Fat Man's Cafe is Bandra's newest eatery that will bring cheer and calories alike. Soak in the cosy vibe, and the wait will be worth it
Fat Man's Cafe in Bandra
Fat Man's Café
Food: Delicious
Service: Slow
Ambiance: Cheerful
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The Pesto Chicken Skewer and Chipotle Shrimp Salad bowled us over
As we made our way through the quiet, leafy Bandra lane lined with a dizzying number of eateries, a bright green board beckoned. We piled in, marvelling at Fat Man Cafe's minimalist but clever accentuation of a small space, with its stark, whitewashed walls punctuated with occasional bursts of bright colour, and just the right dose of quirky graffiti to hold our attention, but not distract us from the food.
The Apple Crumble was delish
Desperate to slake our midsummer thirst, we asked for the Mojito (R150) and the Strawberry Lemonade (R150). They arrived swiftly, much to the delight of our parched throats. While the strawberry came from...well, a bottle, and could safely be given a miss, the Mojito was just what we needed, with its robust minty cleansing our palates and whetting our appetites.
The interiors are quaint and cosy
The wait for the appetisers was a good 20 minutes and more, but we would gladly have sung for our supper (or starters) had we known what lay in store. The Pesto Chicken Skewer (R260) had us giddy with delight, with the moist, succulent meat yielding more flavour with every bite, and the pesto adding just the right amount of juice to complement the succulent protein.
Wolfing it down in glee, we turned our attention to the equally riveting, if more intriguing Chipotle Shrimp Salad (R320). We went in for a spoonful after another, marvelling at the winning combination of the sweet orange segments and the well-balanced vinaigrette, offset by the slight bitterness of the rocket leaves, all rounded off by that heady smokiness of chipotle and the freshness of the crunchy prawns.
Fat Man's quirky avatars suggest he is a man of many interests. Pics/Yashodhara Ghosh
We had been lusting for pizza, and chose a Mellanzane, but the fat man’s land comes with its occasional disappointments — 10 minutes after the attendants willingly scribbled the order, the chef popped out of the kitchen to tell us that technical glitches would not allow for it.
Shrugging off our disappointment, we browsed the bright green menu for mains and made some difficult choices. The Chicken Roulade (R475), its centre bursting with a generous feta spinach mash, sat on a bed of silky risotto. In a rhapsody of gustatory joy, we dabbed our roulade on the smear of pesto, speared our charred veggies, and alternated it with mouthfuls of risotto. Conversations could wait.
While the overpowering rosemary in the Lamb Sliders (R330) divided the table, the Grilled Rawas (R475), which we drizzled generously with the tangy lemon butter sauce that came with it, had us in raptures again. We noted that the team in the kitchen has mastered the art of finessing the dishes with well-cooked and seasoned sauces, salads, dressings and greens, ensuring that every morsel was polished off, greedily.
It ain't over until the fat man sings. And dessert, which comprised Apple Crumble (R275), had us singing along. The caramel, cinnamon, perfectly flaky pastry, topped with a dollop of ice-cream, hit all the right spots and brought the exhilarating meal to a sweet and comforting end.
AT Shop no 9, Kosamba, near ONGC building, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra (W).
CALL 26402053/55
Fat Man's Cafe didn’t know we were there. the guide reviews anonymously and pays for its meals.
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