Inspired by Carmines, Broadway's legendary family-run Italian restaurant known for great food at fair prices, Mumbai's Out of the Blue is more than just a swish suburban cafe with great food. With on-site artists on Tuesdays and a ‘destiny bazaar' on Wednesdays, eating here can be quite an experience.
There's something special every day of the week but what I think really tops the list is the Friday Spa lunch. What better way to spend a sultry Friday afternoon than having foot massage and a glass of fine wine. You could also get your nails done with some chic art work as you sip one of their many delightful cocktails or mocktails and you'll even get a free gift to take home.
Accidental marvels
When it comes to gastronomy Out of the Blue is really about recipes concocted ‘out of the blue'. The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating and a culinary romance with fusion flavours and accidental marvels that made cold bruschettas über chic and ‘desi fondue' its exclusive super star.
Their bruschettas were subject to an error that an Italian gastronome might regard a culinary fiasco. “They were served by without heating, by mistake and people loved them. So our bruschettas were an accident,” says Bajaj. Now bruschettas are always served cold here.
They also do a spiced ‘desi fondue', which was again a mistake. In the absence of the chef, a commis panicked his way into the miracle mix and voila! Out of the blue came the perfect ‘desi fondue'. Fondues are a specialty here and you'll find quite a unique selectionfrom ‘Thai fondue' to ‘chocolate liquor fondue''. If you like your fondue straight and simple their plain cheese fondue is just as good served with bite-sized toast bites, which are on the biggish side, sautéed chicken or succulent cubes of caramelised cubes of pork.
Indian take
The ‘masala mafia' is an Indian take on pasta and their ‘desi sizzler' was another invention inspired by requests for ‘Indian tasting food' by foreign guests and goes well with their Jal-jeera mohito, a cool and refreshing thirst quencher with a kick and a subtle sweetness that complements the lemony spiced flavour of the drink.
At Out of the Blue, food has been invented and still continues to be. Authentic classical cuisine just isn't their style. “We are not authentic, that's why our food tastes better,” says Bajaj. “When someone asks us to explain our food we go into depression. We don't know how to do it. Are we a sizzler restaurant? A pasta restaurant? A Swiss restaurant? We have everything,” he adds.
The dessert destination has an exotic selection of cheesecakes, gateaux and more that makes it worth a stop on the way out. With mouth-watering displays at the entrance it's hard to miss or resist the sinfully rich temptations on offer.
Where it is
Out of The Blue , Union Park 14, Khar West, Mumbai, India Ph: 022-26003000/1 or 9324839393
E-mail: info@outoftheblue.in
Website: http://www.outoftheblue.in/
