12 September,2014 06:48 AM IST | | Dhara Vora
Gangsta's is a new mafia-themed bar in Bandra that should invest more thought into its menu, to compliment the in-your-face underworld vibe
Hammus Awarma
Gangsta's
Food: Unpredictable
Service: Good
Ambiance: Loud
Our first step into Gangsta's i.e., Bandra's newest bar entry was overwhelming. Metal skulls, chains hanging as curtains, bars on windows, bricks exposed to create portraits - too much seemed to be happening. Thankfully, our polite female attendant smiled and put us at ease and we got ready to order, seated comfortably on a sofa.
Hammus Awarma was a yum non-greasy lamb dish
The property is huge, and is divided into two levels; regular, and a VIP section, which will have a special menu and will be available on pre-booking. We ordered from the regular menu, where the mafia theme surprisingly did not reflect entirely. In fact, we spotted a mix of Indian (think Achari Aloo), Italian and Mediterranean dishes that seemed tame for the interiors. We ordered for some of the dishes that piqued us, Hammus (that's how they spell it) Awarma (Rs 475, all prices tax exclusive) and Galletas De Yogurt (Rs 490). For our tipples, we ordered a Ginger Martini and Red Russian (both Rs 400).
Red Russian was a good sugary cocktail
The service was so quick that we actually wrapped up our meal in an hour's time! First up were the cocktails. The martini with a sharp twang of ginger was a good option instead of a regular martini. Red Russian with its vodka and Kahlua would please those who like sugary drinks. Awarma that was soon placed on our table was more a kheema-style lamb with hummus on the side served with pita bread. We loved that it wasn't greasy and didn't taste too heavy, especially with the hummus for company. Extra love for well-done pita bread.
He interiors of Gangsta's overwhelmed us. Pics/Sameer Markande
Galletas De Yogurt left us amused. On our plate were patties that tasted surprisingly similar to khandvi and on some interrogation our doubts were confirmed as the process and the ingredients were the same as the Gujarati snack. Much to our surprise, it tasted quite good with the herbed yoghurt sauce that accompanied it (the menu said layered yoghurt, however), but seemed over-priced.
There weren't any desserts on the menu so with the faux khandvi we ended our meal. Gangsta's works with its good location and ample space. While we liked what we had, we feel playing around with the restaurant's theme for the food menu (not just for the VIP section) rather than just OD-ing on the interiors will do them good.
