Punjab Grill, Juhu, Mumbai

Punjab Grill is an attempt to fill one of the most obvious need gaps in the culinary land scape of Mumbai. The city (at least the suburbs) really has relatively few options (discounting the 5 star chains) if you want to sample high quality North Indian / Punjabi cuisine and to a large extent Punjab Grill manages to fill that rather glaring culinary hole.
Punjab Grill is a fine dining restaurant aimed at bringing you the best flavours of the undivided Punjab and as soon as you enter the restaurant, one gets the impression that the evening will be an enjoyable one. They have two layouts, an air conditioned interior as well as an adequately fanned outdoor option. The outdoor option is very classily done up, so much so, that we decided to sit outdoors inspite of the Mumbai heat. What I particularly liked from a customer experience perspective is the outdoor bar they have set up near the entrance which can and was being used by guests while waiting to be seated.
What also strikes you is the amazing level of service you experience, the waiters are all smart and knowledgeable. Service is paramount and their is no division of tables or zones at least visibly, in case the waiter allocated to you is busy, others are most willing to pitch in. What I appreciated from the waiters was also their honesty with the items on the menu, we were very clearly informed when we were ordering some aam-panna that the same was not original Mango and so might not be as authentic as some other available options, especially the shikanji.
The food at Punjab Grill is something that they take a lot of pride in and not without reason as we experienced. We sampled their kebab platter, the galouti kebabs, Daal Punjab grill and Kheema naan. The Kebab Platter had servings of Mutton Chaap, Chicken Reshmi Kebabs, Chicken Tikka and Fish Amritsari. The chicken was soft, well flavoured and very tasty, the fish was authentic with the flavour of ajwain standing out. The star of the platter was undoubtedly the mutton chaap, well chosen pieces and cooked so that the mutton adequately stays attached to the bone while perfectly cooked. The melt-in-your-mouth Galouti kebabs were also very good, among the best I have sampled in Mumbai, the only negative being the way they were served, on a small bread with an onion slice. It looked great and tasted okay but it was almost presented too well to be interfered with. I like a little bit more freedom in the way I want to have my Galouti.
The Daal - Punjab Grill was as good as you expect in any high quality Punjabi restaurant and did not disappoint in the least, I however felt that there was room to improve with the Kheema Naan as I felt that the flavour did not really come through and got a bit awkward to finish and reduced me that I had opted for the Garlic Naan. Overall, while I would have to say the food was very good but did not floor me and make my mouth water. Call it being spoilt but the food of undivided Punjab makes me yearn for food I have sampled in Amritsar, Chandigarh and Ludhiana. I expect the food from present day Pakistan to be as good as the kebabs in Lucknow. While Punjab Grill does a fantastic job, those levels of culinary experience are never quite achieved. To be honest I have sampled similar culinary excellence only at the ITC Grand Maratha in Mumbai so the comparison might not be fair.
Punjab Grill however won my heart with the little touch at the end. I absolutely adored the complementary Paan shots. Served in Tequila glasses and with all the flavours of a good paan the Paan shot made me rank Punjab Grill as one of the restaurants I would definitely go back to, inspite of the slightly steep price.
A meal for two at Punjab Grill without drinks will cost you approximately Rs 3000/-
How to get there: Punjab Grill is opposite the Costa Coffee in Juhu. If you enter Juhu through Juhu Gali and turn right towards Juhu Circle, it will fall on your left. The gate falls to your left, after you take a left past the restaurant boards visible from the main road.

Don Giovanni, Juhu

The same upmarket hotel which has forced the relocation of Bistro Grill has also forced the relocation of Don Giovanni in Juhu. Though in this case, paradise has not been lost as the food remains as good as it ever was. I say that with a pinch of salt as their signature dish - the Risotto - a - la - Don Giovanni, an outstanding preparation of a cheese, and bacon risotto with a dash of vodka has lost the mind blowing quality that it had the first time. But I would attribute that to the high expectation that we place of the dish.
Don Giovanni has moved from opposite the JW Marriott hotel to the lane on which Prithvi theatre is located. It is on a semi complex on the left, you have to to drive in a bit before the valet parking gets into action. The interiors are quite large and seating 50 plus people comfortably does not seem to be an issue. We sat on a table near the bar, there are two other sections in the restaurant. The decor is apt, paintings adorn the walls and there is far more space than at the previous outlet. The only thing I missed was the Azzuri football shirt, present at the previous outlet which I could not locate here. Music, I presume Italian is played at just the right volume which provides a perfect ambience for a great lunch/ dinner. I have made several visits to Don G's in Mumbai but to my mind three dishes stand out.
1) The Risotto - a - la - Don Giovanni : When you put cheese, vodka, bacon and arborio rice in just the right combination you come up with this dish that causes me to salivate as I am writing this. The risotto is the best I have ever had, although they have increased the size of the bacon pieces which according to me does not taste as good as it used to the smaller pieces of crispy bacon.
2) Chicken Involtini - The Involtini is an outstanding starter of chicken stuffed with Mozzarella cheese. The cheese is folded into chicken breasts which are supported by a toothpick and then cooked. The cheese is just right and tastes brilliant when the dish is served. The only tricky part of the preparation is dealing with the tooth pick elegantly which is sometimes difficult to execute.
3) Lasagna - I tasted the chicken lasagna at Don Gs and it was exceptional. I can only imagine how good the beef lasagna must be. It is not too crisp as is the case in certain restaurants. It is just hard enough for the multiple layers of pasta, tomato, cheese and meat to stick together in perfect proportion
These are the top three dishes but it would be a great injustice to not talk about the Tiramisu and the coffee. Problem is that it would be difficult to fit both into the menu in the same meal. Both are outstanding, I urge you to go twice, or better still before the meal have a chat over some coffee and end with the Tiramisu. Only thing, you have to pre-book the Tiramisu as it runs out very quickly. So coffee for a pre meal conversation, Chicken Involtini for starters, if there are two of you order the Lasagna and the Risotto ala Don Giovanni, and end with the heavenly Tiramisu. You will fall in love with Italy right in the heart of Mumbai.
Good Italian food does not come cheap and a meal for two, with starters and dessert but without drinks at Don Giovanni will cost you Rs 2500/-
How to get there: Don Giovanni is in Juhu, at the signal between Juhu and Andheri, instead of proceeding on Juhu Tara Road toward JW Marriot. Turn right at the signal to go toward Prithvi, there will be a semi market complex on your left. Don Giovanni is one of the many restaurants/ shops. It is visible from the outside.