Mumbai food: New pizza joint opens at Todi Mills

(From left) BBQ Pollo, Chermoula, Americano, Tandoori Chicken

When we first heard about 1tablespoon opening in the Todi Mills compound, we sighed, ‘ah, not again!' as we hate treading into this mismanaged locality. But our trip to this tiny new eatery (there's another outlet in Matunga) was worth the trek.

On offer are five vegetarian and five non-vegetarian pizza-by-the-slice options and some side orders such as Garlic Dinner Rolls (which were unavailable). We ordered one of each and a Raspberry Ice Tea (Rs 65) to kill time as we waited for our slices to be made. They make pizzas through the day as the stock gets over, so you either get a reheated slice if it's available, or would have to wait for a new one to be made. Thankfully, the Ice Tea was refreshing and made the wait bearable.

(From left) BBQ Pollo, Chermoula, Americano, Tandoori Chicken

The star was the hand-stretched pizza base which stood strong, irrespective of the topping. The slice is generous and can masquerade as a meal for nibblers. Our vegetarian options, The New York Cheese (Rs 105, prices exclusive of taxes) was a simple tomato-sauce-and-cheese combination, which tasted good.

Spicy Salami

On a slice named Fiamma (Rs 125), the tomato sauce made a comeback, paired with mozzarella, onions, pepper and Peperoncino; the sprinkle of green chillies, however, made it too hot for our palate. Farmers Market (Rs 135) is for those who love their pizza loaded, as it is packed with cheese, jalapenos, olives and bell peppers. Two of our favourites were Rosa Mexicana (Rs 135) which substitutes the tomato sauce with a ‘Mexican' sauce, and Bianca, a mix of onion cream sauce, cheese, sundried tomatoes and mushrooms.

In the non-vegetarian section, they offer chicken toppings in three marinades, Chermoula (Rs 175), Tandoori (Rs 175) and BBQ (Rs 175), of which only BBQ was a little disappointing. As for the rest, Spicy Salami (Rs 145) topped over the Americano (Rs 195, pork pepperoni). With a 9 out of 10 rating, the place surely needs an encore.

Time: 11 am to 11 pm,will be open longer on weekends
At: Todi Mills compound, near Oh Cha, Lower Parel.
Call: 7506433928

1tablespoon didn't know we were there. the guide reviews anonymously and pays for its meals.