02 July,2015 08:00 AM IST | | Krutika Behrawala
With a relaxed, spacious vibe and tasty fusion fare, Community is every gourmand's delight, if you have deep pockets, that is. The space will also double up as a platform for pop-ups
Feta Cheese and Watermelon Salad with Spicy Fennel Sauce
A white-washed brick cube jutting out on the street off Bandra's Linking Road greeted us when we went looking for Community, an all-day cafe bar slated to open this Friday. Started by the brains behind Villa 69 and Gangsta's, the all-day café bar presented a relaxed ambiance with roomy seating, soft background music, and Tom and Jerry playing on a TV screen. While the restaurant has a fusion menu in place (by chef Davide Cananzi), it will also serve as a platform for home chefs and restaurateurs to bring in outstation names to host pop-ups.
Feta Cheese and Watermelon Salad with Spicy Fennel Sauce. Pics/Shadab Khan
With vegetarian and non-vegetarian options - from the Traditional Vietnamese Pho Bo to Russian Style Borscht - the menu also includes all-day breakfast of egg varieties, wraps, rolls and tapas.
Zing and zest
We began with Community Choco (Rs 450). This mocktail was a blend of chocolate and caramel syrup, milk and whipped cream, it was light and delish. From the cocktails, the Poisonous Spider (Rs 550) that was high on jalapenos, tabasco sauce and chillies mixed with vodka was a tad too spicy. The fried spaghetti, served as bar bites (instead of peanuts), reduced the zingy after-taste. Among starters, we loved the Feta Cheese and Watermelon Salad with Spicy Fennel Sauce (Rs 400).
The interiors of Community
The sweet fruit blended well with the cheese. Other favourites were the Spanish-style Potato Bravas (Rs 275) comprising tiny fried, crunchy potato cubes topped with sour cream as well as the Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella with Balsamic Caramelised Oranges and Basil Dressing (Rs 550). This unique dish had a scoop of the smooth and not-too-salty cheese accompanied by zesty orange slices. The King Prawns served in a cazuela with olive oil, garlic and chilli (Rs 1,140) were top-notch.
King Prawns served in a cazuela with an olive oil, garlic and chilli dip
Eggplant effect
Though not a fan of eggplant, we fell in love with it after digging into the made-to-order Eggplant Parmiggiana (Rs 350). The thinly sliced eggplant was baked with rich tomato salsa and cheese. The Mascarpone Balsamic Onion and Bamboo Shoot Risotto (Rs 350) was flavoursome, with a hint of bamboo shoot.
A taster of Poisonous Spider cocktail with fried spaghetti as bar bites
The Oven Roasted Honey Glazed Pork Belly with Saffron Potato and Crispy Vegetables (Rs 900) scored due to the succulent meat glazed to perfection. Another hit was the Seafood Spanish Paella (Rs 1,000), a rice dish packed with flavours of prawns, crabs and fish, a must-try for seafood lovers. We ended our meal with the heavenly Rum flavoured Double Chocolate Mousse (Rs 450).
Time: 7.30 pm to 1 am (July 3 to July 9); 9 am to 1 am (July 10 onwards)
At: Shop no 8/9 Naurang Bulding, off Linking Road, next to Hotel Link Way, Bandra (W).
