ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Address: 3-B Raja Bahadur Mansion, 24-A Mumbai Samachar Marg, Fort, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001 India
Time: 12 Noon to 10:30 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,300
Cuisines: Cafe
Facilities: Air Conditioned, Home Delivery, Parking, Take Away, Cards Accepted
I admit. I have a big fat soft corner for ‘familyrun’ ‘momandpop’ restaurants. Sure, as regional jury chairperson of many an international academy, I’ve also enjoyed eating my way through the world’s finest and most sophisticated restaurants. But nothing can take the place of homespun charm and Fort’s simply named ‘Plenty’ that redefines ‘family run’. Not only are the gracious mom and pop Reshma and Kapil Sanghi (also the duo behind Kitab Khana’s cafe) always there, but even their 23- year-daughter Karishma (who has returned after a year of training under a Michelin-starred chef in Paris) adds to her mother’s culinary repertoire. Gourmet extraordinaire Harsh Goenka swears by Karishma’s catering prowess. I have yet to try it. However, to check out Plenty I invited Sapna and Namrata Bajaj my foodie blind dates. They’d sent me bags of their latest brownie crunch (gluten-free version too) and the most delicious healthy jowar and ragi dry fruit and jaggery cake (the talented caterers even brought one to our foodie date). We had a fun dinner and a few weeks later I went back for lunch.
Plenty, Fort, Mumbai: DECOR
Comforting, quirky, cheerful. Nudged into cacophonic Fort, this two-leveled cafe is an oasis of calm. Edison bulbs, painted tiles, exposed brick, a postbox, book shelves, plants and what not.
Plenty, Fort, Mumbai: FOOD
The menu bops around the globe picking up comfort foods and one bowl meals. It aces the avocado toast: a many layered symphony of guacamole, soprano of alfalfa sprouts, crisp red radish and tenor of pickled beetroot and goat cheese. If a symphony can be crusty, creamy and tart, then this is it. Go for the all day breakfast, the over the top Huevos Rancheros overflowing with cream onion tomato. And yes! Ask for the (made famous by Willingdon club) eggs Kejriwal with a silky cheesy fondue twist. Pork lovers in for a treat, be it the tangy pulled pork sandwich or the barbecue sausage mash or Goa sausage pao. Chicken teriyaki has an addictive kick and the mushroom pasta is aldente. And oh! Yes the home baked bread is a must try!
Plenty, Fort, Mumbai: MINUS POINTS
Parking is difficult and there is no valet. No alcohol. No sparkling water. No gluten-free bread.Low on salt prawn curry rice. Mushy barley risotto (not available on my second visit), mediocre burger, low on flavour Kerala chicken stew. Avoidable chewy liege waffle. My favourite pavlova meringue shell a bit too hard.
Plenty, Fort, Mumbai: MY POINT
While this family run cafe’s menu is not quite original enough to brand it a destination restaurant, it has real talent in it’s DNA. I dined here twice. Full marks to it’s avocado toast. It’s a star in it’s own right. Open all day. Wholesome. Cheerful homestyle, homespun cafe. It does not dazzle. It comforts, in Plenty!
