MUMBAI, November 20: A basic IQ of twenty is all you need to realise that what we're talking about here, is food and food alone, at the Devi's Residency (Sector 24, Sion Panvel highway). Appetite has been around for 7 years now, and has been well liked by highway travellers and locals alike. What you get is Indian, Punjabi (isn't that Indian as well?) and Mughlai, with sea food coming out on top. The place is big, neat and spacious, so you can laze through your meal with enough elbow room. As for the service, smiling waiters roam around with menu cards in hand. They are not obtrusive at all, and very well behaved. Ambience is soft, with instrumental music in the air and just the right lighting. The prints on the wall are also worth looking at for their stark modernity. No overdose of the `still life' kind (which can be pleasing when you have an IQ of 20), the pastel shades compliment the atmosphere perfectly. But enough of that.On being asked about the specialities, the Manager Shahadevan - modest man that he is - says, "Everything's special." Not much help there, you think, so the only thing to do is find out for yourself. Start off with Vegetable Surmai (Rs 120) - mixed vegetables in spinach sauce. Move on to Crab Tavaa Masala (Rs 150), popular for its masala, which is not too oily or spicy and can be had with lobster as well. The Methi Rice is perfectly cooked, perfectly laid out and absolutely delicious. For those who love ignoring the calorie counters at home, Mutton Rara is heavy on the palate, but still excellent. Talking about a `kabab mein haddi' is legitimate at Appetite, since it's on the menu. Pahadi Kabab is cooked in traditional pahadi Garhwal style, with the bones intact. Finish off the spread with a Shahi Kheer made with cornflakes, almonds, cashew nuts, milk and coconut cream. For those who can't live without a drink (but won't admit it), the Appetite Special (Rs 100) is a knock out concoction of 3 spirits, orange juice and syrup. There's other run-of-the-mill stuff like Planter's Punch and Paradise (Rs 100). As for mocktails, slip into a Cinderella (Rs 75) - pineapple juice, vanilla and strawberry ice cream - to appease the child in you. And if you desperately want a drink, while your partner won't let you have one, Fruit Beer is the perfect foil. It looks just like beer, amber coloured, frothy top et al, but is really non alcoholic, with a dash of pineapple juice!Apart from the restaurant, the banquet hall is big and neat with its decor, bar and seating capacity of a 100. There's also a lawn for the kids to play on. Festivals are special here, with buffets, candle light dinners and the works. And the crowd? Families frequent the place more often, and it's inevitably crowded on weekends. Timings are 12 pm to 3.30 pm; and 6.30 to midnight. As we get ready to move, Shahadevan tells about why the place is so popular: "Atmosphere, quality of food, service - that's all. We try to understand our clients' needs. When we do that, they're happy. They come back." We couldn't have put it better ourselves.
