bpb Review: Pali Bhavan - BPBWeekend

Perhaps the most seductive thing about Pali Bhavan, Bandra?s new Indian restaurant from the guys behind Pali Village Cafe, is its set of sepia strangers ? a prince of some sort towering over his kill; two women who could be Frida Kahlo?s Indian cousins; a royal family portrait; a class at Motilal Engineering College. They live in withered sky blue frames, under multiple suns dimmed by crystal casings, in the company of taxidermy trophies.

It is by this wall of a pretty past gone by, put together painstakingly by co-owner Mishali, that we had our dinner on opening night with a friend who?s moving to Hyderabad. The space, formerly occupied by Boat Club, has been transformed beyond recognition into a split level bar and restaurant that retains Pali Village Caf? elements ? green flooring, tin roof, dim lights ? but with traditional Indian treats like ornate doors and grills, chandeliers, brocade chairs and lots and lots of vintage photographs. We?re not big fans of the exposed pipes and colourful lunch dabbas, though.

By the Pav-er Vested in Me

You get a free puri and a vial of spicy pani on the side, as you browse the menu that doesn?t overwhelm, is slightly pricey (average vegetarian main is Rs 350 and non-vegetarian is Rs 550) and borrows heavily from Maharashtrian cuisine. There?s bar snacks like vada pav, kanda bhajia and aaloo tikki; kebabs; the usual butter chicken-kali dal mains, but also a few dishes from other Indian states; and inventive dessert.

We started with a plate of mini vada pavs, achari paneer and on owner Mishali and Suren?s recommendations (they know this Scouter, so the review could not be conducted anonymously), the galouti kebab, along with a tasty whisky sour and low-on-vodka grape cocktail. During our wait we realised that depending on what side you?re facing and the song playing, Pali Bhavan gives out different vibes? it went from Havana to a speakeasy during the British era to a fancy party in Rajasthan during the course of one meal.

Soon after ordering our starters arrived, a plate of mini vada pavs dusted with red chutney, delicious but the price tag might make it feel like a silly order. If you?re a meat eater, you really must get the galouti kebabs, whose only fault is evoking that clich? we so hate to use ? melt in your mouth. Also a good order, prawns made with thecha (a spicy Maharashtrian pickle) and if someone at your table has pedestrian taste buds (dump them!), then the tangy and super soft achari paneer.

Vanglee!

But the mains are what we were really looking forward to: bharleli vangi (stuffed eggplant) and Alleppey fish curry with Malabari parathas. The latter, our favourite dish of the night, seemed to have taken its ingredients from the sea and colours from the sun - a bowl of pretty orange-pink textured curry with raw mango and coconut. Although, the Malabari parathas could have been flakier. Our vegetarian dining companion couldn?t stop raving about the tangy peanut-y vangi ? vanglee! she called it ? but thought the portion belonged to the appetiser rather than the main course section.

You can finish your meal at Pali Bhavan in many different ways ? mishti doi, rabdi, angoori ras malai, payasam. We got the paan kulfi, a tiny plate of three paans stuffed with kulfi. This is a refreshing pick if you?re too full from the previous courses, but if you need a big bowl of sweet, this will probably not leave you satiated.

And so our night ended with a well-fed companion and a farewell joined by many sepia strangers, who we might soon be able to call friends.

Getting there: Pali Bhavan, 10 Adarsh Nagar, next to Costa Coffee, Pali Naka, Bandra (W), call 26519200, approximately Rs 4,000 for a meal for two with one drink each.

bpb pays for its own meals.

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Source: http://bpbweekend.com/food-and-drink/bpb-review-pali-bhavan

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