Butter Chicken Factory, a new restaurant in Bandra serves meaty fare but an average version of the dish it's named after
Review
Food: Decent
Ambience: Bright
Service: Efficient
Cost: Reasonable
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Dahi ke Kebab
Butter chicken could well be considered our (unofficial) national dish. People from the North will scoff at versions available in the South; most chefs will have their version of it, and we all have that one friend whose mother makes the best butter chicken in the world.
Desi Grilled chicken
Now, another contender to join this growing list of butter chicken champions-to-be, is the newly launched Butter Chicken Factory (BCF). On a busy and rainy Saturday afternoon, we braved weekend traffic to make our way to Bandra. My companion, a mother of two, loves the butter chicken and was eager to know if this was a place she could visit with her children.
Also read - Mumbai food: Will Chef Saransh Goila's Butter Chicken be a takeaway favourite?
BCF is a casual diner, with tables packed close in the tiny space with an open kitchen. There was latticed framework on the walls, the latest Hindi music played on the speakers and dim lighting set the mood. It felt nice and cosy even though we were surrounded by college kids discussing binge watching TV shows and Breaking Bad.
Mutton Tikka Tawa
Taste test
On the manager's recommendation, we ordered the Desi Grilled Chicken ('195 for half plate). The dish didn't look appealing — white chicken pieces with green masala, charred on the edges — but one bite and we were in love. The chicken crumbled at touch, and had a lovely, smoky taste enhanced by a simple herb marinade.
Interiors of Butter Chicken Factory
We were served two versions of Dahi ke Kebab ('235). The first came sprinkled with so much chaat masala, it was all we could taste. Our waiter then got us a version without it fared better. The hung curd was soft and crumbly and the cardamom and coriander gave it a nice but light masala flavour.
There was only one main dish to order, the Butter Chicken ('310). It was an average dish — the gravy was creamy and had a lingering sweetness that masked any hint of spice; the chicken had that similar smoky, charry taste. We abandoned the curry and instead, focussed on the Chur Naan (Rs 125), a broken and glorious mess of naan stuffed with paneer, potatoes and topped with chillies and garlic. It was a dish in itself and we did it justice by eating it plain.
Since we loved the meat dishes we had, we ordered another main. The Mutton Tikka Tava ('385) had pulled raan meat that didn't look or taste appealing. The dish was spicy and some of the meat was uncooked and chewy.
Gulkand Ice Cream
Sweet nothings
For dessert, we played it safe. The Gulkand Malai Ice Cream ('125) tasted as good as it looked. The scoop of ice cream was served on a betel leaf and rose petal, and topped with chewy caramelised bits of gulkand. The ice cream was creamy and had an intense rose petal flavour and aroma that helped us forget its overwhelming sweetness. The Gulab Jamun ('105) didn't look as pretty but tasted better — the tiny jamun balls were sweet but lacked enough of sugar syrup. This, of course, meant we finished the whole plate in a trice and were left wanting more.
Did BCF match up to other butter chicken places? No. We've tasted better butter chicken down the road, at Khane Khas and at cheap bars in Chembur. We will return, however, for the Desi Grilled Chicken, the crumbly Chur Naan and the saccharine rush of Gulab Jamuns.
Butter Chicken Factory didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.
At Silver Croft Building, 16th and 33rd Road Junction, Bandra (W).
Time 12 pm to 4 pm,
7 pm to 12 am
Call 8000900046
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