Much-loved Fountain Sizzlers in Fort opens in Lower Parel, plating a fine balance of classic and modern
Sizzling brownie with vanilla ice cream
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s unlikely that you wouldn’t have enjoyed a sizzler at Fort’s iconic Fountain Sizzlers, especially if you’re a millennial and a boomer. For 32 years and counting, this popular destination has been dishing out sizzlers, along with sandwiches and light grub, retaining its flavours through nostalgia and quality.
Ayush and Amrish Arora
Amrish Arora was all of 25 when he started Fountain Sizzlers. He recognised its potential where it could maintain a balance between Continental and French cuisines. “The sizzler was an instant hit because Indians want their food served garam-garam,” says Arora, who over the years, has opened multi-cuisine eatery, Flamboyante, Boardwalk by Flamboyante in Mandwa, a cocktail bar Hammer & Song, along with a full-fledged catering company. In recent times, his sons Ayush, 28, and Aryan, 23, joined the business to keep food stories relevant to the present-day eaters.
Grilled Norwegian Salmon
While the Fort outpost continues to serve its classic menu, the new space reinvents as a pilot to pave the way for a steak and grillhouse avatar. The Aroras look at it as a 2.0 journey inspired by dishes from across the globe that they serve it onto the Teppan hot plate. The Five Mushroom Boscaiola Spaghetti (R715) is proof that anything that hits the sizzle plate gets an added depth of taste.
Fountain Sizzlers at its Lower Parel address
We meet Ayush, who walks us through the new outpost at newly-opened Gourmet Village in Phoenix Palladium, a swanky three-storeyed culinary destination with over 20 restaurants. Located on the second level, the 95-seater displays clean white walls with maroon and sage colour palette in its décor. Floral terracotta tiles lend the space an old-world charm. A bar nestled in a corner, serves beers and cocktails. The centre walls are filled with caricatures framed narrating the journey of Fountain Sizzlers from Fort to Lower Parel, transforming into a sizzler house. The artwork takes liberty to plant its owners and even their chef, Dinoo Das, who has been with them since inception.
Chef Dinoo Das has been with Fountain Sizzlers since inception. Pics/Shadab Khan
“In its new avatar, Fountain Sizzlers positions itself as a BBQ and grill house. We travelled across the globe and picked up inspiration to introduce teppan even for our spaghettis and bowl meals,” says Ayush, adding, “These sizzlers are smaller in size, and cleaner in their elements to offer the new-age patrons their dose of protein, rice, veggies and mashed potatoes. We haven’t changed the dishes to adapt to evolving tastes. People value nostalgia. Many of our patrons, who first tried the menu as youngsters, and are grandparents now, drop in for the taste,” reveals Amrish.
Classic Crusty Mustard Chicken
The menu has borrowed the best from its F&B family — Khow Suey Stone Bowl (Rs 745/895) and the Chilli Garlic Yaki Udon (Rs 845) from Flamboyante, Espresso Martini (R750) from Hammer & Song and the best starters from Fountain Sizzlers. The popular Lemon Iced Tea (Rs 290) plays companion through the meal. We begin with the originals. Fountain Classic Crusty Mustard Chicken (Rs 445) that has succulent chicken coated in cornflakes. The homemade mustard mayonnaise is desi and creamy. The Thai Golden Basket has wafer-thin rice canapés packed with tangy Thai spiced potato, bird’s eye chilli and corn (Rs 315).
Lemon Iced Tea
The pizzas are cracker-thin. We opt for a Four Cheese Pizza (Rs 695) that comes dressed with mozzarella, Parmesan, feta and cheddar. The smoky and sweet pizza sauce has the right amount of tang. This one is a cracker, literally. The Grilled Norwegian Salmon (Rs 1465) caters to the audience looking to eat right yet indulge. A potato mash, American corn, snow peas, shimeji and shiitake in Japanese stir fry sauce with sticky rice accompanies two generous filets of fish. The Chilli Garlic Yaki Udon has wok-tossed noodles in a sweet and spicy chilli garlic sauce. Steamed bok choy, corn and water chestnut add fibre and texture.
Four Cheese Pizza
No prizes for guessing how we end the meal. The Sizzling Brownie (Rs 595) and creamy vanilla ice cream is served with slightly burnt edges where the simple homemade taste of a gooey brownie and chocolate sauce, we realise, hasn’t changed. Old-timers who came to check this younger, hip sibling stepped out satiated. On the day we dropped by, we overhear two women diners sum up our state of mind, “My mom used to make sizzlers at home. I feel bored making it. I come to Fountain for my fill.”
Fountain Sizzlers
AT 3rd Floor, Gourmet Village, Phoenix Palladium, Lower Parel.
CALL 9930036500
TIME 12 pm to 12.30 am
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