Get 'curried' away by Kosha Mangsho, Rajma Chawal at a new Bandra eatery

We pore over The Curry Brothers' menu with trepidation, expecting to spot the blasphemous Rasam Risotto we had ordered a year ago. Back then, the eatery was only a Lower Parel-based delivery joint offering Goan and Bengali fare. A couple of months ago, it popped up in Bandra's quiet neighbourhood near Rizvi College as a 20-seater cosy restaurant, launched by Goan chef Joshua D'Souza and wife and business partner Neha Manekia. It follows the same ethos - offering flavours that evoke memories of family potlucks and curries at a friend's place. The concept reflects in a striking wall featuring frames of sepia-toned family photographs and handwritten recipes of Kerala-style mutton stew and halwa. Thankfully, there's no Rasam Risotto here.

Kosha Mangsho with Sheermal Naan

Do the Podi dance
Along with Goan and Bengali fare, the menu also includes Khoja, north and south Indian dishes. We are keen to order the Green Peas Xacuti Tikki but the waiter recommends Mulagapodi Chicken (Rs 285) as "it's something different". It sure is. The satay-style chicken strips are coated and tempered with gunpowder, along with mustard seeds, curry leaves and garlic pods. We relish the pungent, nutty flavours, but the chicken tastes dry. We wash it down with Spiced Buttermilk (Rs 125), a refreshing drink spiked with cumin, ginger, chilli and coriander.

Mulagapodi Chicken

From the Pao and Rolls section, Aloo'r Dom Pao (Rs 185) warms up to us with its cute looks and comforting flavours. The potatoes cooked in a Bengali-style, mildly-spiced gravy pack a punch in the fluffy ladi paos. The curd-based mayo in the pao adds a nice tang.

Aloo'r Dom Pao

Bengali delights
The Kaldeen Khowsuey (Rs 450), with chunks of chicken and al dente veggies, is a let-down. It has a layer of oil floating over the soupy, one-dimensional coconut gravy that fails to blend with thready rice noodles, which taste uncooked. It's disappointing considering the Burmese-Goan hybrid had scored well in our previous review.

Gondhoraj Lime Cheesecake

Instead, we return to the Bengali part of the menu and order Kosha Mangsho (Rs 495) and Sheermal Naan (Rs 100). Without any hint of saffron, the Sheermal leans more towards a thick-crust pizza bread. But it is forgotten as soon as we tuck into the Kosha Mangsho, featuring succulent mutton chunks and perfectly boiled potato halves hidden in the bosom of the richly spiced, ghee-laced Bengali curry. It's the star of our lunch, scoring over the promising Gondhoraj Lime Cheesecake (Rs 200), which is beautiful in its texture but lacks the lime-y Gondhoraj zing.

A wall framed with family photographs and handwritten recipes

By now, we're in a food coma, and decide to get our order of Rajma Chawal (Rs 200) as a takeaway. The comforting dish, where the kidney beans are cooked in a mildly spiced onion-garlic-tomato gravy instead of the thick, creamy version found at faux north Indian joints, pole-vaults us to a wintry evening spent at a Punju friend's Delhi home. We'd do an encore for that memory.

Review
FOOD Flavourful
AMBIANCE Bright
SERVICE Efficient
COST Reasonable
VERDICT

TIME: 12 pm to 12 am
AT: 1, Hardik Villa, Shirley Rajan Road, near Rizvi College, Bandra West.
CALL: 33715994