They weren't satisfied with just being a 'modern Italian cafe', so White's now gone multi-cuisine
Newly reopened
White Restaurant and Baru00a0
Siddharth Nagar, Ozone Club, Goregaon West
Telephone: 28735645
**1/2
They weren't satisfied with just being a 'modern Italian cafe', so White's now gone multi-cuisine. But there's still some confusion: one of the hoardings still calls it a modern Italian cafe. Indoors, White still looks every inch a continental joint -- much like the others mushrooming in the city -- its white-off-white decor set off by dark wood tables. We're here for a bit of a late dinner and while the staff seems patient at first, we know they're waiting for us to wrap up.
The menu is a mix of continental, desi and some Chinese too. The bar menu isn't too exhaustive, so we stick to classics: a Bloody Mary and a Kiwi Martini (called 'Martin's' on the menu) with starters Honey Chilli Mushrooms and Gamberetti Piccanti.
The cocktails stay true to their best ingredients: salt for the glass rim of the Bloody Mary and three delectable olives in the martini. Nice. The Gamberetti Piccanti, grilled prawns with chilli, is all right. The prawns are fresh, the spice just right, but nothing out of the world. The Honey Chilli Mushrooms are sweet and spicy at once:
mushrooms sticky with honey that's crystallising as you eat it, and studded with chillies.
Next, we call for a Minestrone. The main courses are confusing. Pizza, pasta, risotto, and a Dal Bukhara pops up out of nowhere. Just as you're wondering whether to go for a Fish n Chips, a Murg Makhanwala vies for attention. Slotting will help.
We finally call for a Gnocchi Al Funghi and a Pomfret Fumare. The Minestrone soup, ladled into two deep flat white bowls, arrives. It doesn't look as wholesome and filling as it ought to. It isn't. The vegetables and the soup stand separately, they don't blend in. The bits of beans, carrots and a few tubes of pasta have an unpleasant crunch. And the tomato feels a wee bit uncooked. All that's comforting about it is that it's warm. No score.
The Gnocchi Al Funghi is comfort food at its warmest and cheesiest. The gnocchi makes it a little sweet (the dumplings taste like yam. We thought traditional gnocchi were potato dumplings?) though the hint of oregano and parmesan make up.
The Pomfret Fumare is two neat halves of the fish, scented with lemon and olive tapenade. While the fish is perfectly cooked, we can't taste any of the olive, just a hint of the lemon. The mashed potatoes with sauteed broccoli on the side are much better.
Mains done, the staff looks visibly tense when we ask for the menu again. But we want to be faithful to all courses, why leave out dessert? House gelatos aren't available, so we go with a Semi Freddo and a Tiramisu.
Topped with identical biscotti, the pastries arrive. The Tiramisu is a generous, almost intimidating portion. A whiff of coffee, and chocolate, it would be perfect except for the cream, which is packed in too tight. The Semi Freddo, scoops of almond paste on a bed of biscotti, is mildly sweet, and super rich. Feeling slightly sluggish, we call for the cheque. The staff's visibly relieved.
The ambience is pleasant but the food is far from satisfactory. Reload.
All reviews are done anonymously and paid for by Sunday MiD DAY
Dinner for 2
Rs 2,497
Worth it?
almost
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