GLUTTONY @ COUNTRIES CONNECTION, MUMBAI

With numerous culinary styles making their way to Mumbai, our taste buds are being exposed to myriad ingredients, flavors and textures from across the globe. Countries Connection is one such great find in the bustling locality of Infiniti Mall, Andheri West that is churning out multi-cuisine delicacies to delight our palate.

Since the owners are five chefs who have partnered to create this eatery, the emphasis is clearly on delivering scrumptious food offerings through their expertise. The ambience has been kept colorful and simple and has a spaced out seating arrangement. The staff was jovial and their recommendations from the menu were apt.

So, here is a look at my gluttony at Countries Connection:

SOUP & SALAD
Burmese Prawn Soup
 We were off to a delicious start to our dinner with this lip-smacking soup. The flavors from the prawns, chillies and coconut milk had gelled beautifully with each other. Prawn chunks plentiful and were cooked to perfection whereby they retained their silken texture. An accompaniment of crisp, deep-fried noodles with the soup brought a nice crunch to the dish.
Fusion Chicken Tikka Salad
This was a light, refreshing salad comprising of spicy grilled chicken cubes mixed with American corn and Chinese cabbage. The chicken was moist and the heat from the spices used to prepare it was balanced off by the sweetness of the corn kernels and smidgen of cheese sauce.

APPETIZERS
Chicken Kolhapuri Tacos
This dish had a lovely desi twist to the Mexican delicacy of tacos. Soft-shelled, wheat tacos came smeared with saucy and piquant Kolhapuri style chicken. The luscious chicken shreds were topped with salsa and sour cream that imparted a lovely tart flavor to the dish. A final garnish of cabbage and grated cheese completed this appetizer.
Prawns Khurchan in Nacho Cups
Yet another experiment with Indian & Mexican flavors that worked brilliantly. Prawns cooked in spicy and sour gravy were placed at the base of a crispy nacho shell. Jalapenos, olives, salsa and lettuce filled up the shell that was finished off with a topping of grated cheese. In order to further enhance the dish and make it rich and creamy, a bowl of cheese sauce was served along with the nacho cups.

BEVERAGES (Mocktails)
Frosty Twist
This was a unique blend of vanilla ice cream with thick coconut milk. A generous drizzle of strawberry syrup brought a burst of sweetness to this stimulating drink.
Cranberry Margarita
This was the only creation on the menu that disappointed me. The balance of ice to the juice and syrup was off leaving me with a near tasteless beverage.

MAIN COURSE
Pav Bhaji Fondue
A cheese sauce infused with flavors of the popular street food of Mumbai, pav bhaji is a must try here. The masalas of this Street food cut through the rich, salty flavor of cheese and provide a relief to the palate. Generous portions of bread, grilled veggies and French fries were provided for the purpose of dipping in the sauce.
Chipotle Chicken with Herbed Rice
This was one massive main course dish. A word of caution, order this dish only if you are starving or have somebody to share it with you as you need to have an enormous appetite to completely devour it. The gravy was tangy and spicy and boasted of ample amount of boneless chicken cooked faultlessly. The herbed rice was a perfect mild flavored accompaniment with this gravy.

DESSERTS
Tiramisu
A bite into this unusual shaped, creamy dessert blesses you with a hard hit of coffee. The sugar component in this sweet is just enough to match up to the coffee flavor. It is one of those desserts that brings a sense of contentment to the palate with each bite.
Gulab Jamun & Vanilla Ice Cream
The classic pairing of hot & cold sweet treats works for me. This east meets west combination of warm, soft, juicy gulab jamuns and scoops of vanilla ice cream was a pleasure to indulge in.

So, do try out this place and let me know of your experience.
Till then, HAPPY EATING...