Took the Chandivali Road (off Saki Vihar Road) into Powai today and chanced upon the Fable. The signage going one way is remarkable and the other not so. The entrance is rather confusing. As I got through an obscure entrance, I found myself in what appeared to be the alfresco section of the restaurant. Still no one in sight, except for a lonely couple in a tete a tete. And after a wait, a confused, sleepy person in a security uniform came from behind me. He had an interrogative look; our communication was non-verbal. He gestured me to an entrance within. Now things were falling in place: there is an air-conditioned section past a set of glass doors. Once in, the air conditioning was refreshing; it appeared that the waitstaff were also in the same state of enjoyment, congregated around the counter and oblivious to the world. One of the waitstaff broke rank and approached me. Still no progress. I inquired if the place was open for breakfast. The waitperson checked his wristwatch and confirmed - the place was open for breakfast - it was 11:15 am. Phew! I thought I must have just made it. Then when I was checking out the menu, it looked like breakfast was available all-day from 9:00 am until 7:00 pm.
The restaurant is very tastefully appointed. It had neat, functional seating. The furniture has this classy distressed finish and the overall theme is quite English. I would describe it as elegant, yet casual. Ambiance gets a two thumbs up, without a doubt.
The menu is quite elaborate; my focus, though, was on the breakfast section. And, to me, eggs are synonymous with breakfast. Of the many options on the menu like Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine, Turkish Eggs, Parsee Akuri, Scrambled Eggs, my attention was arrested with the Shakshouka. The description of the Shakshouka on the menu was clear: baked eggs in a tomato, onion and coriander ragout. A bit different than what I have grown to like. This dish is very popular in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and North Africa.
After a bit of a wait, my Shakshouka was delivered. The presentation was very pleasing. It was served in a hot cast-iron skillet on a wooden tray (looked like a cutting board) with two pieces of panini. First off, the panini, though it looked the part, was dry and it crumbled when I attempted to tear it. Then the Shakshouka: the sauce was tangy-sweet from the tomato and onion; there was also a hint of garlic. What was missing? It was the roasted peppers, paprika, and the immutable nutmeg. Also, the egg was baked, not poached. The runny egg yolk is a signature aspect of the traditional Shakshouka. Then the panini was not scarpetta friendly, because it was crumbly. All in all, it was a version of the wildly popular dish from the regions of its origin. But it was a good attempt.
I inquired as to what types of coffee were available. Regular coffee, came pat the reply. At that point, I resorted to self-service and checked out the menu myself. I ordered the Americano. It may not appeal to a coffee snob, but I am easy to please - it served me well.
Overall, food gets a thumbs up.
Now to service. One word that comes to mind is apathy. The waitpersons had minimal knowledge of the offerings, from how I saw it. I had requested the coffee to be delivered midway through my meal; it was served simultaneously. The team was fixated on some entertaining activity behind the counter and I felt guilty getting their attention the two times that I attempted to. My first impressions when I entered the restaurant was not remarkable. Then, as I was leaving, there was an employee at the podium who was fused into his cell phone in a half fetal position, he produced intermittent bursts of a cackle. For all those reasons, service was below par.
Fable is a great concept and a breath of fresh air in the Powai- Chandivli area. The ambiance is fantastic, the food is different but acceptable but service sucks in every which way. The waitstaff should be put through a remedial class so as to not jeopardize Fable’s future. Giving the establishment the benefit of the doubt, it is possible that the waitstaff were just gearing up for the day. It would be worthwhile to check out the Fable, if just for the ambiance and the food,
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