Eat Around the Corner - Bandra, Mumbai

There were so many ships in these coastal seas. It was a difficult time steering the helm lest I collide into one of them ruffians in the sea. With a few of me mates, we carefully studied the map and zeroed in on our destination. With some clever navigation, we managed to make it to an inlet sea lane which was empty. And soon enough we saw our destination around the corner.

Bandra is a region with so many eateries hidden in lanes that its just not possible to find all of them.
Eat Around the Corner is one of them. It brought to you by the same people who are behind Pizza by the Bay.  Far from the busy Linking road, nestled in little known lanes and opposite Theresa's School is Eat Around the Corner(EATC). True to its name, its a L shaped restaurant located around a corner.

EATC has a large outdoor area and a cafe sized indoor area. The Al Fresco is known to host colorful events from time to time. The Spanish Night Market, for example recently happened here. This gives the Cafe a special feel. The indoor area has an atypical architecture with mirrored pillars blocking view and making the cafe appear smaller than it actually is.

The ambiance feels spartan with additions of mirrors and lights. However the seating is quite cozy, which works very well for patrons. EATC boasts itself as a Cafe plus Bakery and lives to that role quite well.

With a vibrant display case of pastries, food and Italian delicacies - it does offer more than the standard Cafe-Bakery types like Moshe's or Theobroma. It also offers a lot of healthy food as part of its breakfast options.

Now to make a note - I was invited to EATC as part of an event with other food writers. We sampled some of their newest grub offerings.

I chose a Virgin Mojito to start out with. Surprisingly for a cafe, EATC seems to have a limited beverage menu. The drink looked great visually but its flavor was overpowered by mint. The saccharine flavor was atypical of a Mojito. It lacked the tangy-zesty flavor which is expected in a virgin Mojito.

Tapas Platter was served with Hummus, Greek Yoghurt, Baba Ghanoush and Taboulleh. Tapas is something that differs from place to place. EATC offers simple and true Tapas. This little appetizer is meant to be eaten with the supplied dips and olives to get the right flavor. Different palates prefer different dips. I found the Taboulleh and Baba Ghanoush to be a mismatch while the Tapas tasted great with the Hummus and Greek Yoghurt.

Veg Empanadas with Spinach and Feta cheese was served without the Feta so it was basically cooked Spinach wrapped with flour. The greenness of the Spinach was visible through the dumpling shell as well. Fair to say that it wasn't a hit with the crowd and it requires improvement.

Captain : I feel that Popeye would love these Empanadas. But I would have preferred the Feta.

Crewmate : I love Spinach. Its my favorite food after working out.

Captain : I love Feta, Its my favorite cheese eating out.

Grilled Cottage Cheese Cubano is a Cuban(Cubano is Spanish for Cuban) Sandwich using Baguette bread and stuffed with Bell peppers, Mayonnaise, Aubergine mashing, cottage cheese and caramelized onions. The taste was decent with the mashing and cottage cheese dominating the flavor.

Grilled chicken Cubano is the carnivore variant of the above. Cuban Sandwich is usually supposed to be filled with Glazed Ham, so I was a little skeptical at the start. But this was an acceptable imitation of the original minus the ham and plus the chicken. Thin slices of chicken breast were paired with cheese and caramelized onions. And was served with a Mayonnaise dressing and Olives. The grilling could have been a lot better as it felt very little and uneven.

Brown Rice Risotto with roasted Squash and Arugula was an authentic Risotto which got the flavors right. The brown rice added a rich texture and the Arugula topping went well. The Squash was a little lesser than expected but I didn't find an issue with that. Was plated splendidly and tasted well. It is quite a delight for the pure vegetarian.

Captain : Brown Arborio is a nice treat.

Crewmate : Tis be my first time wit it, Cappy.

Captain : You really need to see the world more.

Crewmate : But I have been with the crew ever since its first day.

Penne Alfredo with Broccoli and herb crusted Chicken was by far the best serving of the evening. It was a generous portion of tender chicken breast marinated with herbs and served with Penne Pasta mixed with Alfredo Sauce. There was also a slice of toasted Focaccia. The flavors of Oregano and Basil were prominent on the pasta with a hint of Thyme. For a Cafe type installation, this was a dish of good quality.

Captain : I love the Chicken. 

Crewmate : Y u no love Pasta?

Captain :  Oh, don't worry lad. I have already taken a nice serving of Pasta to go with the chicken.

Crewmate : Oh...hey where did all the grub go.

EATC's Churros is a different take on the classical Churros. These were extremely light with very little oiliness. Rather than being hard and crunchy, these were quite soft and chewy. It may not be the traditional Churro but the flavor was quite balanced and had permeated to the very core of each stick. The generous addition of Cinnamon sugar provided the right balance. This went well with the chocolate sauce provided. Apart from its great taste, it also had a gratifying aroma.

Since the meal was on the house, I cannot comment much on the prices. I just feel that the cafe can do much better by shaving its prices a bit.

The service is professional and polite. It's consistent with all MARS Hospitality installations. The servers know what they are talking about and can describe most of the dishes accurately.

Wrapping this up, I'll say that Eat Around the Corner is a great part of the Bandra food district. A place worthy of going again and again. And truly a gem for those living nearby. It offers good breakfasts and its events make it a fun place to be. However, it does need to iron out glitches so that it can achieve its full potential.

The Captain's Score : 7/10

"All Right lads, we will surely eat around the corner again. For now we have a long night ahead. With the winds and under the stars, its back to high seas for us."

Map Co-Ordinates
Eat Around The Corner
24th & 30th Road Junction,
Opposite St Theresa's School, Pali Hill, 
Bandra West, Mumbai
Phone :+91 9867072226

-I was invited to a Chef's Table event to sample some of their newest offerings. Thanks go to Chandni Tolani and Boomerang Media for inviting me.-

Pizza by the Bay - Churchgate, Mumbai

The sea roared as the night set in. My ship sailed along the coast and I was glued to me looking glass. I was spying the land for a good grub zone. Then suddenly me eye caught a famous place that I had never been to. I ordered the crew to dock in nearby. Pizza has always been tis' Captain's favorite and a Pizzeria is always an easy winner among choices. As the ship came to a halt, the delectable aroma of pizza was already calling me to it. Just like a siren, who calls on lovelorn sailors in the North.

It was a chance encounter of some sorts. I was in this part of town and just came out of a Jeffery Archer book signing session. While passing Marine Drive, I faced a lot of big name restaurants that I had always wanted to go to. And there stood Pizza by the Bay. It was dinner time and I had a craving for pizza. What better chance I exclaimed as I marched in.

Pizza by the Bay has a spectacular Al-Fresco which faces the sea and the busy marine drive road. It is quite a sight to see during breakfast and serves as a nice meeting place for friends and office folk. The indoors are equally impressive. Although small in size, it has a pleasant and simple appearance. When I write simple, I mean the comfortable kind of simple. One could close their eyes and relax with their drinks. The wall of jazz as I would like to put it is a wall with many pictures of Jazz Legends. If one is really imaginative, one could close their eyes and hear them playing. Which could also be a side effect of too much wine.

Due to the constant Hunger Pang sorties in my stomach, we wasted no time in placing the order.

Frittelle Di Formaggio Doppio is a delicious vegetarian starter that pleases both carnivores and herbivores. It uses two kinds of cheeses - Cottage Cheese and Cheddar. These are wrapped in bread crumbs and sprinkled with Mediterranean spices. The taste is addicting and one could easily get mesmerized into Cheeseland. These Cheese fritters are some of the finest that I have ever had. These are served with a generous amount of Fries. The item wins on both plating and taste.

Captain : Oi, save some fritters for me too.

Crew mate : But I just had one Captain.

Captain : How greedy of you lad !

Risotto Siciliana is an atypical Risotto which mystifies you with its appearance. Despite not being served with a typical disc like shape, this is the real deal. Thankfully, it is made with genuine Arborio Rice and not long grained Indian rice varieties. A real Risotto must always use Arborio. The smell and flavor both suggest a strong presence of Garlic. Its cooked with butter and cheese which gives it a smooth-slippery texture. The dish also contains plum tomatoes and eggplant. Overall, a strong flavored dish. This is available in three variants - The plain one for the vegetarian types, the chicken variant and the shrimp variant.

Captain : Now this is how a good rice meal should truly taste like.

Crewmate : Maybe we can ask the ship cook to make this sometime.

Captain : My ship has a cook ?!

Pizza Mista reminds me of a famous Chicago pizza chain by the same name. But forget the name, the pizza is an excellent meat craver's pizza. It has an appearance that is reminiscent of a temperate forest in autumn. The colors are vibrant. I haven't seen a pizza plated in a prettier manner than this. The pizza gives out a distinct aroma of Ham and bacon along with the spices used in it. It is loaded with Ham, Bacon and Salami shreds. To provide balance, it has just the right amount of olives, red and yellow bell peppers. Each bite is almost an otherworldly experience. With each bite you get the meat, cheese and olives in your mouth. Its perfect. Also to add, the pizza is not too oily.

Captain : Would you look at that? Islands of meat sit on a sea of cheese. And there are nice little bell pepper bridges connecting them.

Crewmate : That was profound and cheesy in the literal sense. Ever considered being a food writer?

Captain : Hmm.

Baked Citrus Cheesecake was a regular cheesecake coated with berry compote and served with some seasonal fruits and whip cream. Though satisfactory, I will say that I have had better cheesecake.

Surprisingly, Panna Cotta was missing from the menu but that is no biggie I guess.

The Service is one of the better features of Pizza by the Bay. They are professional, polite and diligent. They did not err even once. I rarely see service equal to this, let alone better.

The pricing could be on the higher side. Although, such is expected from an eatery on this side of town. The experience is completely worth it and the fact that the restaurant has done roaring business for ages is a testament to that.

If you are in Mumbai, then a trip to Pizza by the Way is a must. For the food and for the experience.

The Captain's Score : 9/10

"Back to the dark seas must we go to, on towards destinations unknown. We shalt be back someday but for now we must sail on."

Map Co-Ordinates
Pizza By the Bay

143, Soona Mahal, 

Marine Drive, 

Churchgate, Mumbai.

Phone:022 2284 3646 

-I dined and paid for my own meal-