No ‘Mo’ for me please

Review – Mosate

Thanks to the Rajiv Gandhi Sea-link (thankgod  for that name, we don’t need anything more named after Shivaji) Bandra, the queen of the suburbs is less distance and a lot less traffic away. Don’t get me wrong, I am a total SOBO but I definitely think that Bandora, as the Portugese call it or Vandra as  the Marathis call it has great options as far as food is concerned. So if like me your running out of options in town head to you know where!

So on a fine Saturday evening, Culinary and familia headed to Bandra for a weekend dinner ritual to Bandra. Read on to know the chronicles of our evening.

You need to take the first left from the Sea Link, that looks like a dark alley. Alittle right and little left, you need to figure your way to Ambedkar Road. Please get the directions right before going to this place because it can be a bit complicated if your not familiar with Bandra. Located somewhere next to Barbeque Nation and instead of the Retro Rock Bar Club XI is Mosate, which means a Royal Village in Thai or so its menu says.

Beautifully decorated patio lined with waterfalls and mellow lighting leads you to the place. At the entrance you are greeted by a Chinese Laughing Buddha showing off his huge belly (tempting to touch just like a bald mans moon), a little ahead a Thai doll does the ‘Swadika’ a welcome by joining hands just like the Namaste and little ahead to the left Indonesean Garudas decorate the walls. Looking at the medley of objets d'art that decorate this place, it is clear that Mosate doesn't put "all its eggs in one basket" and serves up dishes from different South Asian countries. The beige and wood theme of the place along with mellow lighting adds to the beauty of this place.

We settle in a table with a wooden bench to one side and chairs on the other. Not very comfortable seating to note. We are served the Menu which just testifies my ‘eggs in one basket theory’. It boasts of Phad Thais, Viatenamese Pho’s, Malaysian Noodles, Chicken Pattaya Style, Khowsueys, Laksa’s and Nasi Gorengs. The Culinary Muse in me was quite impressed. If I wasn't with my family I would started dancing to “Aaj phir Jeene ki Tamana Hai” ala Waheeda Rehman Style. Yes I am a bit biased to Asian food.

Three Mushroom Soup

So we order the Three Mushroom Soup which was highly recommended by our maitre d’ in vegetarian soups. The charcoal coloured soup looked like diluted sauce soy sauce with green and red chilly flakes floating around. It didn’t taste any different except the soy sauce was full bodied and not diluted. Acerbic is the word that would describe it best. We asked him to take it back and bring us the normal Chicken Hot & Sour and Manchow Soup. I think they took the sour part of the Hot & Sour soup too seriously and made it too sour for the tastebuds. The soup tasted something like astringent not that I have tasted it but I know it cant taste worst than this. The Manchow was still edible, nothing worth writing about though.

Now after such an experience you would expect me to walk out of the place.But for the sake of you, my beloved readers, CM decided to give another shot to this place so that you would not have to go through the ordeal.

Mushroom, Babycorn, Brocolli Hakka

Thai Spicy Wantons

Our next dish again on the recommendation of the maitre d’ was the Mushroom, babycorn, broccoli Hakka style – lucky for the maitre d’ we are suckers for garlic, the dish was edible. The Spicy Thai Style Veg Wantons were like in my sisters words ‘cooked in Maggi ka Masala’. Don’t get me wrong I am a total sucker for Maggi too but you don’t want to spend Rs 160 for it. The next was the Chicken Pattaya style which literally salvaged the situation it had a pleasant oriental flavor to it and tasted yum. The Fish in Hot Basil Sauce backed up the chicken in the salvage operation with balmy flavor of the basil.

Little did we know that the salvage operation was about to fail and from here on it would only be downhill!

Chicken Farang

In the mains we order for the Chicken Farang Stir Fried with Mushroom, Brocolli in Oyster Sauce. Not to mention again on recommendation by the maitre d’. The dish looked like a crime scene from Dexter. The scarlet thick sloppy dish didn’t leave a very good taste in any of our mouths!

Reasonably priced a meal for two would cost between Rs 500 - 1000.

Verdict

Food: Puke

Staff: Puke

Ambience: Brilliant but whats the point

QuickTip: Don’t go there! If you happen to, then order by instinct and not by the maitre d’ recommendations

The Co-ordinates

Mosate, Jharna Apts, Dr Ambedkar Road, Khar West, Mumbai

Landmark: Next to Barbeque Nation

Phone: 26465133, 26465134