Food review: Why this Kandivali eatery serves ice cream inside fruits

The frozen fruits are unwrapped; (right); The fruits are then sliced on a cutting board

Every time this writer walks into Mahavir Nagar, Kandivali's own khau galli, it brings to mind Jeff Goldblum's words from the original Jurassic Park movie - "You were so preoccupied with whether or not you could, that you didn't stop to think if you should." The birthplace of audacious inventions like jamun shots and cheese burst vada pav, has a new offbeat offering. At Kudrati Kahumbo, fruity frosts, fruit-flavoured ice creams are made and served inside the fruit itself. The kahumbo in the name is a Gujarati term for a royal drink.

3 The slices are served in paper plates. Pics/Devashish Kamble

The long queues spilling over to the sidewalk that we saw on Instagram reels a day earlier said little about the ice cream itself; at least for now. We know better than to confuse curiosity for fandom. When we step into the space, it's quite compact, fitting no more than four tables. As patrons scatter left and right from the counter with their share, we make our way ahead to place our order.

On the menu are five fruits - apple, orange, guava, muskmelon, and pineapple; all available in whole or half fruit options. We call for half a serving of each, only to be informed that we missed the last chunk of pineapple by one spot. After paying a total of Rs 320 (Rs 80 each), we are asked to wait aside for our order. Where exactly in the tiny room, we're not told. We pick a spot that offers a sneak peek into the live kitchen counter.

Orange fruity frosts

Frozen fruits, covered in protective plastic and complete with a seal of quality, are fished out of a freezer. Over a casual chat with the staff, we learn that these ice creams make their way to the outlet from their main outlet in Ahmedabad in truckloads every morning. Once unwrapped, the whole fruit is cut into smaller slices on a cutting board. While the kitchen area seems well maintained and clean, we would have appreciated if the kitchen attendants handling the fresh produce had slipped on a pair of gloves.

After a short wait that we spent watching more fruits being cut open - including the last pineapple - our order number is called out. We balance the plates and
make our way to the outdoor seating area.

The interiors of the eatery

The first bite into a frozen orange slice is refreshing; it's a welcome surprise that the ice cream isn't too sweet or overpowered by excessive flavouring. We dig into the apples next; made easier by the edible peel. The taste is pleasantly unfamiliar and worth going in for another slice right after, to fully savour it. While others wiser than this writer would advise against it, compared to the oranges, the apples stand out with their unique flavour profile and ease of consumption.

The muskmelon and guava, however, both fail to push the bar any higher. Reminiscent of unflavoured malai kulfi, the muskmelon offers a muted melon flavour, hopefully lent to it by the absence of artificial flavours. The guava does quite the opposite. Foreshadowed by its bright purple shade, the ice cream tastes little like the fruit itself, and more like sweet candy. While they offer a smooth, creamy texture across the board, we wonder how much fruit these real fruit ice creams really contain.

While some aspects like the peel disposal arrangements can use a relook, especially for groups who might not appreciate eating and disposing off peels in the same paper plate, we can see why the idea could take off in the food-loving suburb. For those forever on the lookout for reasons to indulge in dessert, the ‘real fruit' tag might come in handy. With the city getting hotter every day, it's as good a reason as any.

Food: Fresh
Ambiance: Bright
Service: Prompt
Cost: Reasonable
Verdict: 1/4

Kudrati Kahumbo
At Raj Arcade Building, near D-Mart, Mahavir Nagar, Kandivali West.
Time 11.30 am to 12 am
Log on to @kudratikahumbo

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4/4 Exceptional, 3/4 Excellent, 2/4 very Good, 1/4 Good, 0/4 Average. Kudrati Kahumbo didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals