The name Diva Maharashtra has become synonymous to the Marathi heritage of the Mumbai Foodscape. Coming from the stables of the famous Awchat family, it shares the space with other restaurants of the chain like Dakshin (their take on South Indian cuisine) and Goa Portuguesa (Which I had found extremely lack lustre in my previous visit).
A couple of days back I had a chance to visit their main branch in Mahim from where there journey had begun and was quite impressed to see a very elegant décor which resembles a Maharashtrian Haveli, with motifs and brocades all along, tastefully done wall decorations and lights and a small mezzanine from which folk musicians perform live on special occasions.
To celebrate the fasting months of monsoon, Diva Maharashtra has started a special Shravan menu which we decided to try on this visit.
After a round of a very sweet and refreshing tender coconut welcome drink we were served the giant platter with several items covering a whole gamut of savouries and sweets were served on the plate. Starting off, the Sabudana vada was a bit sticky and goeey and I kept of thinking of the better ones that I have tasted on the roadsides. The Mix Veg kebab on the other hand was very flavourful, full of beans and vegetables pairing extremely well with the thecha dry sauce served on the table.
The Dahi ke kebab was a disappointing lump of yoghurt wrapped in thick bread and deep fried. Needless to say, it was oily and lacked seasoning, same was the case with the Beetroot and Green Peas Kachori which was also a bread and vegetable filled offering. The best starters of the lot were the Tender Coconut and Sago baskets which were not only visually appealing but also tasted high on flavour with crunchy sweet corn. Even the Shengada Moong and Cashew Kachori was much better, served like a chat with dahi and chutneys. Finally, the typical Maharashtrian Thalipeeth was exactly how one would expect it to be. Simple clean flavours of the four grain thalipeeth with accompanying sweet chutneys, is a must have in any Maharashtrian household.
The main course dishes on the thali were simple with clean flavour. Being totally satvik, they were not very sharp on any of the spices and felt straight out of the kitchens of moms and grandmoms of a typical Marathi household. Of the main course dishes, the worth mentioning ones were the Arbi (Colocassia) and Pineapple amtis and the Vari Masala Bhaat with loads and loads of dry fruits, it paired magically with the Pineapple and Tender Coconut saar- a sweet and spicy coconut and pineapple based thin soup. Potato fathfate and the Suran, sabudana and Shengdana rassa were average. What really makes the thaali extremely delectable are the freshly made piping hot Amboli, Vade and Jwaar Bhakri. Honest, clean, simple rustic beauty.
The thali is well rounded off with the doodhi ka halwa which is full of nuts and raisins and reminded me of the lauki halwa which mom used to make for me as a child. The date and sweet potato halwa though well balanced in the sweetness quotient, was predictably heavy and dense.
The Shravan thali at Rs.449 is in my opinion quite a good deal and offers very filling homely food that people who are fasting will not only enjoy, but would also be completely content with after a full day of starving.
Me, on the other hand, am not made for fasting and as such, also tried a few typical Maharashtrian non vegetarian dishes. The start off was as expected with the Rawa Bombil fry where I struggled to find the fish under the heavy coating of rawa. The Chicken Sukhe was a far better starter with perfectly balanced tomato onion sauce with a kick of heat.
Both the kolhapuri mutton dishes were cooked delicately and the mutton was literally melt in the mouth. The Tambra rassa (Rs. 429) with prominent onion and garlic kick was interesting and went very well with Amboli.
You could feel the cardamom in the white Pandhra rassa (Rs. 429) but I found the flavours to be a bit too mild. However when we added a dash of lemon, the whole dish took a new identity and went amazingly well with fresh hot Ambolis (Rs. 39).
This was one meal where we didn’t follow any pattern of courses and immersed ourselves in the rusticity of each and every dish offered; some dishes hit the mark while some did not. With less than 10 minutes of order to service time of the very hospitable staff, the simplicity and authenticity of flavours, the beautiful folk ambience, it was certainly a meal to remember and I hope that the chain lives up to its name, service and food in all its other branches as well.
Ratings out of 5
Food: 3.0 | Ambiance: 3.5 | Service: 3.0 |Overall: 3.0
Meal for two with alcohol: INR 1800 + taxes | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Wheelchair Access: No
Timing: 12:30 PM to 4 PM, 7 PM to 12:30 AM
Address: Opp Mahim H.P.O,Nr Hinduja Hospital Shivaji Park, Mumbai 16.| Telephone: 022-24440202/0707
This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant. Due judgment and care has been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review, but readers need to consider this review keeping this fact in mind.
