Farzi Cafe — Restaurant in Mumbai

Location and proximity from Station:

Farzi Cafe has it’s third outlet now in Mumbai; the second one in Lower Parel itself. This one is situated within Phoenix Mall. It’s a 10 minute walk from Lower Parel station. Also you can come via Mahalakshmi station via a cab ride in 5-10 minutes.

Ambiance and seating:

The ambiance is like the other Farzi outlets. This one too has a good fine dine vibe to it. There’s a bar counter which is almost huge up to the first floor. That many bottles are stocked. They have seating on the ground floor and also the first floor too. Approx 50-60 people can be seated at once.

Food and Drinks (Appetizers):

We tried a lot of appetizers and mains thanks to Chef Ashwini Pai who made sure we had a good experience.

For cocktails we tried;

Bombay Julep - The combination of bourbon whisky with mint leaves always is a hit. Taste wise, I loved this concoction and for some reason the overpowering of mint in this drink is a blessing. Definitely a recommendation for those who like whisky. We can try this apart from our usual old fashioned and whiskey sour.

Bootlegger’s knees - There’s gin, cardamom, honey syrup and lime juice. Although the taste is fantastic and I’d love to have this more often, it’s the quantity of the cocktail which was a bit disappointing. The presentation for this drink is amazing.

For food we tried;

Avocado Mint Gazpacho - This cold soup has a lot of mint and avocado. Surprisingly the spices like cumin and black salt used in this makes this soup a perfect appetizer before you begin your meal. You’ll keep asking for more.

Pork Ribs Chilli - Being a catholic, I’ve been exposed to pork dishes a lot. There’s a fine line between cooking well and not well. If overcooked or under-cooked, then mutton, beef and pork doesn’t taste that good. Fortunately for us, the ribs were fantastic. Loved the meat and it was the star of the evening. Please try this if you can.

Chilli Chicken Guntur - Here, the chicken chunks are exposed to a lot of spices, garlic, onion and pepper. The taste is more towards the spicy side. This is also served with ori Roti. Although as a suggestion, Kori Roti usually goes well with gravy and not with dry dishes. Maybe this can be worked upon.

Kheema Kulcha - The small kulchas look cute and are bite sized. There’s a generous amount of kheema in it and is served with mint chutney. We found this decent.

Tempura Fried Prawns: I am not a prawns fan but the one served here is exceptional. It has good taste. I would definitely ask a prawns to try this.

Amritsari Fish and Chips: Here the fish is crumb fried and is very decent. It’s your basic fish and chips with the indian touch of masala.

Mains:

Baby Lamb Nihari: I love nulli nihari always. There’s a taste to it like no other meat can deliver. It all depends on the lamb and it’s age. The baby lamb here is decent and not the best I’ve ever had. This is served with naan.

Shawarma Biryani: I was surprised to read this name. There’s a lot of biryani and on a tall skewer placed are lamb pieces. There was raita too for this. The dish went to a more tangy taste but it’s totally worth trying this out. It’s not everyday you get to taste the best of both; a shawarma and biryani!

Goan Prawn Curry with Coconut Rice -The bets dish of the night. I liked the coconut rice as it was fully drenched and cooked in coconut milk. The taste was very pleasant of the prawns too. They al;so had gravy in a small bowl separately for you to decide how much gravy is needed. The gravy is tangy and gives this dish the perfect punch.

Desserts:

Parle G Cheesecake - This is your basic cheesecake which is broken into small pieces and Parle G biscuits are used to hold this making it look like a sandwich. This is also served with rabdi which is thick and few cadbury gems are used for presentation. This was only decent. Rabdi was better.

Conclusion:

Overall, Farzi Cafe is always a hit and the food here is not your usual dishes that you try. There’s a good change and they are doing well with their offerings. Do try them...

Farzi cafe is one the best brands of massive restaurants .After kamala mills at lowerparel -Farzi has now opened a new outlet at High street pheonix mall lowerparel next to mcdonalds.This mall has huge number of footfalls and ample of parking area.So strategically a great decision to open a restaurant here. .Its a casual dining place serving modern indian cuisine..This is one of the few restaurants which actually started concept of molecular gastronomy in mumbai .Farzi has beautiful interiors with a very polite,courteous staff. The lighting here at this outlet is brighter than kamala mills as this outlet attracts more of family crowd who come,have a quick bite and are back to their routine.

Coming to variety of food i tried here

Lichee aam panna desire mocktail-Awesome mocktail.sweet and refreshing drink .Tangy twist taste is really impressive.,

Soup

Avacado mint gazpacho soup - Extremely chilled soup.light flavoured and satisfying.It had the jeera namak para twist to it..Something different and worth trying

Salad

Aloo bukhara kale salad goat cheese -This is another unique salad creation at farzi .It has a lovely cranberry twist in salad.The sweet and tangy plums give it a characteristic flavour.Pomegrantes and some goat cheese used for dressing as well..A great dish creation .

Small plates

Ratatouille gujia imli sweet chilli - A french stewed vegetable dish with a twist of gujia .Gujia made in a dumpling form made from wheat flour and some khoya. Served with nice tangy imli chutney and sweet chilli .

Duo of stuffed mushrooms -Best dish that i had here for me.Such awesome presentation.It has a nice mishroom kebab look and served with some really good lasooni chutney

From the local streets

Desi chowmein - This is a chinese stir fried noodle dish .Very famouse in asian countries on local streets.Loaded with veggies and flavoured with variety of sauces. yummy.

Kutchi dabeli - This is like a double roti originated from Kutch in gujarat.A spicy.tangy and sweet potato filling with pomegranates inside a bun and with peanut butter sauce on it.Simply wow

Hajmola lollypop- Pallate cleanser served before starting the main course

Mains

Tava pavbhaji with chill garlic pav - Spicy curry of mixed veggies cooked in spices and served with chilli garlic pav.shallow fried in butter. Tasty and absolute mumbai style

Desserts

Flourless chocolate bar -Nice looking gluten free ,daily free dessert.Nuts ,swirled with caramel..A wow.dessert.

Chocolate dirt pie - Another vegan friendly dessert.coconut creams,dates,dark chocolates,oreo cookies.cream cheese,pudding are few ingredients used in the preparation of this yummm dessert.

Overall i had a great time at Farzi ..Go get farzified.

Great place to enjoy with your friends,family ,special...

Rated 3.5: The word "Farzi" can have many connotations, but at Farzi Cafe, it has just one, "creating an illusion" with its cuisine. The Farzi Cafe is a Modern Indian Bistro and Tapas Bar, best described as a gourmet experience and serves traditional global cuisine with an Indian touch.

The cafe provides an exotic menu that features comfort food using fresh and robust ingredients and fusing them with Indian cooking styles and flavors. The restaurant has a laid back and an amazing ambiance with wonderful interiors. The nearest landmark is Times Tower.

What we were served: Aloo Bukhara Kale Salad, Mushroom ka Shorba, Malai Matar Pasties, Telangana Paneer Chilly, Achaari Gobi Broccoli, Karaikudi Paneer Masala with Coriander Appam and Red Velvet Instant Cake

Aloo Bukhara Kale Salad - Who knew you could broil kale? A few minutes under the flame and this leafy green becomes deliciously nutty and charred. Served a top a bed of creamy fresh ricotta and hearty wild rice, this is a beautifully composed salad. The best part? Those tangy-sweet marinated plums.

Mushroom ka Shorba - This lusciously creamed mushroom shorba is topped off with a simple and speedy jeera paara with shitake mushrooms. A perfect way to up your soup game.

Malai Matar Pasties – Green peas in a rich creamy curry wrapped in filo sheets. Crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

Telangana Paneer Chilly - This Indo-Chinese fusion food can be prepared by using paneer in all style sauces and spices. So why not Telangana spices? Suppose to be spicy, this one here is a bit less than expected

Achaari Gobi Broccoli - What's on your meal- plan tonight? For us it’s a simple and tasty achari gobhi. A side dish made of cauliflower and broccoli cooked in pickling spices. Simplistic!

Karaikudi Paneer Masala with Coriander Appam - A spicy and flavorful South-Indian dish. Made with a unique spice blend this curry is very different in taste from other Paneer curries. Appams are soft and spongy in the center and has a lacy border with good green coriander texture. What a delight to have it with Paneer Masala! Personal Favorite!

Red Velvet Instant Cake - This Red Velvet Cake is moist, rich, and amazingly tasty! Two lovely layers of tender vibrant sponge red cake with fluffy cream cheese frosting. This dessert is the perfect showstopper for any occasion.

Constructive Suggestions:

Malai Matar Pasties should be a little less creamy

Telangana Paneer Chilly needs to be more spicy

Additions to the mocktail menu and more options for vegetarian meal bowls is required

To sum it up, TFC Cafe is the place you would go for a get together with friends or with a loved one or go out for a family outing, all of which promise to give you a DECENT memorable Indian...