Restaurant Review
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THE NUTCRACKER MULTI-CUISINE
I raise a toast with the
unique “breakfast in a bottle“ along with my guests (in the photo).
We're in the week old café “Nutcracker“ and we're celebrating the
legendary 86year young Padmashree Dr RP Soonawala's forthcoming
prestigious Dhanvantari award (conferred on the likes of Dr Christian
Bernard).Internationally and nationally recognised for his medical
inventions and pioneering Family planning work, the lovable doctor has
delivered the nation including Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta's daugher. The
dapper gourmet Jay and RP share over a
decade of friendship, passion for cars, food, chocolates and
perfection. Though busy with his national and interntional businesses
(including restauranting) Jay takes time off to dine at the world's
finest Michelin-starred restaurants and the small homestyle ones (like
he does today). He is a pure vegetarian.“Nutcracker“ serves pure
vegetarian food too.
DÉCOR
It's seriously small. Sits cheek by jowl with Ayub's Kababwalla in the Kala Ghoda area. Charming in a rustic unfinished way, (three yellow stools suspended on the wall, cardboard-framed mirrors et al) old world art decotiled flooring.
FOOD
Homestyle vegetarian: All day breakfast (go for the Parsi Eggs with salli, yum Parsi Akuri, the cracked Wheat and Barley Upma) Burgers & Sandwiches (chunky black bean with garlic mayo has a satisfying bite, homemade barbecue sauce on the cheese one delights, classic grilled cheese sandwich deliciously oozes cheese). Healthy options too (must try the delicious breakfast in a bottle... The Asian Salad.) Ask for the square wedge of “Seven Layer Cookie,“ (chocolate, biscuit crumbs, almond flakes et al) and the dense yet light Belgian Chocolate Cake.
MINUS
No booking policy has us waiting. It was packed and the bare room amplified noise levels. No wine or beer in this café. Some of the dishes gloopy (sliders with egg and pesto) lacklustre (buttermilk pancakes). No Egg Florentine or Egg Parfait available today. Oversweet French Toast.
MY POINT
This open through the day, pure vegetarian (eggs included) café redefines family-run and homestyle (even the sauces are homemade). It follows in the footsteps of “Kala Ghoda Café“, “Pantry“ and “Teapot Café“ but is even more homespun. I have a big, fat, soft spot for familyrun restaurants and this one has the chartered accountant turned restaurateur Anahita Bafna cooking, her sister serving and her investment banker husband helping out too.Together they have delivered “Nutcracker“. Sure! it is a newborn and still needs to find it's feet. But we (who better than world-renowned obs-gynae Dr RP Soonawala) welcome this bonny new baby!
MELBOURNE MAGIC
Khulja sim sim. It's dessert time.We're in the kitchen garden of one of the World's 50 Best Restaurants and guess what we are doing here?
Foraging for rare and fragrant herbs with the renowned brilliant young chef Ben Shewry in Attica. He conjures up an amazing dessert for us (my Melbournian buddies Maggie White and Melanie Dsouza). Melbourne continues to mesmerise. And this charming cosmopolitan culinary city buzzes with fab coffee bars, hidden eateries, cafes, bars and worldfamous fine-dining restaurants. For me, it's a feast of the senses ... From dining in the Masterchef George Calombaris' restaurant “Gazi“ , Cutler & Co, strawberry picking and wine tasting in the Peninsula, to being healed in a hot spring. Thanks to my Instagram and Twitter buddies for your recognition... Please mail rashmiudaysingh2015@gmail.com, Twitter, Instagram @rashmiudaysingh.P.S.It's only here could I have had the most fabulous fine-dining meal in a restaurant named “Ten Minutes by Tractor“.
It's seriously small. Sits cheek by jowl with Ayub's Kababwalla in the Kala Ghoda area. Charming in a rustic unfinished way, (three yellow stools suspended on the wall, cardboard-framed mirrors et al) old world art decotiled flooring.
FOOD
Homestyle vegetarian: All day breakfast (go for the Parsi Eggs with salli, yum Parsi Akuri, the cracked Wheat and Barley Upma) Burgers & Sandwiches (chunky black bean with garlic mayo has a satisfying bite, homemade barbecue sauce on the cheese one delights, classic grilled cheese sandwich deliciously oozes cheese). Healthy options too (must try the delicious breakfast in a bottle... The Asian Salad.) Ask for the square wedge of “Seven Layer Cookie,“ (chocolate, biscuit crumbs, almond flakes et al) and the dense yet light Belgian Chocolate Cake.
MINUS
No booking policy has us waiting. It was packed and the bare room amplified noise levels. No wine or beer in this café. Some of the dishes gloopy (sliders with egg and pesto) lacklustre (buttermilk pancakes). No Egg Florentine or Egg Parfait available today. Oversweet French Toast.
MY POINT
This open through the day, pure vegetarian (eggs included) café redefines family-run and homestyle (even the sauces are homemade). It follows in the footsteps of “Kala Ghoda Café“, “Pantry“ and “Teapot Café“ but is even more homespun. I have a big, fat, soft spot for familyrun restaurants and this one has the chartered accountant turned restaurateur Anahita Bafna cooking, her sister serving and her investment banker husband helping out too.Together they have delivered “Nutcracker“. Sure! it is a newborn and still needs to find it's feet. But we (who better than world-renowned obs-gynae Dr RP Soonawala) welcome this bonny new baby!
MELBOURNE MAGIC
Khulja sim sim. It's dessert time.We're in the kitchen garden of one of the World's 50 Best Restaurants and guess what we are doing here?
Foraging for rare and fragrant herbs with the renowned brilliant young chef Ben Shewry in Attica. He conjures up an amazing dessert for us (my Melbournian buddies Maggie White and Melanie Dsouza). Melbourne continues to mesmerise. And this charming cosmopolitan culinary city buzzes with fab coffee bars, hidden eateries, cafes, bars and worldfamous fine-dining restaurants. For me, it's a feast of the senses ... From dining in the Masterchef George Calombaris' restaurant “Gazi“ , Cutler & Co, strawberry picking and wine tasting in the Peninsula, to being healed in a hot spring. Thanks to my Instagram and Twitter buddies for your recognition... Please mail rashmiudaysingh2015@gmail.com, Twitter, Instagram @rashmiudaysingh.P.S.It's only here could I have had the most fabulous fine-dining meal in a restaurant named “Ten Minutes by Tractor“.
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