In Mumbai, conversations about food at theatre venues inevitably become a discussion about the consistently good Prithvi Cafe, housed within the city’s iconic Prithvi Theatre in Juhu. Imran Rasheed and Gibran Anwar have given us more to talk about by launching Garammasala.com, a restaurant located within walking distance from Prithvi.
While it’s common for the city’s theatre artists to have day jobs, few have ventured into the F&B space. Actors Rasheed and Anwar, who are from Uttar Pradesh, have fuelled the buzz around their venture by focusing on the food of Moradabad, Anwar’s hometown. However Garammasala.com doesn’t offer the most flattering first impression of the meat-focused cuisine. Their curries, rolls and kebabs, which we got home delivered in Bandra, contained a distressing amount of oil, something that Anwar, during a post-meal feedback call, promised to rectify.
Their chicken (Rs80) and mutton (Rs120) egg rolls were closer to China than U. P. The thick ghee-drenched parathas were padded with omelettes and contained pepper-spiked chicken and mutton pieces and sliced capsicum, resulting in a combination that tasted like the filling of a spring roll. The mutton shammi (Rs80 for two) was a deep-fried, dry and firm cutlet, the very opposite of what it should have been. On the other hand, the pieces of meat were cooked perfectly in the mutton khada masala (Rs180), a thick gravy dominated by whole spices.
With Garammasala.com’s food, dredging is as necessary as draining. The gravies are laden with peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon that we had to pick out from every spoonful of the mains. Like the mutton curry, the chicken qorma (Rs160) was doused in red food colouring, but had a thinner, milder and less-flavourful gravy. The dish was further marred by the tough meat on the bone.
But the mutton biryani (Rs170), which was spared the spices and excessive oil, was encore-worthy. The perfumed rice had a sufficient amount of masala from the tender pieces of mutton concealed within the flavour-packed heap. For struggling actors and budget-battling students, one of the highlights of Garammasala.com will be that the prices are notably low. Most dishes cost less than a ticket to a play at Prithvi.
Get: Mutton biryani (Rs170); mutton khada masala (Rs180).
Skip: Chicken qorma (Rs160); mutton roll (Rs120); mutton shammi (Rs80).
Prices include taxes. This review was conducted anonymously.
It is our policy to wait at least a week after an establishment has opened before we review it.
Garammasala.com, Shop No.5, 70D Nirmala Devi Arun Kumar Ahuja Road, next to Ritambhara College, Juhu. Tel: 82913 82244. Open daily, noon to 4pm and from 6pm to 1am. Get directions here.
Between 1am and 4am, Garam Masala will home deliver across Mumbai at an extra cost equal to 20 per cent of the bill.