Thursday, June 7, 2007

Shabree - FC Road

ph: 25531511

I dont exactly remember when was the last time I had a Thali. Long time I guess..perhaps eight years back, when I was in college. Then, it was the need of a hungry stomach. Today it is the craving of a ravenous tongue. Shabree, located on FC Road, next to Manmeet, aims to satisfy both of these needs.
There is no menu card, just the brightly shining thalis with vaatis lined up. And they start as soon as you are seated, clock work precision. Each server knows its turn, twirling the 4-in-1 serving container, knowing what to serve. And before you know it, the thali is packed with goodies.
Here is what we got in our thalis, not in any particular they were served :

Sweet Gujrati Kadhi,
Typical Toor dal
Dahi Aloo
Chawli (Rajma/Lobia - similar to kidney beans)
Koshimbir(sweet mixed raita - tomatoes, onions, beetroot etc)
Pitle Bhaji - a spicy dish made of gram flour ,
Baigan Bharta
Chilli Pakora and some Dal vadis
Curd
2 types of chapatties - wheat and bhakri
2 types of rice - plain and pulao
Papad
2 pickles and 2 chutnies

Whew...Have I forgotton anything ? I hope not.. although I am sure the main dishes will vary with the day, but more or less, basic items would remain the same.

So, where do i begin ? Decided to bite into chilli pakora and dal vadis first. soft and spicy pakora and crunchy vadis. ok, time to take the plunge. Bhakri with chawli and kadhi. delecious combination of sweet and spicy. Tried Pitale Bhaji next, i have never tasted this before. Spicy. Baigan bharta, spicy. Ok, time out. give it a rest. Try toor dal, pretty ok, Dahi Aloo, ok. chutnies, tangy and spicy. koshimbir- sweet.Alright, time to restart..yes..spicy..but the amazing thing is, I cannot stop myself. It doesn't seem if we are eating at a restaurant. No added colour, no artificial presentation. Just plain simple delecious food.I almost half filled up just while sampling the different combination of served dishes. The kadhi gets over faster than anyother item, since i have to take a spoonful after every bite.

The servers materialize again, for the next round. Take some, leave some, no way I can repeat all. Take some more bhakris and kadhi, which are way too good to describe. Finally, have to force myself to stop feeding. Then, the rice and pulao appear. What ? Can I eat any more ?? But, hey , a few spponfuls will not do any harm right. Pualo and rice, served with spoonful of ghee ( Of course, you can refuse the ghee..!!), are good to taste, but thats about all I can do. Taste, not eat. Stuffed till the throat. Rising up and leaving the table would require help. Lossen the belt a notch or two.

I have already admitted, I belong to Northern part of India. So, I do not have a typical experience of home cooked maharashtrian food. But, I am sure, it would not be any different than this one. For a simple reason - the simplicity of the food itself which lends it the authenticity. My maharashtrians friends vouch for the same. I would go by their words as well.

The service is fast, ambience well lit, neat, clean and hygeinic. Although, the waiters were not dressed as peshwas, as I have read at some other places/blogs!
So, for a typical home cooked maharashtrian experience, different than the regular punjabi paneer/mix veg/kofta/kabab/tandoori roti routine, try Shabree. You won't come back disappointed, and definetly not hungry. Better still, skip the breakfast/lunch, if you planning to go for lunch/dinner. You will do more justice to the Thali !!.

Wallet dent : Costs you Rs 100 per Thali. I do not think you can share. And this one is for the Air-conditioned dining area. May be less for the non-A/c dining.