26 October,2010 07:11 AM IST | | Anjana Vaswani
It's a simple, no-frills eatery. But the delicious Arabic food and modestly priced menu at Arabian Blues should ensure the restaurant is always booked
A large tower of roasting meat greets you at the entrance of the restaurant that's concealed by an underwear stall. On the ground floor, four or five tables are lined up symmetrically against plain walls, but you will need extraordinary luck if you want a spot here at lunchtime on weekdays -- this area, after all, is just about as commercial as a district gets in the city.
However, perhaps owing to a reluctance to pay the 15% surcharge for dining in air-conditioned comfort (though the menu specifies this fee, it wasn't included in our bill), the floor upstairs is almost vacant. Minutes after we've dropped into a low armchair and knocked our knees on the table that's placed uncomfortably close, we realise that a wall-hanging here could well be another reason people choose to dine downstairs. A restaurant's probably not the best place to hang a new-fangled, backlit, moving image that makes you feel like you're on the deck of a pirate ship. It was just fortunate for us that we're not prone to sea-sickness.
But then, the Ganis, proprietors of this place, have no illusions of securing international design awards. "All we wanted to do is to offer Mumbai a taste of the authentic Arabic food that we've had the privilege to sample in Saudi Arabia," says Ayesha Gani, who runs the eatery with her brothers Yahya and Yusuf.u00a0
"We're still trying to decide on Arabic desserts that may appeal to diners," Ayesha shares, when we ask her why their menu lists only the run-of-the-mill array of pastries. Pointing out that Arabic herbs can be an acquired taste, Ayesha says, "These items need to be served fresh and have a very limited shelf-life, so we're trying to work on putting together recipes that, though intrinsically Arab, may appeal to the Indian palate."
The Arabian Blues Salad (Rs 110) we sampled, however, fell short of this goal. Coated in a sweet, creamy dressing, the lettuce, carrot, and radish blend disappointed. Not only was it devoid of any Arabic influence, it wasn't at all as described on the menu. The Asparagus, corn, marinated cheese and pickled onions that the menu claimed were part of the signature recipe were all missing.
Our initial dissatisfaction was easily forgotten however in light of the excellently prepared dishes that followed. Christened, Bitwan on the menu and, Nitwan on the bill, the Paneer dish we ordered (Rs 110), supposedly an Arabic specialty, was a delicious purple variant of the Tandoori variety and the Lahm Agni (Rs 230) was positively divine.
Marinated simply in olive oil, garlic and salt, the roasted mutton melted in the mouth and the herbed, mildly spicy rice it came with had been cooked in the meat's stock, thereby boosting the dish's flavour. We didn't sample the Hukkas (Rs 500) but were informed that all five flavours on theu00a0u00a0 menu are tobacco-free and available at a discount on weekends.
At 246, Yusuf Building, opposite Ashoka Shopping Centre, near Crawford Market, LT Marg.
Call 22014444 / 22092525
Arabian Blues didn't know we were there.u00a0The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for its meals.
