29 November,2010 06:05 AM IST | | Janaki Viswanathan
Despite its steep pricing, Andheri's newest continental joint Fat Cat Cafe, has a lot and possibly more to purr about
In all my life, I've been a member of a gym for precisely one (torturous) month. Thanks, but no thanks, endorphins. So, it was with great pleasure that I walked into Fat Cat Cafe for lunch, last week, right under the disapproving eye of my gym next door.
A not-so-fat cat sits on the door of the cafe, but that apart, there isn't much in common between the name of the restaurant and the fare served. Not that there needs to be. The cafe was done up in clean and simple lines in black and a beige that's almost white. The wall-attached wine cellar caught my date's and my fancy, but we decided against drinking alcohol with lunch.
The restaurant was empty and the staff looked eager and excited (Fat Cat Cafe opened its doors on October 20) as we settled in.
The menu is mostly Italian, with risottos and pastas crowding the Mains along with grilled meats, though the appetisers included Mezze and Hummus platters. The platters weren't available, we were told, so we began with Red Wine Stewed Mushrooms and Gorgonzola Mousse (Rs 265), a Virgin Kiwi Margerita (Rs 155) and a Spice Infused Guava Juice (Rs 125).
My date, a true meat-lover, perked up at the Fat Cat Meat Lover's Club (Rs 325) and I could see why. Chicken salami, chicken ham and grilled chicken, all in one. We chose that and went back to browsing the menu for a second Main Course.
The Fusilli in Tangerine Spinach Pesto (Rs 345) was nothing like any served in the city, according to our confident, smiling server. All right then!
The mocktails arrived first and both were equally delightful. The Virgin Kiwi Margerita, a sweet-sour mix along with freshly juiced kiwi was very refreshing. The Guava Juice was yummy and carried the edginess of the coriander and green chillies that it was infused with. The mushrooms stewed in Red Wine were a bit of a setback, portion-wise. Darkly red with the wine, they looked intriguing alongside a green salad and gooey gorgonzola. The mushrooms had the pleasant twisty flavour of red wine, which complemented the tart saltiness of the cheese.
The Meat Lover's Club was promising on the chicken front, but was strictly fair; thankfully, the accompanying coleslaw salad and French Fries made it a wholesome meal, though it wasn't exactly out of the world. The Fusilli was far more satisfying. A lovely olive green contrasted the deep white dish it was served in, while the pesto was very nearly perfect. The flavours of garlic, cream cheese and pine nuts blended well with the olive oil and spinach. A simple and delicious dish.
Appetisers aside, the Main Course portions were generous. We refused dessert, but were served brownies with chocolate sauce on the house. How wrong can one go with a warm, gooey brownie!
At Fat Cat Cafe, Bharat Ark, Veera Desai Road, next to ICICI Bank, Andheri (W); Call 09821428197
Fat Cat Cafe didn't know we were there.u00a0The Guideu00a0reviews anonymously and pays for meals.
