New and noteworthy: Indigo Deli, AKA and Fatty Bao

And, if you happen to be at one of their outlets this weekend, you’d also encounter their new Frozen Desserts menu, which is, simply put, among the better things we’ve sampled this summer. The Iced Coffee Vanilla Swiss Roll (Rs 445) is honestly, nothing to look at, but trumps the rest of the menu. The swiss roll, made of the softest sponge cake and the vanilla icecream are layered so snugly that you almost don’t want to break the symmetry, except that it tastes so unbelievably good. And of course, coffee and vanilla are an unbeatable combination. The Frozen Granola and Chocolate Mudpie (Rs 445) is a close second with granola bits adding crunch to the icecream.

If you have room for a lot of dessert, you should pick one of the sundaes (Rs 645) – we’d say it’s a tough choice between the Deli Banana Project and the Drunken Waffle. Although the banana sundae had us at candied pecans and toffee and hot fudge, the rum anglaise in the Drunken Waffle has great promise. If you’re with a bunch of kids, the Hot Chocolate Freeze (Rs 365), a thick chocolate shake, which brings back memories of Cadby’s from Pune is a definite winner. We get a sense that this frozen drinks and desserts menu is going to be drawing a lot of crowd back into what was once Mumbai’s favourite restaurant.

Where: Indigo Deli
When: 9am – 11am
Price: Rs 345 (exclusive of taxes) at R-City Mall, Ghatkoper and Inorbit Mall, Malad; Rs 565 (exclusive of taxes) at Colaba, Palladium, Bandra and Lokhandwala.

The Turkish Lahmacun at AKA, Mumbai needs work .

AKA, Mumbai
If you’re an upscale modern European restaurant with a spiffy wine list, then setting up shop opposite a planetarium isn’t the wisest move yet. It isn’t a hot location unless you’re bringing in school kids for cooking workshops during non-operational hours (Now, here’s an idea! You’re welcome). But it was strangely delightful to watch a family including the grandfather and grandmother step into AKA (previously 212) for dinner.

The menu at AKA is fairly extensive, and features interesting dishes/interpretations from across the world. They don’t get everything right all the time. We know we won’t return for the jalapeno polenta (Rs 600) with mushroom duxelle (minced) and an unappetising tomato glaze, which was more puree than glaze. If there was one off note ruining the dish, then it was the glaze. The Turkish Lahmacun too, for instance, needs more work. The original, known rather unjustly as Turkish pizza, is all about thin crusts and ground meat. AKA gets the ground meat right, but would do well to look into the crust. At this moment, it tastes like a fairly okay pizza.

However, when the restaurant does get things right, it does so spectacularly. The Ravioli (Rs 650) in green olive cream filled with pear, walnut and blue cheese was so delicately flavoured that it revived our appetite again. The Moorish-style Chorizo (Rs 500), a stewish delight redolent with garlic, paprika and those coarse, ground bits of chorizo hit the spot. The bartender at AKA is also an ace, and it takes just one drink to figure that.

The Caterpillar Sushi Roll and Rice Paper Rolls at The Fatty Bao, Bengaluru, are sheer works of art. (Source: Kunal Chandra)

In this case, the Belvedere Ginger Spritz (Rs 700). The cocktail is part of a promotional menu, but they ought to put it on the regular list because it’s got just the right combination of sweet vermouth, just a shadow of sweetness, ginger and well, vodka (we suppose it would taste just as good with any other vodka, and that should bring down the price a bit.) The same goes for the excellent sugar free Panna Cotta (Rs 350), which is not too wobbly or too stiff and goes perfectly with the ripe Alphonso cubes that were served with it.
Where: AKA, Ground Floor, Lotus Cinema Building, Hornby Vellard Esate, Dr. Annie Besant Road, Worli, Mumbai
When: 12 noon – 12 midnight
Cost: Rs 4,000 for a meal for two, including alcohol (exclusive of taxes)
Phone: 022-61054592

Fatty Bao, Bengaluru
Lest our summer memories of Bengaluru are made up solely of sweaty brows and parched throats, Fatty Bao’s special summer menu, aims to refresh and rejuvenate before we submit to the gushing rains. The “Ode to Summer” menu, available for lunch and dinner has crunchy salads, sushi, summer rolls, flavourful mains and desserts along with refreshing cocktails on offer – all incorporating the various ingredients of summer, along with Fatty Bao’s traditional Asian flavours – served amidst origami flowers, butterfly cutouts and lanterns.

Begin your meal with cocktails (Rs 380) like the delicious Summer Shandy – vodka and Indian lager, infused with fresh watermelon and basil, Mary Blue – gin, lime juice, blue curaçao and a tad strong-after taste of rosemary or Sunny Margarita – tequila, passion fruit syrup, fresh lime and the summer fruit everyone awaits – fresh mango. The Cold Noodle Salad (Rs 245) is the ideal start to your meal – the spicy Asian Glass noodles with pickled vegetables are the perfect blend of texture and flavour, scoring over the sriracha-sauce flavoured Thai Summer Salad (watermelon and fresh radish, Rs 245). Sushi lovers can try the Caterpillar sushi (with poached shrimps and tempura fried prawns, Rs 595) that comes plated like a caterpillar, complete with a leafy antenna, but I’m yet to convert into a sushi-lover.

Even if you aren’t a big fan of broccoli, Chef Prashant will ensure that you’d go about recommending the Stir-Fried Broccoli (Rs 265) to everybody in your vicinity like a bonafide brocoolihead. Crunchy broccoli delightfully spiced with mirin-glazed bacon, this dish is a winner. Crushed peanuts in the stuffing and a delicious sweet citrus chilly sauce make the Rice Paper Rolls (Rs 275) a must-have. The Korean Fried Chicken – with the crunchy, mildly-greasy double fried crust – is an ideal accompaniment with your drinks.

The Chicken Rice (Rs 345) – Hainanese style Chicken Rice with broth and vegetables – is the star of the menu for the melt-in-your-mouth poached chicken, the flavourful broth and the two accompanying chilly sauces. If you like your curries hot and sour, don’t miss the Malacca Asam Pedas (Rs 445).

The wobbly Mango Pannacota (Rs 220), served with sago, vanilla ice-cream and a crunchy, flavourful pistachio crumble and the Frozen Rainbow Cake (Rs 240), with its many colours and light flavour, adds a touch of spring to this crazy summer we’ve been living with.

Where: The Fatty Bao, 12th Main, Indiranagar
When: Until May 29, Lunch and Dinner
Cost: Rs 1,800-2,200 (meal for two including cocktails, excluding taxes)
Phone: 080-44114499