Go ahead and dig into Arby's' Hummus, Shawarmas and Arayes, as long as you aren't expecting authentic Lebanese cuisine

Go ahead and dig into Arby's' Hummus, Shawarmas and Arayes, as long as you aren't expecting authentic Lebanese cuisine

Lucky for Arby's, the new fast food joint right next to Bandra's Movietime Multiplex on SV Road, we were ravenous when we dropped by for the review. For one, we got a chance to try out the variety that they had to offer. Also, it took us a while to realise that the Lebanese fare here was not a patch on what Picadilly at Colaba has to offer.

Chicken Sheesh Tawook Wrap. Pics/Anuja Gupta

The extensive menu at Arby's includes salads, starters, mezzes, sandwiches and rolls, Lebanese wraps, pizzas, 'frankys', a selection of beverages and many unnecessary apostrophes. We decided to sit outside and look at the traffic whiz past, since the basement section was under construction.

The friendly owner Jackie Panjabi helped us place the order. He suggested we pick Lebanese Chicken Grilled Arayes (Rs 55) and Muhammrous (Rs 55), which came with pita bread and pickled vegetables. The cheesy Arayes tasted quite like a sandwiched pizza, nice. The Muhammrous, essentially a combination of the spicy Muhammara and Hummus, was relatively bland.

Not close to being satiated, we decided to try the Sheesh Tawook Wrap (Rs 95), Chicken Shawarma Wrap (Rs 95) and Mushroom Frankie (Rs 70) along with a Very Berry Cooler (Rs 55). The Sheesh Tawook Wrap tasted really yummy and raised our expectations from the remaining order. Unfortunately, neither the Shawarma nor the Frankie matched up. The Shawarma simply tasted wrong, while the lettuce and green chutney in the Frankie just didn't work.

Panjabi's earnest service prompted us to order a Pizza Supremo (Rs 95) for our still-growling tummies. The pizza toppings were supposed to have olives, sun-dried tomatoes, jalapenos and feta cheese but we didn't bite into too many of those. Eventually, we gave up on the chewy pizza too and decided to order a Cappuccino (Rs 45) and a Suleimani Chai (Rs 25). No complaints about the coffee, but isn't a Suleimani supposed to be black tea? Ours was a frothy, milky, weak version!

Even so, Arby's is a decent place for a quick bite and we're certain that Panjabi will make improvements since he's so keen on patrons' feedback.

At Shop No 1, Deccan Court, near Movie Time Cinema, SV Road, Bandra (W). Call 30633291 / 30633290. Timing: 11 am to 11 pmArby's didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.