2030 hours, June 19 2016, Sunday, Lokhandwala
The Prelude:
It takes oodles of courage to reinvent the wheel. To boldly shut shop a fantastically running concern and to give it a complete makeover. To be firmly rooted in conviction that the path chosen might be little trodden but the vision foreseen holds promises plentiful. That’s Boveda for you. A lounge only recognized for its late night gigs and quirky cocktails earlier, now it has reinvented itself into an all inclusive Bistro, and seems cele_45bratory in its decision.
The Personality:
We get to meet the young turks, Yasho Sonthalia and Abhishek Goyal. Both in their early twenties(twenties?) – both coming across as savants in their game. Neither of them has any prior experience in the hospitality business, in fact this is their first venture altogether. Childhood friends, having studies together and later having worked together as well for a whole six years in the land of Singapore, their camaraderie is visibly evident. And now they have joined hands with the feisty Syesha Kapoor, someone who has worked with the JSM group and Zomato earlier, and someone who has brought in her own insights and her own slice of life. The triumvirate have come together to turn the brand around where food has become the focus, the star attraction. And well deserved, I would say.
The Platter:
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It was a daughter’s day out owing to Father’s Day, and we were graciously invited by the duo to visit their place. And soon the creations of the Executive Chef Mirajul Molla(aged 23, Groan!) came to fore.
HOT TODDY(4.5 / 5): I was suffering from a nasty cold and was recommended this brew. So this had a thimbleful of brandy mixed with honey, and four spices – cinnamon, clove, cardamom and star anise. Served with boiling water. One sip of it and I was rendered summoning for it more. It was a perfect remedy for my condition, a pAnasultancea for listlessness, and a mover and shaker for choked sinuses. The brandy was potent, and the concoction passed through the gullet like a raging bull mowing down everything in its way.
BLACK VANILLA(x / 5): The kid had this mocktail, which seemed a delightful combination of black currant, black grapes and cream. Looked premium, and I have this bookmarked for my next visits here.
PRAWN WITH BASIL CHILLY AND GARLIC(4 / 5): Six tiger prawns, marinated in white wine, chillies, basil, and garlic, tossed and pan fried. Simple but great preparation. The prawns were large gobs, uncorrupted, juicy, goopy and springy, the garlicky bite distinct, and the accompanying tang perfect. The croute that came along was merely ornamental.
CHICKEN SKEWERS(5 / 5): One of the best chicken skewers I have ever had. Creamy meat marinated in paprika, Cajun spice, garlic, red chillies and deggi mirch. Bursting with flavours, fiery hot and tangy, and meant only for the brave hearted. Literally melting in the mouth, the softness clearly reflecting the freshness of the meat. Served with mint mayonnaise to douse some of the fires.
LAMB CUTLET(4 / 5): A cutlet made of minced lamb meat on grilled pita bread served with Quinoa Rocket salad. The meat – though a tad dry - was rightly cooked with ginger garlic paste, cheddar and green chillies, and wherever this combination goes, it emerges as a clear winner. The patty was thick and rich with meaty madness. The accompanying Tzatzaki – cucumber yogurt Greek sauce – atop also sufficiently complemented the dish.
PASTA OGLIO ALIO PEPPERONCINO(x / 5): Spaghetti pasta in aglio olio(garlic and olive oil for the uninitiated) with a dash of hot chilli peppers. Here there were capers and green olives added too to up the complexity quotient. I am not a pasta person but the daughter is, and I could see her savouring the fare happily.
LAMB BURGER(4 / 5): Imagine a large lettuce leaf. A few slices of tomatoes on it. Caramelised onion too. Then a thick, well flavoured gingery lamb patty. Then melted feta. All this sandwiched in a milky brioche. Served with coleslaw and fries. That’s what this is. The burger as a whole was A-One, both in terms of presentation and quality, highly filling, like you could easily substitute it for the main course. Highly recommendable.
DESSERTS:
Two items both absolutely superlative. So while the Tiramisu(4.5 / 5) had an eye popping presentation, the Dense Loaf(4.5 / 5) seemed super rich. The former was a creamy coffee delight, the later a thick slice of cake dunked in chocolate sauce. There are a very little number of items on the dessert list, but both of these won the hearts.
The Platter:
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Its been two months now with the reincarnation, and Boveda is already contemplating fresher pastures. Something has definitely gone right for them - the new line of thinking seems to be on course of intelligence. Its no longer a scene of midnight hours alone where guests walk in to enjoy a glass of drink as an afterthought after supping elsewhere. Drinks in our modern day eating out have to become breakaway units, either co-existing with, or declaring their independence from the eatery that houses them. And on the whole, Boveda makes it absolutely clear which side of the fence it’s on. It shows a lot of potential of becoming a chart buster, but it already possesses an unstoppable energy, and a fierce honesty of purpose that emphatically stops short of gimmickry. And that’s worth a great deal.
The Parameters:
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The Food Quotient: Food Quality: 4.5/5, Food Choices: 3.5/5, Food Portions: 4.5/5, Food Presentation: 4.5/5
The Other Determinants: Location: 5 / 5, Cleanliness: 5 / 5, Warmth: 5 / 5
The Hygiene Factors: Ambiance: 4 / 5, Space Quotient: 4 / 5, Delivery Time: 4 / 5
The Conclusives: Pricing: 4 / 5, Honesty: 5 / 5, Overall Experience: 4.5 / 5, Will I visit Again: 5 / 5.
The Ps:
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