Villa Vandre - Bandra, Mumbai

Tis' was a hot day. The heat was creating many a mirages over the warm seas. The crew was exhausted and I was lying on the deck with me arms stretched out. A small eatery was spotted in the distance and we decided to try the place out. Upon reaching our destination, I was shocked to see a long line but I had no choice. If I wanted to have grub, I had to wait. The grub better be worth the wait in the heat was my loudest thought at tat moment.

Villa Vandre is the new cool kid in town. Seeing dozens of tweets and positive reviews relating to the place made me band along with my buddies to the place.

But before I start, let me bore you with a little anecdote-
Many years ago, I used to see commercials regarding the Singapore aquarium in which they would show the large colorful tunnel under the water. So when I went there, I grandly expected something as large as a road or rail tunnel under water. It turned out to be several scales smaller being a tube only a few feet higher than my head. The moral of this story was that things often appear larger than life in pictures.

Back to present times, Villa Vandre turned out to be a lot smaller than I had expected. It's true that I was told that this was a small outlet but this was tinier than anything I had ever imagined. As a result of its large buzz, small size and over expecting clientele in several dozens - it was only natural that a lot of patrons would be waiting to get a turn. Since Villa Vandre does not do reservations, one has to wait. In my group's case, it was in the scorching heat of the Noon in India's Summer. I could literally find my appetite evaporating in the heat but all of this would be forgotten if the grub was good.

Smaller than a cafe and much smaller than a Villa, this establishment has an open kitchen and is equipped to seat only fourteen people. It feels a bit tight even for the fourteen people as you may find yourself pushed really close to the person on the other side of the table, especially if you choose to sit on the two seaters on the right side. I am no fan of small places with too many people. A bit of claustrophobia perhaps. The result of the arrangement is uncomfortable leg space with feet clashing often with the person on the other side of the table. Expect a few rubs with the serving staff as well.

The place has very well done interior decorations, faux windows and cutlery hanging on the walls. But the compact nature offsets it.

Captain : Your feet are touching mine lad, move away.

Crewmate : Captain, my feet are hugging the legs of my chair. Its your feet that are extended.

The service for the most part is stellar as one of the owners himself mans the eatery with another server. He comes off as a refined gentleman.

Homemade East Indian Sausage Fry was a great looking dish. The appearance of excessive oil was a little annoying but I usually disregard fat and oil in Sausage based dishes. The fat adds to the flavor. Till this point it was fine however upon tasting I found the item to be overly salty. I found myself unable to go beyond two bites. The salt was so strong that even a sip of water felt sweet after that. I have no idea what went wrong here but I am pretty sure that nothing is supposed to be this salty.

Pan Grilled Ham and Cheese sandwich looked accurate in the visuals. Using a milk bread variation, this sandwich was decent and had a very homemade flavor to it. Although there was an unwanted sourness near the edges, I think for the most part I was all right with this. Wont say it was good since the sourness was a bother but the sandwich was the best of the things that I tried here.

Greek Chicken. One could make a mistake once, have a bad day once but surely things could go right the third time. This dish looked splendid in presentation. However, it had a lot of problems with the ingredients billed and the final product. For starters, rosemary was either forgotten or added in a very minimal quantity. The potato wedges looked and tasted plain to me as opposed to the "Rosemary potatoes" on the menu.

Greek Chicken is supposed to be a fine balance of sour, salty and savory. The lemon juice should ideally be one to two table spoons in this quantity of chicken. However, Villa Vandre's variant had too much Lemon concentrate at the bottom making the flavor tart instead of mildly sour. That apart, the spices and the oregano were not properly marinated to the chicken. As a result the bulk of the spices had concentrated in the dish center leaving the outer pieces devoid of flavor. And the mixture of the spices was quite strange. It tasted less Greek and more Indian with the flavor resembling the chaat masala.

The last straw with this dish was the "feta salad". The salad served with Greek chicken usually has fresh lettuce, cherry tomatoes, Olives, Cucumbers and sometimes other vegetables. But all I got were two scruffy and tattered lettuce leaves without any Feta. It didn't even look edible. I immediately asked the server about the whereabouts of the promised Feta and he took the lettuce away and returned quickly with some small bits of Feta added from the top. This barely made a difference. The feta was supposed to be mixed in a proper salad mixture and in generous amounts. Adding small bits of feta onto a pair of old lettuce leaves does not make a feta salad. As a result, I sadly set the salad aside ignoring it for the rest of the meal.

Captain : Potato without Rosemary, Chicken without Greek, And Feta Salad without salad and feta. What in the world is this?

Crewmate : A weird wonder of the sea?

Captain : More like a monstrosity.

The food experience did not make up for the almost hour long wait in the hot and humid Mumbai noon. The pricing feels a little bit on the higher side for the portion sizes served. Combined with the wait and the clustered ambiance, it actually feels harsh.

To conclude, I will only say that the place has a lot of work cut out for it to match the buzz that it has generated. While I appreciate the service and am willing to overlook the horrible wait, I really expect the food and experience to be worth the money.

The Captain's Score : 6/10

"Well lads, atleast we can man the ship and find a more grubworthy place. Full speed ahead."

Map Co-Ordinates
Ville Vandre

Shop 3, May Flower,

New Kantwadi Road, Pali Hill,

Bandra West, Mumbai. 

Phone : 022 65279009

-I ate along with a bunch of friends and paid for my own meal. -

Tonic - Mahalaxmi, Mumbai

The seas were as dark as they could be. The only sounds that accompanied me crew's chatter were of the waves crashing on the hull. Sometimes, in darkness its easy to see a speck of light in the distance. Mystified we steered towards the light. We hoped that it was not the sea playing tricks on our eyes. As we closed in towards the light, a cool breeze blew over the warm seas. Soon enough, it was easy to see what the light was. It was a small island with a tavern and a restaurant on it. This Captain has seen many islands but this be the best kind.

Tonic is a new place with a very relaxed ambiance. This place earlier belonged to Auriga which has now reworked itself and become two places instead of one. Two places at the price of one. Who would say no?
The clubby pub Tonic sits at the bottom while the restobar Auriga floats at the top.

On the day of my visit, it had a red dark lounge theme to it. However, they often change the color of the lights making the ambiance quiet dynamic. It could be red today, blue tomorrow and green on yet another day. Its often like entering a different place every time. Although the appearance appears clustered, there is a large amount of space between the bar counter and tables. I feel that this may serve well for people who want to dance to the beats.

The steel cages with lights, hanging from the ceilings are the most attracting objects. While this peculiar decoration has no explanation for its presence. It does however stoke a sense of enigma. One could imagine lights rising in a dark club like fireflies and then they are trapped in a cage. Almost like the scene from Life of Pi with glowy thingies in the dark sea.

The seats are made of nice studded leather although the lack of backs could be an issue for long sitting patrons.

The immediate exterior of the establishment has a nice outdoor clubbing zone. There is also a screen and I am told that there will be 3D projection mapping over here in the not so distant future. For those who are unaware of what that is, its projecting images on flat and irregular surfaces with specially designed visuals and thus creating an illusion of depth. Think of it as 3D without the glasses.

Its time to drink the tonic and power up to the next level. And thus I sampled some of Tonic's in house specials. They use a novel concept of Batli(Bottle), Barni(Jar) and Balti(Bucket) while serving the drinks. Batli serves to cater a few people. Barni is moving up on the scale and if you really feel like going on a merry night with a large party, go with the Balti. But for me its more like Beginner, Expert and Advanced levels in a Video game. If you know what I mean.

The Mad Scientist(Maniacal laugh Ha ha ha- Sorry had to do that) will make you feel like an unappreciated intellectual on the breakthrough of something that will change the world - for better or worse who knows? Mixed with Kiwi juice and primarily Vodka, this is a drink with enough zing and zang to get your night started on a high. Its color is aesthetically pleasing as well.

Captain : I feel like finishing my long due Frankenpirate project.

Crewmate : But you never started an artificial life project Cappy.

Captain : Or finishing my copy of R2D2.

Vanilla Sky had to be the best drink of the evening for me. Its coloring was provided by Blue Curacao. It had a light amount of Vodka and a lot of Vanilla Ice cream. The appearance rather than the pleasant blue skies resembled more of the stormy green skies. I liked the color nonetheless and its sweet alcopop like composition well meant for those with low alcohol tolerance. The taste was dominated by Vanilla and Curacao Liqueur.

Captain : This be like the stormy skies from the far southern seas.

Crewmate : That sky and weather troubled us a fair bit Captain. We almost reached Davey Jone's Locker.

Captain : Now its time to avenge all of that by drinking it all. 

Spiritual Healing serves as a savior in a world of dark trance where people's faces haze out and strange hypnotic music fills your ears. Ok scratch that, in simpler terms it makes you embrace the dark side. When you are one with the beguiling hypnotica, everything is crystal clear. This is made with whiskey and dominantly flavored with apple juice. It blends in the tang of apple and the bang of whiskey. The resultant is a spiritually soothing and a comforting drink.

Jolly Good Fellow's picture serves to show you what a barni (jar) is. It can easily pour out 5-6 drinks. Sadly for me, it didnt quite make the mark. While the bitterness of the vodka was addressed by the watermelon, the pineapple juice felt like a mismatch giving it an overly sweet fruity taste. Reminds me of the old bachon ki drink advert made during cola wars.

Pomegranate Martini like its name was a light hearted cocktail. It felt very easy, sweet and yet alcoholic. It was made with Pomegranate flavoring and Vodkatini as base. Though not particularly fond of it, I did find it quite intriguing.

The best part about Tonic was that it served quality grub. One oft finds standard finger food which is average in quality and taste in many of Mumbai's lounges. Chef Ameya appears well experienced and a man who knows what he is doing. Well his food certainly spoke well for him. The drinks were fantastic but the best part was the food.

Mushroom Crostini was the first appetizer to make it to the table. The difference between Bruschetta and Crostini is sadly not understood by many places which often make Crostini as extended versions of Bruschetta. The thin bread slices serve as a good little plates and one can eat the delicious mushroom toppings covered with cheese. The flavor was perfect, the plating was perfect, it was like scoring a goal in the very first minute of play.

Sweet Potato Fritters with Wasabi Mayo. Another interesting all vegetarian appetizer. Made with sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, it scored a great balance of flavors. Its breading gave it crunchiness, spices gave it a great savory flavor and the inherent sweetness of the potatoes created a myriad of tantalizing flavors. The mayo wasabi and black sesame on each piece literally crowned these with a sense of ultimate completion. If you are vegetarian, fear not and order this right away. So much taste in such a little morsel, its almost illegal.

Captain :  These pockets taste great.

Crewmate : Thats fine Cappy, but could you please not stuff them in your trouser pockets and leave some for me too?

Tie me up is an interesting name for a dish. Though honestly it resembled "Untangle me up" more. Its inherent flavor was a bit bland. Thankfully the chilly garlic sauce bridged this gap but as a stand alone it scored poorly.

Vegetable Gyoza Dumplings is an interesting take on the classical Japanese snack. Though, it matched the visual appearance of the real thing, its flavor felt like a mismatch. It felt a bit mustardy in flavor and a bit unpalatable. I found myself unable to go beyond the first dumpling.

 Just when I thought that this evening will be full of grassy food, the meaty grub started rolling in. First in was Thai Spiced chicken which was made of juicy chicken pieces flavored with ginger and garlic. The final dish was then wrapped in chilli sauce. The dish was tasty but I felt that it had a wee bit of abnormal sweetness.

Soya ginger Fish thankfully used a different fish than Basa. This was made out of Rawas. It was then tossed with scallion, ginger paste and a bit of soya. The taste was very savory and the fish was tender and juicy.

Popcorn Chicken is relatively common nowdays. But Tonic's version is several times superior than the conveyer belt grade popcorn chicken you have at KFCs. To be honest it was more of a lollipopcorn chicken with its presentation but hey it worked quite well. Not only did the texture look great, the flavor was perfect and the spices rubbed on the surface blended in well. It went great with the Wasabi mayonnaise dip provided. I found myself going through several of these in a short time. It was quite an addicting snack.

Captain : I love this lollipopcorn chicken.

Crewmate : Lollipopcorn Chicken! That sounds like a nice name.

Captain : Oh it may become popular someday.

Crewmate : How is that possible? Unless someone heard our conversation.

Prawns and Calamari Crostini resembled little tarts made of seafood and Cheese. Although, it had more calamari than prawns, the flavor seemed well in sync. The item was cheesy, crunchy, salty and savory. The Baguette base added to the crunchy taste. Each bite, was flavorful and an absolute delight.

Cracker Jacker Prawns were jumbo whole prawns marinated in brown garlic and ginger. It had an addition of Barbecue sauce and was finally wrapped in a batter giving it a complex and mystifying texture. Each bite was full of crunch with rarely cooked prawns at the center. An interesting item and my first time with this rendition of prawns.

Cracked and Crumbed Chicken was the best amongst the carnivore foods. It was spiced chicken coated with bread crumbs and placed under a shower of polenta. It was then deep fried to golden perfection. It was almost as if a mountain of chicken received some volcanic dust in the form of polenta. This dish had both visual beauty and a great taste. Almost like having a superstar cricketer who is somehow a great football forward too, a true Sachin Pele-kar.

Captain : Summon the great Volcano of Polenta and dip me chicken in its ash.

Crewmate : This could keep the crew happy for many a nights.

Captain : It would certainly keep me happy.

Crewmate : I bet....hey where did all the chicken go?

Baby Lamb Chilly was hot and sweet lamb cooked in a chilli garlic sauce. The bell peppers added a bit of flair but I felt that they were too less for having any profound effect either in taste or appearance. The flavor also resembled Thai spiced chicken in terms of the seasonings and sauces. You may want to be careful with this one as eating too large a portion may cause a tongue burn. Have your drinks around.

The service at Tonic was excellent with Edmund and his team addressing an unruly group of food monsters with military like sophistication. Not only did they serve the food properly, they also accurately described each of the dishes and drinks. One would mistake them for being chefs with such knowledge.

The pricing at Tonic could be a little high. Although the grub and grog is quite worth the experience, I still feel that they could do a bit better by shaving the price by a teeny weeny bit.

The only major downside I see to Tonic is their difficult to find location. Its located inside the Famous studio lane and its quite difficult to reach by car coming from the opposite side. One has to go quite far to get a U turn to get on the right road. And other than an obscured board at the beginning of the lane, there is almost no hint of an eatery in that quiet vacant passage.  Thankfully, Google maps helped me reach there without glitches as its marked clearly on that.

To round this up, Tonic is a great new pub plus eatery. The environment is full of eclectic energies and colors. The food is surprisingly great for a lounge and the ambiance changes every day. The place is still fairly new so its likely to find it a bit empty. I reckon that this is the best time to visit it before it starts becoming crowded.

The Captain's Score : 9/10

"We are not done yet lads, there is Auriga upstairs waiting to be explored. But that is a tale for next time."

Map Co-Ordinates
Tonic

Famous Studio Lane,
Off Dr. E Moses Road,
Mahalaxmi, Mumbai
Twitter: @tonicmumbai

-I was invited to wine and dine at the pub as part of a Zomato Reviewers/Bloggers meet. - 

Gurukripa - Powai, Mumbai

The waves roared as the ship wafted through the coastal seas. Everyone had their eyes fixed on the coast. The lookout confirmed that we had no visual yet. I took out me own glass and studied the coast. We were on the right co ordinates but could not spot our destination. Then someone shouted that a restaurant had been sighted on the other side. We were looking at the wrong side. Upon moving to the port side, we immediately saw our destination. I removed my looking glass and smiled. "Time to give this salty episode a happy ending lads, its grub time."

So lets be honest, what does one expect when they hear Gurukripa as a name? They expect a traditional South Indian fare in a simplistic Udupi style setting. Did you judge this book by its cover? Shame on ya. Assumptions are always bad. Sometimes, life gives you a lot better than you expected. Despite being on the main road, Gurukripa is a difficult to spot gem. So lets call it a "not quite so hidden but difficult to spot" Gem. Geez, I guess hidden gem sounds easier.
 

The place has both an Al Fresco and an indoor area. However, one would be crazy to sit outside in the sweltering summers of Mumbai. I had come here with a small group of friends with similar food interests. We figured that as a group we could experience more of the menu than one person could. So there we sat around the dining table like the Avengers around a conference table deciding what to eat.

Gurukripa leaves the stereotype of the typical Udupi restaurants down in the dust. It has a classy ambiance with artistically finished walls. The indoors are further divided into a main area and three private rooms upstairs on the mezzanine floor. The main area has a typical restropub feel to it and feels real cozy. There is a proper bar counter with an experienced bartender as well. Methinks, it lived well up to its name, Gurukripa (God's Grace).

At the time of our visit, the restaurants ambiance had been given a festive touch with IPL merchandise all over. In fact, there were even live sized cut outs of players at the door. I am told that the ambiance looks even more classy at dinner time. And the pictures certainly attest to that.

With a little chatter and banter, the group decided to have some grog and appetizers.

Strawberry Punch - Was a strawberry drink which bordered somewhere between a smoothie and a milkshake. The taste was rich and had a natural tang to it which made it well worthy of being called a Punch. Punch your senses up to a new high...wait that sounds wrong.

Captain : Sweet and thick.

Crewmate : Tangy and smooth.

Captain. Yes...Hey wait ! Did you take a sip of me drink?

Mango Blossom was very much similar to my drink. Just remove strawberry and add Mango. The consistency and the milkiness were similar. It did have a very summer like aroma to it which kind of explains why its called Blossom.

Virgin Pinacolada was surprisingly good. Here I thought that without the rum it would lose its typical flavor but the mixer did a great job retaining the flavor sans the alcohol. This goes on to show that a good bartender can perform well in any conditions. It also tells me that I forgot my own wisdom nut about assumptions a few paragraphs above.

To Conclude, I feel that Gurukripa is quite a great place to get your grog fix. 

Moving on to the appetizers.

Grilled Chicken with Black Pepper - This was a tasty snack with lightly moist chicken and an essence of pepper. Could be quite addicting and you may forget that you have to eat mains later. It was quite aromatic and well plated. As an improvement, the spice quotient could very well have been a bit higher.

Chicken Ghee Roast is a true hidden gem within Manglorean cuisine. Its not something that one would find in many places within Mumbai. Unless you are traveling to Mangalore, have this in Mumbai right here at Gurukripa. This was a well marinated and roasted chicken. It was then coated with ghee and spices. This was my first time with this dish. Spicy, tangy and savory at the same time like a tricolor of tastes that tease your taste buds. If you are a carnivore then this dish is an absolute must. In fact if you are a dish trailblazer, a trip to Gurukripa just for this is well worth the effort.

Captain : I never knew you could make such a tasty thing with good ol ghee.

Crewmate : This is like a sea of flavors.

Captain : And we are on a quest to find them all.

Crunchy Mushrooms was a fried snack made out of Mushroom caps and cheese stuffing. They were plated excellently in a manner that made them more appetizing. Mushrooms have been overused for stuffing around the world but some people just do it better. The deep fried batter encasing the Mushroom gave it an unexpected but welcome crunchiness. I am a big fan of creativity and I loved what they did with this dish here.

Filled with my share of appetizers, I moved to the mains.

Just a few years ago, I won't have known what a Neer Dosa is. But with the expansion of South Indian cuisine within Mumbai itself, it was a matter of time before Neer Dosa became mainstream. Its like you suddenly discover after a whole life of eating brown chocolates that white chocolates exist too. But if that was not enough, you also discover that the white chocolates that you have had so far were all an imitation. Sad story indeed.

These Neer dosas or rice batter dosas were soft melt in your mouth types. They had a shiny appearance which made them appear a tad bit oily but I felt that this was an optical illusion.

Captain : What if I told you that lentil brown dosas are not the only ones in existence?

Crewmate : Then, I would ask you to stop playing your Morpheus routine with me.

Chicken Malwani is an excellent coastal dish which I have had in many places before. Surprisingly, each place had its own variation with a basic underlying taste. Gurukripa's variant was succulent and decent. But I felt that the chef should have added spice to the gravy for flavoring rather than adding chopped green chillies separately from the top. This caused a slight off beat flavor which felt alien to the dish's central theme.

Nonetheless, it went great with the Neer Dosa. I would like to thank our server Rajendra for recommending this excellent combination.

Gadbad is an Indian Sundae that is found in many Mumbai eateries. Usually treated as a haphazard mixture, it seems to have lost his sheen over the decades. However, Gurukripa revives the old favorite with its own touch. It is made with Vanilla , Mango and a hint of strawberry ice cream. And added to it is an assortment of local tropical fruits. The jelly at the lowest level provided both flavor and aesthetic beauty to this concoction. Topped with raisins and a wafer biscuit, it was made to please both the eyes and the tongue.
Dive your spoon into this sweet sea of sundaeness and treat yourself to a truly divine dessert.

Captain : Deep within the sea of ice cream lies the fabled red jelly. 

Crewmate : But as you travel towards the bottom you also find semi sunken treasures in fruity forms.

Captain : And as you rise back to the top, you see a magnificent wafer standing grand like a lighthouse.

Crewmate : I reckon that we both should be high on dessert at the same time Cappy.

The service was excellent and it was nice to know a server who was well informed on the menu. Our group felt like a bunch of lost musicians who desperately needed a conductor. Our server Rajendra fit well into that role guiding us with the house specials and flavor combinations.

Gurukripa's pricing could be slightly more than the traditional Udupi joints but then it also provides a superior standard. Its pricing I feel is equivalent to most North Indian/Mughlai type restaurants in Mumbai. I did feel however that the non alcholic drinks were expensive in comparison to other restropubs. In terms of the whole experience, I feel the prices do well.

To wrap this up, I will say that Gurukripa is definitely one of the better South Indian eateries in Mumbai. Its humble name may put off stylish connoisseurs but if you are one for the food then march straight away to dine at Gurukripa.

The Captain's Score : 7/10

"All right lads, the ship wont sail by itself. Time to raise the anchor and venture back into the ocean's mist."

Map Co-Ordinates
Gurukripa

55, Thunga Village,
Saki Vihar Road,  
Powai, Mumbai

Phone : 022 28578763

-Me and a few food friends were invited to visit the establishment- 

Mini Punjab's Lake Side - Powai, Mumbai

There was water everywhere but there. The lookout suggested that me destination was quite away from the lake but was somehow still named lakeside. "Oh well", I said, "What's in a name?" I ordered the crew to drop the anchor lest we risk running ashore. Walking quite a bit on the land, I spotted a fellow Captain who waved at me. Behind him stood our current destination, Mini Punjab's Lake Side.

Mini Punjab intimidates most diners with its sheer size - Two indoor floors of casual dining halls and a terrace based roof top restaurant too. And to add to all of it, it has been around for several years. This goes on to show that it has a steady and a large clientele. What the food is and how it tastes however is a very personal matter for everyone including myself. Despite the decent ambiance and its long track record, I found the food quite mediocre. While the starters were great, the mains were not very satisfying.

The ambiance appeared fairly spartan with a lot of tables appearing in a communal fashion in the main dining hall. The place is known for its buffets so it did have the appearance of a banquet hall or a place where mass meal parties are conducted. We were thankfully not seated here and instead directed to a side structure segregated from the main restaurant. This looked like a narrow passage with a much more comfortable ambiance. The glass windows overlooked the busy road and not the lake. The restaurant's name is sadly a misnomer. It could very well do as just Mini Punjab.

This was a meet of the epicurean sort. I met a few food writers and we chatted over dinner. Due to the presence of friends and friendly strangers over the table, my experience was ultimately a good one. But the food had a very little part to play in it.

The evening tale began with a Lassi. It was served in a very unpunjabi glass so to say but the beverage itself was quite good. The Lassi was thick and creamy. The taste was sweet with hints of a citric sourness. It was not watery and was better than most Lassis that I have had.

Captain : This is quite creamy. Make my heart all screamy.

Crewmate : It also made you older.

Captain: Huh?

Crewmate : You got a Lassi mustache on you Captain.

Chicken Supreme Kebabs go on to show that creativity is always rewarding. These were made out of barbecued chicken and the crevices were filled with liquid gooey cheese. One bite and one could trigger an avalanche of liquid cheese which would ooze out of the preparation. The crust was crispy and loaded with the right amount of spices. The upper crust combined with the cheesy core was a pure bliss. Very addicting and definitely the best item of the night. This was a fusion food created by the house.

Captain: These are so tasty, that they land me in ecstasy. 

Crewmate : That Rhyme is quite cheesy. 

Fish Koliwada were average snacks which were made from sea fish. (Thankfully not the over used Fresh water Basa.) These were deep fried and coated with a batter. Had a great appearance with their texture. However, they felt a bit tough and leathery to me. There was very little inherent flavor and I had to use a lot of Mint Chutney to make amends. Although this appeared to be an issue with that particular platter, the next batch had softer chunks as opposed to the tough ones in the previous platter. The restaurant could very well improve on the consistency of the grub.

Captain : Finally, some sea fish. I was beginning to think that they no longer exist.

Crewmate : This preparation feels tougher than what we have had before.

Captain : Maybe the cook needs to explore the sea more.

Stuffed Tandoori Mushroom - One could stuff almost anything in a mushroom cap and make something edible out of it. However, the skill in making something good out of it varies from place to place. Mini Punjab's variant was decent. These were savory, a tad bit cheesy and flavorsome. The fleshiness of the mushroom caps with the stuffing inside made it a very great dish for a carnivore eating vegetarian.

Paneer Tikka was a visibly enticing dish with a lovely aroma. Marinated in spices and grilled in a Tandoor, this was quite a tasty morsel of a starter. Though not the best by a long shot, I do feel that Mini Punjab's variant was quite good. The roasting was uniform and no part of the cottage cheese chunks was burnt or hardened in the process. This is the closest thing to a Chicken Tikka for a pure vegetarian.

While the Starters were an overall decent experience, the mains sadly failed to satiate the taste buds.

Often mistook to be a Mughlai/North Indian preparation. Rogan Josh is actually a Kashmiri Lamb dish. It was probably assimilated into Punjabi cuisine when the Sikh emperors ruled Kashmir. This dish is always a fine balance of meat, bones and flavor. While Mini Punjabs variant scored in flavor and aromas, for me it lost on bones and meat. Though my friend found it good, I found it more bone than meat on my servings. The enticing aroma and tasty meat meant very little when I had to wrestle small bits of meat off a large piece of bone. Such effort often turns off the appetite.

Chicken Amritsari looked visibly pleasing upon arrival. One has to give the chef points for working on excellent presentations. The taste however felt quite a bit off. It was absolutely devoid of any spices or masala. Though Chicken Amritsari does not traditionally have too many hot spices but a light flavor from hot spices is still an absolute must. While Mini Punjab's preparation was definitely North Indian, it wasn't quite the classical Chicken Amritsari.

The Garlic Naan was a bit too buttery but was quite tasty nonetheless. It helped me finish my small servings of the mains. More Naan, less main.

The desserts looked colorful and nice but once again the taste was below average.

 The plum cake was very ordinary and crumby. It was much similar to the cakes found in Iyengar bakeries.

The mango pastry was a bit over sweet and despite its glazed cream and regal appearance, I found it to be my least favorite amongst the desserts.

This Kiwi cream pastry looked great and tasted well. Although not as well as its appearance would suggest.

Captain : These look amazing lad.

Crewmate : Funny thing food coloring be. One extra drop of green and it goes from pleasant to toothpaste green.

 The Gooey Chocolate cake had a brownie like appearance and lacked sweetness and firmness in the core. Maybe some extra sugar from the Mango pastry could have been added here.

These Chocolate balls though not the best, were the only desserts that I found palatable. The sweetness was right and the chocolate core tasted authentic. They bounced well with me so to say.

The service was acceptable. Cannot say that it was stellar since the servers would often understand instructions slowly. Thankfully the Captain was smarter and sharper as he insured a decent experience.

The pricing appears to be a tad bit more than the standard North Indian places that I find all over Mumbai. But all said and done, the prices are acceptable and suit most patrons. The restaurant boasts of high clientele and thus I feel that the prices are not a problem.

To conclude, I shall say that I was somehow satisfied with the Mini Punjab experience. But for a full scaled North Indian restaurant, it certainly needs work on its mains. The desserts have a large diversity which is nice but then the flavors are very meek which is not quite nice.

The Captain's Score : 6/10

"Lets find that lake before we leave lads. Then its back to sea for us."

Map Co-Ordinates
Mini Punjab Lake Side
Adishankrachay Marg,
Near Panchkutir Bus Stop, JVLR,
Powai, Mumbai

Phone : 022 25708689


-I was invited as part of a meet and we did not pay for the grub. Thanks go to Sanjay Punjabi and Pranesh for inviting me-