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ShareIt is becoming like a game now -- trying not to go to an Italian ristorante in Mumbai. Sooner or later I will lose. I know that. The odds are stacked heavily against me because everything is Italian these days. Not that I have anything against it. But you get tired of bad and cheap imitations and the sameness of the whole thing. Ah well, que sera sera.
So, this week's diversion is Shalimar at Bandra. Incidentally, I admit upfront, that not only do they have Mughlai and Chinese (closely related apparently, especially when you consider the proximity of Mongolia and China) but they also have pasta dishes and will cook everything in olive oil for a price.
But obviously, having hopped past the hookah section and skipped above the falooda section, I headed straight for the Mughlai. And was rewarded with the wonderful sight of a gigantic platter of biryani being served to the table on one side. On the other side was a table of ladies eating egg fried rice and rogan josh.
The tandoori mutton chop was six very generous ribs with a good amount of meat on each. The masala was neither overpowering nor too spicy or hot. The tandoori prawns were even better -- succulent, tangy and, as they say in the cliché, finger-lickin'.
No space left said rock chick but I had ordered plenty more. Like daal gosht "full", which was an aromatic, lightly spiced daal, where the daal and the meat blended together quite happily. But the bigger winner was the mutton kheema. This was old style Irani kheema -- and Shalimar today may not be "fine dine" but is definitely higher than a café. So getting it here was a treat (no treat that my first choice gurda tawa was not available). It was perfect. The grains of the mince coated in spices and oil, a strong taste of dill and a perfect match with a crisp tandoori roti. It would have been even better than perfection with a fried egg on top, a pao on the side and a sign above a mirror saying no combing.
Still, you can't have everything, old age teaches you that.
After that, arrived the mutton biryani. Rock chick forgot that she was full and tucked in. It was -- and I know I have insulted it many times in the past -- good, solid, Mumbai style biryani, not overpowered with masala but enough to make your taste buds tickle. And with the ubiquitous potato.
I felt too old for a falooda after all this, but young or nursery enough for a caramel custard. Lots of essence, lots of flavour, cool, smooth, creamy -- just what the doctor ordered.
This was a treat and next week, who knows if the adventure will steer me away from the predictable once again.
Rating: ***
Meal for two (no alcohol): Rs1,000.
Shalimar The Restaurant,
230, Ashoka Building, 438, Linking Road,
Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050.
Tel: 26439782, 26431067
