Mumbai Food: Andheri's delivery-only kitchen gets it's pop-up

We remember scrolling through a food delivery app perfunctorily a year and a half ago; utterly bored with pastas, pizzas and quick-fix Indian meals that added more calories than joy to our life. It was then, in May 2017, that we stumbled upon Jules - The European Kitchen, a takeout eatery in Andheri with exquisite continental fare on offer.

It was astonishing to find dishes like dijon herb-breasted chicken and pan seared fish with basil garlic roasted caper cheese sauce being delivered to our doorstep.

quinoa summer squash patty

Now, chef Jules Dabre is ready to take his culinary chops outside the kitchen as he gears up for the eatery's first pop-up this Sunday. But 18 months is a considerable time, so we ask co-owner Pratik Bhandari what took so long before the team decided to give the patrons a more hands-on experience.

tender chicken supreme

"Our food is the hero and we wanted to test the Andheri market before we could come out with a pop-up. We wanted to create a base of happy customers first," Bhandari tells us, adding, "Pop-ups are becoming wildly popular abroad and in the city, so we thought it was time to put chef Jules' skill and expertise to use. Plus, we had a lot of requests from our customers who wanted to come and experience the food in a sit-down format."

Being a delivery-only kitchen has posed some limitations, says chef Dabre. Much of what will be featured at this four-course meal isn't on the regular menu. "What we deliver is based on feasibility. For example, with the open stuffed rustic chicken, while the accompaniment to the dish, risotto, is on our delivery menu, in the case of the chicken, it needs to be cooked to perfection and stuffed with fresh ingredients. Hence, it must be consumed instantly to maintain the tenderness and consistency of the dish," he shares.

Chef Jules Dabre

Apart from the chicken, which is served with dill cream sauce, roasted cauliflower and chives parmesan risotto, the dishes on offer include quinoa summer squash patty, and tender chicken supreme, which is gently grilled and comes with a side of harissa and fresh coriander lemon sauce.

On: November 25, 12.30 pm to 4 pm
At: Road House Bluez, JP Road, Andheri West.
Call: 9167023516 (for reservations)
Cost: Rs 1,500 (without alcohol); Rs 1,900 with alcohol

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