Looking for the local hero

Malwani Kkalwan is old still goldAMBIENCE Its a clean nofrills place with nothing over the topSERVICE the eatery has had consistently excellent service over the yearsVERDICT 154For years now there is only one place that most residents in the neighbourhood of Andheris Seven Bungalows area have frequented for authentic Konkani cuisine mdash Malwan Kkalwan Somehow a nearby outlet of another popular seafood restaurant has never been able to garner the sort of footfall its parent branch in Vile Parle does The eatery is located bang opposite a popular pub But its clientele is a far cry from the raucous filmy folk that the watering hole gets Instead it comprises friends and families out for reasonably priced seafood delicacies and couples who dont need a fancy finedine to impress each otherWe place a telephonic order for two dishes and a drink that epitomise Malwani cuisine as much as dal makhni is typical of a dhaba in Punjab These are bombil fry Rs 269 chicken masala paired with rice bhakri Rs 315 and sol kadi Rs 55 to digest it all with The restaurant has two tables occupied when we arrive around 1230 on a Tuesday afternoon to pick up the grub But going by past experience service is bound to pick up later in the afternoon during peak lunchtimeBombil FryOn opening the bombil fry in office around an hour later it turns out to be a generous portion But unfortunately the besan batter has lost all its crunchiness though this can be attributed to the delay in trying the dish out Otherwise its a decent enough version of the classic fish delicacy except that if truth be told we have had better at some other jointsThe chicken masala on the other hand stands out for its creamy texture given the generous addition of grated coconut The spices like mace and nutmeg also lend it a subtle flavour The bhakri is a bit dry however And the sol kadi too is a standard variant of Maharashtras signature kokum drinkSo while the culinary experience doesnt really disappoint its unlikely that well go around tomtoming Malwan Kkalwan like we used to earlier There seems to be a slight drop in standards middays photo editor a trueblue Marathi manoos corroborates this opinion You can blame it on complacency But thats something the proprietors will definitely have to keep in check given the entry of an excellent new Malwani eatery in the neighbourhood which youll read about in the second half of this shootoutSol KadhiAt Malwani Kkalwan Om Cottage opposite Nana Nani Park JP Road 7 Bungalows Andheri West Timings 12 pm to 330 pm 7 pm to 12 am Call 9870370399Nav Chaitanya A formidable startAMBIENCE The place has a touch of class that is distinctly local in styleSERVICE ten points for honesty and efficiencyVERDICT 25We pick up our parcel from Nav Chaitanya in less than eight minutes of exiting Malwani Kkalwan so that there is parity in the amount of time that passes before simultaneously trying the fare from both places Whats more the order is exactly the same So no one can point a finger saying that the parameters for making a comparison between the two eateries are unfair This restaurant too is near empty at 1240 pm with just one occupied table But that might be because it launched only days ago and word about it hasnt gotten around yetIn fact everything about the place screams new on entering This includes the spotless green upholstery on the sofas and the shiny wooden tabletops Even the service staff has the same sort of enthusiasm that a new student in class displays while trying to impress the teacher Their honesty is also commendable since they initially say over the phone that it will take 15 minutes to prepare the order and then quickly change that to 20 minutes saying that they need the extra time since the bombil fry is made from scratchBombil shallow fryThat does indeed seem to be the case when we bite into the fish starter Rs 230 considering it hasnt lost its crunchiness entirely even an hour later But that might also have to do with the sprinkling of rava on the batter which keeps it from going soggy faster The only complaint we have however is that the fish is a tad too salty since that takes away from its otherwise robust flavourThe bhakri though is delightfully fluffy Its the perfect bread to mop up the chicken masala Rs 290 with which in this place is less creamy than its rivals But that doesnt compromise the coconuty gravy In fact if anything it makes it lighter and hence more palatableSol KadhiThe sol kadi Rs 85 meanwhile is also lighter than the one at Malwan Kkalwan And the sprinkling of dhaniya leaves lifts the digestive drink It really is the definitive beverage that typifies this part of the country and Nav Chaitanya does a commendable job of keeping the flag flying highSo at the end of the day the eatery edges out its competitor in terms of the quality of food The place is also swankier if thats what youre after What remains to be seen however is whether they can maintain standards as time wears on But in the meantime Malwan Kkalwan cant rest on past laurels any longer and would do well to pull its socks upChicken masala with bhakriAt Nav Chaitanya opposite Versova Police Station near Cosmopolitan School DN Nagar Versova Andheri West Time 1130 am to 330 pm 730 pm to 11 pm Call 6173620944 EXCEPTIONAL 34 EXCELLENT 24 VERY GOOD 14 GOOD 054 AVERAGEMalwani Kkalwan and Nav Chaitanya didnrsquot know we were there The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for mealsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates