I am a salad lover, give me any leaf with good dressing and I’ll gobble it down. But when it came to hunting for the best salad places I decided to go beyond the regular Caesar and Greek and try the experimental ingredients. So, when the heat beats you down and you can’t take any of those spicy and oily meals, head to one of these places for a quick and light lunch.
WHAT'S HOT
Pali Village Café, Bandra
The quaint restaurant in Bandra is more famous for its ambience than food but what bowled me over was their salad menu especially watermelon and pickled feta salad topped with mint, lemon and olive oil. At first it may seem like an odd combination. But the melon’s sweetness and the feta’s saltiness is a divine combination.
For the meat lovers roast duck salad with mixed greens and raspberry vinaigrette is highly recommended. Order a glass of white wine with it and you are recharged for the day.
Salt Water Café, Bandra
Salt Water Cafe was my second destination¬¬¬. From their extensive menu my pick was
Spinach + arugula + orange segments + pistachio + sesame granola salad. The orange dressing was the highlight here. You can also add prawns to it but you'll have to pay extra for that.
Roast tenderloin, shiitake, water chestnuts salad is a must try just for the beef. The Asian style dressing is light and doesn't overpower the principal ingredient.
The Tasting Room, Lower Parel
Even after having the watermelon salad at Pali Village Cafe I wasn't quite satisfied and couldn't stop myself from ordering water melon and feta cheese salad at The Tasting Room. I quite liked the topping of pine nuts but the taste of the bitter lettuce kind of leaves put me off. Minus them the salad was almost perfect.
Smoke House Deli, Lower Parel
Smoke House Deli by far has the most fulfilling salad - smoked fig with cherry tomatoes, grapefruit, lettuce and pine nuts. The sweet and sour flavours made the salad taste like pickle. A welcome change from the regular vinegar dressing.
Bonobo, Bandra
Bonobo's newly launched menu has some decent salads on it and looked tempting too. I tried the double melon + greek feta salad which had melon balls instead of big slabs making it easier to eat. This one too had the awful tasting leaves that I had in The Tasting Room.
The warm chive and pickled beet salad was something that I can eat at any given time. The orange pieces were refreshing and I absolutely loved the addition of macadamia nuts.
WHAT'S NOT
Eat Around The Corner, Bandra
The place once famous for its salad bar has completely lost its charm post revamp. Their portions are negligible and dressing barely there. Looks like their idea of cost saving is to cut down on feta cheese.
The Irish House, Lower Parel
If you happen to go there for power lunch please order anything except coriander and lemon marinated mushroom salad for the second course. The salad is a mix of bitter lettuce and over citrusy mushrooms. The strong vinegar might even give you a headache.
With all the lovely combinations available I say that you keep it light this summer. They might burn a hole in your pocket but its way better than burning a hole in your stomach. For cheaper options you can always head to Subway and have one of their veggie delite.
No comments:
Post a Comment