01 August,2011 06:45 AM IST | | Soma Das
The erstwhile Indo-Italian eatery casa mia underwent a makeover of sorts and has returned in its new avatar as a european caf ufffd offering a mixed bag of Italian and continental dishes
Location, location, location. This crucial element is the clincher in matters ranging from film shoots to major business revamps. So, when the generic eatery, Casa Mia, downed shutters and came back as Caf ufffd Casa Mia, we figured it made business sense considering their neighbours at R City Mall are a rainforest themed lounge (great with the kids, we assume) and a famous Thali joint.
Black Pepper and Chilly Chicken
Pics/ Datta Kumbhar
We dropped in late on a weekday which turned out to be their first day of operations post-revamp. Casa Mia means 'my house' in Italian and the management claims the ambience has been spruced up to resemble a caf ufffd with an open kitchen and made more casual and flexible (they earlier had fixed seating arrangements).
Overlooking white picket fences, its olive-hued walls were decorated with colourful images of kitchen utensils and ingredients while white chairs and wood-panelled tables dotted the eatery. In case you prefer to dine with just your thoughts for company, there is a secluded corner with a bookshelf as well.
Despite the superficial additions, we couldn't shrug off the feeling that we were in a bustling mall perhaps due to the open entrance which played havoc with the air conditioning.
We started off with Wasabi Prawns (Rs 295) which had a strong-albeit-pleasant seasoning of black pepper with very little taste of Wasabi mayonnaise. We moved on to the Black Pepper and Chilli Marinated Chicken (Rs 320), which consisted of delicious portions of tender chicken with a perfect blend of spices, lying on a bed of roasted potatoes, carrot, beans and coriander sauce. It was light on the stomach and flavoursome.
The Casa Mia Touch nine-inch pizza (Rs 220) had sun-dried tomatoes, olives, artichokes, peppers and mushroom-smoked scarmoza cheese as toppings but tasted bland. On the other hand, we liked their delicious Spinach Brownies (Rs 160) a lot. Though they are not brownies in the usual sense they are similar to a quiche and were polished off in no time.
In between bites we sipped on some Apple Iced Tea (Rs 95) and Chocolate Dream smoothie (Rs 135). The Apple Iced Tea tasted more of lemon but the Chocolate Dream made from cocoa powder, Hershey's chocolate syrup and milk was a chocolate lover's delight.
Finally, we ordered for their much recommended Hazelnut Mousse Torte (Rs 140) which had a hard crust but was crunchy yet creamy in the right consistency. It was the perfect finale to our fine meal.
While the attendants were polite and attentive, our only grouse is that the portions should have been as generous as the hefty service tax plus value-added tax (VAT) they charged us with.
At Cafe Casa Mia, third floor, R City Mall, LBS Marg, Ghatkopar (West).
Call 65241555
Cafe Casa Mia didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.
