20 January,2016 08:11 PM IST | | Suprita Mitter
A new cute cafe in Navi Mumbai with four tables, bright interiors, smiling staff and good food makes for an ideal hangout
Bing'g'e on Tuna and Le Pout
Just Bing'g'e
Food: Good
Service: Cheerful
Ambiance: Cosy
Bing'g'e on Tuna
We entered Just Bingâg'e, at the usually busy JK Chambers at Sector 17 in Vashi, to be greeted by two cheerful men wearing aprons. Being the lone guests there at 10 pm (the eatery is located in a commercial building) it was easy to pick our favourite table. The brightly lit café plays safe, sticking to a very café-ish décor; what we liked, though, was the intimate vibe. Whitewashed bricks, posters of vintage cars and motorbikes, a pink wall with food quotes, a large glass door, a bakery counter, and book racks added to the ambiance.
Le Pout
The menu, with its vegetarian and non-vegetarian varieties seemed interesting. Before we could make up our mind, a complimentary portion of potato nuggets arrived at the table, to keep us busy while we waited for our order. We observed that everything was freshly prepared in an open kitchen by the same young men who greeted us at the door. As we tuned into soft Pop numbers playing in the background, our first order arrived. The Vol-au-Vent Chicken (Rs 159), six small, round and crunchy philo pastries with a filling of succulent chicken and mushroom in a creamy sauce, was a good start.
Bacon Sandwich
We picked two signature salads - the Bingâg'e on Tuna (R199), with interesting additions like mustard and French beans, and Le Pout (Rs 259), a version of the poutine that included a hot salad with fries and lettuce, topped with mayo, sriracha and ketchup. Le Pout made for a meal by itself. The two coolers, Green Apple (Rs 129) and Mint Mojito (Rs 129), were refreshing.
Next came the sandwiches. Little Miss Havana (Rs 179), featuring Cuban-style chicken salad with pineapples and tobasco in multigrain bread, was perfect. We loved the Bacon Sandwich (Rs 199) too. The simple grilled sandwich with pudina chutney, tomato and bacon was delightful. However, it would have helped if the bacon was cut into smaller chunks. We ended the meal with mildly flavoured Tulsi Jasmine Tea (Rs 89), which also made for a good takeaway option.