Mumbaiites are an insulated lot and that includes those of us who have shifted from various parts of the country and call Mumbai a home today. Regrettably for us, Maharashtra starts and ends at Mumbai with a random interaction once in a while with a food festival. Hence when I got this opportunity to review Maharashtrian food Festival at Lakeview Café, Renaissance Hotel and Convention centre; I rushed to the spot.
So armed with my enthusiasm, my curiosity and my new eye (my camera) I set off on a culinary journey across the state that was served on my plate by the Executive Chef Sandeep Pande and his team – Danish & Sunil. As I understood they travelled across the breadth and length of the state: researching, preparing, trying, discovering and then executing the various dishes. The result showed in the sheer variety of the dishes and cuisines put forward. Every region of Maharashtra was faithfully represented right from Konkan to Solapur to Kolhapur to Pune to Nagpur to Aurangabad to Malvan to Sindhudurg.
The atmosphere was built with the quintessential autorickshaw parked at the entrance and the Mumbaiya street food starting with the chicken sukka rolls, Dabeli, PaniPuri, RagdaPattice, PavBhaji, etc. The panipuri was just right with all the burst of tangy sweet spicy minty flavours bursting in my mouth. The pattice was soft, the ragda with the right spices, all familiar tastes. However the Dabeli was a disappointment and was nowhere near the one we are used to. I asked for a chicken roll but it never reached my table. I realised through the evening that like many things in Mumbai, some things just get lost on the way! But, that for later.
We were served Kokum sherbet and Piyush. The sherbet was refreshing though slightly lacked in seasoning. The Piyush was yogurt/tangy sweet/cardamom drink which was very delicious though a tad heavy for a welcome drink. What caught our eye was the arrangement on the table, an integral part of Mumbai – the tiffin dabbas, filled with savouries such as mini bhakharvadis and chakris accompanied by a spicy green chilli Thecha. This lent a lovely touch to the evening.
There was a whole array of appetisers and salads. Some of the appetisers were familiar like Khandvi, Dhokla, Aloo Vadi, and then there were the Kachya Kelache salad from Konkan (raw banana salad), KombdiTechache salad (chicken salad) from Satara, which were interestingly new. Though a lot of effort was put into this, the food had gone cold and did not really add much to the flavours. The Aloo vadi however, was worth a second helping. The fried platter comprising of Bangra fry and Surmai fry and Batata Vada accompanied with Chef Sunil’s own family recipe of sesame seeds chutney was outstanding.
The non-vegetarian main course comprised of Sukhi Kombadi (Sangli), Muttonachahirva Masala (Sindhudurg), Sukhya Bombil Kalvan (Malvan), Kombdibhat (Konkan). Each had a unique taste so while the Konkan and Malvan both had coconut base, their treatment of spices was extremely different. The Malvan cuisine was spicier and red chillies based. The Sukha Bombil were of just the right softness but yet maintained their flavours. The Hirva Mutton had all the flavours of green masala and the mutton was superbly well cooked. The sukhi Kombi was a bit of a disappointment as it lacked in any standout flavours.
The vegetarian main course comprised of Methichibhaji (Nagpur), Flower Vatanacharassa, Suranachibhaji Katachi Amti, and Fudinacha Bhat. My personal favourite was the Methichi Bhaji – a fenugreek and coconut preparation. The rest of the vegetables were usual home –fare with no specific distinction. I would suspect they would be prepared the same way in a Punjabi or Marwadi household. The amti was however, excellent and went well with the Fudinacha bhaat.
You must be wondering why I didn’t mention any of the breads or rotis, considering that they have such a huge variety. Well remember I had said things get lost in Mumbai ? First my rice rotis got lost, then my pav and then my bajri roti; they all got lost on the way… never reached me!
But let’s move on to the dessert station. There was an assortment of laddoos ranging from Til, Coconut, Rava. Other Maharashtrian desserts like Modak, Puran Poli, Dudhi Halva, Kesar Peda, coconut barfi, Amrakand and many more were offered. For one thing this amply proved that the Amchi Manoos had a sweet tooth alright ! My personal favourites were the KesarPeda, coconut laddoo and Modak. However I must declare the dudhi ka Halwa should not have been on the counter at all. It was undercooked and watery.
This brings me to the end of my discovery. The food was a mixed bag. Some great dishes some though not bad but lacking in distinction. The service was lacking, not in enthusiasm or motivation but in sheer direction. They were helpful and you could see they wanted to be of assistance but I think a festival of this nature needs special orientation. Overall I think it was a brilliant effort by the chefs to put up a festival this detailed and researched, especially when new dishes have to be put up every day for 11 days.
Ratings out of 5
Food: 3.5 | Ambiance: 3.5 | Service: 3.0 |Overall:3.0
Meal for Two without Alcohol:Rs. 3200 Approximately plus taxes| Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes
Timing: Dinner : 7 – 12
Address:Lakeview Café, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel |2&3 B Chinmayanand Ashram, Powai| Mumbai 400087
Telephone :+91 22 66927550
