With innovative concoctions, fun food options and an uber-cool vibe, Andheri’s Local Passenger gets most things right; now, if they’d keep their bar and kitchen fully stocked
New Zealand Lamb Chops
Local Passenger
Food: Tasty
Service: A tad slow
Ambiance: Casual
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Step into Andheri’s Local Passenger and you’re taken aback by its space. This revamped eatery (a management and menu makeover, we were told) opened its doors to patrons last month and is a far cry from our imagery of patrons packed together like sardines on a peak hour local to Virar. With ample seating space, both indoors and outdoors, the restaurant was well-lit and its casual vibe took over instantly.
New Zealand Lamb Chops
With a long wall featuring Mario Miranda-esque caricatures of local city life, complete with train timings et al and seats that resemble those in a local train, albeit more comfortable, our spirits soared as popular EDM tracks blared from the speakers near the bar.
Local impact
Translating the theme into its food, the menu was interesting. Each section featured facts, trivia and quirky one-liners about various areas of Mumbai (Sample this: The Bandra-Worli Sea Link is 63 times the height of the Qutub Minar or in Mahim, the most frequently used part of your car is the horn). Serving an array of pizzas, pastas, burgers, rolls, tandoor items, grills and desserts, the restaurant has also included a Local section where we spotted innovations including Chicken Papdi Chaat, Bhindi Kurkuri and Mumbai Tikka Paratha.
The interiors offered a casual vibe
Keen for comfort food, we opted for Chicken Tikka Maggi (Rs 200, tax-exclusive) and Mexican Cottage Strips (Rs 250) for appetisers. From the grills section, we picked New Zealand Lamb Chops (Rs 650, one of the menu’s most expensive items). While we piqued to order Veg Corn Sausage Pizza (now what would vegetarian sausages taste like!), we were informed that these sausages were out of stock and so, we settled for The Indian Burger (Rs 200).
Bombay Local cocktail
What’s in a name?
The bar menu was a mix of alcohol and cocktails. We noticed a few quirky signature cocktails with names like Kalmuha Kahika, Videshi Tharra, Roadside Romeo and a shooter called Slippery Nipples! Disappointed when told that Captain Morgan, the base for Kalmuha Kahika was out of stock, we called for Bombay Local (Rs 550). With Bombay Sapphire, sliced cucumber, green chillies, cilantro leaves, lime and sugar syrup, the cocktail was strong and refreshing. Who could’ve imagined that cucumber slices dipped in gin would taste this good!
Mexican Cottage Strips were melt-in-the-mouth. Pics/ Nimesh Dave
The Chicken Tikka Maggi, with generous amounts of marinated tandoori chicken infused with the noodles, was average. While the tender chicken added to the taste of the noodles, we’d have preferred it shredded to make the dish more flavoursome and palatable. The soft cottage cheese wrapped in a crispy coating of Mexican flavours served with mayonnaise as Mexican Cottage Strips made for a delicious appetiser.
We were sold on the plating of New Zealand Lamb Chops — on a wooden stand with a candle lit underneath. Though burning a hole in our pockets, the dish scored high, thanks to its flavours. The succulent meat marinated with home spices was grilled to perfection and the dish, without doubt, was the highlight of the evening. The Indian Burger, with a crispy, vegetable patty, lettuce, slices of tomato and cheese, with French fries on the side, was satiating, though a tad dry.
Overall, despite a few hiccups in the kitchen, it’s one local we’d love to board again.
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