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A havelli full of flavours

There is no over-the-top drama behind the simple, yet delicious traditional food served at The Bombay Havelli

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In this age of fusion, that often leads to a whole lot of confusion, it’s rare to come across a new eatery that promises to serve you traditional cuisine. So imagine our surprise when we get to know that the newest place in town, that goes by the name of The Bombay Havelli, is doing just that.

With a name like that, we expect a grand entrance, chandelier lighting, brightly coloured cushions on low diwans and murals. We get all that and more. The vegetarian restaurant that opens today at Charni Road, even has a stair lift to help senior citizens to make their way to the upper section, probably a first for a restaurant in the city. A hand-painted wall opposite us, makes us feel like we are looking out from a haveli to the garden outside. The warm lighting adds to the ethnic appeal of the interiors.

Marzy Parakh, co-founder of the restaurant, stops by our table to inform us about the cuisine. “Rajasthani, Gujarati and Parsi dishes dominate the menu. We wanted to keep traditionally-strong dishes, food that is simple and delicious, served with modern garnish and presentation,” he shares. Well, we can’t wait to get started and very soon, we find ourselves digging into plates of Cheese Tukdi (Rs 299) and Methi Kaju Roll (Rs 299). While the former is a crispy fried bread with a spicy cheese and chilly filling, it is the latter that impresses us with its delicious flavour of methi. Thankfully, the kaju doesn’t overpower the dish and we have a tasty appetiser that goes well with the mint chutney served along with it.

The Rajwadi Dhokli (Rs 280), a Gujarati preparation that follows next, is a slightly tangy and a slightly sweet take on a dhokla. Sprinkled with sesame seeds there is a crunch to the prepraration as well, and we might as well declare this the best dish, right alongside the Methi Kaju Roll. Next up is the Patra Ni Paneer (Rs 370), paneer steamed inside a banana leaf with a sweet and spicy chutney. The soft cubes of paneer and the thick chutney on top was a combination that complemented each other well.

Not many places in the city serve Dal Baati Churma (Rs 310), the delicious Rajasthani preparation of a spicy dal poured over the deep-fried baati and the sweet churma served alongside. We remember trying it out on one of our trips to Rajasthan and obsessing over it once back. One bite from the dish here and we are back in the land of the deserts. Now we know we don’t have to travel too far for this dish!

After this dish, the expectations soar high but they crash-land with the Sali Paneer and Phulka Roti (Rs 499) that follow. A vegetarian take on the Parsi preparation, Sali Boti, this one just doesn’t work with the paneer, which is a little too hard, served in a gravy which is a little too sweet. So the Lasaniya Batata (Rs 270) is a welcome respite with its garlicy sauce covering the potatoes. We just wish there was more gravy or that the potatoes were a bit smaller to let the taste of the gravy in. The Veg Dhansak with Brown Rice and Kachumber (Rs 499) that follow next is sure to appeal to patrons who want to have a go at the vegetarian version of the dish that’s usually a mutton affair.

But the star of the evening has to be the Haveli Ki Khasiyat (Rs 425). Vegetable koftas garnished with paneer and cheese and served in a rich gravy that we have with Malabari parathas (Rs 49) — every morsel of the dish is welcome. But be warned, this is a heavy-duty dish, so we suggest you don’t eat a lot prior to it like we did. Another tip, do not miss out on the Ice Cream Soda at the restaurant. Given our experience, we would like to tag this one ‘the taste of childhood’ and that’s sure to bring a smile on anyone’s face!

Brownie points: We thought the stair lift was pretty impressive but getting to know that the owners want to provide an inclusive environment for the physically disabled in different section of their restaurant operations, warmed our hearts. Here’s to more such initiatives!

Verdict: Why wait? Just go.

Where: The Bombay Havelli, Ground Floor, Ladhabhai Mansion, Next to Punjab National Bank, Charni Road (E)

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