Treat yourself to 'Progressive Indian Food' at The Spare Kitchen in Juhu

On the way to Spare Kitchen we pass our favourite joints Alfredos and Temple Flower and we almost stop right there to help ourselves to a beer tower But today we must enter The Spare Kitchen headed by Rakesh Talwar of F Bar fame The month old restaurant has come in the place where Bombay 72 Degrees East infamous for its rave party scandal and later Don Giovanni once stood The Chocolate Fantasy is a sinful dessert that comes with a chocolate cutting chai mocha cupcake and hazelnut tart PicAmit Jadhav We walk in on a Wednesday night The bar has a fish tank only the fish is replaced by colourful alcohol bottles Cool We say in our heads One section also has a projection screen and for those who are made to wait fikar not Therersquos a movie playing too The stomach craves Punjabi food and we turn to our server for recommendations on the lsquo Progressive Indianrsquo menu which also has Italian options The Spare Kitchen has spacious interiors with quirky group seatings PicPradeep Dhivar We start with a Cheesy Potato and Leek Soup Rs 145 which is presented in beautiful large mugs on a black platter garnished with three cubes of bread croutons dripping with orange sauce The soup is buttery comforting and infused with sage and oregano For the starter we order Tandoori Stuffed Mushroom Rs 250 which is topped with orange cheddar The first flavour that hits home is Nawabi elaichi cardamom accompanied by a spicy masala complete with the juicy mushrooms While scanning through the menu the Nizza Rs 215 catches our fancy ldquo Itrsquos the Indian version of a pizzardquo the server tells us with great pride We choose a zucchini and broccoli topping and when it is placed before us we have our doubts Our procrastination crumbles at the very first bite Naan for a base and makhani gravy replaces the pizza base and tomato gravy We canrsquot get enough of this one With our main course the Sesame crusted Kofta in Red Gravy Rs 295 and Kolhapuri Chicken Naan Rs 175 diet and all dreams of starting one are tossed out of the window The gravy is a bit too heavy for our liking but the deep fried koftas laden with crunchy cabbage carrots and potato make the indulgence legitimate The naan which truly captures the creativity and intelligence of contemporising traditional breads is stuffed with a Maharashtrian dry thencha masala and shredded chicken With our main course the pickles and chutney are served on a platter along with unchopped onions and a knife And while the food is served with great devotion we chop our own onions We love this interaction with our food lsquoThe best is yet to comersquo crooned Frank Sinatra but we find it in the dessert The Chocolate Fantasy Rs 475 On a long platter comes a Hazelnut Tart Mocha Cupcake ice cream Jalapeno Chocolate Balls and a cup of chai We are encouraged to dip a chocolate spoon into the chai and allow it to melt as it to turn into a chocolate cutting While the cupcake is too dry the rest of the dessert is divine The only lsquo scandalrsquo this place will stir is over its splendid food Where The Spare Kitchen Ground floor Kings International Hotel Compound Juhu Call 09818588006 Food Fancy Ambiance Relaxed Service Friendly