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| This what attracted us and made us go in |
I must confess that I had the meal that I have written about here two months back. I don’t know if things have
changed since then at this restaurant. It’s just that other more interesting
stuff came up since then and I just didn’t get down to writing about our lunch
at Craft DDB till now.
changed since then at this restaurant. It’s just that other more interesting
stuff came up since then and I just didn’t get down to writing about our lunch
at Craft DDB till now.
Craft Deli Bistro Bar is at the Phoenix Market City Mall at
Kurla in Mumbai. We went there on 26th January or Republic Day for a bit of
clothes shopping before my birthday in February. We normally go to Phoenix Mall
at Lower Parel to shop. We thought Phoenix at LP would be very crowded with all
the Republic Day sales going on and decided to Uber it to Phoenix at Kurla instead.
Thankfully the drive didn’t take too much time from Bandra west .
Kurla in Mumbai. We went there on 26th January or Republic Day for a bit of
clothes shopping before my birthday in February. We normally go to Phoenix Mall
at Lower Parel to shop. We thought Phoenix at LP would be very crowded with all
the Republic Day sales going on and decided to Uber it to Phoenix at Kurla instead.
Thankfully the drive didn’t take too much time from Bandra west .
This turned out to be a good decision as
Phoenix Kurla wasn’t crowded at all. The brands that we were looking for had stores beside each other
which made shopping rather easy and hassle free. We finished by 2.30 pm and
were wondering where to have lunch.
Phoenix Kurla wasn’t crowded at all. The brands that we were looking for had stores beside each other
which made shopping rather easy and hassle free. We finished by 2.30 pm and
were wondering where to have lunch.
Phoenix Market City at Kurla has quite a
few restaurants. Many of them are branches of popular restaurants from across
the city. Some are standalone places. I had come to the mall on a weekday
earlier and saw that most of the restaurants were empty then during lunch time.
It was the same this time too. Most places were empty. Something I hate when I
go out to eat. I need a bit of buzz around me. Feels like being in a mausoleum
otherwise.
few restaurants. Many of them are branches of popular restaurants from across
the city. Some are standalone places. I had come to the mall on a weekday
earlier and saw that most of the restaurants were empty then during lunch time.
It was the same this time too. Most places were empty. Something I hate when I
go out to eat. I need a bit of buzz around me. Feels like being in a mausoleum
otherwise.
We were walking around the mall when a restaurant caught our eyes with its
warm and pretty wooden décor. It looked like what a café in Europe would probably
be like. We saw that the name of the place was Craft DDB and we stepped in. The
place was empty. We chose a side booth. Lovely table and chairs and there was a
big window beside through which you could see people walking down sporadically.
We also saw a bunch of kids playing with bubbles outside the Hamley’s
store. Thanks to the big windows looking onto the mall the
restaurant didn’t seem so lifeless even though it was empty.
warm and pretty wooden décor. It looked like what a café in Europe would probably
be like. We saw that the name of the place was Craft DDB and we stepped in. The
place was empty. We chose a side booth. Lovely table and chairs and there was a
big window beside through which you could see people walking down sporadically.
We also saw a bunch of kids playing with bubbles outside the Hamley’s
store. Thanks to the big windows looking onto the mall the
restaurant didn’t seem so lifeless even though it was empty.
 |
| Lunching while life passes us by |
We decided to go for an appetizer to begin
with as we were hungry. Both K and I chose one pasta each for our mains.
with as we were hungry. Both K and I chose one pasta each for our mains.
My trip to Italy last year taught me that
people there don’t seem to look at pasta as a main dish unlike us carb loving
Indians. In Italy pasta is prima pasti or the first course for to be
followed by a meat mains.
people there don’t seem to look at pasta as a main dish unlike us carb loving
Indians. In Italy pasta is prima pasti or the first course for to be
followed by a meat mains.
Our first dish at Craft was the Siamese crab
cake. While the restaurant largely offered European food, there was some Asian
stuff on too.
cake. While the restaurant largely offered European food, there was some Asian
stuff on too.
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| Siamese salty crab cake |
We bit into the crab cakes and the dominant
taste was that of salt and not of crabs. We were really hungry and tried to eat
the cakes and then gave up scarred by the saltiness of the dish.
taste was that of salt and not of crabs. We were really hungry and tried to eat
the cakes and then gave up scarred by the saltiness of the dish.
The manager came to ask us how the food was
after each course and I told him about the salt overdose. He offered to replace
the dish but since we had a crab cake each by then we declined his offer. We
later saw that they hadn’t charged us for the crab cake which was nice of them
since we had eaten the dish in all fairness and didn’t really expect our money back.
after each course and I told him about the salt overdose. He offered to replace
the dish but since we had a crab cake each by then we declined his offer. We
later saw that they hadn’t charged us for the crab cake which was nice of them
since we had eaten the dish in all fairness and didn’t really expect our money back.
Ajay, the young chef who was in charge at the restaurant that
afternoon, recognized me as someone whose photo he had seen with his former
boss, Ranveer Brar who is now a judge on Masterchef India. My brush with food
celebrity-dom got us a pizza on the house from the chef. Ajay apparently
used to work with Ranveer at Novotel earlier.
afternoon, recognized me as someone whose photo he had seen with his former
boss, Ranveer Brar who is now a judge on Masterchef India. My brush with food
celebrity-dom got us a pizza on the house from the chef. Ajay apparently
used to work with Ranveer at Novotel earlier.
 |
| Smiling young chef Ajay sent us a pizza |
This was a kale and asparagus pizza with
ricotta. I just loved the pie. Thin crust. Supple and not biscuit like unlike
the Indigo Deli pizza which I find to be too crisp and just don’t like. The pizza at Craft turned out to be one of the nicest
thin crust pizzas that I have had in India. The ricotta added a nice and grainy
texture to the pizza. The balance was right, not too cheesy. I was quite excited about tasting Kale as I have heard a
lot about this ‘super food’ but hadn’t tried it before. The kale was sprinkled
sparsely across the pizza. The bites of kale had a slight bitter touch to it.
However, the kale or the asparagus promised
on the menu barely came through in reality and the pizza seemed more like a basic
ricotta pie.
ricotta. I just loved the pie. Thin crust. Supple and not biscuit like unlike
the Indigo Deli pizza which I find to be too crisp and just don’t like. The pizza at Craft turned out to be one of the nicest
thin crust pizzas that I have had in India. The ricotta added a nice and grainy
texture to the pizza. The balance was right, not too cheesy. I was quite excited about tasting Kale as I have heard a
lot about this ‘super food’ but hadn’t tried it before. The kale was sprinkled
sparsely across the pizza. The bites of kale had a slight bitter touch to it.
However, the kale or the asparagus promised
on the menu barely came through in reality and the pizza seemed more like a basic
ricotta pie.
 |
| Loved the crust. One of the best pizzas I have had in india |
This theme of ingredients mentioned in the
menu card not being visible in the actual dish characterised the rest of our
meal.
menu card not being visible in the actual dish characterised the rest of our
meal.
 |
| The ‘barely there’ kale pizza |
K ordered a beet and ricotta ravioli. The
ravioli casing was not too thick which was good. However the dish was all about
grated beetroot and olive oil and there was no visible sign of the ricotta or
taste of it either. The pasta tasted very summery and Mediterranean (they don’t
OD on cheese there I am told) and a tad fried. Reminded me of a Kolkata
beetroot based vegetable or bhej chop. But
hey, who moved the cheese?! Where was the promised ricotta?
ravioli casing was not too thick which was good. However the dish was all about
grated beetroot and olive oil and there was no visible sign of the ricotta or
taste of it either. The pasta tasted very summery and Mediterranean (they don’t
OD on cheese there I am told) and a tad fried. Reminded me of a Kolkata
beetroot based vegetable or bhej chop. But
hey, who moved the cheese?! Where was the promised ricotta?
 |
| Beet and invisible ricotta ravioli |
I found the ravioli to be a good taste
breaker in between bites of the
carbonara that I had ordered which is of course a heavy dish.
breaker in between bites of the
carbonara that I had ordered which is of course a heavy dish.
I had requested the chef to go easy on
sauce in my carbonara. Restaurants love drowning pasta in sauce in Mumbai. I
have had a carbonara in Smoke House Deli, Bandra, where the spaghetti was swimming in
cream! That’s the problem with the pastas at Salt Water Café too.
sauce in my carbonara. Restaurants love drowning pasta in sauce in Mumbai. I
have had a carbonara in Smoke House Deli, Bandra, where the spaghetti was swimming in
cream! That’s the problem with the pastas at Salt Water Café too.
 |
| A wickedly pleasant carbonara at Craft. Missed the parmesan hit though |
The chef at Craft listened to me
thankfully and the carbonara was nice and tight and didn’t look like the flooded roads
of Mumbai during the rains. The dish was a bit heavy on egg as the egg was not
only mixed into the spaghetti, like it should be, but there was a poached egg on top too. You could of course remove that if you wished. I didn’t! The quality of the pulled
pork was pretty good and it was nice and juicy and meaty and, unlike the kale
or ricotta in the pizza and the ravioli, the bites of pulled pork was pretty prominent in the carbonara.
thankfully and the carbonara was nice and tight and didn’t look like the flooded roads
of Mumbai during the rains. The dish was a bit heavy on egg as the egg was not
only mixed into the spaghetti, like it should be, but there was a poached egg on top too. You could of course remove that if you wished. I didn’t! The quality of the pulled
pork was pretty good and it was nice and juicy and meaty and, unlike the kale
or ricotta in the pizza and the ravioli, the bites of pulled pork was pretty prominent in the carbonara.
But once again I had the same
question. Who move the cheese?
question. Who move the cheese?
The menu promised Grana Pradano in the
carbonara but I could hardly taste the cheese. This is a common problem in Italian restaurants across
Mumbai. When I went to Italy I found the hit of parmesan, when added (not all
pastas have cheese there and hardly any had cheese sauce), very sharp and prominent and yet not over powering. It is all about balance.
carbonara but I could hardly taste the cheese. This is a common problem in Italian restaurants across
Mumbai. When I went to Italy I found the hit of parmesan, when added (not all
pastas have cheese there and hardly any had cheese sauce), very sharp and prominent and yet not over powering. It is all about balance.
I can hardly taste the parmesan in pastas in Mumbai where they claim parmesan has been added. The
only time I could sense the parmesan in a pasta Mumbai was when Matteo Arvonio of JW Marriott’s Mezzo
Mezzo tossed up pastas for me during a shoot for The Finely Chopped, my YouTube
channel. That’s a 5 star of course and prices are very different.
only time I could sense the parmesan in a pasta Mumbai was when Matteo Arvonio of JW Marriott’s Mezzo
Mezzo tossed up pastas for me during a shoot for The Finely Chopped, my YouTube
channel. That’s a 5 star of course and prices are very different.
You can watch that video of Matteo making the pasta here:
Otherwise the taste of parmesan or good cheese rarely comes
through sharply enough in pastas in restaurants in Mumbai. Is it because there is a difference in
the quality of cheese imported in Mumbai? Is it the heat, humidity and storage
conditions here? Or is it because imported parmesan is so bloody expensive here
(I am pretty miserly when adding imported parmesan at home to pastas) ?
through sharply enough in pastas in restaurants in Mumbai. Is it because there is a difference in
the quality of cheese imported in Mumbai? Is it the heat, humidity and storage
conditions here? Or is it because imported parmesan is so bloody expensive here
(I am pretty miserly when adding imported parmesan at home to pastas) ?
I hope to find out someday.
I had a cappuccino before leaving Craft DDB and
that was pretty good and the chef sent us a rather sweet hazelnut cappuccino to
go with it.
that was pretty good and the chef sent us a rather sweet hazelnut cappuccino to
go with it.
 |
| Cappuccino with on the house hazelnut cake |
K wasn’t too impressed by her ravioli or the meal. She summed up Craft as a place which wouldn’t
travel to from Bandra to eat in.
travel to from Bandra to eat in.
In the 1980s, I came across the term
‘military medium’ used to describe medium pacers in the Indian cricket team.
That symbolised Craft for me. A place worth hanging out if you are the Phoenix
Market City at Kurla perhaps. Not sure if I would travel for it.
‘military medium’ used to describe medium pacers in the Indian cricket team.
That symbolised Craft for me. A place worth hanging out if you are the Phoenix
Market City at Kurla perhaps. Not sure if I would travel for it.
These are early days and I hope they will
work on customer feedback. The thing to remember is that Italian food is all about simplicity and about highlighting one or two key ingredients. I realise that this is difficult in Mumbai where chefs don’t have access to the same quality of produce and where diners have a different taste palate from those it Italy.
work on customer feedback. The thing to remember is that Italian food is all about simplicity and about highlighting one or two key ingredients. I realise that this is difficult in Mumbai where chefs don’t have access to the same quality of produce and where diners have a different taste palate from those it Italy.
I just hope that the chefs at Craft and those who write
their menu card are more in harmony.
their menu card are more in harmony.
A
fresh lime, a cappuccino and two mains cost us Rs 1,500 which is not bad by
the Bandra West standards that we are
used to. We were not charged for the salty crab cakes
and pizza and pastry were on the house. The
visit was unannounced but the chef recognized me as someone his former boss knew.
Superb review and mouth-watering pictures 🙂