04 January,2013 10:53 AM IST | | Hassan M Kamal
Viva Junction is a tiny joint located in a small lane in the ONGC Colony, Bandra, fitted in between popular joints like Candies, I Bar and Jumjoji, among others. For a restaurant to attract patrons in this lane, its food has to be not only good but also unique, and Viva Junction succeeds on both counts.
We liked the menu - it's exhaustive and focuses heavily on breakfast items and mini bites including puffs and sandwiches to gobble in a hurry, or when in the mood for a light snack. The cosy space offers AC seating inside and an al fresco set up outside. We opted for the latter. While the AC seating
provides a relaxed ambience, the open-air section lacks elbowroom, when it's crowded. But since it was a quiet Wednesday evening, we settled in nicely.
Beef cutletu00a0and Chicken, Cheese and Sausage Bundle at Viva Junction. Pic/ Hassan M kamal
After a menu browse, we opted for the Buffalo Chicken Strips (Rs 150), Lemon Ice Tea (Rs 65). and Mango Frappe (Rs 95). The drinks arrived first, and set the mood for what was going to be a satisfying treat. The Buffalo Chicken Strips, cooked well in red sauce with the right amount of thyme and black pepper blended with the chicken - A must-try for white meat lovers. Compliment it with garlic bread (Rs 60) as sides, and you're set for the day.
As we relished the chicken strips, we plumbed for two more mini bites - Chicken, Sausage and Cheese Bundles (Rs 80) and Beef Cutlets (Rs 25). Both exceeded our expectations. Considering every dish is made fresh, the service was quick. The bundles - chicken sausages wrapped around a layer of cheese and chicken strip on the outside, and deep-fried - made for a great treat for the taste buds. The Mango Frappe and Lemon Ice Tea was refreshing.
Next, we tried the restaurant's specialties: Mutton Rogan Gosht served with Jeera Rice (Rs 190) and Chicken Lasagna (Rs 160). The Chicken Lasagna wasn't extraordinary, but passed the test. The Mutton Rogan Gosht, served with Jeera Rice earned more marks from our table.
The meal so far, had satisfied the taste buds. Buoyed, we wanted to end our visit on a sweet note. Sadly, that's when things went off-tract. The Blueberry Cheesecake (Rs 70) and the Caramel Custard (Rs 50) were sub-standard compared to our joyride until then. We billed it to starting problems, and
didn't play harsh critic, after all.
