Small Improvement

The menu,dominated by sandwiches,offers salads,soups and even regular Western breakfast fare (until 11am),but can be misleading. The Italian tuna-pasta salad had dried specks of what once could have tasted like tuna. Which was just as well,since the delicate tuna,basil and the white-wine vinaigrette were completely ambushed by the overwhelming pungency of the jalapenos and chilli flakes. The paneer and mint wrap was similarly pointless,as the mint could only shine through if one had the soft wrap on its own. The grilled vegetables outnumbered and overpowered the paneer through its (mildly) spicy marinade; this is just as well as we didn’t really want more than the scant pieces of dried,hard paneer.

There was some respite for our taste buds,with the spicy Italian panini that wasn’t spicy. The perfectly toasted,grease-free sandwich was delightful on the outside but its filling had little impact. The ‘fresh’ herb and garlic filling was vapid and cheesy; the Italian tomato sauce and sautéed bell peppers were visible but flavourless. We liked only one sandwich—the grilled chicken with basil and chive—that had a whole basil leaf,lovely ciabatta and flavour of olive oil as was promised. While there isn’t much choice in the beverage department,we must warn you that the watermelon and lime cooler was so artificial that its only purpose was to provide sugar as a break from chilli.

As a business,Mumbai Deli will probably succeed and we are certain its food will appeal to many. Ultimately,though,Mumbai Deli does disservice to the term ‘delicatessen’ as much as most canteens do to the term ‘food’.

Mumbai Deli,6,Madhav Bhavan,Opp Kamala Mills,Lower Parel. Tel: 022 6529 3154. Meal for two: 450.