13 December,2010 06:18 AM IST | | Anjana Vaswani
Section 212 of the Indian Penal Code stipulates the punishment for harbouring criminal offenders. We dropped in at the place that carries the number in its name to find out the restaurant rules they swear by here
Unless you live in Karan Johar's mind, you'd agree that railways are not the epicentre of social activity. So, why does the fact that locomotives are powered by steam, which forms when water is heated up to 212 F, feature on the menu of this restaurant?
Interiors of two one two bar and grill. Pics/ Sayed Sameer Abedi
The note in the menu says it's because steam is also used for cooking. It's far more likely, we feel, that a Manhattan club inspired the name. In which case, however, 212 referred to the area's telephone code, which in Worli, should have been 2422.
The name's not the only puzzling thing here. As our dinner companion pointed out, "What's a flat-screen TV doing in a fine-dining restaurant?" With its chic d ufffdcor and steep prices, not to mention the 'imported' chef, this is, after all, hardly the ideal venue to catch a Sunday cricket match. Equally baffling was the unavailability of certain wines on their list and the fact that they ran out of steaks.
On the resident chef, Alex Bignotti's day off, we found the food was a mixed bag of delight and dissatisfaction. The Saffron Risotto (Rs 635) was neither visually appealing nor appetising at all. Thankfully, the Buffalo Mozzarella with Pesto Sauce (Rs 510) and the Quattro Formaggi Pizza (Rs 560) made for exceptional vegetarian options.
Though excellent cuts of meat, the steaks (Rib Eye and Sirloin, Rs 1,600 each) could have used some flavourful sauce, but the Holland Pork Chops (Rs 950), Beef Carpaccio (Rs 550) and King Prawns (Rs 1,100) were simply superb.
Service was not exceptional, but the amiable manners of ma ufffdtre d' (head waiter, to the uninitiated), Sanat Patel, who once managed Bombay Gym's super-fun bar-nights, more than made up for any deficiencies in that department.
At 12-A, Hornby Vellard Estate, opposite Nehru Centre, next to the BMW showroom, Worli. Call 24901994 (kids aren't allowed at dinner time);Two One Two Bar and Grill didn't know we were there. THE GUIDE reviews anonymously and pays
for meals.
