Restaurant review: A lightning-paced eatery in Fort

Mint Potato Rice with Tzaziki

Kaboom
Food: Average
Service: Quick
Ambiance: Zesty

Riding on the catchy sound of the word 'Kaboom', is a new and zany outpost of healthy gourmet takeaways in the unexpected business district of Ballard Estate. The bright-hued green of the kitchen can be spotted from afar. Hopping off the cab at Britannia & Co, we walked towards the place while the colour shouted out from the grand post office itself. Purpose served.

Mint Potato Rice with Tzaziki (non-veg) and salad can be ordered as a combo

Expansive, minimalist and tasteful; Kaboom's casual ambiance is accentuated by its cobble-stoned floor and the signage-decked walls. The place prefixes itself to one cuisine a day - Monday is for Southeast Asian food, Tuesday for cheese toasts, Wednesday is Italian, Thursday for Arabic and Friday for American. Clearly designed for working professionals as it seems, the place shutters down on the weekends.

The Babaganoush with shavings of chicken was tossed in cinnamon. Food pics/ Dhara Vora

Landing there on a Thursday, we showed up at the cash counter as the huge 'Hungry' arrow urged us in. The menu chalked out on a blackboard announced itself as Haba Habibi and is divided into three sections - Kaboom Favourites, Kaboom Special and Kaboom Combo though a Greek Salad spills out without a section. Among the favourites, we tried it all a Veg Hummus (Rs 200), Non-Veg Babaganoush (Rs 230), and a Falafel Sandwich (Rs 200).

The interiors of Kaboom are breezy and minimalistic. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Among the Kaboom Combos, we ordered a Raging Bull, which is the salad plus Kaboom Special (Mint Potato Rice with Tzaziki) priced at Rs 350. The place doesn't accept cards so it's ideal to carry enough cash on you. As we waited and enjoyed the peppy music, Kaboom! the food was stacked up in bagasse containers, with soft wood cutlery in a brown paper bag.

Thirty minutes later, we discovered an appetising ensemble with average proportions. The Hummus and Pita Bread was our first bite; the Pita lacked the puff post the baking process and Hummus a creamy texture and balanced flavour (too much salt). Rather, a bitter aftertaste lingered on our palates puzzling us about its origin. Picking up the dainty Falafel Sandwich, the coarse texture of the falafel was complemented with cabbage, beetroot, and onions. However, the chilli dressing was only smeared at one end of the sandwich.

We tried the Babaganoush that was peppered with shawarma chicken chunks tossed in cinnamon. Having the same experience with the Pita bread, the Babaganoush evoked a love-hate reaction. Again, some of us were overwhelmed with the bitterness while the watery vegetable won few fans. Last up, the rice tasted tepid on its mint-ey and tzatziki flavours, and the salad was average with moulded feta that tasted salty to a few again. It is a shame when one notes that the company behind the gourmet ice-cream brand Sucres Des Terres failed to hook our taste buds for more.