Restaurants

This flagship branch of a vegetarian chain is a no-frills destination popular with local residents. Turnover is fast, service efficient but abrupt, and the food keeps you coming back for more. As well as the hugely popular buffet, a wide menu includes Indo-Chinese dishes, South Indian specialities, and snacks with an East African influence – all seasoned to suit the Gujarati sweet tooth. We opted for the traditional Mumbai-style street snacks. Pani puri (puffed pastries filled with potatoes and tamarind water) were light and crisp enough to hold the thin, spiced sauce, while crunchy aloo bhajia (potato slices fried in coriander-flecked batter) were so delicious that almost every table had wisely ordered a plate. There were some disappointments, including the bhel poori, which was too sweet and lacked tang, but then aloo papadi chat (crushed popadoms, potatoes and spikes of raw onion smothered with sweet yoghurt and herby chutney) was spot on. Fresh juices and iced lassis cut through the richness of the fried food perfectly. Expect a lively throng of customers at weekends and remember to pick up some tooth-achingly sweets and savouries from the snack counter on the way out.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009