A perfect weekend for me is synonymous with indulging in good comfort food, and what a better way than gorging on some lovely seafood at the Solitaire Restaurant, Kohinoor Continental (Andheri).
I was invited to try their Karwari Food Festival.Needless to say, I was overjoyed considering my first experience there.
After the red carpet entry (literally), we were welcomed with Nariyal Paani at the entrance.
As soon as we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by warm faces and traditional floral arrangements with live instrumental music playing in the background amid a beach shack like set up.
What could have been a better start to our meals than a Konkani mocktail, Solkadi. Served in an earthen pot, it was cool and creamy even though the flavour wasn’t really like that of an authentic one.
After settling down for a bit, we made our way to the massive buffet that awaited us.
Yes, Solitaire Restaurant is a fine dining place but they went all pukka. With huge steel plates in front of us, we were left wondering what lay ahead!
By now we could already smell the aroma of coconut gravies, smeared with vegetables and fish, striving to seep out from their lids all over.
On left we had a huge palette of salads – Diverse colours, plenty of flavours and varied textures!
Love how these guys meticulously incorporate details in their food festival. Just how they had this traditional amla aachar (Gooseberry Pickle) –
Now starts the deluge of the main course –
If North boast of their Tikkas and English, their cutlets, we swank our Dal wadas & Kaap.
This is how the Veg section of the buffet looked like –
Barely did we finish gorging on these that we realised some lovely fish was awaiting us.
We had to choose between Aambe Mor rice and Ukda bhaat. And then, we couldn’t help but notice the gigantic spread of seafood preparations.
Now here comes the review part –
- I loved (Read swigged with relish) all the gravy preparations. The fish was tender and their sauces were intense and non-diluted. And bro, they were authentic as well.
- Special shoutout to the Crab & Prawn preparation – It was delectable!
- The fried fish, however, wasn’t really spicy. Maybe because Kohinoor caters to the taste buds of foreigners -who prefer their food to be mild.
Moving on, we made our way to the most crucial part of any meal – Dessert!
Again a huge spread of indigenous Kawrari sweet dishes to choose from!
But we had our eyes glued at a special live counter, which was –
The Gadbad icecream !
Am I even supposed to review how dollops of ice cream stuffed over one another with scattered choco nuts and basil seeds and a Pickwick, tastes like?
Like how could this possible combination even go wrong!
And then just before we were leaving, our eyes fell on the Paan. Needless to say, we gobbled that too!
Verdict time –
- It is evident that the restaurant has taken all the due care to ensure they create the right ambience for a Karwari Food Festival. Not every restaurant goes out of their way to host a food festival.
- Love how all the dishes carry their original names and described in English. Also, bonus points for steel cutlery.
- Just like last time, I find this buffet quite balanced. There’s something for everyone – even if you like salads, are a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian.
- Considering the buffet is priced just at Rs.900 for lunch and Rs. 1000 for dinner, I believe it’s a steal deal if you are someone who loves seafood or trying new cuisines.
That’s all for now guys! I hope you liked my review, and if you did, do hit ‘Like’ below!
