Leave nostalgia at the front door

Just Around the Corner is dead. And those looking to pay their last respects are not welcome. Be warned: Rights of Admission Reserved

Eat around the corner
At: TPS III, Bandra (W)
Call: 26006717
Cuisine: Continental, Italian, Fast Food, Verdict: Worth a visit

Just Around the Corner is dead. And those looking to pay their last respects are not welcome. Be warned: Rights of Admission Reserved.

Sanjay Narang and Co. are so determined to shift the focus 'back' to the 'food' that they've incorporated their agenda into the name: Eat. That's right, eat you miserable git hoping to get off cheap and linger over a cup of coffee. Confused? Refer to the sign outside.

That will be all
Cross over the threshold and expect to cough up a cover charge of Rs 250 (a cup of coffee can cost anything from Rs 120 to Rs 160). The management hopes to relax the rule in a few months' time, but given how many unspoken ones there are already ('no, you get only one salad per plate', 'hurry up and finish', 'no, you cannot sit anywhere you like') it might take a while before we learn to relax.

If you thought having your bags checked before entering a restaurant was rude, boy, are you in for a surprise! Knock, wait (while a pair of eyes scan you at the entrance), and express thy intent before someone hands you a laminated number. Go on, scurry to your designated table.

Black and grey have replaced the teal of a bygone era. The look is more international, more upmarket, but also less warm. The good news is that the noise from the street is cut off, and you can enjoy a 'private' meal out in the 'open'.

Once inside, you get to choose from two vegetarian and non-vegetarian soups, one vegetarian and one non-vegetarian 'Hot Dish' served with two accompaniments. They also do salads, pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and desserts.

We tried the Jamaican Jerked Chicken (Rs 265) from the Hot Dishes section, which comprises three fixed menus (Caribbean/ Oriental/ Asian and Italian) that change every day. The meal was served with a portion of rice and stir-fried veggies. The chicken was tender and perfectly seasoned. The rice? Far less interesting.

The dozen breads are made in-house. And we tried the multigrain in the Mozzarella & Tomato (Rs 130) sandwich, which had us hit the road to sandwich heaven. We should have known better however, than to have squealed and sighed at the sight of the glorious dessertsu00a0-- all 14 of themu00a0-- on display.

The Strawberry Cheesecake (Rs 170), which looked so beautiful we were weeping with anticipation, was crowned with sour strawberries far from deserving of the honour. The best part about the Ferrero Rocher Gateau (Rs 185) is its description: Chocolate sponge layered with hazelnut mousse. Ordinary.

Having said that, the food is good and once you cross over to 'the other side', you might grow to find comfort within these four walls. But before they ask 'guests' to 'relax' over a cup of coffee, we wish they would first. Because, after all, the tab is on us. Eat Around the Corner didn't know we were there. The GUIDE reviews anonymously and pays for meals.