There’s a reason young people prefer heading to Candies. The food is affordable and fills you up. But what if we told you there’s something better waiting for you just around the corner? Say hello to Chef Aloo’s, which serves delicious deli-style burgers, sandwiches and ready-to-eat meals at the same prices that Candies does.
Chef Aloysius D’Silva’s latest venture, Chef Aloo’s is a month old and occupies the same space that his matchbox-sized restaurant Villa Vandre once did. Gone are the tables and chairs, and in their place is a counter heaving with goods. A lone table is attached to the left wall, and there are bucket seats (no, literally, they’re buckets with cushions on top) you can park yourself on. By the looks of it, this is meant to be a pack-and-go kind of eatery.
Pork Sausage Muffin
Meat lovers, unite
The menu spans East Indian, Parsi, and Continental flavours. While there are a couple of vegetarian items on it, like the Vegetable Caldin with Rice (Rs 200), and the Mushroom, Sage and Cheese Pie (Rs 120), remember that you’re entering territory that is dominated by your regular Bandra carnivore. From seafood and chicken to pork and b**f, this menu spans the non-vegetarian spectrum.
We completely ignore the aforementioned vegetarian items and go straight for the Pulled Pork Burger and the Tenderloin Steak Burger (both Rs 100). My dining companion and I end up fighting over the former — the shredded pork is cooked beautifully, slathered in mayo and tangy chilli sauce, before being pressed into the bun. The latter, too, features the failsafe combination of the-meat-that-can’t-be-named and caramelised onion. If you’re not looking for something too heavy, get the Pork Sausage Muffin (R60), which stars traditional spiced sausage mix encased within a light-as-air bread ‘muffin’.
Finding favourites
We try two of the mini meals, and it is here that we find our favourite dish — the Chicken Khudi with Rice (Rs 180). Rich with coconut and fragrant with the aroma of bottle masala, mopping up the curry with rice instantly transports us to an East Indian aunty’s home. The Seafood Chilly Fry (Rs 250), served with pao, is flavourful, but could have used more of the seafood it promised.
We’re stuffed by now, but we’re not leaving without dessert. We order the week’s special, Coconut Pancakes (Rs 100). The perfect end to our meal, the pink-tinged rolls hold a mixture of sweet grated coconut and raisins.
Moral of the story: the next time you’re in Bandra and feeling broke, skip your beloved Candies and give Chef Aloo’s a shot. We’ll probably come along. So, when are we going, bugger?
TIME: 10 am to 10 pm
AT: May Flower, New Kantwadi Road, Bandra (W).
LOG ON TO: swiggy.com
CALL: 9029026680
Psst…
We hear that Villa Vandre isn’t gone for good. According to a staffer, chef Aloysius shut the restaurant because it couldn’t accommodate enough tables. He plans to relaunch it at a bigger space in BKC in the near future.