Enter “Taste Buds”, and to your right is a console table with a beautiful Japanese flower arrangement and a copy of the menu card - an eye-catching picture.
A wall television screen, a huge mirror behind the drinks counter, and abstract paintings that complement the predominant shades of the restaurant - red and blue - adorn the various wall lengths. Cream tables topped with glass, blue and purple upholstery, bold red napkins, mosaic black tiles, glass circles in the walls like the portholes of a ship, and music on Bose speakers…this joint is tastefully decorated!
Now, to get down to brass tacks. Among the beverages, try the iced tea. For starters, take a taste of the Bruschetta - a garlic bread preparation with olives, tomato and basil. If you’re partial to mushrooms, try the Stuffed Mushrooms, a mildly spiced dish with paneer stuffing. The Paneer Shashlik, a tandoori dish that brings paneer on a toothpick sandwiched between pineapples, tomatoes and capsicum, is mouth-wateringly delicious too.
On to the main course. Adventurous guests could try the Potato Dumplings, which are potatoes cooked in tomato cream gravy. For those who just want the standard fare, there are piping hot pizzas that come with a variety of toppings.
Also on the menu are Italian starters, soups and salads, and pasta (Spaghetti, Fettucini, Fusli, Penne and Coloured Pasta) available in vegeterian and non-vegetarian preparations. Besides a whole section set aside for pure vegetarians, there are also sizzlers and other chicken, meat and fish dishes, all here to satisfy the hungry Bombayite.
If you want a light lunch or a post-meeting tuck-in, drop in here for the sandwiches, burgers and Quick Bites - French fries, chilli cheese toast, onion rings, fish fingers, chicken satay and Kentucky chicken, just to name a few. This is also the perfect place to spend your night out, with bowling alleys, pool tables, and video games right next to the restaurant. What more could a real foodie want?
This article was first published on 29 Nov 2000.