Chilis, Powai

Chilis is an American Burger and Margarita joint that started out of Dallas in the year 1975. They opened in Powai around a year back and is fast developing a reputation of being a preferred watering hole of upmarket corporate types inhabiting the offices that have mushroomed all around the suburb. While it definitely is a great place to have a drink with airy well spaced out sitting area and smart, well spoken waiters, the food is under rated and deserves far more mention and word of mouth than the place currently gets. Guess the reputation of a bar first is good on the economics but the food as I found out is very good and deserves more credit.
Chilis was hosting a Fajita festival during the week when we visited, the effort part of a visible positioning strategy of the outlet as an authentic Mexican option in Mumbais foodscape inspite of their Burger centric origins - I guess they feel that the Burger has limited viability in an already McDonald-ised India. To partake in the festivities we decided to sample the Chicken Prawn Fajitas and for starters, we went with the ever popular. The Nachos were distinctly and pleasantly different from what you get at most joints and looked and tasted more authentic (although I have had very few brushes with Mexican cuisine). They appeared as they were freshly baked and the cheese sauce was tasty without being incredibly over powering. The salsa sauce served with the Nachos was positively brilliant and what was better was there willingness to serve seconds when we requested for more. An outstanding dish and a must - have if the best Nacho you have presently tasted in Mumbai is at Cream Centre, Bombay Blue of TGI Fridays.
The Fajitas were also served in a very different manner. The prawns, chicken and vegetables were served sizzling on a hot plate, the Tortillas were served separately in a covered dish almost similar to how you would serve hot chappatis in a typical Indian meal. The condiments and sauces were also kept completely separately to be mixed and had as per once flexibility. Again the authentic way to serve the dish and very different from the usual rolled up version available in the Mexican sections of most restaurants. The patrons are then expected to roll up the Fajita as per their individual tastes and proceed to have the dish. A very nice dish both in terms of taste and in concept and it definitely left me yearning for more.
We wrapped up the meal at Chilis with a dessert so sinful it deserves mention, we ordered the Molten Chocolate Cake, a large dollop of chocolate cake with molten chocolate on the inside waiting to burst out given the opportunity, served on a hot plate with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. Just before serving chocolate sauce is served on the sinful mass to add the sizzle effect on the hot plate. Calorific, sinful but completely delightful.
The sense that you get from Chilis overall is a over riding sense of style, the food, the decor, the service all exude a certain confidence and class. What I would also ask you to do is to order a Margarita as '007 'would have ordered it. The waiter will literally shake the drink in the mixer on the way from the bar to your table!
A meal for two at Chilis without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 1200/-
How to get there: Chilis is in Hiranandani Gardens, Powai. If you are driving from Haiko to D-Mart, Chilis will fall to your right. It is situated right next to Great Kebab Factory.

Red Box Cafe, Bandra

The best thing about Red Box Cafe is the atmosphere that the restaurant exudes and inculcates. The lights are bright, the overwhelming colour of the decor is bright red interspersed with clear white patches. The music in largely rock and roll from the halycon days on the late eighties and the early nineties, and the moods of ninety percent of the patrons you see seated in tables around you in unmistakably happy. Red Box Cafe is easily one of the "happiest" restaurants I have visited, and is definitely in contention if you are wanting to spend an enjoyable evening with friends and family in Mumbai and are deciding where to go.

Red Box offers continental cuisine and the menu card contains the usual offering of steaks, sizzlers and other English favourites. They have also added the usual Italian and Mexican specialities which is increasingly becoming must haves in most restaurants in Mumbai today. The food though passable is however not the main draw and it would be best to tone down the expectations of the palate at least in terms of authenticity.

The last time we were at Red Box I had the opportunity to sample the Chicken - Lemon Thyme, The Penne Machelleria and one of my Old Favourites - The Lobster Thermedor. The chicken - lemon thyme was expectedly very good, lemon and thyme go very well together and served as excellent flavour on the mildly grilled chicken. The Penne Machelleria (Machelleria is Italian for Butcher Shop) - essentially Penne tossed with chicken sausages in a meat sauce was Ok, while the sausages were good on their own, I guess the meat sauce suffered and largely tasted of tomato without the juices of minced meat. The lobster thermedor was excellently presented with the flesh kept inside the beasts outer shell.

The taste was however slightly overwhelmed by the excessively cheesy white sauce served with the dish. Disappointing after the really great presentation. The other slight downer was the service which was really slow. The saving grace remains the great ambiance and atmosphere, we did not really mind spending a little extra time in the restaurant - even though it meant waiting for the food. Go to Red Box Cafe to have a nice time and decent food with friends and family.

A meal for two at Red Box Cafe without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 1000/-

How to get there: Red Box Cafe is on Waterfield Road in Bandra at the corner of the junction which also houses China Gate and Caravan Serai.