Sunday brunches are always super-fun and a great way to unwind after a hectic week. So it was with much anticipation that I looked forward to the brunch at Arthur’s Theme in Juhu, Mumbai.
I asked my school friend, Cheryl Patel and my BFF Achla Sachdev – both die-hard foodies – to come along and feast on the spread that we eagerly anticipated.
Situated on the 3rd floor of a building in Juhu, Arthur’s Theme is cozy and large picture-windows allow the sunlight to stream in, making for a cheerful experience. In fact, the restaurant even has two private booths (with curtains) for those in love to cootchie-coo in private. Quite sweet!
However, the legendary King Arthur’s theme is only represented by a sword and a shield on the wall and little else. If it weren’t for these two objects that point out their relation to the name, it really wouldn’t matter if the restaurant was known by any other name. A little more innovation on the theme would have been nice!
And now for the food:
SALADS & APPETIZERS:
Spread out in small dishes on the bar counter (the sample-platter concept), the starters looked appetizing. We sampled a bit of everything but were only impressed with the skewered pepper fish and the bite-size grilled lamb shaslik.
My companions found the salads limp (roasted chicken salad, fish and celery salad, carrot and beetroot salad, cheese and mushroom salad) and too basic. “It tastes like as though it was made hours ago and not freshly made,” said Achla. A few words with the waiter confirmed her statement. “It was made in the morning, Mam,” he told her cheerily. Silly fellow!
There was also a platter of very basic cheese. We wish they had added blue cheese, crackers and a few dry fruits to make it more VFM.
There was also a platter of chicken cold-cuts on the list – chicken salami with gherkins, chicken ham brushed with pesto sauce and chicken sausages on mashed potatoes.
DRINKS:
The buffet costs Rs.1350/- with unlimited Indian alcohol. However, none of us ventured through the cocktail menu. Instead, we chose to go non-alcoholic (Rs.700/-) and were told we could order aerated beverages, iced tea, lime juice with soda or water and an assortment of colourful mocktails. I chose a fruit punch from which Cheryl took a sip and said, “It tastes like melted ice-cream!” I liked it, however!
MAINS:
The list of mains on the menu includes roasted vegetable lasagna, cottage cheese shaslik, penne tossed in basil pesto and garnished with grilled chicken and grilled fish with mustard sauce, amongst other things. These come pre-plated and you have to wait a bit for the food to arrive on your table. All the dishes would be accompanied by a bowl of herbed rice, a bread basket and garlic toast.
Achla ordered the pasta (since she’s perpetually on a diet to maintain her svelte figure) while Cheryl and I – both seafood freaks – opted for the grilled fish in mustard sauce.
Achla’s order of pasta left a lot to be desired. The presentation of the dish was boring and unimaginative and the taste was, “Nothing more than pasta in sweet tomato ketchup with a hint of basil!” Disappointing!
Cheryl and I thoroughly enjoyed our main course. This time around, the presentation was definitely more appealing with a few carrot pieces, green peas and cauliflower buds adding colour to the plate. The mustard sauce was perfect and the flavor danced on our taste-buds. Thankfully, it was not overwhelming! And the fish was fresh, making the fillet supple yet melt-in-your-mouth! This was a winner.
The herbed rice was also aromatic and well-made. It complemented our grilled fish perfectly!
DESSERTS:
The list of desserts included chocolate praline mousse (hmmm! Not really!); Tiramisu (soggy and falling apart!); lemon mouse (definitely a no-no!) and crepes stuffed with chocolate cream. Really? It tasted more like crepes stuffed with chocolate cream with a dash of cough syrup. The cream filling tasted medicinal and left a weird after-taste!
Even the presentation left nothing to write-home about. Avoid at all costs!
We would have preferred a few Indian options too, even though this restaurant does not cater Indian foods. Gulab jamuns or crisp jelebis with rabdi just might be a saving grace!
THE VERDICT:
While Arthur’s Theme is a nice restaurant with affable and attentive staff, they could definitely improve on the quality and taste of the food a few notches. The only thing we honestly liked was the fish (starters and mains) while the rest was predictable and not value for money.
As for the desserts, they could definitely be voted as the most unappetizing we’ve had in a long time. After a good meal, you want to sweeten your mouth and these actually leave a weird after-taste that will be on your palette (and etched in your memory) long after.
Would we go back? Maybe just for the fish! But we’re definitely not going to shell out Rs.700/- just to have that one dish. So probably not until they guarantee an overhaul of the menu!
COST PER PERSON: Rs.1350/- with unlimited Indian alcohol / Rs.700 without alcohol.
ADDRESS: Arthur’s Theme, Level 3, Tian building, near Costa Coffee, Juhu Scheme, Mumbai -49.
PHONE: 9920748622