Fil, Fil, what's new?

Fil Fil Fine Dine will have to work harder to stand out in the suddenly-overflowing-with-eateries suburb that is Andheri

Fil Fil Fine Dine will have to work harder to stand out in the suddenly-overflowing-with-eateries suburb that is Andheriu00a0
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Our initial attempts to locate Fil Fil were in vain. We spent nearly half an hour one humid evening trying to navigate an irate rickshaw driver through Aram Nagar part 1. And then got him to drive us back home. The next morning, we headed out in the opposite direction, for lunch this time, and there it was ufffd in the gloriously sea-facing Versova.


Golden Fried Corn Curd Pics/ Nimesh Dave

Olive is the first thing that comes to mind ufffd whitewashed rustic stone exteriors, white varnished cane furniture outdoors ufffd the best form of flattery indeed.

But when we walk into the airconditioned section, we realise Fil Fil has a character of its own. The woodwork on the ceiling is lovely, the rest of the interiors are sparse and simple. A pretty picture, save the too-bright lighting (get them to dim it for you, unless you want to closely scrutinise your date's face), and the extra cool blast of aircon.

We settle down and the menu follows (also white). The menu is a bit disappointing. There's nothing that stands out ufffd it's a regular mix of Indian and Chinese cuisines. What does catch our fancy is the listing of exotic chillies on every page, which is what the lounge has been named after. Fil fil is Arabic for mirch. Okay!
We call for starters ufffd Prawns Kalimirch (Rs 180) and Golden Fried Corn Curd with Crackling Spinach (Rs 160).

The lights dimmed, the aircon suitably lowered, we settle in comfortably. Soon, the Prawns and Corn arrive.

This is going to be our favourite course of the day. The Prawns glisten with oil, are dressed from head to tail in black pepper, and look mouthwatering. They're deliciously spicy and we devour them quickly.

The Golden Fried Corn (curd, what curd?) is a perfect antidote to the prawn. It's mild with that sunny taste that only cooked corn has. The spinach is unbelievably light and crunchy with a hint of sweet. Full marks to both.

To calm down the pepper spice somewhat, we call for the Fil Fil Special Lassi (Rs 99). Lightly flavoured with saffron, the creamy lassi is not entirely smooth, and so has a nice blended at-home touch to it.

For the mains, we opt for the Aloo Gobi Hara Pyaaz (Rs 139), Dal Kolhapuri (Rs 69) and a Murg Anarkali (Rs159), with Cheese Kulcha (Rs 50) and Pudhina Naan (Rs 35). The Aloo Gobi is a letdown. The menu calls it a stir-fry, but what we are served is a heavy masala-full green gravy. The Murg Anarkali, chunks of chicken in a spicy tomato gravy, is nice but doesn't do much for us. It's hot as hell as is the Dal Kolhapuri. The Cheese Kulcha drips with ghee and molten cheese and is delicious. Unhealthy and yummy ufffd just as we like it. The Pudhina Paratha, flecked with shredded mint leaves makes for a good accompaniment.

The portions at Fil Fil are huge, so we decide to skip dessert. It's been a satiating meal all right, and we really enjoyed the starters. Perhaps Fil Fil works best as a place you'd want to lounge at, load up on some starters if you aren't too hungry, and then move on someplace else. The service is polite and attentive, but Fil Fil will have to introduce some hatke items on their menu to hold on to clientele. Playing safe is one thing, but this is pretty run-of-the-mill.u00a0

At Fil Fil Fine Dine, Versova, 7 Bungalows, Andheri (W).
Call: 26397788

Fil Fil fine dine didn't know we were there. The GUIDE reviews anonymously and pays for meals.

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