Food review: The Captain's Table

At first glance, The Captain’s Table is an elegant fine dining place with furniture in shades of beige and brown, with teal napkins adding a pop of colour to the mellow surroundings. Ropes and pulleys hang casually from the ceiling to the floor, a token design element to suit the restaurant’s name. Lilting instrumental music filled the restaurant early on a Saturday evening, but the quiet was not to last. As we waited for our food, things had begun to pick up in the neighbouring Me So Happi (by the same owners), and the cheerful banter made its way to The Captain’s Table.

The menu is a mix of continental and Indian dishes with a twist and the attentive staff is quick with recommendations. The non-veg appetisers were an assortment of Butterfly Prawns (Rs 500), Crusted Crab Cakes (Rs 500) and Pollichathu (Rs 450), all of which were effortlessly assembled in the same platter. The crunchy Butterfly Prawns took some work with the cutlery and were just fine without the apricot chutney served with it. Crusted Crab Cakes were nicely done with a prominent flavour and colours of bell peppers. The Kerala Pollichathu was a pan-fried rawas with a sweetish flavour because of the pickled shallots and kokum it is cooked in. It came wrapped in a banana leaf that heavily influenced the initial flavour of the dish.

The Kakori Kebabs (Rs 500) are delicately spiced minced lamb, and complimented by the mint and yoghurt chutney which balances the spice. Ground papaya lent a soft texture to the kebabs that were devoured in no time. Another winner of a dish was the Mushroom Galouti (Rs 320) — melt-in-the-mouth cutlets with mild flavours and topped with a hint of artichoke dip, and served on a flat puri. Another interesting veg option is the Kurkure (Rs 320) which is a vermicelli crusted roll stuffed with paneer, palak and goat cheese. The green apple and thai chilli chutney served with Kurkure is quite delightful too. Among the avoidable dishes are the oddly sweet Plum Paneer (Rs 350) and Tuna Sashimi (Rs 380) salad served rare with an overload of dill leaves and coriander seeds. By now the loud music from the MSH was punctuating conversations at our table, but we decided to ignore it.

For the mains, we tried the Seafood Tawa Pulao (Rs 550), served in a mud bowl, laced with banana leaves and topped with coconut shavings. Though the chef wasn’t too generous with the pieces of rawas, calamari and prawns, the rice was quite filling. The well-cooked Roasted Chicken Breast (Rs 450) with juicy slices of chicken stuffed with spinach and nuts was flavourful, as the olives and mushrooms on the side added to the taste.

The hearty meal ensured we had to wait a while before moving on to the dessert menu. The chilled Elaneer Payasam (Rs 320) is just the right amount of sweet with rabdi and pieces of tender coconut, fittingly served in, well, a tender coconut. For the chocolate lovers, Gianduja (Rs 280), a rich hazelnut and chocolate mousse with raspberry jelly is sinful indulgence.

While the food is worth visiting The Captain’s Table for, we’d really like to enjoy the ambience too. We hope the owners do something about it.

Rating: **1/2 Cost: Rs 2500 for twoAddress: The Captain’s Table, Ground Floor, B-Wing, Pinnacle Corporate Park, Bandra Kurla Complex.