Decent drinking joint @ Green Jade

Green Jade
Burrp page: http://mumbai.burrp.com/listing/green-jade_andheri-e_mumbai_bars-pubs-lounges/1305366079

Place: MIDC, Andheri (E)

Food:  - 4/10

Menu variety:  - 5/10

Service:  - 8/10

Ambiance:  - 5/10

VFM:  - 5/10

Food

The first problem was when we ordered for grilled mushrooms as a starter. A Mexican festival was on and so we got the dish with salad, salsa and some veggies on the side. There were multiple problems.

• The first and biggest issue was that the salsa was made out of tomato ketchup. It was a convenient workaround to making salsa correctly and we told the waiter we wanted salsa that was made without ketchup. The waiter asked his chef, came back and told us that it wasn't ketchup, but tomato sauce. I dunno what he was trying to prove. Anyway, he then said that the chef said that he'd try to whip up what we were asking for. The second salsa helping was a 100 times better.
• The veggies on the side were soggy. I have a feeling that while they were being sautéed, the lid was closed in order to cook them faster, making them soggy. The brinjal was soft and bitter (two things that I don't like brinjals to be). I strongly think that veggies on the side of a dish should have a crispness to them - something that was lacking here. I haven't had good brinjals anywhere really, except at Sammy Sosa, where they maintain a nice texture and brilliant taste.

We then ordered for a non-veg platter, which had some good and some average items. The prawns tikka / tandoori were really good, the mutton sheekh kababs were great, the fish had zero taste and the chicken kababs were not as juicy as they should've been. That's the gist of it all. We asked for another serving of the prawns again. That's the only great taste I'll be taking back from here. Green Jade is from the Saffron Spice building, with the same management. Saffron Spice also has average to below-average food, so this was expected.

The only reason we went there, was because we wanted to drink close to home and happy hours till 9 pm (one on one free) over here meant that we could drink a lot of beers!

Menu Variety

Why do they have two menus? The first menu had only Chinese dishes and we asked them if this was all they had. That's when they came back with another menu - this time Indian! The dishes were the usual Chinese and Indian. Nothing new or experimental. Since it was a Mexican festival, I'd expected to be a whole lot of Mexican dishes, but there was just one little menu on the table with some 8 items. Not happening.

Service

Restaurant staff was friendly. I'm not very happy with the "it's not ketchup, it's tomato sauce" discussion, but apart from that, it was okay. Once we were a few beers down, we even got one staff guy to take a picture with Rajesh. Need to get hold of that pic now!

Ambiance

The place looks good. The bar is also well lit. The only thing I didn't like is that just at the entrance of the washrooms, and inside as well, there was water dripping from the ceiling. At some places, buckets were kept to hold the water even! Most people weren't drunk, therefore weren't dancing on their seats, except the table next to ours (we'd like to believe it was our effect). When the place closed at 1:30 am, most people had already left. We and the other dancing table were the only ones left. Better crowd needed.

Value for money

Thanks to happy hours, and us drinking beer instead of whiskey, the bill came up to Rs. 600 per head. Good VFM!

Location

If you work at Seepz of MIDC (and a lot of people work here), this place is great for after office!

And in conclusion...

Definitely a thumbs up if your focus is drinks, and food is by the way!]

Ola - Staff's hat!