17 September,2010 06:25 AM IST | | Anjana Vaswani
Six months ago, Colaba got a new watering hole Boots. As luck would have it, Boots got the boot making way for Volare, an Italian-Mediterranean eatery, which shares its name with a popular retro track by the gipsy kings. The guide decided to listen up to this new tune
It went from Hawaiian Shack to Bootleggers and then to Boots. Now, it's "Volare" which means to fly in Italian and while the d ufffdcor is mostly the same, one big difference this time lies in the management it's all new.
Telling us about his own experience in the hospitality industry, Piyush Dhar, a partner of the enterprise, says, "Our chefs have worked as junior-chefs in hotels like the JW Marriott and the Taj but our menu was devised after a whole year of testing and perfecting recipes."
Lounge Volare is located on 4th Pasta Lane, Colaba.
The first dish to arrive at our table, a superbly prepared Hummus and Pita (Rs 195), supported his boast. British chef with 12 Michelin stars to his credit, Gordon Ramsay, once said that the true test of any cook lies in how he or she can scramble eggs.
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Culinary talent is often evidenced in the simplest recipes and the Hummus was superb. The fine chickpea paste had a delicate citrus accent and its pita bread accompaniment was deliciously fresh and light.
The Margherita Pizza that followed (Rs 215) was also excellent as was our main course of Lamb Chops (Rs 400).
Pollo Parmigiana, on the other hand, disappointed, doused as it was with more of the same pizza sauce and totally devoid of the powerful flavour of parmesan cheese that actually lends the dish its appeal.
The staff, though eager and attentive, clearly lacked experience.
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One server had our chicken order confused for a vegetable dish, and another walked out of the kitchen in a huff, clearly displeased by the chef's relaxed pace. Customers seemed less than pleased by the delay.
A Lebanese vegetable dish we ordered must have got caught in the cross-fire, because it never made it to our table. And though listed on the menu, neither the Caesar Salad nor the Tiramisu were available.
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Additionally, the chocolate pudding we ordered for dessert took so long to materialise that we had to leave without tasting it.
The music was good, albeit restricted to songs by Akon. We liked the fact that the restaurant was better lit than Hawaiian Shack/Boots used to be.
It enabled us to see both our food and the gaping cracks on the wooden floorboards, which would have otherwise led to the demise of a perfectly good pair of stilettos.
AT Pipewala Building, ground floor, Street 58/70, 4th Pasta Lane, Colaba. Call: 22020455
Lounge Volare didn't know we were there. THE GUIDE reviews anonymously and pays for meals.
