All that glitters isn’t gold
Effingut is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the city’s nightlife after visiting the Gateway of India. The restaurant is located a mere five minutes away from the landmark and serves a variety of dishes from Indian to Chinese. Reservations are a must to get a table at this busy restaurant. We made reservations at 7.45pm on a week day, and in spite of being late, the staff were accommodating and we were given a table facing the street. The restaurant boasts of classic wooden decor with good music playing, waiters who are friendly, and the interiors are very well done using some thoughtful props. For instance, rickshaw toy cars are mounted on the wall and there are a variety of hats on the ceiling. There is an inhouse DJ who spins quirky tracks and a huge screen which projects football matches, one of the major reasons why this place is the go-to spot for youngsters.
We went in for starters and ordered Crispy Orange Chicken (₹345) was our next order and it turned out to be our favourite. The in-house orange sriracha glaze was a perfect blend of sweet, salty and tangy. For drinks, we had two refreshing margaritas and a couple of in-house beers. The restaurant offers a wide range of house brewed beers which are served on a platter that has a written explanation of what they are and how are they prepared. We ordered two beers — Hefty Braggot (₹275), a strong, potent brew with a balanced mix of malt-based ale and honey-based mead, and Citrus Burst IPA (₹275), a mix of Indian pale ale and herbs from Japan. Both had distinct flavours and tasted unlike any of the mass produced beers that are available in the market.
For the mains, we went for the Gunpowder Onion Rings (₹295), which had a crisp and crunchy exterior and the spices added a mild kick to it. We also ordered Kerala Chicken (₹345), which was chicken mixed with house spices and garnished with curry leaves. The dish was served along with Kerala parotta and the chicken meat was juicy and tender, the green chilli wasn’t overpowering at all and brought out the overall flavours of the dish.
For desserts, we ordered two Molten Choco Lava Cake (₹325) which is the classic chocolate cake with chocolate oozing out of its centre, topped with vanilla ice cream. It was delicious as the chocolate cake was moist but there was nothing special as it was like any other molten lava cake available all across the city. The restaurant has a smoking room, and we noticed it was infested with rats, which to be honest is the ultimate put-off at any restaurant, big or small.
Overall, the place stands out in comparison to the restaurants that are situated around it, mainly because of its ambience and its food. But the rats may not be a compelling element after all.