I do not claim any marks for creativity here! The little door does invoke images from Alice in Wonderland. So with much curiosity, excitement and trepidation of the unknown, I ventured to The Little Door to try out their new Menu. Perhaps they truly wanted to give us an Alice in Wonderland feeling so though it was a Media and Blogger’s meet, no one knew we were coming and our PR contact was invisible. Was that the white rabbit from the tale I wondered. Several calls to our PR contact later, we finally got seated in a dimly lit, very noisy corner. If they wanted us to feel like the diminutive Alice, they succeeded.
We tried some drinks the bartender recommended in the hope that contrary to the tale, we will grow large enough to be noticed. I am not sure if it was the drink or the potion it got me back in the game again after the initial debacle. We must have done something right coz the Chef conjured himself right in front of our eyes. Now imagine this – he talks about the new menu and the delectable offerings that said cheese, cheese and more cheese and beef and shrimps for about 15 minutes in front of a whole bunch of people who are salivating. It could have soon been a puddle and then a sea like the tale had we not goaded the Chef into getting us our food. We were six of us and we decided to share the dishes.
We were served the Mini Shawarma first; all standing in a row like the famous “Caucus race”. These were little Pita bread parcels of shaved chicken and with Zatar and garlic sauce with pickles topped with a batter fried onion ring. The softness of the shawarma with the crunch from the onion ring was a superb combination that opened up my taste-buds immediately. We were then served the Vol Au Vents – little round puff pastries filled with creamy cheesy mushrooms and corn. These mushrooms did not change our size but sure increased our appetite for more. I remember the Queen of Hearts playing the game of croquet and if any stick or Strixxi Mimli tasted so good, I do not mind the queen’s ire. StrixxiMimli means stuffed strips. These were chicken strips stuffed with cheese and herbs and served with garlic mayo. The next appetiser was Sigara Boregi– cigar shaped pastry filled with spinach, roasted garlic and what else but more cheese! This time it was Feta. I think the Chef had taken the brief a little too seriously and decided to keep surprising us with how much flavour he can pack into “little”. So the Li’lBurgettes were served. These were little buns with potato and jalopeno mash served with beetroot coleslaw and of course cheesy fries.
The mains started with Pesca cilantro and jalapeno buerre – grilled fish fillet in a blanc sauce. The fillet was flaky and the sauce was the way I like, cheesy, full of herbs and not overpowering so that it brought out the flavour in the fish. The Lambonioni – slow cooked shoulder of lamb in rosemary and onion sauce – was delightfully melt-in-the-mouth magic. I save the bonanza for last – The Beef burger. The chef insisted that this was not buffalo and that he sourced genuine beef specially. I may be wrong but I tend to agree with him there. The burger, a full bodied beef patty with the greens and vegetables and melted cheddar, was a beef-onza! There is nothing else I can call it. I reckon definitely worth a second visit just for this.
I must admit that with all that cheese I was definitely feeling like the “Cheeshire Cat” and I can bet the Cheshire cat wouldn’t grin so if he knew of my feast! But the finale was yet to come with the dessert – The Rum Drum – A dessert so sinful that it defies all logic. If you think you have drunk enough then eat this ! It is a 7-Layered dessert with chocolate rum fudge, cream, chocolate cookie and a chocolate sheet. Such an unabashedly indulgent finale to the evening!
Food was great – now if only they reduced the sound decibels and energised their slow dragging service, this would be an excellent place to go again.
Ratings out of 5
Food: 3.5 | Ambiance: 2.5 | Service: 2 | Overall: 3
Meal for Two without Alcohol: Rs. 2000 Approximately plus taxes| Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes|
Timing:6 PM to 1 AM | Wheelchair access : No
Address: B 31, Shri Siddhivinayak Plaza, New Link Road, Andheri West, Mumbai
Telephone : 022 26732528
Disclaimer : This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant. Due judgment and care has been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review; however readers may exercise their own discretion.
