Govinda's, Chowpatty: Restaurant Review



I arrived here for luncheon on Sunday after watching The Jungle Book with my friend in tow. We aren't Jains but we still managed to enjoy the predominantly Indian vegetarian fare sans onion and garlic (a fact I wasn't privy to until I was seated at my table).

Ambience


I wasn't expecting a great ambience given the price point but I was pleasantly surprised by the cosy interiors - a quintessential family restaurant. The tables and chairs are comfortable, the walls well decorated and maintained and the lighting in the style of fine dining restaurants. Frankly, you should have nothing to complain about.

Rating: 5/5

Service

The waiters are excellently trained - polite, knowledgeable and non-intrusive. Sure, the service is a bit slow but you can't blame them when the place is packed to the hilt. Upstairs, it tends to be quieter and that's where we sat. I recommend a corner table upstairs for a pleasant meal. You also enjoy a tranquil view of Iskcon temple from this table.

Rating: 5/5

Food
 


Overall, I'd say the food is decent. Some of the items are par excellence while others are a tad disappointing. So be careful what you order. Or order several items so you'll end up with some winners at least! Here's what I tasted:

1. Pizza Margherita


What I liked were the generous toppings and the desirable tang to the cheese. Those who enjoy tomatoes will be very pleased with the plentiful slices and tomato sauce. However, the crust was a disappointment. It was overdone and too hard. It tasted like whole wheat crust though it wasn't. The pizza is why I haven't given Govinda's a 5/5 rating. Compared to some of the other items on the menu, this one loses its sheen. We had the 8 incher and it was very filling for two people. It's not bland but not too spicy either - tastes best drizzled with the condiments and ketchup.

Rating: 3/5

2. Paneer chatpata and roti


It was brilliant. I'm a great connoisseur of paneer and this dish is a dream. It's a refreshing change from the staple paneer makhanwala and paneer tikka masala. The gravy is quite different from both of the abovementioned dishes. I don't know what exactly they put into it but it's tasty and faintly spicy and you never sense the absence of onions or garlic. In one serving, there were five large chunks of paneer and copious masala. The quantity's good enough for three people - we had to pack the extra. I had it with roti while my friend had the butter naan.

Rating: 5/5

3. Khichiya masala papad


I have not tasted a better masala papad in my life. Khichiya is the Marwari style of papad, made with rice flour and thicker than the conventional urad papad. The one we were served for gloriously perfect and the toppings included chopped tomatoes, cucumber in lieu of onion, coriander and chaat masala. We couldn't get enough of this. The papad is large and the chunky nature makes it very satisfying.

Rating: 5/5

Pricing


We had absolutely no room for dessert after working our way through all these dishes and the tab came to just 700 rupees.

Rating: 5/5

The variety of dishes on their menu is inspiring but from my experience, I'd say sticking with the Indian would be a good culinary decision.

Final rating: 4/5
Govinda's Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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