three-table first-floor space that made us smile. Surrounded by potted plants and fairy lights, with comfortable bench-style seating, the almost-by-the-sea café is perfect for grabbing a late afternoon tea and snack.
Speaking of which, the menu here is a modest-sized one featuring a variety of short eats and mini meals along with a number of hot and cold beverages, including a range of teas and tisanes. Though they take a good half-an-hour post ordering to make an appearance at our table, our iced mocha (Rs 220) and fresh watermelon blossom mocktail (Rs 250) hit that sweet spot. While the former is imbued with the aroma and taste of freshly ground Arabica coffee beans with a swirl of chocolate sauce giving it some additional heft, the watermelon drink has a hint of tart cranberry that cuts through the melon’s sweetness perfectly.
Served with a small bowl of fried potato salli sticks, the duo of tomato-basil crostini (Rs 150) is generously portioned with meaty chunks of tomato and torn basil leaves. They taste scrumptious with the unexpected schmear of cream cheese applied to the toasted sourdough base in lieu of olive oil. Another open-faced preparation, i.e. the BBQ chicken subway sandwich (Rs 200) is the perfect blend of juicy morsels of roast chicken and onions, all enrobed in a tangy barbeque sauce sitting atop a huge focaccia bread slab.
Still peckish and craving something more substantial, we call for the recommended warm chicken burrito bowl (Rs 350). This turns out to be one of the best iterations of the Tex-Mex staple we’ve tried out in a very long time. With a toothsome base of plump red rice which is topped with loads of chicken, perfectly al dente kidney beans, yellow corn kernels and sweet bell peppers, all drizzled with a creamy cheese sauce, we know this one’s a winner with our very first bite.
Sadly, the over-spiced herbed baby potatoes with a yogurt dip (Rs 180) disappoint with the punishing, almost searing heat of fresh red chillies dominating every mouthful. Even the cooling hung curd dip does very little to calm things down. With just a single dessert of an outsourced (our server herself volunteered this information) chocolate brownie on the menu, coupled with the fact that it wasn’t even available that day, we decide to end things here a wee bit differently…with a spot of tea!
While we wish that we’d been served the milk on the side instead of it being premixed into the hot beverage, our final order of the fragrant and soothing lemongrass chai (Rs 120) is the perfect curtain call to an afternoon (and money!) well-spent.
AT: My Cafe, Jankidas House, 1st floor Janki Kutir, near Prithvi Theatre, Juhu.
TIME: 12 pm to 9 pm
CALL: 66756622/23
(An edited version of this review appeared in the 17th December 2019 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 22 https://m.mid-day.com/articles/short-and-sweet/22281162)
By Raul Dias
We’ve always been firm believers that serendipitous discoveries are the best of their kind. And My Cafe, Juhu with its non-descript façade—further exacerbated by bare minimal signage—is just that kind of place. With no proper address or location available online, all we had to guide us to this brand-new café was a couple of pics taken by a colleague who’d chanced upon this charming, if a tad tiny, space a few days ago.
Cosily perched atop a dance studio and sitting cheek-by-jowl to a beauty salon in a bylane dominated by the iconic Prithvi Theatre and its equally famous and eponymous café, there’s a lot about this diminutive, three-table first-floor space that made us smile. Surrounded by potted plants and fairy lights, with comfortable bench-style seating, the almost-by-the-sea café is perfect for grabbing a late afternoon tea and snack.
Speaking of which, the menu here is a modest-sized one featuring a variety of short eats and mini meals along with a number of hot and cold beverages, including a range of teas and tisanes. Though they take a good half-an-hour post ordering to make an appearance at our table, our iced mocha (Rs 220) and fresh watermelon blossom mocktail (Rs 250) hit that sweet spot. While the former is imbued with the aroma and taste of freshly ground Arabica coffee beans with a swirl of chocolate sauce giving it some additional heft, the watermelon drink has a hint of tart cranberry that cuts through the melon’s sweetness perfectly.
Served with a small bowl of fried potato salli sticks, the duo of tomato-basil crostini (Rs 150) is generously portioned with meaty chunks of tomato and torn basil leaves. They taste scrumptious with the unexpected schmear of cream cheese applied to the toasted sourdough base in lieu of olive oil. Another open-faced preparation, i.e. the BBQ chicken subway sandwich (Rs 200) is the perfect blend of juicy morsels of roast chicken and onions, all enrobed in a tangy barbeque sauce sitting atop a huge focaccia bread slab.
Still peckish and craving something more substantial, we call for the recommended warm chicken burrito bowl (Rs 350). This turns out to be one of the best iterations of the Tex-Mex staple we’ve tried out in a very long time. With a toothsome base of plump red rice which is topped with loads of chicken, perfectly al dente kidney beans, yellow corn kernels and sweet bell peppers, all drizzled with a creamy cheese sauce, we know this one’s a winner with our very first bite.
Sadly, the over-spiced herbed baby potatoes with a yogurt dip (Rs 180) disappoint with the punishing, almost searing heat of fresh red chillies dominating every mouthful. Even the cooling hung curd dip does very little to calm things down. With just a single dessert of an outsourced (our server herself volunteered this information) chocolate brownie on the menu, coupled with the fact that it wasn’t even available that day, we decide to end things here a wee bit differently…with a spot of tea!
While we wish that we’d been served the milk on the side instead of it being premixed into the hot beverage, our final order of the fragrant and soothing lemongrass chai (Rs 120) is the perfect curtain call to an afternoon (and money!) well-spent.
AT: My Cafe, Jankidas House, 1st floor Janki Kutir, near Prithvi Theatre, Juhu.
TIME: 12 pm to 9 pm
CALL: 66756622/23
(An edited version of this review appeared in the 17th December 2019 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 22 https://m.mid-day.com/articles/short-and-sweet/22281162)
Friday, November 29, 2019
Coffee and more…
Offering coffee aficionados a range of well-made bean to cup iterations of the beverage, this friendly neighbourhood coffee shop is great for those quick-fix, perk-me-up moments.
By Raul Dias
Sitting snugly sandwiched between a beauty salon and a grocery store on a restaurant-infested stretch like Bandra West’s busy 16th Road, it is very easy to miss Easy Cappuccino’s nondescript storefront at first. It’s only when one’s olfactory senses are treated to the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans, does this new coffee shop assert its presence.
Living up to the first part of its name, everything here is easy and relaxed. Mainly so thanks to its minimal, almost Scandi-chic interiors with plenty of blonde cedar wood and comfortable banquette style seating along one wall. Here one will find none of those in-your-face coffee shop décor tropes like sacks of coffee beans, quirky coffee quote posters etc. It makes up for this visual quietude with an intensely flavourful and robust coffee drinks’ selection of both the hot and cold varieties, along with a few food items.
We start off our inning here with a single shot of the punchy Americano (Rs 190) where the smoky roast of the Arabica bean is amply evident in every satisfying sip. We chase this with an Irish coffee (Rs 140) with a thick head of cream and imbued with the taste of (non-alcoholic) Irish Whiskey syrup. We also call for a frappuccino version of the Irish coffee (Rs 190) that is even better tasting in its cold avatar, coming to our table in a generously proportioned glass that’s filled to the brim with the blended drink.
Interestingly, none of this apparent generosity in portion size is reflected in the food items we sample. Though freshly made (we saw the counter staff whisking the batter) and scrumptious till the last crumb, the quartet of peanut butter topped pancake cassettes (Rs 100) are barely larger than a coin each and had us almost call for more. Restraining ourselves, we instead order a rather overpriced nasty Nutella (yes, that’s the name!) croissant (Rs 160), that’s once again woefully under-endowed, but buttery and soft to the taste. Bursting with the freshness of basil that complements the woodiness of the mushrooms perfectly, our only savoury order of the six-inch basil and mushroom pizza (Rs 195) makes for messy satisfaction.
Back to our afternoon’s raison d’etre i.e. coffee, the cappuccino (Rs 110)—that we request to be made with almond milk (Rs 70 extra)—is another winner with the barista managing to give it a thick foamy head, despite the presence of the notoriously-difficult-to-froth almond milk. We end our caffeine-dominated session with one of Easy Cappuccino’s non-coffee blended drinks in the form of a Jim Jam cheesecake biscuit shake (Rs 190) that takes us back down nostalgia lane when our school tiffin boxes would almost always have the jam-centered biscuits in them.
If like us, well-priced, honest-to-goodness coffee is your scene, then we’d suggest giving this place a whirl soon!
AT: Easy Cappuccino, Shop No. 6, Shiv Asthan Housing Society Ltd., 16th Road, Bandra West.
TIME: 7 am to 9 pm
CALL: 8657393549
By Raul Dias
Sitting snugly sandwiched between a beauty salon and a grocery store on a restaurant-infested stretch like Bandra West’s busy 16th Road, it is very easy to miss Easy Cappuccino’s nondescript storefront at first. It’s only when one’s olfactory senses are treated to the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans, does this new coffee shop assert its presence.
Living up to the first part of its name, everything here is easy and relaxed. Mainly so thanks to its minimal, almost Scandi-chic interiors with plenty of blonde cedar wood and comfortable banquette style seating along one wall. Here one will find none of those in-your-face coffee shop décor tropes like sacks of coffee beans, quirky coffee quote posters etc. It makes up for this visual quietude with an intensely flavourful and robust coffee drinks’ selection of both the hot and cold varieties, along with a few food items.
We start off our inning here with a single shot of the punchy Americano (Rs 190) where the smoky roast of the Arabica bean is amply evident in every satisfying sip. We chase this with an Irish coffee (Rs 140) with a thick head of cream and imbued with the taste of (non-alcoholic) Irish Whiskey syrup. We also call for a frappuccino version of the Irish coffee (Rs 190) that is even better tasting in its cold avatar, coming to our table in a generously proportioned glass that’s filled to the brim with the blended drink.
Interestingly, none of this apparent generosity in portion size is reflected in the food items we sample. Though freshly made (we saw the counter staff whisking the batter) and scrumptious till the last crumb, the quartet of peanut butter topped pancake cassettes (Rs 100) are barely larger than a coin each and had us almost call for more. Restraining ourselves, we instead order a rather overpriced nasty Nutella (yes, that’s the name!) croissant (Rs 160), that’s once again woefully under-endowed, but buttery and soft to the taste. Bursting with the freshness of basil that complements the woodiness of the mushrooms perfectly, our only savoury order of the six-inch basil and mushroom pizza (Rs 195) makes for messy satisfaction.
Back to our afternoon’s raison d’etre i.e. coffee, the cappuccino (Rs 110)—that we request to be made with almond milk (Rs 70 extra)—is another winner with the barista managing to give it a thick foamy head, despite the presence of the notoriously-difficult-to-froth almond milk. We end our caffeine-dominated session with one of Easy Cappuccino’s non-coffee blended drinks in the form of a Jim Jam cheesecake biscuit shake (Rs 190) that takes us back down nostalgia lane when our school tiffin boxes would almost always have the jam-centered biscuits in them.
If like us, well-priced, honest-to-goodness coffee is your scene, then we’d suggest giving this place a whirl soon!
AT: Easy Cappuccino, Shop No. 6, Shiv Asthan Housing Society Ltd., 16th Road, Bandra West.
TIME: 7 am to 9 pm
CALL: 8657393549
(An edited version of this review appeared in the 29th November 2019 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 25 https://m.mid-day.com/articles/full-of-beans/22178185)
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Flour Power!
While it may not be anything to look at with its uninspired décor and simple appearance, this cozy new Bandra café offers up a menu with some simple fast food staples done right
By Raul Dias
In a dynamic ‘culinaryscape’ like that of Mumbai’s—one that’s constantly being populated by shiny new cafés, each trying to outdo the other in terms of spiffy décor and all exuding a cool, hipster-chic vibe—we very rarely come across those that go against the grain. Speaking of grain, La Farina (which means ‘wheat grain flour’ in Italian) is one such brand new café that reinforces the adage of “never judge a book by its cover” with all its might.
Occupying the same space along Bandra West’s meandering Waroda Road in Ranwar Village that once housed a branch of the very popular Kakori House, this tiny, rather bland-looking café proves that it truly is (and should be!) all about the food. Ignoring the only other ‘company’ we have that afternoon that take the form of a swarm of pesky flies, we settle down at one the al fresco café’s tomato red tables and call for a range of fast food perennials from the rather small and concise menu.
Tough it does take a while to prepare, the La Farina special (Rs 385 for a 12 inch) is a well-priced, delicious pizza. We go for the thin crust regular flour one that comes heaped with a trio of chicken sausage, shrimp and juicy roasted chicken morsels—all enrobed by a light tomato sauce and topped with gooey mozzarella cheese.
The mild mozzarella once again shows up in the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich (Rs 195) that’s served with fries that are sadly of the frozen, store-bought variety and not homemade as we’d have liked. But this does not take away from the fresh burst of flavour the tomato slices and basil leaves lend to the sandwich that is in reality a fresh Caprese salad between two grilled slices of bread.
Served with an interesting range of Middle Eastern torshi-style of pickle made from radish, bell peppers and carrots, the generously stuffed chicken salami sandwich (Rs 205) is worth its weight in gold. A yummy sum of its crisp lettuce, crusty garlic croutons and grilled chicken parts, the Caesar salad with chicken (Rs 225) is another winner.
We wash it all down with a dense vegan shake (Rs 120) made with the nutty-tasting soy milk, with a slight hint of coffee flavour peeking through at the end of each sip. Perfectly straightforward, our cappuccino (Rs 100) comes to the table with a thick foamy top and does its job of perking up our lazy Sunday afternoon well.
While we were first told that their blender was out of order, and hence no blended frozen drinks were available that day, our attentive server made sure to quickly inform us when the kitchen snafu was finally sorted out, that he was ready to serve us our first choice of the crunchy frappe (Rs 130). A tall glass of just-the-right-sweet chocolate milk blended with ice and Oreo biscuits and topped with a whipped cream crown, our frappe is worth the initial stress of uncertainty.
We bookend our afternoon fast food session with another one of La Farina’s thin crust pizzas—the al funghi (Rs 320 for a 12 inch). However, this one disappoints as we miss the generosity in both the sparsely scattered mushroom slices and the barely-there sprinkling of mozzarella cheese we had earlier enjoyed heaps of in the pizza’s non-vegetarian counterpart.
But with a whole lot more hits than misses, our preference scales are clearly tipped in favour of this tiny café that’s big on promise.
AT: La Farina Cafe, 5 Dunhill Apartments, A-Wing, 26 Waroda Road, Bandra West.
TIME: 11 am to 11 pm
CALL: 8070661144, 8070661155
(An edited version of this review appeared in the 20th November 2019 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 21 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/flour-power/22119188)
By Raul Dias
In a dynamic ‘culinaryscape’ like that of Mumbai’s—one that’s constantly being populated by shiny new cafés, each trying to outdo the other in terms of spiffy décor and all exuding a cool, hipster-chic vibe—we very rarely come across those that go against the grain. Speaking of grain, La Farina (which means ‘wheat grain flour’ in Italian) is one such brand new café that reinforces the adage of “never judge a book by its cover” with all its might.
Occupying the same space along Bandra West’s meandering Waroda Road in Ranwar Village that once housed a branch of the very popular Kakori House, this tiny, rather bland-looking café proves that it truly is (and should be!) all about the food. Ignoring the only other ‘company’ we have that afternoon that take the form of a swarm of pesky flies, we settle down at one the al fresco café’s tomato red tables and call for a range of fast food perennials from the rather small and concise menu.
Tough it does take a while to prepare, the La Farina special (Rs 385 for a 12 inch) is a well-priced, delicious pizza. We go for the thin crust regular flour one that comes heaped with a trio of chicken sausage, shrimp and juicy roasted chicken morsels—all enrobed by a light tomato sauce and topped with gooey mozzarella cheese.
The mild mozzarella once again shows up in the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich (Rs 195) that’s served with fries that are sadly of the frozen, store-bought variety and not homemade as we’d have liked. But this does not take away from the fresh burst of flavour the tomato slices and basil leaves lend to the sandwich that is in reality a fresh Caprese salad between two grilled slices of bread.
Served with an interesting range of Middle Eastern torshi-style of pickle made from radish, bell peppers and carrots, the generously stuffed chicken salami sandwich (Rs 205) is worth its weight in gold. A yummy sum of its crisp lettuce, crusty garlic croutons and grilled chicken parts, the Caesar salad with chicken (Rs 225) is another winner.
We wash it all down with a dense vegan shake (Rs 120) made with the nutty-tasting soy milk, with a slight hint of coffee flavour peeking through at the end of each sip. Perfectly straightforward, our cappuccino (Rs 100) comes to the table with a thick foamy top and does its job of perking up our lazy Sunday afternoon well.
While we were first told that their blender was out of order, and hence no blended frozen drinks were available that day, our attentive server made sure to quickly inform us when the kitchen snafu was finally sorted out, that he was ready to serve us our first choice of the crunchy frappe (Rs 130). A tall glass of just-the-right-sweet chocolate milk blended with ice and Oreo biscuits and topped with a whipped cream crown, our frappe is worth the initial stress of uncertainty.
We bookend our afternoon fast food session with another one of La Farina’s thin crust pizzas—the al funghi (Rs 320 for a 12 inch). However, this one disappoints as we miss the generosity in both the sparsely scattered mushroom slices and the barely-there sprinkling of mozzarella cheese we had earlier enjoyed heaps of in the pizza’s non-vegetarian counterpart.
But with a whole lot more hits than misses, our preference scales are clearly tipped in favour of this tiny café that’s big on promise.
AT: La Farina Cafe, 5 Dunhill Apartments, A-Wing, 26 Waroda Road, Bandra West.
TIME: 11 am to 11 pm
CALL: 8070661144, 8070661155
(An edited version of this review appeared in the 20th November 2019 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 21 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/flour-power/22119188)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)