GLUTTONY @ THE BOMBAY CANTEEN, LOWER PAREL, MUMBAI

When friends meet it is always fun times and the icing on the cake is meeting over some great food. The venue I picked up this time to have a yummy lunch was the much admired Bombay Canteen in the busiest commercial are of Mumbai, Lower Parel. The eatery is tucked away in a corner of the famed Kamala Mills compound yet is always full of diners and requires a considerable waiting. Thankfully I walked in a little earlier than 12.30 p.m. and managed to secure a table for three.

Here’s a look at the grub we gorged on at this upscale, happening restaurant:

APPETIZERS OR AS THEY HAVE MENTIONED IN THE MENU, “CHHOTA” :
CHEESE STUFFED GRILLED CHILLIES
Chillies and cheese is a match made in heaven. The place takes this combo to another level by stuffing whole Bhavnagri chillies with gooey cheese. I love spicy food and biting into these whole chillies might sound crazy on my part but who cares I thoroughly enjoyed the flavors.

CHARCOAL GRILLED CHILLI CALAMARI
Coated in spicy masala, this grilled calamari delight comes with a topping of sliced pickled onions. The combination of the spices and acidity from onions makes this dish delicious and perfect as an appetizer.

KERALA FRIED CHICKEN
These are batter-fried chicken chunks served with a bay leaf chutney. The chicken was moist and the chutney added a refreshing touch to the whole dish.

MAIN COURSE OR AS THEY HAVE MENTIONED IN THE MENU, “BADA” :
MUSTARD CHICKEN CURRY
Chicken curry with potatoes in a thick curd based gravy is the perfect start to a main course. We paired this with butter laced pav (Indian bread roll). The portion size is quite good but we proved mightier.

BANANA LEAF WRAPPED ROASTED FISH
Well they prepare this dish with the catch of the day. Lucky for us we ended up getting the snapper. The fish was delicious and so was the tomato based sauce it was prepared in. The flavors were simple yet scrumptious.

MY UNCLE’S COCONUT MUTTON
This is probably the best dish we had. The mutton was succulent, the gravy was full of flavor and the garnish of fried onions further added a good sweetness to the preparation. Again the portion size was generous.

DESSERT OR AS THEY HAVE MENTIONED IN THE MENU, SWEET DISH
COFFEE RASGULLA
As peculiar as this dessert sounds, it turned out to be as delicious as well. The dessert is a great play on different textures and flavors and a welcome twist to the much revered Bengali sweet, the rasgulla. The rasgullas (curd cheese spheres) add the soft texture and carry the intense coffee flavor, the peanut chikki add a crunchy and a sweet punch to the dessert while the salted caramel ice cream is smooth and pulls all the elements together in a great way. If I had an inch of space left in my tummy after gobbling the above mentioned dishes, I would have definitely gone in for a second round of this dessert.

Well, my friends and me and a great lunch. Do visit this restaurant and let me know how your experience was.

Till then, HAPPY EATING…