Mumbai food: Eating out - Save room for that dessert

As we eat out more than ever before amp travel more mundane is not an option for a successful restaurant The mantra seems to be to Excite and Entice the customer with Innovation While the main course innovation revolution may have hit us a few years ago restaurants today have started adding twists to desserts too Gone are the days when you had to choose between a cheesecake a mousse or a rasmalai Chefs are having a lot of fun with desserts and itrsquos us who laugh our inches to our hips Though we are not complaining for sureThe Fusion Mix More Indian Than Not Indian Restaurants have become Cool again A Far Cry from the Ghazal playing mughlai restaurants of yore They are more contemporary and they are packaging old Indian favorites in a way that keeps the traditional essence intact yet giving it a modern twistThe Bombay Canteen one of Mumbairsquos hotspots and clear favorites is popular for their unique desserts There is no chocolate on their menu They serve an interestingly named lsquoGuava Tan Ta Tanrsquo which is The Bombay Canteens take on the guava with chilli powder we used to eat on the street side when growing up This childhood favorite is a luscious and spicy chilli ice cream served on a guava tart It reflects The Bombay Canteens philosophy of celebrating Indian flavours using local and seasonal ingredients in a fun way So you can try the jackfruit version of the tart when they are in season tooChef Thomas Zachariah from The Bombay Canteen sums it up quite simply ndash ldquoAlthough there are different techniques and textures used in our desserts they have familiar flavours which a lot of us grew up eating Its that comfort association which ensures that our guests come back over and over again to have themrdquoFarzi Cafeacute from as well seems to be inspired by a similar philosophy They serve a decadent Parle G Cheesecake in milk custard which is actually Rabdi So imagine a Cheesecake sandwiched between two Parle G biscuits and instead of dunking it in Milk you pretty much go for the kill in Rabdi If that doesnrsquot catch your fancy you can try the sinful Warm Suji Halwa and Banana Syrup Cake with Saffron and Pistachio Ice Cream Sinful muchHealthier Options Itrsquos not all artery blocking decadence when it comes to desserts There are enough options to indulge the sweet tooth of the healthy eater as well Le Pain Quotidien in Mumbai has one of the best menus for vegans and itrsquos no surprise that the menu extends to dessert options as well The Home Made Carrot Cake for vegans is fresh moist whilst still being devoid of the evils of butter and eggs The Home Made Granola with Chia Pudding is a perfect way to end a healthy meal if you want to wash it down with dessert and yet stay guilt freeThe chia pudding by itself is turning into a popular dessert item The Bombay Salad Company in Mumbai serves an oats and chia pudding in cashew milk with seasonal fruit The dessert satiates a sweet tooth and then fruits are seasonal so they tend to add their own distinct flavor to the pudding The house specialty however is the Dark Chocolate Vegan Sorbet This is any dark chocolate loverrsquos heaven Itrsquos magic bowls over the nonvegans as well The healthier desserts tend to do be really rich and unadulterated by any other ingredients and thatrsquos what makes the Sorbet decadent No other flavor takes away from the 100 dark chocolate flavor The Sorbet is at par with any that you would eat in Italy Deconstruction This is still a nascent trend and very few restaurants serve deconstructed dishes Deconstruction refers to the idea of breaking apart elements traditionally combined together to make a dish and serving the items separately in a unique wayAt One Street Over Coffee Cheesecake is often reviewed as a not to miss dish at the restaurant They mentioned that they dont deconstruct a dish just to deconstruct it Plates are plated so the customer can enjoy every bite and ensure its eaten how Chef Kelvin wants the customer to eat it Deconstruction is not a trend but more of a functional purpose in their caseThe Deconstructed Coffee Cheesecake with Chocolate Cake is a killer combination plated in a manner which lets you get a taste of all the unique flavors ndash the Coffee Cheesecake Chocolate Sponge and Nut praline and Milk Crumbs Their second deconstructed dish on the Menu is the Srsquomore A heady combination of Gluten Free Cookies Cinnamon Ice Cream and the most interesting addition is the burnt meringue in the dishSo go ahead and Save a Lot of Room for dessert because it is not going to be just ldquosomethingrdquo sweet you could end your meal with Therersquos a lot of options out there for every kind of palate and itrsquos only fair that the dessert connoisseur in you does justice to all