I visited Veranda on a rainy Sunday afternoon for their brunch...having booked my table 2 days in advance! Moving on inside I got to know Veranda was actually located in the basement of Hotel Executive Enclave on Ambedkar Road and not Pali Hill as the address claims.
The place was empty, I was seated at a cutely tagged table reserved for me, a very nice cozy spot near a large window over looking the pitter patter of the rains.
When I informed the staff I was there for the brunch they told me it was cancelled on account of dry day. This was the first let down since the whole visit was planned for the brunch, nevertheless after expressing my angst at not being informed they offered me the brunch package and choose from the menu accordingly. Frankly how does a dry day make any difference to people who come to eat, I wonder?!!
It's a gourmet Indian fine-dine restaurant that serves deconstructed modern Indian cuisine while you can be rest assured the traditional flavours are kept intact. The seating is spacious, the dining area is aesthetically designed with Indian artifacts. Scintillating chandeliers, bright and colourful runners adorn the tables, strategically placed plants and beautiful paintings make up the decor.
The ride from here on was a culinary delight and overshadowed the experience I had at the onset. So here goes the series of Indian fusion food each competing with the next one...!
Pablo Picacho 4/5
Chicken soup with mint and brown onions
Desi Gazpacho 4/5
Deliciously spiced tomato soup with coriander, and mind you it's not a cold soup. It's served piping hot coz it's the desi version
Baby Beetroot, Arugula and Quinoa Salad 4/5
Flavoursome with a spectacular presentation
Crab-stract Salad 5/5
This ones a must have. Crab and raw mango are the key elements along with spicy Thai salad and avocado cream.
Raja Dahi Varma 4/5
This is basically a deliciously deconstructed dahi bhalla
Frida Kohli 2/5
Just about okay, seemed like tandoori fried prawns served on skewers
Mushroom Car Pachino 2/5
This one was with a tangy ranch dressing, not particularly a favourite at our table
Pork Van Dogh 3/5
Pork belly chunks cooked in vindaloo sauce served upon prawn crisps along with crispy bacon
Oriental Roast Chicken Breast 3.5/5
Spicy Indian rice with marinated chicken breast cooked to perfection accompanied with a spicy Thai salad.
Gustafish Klimt 3/5
Pomfret fillet along with spicy quinoa and potatoes... you need to be really experimental to try this out lest settle for the more conventional dishes.
Gulkand Choco Bar 3/5
Nice, rich creamy chocolate bar mildly flavoured like a meetha pan. Superb presentation though one needs to be open to chocolate & pan blended flavours to actually relish this innovative dessert.
White Chocolate Soufflé 5/5
Lip smacking and outstanding. What I thought it would be like and what eventually arrived was world's apart. This one's a hands down winner
The decor and the outdoor seating, gives it a European feel, and brought back memories of my holidays in England and Paris.
We started with the Mushroom Croquetas, a veg friendly dish with a cheesy center. Artistically presented these little crispy, creamy-centered croquettes just melt in your mouth.
The Tuna Melt is open-faced with crusty toasted bread, deliciously creamy with generous portion of tuna chunks topped with egg. This is accompanied with a brilliantly tossed salad in a tiny jar that was perfect to beat the afternoon heat.
For the eggetarian guest Scrambled Eggs on Toast was the choice of the day. Soft, Creamy and Fluffy it was made to perfection and served with Röschti.
