Mumbai Food: Fort's neighbourhood bar celebrates the melting pot that it is

Chicken lapeta: The dish (Rs 250) comes with chicken wrapped in egg and is a meal on its own

When chef and restaurateur Meldan D'Cunha is at the helm of things, a few things are assured - good desi food and heady karaoke nights. So, when it came to refurbishing his four-year-old bar in Kala Ghoda, The Local, D'Cunha trusted his instinct and decided to go 100 per cent 'local' with the new menu.

Kolambi bhaat: For those looking for a rice-based meal that's brimming with flavour, try kolambi bhaat ('380). You can cool down with a glass of piyush ('90)

"Dive bars have become popular; since we began, we've always drawn crowds with our affordable prices. But I wanted to offer a clear identity to the place and pull in the lunch crowd as well. I felt nothing better than serving 'Bombay' food at reasonable prices. I did a bit of research on what works around here, and decided to rescue the restaurant," reveals D'Cunha.

Ramzan keema: When it comes to keema, we trust only Irani cafes to get it right, with many afternoons spent at Café Gulshan in Matunga and Cafe Colony in Dadar while in college. Ramzan keema ('260) manages to win us over with its subtle heat, minus the grease

The menu makes us smile. As promised, it is no-frills at VFM rates. It's food we are familiar with and would not think twice before ordering for a relaxed afternoon lunch. Think murgh taka tak (Rs 250, named after the sound made by the spatula on the tava), mutton dhansak (Rs 350), Goa prawn curry (Rs 340), vangi ani batata rasa (Rs 150), eggs Kejriwal (Rs 190) and Chindian dishes like paneer Manchurian (Rs 190) and chicken lollipops (Rs 190).

"There are people who eat out every afternoon and spending '600 for lunch every day is expensive. So the food had to be moderately priced," he explains.

Robi local: The new cocktail menu hasn't been zeroed in so far, but we got a glimpse of what's to come with Robi local, a whiskey-based cocktail made with rosemary, orange bitters, basil seeds and cinnamon. Do ask for the house-made coffee liqueur

There are a few obvious changes in the interiors; it's brighter and the walls sport vintage photos old Bombay. "Most fancy restaurants pump up the volume and dim the lights to offer the ambience of a lounge, but I have done the reverse. A sit-down lunch needs to be had in a bright place. I have turned a bar into a restaurant for afternoons," he sums up.

Malvani fish fry: Alcohol is incomplete without crispy food and D'Cunha does a good job with desi hits such as Malvani fish fry ('230) where a mildly spiced crisp batter coats delicate fish. The bombil bhajiya is equally addictive with veggies mixed in. And if you want to skip local appetisers, they can always serve nachos on request

From: May 2, 12 pm to 3 pm and 7 pm to 1 am
At: Opposite Mumbai University, Fort
Call: 9930244326

Meldan D'Cunha

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