Shikari Shambhu’s New Venture

It’s not very often that an elephant greets you as you enter a restaurant. But when that happens, rest assured the trip will be memorable. Step into the wild environs of Machaan. Aptly named (machaan means a terrace used by hunters / wildlife enthusiasts to survey inhabitants of the jungle), Machaan sits on the 8th floor of Palm Spring Building, situated on the ever so busy Malad Link Road ahead of InOrbit, just next to D Mart. It’s quite an unlikely place for a restaurant, leave alone one with a jungle theme.

As soon as you step out of the lift, the jungle theme begins with a wooden door decorated with creepers. The aforementioned elephant (stuffed, of course) is the first thing that hits you as you enter. The (customary) Asian (always wondered why they’re the preferred choice for ushers) lady takes you to your table. That is, if you’re lucky to get a table at first shot. Machaan doesn’t take reservations and is hugely popular, so chanced are you’ll be made to wait. The dimly lit interiors are choc-a-bloc with a plethora of flora and fauna – leopards, beavers, monkeys, fish. The tables and chairs live up to the theme too. So do the washrooms, which resemble log cabins. Thoughtful touches such as shawls (should the jungle breeze get too much for you), lens solution (should you want a clearer look at the wildlife) and sewing kits (should you get into a brawl with the king of the jungle) abound.

The menu is a good mix of robust Indian dishes fit for a feast in the jungle. The drinks menu has the usual cocktails with innovative thematic names. Coming to the food, the last time I went there, I ordered Shammi Kababs for starters and Hunter Chicken for main course along with Roomali Roti and Ajwaini Naan. While you wait for your food, you get a basket of papad rolled like party caps. Munch on them and enjoy the sights and sounds. The Shammi Kababs arrived soft and succulent, filled with flavour. Not too spicy, not too bland, the spices were just right. The quirkily named Hunter Chicken definitely made me and my significant other victims out of will. This dish is one of its kind and I’ve never come across anything like it anywhere else. The rich gravy uses coriander as the main ingredient. Some people (especially those who swear by Chicken Tikka Masalas and Chicken Kadais) might find it a tad bland and devoid of masalas, but that is exactly what makes the dish different tasting. You get a whiff of the coriander as soon as the dish arrives on your table. If I had to compare it to something, it would be to the Parsi Dhansak dal albeit subtler in taste. The Ajwaini Naan had an excess of Ajwain (asafoetida) which didn’t go well with the mild flavour of the Hunter Chicken. My advise is stick to plain naan or Roomali Roti.

Havn’t tried their desserts yet. The usual suspects such as gulab jamun and brownie with ice cream are available should you choose to satisfy your sweet cravings.

Dishes cost around Rs. 250 on an average. They also have a lunch buffet. All in all, Machaan provides a fun eating experience. It’s a surefire hit with kids and parents too, since they can enjoy their meal in peace as the kids explore the jungle.

Imagine a picnic in a zoo or a forest sanctuary. Eating at Machaan is akin to that. Only difference being the animals aren’t real. But then again, you get to see animals in some state at least, unlike our zoos!

No Greater Love

To visit the hallowed Britannia restaurant, you might want to leave your humble vehicle at home and opt for a time machine instead. Because finding the restaurant is not very different from taking a trip down memory lane. Situated amongst heritage buildings and tree-lined roads, Britannia has been standing (and will continue to stand) since more than 80 years in one of the by-lanes of Ballard Estate. The board proudly proclaims Britannia and Co. (don’t ask me why ‘& Co.’), High Class Restaurant (no, don’t ask me that either). Step out of your time machine and enter another world. The genial owners shall welcome you and show you your table. The patrons of Britannia can best be described as eclectic – Parsi families, old-timers who swear by the food, backpacking foreigners who are waiting to swear by the food, hep office-goers from nearby and almost everyone who is a fan of Parsi food and believe me there are many of those.

Ignore the cobwebs, the dusty chandeliers, the peeling paint on the walls, the kitchens which belong to a bygone era and the occasional lizard, and concentrate on the menu. That won’t take much of your time considering the menu is limited. Or focused, as I would like to call it. Most patrons don’t even need the menu, they know what they want. They have known since probably the last fortnight when they were planning a trip to the restaurant. Yes, that happens quite a lot. Once you taste the food here, you will definitely daydream about it. The grand old owner, Mr. Kohinoor, himself will take your order, which should definitely consist of Raspberry cold drink, Sali Chicken and Berry Pulao. Your order might include other items as well, but these three are a must. Trust me on that. While you wait for the order, you can chat with Mr. Kohinoor who will regale you with stories of how the restaurant was turned into a military office during World War 2 or about the rooster which used to sit atop the cash counter, which explains the roster in the logo.

The Raspberry drink isn’t freely available elsewhere in the city. Your best bets are Britannia and a Parsi wedding or Navjote. Since the latter are as difficult to come by as the drink itself, your only option is Britannia. They have all the usual Parsi suspects – dhansak, fried Bombay Duck and patra ni macchi. My personal favourite would be the Chicken Cutlets with Gravy. Lacy chicken cutlets fried in egg batter served with tangy tomato gravy. Cut a piece of the cutlet, dip it in the gravy, pierce a potato chip (which comes with the dish) and enjoy. You may also pour the gravy on the cutlet as I do.

After you’re done attacking the Cutlets, comes the Sali Chicken, boneless pieces of chicken in a tomato gravy with thin slivers of potato chips. Have it with chapatti or bread, but have it you must. This is followed by the piece de resistance, the reason for my belief in God, the Berry Pulao. Available in Chicken or Mutton, this dish isn’t available anywhere else in the city or even the country and even if it, I am sure it cannot match Britannia. The aroma of basmati rice topped with fried onions announces the presence of the Berry Pulao as it makes its way to your table. I will not commit sacrilege by trying to describe the Pulao. All I will say is, it’s an ages-old secret recipe of the late Mrs. Kohinoor. And what a legacy she has left! The tart berries are imported all the way from Iran. The Pulao also comes with small kebabs on the side. If you haven’t eaten this, you should re-consider your life.

If there’s space left for dessert, ask for the Caramel Custard. Wobbly and with a generous dose of caramelized sugar syrup, this is one of the best tasting caramel custards you will ever sink your teeth into.

Britannia isn’t exactly a cheap restaurant. The décor is deceptive. On an average, the dishes are priced for Rs. 100-150. The Chicken Berry Pulao is for Rs. 200. Prices, which no doubt, fit the tag of High Class Restaurant. Do make a trip to Britannia to not only explore a fantastic cuisine, but also a lost world. But it’s advisable to plan your trip well as Britannia is open only for lunch, only Monday – Saturday. And please note, sandwiches, snacks and tea will not be served between 1pm-3pm (the owners’ words, not mine).

For a restaurant that proclaims, ‘There is no greater love than the love of food’, it’s not very difficult to fall in love with Britannia.

All Stirred & Shaken

All Stir Fry, part of the Mars Group, at the Gordon House Hotel was always somewhat of a blank spot for me. Housed inside the pristine white walls of the boutique hotel, I tended to give it a miss and charge straight to Café Churchill or Basilico with blinkers firmly on. Well, last Sunday a friend of mine convinced me to give a try and so we landed up there.

The restaurant is on the ground floor as soon as you enter. Push the wooden door open and you shall be greeted by (the customary) South East Asian ladies. As we didn’t have a reservation, we were asked to wait for a few minutes, but then were given a corner table (my preferred table in any restaurant). The restaurant gives you a feeling of space and is well-lit. Designed to resemble a Chinese street kitchen, it has long tables with well spaced out chairs and benches. A pair of plastic chopsticks wrapped in a black table napkin also comes with a fork and knife. Thank god! Going through the somewhat reader-unfriendly menu, we decided to have the Pepper Mushrooms and Baby Corn for starters and later move on to their specialty, the wok. More on that a little later.

The Pepper Mushrooms and Baby Corn came steaming hot and was quite a treat. Nothing extraordinary, but perfect for these rainy days. As the name suggests, the dish had all the mentioned ingredients – nothing more, nothing less. After greedily devouring the starter, we queued up in the open kitchen to be handed over our wok. The Quick Wok, as they call it, is basically a Chinese buffet of sorts. You take your wok to the counter and pick up whatever appeals to you. There’s a choice of three-four noodles, ranging from Udon, the thick Japanese wheat variety to super-fine rice noodles known as moo fan reminiscent of Vermicelli to Mee Pok, flat green Chinese noodles. There was one more variety which I couldn’t recognize, considering I’m not the foremost authority on the noodle culture. (I’m still a big fan of Maggi 2-Minute noodles though!) You are advised to pile your bowl first with noodles, then the veggies and finally the meats. The reason behind that is when the chefs finally dump your collection into the wok, the meats go first and get well cooked. Heap your bowl with noodles, an array of vegetables and a choice of meats like pork, chicken salami, plain chicken, beef, prawns and egg. Once you’re done with the not-so-easy task of selecting what you want in your bowl, walk over to the live counter. Another set of decisions awaits you. This time about what sauce you want your selection cooked in. There are around 9 sauces to help you (or confuse you, depending on how you look at it). Things have been made a bit easier by classifying the sauces into mild, hot and very hot. I went for the mild Canton sauce with crushed peanuts as the condiment of choice. If by the end of the whole experience, you’re still confused, worry not. You can always return back and make a new selection. Experiment as much as you like. That’s what you get for Rs. 350!

A quick jumble by the expert chef resulted in a piping hot customized wok. I must admit, it did taste very good and somehow quite healthy, what with all the veggies. The trick, I think, is to load your bowl a little at a time and experiment and find out what combination you like best. It might take 3-4 trips to the restaurant, but then that’s not much for a personalized dish! You can actually boast of having a signature dish!

My vegetarian friends also were very impressed with the spread and also the fact that separate utensils are used to cook vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. We wound up our meal with the honey fried noodles. Crispy fried noodles (the flat Fettuccine type in this case) with honey and sesame seeds with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. The crisp hot noodles work well with the chilled ice cream. You end your meal with the complimentary Fortune Cookies, which are always a welcome gesture.

So, all in all, it was a hearty experience. And that, I think, is the key. At All Stir Fry it’s not just about the food, which is very good. It’s about the overall experience of whipping up your meal without the normal chores associated with it. They also have dim-sums and satay. Will try that the next time. Yes, there will be a next time for sure.

In their own words, the restaurant aims at giving patrons a ‘spirit of the street kitchens of the Orient…with the philosophy of fresh healthy food and an innovative dining experience including specialties from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Mongolia, Korea, Tibet and China.’ I must say they live up to their promise.

City of Joy

My belief in people’s mind reading abilities has just been strengthened. And if you need re-assurance too, just head to Oh! Calcutta. I suspect that the staff, rather than being trained in hotel management have been given a crash course in mind-reading, that too by some world-renowned expert. The way they sense your requirements is uncanny. You only need to think about what you’d like to have, and voila a smiling staff member will bring it to your table before you can say Daab Chingri (Which is a prawn curry I highly recommend. More on that later.). The staff and service are about the best you can find in any restaurant.

Before I write more about the place, I must confess, I’m not a big fan of underwater creatures. Crabs and lobsters do not lead me into a gastronomic frenzy. So this review might be a little incomprehensive, but anyway, nobody’s perfect. Oh! Calcutta has two branches – one at Tardeo as part of Hotel Rosewood and another at Swami Samarth Nagar near Lokhandwala Circle. I haven’t been to the one at Tardeo (strange, considering I stay there), so I will write only about the Lokhandwala branch. You walk into the sleepy little lane that is Swami Samarth Nagar and then stumble upon an expanse of pleasant white paint and white awning. That is Oh! Calcutta. You are greeted with a smile and then led into the cozy restaurant. Choose any corner you like. Settle down and try to recognize all the Bengali greats who gaze down upon you (perhaps in jealousy of the meal you’re about to consume) from photo frames.

Settle down comfortably and just let the sounds of Bengali talk fill your ears. You may choose to munch on the complimentary potato and chick pea concoction that is placed on your table. Do not, under any circumstances, miss the Fish Fry. It is one of those items that I have to have every time I visit a restaurant, without giving two hoots about trying something new. Crispy on the outside and succulent inside, squeeze some lemon on the Fish Fry and you have a perfect start to a great meal. The fish they use isn’t your everyday pomfret and mackerel. It is fresh water fish like bhetki and rohu. If, like me, you can’t live without your dose of chicken, they have some pretty good chicken starters too. Try the Murgh Potli Kabab which actually comes in potlis or small packages made from banana leaf. Inside is minced chicken flavoured with spices and of course, mustard. (Oh! Calcutta graciously uses a lot of mustard in their dishes, as any self-respecting Bengali eatery would.) The Murgh Bihari Kabab also makes for an interesting starter…boneless chunks of chicken flavoured with ground pepper and varied spices. The Prawn Cutlet consists of minced prawn in a patty and does not emit that ‘fishy’ smell which I have experienced in many other places which serve prawns. (Yes, my nasal senses are well-renowned.)

My main course usually consists of the Daab Chingri. Daab, in Bengali means coconut and Chingri means prawns. Put the two together and you have a wonderfully flavoured white curry which is extremely subtle in its flavour and very light on the stomach too. The interesting part is that they serve the curry in an empty coconut shell. Pour some over steamed rice or dip a lucchi (Bengali puri) in it and experience what a great tasting mild curry should taste like. Having tried unsuccessfully to rsist from ordering chicken, I have also tried the Murgh Rezala which is pieces of chicken in a thin gravy of onions and light spices. This, I believe, is traditionally a Muslim dish which has found favour in Calcutta.
Some time back, they also had a Calcutta Chinese menu. Which basically means, you can experience the wonders of Tangra, an area in Calcutta which the first Chinese settlers made home, right here at Lokhandwala. Tangra is something similar to Mumbai’s very own khau galli with stalls selling cheap food and is famous for its momos and chilly chicken. You won’t find the former on the menu, but the latter does make an appearance. Nothing earth-shattering, the chilly chicken is good to be had with your drinks. Though the last time I visited I didn’t see the special Chinese menu. Will investigate, the next time around.

For the rice buffs, there’s a Calcutta-style mutton biryani which I have tried once long time back and frankly, don’t remember much about. I would recommend, you fill up on the starters and if still hungry for more, go for the Daab Chingri. The payesh is supposed to be great, though I won’t comment on that since I’m not too much into Indian sweets. They event have the quintessential sandesh with which you could end your meal.

Head to Oh! Calcutta for a pleasant Bengali style meal, which isn’t too heavy on your pocket. For a seafood place, the prices are indeed a pleasant surprise. At the danger of sounding repetitive I must again comment on the courteous staff which is one of the best I have ever come across, including many high end restaurants. Ask them about the items on the menu and they really do know their stuff. Visit Oh! Calcutta and you’ll know why the city is called City of Joy.

Yes Minister.

Normally, I’m not all gung-ho about activism and social protests. I fail to see how effective walking down streets in silence holding candles, or the other extreme shouting my lungs out for women’s empowerment is. Though there is one exception. And indeed it is for a very noble cause. The only cause that would probably see me express my protest in the form of a hunger strike would be if someone plans to shut down Café Churchill. (If memory serves me correctly rumours of the place shutting down did come up a few years back.) On second thoughts, a hunger strike outside Café Churchill would be nigh impossible considering the aromas wafting about the place. I might just resort to some more violent forms of protest.

You might argue with me saying the situation isn’t that bleak…after all, Café Mocambo does serve a lot of items from the Church’s menu. True, but Church is Church…to me it will always be the grand daddy. Grand isn’t exactly a word that hits you once you enter the blink-and-miss hole in the wall that is Café Churchill, especially what with all the distractions dangling around like inexpensive racer backs, bags, beads and game CDs. The (new) signboard with a fork wrapped with spaghetti doesn’t exactly announce its presence from miles.

If you are the social types, then you must visit Churchill. You are bound to make new friends, since invariably you’ll end up sharing a table. Mostly with someone immersed in Lonely Planet’s guide to India. But the talk will last only till the food arrives. After that, the only sounds emerging will be ones that express intense appreciation.

For a place that small, the menu is gargantuan. Soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, starters, pastas (they even have a separate section for lasagna…the King Papalina being highly recommended), main courses – chicken, fish, beef and the fitting end –desserts. Though don’t go by the menu for your choice of desserts. The dessert counter right at the entrance is a far better bet.

Cool off the sweat that you will generate after hunting for this place with a Peach Iced Tea and Chargrilled Chicken Salad – chilled with diced cucumber and a tangy dressing. If things get too chilly, heat up your palate with Chicken Sausage in Firecrack Sauce. I have my suspicions whether this sauce will go down well with the above-mentioned Lonely Planet community because it is indeed, fiery. Though sliced chicken sausage in a spicy, tangy tomato based sauce works just fine for me. Another all-time favourite is the Chicken Fingers…crumb fried slices of chicken served with barbeque sauce. Sounds simple, tastes divine.

For the main course, try the Cheddar Baked Chicken. Chunks of chicken stuffed with cheddar cheese in a cheesy (and I mean cheesy) sauce. The cheese oozes out of the chicken as you bite into it and the cheese sauce assaults all your senses, in a good way of course. As I mentioned earlier, the King Papalina lasagna is also definitely worth a try. Sautéed mushrooms spread between layers of thing pasta sheets in a creamy béchamel sauce. Fungus never tasted so good. Of course, the other varieties in main course including the pasta also outdo all expectations. Some come with ham, which I haven’t tried. But maybe someday…

Now for the grand finale. As much as you would like to gorge on the main courses at Chuchill do yourself a favour by leaving space for desserts. I can proudly claim of having had all their sinful desserts. Ok, not all. The banana-toffee combination in Bannoffee doesn’t work for me. But again, maybe someday. There is a distinct possibility that you might lose track of time trying to decide which dessert to select. You best bet is to resort to the rather medieval method of letting a coin decide for you. Or of course, if you’re adventurous or don’t give a damn about calories or both, try all. The Cappuccino Cups live up to their name. The cups are actually made of chocolate. This is what I call, have your cappuccino and eat it too! The Tiramisu too is worth a touch. Ditto, for the lemon cheesecake. This is one place that can indeed pride itself on its variety of desserts.

Eating at Churchill can at times be a confusing experience. With so many options on hand, one more tempting than the other, you will be forgiven for indecision. In fact, this indecision will keep you going there time and again to try out what you couldn’t the last time around.