A two-month-old 'paisa vasool' eatery in Juhu for that 4 am craving

Satiate post-party hunger at Juhu Circle's two-month-old value-for money haunt that serves tandoori items and rolls until dawn

Midnight Bites. Pic/ Milind Saurkar

Let's face it. There is a genuine shortage of VFM eating places after the clock strikes 12. Which is why we were curious when we heard about a new joint in Juhu Circle that called itself Midnight Bites. When we dropped by the shawarma, tandoor and sandwich eatery, we learnt that the shop stays open till 4 am.

A staffer prepares Chicken Shawarma

The tiny eatery opens at 7 pm and has no seating but plenty of steps to seat yourself in case you prefer to stay around while you tuck into your late night indulgence. The whiff of garam masala greets us as the cooks prep for the long night ahead.

The shawarma station is slow cooking the meat. We ask for a Shawarma Roll (R250). On a thick pita bread, a cook neatly places French fries, onions and drizzles some pickle.

Chicken Shawarma served hot

He shaves off sufficient portions of chicken meat from the griller and creates a mound on the pita. Loaded with yoghurt, garam masala, green chillies, ginger-garlic paste and cheese, the roll is massive, when it is tightly packed in butter paper and foil. Juicy and medium-spiced, it has tender meat, and compliments the pita.

Paneer Tikka prepared on hot coals

What we like best about the eatery is that each station is manned by a chef who cooks the dish from scratch on order. For our vegetarian fix, we try a Paneer Tikka ('221). The server mixes garam masala and tandoor masala in yoghurt, tosses chunks of paneer and evenly dabs each piece with the thick paste. When the grill has been fired, he passes a tong through the pieces and lets the tandoor do its magic. Pillowy inside and crispy on the outside, the taste of charcoaled edges is delicious. Next time, we intend to explore the pasta and burgers section.

Time 9 pm to 4 am
At Midnight Bites, 9, Concord Apartment, Juhu Circle.
Call 8655522254

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