Villa Vandre is a relatively new entrant to the Bandra food scene. Those of you who know Bandra well must also be aware of the many small eateries throughout the area but not every eatery there can boast of a chef who is driven by the passion that is shown by Chef Aloysius (fondly called Chef Aloo), the man behind Villa Vandre.
Villa Vandre is a very small 14 seat eatery which aspires to grow into a 35+ seat restaurant in the months to come. It has an open kitchen, and though at the times it feels a bit congested, the décor and the look of the place make it feel quite cosy. During my visit to the place, I noticed a steady stream of diners coming here indicating the popularity of the place.
My first order was a Kashundi Risotto (Rs. 295/-) which is a very innovative risotto combining the sharpness of Kashundi with the mildness of Parmesan cheese lending a creamy, tangy flavour to the dish. The Risotto rice was perfectly al dente and the vegetables cooked to a point where they retained their crunch and yet didn’t feel raw. It was very difficult for me to put my spoon down while savouring this dish and had I been at home, I would have surely licked the plate clean!
I tried the Chef´s version of the Jerk chicken (Miss Brown´s Jerk Chicken – Rs. 315/-) next which I thought to be a bit of a letdown as I was expecting a dry rub Jerk chicken whereas the Chef´s version is one which is served on a skewer with jerk sauce on top. The flavours in the dish were not bad but I guess the Kashundi risotto had kind of overshadowed this dish for me.
The Grilled Mediterranean Vegetable Brochettes (Rs. 245/-) we had next was also a very nice wholesome dish for vegetarians. It has vegetable skewers grilled and topped with a tomato garlic sauce served on a bed of couscous and is quite well thought out platter as the couscous goes very well with the sauce, the veggies and the balsamic vinegar and the feta cheese based salad which is served as a side adds to the zing.
Upon the Chef´s insistence, I also tried his platter of Home Made East Indian Sausage Fry (Rs. 315/-) which consists of a homemade sausage (his grandmother´s recipe) served on a bed of creamy, mashed potatoes and topped with a fried egg. Though I was fairly full after the first two platters, the moment the piping hot, bubbly dish was placed before me and the aroma of the spicy sausage hit my nose, I just couldn’t stop myself and dug in. As the oozing, yellow yolk mixed with the fatty spicy sausage and creamy mash entered my mouth, all I could utter was – WOW! If there ever was something called foodgasm this was it! I will not even try to describe the flavours here and insist you all to go try it and decide for yourself.
Rounding the meal off with a Mango Panna Cotta and a Dark Belgian Chocolate Mousse (both @ Rs.160/- each), both of which were decadent in their own right, I couldn’t help but appreciate the effort the Chef had taken to lend his personal touch to each and every dish – you can feel his passion for food dripping through in each dish you try. I sure am going back for more of the sausage fry and some special seafood dishes that the Chef promised me post monsoons!
Ratings (Out of 5)
Food: 4.5 | Service: 3 | Ambience: 3.5| Overall: 4
Timings: 8.30 am – 11.30 pm (Monday closed)
Cuisine: Multi-cuisine Credit Card: Yes | Alcohol: No | Wheelchair Access: No
Address: May Flower, Shop No. 3, New Kantwadi Road, Off Perry Cross Road, Bandra (W), Mumbai-400050
Disclosure: This review was done at the invitation of the restaurant. Readers’ discretion is recommended even though due diligence has been observed in keeping the review as objective as possible.
