Rice Boat
Rated: Average
based on 4 reviews
45 Samadhan, Opp. W.E. Highway, Gandhi Nagar, Bandra (E), Mumbai
26403030, 26558832
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Rated: Average
May 09, 2008
Only Mallus!
It was a Saturday night and wanted to go out for dinner. No reservations. A tough call. We decided to try out an eatery in Bandra (East) as we could always walk back home if no tables available. Had heard a lot about and read too about ‘Rice Boat’ a Kerala cuisine restaurant that had opened a couple of years back, so went there to try our luck.
Surprise, surprise! There was just another family dining in there and soon we had the restaurant to ourselves.
The restaurant is long and narrow, like a train compartment. The waiter is dressed in the traditional ‘mundu’ or ‘lungi’ as is popularly known, and kurta.
Strangely, for a Saturday night, they were not serving a la carte but a fixed menu called ‘Sadhya’ meaning a ‘Thali’. Fortunately though, it was available in the ‘Veg’ and ’Non-Veg’ categories. The initial reaction was to walk out but then realized that this would be for the best as a ‘Thali’ or ‘Sadhya’ as they called it, would be representative of all their wonderful cuisine. The vegetarian ‘Sadhya’ consisted of two veg gravy curries, sambhar, Rasam, all in vatis (small steel bowls). Then there was Avial and another lal math bhaji. A couple of fried papadums, banana chips and a fried banana slice as accompaniments to the two excellent appams and of course steamed rice (choice of brown or white). For dessert, there was a vati of payasam (kheer). All this came on a banana leaf placed on a tray that was shaped similarly. As an aperitif, there was a glass of masala buttermilk. In the non-veg version the two veg curries were replaced by chicken and fish curries and the fried banana slice was replaced by tiny fried pieces of chicken. All dishes were overwhelmingly coconutty and seemingly heavy. It should be good for a homesick ‘mallu’.
At the end of the meal, the waiter will pour water from a jug for you to wash your hand in a small basin brought to your table. Nice gesture of service.
The bill is presented with mint and toothpicks.
The ‘Veg Sadhya’ costs Rs200/- and the ‘Non-Veg Sadhya’ costs Rs.250/- and in limited quantity.
Good place to visit if you have nowhere else to go, for the novelty of trying out Kerala cuisine. No alcohol.
