22 August,2011 07:22 AM IST | | Anjana Vaswani
Spring rolls turn into kathi rolls and brownies masquerade as bite-sized cupcakes at this new eatery that's enclosed by a pretty picket fence, and lies just around the corner from Prabhadevi Mandir. We loved the little surprises in store and will return for more
Roughly "VIII miles from Town Hall", as per the old inscription on the Prabhadevi Temple nearby, and enclosed by a pink and purple picket fence, stands an eatery that we could easily have confused for an ice cream parlour, were it not for its name.
In better weather, we imagine, tables would be set up outside which would finally make for a street-side caf ufffd in the city, but with diseased trucks and taxis coughing out dark fumes on this busy road, students from the numerous colleges that dot the area might prefer instead to dine in the confined air-conditioned space.
Assorted rolls, including Chicken (Rs 70) and Russian Salad (Rs 65), as well as Junglee Sandwiches (Rs 65) are displayed on the top shelf of a glass showcase, while the lower shelf holds heavier dishes like Butter Chicken, Paneer Chilli, Biryani and Indo-Chinese Fried Rice, all of which look rich, yet appetising.
Eager to sample both available cuisines, and unaware at this point that the distinction is slim, we order a Fried Chicken Kathi Roll (Rs 75), Vegetarian Hakka Noodles (Rs 160), Veg Manchurian (Rs 130) and a cupcake with a bright flower piped on top. A tray of bite-sized brownie cupcakes caught our attention too, but we didn't feel confident that the teeny dose of chocolate would provide sufficient cheer to our flagging spirits, courtesy the weather.
Stare at the walls
While waiting for our order, we examined the framed paintings on one wall that were priced between Rs 6,000 to Rs 55,000. The artists behind the paintings went by the names of "Mr Madhav" and "Mr Rakesh", both friends of the proprietor.
We were wondering whether they hope to double as an art gallery, just as our order arrived and we proceeded to sink our teeth into the fried Kathi Roll. That it was delicious was undeniable, but we had to double-check with the attendant whether it really was a kathi roll, as the filling wrapped inside the layers of Roomali roti was the sort one might find inside an Indo-Chinese Spring Roll.
The Hakka Noodles and the Vegetarian Manchurian were typical, but flavoursome and sufficiently spicy, which made for a pleasant meal. The cupcake was moist and tasty with a light butter-cream icing. The heaviness of the sponge, prompted us to enquire whether it was in fact eggless, which it was. We thought it odd that since they also offer cupcakes made with eggs, they didn't think to label them.
The Green Mango Magic (Rs 25) we sampled off their list of Chillers, was the only disappointment. While they're happy to sweeten it to your taste, the unnatural flavour of the squash is hard to ignore. But we'll be back, anyway.
At 3, Shivalik Building, Dr AM Marg, Prabhadevi.
Call 24212220/ 4221
(Free delivery between Worli and Mahim)
From 10.30 am to 11 pm; 25% discount after 8 pm
Snack in the Box didn't we know were there. The GUIDE reviews anonymously and pays for its meals.
