Restaurant Review: South Mumbai deli offers unique DIY menu to diners

The Shalimar Hotel gets a new deli that offers good do-it-yourself options for those on-the-go

Yo!! The Deli
Food: Good
Service: Slow
Ambiance: Simple

Yummy cakes on display, yellow and orange chairs, wooden tables and bright food signs that adorn monotone walls, are the first things that catch the eye when you enter Yo!! The deli, located on the ground floor of The Shalimar Hotel in Kemps Corner. The décor is simple. We were told that the name YO has been inspired by hues of yellow and orange which is a prominent part of the décor. The Y of Yellow is meant to reflect the characteristics of warmth, happiness and creativity, whereas the O of Orange is meant to reflect spontaneity and zest.

Barbecue Chicken Salad. Pics/Bipin Kokate

The single-page menu (printed on a wooden board) has limited options. You can find sandwiches, salads, variety of breads and coffee here. The deli also offers plenty of options in the DIY category. You can pick from a choice of breads, veggies, meats and sauces from an open counter. Within set options, non-vegetarians can opt for the Ham And Cheese, Fiesta Chicken, Lemon Tuna Melt and Barbecue Express. Whereas, the veggie options include Cottage Cheese Delite, Yo!! Veggie, SoBo Deli Special and Desi Green.

SoBo Deli Special came stuffed with chatpata hariyali seekh kebab and veggies

We tried the SoBo Deli Special (Rs 139) that came packed with chatpata hariyali seekh kebab and veggies. The spicy Indian kebab went well with the greens and a hint of mint sauce.

Our non-vegetarian sandwich, Italiano (Rs 169), comprised smoked ham sausage, caramelised onions, gherkins, jalapenos and Thousand Island dressing. We felt that a dash of mustard sauce would have taken the sandwich, made with garlic bread, to the next level. We decided to make our own salad. Going for the Barbecue Chicken (Rs 148) variety, we picked barbecue chicken, sprouts, chickpeas, shredded carrots, olives, cherry tomatoes along with olive oil and mayonnaise dressing. Though slightly dry, we enjoyed the generously-sized mix.

Italiano sandwich

We found the service tardy and disorganised. When we asked for a takeaway, no spoons or paper napkins were given to us. The billing process was slow too. Some music would help liven up the space. If you are passing by and want to grab a bite, the food here is a good and healthy option but the service is still work-in-progress.

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