Sunday, July 11, 2010

Eating out 1: Alfredos, Juhu – Bombay


Okay, I wrote this a long time ago. Eating out is Let’s talk about me’s section of restaurant reviews. 
 
Sunday, 14th March, 2010 

Ni D. and I turn to the wimpy Times Food Guide (Mumbai). You can fill your uneventful day by looking it up area-wise, craving-wise, budget-wise, decor-wise or just alphabetically if you’re rolling in time. 
Today, it points to Alfredos. The convenient thing is they serve food all day and it was already 4 p.m. Buried behind the purple of CCD (near Prithvi Theatre), it has a dismal entrance, 2 floors, 4 occupied tables and a distracting IPL match. Despite that, the waiters are pretty prompt and feign enthusiasm. One scurries to get a single lemon iced tea, Char grilled fish in lemon butter sauce and Pizza Napolitano.
Snake inspired carvings and random posters thrust towards us. Lots of mirrors loom large , partitioned by a mid-sized TV drooping down on whoever cares to watch. Ni D.’s doodle explains the callous decor. 
The cutlery is blah, the crockery cold and there are no napkins only pink tissues. Two pillars ahead of me, I see a bar on the side. Lots of waiters gleam hysterically at the TV. IPL is the buzz word.
Lemon iced tea arrives a few minutes later. Much too sweet + the lemon’s less. Rs. 35 forces me to suffice with what I get. Ni D. only cares for pizza.

10 minutes later her 8” Pizza Napolitano sizzles at us. The toppings (bacon+ chicken+ mushroom+ pepperoni + lots of cheese+++) trip over each other and a tomato-base thin crust. It’s gigantic, scrumptious and worth the money (Rs.200).
 
4 slices down, the Char grilled fish in lemon butter sauce arrives looking pompous in proportions. Several slices of fish are covered in juicy and tantalizing orange sauce, with my favourite mashed potatoes+coriander scooped right beside. The fish is a bit too fresh - not marinated enough. It goes well with the mash. The garlic bread is dry and unappetizing. The sautéed vegetables are a disaster - the bell peppers look 4 days old and the broccoli is parched. An okay for Rs.270.  
Overall, the prices are very reasonable. Also, the good thing is they dole out great portions - we managed to pack 3 slices of pizza. I’d recommend it- I remember fighting over the remains. The fish and the iced tea - #fail.
Rating **1/2

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