Harry's Bar + Cafe - Andheri West, Mumbai

I sat bored in me bridge as the ship traveled through well known routes. The quartermaster suddenly barged in looking all zealous. His eyes suggested that he had seen something new. I quietly followed him out and he handed me my looking glass. I looked in the direction that he was pointing at and saw a tavern in the distance. Not just any tavern mind you but the famous Harry's which I last saw in my trips to the Straits of Malacca.

"This better be the real deal," I said as we steered our ship towards the closest dock.

Harry's Bar + Cafe is a well known brand in Singapore and has recently opened shop in India. When I first read this outlet's name, I erroneously read it as Harry's Fun Republic(Combining the name of the place its located in) but wow that actually worked to good effect. Friday Evening at Harry's was indeed fun.

The ambiance comes off as a classy uptown pub. Indeed, one forgets that they are down in the suburbs when they pass the door. The pub was already full of early evening comers. And thanks to an IPL match on the weekend, a good lot was noisy as well. Dim lit with golden lights, it felt quite cozy to settle in for some evening entertainment.

The pub feels very western and has everything one would expect from it. A DJ, a bar counter, a large screen playing the IPL and even a pool table at the end. Whether you are alone or chilling with your buddies, Harry's is definitely for a great choice for some grub-grog. As for me, I was part of a Food Bloggers Association of India meetup and had the honor of meeting some of Mumbai's finest food bloggers.

And the evening reached stellar heights with the presence of celebrated Chef Vicky Ratnani (Vicky Goes Veg fame) who joined our table.

                                                        This be the passport to Fun.

Moving on to Grog and Grub.

Harry's has a large number of beverages including a large selection of wines. There is also a large number of popular cocktails. But what a shame it would be if I don't try the house specialty - "The Singapore Sling".
Slingshot into divine oblivion with this sling. Made with a blend of Cointreau, Cherry Liqueur and pineapple juice - This is a mild cocktail that feels very tropical. 

Do note that the drinks were served with Marinated Olives and Feta in a jar. This item was mildly addicting but sadly the dim lighting and its color did not allow me to get a legible picture for the same.

Harry's serves quality finger food and expect vast diversity in that as well. We tried a lot of different things, so this will be one colorful post.
Our Evening started with Muchos Nachos Con Carne, which to be fair tasted well but had Indian influences. The balance of chicken, veggies and spices was good and the nachos weren't soggy.

Crispy Chilli Potatoes was one of the stars of the night. These were made with a mix of potato crisps wrapped in chilli and soy.  Tangy, addictive and full of flavor. No one can eat just one...plate. Goes well with any drink.

Captain : Tangy Matey! I could eat this all night.

Crewmate : Better leave some space for the rest of the grub Cappy.

Captain : I am quite sure that four plates of this wont hurt my appetite that much.

Sichuan Barbeque Chicken was charcoal grilled chicken loaded with spice. While the flavor was great, the extra addition of paprika flakes made it a tad bit too spicy for me.

Chimichurri Chicken is an Argentine Chicken dish which is made of grilled chicken. It is then wrapped with Chimichurri sauce. And finally rubbed with extra Coriander and Parsley. This was my first time with this exotic dish from across the oceans. It certainly had a flavor that I had never tasted before. It was aromatic and mystifying. The food universe is vast indeed.

Captain : How much do we know about Argentina lad?

Crewmate : Football and rough Hockey players.

Captain: Add Good grub to the list.

Spicy Chicken Supreme Satay is the ideal Satay as its meant to be. These Big lumpy tender chunks of meat on a skewer were thoroughly satisfying. Many mainstream restaurants in India serve flattened and leathery preparations in the name of Satay. It was pleasing to finally find a place which knows what Satay truly is. The sauces and spices were in the right amount.

Crewmate : Captain, where are the Satay sticks?

Captain : Here lad, I saved you one. 

Crewmate : That's mighty generous of you Cappy. What about the rest?

Crispy Chicken was a colorful dish with tender juicy chicken pieces. The color-taste diversity was aided with bell peppers, shallots, sprouts and chilli. The colors and flavors came in well resulting in a dish that was pleasing both to the eye and the tongue. 

The Fisherman's basket was an assortment of Calamari and prawns wrapped in a crispy batter. These crunchy snacks were served with Remoulade sauce. Again addicting and go well with the drinks.

Jamaican Spiced Jerk Chicken was another new for me. This was wrapped in Jerk spice which is usually hot and flavored with Thyme. The minty pleasant flavor of Thyme dominated the item. The chicken was tender and succulent. The plating was top notch as well.

Crewmate : I wonder if we will find this in the Caribbean?

Captain : Yes and because all sailors must mention the Caribbean at some point of their journey.

Paneer Fingers was a vegetarian take on the classic Fish fingers. This was a very ordinary item and was bland on its own. Thankfully, the provided dip helped provide taste.

Pattaya Beach Fish Goujons was a spicy and flavorsome preparation of Basa with garlic and Soy. Though the overuse of Basa in Mumbai eateries has been a troublesome thing for me, the Basa here was cooked to perfection and complimented well with the sauces. This is one of the few Basa preparations that I have come to love. It was so good that I would have been happy to have ONLY THIS all evening. Yes, that good.

Ratatouille stuffed mushroom caps - Long before the movie popularized the word, it always stood for Ratatouille Niçoise. It is one of the few vegetarian dishes found in the west and a popular French delicacy. Harry's converted it to a Finger food variant by stuffing the dish inside Mushroom caps. Although I doubt that it would be an exact replica of the French Delicacy, it was certainly a good dish and my vegetarian friends went through it like Pacman on power pills.

Captain : I don't like food, I love it.

Crewmate : Did you know that the word Ratatouille wasn't invented by that movie?

Captain : Of course not, the movie was based on a real life story right?

Tandoori Chicken and Thyme Sliders were a trio of Mini burgers in a big world. I felt that the flavors did not sync in properly with this one. The Thyme intruded with the flavor of Tandoori Chicken and the result was not a likeable one. Too many flavors killing each other.

Spicy Potato and Bean Sliders were a tad bit better than their chicken counterparts. The flavor reminded me of home cooked Sukhe Aloo. It even had cumin inside. As I am not too fond of Sukhe Aloo, the flavor did not please me much. However, my vegetarian friend on the other side of the table gobbled these up pretty fast.

Singaporean Chicken Lollipops were tasty and juicy morsels wrapped with Sichuan Garlic sauce,sprinkled with Lemongrass and enhanced with Galangal. These were some of the best Chicken lollipops that I have ever had. The meat easily came off the bone and there was quite a lot of it on each Lollipop. It had an appetizing aroma and a fulfilling taste. A self sustaining and wonderful combination. Carnivores absolutely must go for this.

Wasabi Cottage Cheese cubes or Wasabi Paneer was a savory preparation of Paneer, Spinach and Wasabi. While I did enjoy this dish, I felt that either the Wasabi was too less or absent since my taste buds found no trace of the typical Wasabi zing. It was more spinachy, if there is such a word.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls were visibly pleasing and transparent Spring rolls. However, the flavor of this item was too flat and it was quite soggy. It was perhaps the only dish that I found myself disliking completely in my Harry's experience.

Fondue Stuffed Mushroom was visibly similar to the Ratatouille. However, it had cheddar cheese stuffed in mushroom caps and was laced with spring onion sauce and paprika. The flavor was very ordinary for this one. It was lacking the zest that it was supposed to have and the flavor was largely overpowered by the sauces.

Although, Harry's does have quite a few mains. Its principal serving is the finger food and drinks. Nonetheless, our group decided to try Thai Green Curry.

The curry looked beautiful to the eye and it tasted equally well. This was the vegetarian variant and as a carnivore I found it pretty good. Sadly, I was full and could not relish it more but that's definitely a thing to do for my next Harry's trip.

The Dessert that marked the end of the grub session was the Drunken Volcano Cake. Harry's doesn't have a wide diversity in desserts so that is definitely a department they need to work on. However coming back to the Volcano, this was the real deal. It was served in flames literally. My picture does show a few flames but I missed the exact moment when it was aflame in a flamboyant style. A real cool dessert that was served in flames. Pardon me for the bad Oxymoron.



It had a sweet rich chocolaty flavor. And as is tradition with such desserts - one has to have the Cake, the choco lava within and the gelato in one bite. Only then shall the circle be complete and you will taste the real dessert. This Dessert was one of the most memorable food experiences that I have experienced.


Captain : If we sail around the Chocolate lava and through the caramel straits, we will end up at the Gelato mountain.

Crewmate : You just translated Navigation into food language. Are you well Captain?

Captain : And then we climb the mountain and reach the wafer straw peak.

Crewmate: Ah right, dessert high...again.

The service at Harry's was excellent and our server Dilip was balancing things pretty well. We did keep him busy between serving and explaining the dishes. The service appeared great at all other tables in a crowded pub.

Since this was a meal on the house, I really cannot comment on the pricing. However, I will go by the menu for objectivity's sake. The pricing tends to be slightly on the higher side but the food and the pub experience are worth the money. Harry's provided a great experience and it was leagues better than what I have experienced in many other pubs and lounges.

To sum it up, Harry's mostly had positives. The few negatives being the extreme loud music coupled with people cheering IPL becoming a bit of a conversation killer and the lack of a dessert diversity.

The Captain's Score : 9/10

"All right lads, the night is young and we are full. Set out sail and sing down the grog. Until next time."

Map Co-Ordinates
Harry's Bar + Cafe
1st Floor, Fun Republic,
Shah Industrial Estate, Andheri Lokhandwala, 
Andheri West, Mumbai.


-I was invited as part of a Food Bloggers Association of India Meetup-

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- 

Barbeque Nation - Marol, Mumbai

We were cruising towards a familiar region when the radio buzzed. The bloke on the other side frantically informed me that we were headin' in the wrong direction. Alarmed, I rushed out of the bridge and yelled at the lads to make a full reverse. It was a hot afternoon and the extra work made me crew hungrier. Passing unfamiliar islands and exploring a new sea is always fun but the hot weather sapped me crew's strength pretty fast. The crew cheered to no ends when the lookout spotted our destination. Docking at the nearby wharf, the landing party rushed towards our destination.

On a blazing hot day, the auto rickshaw that I was traveling in felt like a barbeque. This made me laugh at the co incidence and whinge at the hot weather. Both at the same time.

Today was my first trip to Barbeque nation, a well known restaurant chain that has been around for quite some time. Initially heading towards the Lokhandwala outlet my plans had to change midway and I instead head towards Times Square Mall(sounds cheesy Mr. Builder) at Marol. Surrounded by other big name restaurants like Pizza Express, BBQ Nation happens to be one of the jewels in the crown.

Barbeque nation has recently introduced Kulfi Nation which adds a Kulfi only station to its buffet. Unlimited Kebabs and Kulfi, who in all honesty could refuse such an offering?

"Yarr! that be me. A little sapped by the hot weather though."

Barbeque Nation is a casual dining restaurant that operates all across India and even some at foreign shores. The ambiance feels simple but yet cozy at the same time. It is cool, well maintained and inviting. The cushions on the chairs are a nice addition. The first thing that you notice when you sit down is a big square wooden lid at the center of the table. Beyond the lid likes an abyss which serves as an important placeholder for the restaurant's trademark object.

Crewmate : Captain, I got cut out of the picture.

Captain : Never mind lad there is always next time.

My Barbeque Nation experience began with a complimentary drink that's part of the buffet. This was a Mocktail and it resembled a margarita. In taste, it was much like a strawberry slush. Reminds me of the slush mountain reference that I once used in an earlier post.

Soon enough a charcoal grill was inserted into the abyss and several Kebab skewers were placed on it. The patrons can enjoy a genuine charcoal grill experience by rotating the skewers themselves. Its almost like doing the real thing in an open air barbeque grill. The kebabs are obviously cooked beforehand and the finishing touch is applied by the patron. Slowly rotate the skewers for a fine roast. Don't worry if things go south. The staff will ensure that your kebabs are perfect.

On the extreme right side of the picture is the Pepper Chicken with Rosemary Kebab. Smooth and tasty, this very much resembles one of my favorite kebabs - the Reshmi kebab. Its flavor is quite addicting and you can never have too much of it.

The saffron kebab in the center is Tandoori Fish Kebab. The menu is slightly erroneous on this one. It mentions Cod but its Basa. This is the best of the Barbeque trio. Atleast to me. Its tangy with spices leaping out with every bite. The Basa is well cooked deep within and the flavors sync properly.

And at the extreme left side is the Moqueca Shrimp. Google suggests Moqueca is a Brazilian style of preparation. Although the taste I felt was very much different from what Moqueca is described as, I enjoyed the shrimps just the same. It was savory with crunchy prawns marinated with spices and a dash of lemon.

Captain : Not only is this tasty, It feels like a genuine barbeque in the great outback.

Crewmate : Hey cool, I can move the skewers like foosball levers.

Captain : If ya play with yer food, I shalt share none with you.

Crewmate : But Cappy this is an unlimited buffet.

Mutton Seekh Kebab was not served as a part of the grill experience and I am thankful about it. Their cooking appears much more advanced to be left in the hands of a hungry and inexperienced patron. Never send a gourmand to do a chef's job as they say. These were juicy with flavor and had a pleasant aroma. I enjoyed these as much as the Tandoori Fish Kebabs.

Sultan Tangdi Kebab was a little bit of a damp squib. It was a drumstick kebab with alluring visuals but I found very less meat on the bone. It tasted well but its portion size affected the experience. Could easily be an one off incident since I did not give this a second chance. So I will not whinge over this.

Mexican Stick Kebab had a strange name. Did they mean steak? Surely that's not possible as its a kebab for vegetarians. This was a thin kebab which had a visual resemblance to potato cutlets. However, its flavor was far better. Slightly Tangy, marinated with spices and made out of potato and peas - This was a great all vegetarian Kebab.

Cajun Spice Potato Kebab was the best amongst the Vegetarian Kebabs. Marinated with tangy spices and loaded with Cajun seasonings and sauce, this Kebab had a mesmerizing effect. One could keep having this several times without even noticing. It didn't appear very good with its plating but the taste makes up for it.

Captain : This is addicting mate.

Crewmate :  I concur.

Captain : Another plate please !

Crewmate : I concur !


I would like to add at this point the fact that you can have unlimited Kebabs as part of the buffet. (Of course this is limited by the restaurants closing times). The restaurant is known for its Kebabs, so its not a sin to skip the main courses for even more Kebabs. But if you feel like you are finished then there is a nice little flag thingy on your table which you can push down to signal the servers to stop spoiling you with more Kebabs.

Moving on to the mains. Truth be said, I felt that their main course platter needs some work. And my bias with bones in main courses caused me to not go beyond tasting portions for the same.


I am not too worried about the mains being a little off. I came to Barbeque nation only for their Kebabs and Kulfis. However if the main dishes are supposed to be a part of the platter, then these need a fair amount of improvement.

The food train departed for the next station which was the Desserts area.

The Phirni(Left in bottom row) tasted nice. The earthen cup added a nice touch to the whole thing.

The Walnut brownie(Middle in bottom row) tasted very ordinary. Not much different from any other brownie that I have had. Was a bit dry due to the exposure to the atmosphere. Would have been nice if these were sealed in a thin plastic film.

The Fruit salad(Right in Bottom row) was an interesting add on for those who like it with food. As for me I gave it a skip.

Krastina Cup(Left in Top row) is a peculiar name. It was made of cream and strawberry flavoring. The cream tasted very similar to an eggless mousse like preparation. It was the best amongst this platter of desserts.

Apple Pie (Middle in Top Row) had an eggless crust so felt a bit dry. But the apple filling inside was to the mark and tasted good. Not the best Apple Pie that I have had but fairly decent.

Totadi Chickalato (Left in Top Row) is a funny and a strange name. It very much resembled the Torta de Chocolate which is Italian for Chocolate cake. It had a similar taste to classical chocolate pastries and cakes. Good for those with a chocolate craving after meals.

There were Ice Creams and Angoori Gulab Jamun as well. I gave these a skip since I have had these one too many times. Maybe I will try them next time.

All the desserts were made by an in house patissier and not sourced from outside.This is a rare practice as most restaurants often source western desserts from third party bakers.

Moving on to the final leg of my Barbeque Nation journey was the Kulfi Nation station. Long before the advent of ice cream in India, there was always Kulfi. Earlier a treat reserved only for royals and the most rich, Kulfi has come a long way and become a part of the common Indian's life. Creamier and denser than Ice cream, it is a desi dessert extraordinaire.

Barbeque Nation pays tribute to the eternal Indian frozen dessert by introducing a station specially dedicated to Premium Kulfi. Kebabs and Kulfis, that has got a nice ring to it. The station is usually manned by bandana wearing servers but my Kulfi was plated by Chef Aleem himself(The Executive chef of this Barbeque nation outlet).

Anjir(Fig) Kulfi with Caramel sauce and almond bits was the best Kulfi that I have ever had so far. I have had Fig Kulfi before but never with Caramel sauce. The flavors of both the fig and the Caramel blended in together like Romeo and Juliet or Laurel and Hardy. The combination made me both happy and sad at the same time. Happy because this was an absolute gem of a dessert. Sad because I never got to eat this before.

Captain : Long have I dreamed of riding a Kulfi boat across a river of caramel...

Crewmate : Uh oh the dessert songs.

Captain :  Passing islets of almonds,

Crewmate : High on dessert again? Its that good, huh Cappy?

Kesar Pista(Saffron Pistachio) with mango sauce and candied fruit bits. Had the timeless flavor of Kesar Pista Kulfi with a sweet ribbon of Mango sauce. The fruit bits added to both the flavor and plating of the same.

A mix-match of different flavors, toppings and sauces results in the total number of combinations being in the north of 800. This means that you could come here every single day for an entire year and yet never run out of something new in the Kulfi department. Since its a part of the buffet, you can have unlimited Kulfi. The only thing better than Kulfi is unlimited Kulfi. Loosen your belt and satisfy your sweet cravings.

I was full at this point and sadly could not indulge myself in more Kulfi.

The service is one of the finest that I have ever seen. Not just me but every other patron seated around me was receiving exemplary service. I have also read blogs/reviews from many others who have often praised the service here. They make you feel like aristocrats. They are disciplined, professional and pleasant.

Captain : Maybe I should recruit these restaurant lads as my crew.

Crewmate : Aww Cappy.

Captain : I jest lad, I jest.

The pricing is variable depending on the day of the week. Could be as high as 920 INR in the latter half of the week or as low as 700-800 INR (at time of this post) in the first two days of the week. I feel the prices are mediocre. Cannot really call it expensive since Kebabs do require a lot of effort in preparation and there is the added benefit of unlimited Kulfi.


To conclude, I will say that Barbeque Nation is a great experience. Come here for the Kebabs and the Kulfis. That is what they specialize at. Mains tend to fill you up faster leaving less room for the better stuff. However that being said, the mains do require work and diversity. This is the only place where Barbeque nation loses points.

The Captain's Score : 9/10

"Oi lads, you have had enough Kulfi. That's enough energy for a week. Time to traverse the oceans at twice the speed. All hands on deck, on the double. Until Next Time."

Map Co-Ordinates
Barbeque Nation
3, Ground Floor, Tower A, Time Square,
Andheri-Kurla Road,  
Marol, Mumbai

Phone: 022 60600000

-I was invited to review Barbeque nation and their newest fixture Kulfi Nation.-
-Additional Thanks go to Mr. Sarfaraz Shaikh and Chef Aleem Qureshi for their time and warm hospitality.-

Go Panda - Andheri West, Mumbai

Sailing in one of me favorite regions never gets old. The crew was upbeat as they always are when we sail towards a new restaurant. The name "Go Panda" suggested that food would be Chinese but eh, the world be full of surprises. Dropping anchor at a familiar spot, the landing party set out to walk towards our destination. There were many sights to be seen and we felt a little lost. But finally after seeking help from the natives, we arrived at our destination. The little food shack called "Go Panda" stood right in front of us.

Go Panda is a new takeaway plus self service style restaurant. They deliver food from Goregaon upto Bandra. The naming sounds like a play on Chinese stereotypes. However, the food makes the establishment much different from the archetype of a Chinese takeout place. As soon as you enter the place, you are greeted by a Panda on a skateboard with a food tray and a pair of chopsticks. Such balance would probably make Po the Kung Fu Panda envious but perhaps the mascot is a symbol of the restaurants diverse offerings.

Go Panda is not just another Chinese take out place. It prides itself as a Pan Asian restaurant offering a bit from places all over South East Asia. It also throws in a healthy dose of new fusion items which are Go Panda's greatest strength. Thus the Panda balancing many things together.

Go Panda doesn't really have a true indoor dining area. There are four seats available inside but these can hardly address the crowds at peak times. The true dine in area or dine out area is a small Al-Fresco outside the restaurant. It can seat about fifteen people. I did not face an insect problem here but I did face an animal problem. A pair of innocent looking dogs seem to have marked this area as their territory. And they often conduct sorties around the tables, sometimes brushing around your feet. While I love canines and don't mind the strays, this could certainly pose hygiene problems.

Moving on to the food.

I started with a Prawn Tom Kha Soup. This soup was a semi dense mixture of coconut milk, prawns and vegetables. On a strictly visual appearance, Go Panda's version lacked the bang. The vibrant colors typical of a Tom Kha soup were missing and a general absence of lemongrass could be felt. However, the taste seemed to work well. It was tasteful with a strong coconut flavor and a bit of a cheese chowder like flavor. The prawn pieces were ample and I found myself finishing this soup to the last drop. It may not be an exact replica of the real deal but worked well enough for me.

Asian Prawns nest with Sweet Chilli Drizzle is perhaps one of the longest names for a dish that I have come across. Visibly enticing with a golden appearance, this was one of the best dishes of the evening. The preparation consisted of soft marinated prawns wrapped with an egg batter. It was then sprinkled with greens and a thin sweet chilli sauce. It tasted great right off the bat. The batter and the sauce made a good combination and the prawn inside tasted well in sync. Its currently listed in their special menu but I feel that it should be a part of their main menu. It you love seafood, this is definitely an item to order. Quite addicting.

Captain : This looks very intricate.

Crewmate : And Tasty.

Sloppy Joe Sandwich is a popular snack in the USA. It usually consists of minced or finely ground meat served loosely in a hamburger bun. But Go Panda used minced Chicken with lots of cheese and some Asian seasonings in a long bread pair. It is one of their own creations and was definitely the highlight of the day. True to its name, it tends to be sloppy or messy while eating but oh boy was it a treat. Truthfully, it felt more western than Asian but I didn't care much about it. A trip to Go Panda should exist in a typical foodie's bucket list just for this sandwich.

Captain : I wonder why this be called a Sloppy Joe?

Crewmate : Captain you have got cheese all over yer mouth.

Captain : Ah, Thats why!

Indonesian Chicken Satay is a widespread item across most Asian food installations in India and is available even in food court kiosks. Go Panda's variant felt very mediocre in both taste and presentation. Suffering from the same issue as in most Indian restaurants, the Satay had a flattish appearance instead of a lumpy one. It was lacking moisture and felt very dry.

Named Phathimlai Chicken, this one made me curious. Billed as a Hong Kong specialty, it doesn't find any mention on a Google search(other than Go Panda hits). In taste terms, it resembled a classical Honey chicken with different vegetable additions. And in visuals it seemed to resemble Kung Pao. The meat was juicy with sweet flavor oozing out with every bite, yet it was not messy. The warmth also seemed to enhance the preparation's flavor.

Captain : Phati Malai? Torn Cottage Cheese?

Crewmate : No Cappy, its Phathimlai.

Captain : Yeah, isn't that what I just said?

Go Panda's Thai Chicken Spring Rolls had a very blistered appearance and tasted very ordinary. The crust felt quite stiff and all this despite being warm. The filling was supposed to have cheese within but my taste buds combed the vast expanse of the morsel to find none. The dipping sauce didn't help much either.
Needed some greens to complement the meat and seemed to be lacking the colorful depth that Thai Spring rolls usually have.

Vietnamese Chicken Sandwich (Sometimes Bánh mì in Vietnamese Expat communities) is quite popular around the world. Go Panda's variant wasn't spicy but had loads of cheese and smoked plus pulled Barbeque Chicken.  Felt juicy, addictive and flavorsome. However, some spices could be added as an improvement.

Asian Barbeque Fish was made of extra-tender Basa wrapped with a shroud of Barbeque sauce and topped with some greens. Truth be said, I think Basa was the wrong fish to use in a Barbeque. It feels too soft and gooey to be combined with BBQ sauce. The taste was very typical of Basa and BBQ sauce. The dish seemed to lack depth.

Captain : Is there no other fish in the sea but Basa?

Crewmate : I think it relates to the ease of procurement of...

Captain : Are you a sailor or a stockman?

Crewmate : Cappy, I am the ship's Stocksman, Remember? 

Grilled Chicken ham and Cheese sandwich was a regular meat sandwich which felt very western. The spice content was almost unnoticeable and it tasted no different than the several hundred Chicken Sandwiches that I have had elsewhere. It did however have a lot of cheese, some of it oozing out when it was served hot. There didn't seem to be anything Asian about this one but still qualifies as a decent sandwich from strictly food point of view.

Khow Suey was served in an Earthern pot which was the case for all mains. It goes with their theme of "Pot Meals". Go Panda's version does present itself as a commendable replica of the East Burmese Delicacy. Had a strong Coconut flavor owing to the Coconut milk present in the mix. I did feel that some portions of it were dry. Either there was too little gravy or far too much noodles. But amongst all of the coconut themed dishes that I had at Go Panda, this one takes the pot or err cake.

Next up was Pan Fried Fish in Mustard sauce and Rice. Finally a dish in which Basa resonated with the sauce. This dish used a super strong, pungent and a sweet Mustard sauce. The soft Basa literally dissolved in the Mustardy lava. Containing spice and rice, this dish was my favorite amongst the pot meals. Additionally, the earthenware seemed to enhance the aroma of this item.

Captain : Psst...Let me have this lad. The chef put in something that you wont like.

Crewmate : Are you stirring the pot Cappy?

Captain : Why would I do that? If I stir the pot, the stuff would fall out.

Finally the last amongst the Pot meals were the Malaysian Lamb and Chicken Kormas. This is the Lamb Korma(for which I opted) in the picture. Visually both appeared the same so I was content with the picture of the lamb variant. The Lamb variant had big chunks of meat in the curry. Although the flavor hadn't quite sunk to the very core of the meat, the dish tasted fine. It was served with steamed rice which provides necessary roughage.

I have heard of Chocolate Mousse with Salted Caramel before but I have never tried it. Go Panda  provided me the first experience of this rare to come across dessert. Combining Salty caramel with Chocolate mousse is like eating Almas Caviar soaked in a hundred year old wine. Or its like a tag team of Chuck Norris and Rajnikanth. Combining two of my favorite things into one fun combo. The delicious taste of rich mousse combined with the pleasant taste of Salted Caramel is indeed a blissful sensation. It didn't even bother me that the mousse was eggless which usually irks me. A good end to the evening.

Captain : When the sun sets and where the winds meet, there is an island of joy... 

Crewmate : You are singing, which could only mean.

Captain : Where the dreamers meet and raise their rum...

Crewmate : You got high on dessert again.

Go Panda scored a lot of hits and misses with me but it was a fun evening with fellow epicures. Its a mix bag of Pan Asian and Western food to be precise. And their strengths lie in their own creativity. The food quality lies somewhere in between a fine dine and a regular takeaway joint. However, Go Panda's affordable pricing certainly speaks strongly in its favor. One doesn't order or eat from fine dines regularly but everyone has their local joints where they often order food from. Go Panda is certainly a strong contender for your restaurant fast dial.

The Captain's Score : 7/10

"Time to leave the man made lights behind us lads. Lets head out under the stars and onto the seas."

Map Co-Ordinates
Go Panda
Shop 7, Grenville Building,
Andheri Lokhandwala, 
Andheri West, Mumbai
Phone 022 6555 5499
 
-I was invited to a foodie meetup by the Restaurant-