After visiting Smoke House Deli this week, I’m confident that they will indeed be maintaining a full house. We were welcomed inside with a very clean, creative and minimalistic décor. You can’t help but amuse yourself with the wall marker drawings, hoping to find some hidden jokes (and there are quite a few!).
We started our meal with some incredibly refreshing mocktails and Sangria. I especially enjoyed the Moremelon (watermelon, mint and apple juice) and the cucumber, basil and lavender lemonade. They were the perfect cooling drinks for the unseasonably hot afternoon. The attentive servers brought around a large selection of appetizers including their smoked pimento & jalapeno crostini, paprika puffs with wasabi salsa, chickpea and horseradish fritters, spiced chicken and panko strips, and deviled tenderloin bites.
Everything was delicious. The crostini was topped with roasted peppers, onions, smoked mozzarella and what tasted like a mild jalapeno pesto. My favorite of the bunch was the paprika puff with the wasabi salsa. The puff had a nice flakey crunch, which was complemented by the creamy wasabi “salsa” on top. The salsa was more like a sour cream with just the right hint of wasabi. The chicken strips were another favorite and were well coated with light crisp panko crumbs and served with a creamy spiced salsa.
Choosing our meal was a daunting task as everything sounded fantastic. We decided to indulge and try a bit from the salad selection, the sandwich/burger selection and from mains. We both really enjoyed the freshness of our salads. My Greek salad was well dressed and not taken over by onions (a pet peeve of mine). The Chicken Caesar salad included moist chicken strips, a traditional Caesar dressing and crisp bacon (though a bit too crisp/chewy). On a side note, I loved the presentation and the salad bowls (where can I buy some?).
The burgers, while good, were our least favorite. We had ordered the Soya mix -Curried Vegan Burger and the Chunky Tenderloin Burger. With the Soya mix burger, I was expecting a more soy based burger patty. Unfortunately, it ended up being a typical soft potato style patty, which falls apart when you bite into it. The Tenderloin Burger had been ordered medium rare but arrived well done. While the flavors of the burgers were nice, we were just a bit disappointed since we had other expectations.
Our favorite dish’s, were the mains. We ordered the Peri-Peri Rubbed Smoked Chicken and My Boss’s Style “Spaghetti.” The chicken had a nice spiced smoked flavor and was perfectly cooked. It was served atop roasted potatoes with a side of crisp salad. My Boss’s Style “Spaghetti,” is spaghetti tossed in a spiced aglio olio sauce with sliced mushrooms, green beans and onions. I really enjoyed the fresh simplicity of flavors and had a hard time putting my fork down. I would have preferred it without so much butter, which left a heavy aftertaste and a bit of guilt for having devoured so much. More olive oil, less butter, equals better.
We ended on a sweet note, with a tasting of their Crème Brule, Philly & Plum Cheesecake and the Chocolate Fudge. Honestly, it was the best cheesecake I’ve had in Mumbai. It maintained the right texture and flavor of a traditional cheesecake, which I have been greatly missing. The Crème Brule was also perfectly creamy with the proper crisp burned sugar topping. And finally the chocolate fudge was sinfully rich and addictive. I’m going to have to get to the gym this week…. 😉
Overall, I applaud
Impresario
on another job well done. Smoke House Deli receives a 4.5/5 for creating a unique dining atmosphere and serving food with fresh flavors. I plan to be back very, very soon…