AnnCensored is the newest restobar in Kamala Mills, an office complex that already has far too many eateries. There are several seating options at AnnCensored (“ann”, written in the Devanagari script, is a play on the Sanskrit word for food as well as the prefix “un”)—the bar, two long community tables, several booths with wooden swings for seats, and large barrels with wide wooden benches. The restaurant offers two menus: the censored menu with Continental dishes (including a mix of French, Italian and Spanish dishes, with some Asian flavours thrown in) and the uncensored one, which recreates those dishes with an Indian twist. Think seafood risotto versus tandoori salmon khichdi, roasted pork belly in hoisin sauce versus pork belly vindaloo and suchlike.
The good stuff
Our first drink, Pulserate (Rs.395), arrived in a basket on a miniature white bicycle cart with the (unnecessary) theatre of smoke being blown on it. The drink itself was a refreshing concoction of vodka, mango (both ripe and unripe), ginger and a sweet-and-sour mix, although there was a slightly synthetic aftertaste to it. Shockingly enough, our second drink, South Hall (Rs.415), was served simply in a margarita glass without any bells and whistles. The potent cocktail of gin, cherry liqueur, lime juice and allspice syrup hit the spot.
Both of our mains were from the uncensored menu, and were uniformly stellar. The Pumpkin and Kale Golyachi Amti (Rs.375) was a spicy, silky Maharashtrian-style vegetable curry with besan koftas. It was served with soft, herbed kulchas that went perfectly with the curry. Our other main was the Double Cooked Old Delhi-style Chicken Leg (Rs.575). The succulent and perfectly cooked chicken legs are first cooked in a tandoor and later pan-fried with a spicy tomato-based masala, and served with parathas. We also ordered the Prawn Balchaw Kulcha (Rs.90), a generous serving of six kulcha halves, stuffed to the gills with a spicy and tangy, Goan-style prawn and tomato filling.
The not-so-good
Neither the swing seating nor the benches-in-a-barrel are particularly comfortable; we would imagine the former would be particularly disconcerting after a couple of drinks. Our weekday lunch played out in an almost empty restaurant that continuously played loud music more suited to a bar night. Many of the dishes were served on “artfully” broken plates (hasn’t the gimmicky plating trend run its course yet?).
We picked two small plates from the uncensored menu. The Fig and Confit Duck Samosa (Rs.450) had a very thick, slightly chewy shell, and the duck filling was dry and overcooked. The samosas were doused in a sweet-and-sour glaze which couldn’t save the dish. The Crispy Aloo and Sago Dana Popcorn (Rs.199) didn’t really live up to its name. While the sago popcorn was slightly crunchy, the diced potato was soggy, and the dish could have done with a more generous amount of malgapodi (gunpowder chutney). Our third small plate was from the censored menu: Sautéed Kalamari and Shrimps (Rs.399). When we placed the order, our server said the calamari was chewy, and we were not sure if he was educating us about the texture or passing judgement on the quality. As it turned out, it was the latter. The dish was an insipid mix of overdone calamari and prawns with lots of garlic and a few cherry tomatoes; the promised chilli-and-coriander pesto (which might have brightened up the dish) was absent.
We tried one dessert each from the censored and uncensored menus. The Mango and Tropical Berry Eton Mess Trifle (Rs.350) was served in a tall glass and was more a trifle than a “mess”—two alternating layers of diced fruit and cream, topped with three “Little Hearts” biscuits. The meringue, an essential element of the Eton Mess, was largely missing. From the desi menu, we picked the Lemon Vhapa Doi (Rs.350). The steamed yogurt pudding was served with a delectable crumble of cashew and jaggery biscotti, and was topped with “foam” that had no particular flavour. The pudding itself was nicely turned out, though it could have done with more citrus flavours. The entire dessert was marred by the overly sweet raspberry coulis that was liberally smeared on the plate and the pudding.
Talk plastic
Our meal—two cocktails, three starters, two mains, one bread, and two desserts—cost Rs.3,958, all inclusive.
AnnCensored, Shop No.3, Ground floor, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel (43471873). Open from noon-1am.
