Acing on comfort food

Walls washed with a coating of dull white paint, Lower Parel’s new Woodside Inn doesn’t quite make a positive first impression. But once you set eyes on the bar glowing against a golden background, you might just change your mind.

We started with the Prawns A La Plancha (Rs 545), which is prawns served with sautéed spinach and red amaranth. With strong garlicky undertones, the dish is, in fact, quite an indulgence. As the case is with seafood, it tends to smell easily. However, the Prawns A La Plancha is a delightful seafood dish —probably the garlic smell overpowered the prawns. The Beef Tournados (Rs 595), two rare medium slices of meat cooked to absolute perfection and served with roast onion puree, gnocchi, and pickled vegetables, is a delight. The Chicken Leg Confit (Rs 595) was the star of the evening. Served with beans and brocolli, it is perfect pick for a light lunch.

The Linguini Aglio Olio Pepperoncino (Rs 445) that is served with char grilled spiral vegetables, basil and aged Parmesan isn’t as al dente as one would prefer. However, the sauce and the cheese save the dish from being a blunder.

Creamy Potato Salad

Moving on to desserts, the Warm Philadephia Cheesecake (Rs 345) is a beautifully prepared offering. If cheesecakes are something you are generally into, this one won’t disappoint. The Mandarin Chocolate Truffle (Rs 345) is something that you’d probably want to skip.

With a total of 25 taps serving some of the finest brews from across the city and much more comfort food to offer, Woodside Inn is a new addition to the neighbourhood. If you are in the corporate jungle in the vicinity, you could drop in for a chilled pint of beer, a revamped food menu, and a ’90s play list.

If you had been sullen about Blue Frog closing their doors on you, you could rely on Woodside Inn easing that pain (minus the live music, of course).

Rating: ***
Where: D/2 Mathuradas Mills Compound, (opposite Blue Frog),  Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel
Price for two: Rs 2,500.