Place: Soam
Location: Sadguru Sadan, Ground Floor, Chowpatty (Girgaon), Girgaon, Mumbai. (opp. Babulnath temple)
Seating: Can hold 42-45 people at tables and 10-15 more at the waiting area(which is an ordeal).
Ambience:
One of the very few things that I was pleased with was the look of the place. The colour schemes, selection of furniture, the heavy cutlery, and the general cleanliness is really good here. The look of the place is somethings that might just tempt you to have a bite here. The place is very pretty looking.
You also will witness a few “Burrp!” certificates, and a couple more Times Food Guide certificates, hung on one of the walls. A few of these certificates go to the extent of awarding Soam with “the best vegetarian food in Mumbai”. I further ask the reader to let your palate be the judge, perhaps you'll not end up agreeing with me on this one by the end of the post.
Food: For me, this place lost out on its more crucial factor: its much hyped food. One might come to a conclusion from my previous posts, and even from our blog description, that we guys are hard-core carnivores. But lets get this point straightened out, I prefer sticking to a motto-If it's good, it's on my plate. I think you have a fair idea where this is going. Yes, Soam is a vegetarian outfit. And I have been to many vegetarian restaurants, and have had a few favourite places too, but Soam, like Swati Snacks, falls in the category-”seemingly homely food served at obnoxious rates”. I was there with four other people and we ordered an array of different dishes, and since then, I can safely say that I have tried every style of food they have to offer, in one visit. We began with the farsaan platter, which included their famous, spinach and paneer samosas. All the elements of the platter, collectively and individually disappointed me. Specially the much hyped samosas, they were filled with spinach alright, but there was no sign of cottage cheese, instead there were specks of Mozzarella, not even ricotta, Mozzarella?! They totally lacked balance of flavours. The rest of the platter was simply bland, and better left avoided. We were quick to jump to the main course. Soam has these compact meals which quantity-wise fit a normal appetite perfectly. So I called for Stuffed Paranthas, which came with a serving of Chole, whose quantity seemed to be mocking me, and some basic salad. You get two options to choose for your stuffed paranthas, mint and paneer, or corn and potato. I chose the latter, while one of the people who had joined me opted for the minty option. Both of these were strictly mediocre. Another person who was with us, called for the “Kand ke Chillay”. No matter how tempting or otherwise it sounds to you, it is not tasteful. She had to resort to some mango pickle to make it takes better. The fourth person called for paneer butter masala with parathas, and never have I been so disappointed with it. The quantity is decent, but I guess, they were having a bad day, when a seemingly soft paneer, turned out to be terribly sour. I wonder, how can a wonderfully set paneer taste so bad? The fifth person who was with us called for the rather daft sounding option of Paav-Bhaaji, which on the contrary was the best thing we had on the table that day. Perhaps, we can't go wrong with Paav-Bhaaji in Mumbai, be it a Gujrathi speciality resto. I almost forgot to mention the drinks we had called for, while two of us chose to order a rather odd sounding “guava panna”, two others called for a “Chaas” and a “lemon and basil punch”. While the chaas was as it should have been, the Panna was superb, very different, very much like a guava slush with some chat-masala in it. The “lemon and basil punch” was a waste of money, and the name was a very snooty attempt to re-christen “nimbu-paani”. It barely had any taste of basil to it, and it was overly sweet. In conclusion the food as a whole was a disappointment , and it ruined the rest of my day.
Presentation: Despite the chic look of the place, they try hard to make the food and the presentation look as bucolic as possible. You are served in Brass plates, that have an old-world appearance to them. Perhaps they belong to the owner's great grand-mother, but don't bother yourself with that.
Accompaniments:You are provided with 4 different types of relishes on your table, and a few more that you will be served are specific to the dish you order. It basically is 2-3 different types of pickles, and the standard coriander-mint chutney. Nothing great.
Service: We went there at peak hours, so I didn't expect the maitre d` to be very hospitable. But even then he seemed a bit commanding towards the patrons as well as the other waiters. But then again, he was kind enough to pickup our used plates when he saw that no other waiter/bus boy was available. The waiters seemed to be in a rush at all times, which gave this otherwise comfortable looking place a very busy air.
Cost: for the entire fair it came up to 1500-1700 rupees for the five of us.
"Worth" factor: In all honesty, there is no secret as to how the food is made here, perhaps your mum makes it better. If your mum doesn't know how to, then make friends with different cultural backgrounds, and do visit their places for traditional food. Places like Soam and Swati Snacks are a lame excuse to promote traditional cuisine, in a “New Avatar”. We don't want food re-incarnated, instead we want good food, and common sense to preserve its value and integrity. There are many small -time joints which do a better job of the mentioned, and they guarantee gratification.
Verdict:
Pros:
1.> Good setting, and very hygienic.
2.>Traditional beverages are good
3.> The quality of the Paav Bhaaji amongst the dishes Soam is much talked about, is surprisingly good.
Cons:
1.>Such food is better eaten at home.
2.>Quality of food is not worth the money spent, at all!
3.>Over the weekend, the place is terribly packed, and filled with a noisy crowd. And there seems to be no end as to where they come from.
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