Why this new Lower Parel eatery is a work in progress

The Other Side (TOS), the latest eatery to have popped up in Lower Parel, holds much promise but is still a work in progress

The other side 
Food: Satiating 
Service: Polite 
Ambiance: Dimly lit

On the day we visited The Other Side (TOS), there were mysterious omens. We couldn’t find our way to the eatery (it’s right above Pallette: The Urban Kitchen) and went through the wrong entrance only to land in a dingy corner. We turned back and were re-directed by the staff member at Pallette finally finding our way upstairs to The Other Side (TOS).

The month-old eatery was surprisingly dimly lit and for all purposes, we were the sole customers that evening. Understandably, the number of attendants was inversely proportional to the customers and hovered around us, which got a tad annoying as the evening progressed.

The Jerk Chicken Burger had a juicy patty and crunchy fries

The place is furnished with wooden bar stools, chairs and tables illuminated with tea lights. There is also an open bar as well as comfortable couches in the corners. To all appearances, it seemed a cosy place to unwind after a hard day at work, provided they added some forms of illumination (the menus were hard to read and the attendants offered to flash their cell phones to help us read).

As the place is still awaiting its liquor permit, we opted for a Miami Watermelon Mocktail (Rs 300) and a Green Apple Iced Tea (Rs 450). The mocktail, a combination of guava and watermelon juice, was refreshing as was the Ice Tea, but the latter pinched our pockets quite as much.

We started our meal by ordering the Jerk Chicken Burger (Rs 350) and The Other Club sandwich (Rs 350). While the burger was delicious and juicy albeit messy to eat given its copious filling, the sandwich was wholesome. Accompanying both were the fries, which were crispy just as one likes them. The Chicken Over Fries (Rs 310) was a sinful indulgence and consisted of chunks of chicken, topped with fries and cheese. Generosity of the portions certainly agreed with us.

TOS didn’t have any dessert offerings, so they gave us a complimentary cheesecake outsourced from elsewhere which turned out to be passable. All in all, the eatery is in much need of a buzzing crowd; perhaps adequate lighting and reasonable pricing would help.

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