Bungalow 9, Bandra (West)

If I were to dream about food (believe me, I don't!), pasta wouldn't figure in the scheme of things. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a dish of pasta occasionally but it's definitely not one of the dishes that I would want to be served if I were to be marooned on a deserted island ;-) That said, I wouldn't want to touch any pasta cooked in a tomato-based sauce - even with the proverbial bargepole. Pasta in pesto or a cheese-based sauce is a different thing altogether. :-)

Okay, enough of this beating about the bush. The fact is that when we landed at Bungalow 9, Bandra over the weekend, I wanted a no-frills meal with as few calories as possible, thank you! Successfully fighting the temptation to go for Gnocchi, I selected "Farfalle with Grilled Vegetables, Feta & Cherry Tomatoes". 'This pasta does not have a sauce. It's just tossed in olive oil' the waiter said as if it was a sin for any pasta dish to exist without any kind of sauce. 'Dude, that's exactly what I want' I almost said to him.

When the dish was served, it was every bit what was promised on the menu card. The pasta was superbly cooked - thank Heavens for small mercies! The olive oil coated it nicely without making it overly oily. And the veggies - cherry tomatoes and bell peppers - assured me that I was getting my daily quota of vegetables. Needless to say, I enjoyed every mouthful of the dish.

What I especially loved about the place was its decor. It was refreshing to sit in the open air area - without the blast of the ubiquitous AC directly in your face. The whole place seems to have been converted from some old bungalow - but they have managed to retain its old world charm. And added to it, if the clock that looks as if it has been transported straight from some out-of-the-way railway station is anything to go by. If you are a woman, don't forget to visit the Ladies' washroom. There is a real jackfruit tree right in the middle of it. I ain't kidding :-)




Maybe I will be a bit adventurous next time and try that "Gnocchi with Sundried Tomato & Ricotta, Light Basil Cream'!