PRELAUNCH: GLUTTONY @FOODGASM, BANDRA (W), MUMBAI

I call my self The Bombay Glutton. The reason being, if I were to be punished for my sins, then gluttony would be the foremost one. As much as I try to not be a glutton, Mumbai is coming up with evermore exceptional food joints each day and I find my self engaging in voraciously sampling their fares.

Similar was the case, when I was invited for a special preview dinner of Foodgasm, which will swing open its doors to the Mumbai junta from 22nd January 2016. Now, what does a glutton expect to find at a place called Foodgasm? One would expect decadently delicious, calorie-rich food that would leave you feeling guilty for your indulgence. Contrary to this belief, Foodgasm has been created with the aim of providing preparations that incorporate fresh, natural ingredients and have a healthy twist yet are flavorsome.

This casual dining place is the brainchild of Kapil Ghorpade, a Real Estate Financial Analyst and supporting him in this venture is his better half, Lavina. The innovative menu has been conceptualized by renowned Chef Varun Inamdar, who is an ace food stylist, chocolatier, entrepreneur & author and Chef Aditi Goel, who is the owner of culinary studio ’Food-E Culinary Studio’ in Mumbai as well as a food writer & consultant.

Here is a look of some delicious food we were pampered with. Please note these are images from a prelaunch and we were a group tasting multiple dishes throughout the evening. Therefore, portion sizes may tend to vary when you visit the restaurant when it opens up.

START TO THE MEAL
We began with a tasty POWER SHOT of banana, musk melon, almonds, walnuts and dates. The sweetness was perfect even though this shot had no added sugar. The usual bread basket came with five accompaniments including ketchup, eggless mayonnaise, butter that were made from scratch in the restaurant. A special mention for the lip-smacking MINT CHUTNEY comprising of mint, coriander, lemon and a very special fruit juice as secret ingredient. Point to be noted that this Chutney has no onion and garlic. Also, the GROUND MUSTARD did not have the usual yellow color but was green owing to the unusual yet brilliant use of parsley in making it.

SOUPS & SALADS
Since I am a non-vegetarian, the thought of being served a vegetarian soup did not seem to excite me. However, I was proved wrong when the HARA PYAAZ or spring onion soup was placed in front of me. The mere sight of it urged me to dig into it with gusto. The soup was creamy and had small chunks of tofu. The garnish of olive oil and a sprig of chives further enhanced the appetizing look of the soup.

Next followed the vegetarian salad called TURKISH GRUB. This comprised of chick peas, peppers, micro greens and goat cheese tossed in basil oil. The salad had very subtle flavor and was very filling. A hard core non-vegetarian like me was also presented with a MEAT LOVERS SALAD that was a mix of stir fried prawns, baby shrimp, chicken liver tossed with shallots and rucola and garnished with baby tomatoes. This was a hearty offering, which was a perfect fit for a glutton like me.

APPETIZERS & MOCKTAIL
We were served with TURKISH PUNJABI, a Turkish golzeme or flat bread loaded with feta and Mozzarella along with spinach. This was scrumptious and addictive. Then came the TWISTED PANI PURI. Once can choose from an option of kala khatta or pomegranate water for the puris. We were served with the kala khatta flavored water. I felt this one had a slightly overpowering flavor of beetroot and lacked acidity and heat. The filling for pani puri comprised of chick peas and quinoa. A side of shelled pomegranate was provided that brought in a natural sweetness to the dish.

The Non-Vegetarian appetizer served was EAST INDIAN CUTLETS. I felt the dish drew inspiration from a traditional preparation called Thali ka Seekh. The cutlets had a centre of spiced mince with wonderful flavors that blended with the outer coating of mashed potatoes. The crust had a hint of crunch that added a layer of texture to the cutlets. These went superbly well with the mint Chutney that I have mentioned earlier about.

We downed these tasty appetizers with a glass of KOKUM CHIA COOLER flavored with a spice mix, which added a nice punch to it.

FROM THE TANDOOR
The vegetarian platter that arrived on our table comprised of five different vegetables cooked in different flavors and was aptly termed APNE KHET SE. The malai broccoli was awesome on taste while the Thai mushrooms had a very strong flavor of galangel. The non-vegetarian preparation was the BANGDA OR MACKEREL, which was grilled to perfection.

MAIN COURSE
The vegetarian fare included a healthy twist to the much loved Biryani. Keeping the flavors intact the rice was cleverly replaced with quinoa to arrive at a yummy QUINOA BIRYANI. The non-vegetarians need not be disappointed, there is a version of it available for them as well. The other vegetarian preparation we were served was the RED RICE RISOTTO with green peas and mushrooms and had a very earthy flavor owing to the mushrooms. It was also creamy and rich due to addition of mascarpone cheese.

The non-vegetarian fare served included a juicy GRILLED TENDERLOIN with green peas mash that had a sharp spiciness because of the seeds of Thai chili ground in it. There was also a side of baked potato wedges prepared aglio olio style. The other preparation served was the MUMMY SPECIAL CURRY which made us feel we were having this curry with brown rice at home and not in a restaurant. There were no over powering masalas in this traditional curry having chicken on bone, half an egg and potatoes.

DESSERT
Finally after gorging on so many dishes we arrived at the last course. I thought I would struggle through this course but the dessert, THE ULTIMATE DUB-SMASH ensured I finished it without a whimper. This dessert was a simple yet delicious combination of crumbs of whole wheat, dark chocolate, walnut brownie topped with vanilla ice cream drizzled with strawberry coulie.

The meal was delicious and I would definitely go back for more. Here’s wishing the entire team of Foodgasm all the best.

Foodgasm: Shop No. 4, Ankleshwar Marg, Near IES College, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra (West), Mumbai.

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