And it was all yellow

Soak in some sunshine at this four-day old restaurant that dishes up continental fare with panache

Casa Raviera, all of four days old, bang on the bustling Cunningham Road gives you a feel of the infinite space of the bright blue sky on a sunshine day. The restaurant name simply translates to 'house of the rising sun', in Spanish and we need not refute that. With the summer season setting in the city, it's time to rev up some good times with family or friends and it's always nicer to dig into in new environs.



Driving on Cunningham Road look for the Sigma Mall on your right and you will spot yellow walls with a yellow cabana outside with a very bistro feel. The stark yellow walls are perked up with interesting paintings lending a boisterous feel to the casual chic air.

Though the cuisine might not be nouvelle, the Continental grub here is almost like comfort food, cooked just the way it should be. The uninitiated might want to bite into a Grilled Sandwich, Subway, Burger or a Pizza, but we preferred to forego it this time and moved to the more zesty part of the menu. And yes the single-page laminated menu that came our way was also, yes; you guessed it right, sunshine yellow, almost close to ochre.

We sipped on a Fresh Lemon Soda (Rs 50) while waiting for our Chicken Steak and Fish Carnival to arrive. The service was brisk and the banter around with all tables taken on a weekday afternoon made the wait cut to the bone, sending us a good sign for this less-than-a-week-old eatery.

The Chicken Steak (Rs 200) was served with French fries, garlic bread and saut ufffded veggies on the side. The steak was well done making it super tender, easy on the cut and on the bite, just the way we wanted it, with a generous pour of barbeque steak sauce on top. Fish Carnival (Rs 225) is another highly recommended serve here, which is basically a marinated fish fillet, baked with cheese and served on a bed of spaghetti with buttered veggies and mashed potato.

There's also Thai Curry on the menu (Rs 200) and the zingy curry has boneless chicken chunks cooked in red curry paste of coconut milk with the right amount of lemon grass flavour emanating. Served with rice, it makes for a complete wholesome meal. The Shepherd's Pie (Rs 225) made of minced lamb and mash makes for another comfort bite for meat lovers.

Vegetarians must try the Paneer and Veg Platter (Rs 165) served on a sizzler with chunks of paneer, bell peppers, onions and mushrooms tossed in a tad fiery yoghurt sauce. Try the Double Chocolate Cake (Rs 75), a dark rich chocolate pastry oozing of decadence for dessert.

The best part of the easy-to-browse-menu here is its sheer simplicity, with at least six dishes in each category at the same price of an average of R 150 to R 200, going very easy on the pocket for an urbanite and not sticking to catering only to the yuppy.

Casa Raviera
Food: Delicious
Srvice: Prompt
Ambience: Fresh

At: Casa Raviera, 201 and 201 A, Ground Floor, West Minister, 13, Cunningham Road
Call: 41125157
Meal for two: Rs 700