14 October,2010 07:02 AM IST | | Dhavni Solani
At Nanumal Bhojraj's latest outlet, you snooze, you lose. So go prepared to jostle your way through hungry hordes to secure a table as you embark on a culinary journey that is most likely to end with a satisfying vegetarian meal
It makes superb business sense for Nanumal Bhojraj to open their latest outlet in the middle of the Gujarati heartland at King's Circle (they have outlets in Masjid, Tardeo and Vashi). Given that the vegetarian restaurant is known for its yummy chaas and soft paneer, NB's reputation precedes it.
The al fresco section of Nanumal Bhojraju00a0pic/ Suresh KK
The evening we stopped by there were hordes of loud people polishing off their food in the al fresco section, as more salivating hordes hovered around, waiting to pounce on an empty table.
If you're not used to hustling for your own table then you're likely to be put off by the experience, but the ensuing meal should appease at least some of your frustration. We were led to the air-conditioned section as another family laid claim to the table that we had occupied. Phew! We had made it.
NB has an extensive menu featuring Punjabi and Chinese dishes, fast food items, Indian desserts and ice creams apart from its famous Sindhi delicacies and fab thalis. If you're a fan of Sindhi Curry and Besan Kofta, we suggest making a trip in the morning. By the time we stopped by in the evening, we had just the Paneer Chatpata (Rs 130) and Veg Hunan Masala (Rs 120) for company. While the paneer chunks were deliciously soft, the Hunan had nothing Chinese-y about it and was more of a mixed vegetable serving; it was delicious, nonetheless.
The super-soft Butter Ghaska roti (Rs 14) had liberal amounts of butter, urging us to happily wave our diet regime goodbye. The Chinese Bhel (Rs 75), though, was an utter disappointment, with stale crisp noodles and a nasty aftertaste.
The star attraction on our table turned out to be the magnificent beer bottle filled with buttermilk. The Chaas (Rs 35 a bottle) was perfectly thick and salted, and we were soon glugging huge amounts every other minute.
Since we had already tossed our diet regimes out of this noisy restaurant, we requested our hassled waiter for Moong Dal Sheera (Rs 45) and Gulab Jamun (Rs 25). We suggest you opt for the halwa over the sheera, if they haven't run out of it, unless you're looking for a lighter dessert. The Gulab Jamuns, though slightly undercooked on the inside, and browner than they should be from the outside, was still the perfect sweet ending to our satisfying meal.
AT: Gani Mansion, behind Aurora Theatre, near King's Circle, Matunga (Central). Call 24080704
Nanumal Bhojraj didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.
