The review was anonymously done after paying for the meal.

I had heard about this new restaurant that had recently opened in Mumbai. When I saw the menu, I was smitten – it had Calaloo, the famous leaf, okra and other veggies baased Caribbean soup, and iconic dishes from all over central and South America. Obviously it had to be the place I had to visit when in Mumbai and visit I did soon after I landed in Mumbai.

I land here for lunch on a Friday. The interiors are cheery and well lit, but there is no one there. This does makes us a bit nervous but we soldier on. With so many enticing dishes, ordering does become a task but we manage. The service despite no one being there at the restaurant, is laid back and not at all in a hurry.

Veg Nachos (Rs 325) are first on the table, and well, it is difficult to mess this dish up, and what we are served is competent. Sea Bass Ceviche (Rs 350) is the second starter. This is when the realization dawns – that the menu is conceived by a restaurant consultant probably and the chef is quite clueless about cooking these dishes. The sea bass here is not fresh, and the heart of ceviche, Leche de tigre, or tiger's milk (the Peruvian term for the citrus-based marinade that cures the seafood in a ceviche0 is totally missing in this dish.

                  Veg Nachos                                             Sea Bass Ceviche

Calaloo, the soup that one expected would arrive first, is nowhere on the horizon. On enquiring from the serving staff I am told that the dish takes time to cook and hence the delay. Food is downward journey from there. Accras or Cod Fish Cakes (Rs 375) are not fish cakes at all. Instead we are served fish and chips with tartar sauce.

Cuban Sandwich (Rs 420) is not Cuban. Chilli Con Carne (Rs 525) is a dry rajma-keema dish with little resemblance to the Tex-Mex classic.

              Cuban Sandwich                                          Chilli Con Carne

The meal is over but Calaloo is nowhere to be found. When we ask one helping staff member, he decides to give us the truth – that the soup was never ordered. The serving staff assigned to our table however sticks to his story, and finally comes with the soup, which tastes like green dishwater with no connection to the famous soup. At this point, we send the soup back and beat a hasty retreat. And yes, I did pay the service charges as an appreciation of the one truthful employee at the restaurant.

Not recommended for a meal. Best to go to the many other good restaurants in the area.

Ratings (Out of 5)                                          

Food: 2.0 | Ambience: 3.5 | Service: 1.5 | Value: 2.0 | Overall: 2.0

Meal for two: Rs.2000 | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel chair friendly: No

Address: Unit 1, New Mahalaxmi Silk Mills, Todi Mills, Lower Parel, Mumbai

Tel: 022 30151587