This is one bluesy aftertaste

Blue Flame's gangsta vibe didn't exactly distract fromu00a0an average showing by its chefs

The first thing you notice when you enter this dark restaurant in the hushed bylanes of Linking Road, is the dark and dingy 'blue' feel. It's the kind of setting where Ram Gopal Varma's characters from Satya would go, to wine, dine and probably be caught unawares in an encounter.
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Chilly Chicken Pics/Anuja Gupta

There's distinctive mumbling, sound from the blaring TV, and even a little smoky hookah mist in the air ufffd to be honest, saying, this isn't a family restaurant would be putting it VERY mildly. The menu offers Continental, Indian, Thai and Chinese food and the staff insists that this isn't just a hookah place. Being a new place, we noticed that there were just two waiters. Our server was friendly but not very cued into the details of the cooking styles.

For starters, we tried the Mushroom with Garlic Toss (Rs 60) and one portion of Permission Chicken with White Sauce (Rs 200; yes, the Parmesan is spelled "Permission" on the menu and the bill) is what we locked on. The chicken looked flaky and wasn't crisp at all. I was afraid that the crust of the chicken would fall off of it and it did. The Parmesan Cheese overpowered the chicken and it was all we would taste.

One side of the chicken was also less seasoned than the other. Also, the breadcrumbs and garlic flavour ratio was slightly off. After what seemed like an endless wait, the mushrooms arrived. Unfortunately, the slightly burned, overly salted mushrooms didn't seem as savoury as imagined. And while simmered with fresh garlic, chunks of crushed salt and the right amount of olive oil, the charred taste pushed it towards being slightly bitter and rough textured.

Next, the Blue Flame special, Penne Pasta with Chicken (Rs.200) arrived, sprinkled with red pepper flakes. The cream sauce was flavoured with onion slices and minced garlic cooked in butter. The sauce wasn't as creamy and the pasta seemed slightly devoid of any particular flavour. Plus, the chicken pieces were far and few.

Losing faith, we decided to take the Chinese route. Burnt Garlic Rice (Rs 120) and Chilly Chicken (Rs 200). The rice arrived quickly, and was neither sticky nor blatantly burnt. There was just the right amount of salt, pepper and soy sauce. The chopped chicken and vegetables were also nicely done. The Chilly Chicken was delicious. Medium-spicy and a wee bit tangy; it won our hearts.

The Strawberry Iced Tea (Rs 45) turned out spectacular. The Black Current Tea (Rs 45) had a dry aftertaste but was accepted despite the slightly mild black current flavour.

AT: A/7, New Seven Star Premises, Shiv Darshan Bldg, 15th Road Junction, off Linking Road, Linking Road, Bandra (W); CALL: 26052378 / 9768520094.