Italian Pizza gets Punjabi jappi

A tiny new eatery at Fort offers pizza parathas and plans to introduce noodle, pasta and chocolate variants of the quintessential North Indian crepe

Nandu's Paratha House may be short on space, but creativity thrives at this no-frills eatery at Fort. Run by buddies, Antariksh and Purin, one Marwari and the other Jain, the little restaurant is predictably 100% vegetarian, with a special counter dedicated to Jain preparations. Separated from the dining area by a semi-partition, the kitchen is open to scrutiny and, within the modest space, both proprietors are available to offer recommendations and share a bit of information about their venture, which, a board outside boasts, is the Mumbai franchise of "Pune's tastiest Paratha" place.



Telling us that the 30 year-old Pune eatery at Dhole Patil Road belongs to his uncle, Antariksh claims the response in Mumbai has been overwhelming. "We've been open just 20 days, but we are already considering expanding into the space next door."

We sampled five varieties of parathas including the Plain Paratha (Rs 15) with an exceedingly rich but positively mouth-watering dish of Paneer Makhani (Rs 60). The Pizza Paratha (Rs 75) was our favourite, with the Indian pizza filling proving to be an excellent compliment for Punjabi dough. The Methi, Paneer and Cheese and Garlic Parathas were also impressive, and we couldn't find a thing to complain about, except that though we had requested the cheese pizza to be chili-free, it wasn't. And though the menu stated that the fixed-meal options were meant for takeaway only, Antariksh informed us that popular demand had made these available for consumption at the restaurant. Priced between Rs 75 and Rs 120, with parathas, dal, vegetables and the option of chaas, these are excellent value-for-money combinations for working professionals during lunch hour.

The restaurant that has about 30 varieties of parathas on its menu (Rs 15 to Rs 100 depending on the stuffing), plans to introduce additional varieties soon, with noodle, pasta and dessert variants on the cards for as soon as next week. Call them for a free delivery if you are in the Nariman Point-Churchgate area.

At: 19, Sonawala Building, inside Green Street, lane opposite Old Custom House, adjacent to India Ceramic Centre.
Call: 22702265

Nandu's Paratha House didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals