The local luncheon

Non veg ultimate thali

The facade of Capital Social in BKC features red-colour TV sets packed behind a glass pane. They play videos of Joseph Stalin, the erstwhile Soviet Union, and photo montages of Karl Marx on a loop. It is ironic, then, that the space is packed primarily with corporates, who are catching a break from being structural components of the capitalist machinery. But perhaps that's too heavy a musing for a surprisingly pleasant Tuesday afternoon.

We are here to taste the offerings of the newly launched Local Heroes menu that pays homage to the long-standing favourites available at Mumbai's lunch homes. The spread features bites like the Bombay batata bombs (Rs 210) and mains such as Mumbaiyya masala fry (Rs 590), which is a tandoori style masala fried chicken that weighs 1 kg.

Pomfret punch tawar fry

We browse through the concise menu with a total of nine dishes and opt for the non-veg ultimate thali (Rs 390). The food arrives quickly and on an aluminium plate, part of which is perfunctorily lined with a banana leaf. We peer at the contents and dip our spoon into the tambda rassa. We are taken back by its sharp taste that is perhaps due to the cholesterol-high film of oil on top. It's not suitable to our palate, so we move on to try the chicken sukka. We mop the masala with a piece of the chapati that is hard like the roadside variety. But we do enjoy the palpable flavours of the chicken dish even though it isn't the kind of authentic sukka you'd be served at, say, a Gomantak eatery. The indrayani rice goes well with the dish, but the solkadi is lacklustre. It's missing the pleasant tanginess of the kokum and is more akin to chaas. We enjoy the side of muddled coriander, garlic and chilli chutney with the crispy papad.

Meanwhile, since the portions are large and we are keen on trying another dish, we ask for the unfinished thali to be packed, and call for a pomfret punch tawa fry (R390). The fish is crisp, fried to perfection and coated in a piquant marinade of masalas. It has a likeable spiciness that goes well with the lingering sweetness of the banana chips it's served with.

We walk away satisfied, if not bowled over, and find the menu to be a cool and interesting way to enjoy Mumbai's local flavours. But we're not entirely sure if our leftist friends are going to be able to swallow this eatery's misappropriation of communism, even if it's served with a pinch of salt.

At Capital Social, The Capital Building, G Block, BKC.
Time 9 am to 1 am
Call 7506394244

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