The Runaway Project by PizzaExpress - Lower Parel, Mumbai.

There was this one episode in a satirical TV show where central characters manage to get into a fancy uptown restaurant only to be disappointed by the overly expensive minuscule portions of tasteless food.

Runaway project which tries to bankroll on the "goodwill" of its parent concern PizzaExpress is a real world example of that satire.

Located in the noisy second floor of the new Skyzone wing in the Phoenix mall complex, this restaurant has a classy lounge like ambiance where any notion of classiness fades away due to the deafening loud music that they play. Apparently, there is a competition going on between Runaway, Soda Bottle openerwala and Chili's where each tries to outdo the other by raising their volumes. The scene is worse than a foul mouthed politician's rally.

My small group decided to order two pizzas and an appetizer. Let me tell you that the pricing here is unforgiving. It is more expensive than the likes of Indigo and the food is neither good in quality nor quantity. I sometimes wonder if they are just extracting the prime location's expensive rent from the customers.

Here is what we ate : 

Cigar Club - Described rather fancily in the menu as Filo cigars of cottage cheese and marinated roasted peppers, spiced mayonnaise and balsamic glaze.

I wonder if they got a PR professional or a Food Blogger to write this fancy piece of falsehood.
The Spiced mayonnaise and Balsamic glaze were nothing but a few droplets sprinkled randomly in the ugly presentation above. Cottage Cheese translates to paneer here so its rather a cheap Paneer pastry snack that you can buy in most local street bakeries in Mumbai. The taste was dry and it required a dip like accompaniment which seemed to be missing. And I'd rather not call these six small pieces of puff pastry as cigars. Not to mention if your are paying INR 475 plus taxes for this - you expect a satisfactory portion size and a little bit of effort into making it look appetizing.

Hawaiian Pizza -  The Pineapple on pizza trope might trigger some pizza enthusiasts but fear not, they replaced actual pineapple with Pineapple paste(chutney). This pizza which is priced at an unforgiving INR 625 plus taxes, was smaller than the smallest of pizzas offered by most pizza exclusive places. It was rather unsatisfying to say the least. The menu strangely doesn't even mention the carpet bombing of Basil. The basil leaves completely ruin the flavor profile of this pizza. It seemed like a last minute addition by an inexperienced but over enthusiastic chef.

Giardiniera Pizza - Recommended by the server for the vegetarians in the group, this was a visually displeasing and overdone pizza (Burns on the crust). Needless to say that it was too less even for one person  - let alone be split by two people. The only thing big about this pizza was its name, one wonders if it was actually suggested by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.

This was definitely not worth the INR 625 we spent on it.

As the grub was far from satisfying or filling - we ended up going to Chili's next door to fill ourselves up. While there are similar expensive places around the city - the portion sizes there at least fill one up. Indigo has gone down in quality over the years but its pizzas at least feel satisfying, the same can be said for the pizzas at a place like Pizza by the bay.

The Runaway Project only appears to work on fancy nomenclature and paid promotions via "prominent"(but misleading) social media personalities. The ambiance is killed by the overly loud music, the pricing is bad and the food fails on all fronts.

Would I recommend Runaway Project to anyone? No. 
I'd have to say at this point - if you want a drink  - go to any bar themed restaurant in Phoenix. If you want a pizza go to Indigo or Francesco. If you want good mains - Go to Smokehouse or Delhi Heights.


The Captain's Score : 4/10

Map Co-Ordinates
S-1, Second floor, Skyzone,
Phoenix Mill Compound, S.B. Marg,
Lower Parel, Mumbai

The Irish House - Lower Parel, Mumbai.

Anyone who has been to an actual Irish pub in Ireland can tell you that The Irish House is a good emulation of the real thing. The dim lit ambiance, the wood and brick themes, wooden bar in the middle, wooden furniture, the posters and plaques all make the ambiance very typical of a Western Irish Pub. The place makes a good watering hole whenever one feels like taking a few pegs down. So I was at The Irish House for lunch. Lunch? Yes you read that right.

The Irish House, Lower Parel is a neat Irish Pub. It emulates the real thing in every way imaginable, even has the famous smoking ban that hit Irish pubs in Ireland a decade ago. The place can get quite crowded at dinner times. The dim lit ambiance is the perfect place to be part of the crowd yet be seen by no one. In the afternoon however, it feels like a dusty western Tavern but that also is a fun feel in its own way.

For INR 325+Taxes, a three course meal is quite a good offer. This makes the food cheaper than fast food chains. The quality also being far more superior than fast food places. Though, I was peeved with the lack of a dessert option and very limited drinking options. Being The Irish House, I was sure they could have designed in a larger choice for drinks.

I tried the Beer add on option. I am not really a beer guy (Don't hurt me Beer lovers pweese) but a light beverage does feel refreshing in the noon. I would have definitely preferred a Mojito or something virgin over this.

Chicken Involtini can best be explained as the Italian version of the French Roulade or vice versa. Thin slices of meat were wrapped around a vegetable stuffing. This was struck with the same problem as most Roulades in Mumbai. The meat was slightly overdone and a bit chewy. This main was drizzled with flavorful Pomodoro sauce and served with some herbed rice.

I also chose Garlic bread as my side and Chicken Popcorn as my appetizer. Strangely, all three were served together. It is understandable as they want the lunch done quickly but still I am not fond of eating two courses together. The main and the side together were normal but the appetizer should have been served earlier. This bit needs to be worked out. The chicken popcorn or softcore chicken nuggets were delicious. The Garlic bread tasted as it does anywhere else.

These messy Smokey BBQ chicken sliders were included amongst the appetizers but they seemed to me as the best item on the lunch menu. The Irish House is well known for its Burgers and these little burgers were as messy as big whoppers, delicious and had juicy patties.

Since I dropped by at late afternoon on a weekday, the restaurant was almost empty and I had the entire service to myself. So it would be difficult for me to comment on the service. As far as their serving etiquette goes, I do think they were professional.

The pricing seems all right to me. Though autograt could be avoided. Seems like a good option for a quick lunch with good quality food.

To wrap this up, a lunch option by a pub seems like a move to diversify and target non popular time zones as most pubs are empty during daytime. The limited options may feel troublesome but they ensure effective logistics and quick meals especially when lunch time is limited on an office day.

The execution could have been slightly better but overall it is a better choice and money well spent. The food is far better as opposed to eating a McD or a burger King meal.


The Captain's Score : 7/10

Map Co-Ordinates
The Irish House,
High Street Phoenix,
Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel,
Mumbai


-I was invited to sample the grub by the restaurant but my review is objective and free from bias.-

California Pizza Kitchen - Lower Parel, Mumbai

It was evening as me and the lads sailed near the coasts. There were no arguments today and no mystery over where we would grab grub at. This place was me ol' favorite and the lads loved it too. The entire crew had unanimously voted Pizza for dinner. As the sun set in the horizon and the sky was painted with mellow orange hues, the appearance of seagulls signaled the approaching coast. We anchored neared a cliff and a rather large landing party headed out. Landing party or shall I call it a Pizza Party.

After the Earth and the iris of a shiny eyed lady, a pizza is perhaps the most beautiful circular object I can think of. I love pizza places, parlors, restaurants and whatever pizza installations one can think of. And at the time of writing of this post, California Pizza Kitchen(CPK) is my favorite Pizza place in India by far. I have been here only a few times so I cannot call myself a regular just yet but I don't see why I won't mind being a regular.

The restaurant has a lovely ambiance which seems to combine themes from an Italiano Pizzeria and an Americano Californian Pizza parlor. It radiates a comforting vibrance. The bricked appearance looks amazing at night under lights. There are two visible halves to the restaurant and the first half appears brighter as opposed to half near the windows which appears dim.

Depending on how you like your setting during dinner, you can choose your favorite half. A pizza party, a family celebration or a friend's night out works better in the first half. A romantic date is better suited in the second half.

The goods are baked in a wood fired oven just like traditional pizza. There is a remarkable difference between Microwaved pizzas and Wood oven pizzas. While microwaves are more efficient and uniform with heating, the wood oven imparts a certain imperfection that actually makes the pizza more flavorsome and traditional. Sometimes, traditional methods provide the flavor that is often lost by technological advances.

All pizzas are made on a thin base which is slimmer than the doughy monstrosities you find at mass market pizza outlets and thicker than wafer thin bases which makes one wonder if this was pizza at all. CPK makes Gourmet pizzas which employ a mix of Californian cuisine and New York style pizzas. The results are absolutely addicting and superior pizzas.

Meat Cravers Pizza was the first pizza that I tried at CPK. Loaded with Salami, Pepperoni, Canadian Bacon, Italian Sausages and Capicola ham - This is one pizza that will always be a safe bet for a carnivore. The texture is reddish due to the meat and the veg content is understandably low. Each bite fills the mouth with natural saltiness and savory resulting from different kinds of meat. The added Mediterranean spices play a bit of magic as well.

Captain : Now this is how I like me pizzas. All meaty and no greens to spoil the show. 

First mate : Great to hear it mate, now if you dont mind - Stop hogging it all alone.

Captain : Can't let yer old Captain have one extra slice?

First Mate : You can't push me around like your other mates, buddy.

Barbecue Chicken is one of my favorite pizzas and CPKs version is perhaps one of the best variant that I have had. Gouda and Red onions form the first layer as BBQ sauce and chicken form the dominant flavor. The Bacon add-on takes the flavor to the next level. The only thing that has no need in this pizza is the addition of the aesthetic greens. This pizza is salty and reminiscent of the classical pizza experience.

Deli Style Bistro Pizza was perhaps overdone with the addition of Arugula(Rocket) leaves. A meaty pizza should not look like this. After I pizzaformed the green landscape, the pizza looked more authentic and meaty. I also had to manually transfer the Bocconcini cheese to the pizza layer below. Its a tiring but a rewarding task.

This pizza was loaded with Italian sausage, Capicola ham and bacon. The base had been painted a bit with pesto but the flavor of pesto was mostly drowned in the meaty goodness of the pie. The spice mix used here was different than the one used in the Meat Cravers and I positively found the taste of this pie far superior than that of the meat cravers. Just that the greens can initially come off as some kind of a cultural shock.

Captain : The pizza was almost like digging a treasure out of the Green monstrosities.

Engineer : Aww I quite like the rocket leaves Captain. :)

Captain : I spared the leaves on one slice just for you lass ^_^

First mate : Get a room you two.

Alfredo Pizza - Despite having a lot of vegetarian options on the menu, CPK may not be ideal place for the vegetarian pizza lover. But this pizza does come close to being "suitable". Its a simple construction with a herbed base and an addition of scallions, bell peppers, olives, tomatoes.

The flavor however comes majorly from the artistic spray of the creamy Alfredo sauce. This is the only part that irks me. One ingredient should never speak for the entire dish. Because that makes me ponder whether I truly liked the pizza or was it just the Alfredo sauce.

If one gets tired of pizzas, there are always other options.

Tomato Basil Spaghettini is a mixture of Spaghetti garnished in Parmesan, Italian tomato puree, Basil, garlic and spices. It has a rough appearance due to the addition of Parmesan and spices but the flavor is quite strong and it has a tangy savory flavor to it. The portion size however may feel a bit scroogey.

Roasted Enchiladas are one of the best options for the vegetarian patron. The plating is amazing and the rolls wear a non traditional flattened appearance. These are even added with an artistic drizzle of cream sauce and come with a portion of fries. The mashing within is made of potatoes, spices, tomatoes and cheese. The flavor is quite tantalizing even for a meat eating palate and the portion size is quite generous.

White Chocolate and Strawberry cheesecake is a pleasing preparation for most. However, I must make note that this item has been changed from it used to be. Earlier it was a true baked cream cheesecake with the traditional flavor of cheesecake. As of now the flavor is dominated by white chocolate chips and I can't help but feel that the flavor feels close to an eggless cheesecake with perhaps something else used instead of Cream cheese. At INR 475, I would rather find more authentic options elsewhere.

Captain : This is delicious.

Crewmate : Somehow, I don't believe that cappy. 

Captain : Hmm, how can you tell ?

Crewmate : I have my ways ;)

The service at this CPK outlet is excellent. The staff is pleasant, attentive and professional. This is a welcome change from their Malad outlet where the service could be majorly problematic. (I will cover that experience some other day)

The pricing is on the higher side and resembles a fine dine. But the pizzas are mostly worth it. I have not found a cheaper place which can offer me a similar experience.

To wrap this up, I'll shall only say that I will keep visiting this place many more times in the future. The pizzas are too good.

The Captain's Score : 9/10e

"I see that you lads look filled and lively. After all, Pizza is God's own food. Now with your renewed vigor, its time to head out and tame the wild seas again."

Map Co-Ordinates
California Pizza Kitchen

1st Floor, Skyzone, 

High Street Phoenix,

Lower Parel, Mumbai

 -I walked in anonymously and paid for my own meals. This post is based off several experiences.-