MIRCHI & MIME
This is another place that landed up on my To-visit list when I searching the internet for newly opened up places, what intrigued me was the price range which seemed on the not-so-pricey range, and the high rating, a 4.7 on Zomato on my quick search. Upon reading the reviews, I was a little more in awe because everyone was simply raving about it and I was like this is a place that I need to visit and soon.
My b'day just went by last week and this was one of the spots, I decided to head for a not-so-quiet lunch with my friends to bring in the special day or the day that officially makes me feel old, 25 I am. The one thing I absolutely hate about my b'day is that its in the rainy season and who would want to get their good dress for the day drenched in the rains, but as my luck is, for some reason, the God sitting above us, likes to rubs in my face every year, and it always starts raining just on the eve of my B'day even though I pray really really hard and make all sorts of compromises with him. Except for that li'l fact, I don't think I could imagine my b'day in a month, I am a June girl and could be nothing else, I am a gemini, and no other sun-sign could rule me.
Well, putting a stop to my rant right there, this place lives up to all the expectations you build up reading the rave reviews of the place and you finally get it what the craze is all about. Starting off with the concept, you can order only in sign language, WHAT??!! I don't even know sign-language, yes, that was my reaction too. But its for a noble cause, the servers here are all deaf and mute and kudos to the management for this. It is not a very tough task to do so as how to order in sign-language is clearly displayed on the menu and is not complicated in any way. The service is even better than most class fine-dines, which says something about the staff and the management. It is not easy to handle such a situation where there are the entire staff mostly consists of people who can neither hear nor speak to you with anything other than signs and yet they manage to be so hospitable and warm.
Since, this was also one of those rare occasion where my friends reach before me, they had gone ahead and ordered some thing in the in-between to kill time and also they were hungry, as soon as I was seated, all I could hear from them was that this place is truly AMAZING. Yes, with Caps. In their words, this was the best chicken that they had ever had, they had ordered some sort of starter and I knew I had made the right choice and that much more eager I was. Also, they also went on and said that the water here is also tasty. Some thing to which I rolled my eyes, I mean Water??!! But I have to say, that we were not served mineral water but the regular water and it did feel like the mineral water quality and still refreshing, and it had the quality that it had just been hand-pumped from those village type wells or something and hence, I could not wait to devour the food here.
We started off with the White Pepper Tikka, Amritsari Hamour Tikka & Duck Seekh Kabab. My friends were right, they had ordered the White Pepper Tikka and yes, it is the best chicken I have ever had. I mean really, really, really! It was magical and I don't have words to describe it. The Amritsari Hamour Tikka, again was well, I have missed Hamour, as I have never come across the name in India, and this is probably the only local fish that we get in Bahrain, so it brings back memories and emotions and I could feel all of those in every small bite. I would tell the chef to take a bow because I am very critical when comparing items back home from the Shawarma, to the local seeks and grilled chicken and the Hamour Fish. I have developed a taste for fish now, but growing up, the only fish I ever liked was Hamour served in the many restaurant we visited every Thursday Night. So to all those many night, I thank the chef for giving me Hamour which was not even pronounced right by my friends and for a change I take pride in my pronunciation which I often get wrong in restaurants. The Duck Seekh again floored all of us and I don't know if I could be so in love with a place as I was in that moment. To wash down all of this, my friends had gone for their alcoholic drinks and I stuck to a mock-tail - Berry Pomegranate Granita which again was served up in a very interesting manner and was equally good in taste. The main course consisted of Tariwala Chicken, Martaban Mutton Curry and Raw Mango Prawn Curry. The only downer I felt from the list was the Tariwala chicken where I felt the chicken to be under-cooked and I think that is the way it was meant to be served, but even then, I prefer my food to be well-cooked. In case, I ever find it to be a little bit raw, It does not sit well with me. So I didn't think much of the chicken. The Mutton Martaban Curry was my favorite of the lot and as was mutually agreed on the table once again, the best mutton curry we have had out of our own homes. I generally find fault with any type of mutton served in restaurants, where the pieces either are not succulent enough or throwing in just 2 pieces which is insufficient or at other times and the worst, they give you so much of bones in the name of mutton. Here, I found myself satisfied in all departments and more because this is one gravy that I am going to remember for life and that's some-thing. The bench-mark I will have from now on wards when ever I am courageous enough to order mutton. The Raw Mango Prawn Curry again, with its subtle flavors left its mark. To me the clear winner of the day was the Hamour Tikka and the Mutton Curry. Finally, the Sufiyani Chicken Biryani which I had ordered as an after-thought. It was perfectly cooked on Dum as was evident with the wooden dish it came in, fully covered and still with the flour roll, closing it, and ensuring that its aroma does-not escape and by God when it was opened, the aroma, was heavenly. I don't think words could do justice. The Biryani, is in complete honesty the best I have had till date, because as they have names it sufiyani, it really has that purity intact. It did indeed have spices but it did-not have masala and if you know the difference between the two, you know what a biryani is and even though every one on my table was full, I had a second helping finishing it all off. You can-not miss this if you are here.
The one thing, that you need to remember while stepping foot here is to leave all your notions outside, I was a little embarrassed ordering in a sign langauge. Don't get me wrong, not for them, but for me. The same fear you have when you are standing on a stage facing a sea of faces, feeling exposed. I truly for a second thought, I am going to do it wrong and would look stupid. But for their sake too, don't belittle them. I have hardly seen any-one do it, and every one who comes in here seems to know this but never-the-less. Another thing, I would want to point out is that the portions are slightly on the smaller side where the starters had 4 pieces each, where generally you find 6-8 pieces in other places. But for the love of food, you will not be complaining. You would be too involved in wanting to trying it all and loving it all.
Do you need more reason to be here? A 4.7 rating on Zomato, an extremely courteous staff and food that does deserve a michelin star, and that is better than just something. You just have to be here!
WHAT WE HAD - Fresh Lemonades (Just That, Fresh!!)
Berry Pomegranate Granita (Tasty!)
White Pepper Tikka (Order it!!)
Amritsari Hamour Tikka ( Food-gasm and more)
Duck Seekh Kabab (More is Less)
Tariwala Chicken (Not Really My Type)
Martaban Mutton Curry ( Out of this World)
Raw Mango Prawn Curry (Whistle Whistle!)
Sufiyana Chicken Biryani (I have no words, just have it)
DAMAGES - Rs 4500/- ( We were 4, this was inclusive of the starter and 2 lemonades ordered prior to my arrival and also 3 Beers)
WHERE - Mirchi and Mime, Transocean House, Lake Boulevard, Hiranandani Business Park, Powai, Mumbai
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