Who's the Lord of the Rolling Pins?

Eight years ago, they were a team. In 2004, the battle lines were drawn when Farhan Azmi and Moshe Shek parted ways. As another branch of Moshe's opens in Bandra, The GUIDE decided to check out what's cooking inside the rival camps

When we asked our server at Cafe Basilico where their chef had trained, the newbie was stumped. Another server stepped up to assist and truthfully informed us, "Chef Behra trained under Moshe Shek." The newbie, clearly, had neither a clue as to who Moshe was, nor any idea what part he may have played here. We don't blame him. For as time weaves its veil over the past, can anyone truly remember what transpired almost a decade ago?

Cafe Basilico at Colaba was born of a partnership between Moshe Shek and Farhan Azmi. When it opened in 2002, the cosy bistro, with its exquisite Mediterranean and European cuisine was a welcome novelty in the city. Moshe had quit his post as the Chief Operating Officer of Athena, the exceptionally popular Colaba restaurant and lounge, and was all set to impress his new restaurant's clientele with sauces and spices he had especially created for this menu.

Cafe Basilico did impress. Two years into the enterprise, however, Azmi and Shek reportedly fell out. Moshe walked out and set up his own bistro. Now, five years after Basilico opened its doors at Bandra, Moshe's has made its way into the suburbs too. Though their menus are somewhat different, both restaurants have a lot in common. Here's how they size up on various counts.

Service
Once we were escorted to our table at Moshe's, the servers promptly brought us our menus and when we requested for it, a pail full of wonderfully warm Herb Bread. We especially loved that Ajay, our server, remembered exactly which person at the table ordered which dish. A dropped fork was replaced before we could even ask for a replacement.

The friendly servers at Basilico also made a good attempt at efficiency, but they needed a reminder to bring both our soft drink and our water. Then too, they fumbled by bringing us the filtered stuff though we asked for a bottle of mineral water. They also confused our order with that of our companion's and didn't even wish to check before they placed the dish before us.

Grub
The Lemon Chicken-Apricot Salad (Rs 265) at Moshe's was a pretty dish but the Beaten Steak with Gremolata and Risotto (Rs 425) deserves special mention. The meal was so delicious that we were genuinely upset that we couldn't finish the generous serving.

Designed to melt-in-the-mouth, the inclusion of mild mustard in the meat's marinade made it a delight to eat on its own. Although we wouldn't have thought it possible, the tasty creamy spinach-mushroom risotto accompaniment enhanced the dish's appeal. The Gooey Chocolate Cake (Rs 240) and the Chocolate Mud Pie Rs 110) were excellent too.

Basilico's Pear and Chicken Salad (Rs 250) was a scrumptious combination of fresh iceberg lettuce and red cabbage tossed with sliced pear and a mildly spicy julienned chicken. The Teriyaki Steak (Rs 395) was perfectly cooked to medium-well done. Every bite tempted us even further. The Tiramisu disappointed though ufffd some liquor would have improved its bitter sponge. The Chocolate Mud Pie (Rs 135) was very good but it came topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, again, without our say-so.

Tab
For one salad, one steak dish, one dessert and one beverage plus a complimentary bread basket, we ran up a bill of Rs 895 at Moshe's.
The same list off Cafe Basilico's menu costs Rs 880 (but we paid an additional Rs 100 for a bread basket).
Ambience
With its tasteful decor, Moshe's has a cosy yet sophisticated energy. It can get crowded but is rarely the kind of noise that spells ruin while on a romantic date.
The casual atmosphere at Cafe Basilico makes it ideal for small get-togethers and while it's also tastefully decorated, the interiors here are somewhat too plain.

Variety
Though listed on Moshe's menu, two desserts we asked for ufffd an Apricot, Prune and Apple Pie and a dish that was interestingly dubbed, "Al Capone" ufffd were unavailable. Near the bread shelves however, were stacked a nice variety of cookies, an assortment of bread loaves, at least two types of Focaccia and sesame-seed-topped as well as plain Bagels.

"Mikado," a mysterious dessert that's only described as, "A new menu special" was unavailable as was the Pollo Farfalle, a salad that the server informed us was one of the newer additions to Cafe Basilico's menu. Croissants, brioche, exactly three muffins (two blueberry and one chocolate chip) and herbed Focaccia were to be found in the bread baskets).

Moshe's, 7 Minoo Manor, Badhwar Park, Cuffe Parade;
Call: 22161226;u00a0 Also above Nature's Basket, Hill Road, Bandra (W);
Call: 26425555Cafe Basilico, near Radio Club;
Call: 66345670; Also at St John Road, Pali Hill;
Call: 67039999