Crossroads 92 - Shanti Circle - Borivali West
Yes, it is near the Shanti Ashram. The 92 refers to the postal code and crossroads refers to the, well, crossroads. It is on the triangle on the edge of the circle -- a really prime location for a restaurant.
It has a really nice ambiance, a tad formal in a way. The cutlery is modern and pleasurable. The waiters look smart and knowledgeable.
Note: I think the Chef wants to be different. So each of the dish is actually a variation from the traditional or expected version. Some may like it, others may not like it so much.
Tomato Basil Soup
At first glance it looked like a rasam with basil leaves strewn all over. The consistency was that of a rasam. But my wife quite liked it. I found it OK but was trying to figure out the little bit of bitterness in it. (Checked with the Chef and he confirmed that they do not include the skins. I have a feeling it is perhaps the seeds which got included by mistake!) I would call this more like a shorba rather than a propah soup. Quantity was good and the taste quite good.
Ceasar's Salad
Both of us liked it. The dressing was very tasty and creamy. Interestingly, there were slivers of cheese all over. I thought tomato ketchup was an integral part, but it was not there. Strangely enough croutons which are what distinguishes a Caesar's Salad was absent. (I believe the Main Chef was absent -- the excellent Steward said he can get us some additional pitta bread if we wanted!) The lettuce leaves were fresh, cold and crunchy. The size was well cut so you got a very nice mouth feel. The dressing really coated all the leaves, which is something which I liked.
Hummus with Pitta Bread
I do not think anyone makes a hummus look so good -- a golden yellow, extremely creamy with a little bit of oil shining through! The taste was good too, though I would have preferred a little more of garlic. (Not chef's fault -- only 1 garlic is recommended!) I believe lime and tahini sauce is also added -- could not really get the taste of either.
The pitta bread was good too. Very crisply baked triangles.
Tomato Bruschetta
These 6 pieces of thinly sliced french bread (baguette) with topping of tomatoes and cheese were really good. They were value for money too at around Rs.150. Like in modern and fancy restaurants there were some chef signatures (drawings) using Balsamic Vinegar. My god this vinegar was really tasty and I was licking the tiny drops with my fingers. I must get this brand of Aceto Balsamico from Hypercity soon. (We saw this brand at Cafe 015 too, it was placed on the table, but did not use it!)
Glazed Citrus Chicken
My wife quite liked this Chinese version of Glazed Citrus Chicken. The quantity was so good that my wife could not finish it and we had to pack the remaining portion. To be honest it looked so good that I was tempted to become a non-veg!
Mango Bavarois
I was looking forward to this dessert as I had read about it in the menu on the Zomato site. Also, it was described as a soufflé. Bavarois in French refers to Bavarian Cream. It came in the huge wine glass which we see desserts being served nowadays. There was just a small strand of mango on it as decoration. Not sure whether the "soufflé" had the mango taste but the colour was yellow. It was not sweet at all, so good for diabetics. I was disappointed. It was too thick and not creamy and airy. It was more like a custard that you may get at Irani restaurants. (BTW, this is not an "insult" to either the Irani restaurant or to this one. Just sharing my experience.)
Pricing
I think the pricing was quite cool for such a posh restaurant albeit at Borivali! All this came within Rs.900. Most of the dishes are priced between Rs.80 and Rs.200. Even though taxes are inclusive, 10% service charges are extra. It is like the tip being already included.
Links
Sadly, my favourite site burrp! does not have it yet!
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