09 July,2010 08:36 AM IST | | Fiona Fernandez
Uber-cool name notwithstanding, the spacious Cafe Cabana was a letdown. Someone needs to tell the owners to do a relook of their menu and get the basics right. Drop by only if you dig playing pool
It was the mother of all anticlimaxes. Expecting Cafe Cabana to be choc-a-bloc, on the night of the first FIFA World Cup semi-final, we hurriedly made our way to grab a table in time for the referee's kick-off whistle. Now, Cabana's positioning isn't the best.
Located at the cusp of Mulund and Nahur, opposite a swanky hospital and sandwiched in between auto garages and scrap yard dealers, it's easy to miss on a grey, rainy day or otherwise.
However, judging by the junta around its two pool tables in the foyer, we were encouraged to make a dash into our desi Cabana.
Slight problem. There was not a soul inside. Except for a few of the staff enjoying a private screening of a Hindi daily soap on one of the two Plasma TVs. The second screen was airing the semifinal, thankfully.
We settled into our enclosure and felt like VIPs, trying hard to ignore the empty space, bordering on the uncomfortably eerie. The dim lighting, a strange looking giant-sized sculpted human face in the centre and poor air-conditioning added to the assault.
u00a0
Eminem echoed our sentiments in the background. Ten minutes into the game and yet the 20 odd tables were unoccupied. Our starters, the Chicken Minestrone (Rs 109, spelt Ministron) Soup and Cabana Special (Rs 180) were a mixed bag. The soup was filled with chopped curry leaves and doused with generous amounts of garam masala.
The Cabana Special salvaged some pride with the sweet-sour flavouring that complimented the tender chicken pieces.
No alcohol, or fruit juices are served here, only aerated stuff and hot and cold coffees. Noticing our disappointment at the uneven drinks menu, we were served complimentary fizzy drinks.
With a little help from a few pesky mosquitoes, we decided to not delay the main course. Choosing to play safe we ordered for the Chicken Tikka Makhani Pizza (Rs 159) and the Veg Arrabiata Pasta (Rs 159). We settled for this after being told that our original choices were unavailable.
Our pasta dish was served with garlic bread (more like big slices of toasted bread) and tasted like a tomato-based gravy with submerged pasta for company. The pizza was spicy and strictly okay. Honestly, by then our patience had run out. Our numbed palates would take a while to recover from this spicy overkill.
AT: Diagonally opposite Fortis/ Wockhardt Hospital, Mulund-Goregaon Link Road, Mulund (West).
Call: 25624999
Cafe Cabana didn't know we were there. THE GUIDE reviews and pays anonymously for its meals
