THE AMERICAN JOINT is a really bright and appealing cafe/restaurant, which has its branches in Bandra and Borivali too. Vibrant walls, monochrome white furniture, and rich green coloured cushions makes up for a rather soothing environment. One entire wall is filled with frames of NFL ( National Football League) teams, in which I don’t suppose many of us are interested. They have outdoor seating as well, which too has a fairly good ambience. The basin’s interiors was what I really liked. Black and white movie posters of all the hollywood classics, and the big mirror’s circumference decorated with yellow lamps makes you feel you are in some celebrity vanity van.
Their motto being ’in CHEESE we trust’ you can’t help yourself but go for some diet-breaking munchies! ( They do offer some deliciously healthy diet food as well.) What’s really important is that they serve many of their dishes specially prepared for Vegans, so if you are one this place is definitely for you.
Lets brake the stereotype and start with the desserts, shall we?
MINTY HAPPINESS - Mint is something which goes well with almost everything, providing a refreshing touch to it. Minty happiness is one such dessert which you can’t have enough of.A hefty scoop of rich mint choco-chip ice cream, sandwiched between crunchy chocolate cookie. Topped with whipped cream, with a sprinkling of chocolate and oreo crumbs. Don’t forget the choco-stick and the mint leaf which is like a cherry on the cake.That’s it, check its images and let the picture speak a thousand more words.
FERRERO ROCHER - A true chocolaty decadence. A creamy and thick preparation, with a smooth, melt in the mouth texture.Topped with a ferrero rocher itself, and then biscuit dust, which not only provides a good brown and white contrast, but gives it a plain, likeable flavour too. Thick chocolate sauce drizzled over the dessert again adds to the eye candy factor.
If you thought ferrero rocher was happiness, think again. Its a rich dessert, one which makes you want to break the stereotype and start your meal with it!
B OVERLOAD - Another dessert entry in the top 5, and a sandwiched one as well. This time, creamy brownie ice cream is sandwiched between freshly baked dark chocolate brownie waffles. Again the topping of whipped cream, choco-stick and chocolate sprinkles. No extra points for guessing that B stands for brownie here!
Now that we are done with the delicately delicious desserts, lets talk about the food and drinks( strictly mocktails and milkshakes! )
HONG KONG FRIES - A mandarin twist added to our favourite snack. The sauce gives a nice balance of the soy and chinese flavours, and dipping the fries in cold mayonnaise completes the magic trick. Fries provide a perfect base to experiment on with different seasonings, and this one is done right.
CHIMICHANGA - For everyone who probably have heard this dish for the first time, its basically deep-fried burrito, a mexican delicacy. I too was introduced to this item recently, thanks to our favourite superhero, Deadpool!
The first thing you take in while they place it on your table is its presentation, its stodgy-ness, a complete meal in itself. A heavy burrito, filled with baked beans, cheese, veggies and chickpea paste, hugged by tortilla flour. Dip it in the fryer and what comes out is a more taste, and crunchy version of it. Served with salsa, some salad, tortilla chips and some sour cream to dip them in. A Mexican staple food, highly recommended by me.
GRILLED PINEAPPLE LIME MOJITO - It was more of a juicy treat then a mojito( virgin of course! ). The taste was a playful combination of thick pineapple juice with a hint of lemony flavour. Topped with masala, and a pineapple core attached at the glass rim makes it more presentable, and I really love pineapple’s core!
GREEN CHILLY WATERMELON COCONUT FIZZ - This drink is every single word form its title. Though it didn’t produce much of effervescence, coconut and watermelon juices combines gave a very peculiar flavour and the green chilly added a bit spicy after taste. Its something different and has something for everyone in it.
COLD COFFEE - I tend to judge a place by how they make my personal selective favourites, cold coffee being one of them. To be honest, they fared averagely when it came to this popular drink. The cold coffee was not at all cold & was moderately thick. The tall glass sure looks very appealing, but the drink is filled max. to 80% of its capacity, while the rest is whipped cream. When I brought this matter into the light, the person serving us told that he dropped in 2 ice cubes instead of the usual 4. I think they have a lot of other drinks which you can enjoy, so let cold coffee pass.
KHAIKE PAAN BANARAS SHAKE WALA - The title reminded me of the popular Bollywood song, and owning to fact that oreo and nutella flavours are too over rated now, decided to go for this one. It was really good and thick, much better than the cold coffee, I must say. The problem of not being cold still persisted, and I would have absolutely loved it if my drink was a little bit greener, but over all the package was not bad. A worth it product!
THE RAZZLE DAZZLE - They sure like to give their drinks a funky and cool name. A bubbly combination of raspberries and strawberries, this cute coloured mocktail packs a wonderful, fruity and sweet punch. I recommend them to be impartial and give this drink a bit better presentation, just like other. How about putting up a fresh strawberry on the glass rim?
GARLIC BOMB CHEESE BREAD - A lovely and much needed variation to the good old cheese garlic bread. Bread balls stuffed with garlic, chilli flakes, oregano and most importantly, mozzarella cheese. Served with a tangy salsa dip, this dish surly is a ’bomb’ of cheese explosion. Must try guys.
GARLIC PANEER BURGER - A bit healthier, as they use whole wheat bread here. The burger was everything it should be. Filling, loaded with loads of veggies and cheese. The most important part, paneer fillet, tossed in garlic paste along with fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley. It was, without a doubt a delicious burger, but it lacked something, and that something is presentation. Rest all the dishes we tried, were not only tasty but presentable too, but the burger didn’t communicate the fact that it too has been made with love. Management, kindly look into this tiny, but important matter.
My verdict for THE AMERICAN JOINT is JUST GO FOR IT! The interiors are cozy, and its the best spot a hangout or family meal. Their desserts are the best and will make you come back for more and more.
Happy Burping!