I had first heard of it as one of the two places that served fondues in the early 2000s. The other was Starters and More which has shut down now.
Kainaz and I first went to Out Of the Blue while we were dating in 2000. We dug into the wondrous, cheesy world of fondues. It was a discovery which in our world matched up with Colombus’ discovery of the Americas. Little bits of meat to dip in a pot of melted cheese. Few experiences can match up with this.
I also associated them with the variety of flavours which they introduced in sizzlers which went beyond the pepper sauce and shaslik fare of Kobes and Yokos. Plus OOB offered small and large portions which allowed Kainaz and me to chose individual platters.
Over the years OOB remained a favourite of ours.
Out of the Blue has a nice ambiance. It has an indoor section as well as an outdoor one. It has expanded since when it had first opened.
There is a certain magic in the air here which is difficult to define. The place is very smartly designed. The dark wood furniture, the candle lights at night, the pebbled section at the entrance with a tiny fish pond gives a lovely laidback, relaxed feel to it.
It has become a bit of a special occasion place for us. And it is not just about the ambiance. The food here is really memorable.
We have explored their menu beyond the sizzlers and the fondues. They serve great pastas. The best thing about their pastas is that they get it to the table fresh and hot. In fact I have often seen the chefs get it straight to the table from the kitchen.
We love their four cheese pasta which is a cheese lover’s (we both are) delight. I love their penne pesto too as it is one of the few places which understand you if you want a non creamy pesto. We went there yesterday, 1st January, and had a lovely penne pesto with prawns. The penne flavour is very delicate and you can make out a fine balance of basil, cheese, garlic and olive oil. No ingredient is over powered by the other. In fact they are one of the few places who always get a pesto right.
They have lovely barbecues as well. Yesterday we had a barbecued pork with sage. The meat had a slight ham like taste, was very tender and the sauce was amazing. Each bite was a pleasure. They had presented the dish very nicely on a dish of garlic flavoured hash. The look of the dish itself was orgasmic (the photo below is from my mobile camera). As was the taste.
I am also fond of their red ginger pork spare rib sizzler. This is very different from what gets elsewhere. The quality of the pork is fantastic, extremely tender and fresh. Plus you don’t get pork in most of the standard sizzler restaurants here. The sauce is very different too.
The wine list is quite wide and they have a good selection of drinks. I am often tempted to go in for a nice red wine, martini or vanilla Absolut here over my usual poison of Old Monk rum. These add to the bill considerably but brings alive the meal.
Kainaz and I love Out Of the Blue. I have also recommended it to, and gone with, colleagues, clients, friends and family members. And each visit has been successful as whoever I have suggested Out Of The Blue too has loved it.
I would consider Out Of the Blue on the steep side. The average dish costs between Rs 250 – 500 (5 – 10 USD) and the drinks touch Rs 300 (6 USD). Basilico and Pot Pourri at Bandra would be cheaper options. But Out of the Blue would be more memorable both in terms of experience and in terms of the food.