Playing the same tune

Garlic cheese bread

The term déjà vu takes a whole new meaning when we revisit The Playlist Pizzeria in Andheri after a gap of four months. For, we take a seat at the exact same table with the same person who accompanied us the last time, ask for the same item from the menu, and have the same waiter attending to us this time too. It's almost as if we have turned the clock back. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing, since the sole purpose of our visit is to find out if the music-themed eatery can recreate our initial experience despite the passage of time.

But let's first quickly take you through what had transpired when we had first dropped by. We remember having had stress buster, a watermelon and vodka-based cocktail that had served as an instant pick-me-up, apart from the meal for two.

Spaghetti in white sauce

The latter entailed a plate of six chunky slices of cheesy garlic bread, a cracking thin-crust seven-inch pizza named satisfaction, and a bowl of spaghetti in white sauce that seemed as if it had been whipped up in a jiffy. And apart from the pasta, the only issue we had had was the passive-aggressive demeanour of our partner, who had manifested her displeasure about a squabble with an unnerving vow of silence.

Her frosty behaviour, however, had melted after we had played Daft Punk's Digital Love from the playlist that the restaurant offers its patrons. But thankfully, we don't have to resort to any such tricks on our second visit since her mood this time is as sunny as the warm winter rays in Mumbai at present.

Satisfaction pizza. Pics/Satej Shinde

So, basking in the glow of conjugal harmony, we simplify the business of ordering by repeating the meal for two ('550), the only difference being that we ask for a pizza called uptown funk (all dishes on the menu are named after song titles) and a mocktail titled lemon grass hopper ('199) to mix things up a bit.

The pasta arrives in the blink of an eye again. And unfortunately, the same issues remain. The chef hasn't muffed up the level of salt like he'd done earlier. But the amount of corn flour in the sauce makes the dish seem as if it will congeal if we don't consume it as soon as possible. So, the partner takes on this dubious responsibility since she follows a show-food-will-eat policy, while we contend ourselves with the garlic bread when it's served soon after.

Lemon grass hopper

The good news about it is that the slices are still as chunky and cheesy as before, and are soft instead of being so hard that you fear you'll chip your teeth. It means that the eatery retains its strong points, which is further affirmed when the uptown funk is placed on the table. The pizza is dripping with a golden layer of cheese, which includes parmesan and mozzarella, and has tiny shreds of fresh rosemary sprinkled all over. And the pepperoni slices on it aren't of the fraudulent chicken variety. They are made of pork, which, at least in our books, is how it always should be. Plus, this one has a thin crust too, which suits our preference.

So, the only advice we'll leave for The Playlist Pizzeria is to pay more attention to the pasta component in the meal for two, because as things stand, it seems as if the chef had a train to catch while preparing it. But otherwise, the place is a solid option for pizzas in the Veera Desai area. And who knows, maybe the individual pastas on the menu are perfectly palatable. It's just that you will have to take the risk of finding that out for yourself, because we can't confirm the same considering we haven't tried any.

The bar area is shaped like giant speakers

Time 11 am to 1 am
At Veera Desai Road, Andheri West.
Call 30151948

The Guide first reviewed The Playlist Pizzeria in August 2018. We conduct select, anonymous follow-ups to assess maintenance of standards

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