A new dimsum eatery, Buddha Belly, opens its doors at Juhu and Peddar Road this week. Time stops when you dig into their delightfully crafted dimsums, says Phorum Dalal
Summer has engulfed the city’s winter, and we are in the ‘confused’ month right now, I am told. The weather’s figuring itself out, says my fellow taster. We leave the conversation hanging mid-air as we walk into Buddha Belly, the new dimsum joint at Juhu; another has opened at Peddar Road, too.
The Assorted dimsums
A smiling staff welcomes us, the excitement of a new place sparkling in their eyes. We place our order before filling the seats of our cozy table. Our server tells us that while dimsums come in 5,000 flavours, the eatery will constantly add new flavours to the menu, apart from the regular dimsums, once the place is up and running. First up in our Assorted Basket (Rs 250) is Spinach and Parmesan Dimsum. Steam wafts as we open the bamboo box. The green dimsum oozes with cheese when cut into two. First bite, I am reminded of a cheesy cannelloni, but the oriental sauces — sweet chilly, spicy, lemon grass — revive the oriental experience. We love this one for its cheesy comfort.
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Buddha Belly has opened at Juhu and Peddar Road.
Next, we dig into half-baked spicy Jalapeno. Laden with ginger and Asian herbs such as lemon grass, this one, goes down well even without the dips. The crunchy bottom and the soft covering make this one our innovative best. We also have the beetroot-coloured Thai Sambal and Cottage Cheese and Corn (Rs 125), which is on the spicier side. The crunchy filling with tender cottage cheese is a delicious. The most authentic is the Chinese Mushroom, a little bland but revved up with the spicy sauce.
Our favourite is the last one — Edamame and Truffle (Rs 200 for four pieces). The fusion of edamame bean — a preparation of immature soybeans in the pod, found in the cuisine of China, Japan, Indonesia and Hawaii — and pungent truffle is unreal. Every dimsum flavour has a unique style of draping, and while one looks like an Indian pagdi, another looks like a pretty white flower.
We end our meal with Nutella Mousse (Rs 95), which needs to be more creamy and rich. Our server, happily lets us devour the Passion Fruit Mousse, which is fresh and fruity in taste, but neither of them impress us much.
Buddha Belly has nailed it with its cozy ambience, friendly staff and perfect flavours, which cater to the urban Cantonese cuisine seeker. When we step out, the weather is still in a dilemma, but there is no confusion about the fact that we will go back for more dimsums, the Khow Suey we didn’t try and the Spinach and Parmesan dimsum that bowled us over.
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