Mumbai food: Andheri delivery service offers pocket-friendly gourmet grub

Veg Indian Meal

Though their Facebook page mentions delivery between Oshiwara and Juhu, The Gourmet Kitchen, a month-old delivery service near Fun Republic in Andheri, refused to deliver our order to Juhu Circle. "That would be far for us. We mainly deliver in Andheri, from Oshiwara to Azad Nagar," informed a polite voice on the other end of the line.

The order arrived in sturdy boxes. Pics/Nimesh Dave

However, piqued by the promise of tucking into gourmet dishes at our work desk, we decided to travel to their base to pick up our order. After all, the menu promised an interesting variety of Indian, Continental and Mediterranean grills and mains (Wine Grilled Prawns and Lemon Herbed Fish Fillet) apart from sandwiches, burgers, crostinis, wraps and all-day breakfast options. Within 40 minutes, we received the order, neatly tucked in paper and plastic boxes, which survived the bumpy ride to our office.

Jack Daniels Chicken Burger

Where's Jack?
The warm glow of baked cheese on chopped veggies like bell peppers, corn and zucchini layered over four pieces of long bread greeted us when we opened a box containing Veg Open Faced Sandwich ('240). Unfortunately, the chewy bread marred the cheesy and crunchy bite of fresh veggies. Potato wedges that accompanied the dish didn't live up to our expectations, either. We tried to wash them down with Chocolate Smoothie ('210) but the watery drink failed to help the matters.

AâÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088side of potato wedges and Lemon Herbed Fish Fillet

Instead, we polished off Chicken Lebanese Wrap ('260), which featured a tangy-spicy hummus, shredded chicken and lettuce filling in paper-thin tortilla. Brownie points for offering two wrap portions in a single plate. Next, we sampled the Jack Daniels Chicken Burger ('280) that packed in an egg-coated chicken patty, onion and tomatoes between two soft buns. Though we'd have preferred a stronger hint of whiskey in the sauce-smeared patty, the succulent meat and its sweet-and-spicy flavours made amends.

Chicken Lebanese Wrap

Fishy find
Grilled to perfection in a buttery lemon sauce, the Lemon Herbed Fish Fillet ('350) scored for its soft texture and peppery-tangy flavours that complemented the rice and chunks of steamed broccoli accompanying the main dish. Another highlight was the vegetarian Indian Meal ('320) that packed in rich and creamy Paneer Tikka Masala with pieces of tandoori roti and jeera rice. The comforting flavours oozing from the melt-in-your-mouth, char-grilled paneer with crispy rotis made our gourmet dining experience worth it.