Vicinia is one of the few restaurants in Napeansea Road,Mumbai that actually serves both alcohol and non vegetarian food.It is an Italian restaurant primarily though it has things like Nachos and Hummus on its menu- Mumbaikars' two favorite staples..The only thing I actually don't recommend on the menu is the Hummus though I am sure ardent Vicinia fans may disagree.
I went to spend a leisurely evening with old friends hoping for just a decent meal but instead was pleasantly surprised to find that each dish became the focus of conversation and soon we were all on a gastronomical adventure. Mr. Sanjay guided us through the menu and helped us pick...My favorite thing about Vicinia is authenticity of flavor. The food isn't Gujaratified with oodles of Tomato ketchup or Punjabified with extra ginger and garlic. The Olive Oil is great, they don;t use Amul cheese but instead their cheeses are authentic and such quality of ingredients make them stand apart.
We had:-
DRINKS
Zameer the bartender was Mixologist and server both. He custom made us (1)Jalapeno Martinis (with a real kick to it) and (2)Cranberry-Strawberry mocktails...Their list of drinks are pretty extensive though they are very very happy to custom make one for u
(3) Pesto Chicken Broth-Robust in flavor and smooth in texture
(4) Sweet Potato and Almond Soup-One of the best things on the menu this soup is ostentatious and understated at the same time. Its flavors surprise you and this dish made me clap my hands after I ate it.
SALADS
(5) Beet Salad-almost too pretty to eat-this is another of their marvels. Goat cheese orange segments,beetroot and pine nuts come together in a symphony of pure delight. Our server told us that some people do not like this dish because of its strong flavors. I say I am glad I don't know those people.
(6) Broccoli Leek Fondue Salad- Cold marinated brocolli topped with melted cheese and leeks is just a surprise.. A very very good surprise.
STARTERS
(7)Truffle Mushroom Crostni-More Mushroom and just a hint of truffle
(8)Cranberry and Goat cheese Crstini-a great idea to pair tart cranberries with the very heavy and woody tasting goat cheese on thick chunks of Italian bread.
(9) Spicy Chicken Skewers-Pepper and Chill sauce
(10)Calamari and Prawn in chilli oil-Made even my friends who didn't like prawns say Wow. Perfectly cooked Calamari.
MAINS
They have an extensive menu of Pastas,Pizzas and Sandwiches too but we decided to skip them (due to lack of place in our tummies)-They have a truffle capellini that looked great. Try it!
(11) Pumpkin Rissoto- Golden and just the right texture. Not over-cheesified. Very few people can make a great Risotto- Vicinia's chef is one of those people.
(12)Veg Paprika with Herbed rice-Very Nice indeed. Creamy and Hearty.
(13) Salmon-A little disappointing apparently
(14) Pan fried Rawas=A hit with the crowd
(15) Grilled Jumbo Prawns
(16)Grilled Chicken with Porcini Sauce-Apparently amazing. It looked so good that as a vegetarian it almost made me take a bite.
(17) Bringal Scarmaroza- Brinjal topped with melted Cheese accented with pesto. Delicate. This dish was created for me by the chef. Its not on the menu but ask for it. AMAZING-It made my day
COFFEE AND DESSERT
My biggest complaint with them is they didn't have any egg less options. But I was so stuffed I consoled myself with some coffee -French Press. My friends tried their Dark chocolate cake and were very happy. I saw other tables order their cheesecakes and crumbles. Desserts are not on the menu-they change everyday.
I went to spend a leisurely evening with old friends hoping for just a decent meal but instead was pleasantly surprised to find that each dish became the focus of conversation and soon we were all on a gastronomical adventure. Mr. Sanjay guided us through the menu and helped us pick...My favorite thing about Vicinia is authenticity of flavor. The food isn't Gujaratified with oodles of Tomato ketchup or Punjabified with extra ginger and garlic. The Olive Oil is great, they don;t use Amul cheese but instead their cheeses are authentic and such quality of ingredients make them stand apart.
We had:-
DRINKS
Zameer the bartender was Mixologist and server both. He custom made us (1)Jalapeno Martinis (with a real kick to it) and (2)Cranberry-Strawberry mocktails...Their list of drinks are pretty extensive though they are very very happy to custom make one for u
SOUPS
(3) Pesto Chicken Broth-Robust in flavor and smooth in texture
(4) Sweet Potato and Almond Soup-One of the best things on the menu this soup is ostentatious and understated at the same time. Its flavors surprise you and this dish made me clap my hands after I ate it.
SALADS
(5) Beet Salad-almost too pretty to eat-this is another of their marvels. Goat cheese orange segments,beetroot and pine nuts come together in a symphony of pure delight. Our server told us that some people do not like this dish because of its strong flavors. I say I am glad I don't know those people.
(6) Broccoli Leek Fondue Salad- Cold marinated brocolli topped with melted cheese and leeks is just a surprise.. A very very good surprise.
(7)Truffle Mushroom Crostni-More Mushroom and just a hint of truffle
(8)Cranberry and Goat cheese Crstini-a great idea to pair tart cranberries with the very heavy and woody tasting goat cheese on thick chunks of Italian bread.
(9) Spicy Chicken Skewers-Pepper and Chill sauce
(10)Calamari and Prawn in chilli oil-Made even my friends who didn't like prawns say Wow. Perfectly cooked Calamari.
MAINS
They have an extensive menu of Pastas,Pizzas and Sandwiches too but we decided to skip them (due to lack of place in our tummies)-They have a truffle capellini that looked great. Try it!
(11) Pumpkin Rissoto- Golden and just the right texture. Not over-cheesified. Very few people can make a great Risotto- Vicinia's chef is one of those people.
(12)Veg Paprika with Herbed rice-Very Nice indeed. Creamy and Hearty.
(13) Salmon-A little disappointing apparently
(14) Pan fried Rawas=A hit with the crowd
(15) Grilled Jumbo Prawns
(16)Grilled Chicken with Porcini Sauce-Apparently amazing. It looked so good that as a vegetarian it almost made me take a bite.
(17) Bringal Scarmaroza- Brinjal topped with melted Cheese accented with pesto. Delicate. This dish was created for me by the chef. Its not on the menu but ask for it. AMAZING-It made my day
COFFEE AND DESSERT
My biggest complaint with them is they didn't have any egg less options. But I was so stuffed I consoled myself with some coffee -French Press. My friends tried their Dark chocolate cake and were very happy. I saw other tables order their cheesecakes and crumbles. Desserts are not on the menu-they change everyday.
Been dying to try the pumpkin risotto since i saw their menu online a few months back - good to know its been approved by the pro!
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