12 October,2016 09:37 AM IST | | Suprita Mitter
When we stepped into the large premises of 212 All Good, the first thing that caught our eye was the row of potted herbs with name tags
Grilled Himalayan Trout
When we stepped into the large premises of 212 All Good, the first thing that caught our eye was the row of potted herbs with name tags. "We grow them here," said Deepti Dadlani of Bellona Hospitality (they also run a few other eateries and a nightspot in the city), as she urged us to try them. We plucked a few parsley sprigs and with such a short farm-to-fork distance, we were sure that the tiny leaves would pack a punch in any dish they graced. The eatery also offered a chic section for solo diners were square boxes that act as chairs and tables, allowing diners to plug in their laptops, charge their phones and work out of the space. The rest of the 50-seater intimate eatery used furnishing in wood and terracotta.
The Dark and Light colas
There's coffee in my cola
The large bar had an unusual display of science lab-style labelled glass bottles. The in-house colas in the bar menu caught the eye. "There's a soda machine for in-house botanical sodas, so even the tonic water and colas are preservative-free. All the mixers in the cocktails are pressed fresh from seasonal fruits in front of you," shared Tanai Shirali, the beverage and cocktail developer, as he poured out cool concoctions, reminding us of Dexter's laboratory.
Interiors. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar
We tried the Dark Cola (Rs 150) that brought back memories of jaljeera soda and the tangy, Light Cola, made sans jaggery (Rs 150). These caffeine-free sodas are made with 17 natural ingredients. Next came the Coffee Cola (Rs 175) made with espresso, balsamic and house cola. We also sipped on the Hibiscus Gin (Rs 425) made with ginger, orange and spice bitters, which was a winner. The bitters are made in-house too.
Food for the gut
As we moved away from the bar and seated ourselves, we noticed an adult colouring book placed on each table. What we liked, though, were the hanging cloth bags that contained a newspaper and books with stories that revolved around food. From the elaborate breakfast menu, we picked a classic, The All Good Benedict (R295) made of poached eggs, dehydrated tomatoes, sweet potato cakes and turmeric cashew cream. The sweet potatoes replaced the deep fried or toasted bread, and we didn't miss it.
"Our food uses indigenous produce, free of refined flours, artificial flavours and preservatives," clarified chef Paul Kinny, who has crafted the menu with chef Moina Oberoi. "If it's out of a bottle, it doesn't go on the plate. Unfortunately, we aren't allowed to make our own alcohol yet," added director Romil Ratra. The milkshakes were made of dairy-free milk made from pressed almond, oats and coconut.
Of the dishes we tried, we enjoyed the unusual mix of Chickpea Tacos (Rs 335) served on a nachni base with mayo and fermented hot sauce. The Coriander Chicken Burger (Rs 485) came with pickled tendli (ivy gourd) on top. The warm buns baked in-house were the highlight. We loved the Grilled Himalayan Trout (Rs 625) with lemon-dill sauce, pea mash and sweet potato wedges instead of the regular French Fries. Of the desserts, we tried the Pumpkin Pie (Rs 255) made with salted jaggery caramel. We kept telling ourselves that though delicious, this is a healthier pick. The space will soon organise cashless barter bazaars, book readings and other such events.
