A few days ago i had the privilege (or thats what i thought then) of visiting the famous Colaba eatery "Paradise". I was glad that i was visiting a so-called institution of Parsi cuisine. Located near the landmark Kailash Parbat, just before Colaba market, its a small, quaint and well lit place. From the outside, one can easily miss this place if ur driving at a decent speed(keep your eyes open!). at the entrance itself we got to see Mumbai' stamp of recognising a decent restaurant , the"Burrp!" certificate(and another one inside). A Grade I restaurant with a seating capacity of around 8 families of four.
many-a-man has made a big deal out of certain dishes at this place, and i thought its better to stick to the house specialities for it was ofcourse my first time at paradise. one look at the menu card can be a bit frightening for the layman, or can get ones hopes really high, which it honestly did in my case.
we began with the "scotch broth"(chicken) which we decided to share 2 bowls by four. the quantity of the same was perfect for one, although it was the price that compelled us to call for two between the four of us. now u know the service is good and well prepared or the dish has been a favorite when the dishes come to your table within 2-3 mins. this was evident at paradise. about the broth, i was really pleased with the flavours, very simple and basic yet so full of 'em. it made me forget about the quantity. content with broth we ordered three more stalwarts of paradise, the mutton cutlets with roast potatoes and grilled onions, the Salli Boti, and the chicken Farcha. all these three were heard of and were also recommended by our host, saying "its good enough for the four of you."
i'll cut the chase and get to the food, the salli boti , taste-wise, was exceptional, the mutton was just how i like it, boneless yet maintaining its robust texture and flavour. but wen it cam to quantity, it was very difficult to share it within two people, let alone four. also they could have been more generous with the Salli, for it is Salli-Boti and not Boti-Salli. the Farcha was just a single leg of chicken deep fried in some mild spices, which we guys couldn't quite decide as to how it was to be split four ways. the chicken was underseasoned, the spices subtle, and lets not get started with the quantity. the mutton cutlets were probably the heroes of that night, one plate was good enough an appetizer for two, but again WE WERE FOUR!! the grilled onions in the brown sauce were a superb example of how a brown sauce should taste. a complete delight for the palate. the Salli Boti and the Farcha were had with roomali roties(one each), which were again a bit under. i could taste the flour and were extremely chewy. but sine they were generous with the size of the roomali, we were faced with a dillema as to wat to do with the remaining roti, for our appetizer and main course dishes were done with, and we were miles away from being full. so we called for what they called the chicken chilly-paradise special, expecting something new. sadly, that too was another disappointment, for it was the chicken chilly which u must have certainly had for ever since the indianised chinese cuisine exploded on the indian palate, only difference being u get the same thing outside for better rates, better taste, and even more, generous quantities. that chilly chicken was blasphemous, salty, and the soy sauce was overly done. completely avoidable.
to summarise
the good: the broth, mutton cutlets
the bad: salli boti(solely on the quantity issue)
the ugly: the farcha, the chilly chicken(paradise special!?), and the roomali roties
even more ugly: the quantity, the value for money factor(WE PAID Rs.1275 including a round of soft drinks for the four of us).
Verdict: Go to paradise for only certain dishes like the scotch broth and the mutton cutlets, and if u think that your heavy wallet is making your ass-cheeks go out of alignment, and if that bothers you.
two and a half chicken drumsticks out of five. :|
- Gaurang(Gabo)
many-a-man has made a big deal out of certain dishes at this place, and i thought its better to stick to the house specialities for it was ofcourse my first time at paradise. one look at the menu card can be a bit frightening for the layman, or can get ones hopes really high, which it honestly did in my case.
we began with the "scotch broth"(chicken) which we decided to share 2 bowls by four. the quantity of the same was perfect for one, although it was the price that compelled us to call for two between the four of us. now u know the service is good and well prepared or the dish has been a favorite when the dishes come to your table within 2-3 mins. this was evident at paradise. about the broth, i was really pleased with the flavours, very simple and basic yet so full of 'em. it made me forget about the quantity. content with broth we ordered three more stalwarts of paradise, the mutton cutlets with roast potatoes and grilled onions, the Salli Boti, and the chicken Farcha. all these three were heard of and were also recommended by our host, saying "its good enough for the four of you."
i'll cut the chase and get to the food, the salli boti , taste-wise, was exceptional, the mutton was just how i like it, boneless yet maintaining its robust texture and flavour. but wen it cam to quantity, it was very difficult to share it within two people, let alone four. also they could have been more generous with the Salli, for it is Salli-Boti and not Boti-Salli. the Farcha was just a single leg of chicken deep fried in some mild spices, which we guys couldn't quite decide as to how it was to be split four ways. the chicken was underseasoned, the spices subtle, and lets not get started with the quantity. the mutton cutlets were probably the heroes of that night, one plate was good enough an appetizer for two, but again WE WERE FOUR!! the grilled onions in the brown sauce were a superb example of how a brown sauce should taste. a complete delight for the palate. the Salli Boti and the Farcha were had with roomali roties(one each), which were again a bit under. i could taste the flour and were extremely chewy. but sine they were generous with the size of the roomali, we were faced with a dillema as to wat to do with the remaining roti, for our appetizer and main course dishes were done with, and we were miles away from being full. so we called for what they called the chicken chilly-paradise special, expecting something new. sadly, that too was another disappointment, for it was the chicken chilly which u must have certainly had for ever since the indianised chinese cuisine exploded on the indian palate, only difference being u get the same thing outside for better rates, better taste, and even more, generous quantities. that chilly chicken was blasphemous, salty, and the soy sauce was overly done. completely avoidable.
to summarise
the good: the broth, mutton cutlets
the bad: salli boti(solely on the quantity issue)
the ugly: the farcha, the chilly chicken(paradise special!?), and the roomali roties
even more ugly: the quantity, the value for money factor(WE PAID Rs.1275 including a round of soft drinks for the four of us).
Verdict: Go to paradise for only certain dishes like the scotch broth and the mutton cutlets, and if u think that your heavy wallet is making your ass-cheeks go out of alignment, and if that bothers you.
two and a half chicken drumsticks out of five. :|
- Gaurang(Gabo)
i second dat!!...btw...da shwarma place was much better quantity wise and also value for money!!
ReplyDeletemost certainly,
ReplyDeletei think i'll do a review of that place too sometime.
hehe