South Side Café, the newly opened eatery in Bandra may not have much but what’s on the menu is impressive says Dev Goswami
South Side Café, like most food joints in Bandra, is small and cosy. Brightly lit, with an ambiance that is almost expected, there is nothing much that stands out about South Side Café in terms of its décor. However, their logo is worth a mention as it incorporates the South Indian tikka, making it the first thing that catches your eye.
South Side Café, sadly serves none of the sea food dishes of South India. You will instead find popular Udipi preparations such as dosas, idlis and mehdu vadas.
They also have uthapas and a variety of South Indian rice preparations such as rice & curd and rice & sambhar. The menu doesn’t have anything that you haven’t heard about before, or for that matter, anything that you haven’t tasted before. But, they promised us authentic South Indian flavours, thanks to the chef who is from Bengaluru.
We ordered a plate of Mysore Masala Dosa (`85), Set Dosa (`80) and a plate of Mehdu Vada (`50). For a menu which looks so familiar, the taste is quite unique. Just one bite of the Mysore Masala Dosa was enough to know that it was different from what we are normally used to. While the filling of potato and onions is normal, the dosa itself is quite different. It is thicker than normal dosas and if you eat it without the masala, you will get a slight taste of spices from the dosa itself. The dosa was served with a sweet sambhar and a tangy and spicy coconut chutney, which we liked.
Next up was the Set Dosa. That was the only dish on the menu which I had never heard of before and I was informed that it was a Bangalorean specialty — it is called so as the plate is supposed to consist of a set of three dosas. The dosas themselves are different from the normal ones. They are thicker — almost as thick as an uthapa and have no filling. However, the batter is spiced by a number of South Indian spices and that gives it a unique taste. These dosas are a must-try.
The Mehdu Vadas were quite a delight and I appreciated the fact that they weren’t dripping in oil. However, what really won me over was that they tasted absolutely fresh. At `50 for a plate of two, you might think that they’re overpriced, but the dish is value for money. We ended our meal with
the South Indian Filter Coffee (`50), which I recommend you try with at least one spoon of sugar.
South Side Café has good and affordable food. It might not be much of a dinner place but it’s perfect for a quick bite after work or a lazy Sunday evening snack.
Where South Side Café, Next to Khane Khas, 16th Road, Bandra
Meal for two `350 Alcohol served No
Contact 65252503