Picante Ristorante- A Wonderful Gormandizing Experience

New experiences in the New Year and I saw myself entering an all vegetarian restaurant for dinner on a Tuesday night. Yes, I was surprised too but the satisfying experience I had with the Mexican, Lebanese and Italian spread at Picante Ristorante has really upped the value of vegetarian food in my head.

The wall art

Picante Ristorante, located at Breach Candy near the Mahalaxmi Temple (in the same building as Bombay Bronx and Py Bar), is a veggie friendly restaurant serving three cuisines- Mexican, Lebanese and Italian. The place doesn’t serve alcohol but does some really good concoctions of mocktails to go with the food that they serve. The highlights of the décor of the place are its wall art and the waiters dressed in ponchos and sombreros. The lighting is perfect and sets you in the mood to gorge on the food.

The bar that does not serve alcohol. Virgin- that's how they roll!

We were served the Peach Iced Tea and Virgin Mojito while we waited for our gastronomically adventurous evening to begin. Both the drinks were extremely refreshing.

(L) Virgin Mojito ; (R) Peach Iced Tea

We started off with the Stuffed Mushrooms (Rs. 285 for a full portion) which is baked mushrooms stuffed with spinach and cheddar cheese served with a generous spread of the in-house mayo on top. When they say “stuffed” they mean business. These bite sized Stuffed Mushrooms were a great launch to our meal. The cheese explodes in your mouth and the spinach balances it just perfectly.  Their in-house mayo adds the “X factor” to the dish. Mushrooms are one of my favourite vegetarian foods (yes there is a list of that too) and this preparation just kicked its place a notch higher in my head. Warm and cheesy.. yummy.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Char Grilled Cottage Cheese

Next on our plates was the Char Grilled Cottage Cheese (Rs. 395 for a full portion). The menu describes it as crispy brioche topped with Pomodoro sauce and grilled cottage cheese. Brioche is a bread of French origin. This crisped in all the right places with soft grilled cottage cheese and smothered generously with the flavourful Pomodoro sauce (a tomato based Italian sauce prepared with tomatoes and garlic) with a topping of the in-house mayo was a great combination put on our plates - crunchy yet soft.

Grilled Zucchini Rolls

Then came along the Grilled Zucchini Rolls (Rs. 345 for a full portion); spiced ricotta mixed with some cottage cheese and chopped up black olives rolled within thin strips of grilled zucchini. The olives gave a great blend and balance to the cheese mixture. The grilled zucchini was surprisingly quite a combination with this…. it added texture to the dish for something to bite into. This again drizzled with some in house mayo was tasty. However, it was not something I would come back for particularly.

Next up was this bold gravied starter we know as Habanero Cottage Cheese (Rs. 395 for a full portion). The Habanero Cottage Cheese is one of those dishes that you just can’t get enough of. Mexico is the largest consumer of the Habanero Chilli. Owing to its hot flavor and aroma, this spicy ingredient has become quite popular all over the world. That said and the fact that I LOVE spices, this dish totally revamped the meaning of a cottage cheese dish for me. The Habanero sauce was a perfect blend of citrusy, sweet and spicy flavours. While I kept doing the oohs and aahs because of the hot stuff that this was, I would soothe my tongue with a sip of the peach iced tea and happily come back for another bite. This dish is fiery and not for the faint hearted. But ask them to do a mild spicy version and I'm sure they'd oblige. And if you must try the “caution hot” version, as described in the menu, I recommend you keep a tall glass of the Peach Iced Tea next to you. This is one dish that the spice lovers are not going to regret trying.

Habanero Cottage Cheese

Felafill

At this juncture it was imperative to pacify the palate with some mild flavours and the Felafill (Rs. 225)- pocket pita bread with a filling of falafel, hummus, vegetables and sauces- was served with that intention. Unfortunately, this Lebanese dish started off as a let downer since in the first bite we could hardly taste anything but pita and the veggies. However, towards the end when the hummus made its presence felt, the overall blend was quite amazing. If the spread of the hummus is even then this dish would be quite a catch on the Lebanese front!

(Clockwise from the top) Verdure; Picante; Margherita; Fiama

With the wide variety of pizzas on the menu, we just had to try something. They served us two slices each of four different pizzas from their menu- The Margherita (classic cheese and basil) (Rs. 425 for a full portion), Fiama (Onions and Chilli Flakes) (Rs. 445 for a full portion), Verdure (Bell Peppers, Onions, Jalapenos and Black Olives) (Rs. 495 for a full portion), and Picante (Jalapenos, Onions and Green Chillies) (Rs. 495 for a full portion). I quite enjoyed the Fiama as the onions added a bit of sweetness to the chilli flakes. The Picante was great too- all spicy (living up to the meaning of the word) and cheesy. Special mention for the pizza base- freshly baked, thin and crisp- just like an Italian Pizza base should be.

Burrito Bowl

It was time for some Mexican fare to show up and the contender was the Burrito Bowl (Rs. 425 for a full portion). The menu describes this as their twist on the traditional burrito served in a bowl with Mexican rice, beans, grilled vegetables,  fresh corn, salsa, sour cream and guacamole. The plating was colourful and beautiful but it was downhill from there. I found the Burrito Bowl to be quite bland. Pepping up the flavours of the salsa would do wonders to this dish. Otherwise this is just avoidable.

Kibbeh Jibnah (Rs. 425 for a full portion) is another such dish served at Picante Ristorante that I have favourited and would happily and readily go back for. A creamy mixture of spinach, potatoes and feta cheese served in potato pancakes- absolute delish and comfort all over. The potatoes stuffing in the pancake is not mashed potatoes but a delightful potato sauce. The Restaurant Manager recommended that we eat this with the cheese garlic dip and trust me, this Lebanese dish is just something else. Special mention for the cheesy garlic dip---- what magic!

Kibbeh Jibnah with the Garlic Sauce 

Penne in Paprika (Rs. 475 for a full portion) –had a rich texture and was wonderfully flavoured. I can’t comment on how authentic this pasta preparation was but it was thoroughly enjoyed by my taste buds. Nothing else required :) 

Penne in Paprika

And for the grand dessert---The Cookie. Warm, doughy, gooey cookie with delicious chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream; this is a cookie monster in terms of the taste. This remarkable dessert, the restaurant claims, is its trademark dish and I am not surprised why. Also, the cookie is served in the dish in which it is baked ensuring that you can eat it hot right out of the oven. The Cookie is something anyone would definitely go back for. I could happily start a meal with this dessert and then the rest can follow. Going by the number of dishes we had already hogged on, you can imagine how well fed we were, but one bite of this and we were almost fighting and swearing by Joey Tribbiani’s “Joey doesn’t share food” dialogue. I was thinking about it and drooling even on my way back home. This is just one of those things that you have to try for yourself and believe. The Cookie is an experience and you don’t want to miss this at any cost.

The Cookie Image Source

The service was great. We exchanged a few words with Mr. Manoj Kakde, the Restaurant Manager, during the course of our meal and his recommendations added great value to our meal. The person attending to us, Mr. Shehzaad, was extremely cordial and well versed with the dishes and their preparation. There were a few hits and a few misses when on the food front, but over all we had a wonderful experience and left the place with a huge smile and a kilo or two extra.

Will I go there again? Yes yes yes! For the Cookie Cookie Cookie. And also for the Habanero Cottage Cheese, the Stuffed Mushrooms, the Kibbeh Jibnah, the Penne in Paprika and the Fiama and Picante Pizzas.

Where is it? 401, Akruti Skypark, Near Mahalaxmi Temple, Breach Candy, Mumbai  Contact: 022 30151097

(The author dined there on invitation.)

Keeping it Low (Budget)!

A dinner date on a Wednesday night and you know you can’t start early or end late because.. umm… work day (not for me though, I am a free bird these days, no really!).  Also, owing to my regular supply of income being on temporary hibernation I wasn’t ready to splurge. Nevertheless I was looking to have a good time. I made a rough plan on how to go about enjoying my evening, hopping around, and keeping my pocket happy as well. My company for the evening was in sync with the “lets-keep-it-low” plan so I had full peer support.  The post is a bit long-ish considering we ate/ drank at four places in total but read on to know the things that shouldn’t be missed (or visited).

# 1. Janata Lunch Home, Pali Hill, Bandra West

The first stop- to drink of course- was humaara sab ka pyaara Janata Lunch Home.  If you’ve been in Mumbai long enough, you’ve most probably been here either to pre-game or to get smashed on a very modest budget, or at least heard of the place. Just as the name goes, this place is for the regular Janta. 'Do not judge a book by its cover' is an extremely appropriate idiom for this place. Even though from the outside it looks like quite a shady place, once you enter you will see that regular people like you and I visit it. And it’s not an all-men’s sort of place. I have frequented this place just with the girls as well.

We reached there and as usual had to wait because oh my God.. so crowded! Mumbai’s population along with the cheap prices here doesn’t help the situation. Nevertheless, the wait wasn’t long and, after some confusion, we were lucky enough to find a table on the air conditioned first floor. The catch- since it was just the two of us, we had to share the table with two random strangers. This is the second such place in Mumbai where I have experienced this (the first being Madras Café). The seating is quite ordinary- after all you get what you pay for.  For two bottles of Budweiser Magnum combined with rounds of chakhna we paid a total of Rs. 740.

Satisfied? Completely. This place is not fancy and you shouldn’t expect much from the ambiance except for crowded tables and a lot of chatter. However, once you enter you don’t mind all this because you become a part of it. The service wasn’t as fast as one would expect at such a place but the waiters are friendly serving with a smile always.

Will I go there again? Drinking at Janata Lunch Home is an experience. We didn’t order any starters here as we had plans to move on and hop around, though I have heard that the regular bar food here is quite alright and filling. Looking at my pocket these days I think I will be paying this place a visit soon for a fun drunken evening and maybe even give the Tandoori Chicken a try! 

Where is it? 78 A, Pali Naka, Dr Ambedkar Road, Pali Hill, Bandra West, Mumbai; Contact: 022 26058403 022 26058404

#2. Nothing Fishy About It, Carter Road, Bandra West

Being content with tucking one bottle of beer each we moved on to our next stop- Nothing Fishy About.

Nothing Fishy About It is a small eatery on Bandra’s Carter Road. The shop is shared by Nothing Fishy About it and Shahi Durbar, a dessert place.  I had read some great reviews on Zomato about how Nothing Fishy About it is as good as, if not better, than the likes of Mahesh, etc because of the good quality sea-food they serve while still being light on pocket.  However, what was brought to me was not as pleasant as hoped for. 

We started with the Butter Garlic Prawns served with Garlic Bread. The restaurant looks like more of a take-away than a dine-in. But to state the obvious through the silver foil dish they served the food in- a little putting off I felt. That would have gone unnoticed had the dish been up to mark. The prawns were fresh, no doubt, but the butter garlic sauce-average. Butter Garlic Prawns are usually served as a dry dish at most restaurants. The saucy version here, though different, is not as preferable as the dry one in which you can actually enjoy the chewy prawns and in which the flavors of garlic and butter enhance the flavour of the prawns instead of subduing it. Also, what was served in the name of garlic bread was two slices of white bread with garlic butter.

So yes, we only started with this dish at Rs. 299 and with that look on our faces it was clear that we weren’t going to go ahead with the mains here.

Will I go there again? No.

Where is it? A/6, Gagangiri Apartments, Off Carter Road, Bandra West, Mumbai; Contact:  +91 9920029020

#3.  Loco Chino, Carter Road, Bandra West

Image taken from www.timescity.com

We headed to Loco Chino after the unfortunately below average experience at Nothing Fishy About it. Loco Chino is a relatively newer restaurant at Bandra’s Carter Road. It serves Tex Mex and Chinese cuisine. The combination is rarely heard of but this place has done a little of both without any fusions.

Image taken from www.zomato.com

The interiors are rather cute- their salt and pepper shakers are in the shape of sombreros. The place is enough to seat around 12 people and has quite a chirpy feel to it owing to the colorful wall art in the form of caricatures of Mexican and Chinese characters on the walls. Dim sum baskets have been converted into lamps and give a very pretty look to the place. The staff is quite friendly too.

While we were debating on which tacos to order (hard or soft) one of the servers very politely suggested that we order the soft ones. So Chicken Tacos and Chicken Quesadillas it was! Both the dishes were extremely delicious. The colourful Chicken Tacos (2 pieces) with the right blend of veggies, beans, chicken and sauces were gobbled rather quickly by the both of us. Also, you can select your own toppings for the Tacos. The Chicken Quesadillas (4 pieces) were warm with a somewhat crisp outer covering. The warm stuffing of chicken and cheese was divine.

Chicken Nachos (Soft)

Chicken Quesadillas

This experience at a price of Rs. 250 only! I am drooling while writing about the food at Loco-Chino. With the city having extremely limited choices for the Tex Mex cuisine I am really hoping this place is here for good.

Will I go there again? Definitely going to this place again and their Burrito and the Chicken Burrito Bowl is already on the to-try list for my next visit!

Where is it?  389, A Wing, Gagangiri Premises Co Operative Society, Carter Road, Bandra West, Mumbai; Contact: 022 65006544

#4. Dessert time @Wafflist, Carter Road, Bandra West

We headed for dessert to stuff our otherwise satisfied tummies because according to us Punjabis, meethe ke liye toh hamesha jagah hoti hai.  And if you’re on Carter Road and love waffles, oh how can you miss the Wafflist sign!

Waffle with bananas, chocolate sauce and whipped cream

The Wafflist is also a relatively newer joint on Carter Road and I had been meaning to try it for a while.  We got a customized order – warm waffle with sliced bananas, a generous drizzle of dark chocolate sauce topped with light whipped cream- a combination that can’t go wrong. The service was with a smile and that always adds to one’s experience at a place.

At Rs. 200 for our customized order I won’t say this is as reasonable considering the prices we’d paid at the Tex Mex restaurant but please let’s not forget how warm and yummy waffles are!

Will I go there again? Yes, when I crave waffles.

Where is it? Gagangiri Apartments, Carter Road, Bandra West, Mumbai; Contact:  +91 9819680380

***

Ended our day with a stroll along the promenade on Carter Road. 

Tummies satisfied with beer and delicious food, a beautiful view, walk by the sea; all this without burning holes in our pockets = I love Bombay!