The Great India Trip- A Parsi Treat @ Jimmy Boy (Mumbai)

As many of you may have known, I was out of town from 15th Dec to the 2nd of Jan, as I was spending my holidays in India. Well, this time it wasn't the traditional Kerala visit, but was more towards the Northern side of India. Therefore, we visited Mumbai, Bhilai and Hyderabad, and as with every trip to India, my tummy was treated to all sorts of tasty delights! Therefore, this post will be about one of my experiences with the food I got a chance to eat in India.  

When we arrived at Mumbai, we were told about the great Parsi population, and their culture, religion and most importantly, the Parsi food. With Parsi restaurant chains all over this buzzing city, and with recommendations from friends and family, we had to try out Parsi food, and in particular "Jimmy Boy" which was recommended by my aunt in Mumbai.

For those who do not know about who Parsis are; Parsis are a group of followers in India that follow the teachings Iranian prophet Zoroaster. The origin of Parsis are in the concentrated areas in and around Iran and with the majority of Parsis residing in Mumbai, a whole new culture was brought into this city. Although Parsis tend to be more private amongst themselves in their beliefs and faith, Parsi culture such as Parsi food is common in cities like Mumbai. 

Jimmy Boy is one of the many restaurants located in the touristy area of Colaba, South Mumbai, in the heart of the Colaba Causeway

Tarelli Fish (Pomfret)

The Tarelli Fish ($13*) is the name for a pomfret fish. This pomfret fish was not served the way you would expect in Western restaurants, but wonderfully wrapped in a banana leaf. This banana leaf serves a double purpose. One, to keep the fish wonderfully moist whilst the entire cooking process, and secondly, to add extra flavour to the fish. The rub, as you may see in the above photo is indeed a light and simple coriander rub. However, these simple ingredients didn't reflect badly on the flavour. In fact, the fish was extremely flavoursome, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The fish was incredibly moist, and the moment I unravelled this parcel, the most wonderful smell tingled my nose. The simple yet delicious coriander rub was wonderfully light, refreshing and gave a subtle citrus-y kick, an ever classic flavour that goes perfectly with any fish. After this dish I thought about how such simple ingredients can produce such wonders. This dish was definitely one to try and perhaps one of the best fish I have eaten till date.

Rating- 4.8/5 

Jardaloo Salli Boti

   
The Jardaloo Salli Boti ($6.80*) is a truly classic Parsi dish, blending both traditional Indian and Parsi flavours. It is basically a delicious mutton (or lamb; mutton in this case) curry with the mutton being served as small boneless chunks topped off with crispy shoestring potatoes known as the 'salli'. 

The curry itself holds a mouthwatering Indian-Parsi blend of spices and aromatics. The Parsi ingredients such as apricots, which is the jardaloo, the red wine vinegar and sugar blends wonderfully with the classic Indian spices of chilli powder, garam masala etc. This curry was brilliant as these rather strange combinations, which Indians wouldn't use in a traditional curry such as red wine vinegar and sugar seemed to work extremely well with the Indian spices. The apricots gave the curry a dry, sweet chewiness that was balanced with the acidity of the red wine, and the spices gave the curry a kick! However, I was not pleased with the mutton itself as it was rather dry and sometimes chewy. However, a classic blend of Parsi ingreidents with Indian spices, topped off by the crispy potatoes brought about an orchestra of textures in my taste buds, making this dish a one I would come back for.

Rating- 4/5 

Mutton Dhansak

  Yes, we were certainly not done with the Salli Boti! The Mutton Dhansak ($7.20*) is yet another Parsi classic dish and as simple as it may look, the amount of flavour in a dhansak is amazing. The rice as you would notice, is brown in colour, because the rice has been caramelized with wonderful aromatic spices after it was cooked. I quite enjoyed the rice has it has the roasty and robust flavours brought out due to its caramelization. As I mentioned earlier, Parsis enjoy using sugar, which is quite evident in the Salli Boti, and also in this dish. The mutton curry is basically stewed lentils and meat, flavoured in Indian spices caramelized in jaggery, or brown sugar, balancing out the flavours and giving the curry a tangy and mild taste. However, I was not too pleased with the curry as the seasoning was certainly too less, it definitely needed more salt, and the spices just couldn't be tasted and the dish lacked its kick, which could have been wonderfully brought out if executed well. 

Rating- 3.5/5  

*DISCLAIMER: Prices of the dishes denoted in the asterisk are in Indian Rupees and converted into SGD based on an approximation in the current exchange rate. The conversion rate is likely to change in the future, therefore these prices will also fluctuate.

So this brings me to the end of this post, and I hope I gave you guys a valuable insight into Parsi cuisine, and the methods and ingredients they use. Jimmy Boy was a great experience and an eye opener to both myself and my family into Parsi cuisine, and the whole story behind how Parsi's came to Mumbai and other parts of India, and how Parsi cuisine was influenced by Indian spices and herbs and the other way round as well. It's amazing when Parsi ingredients such as dried fruits, nuts and fenugreek blends with Indian spices to create unique dishes. Parsi cuisine is a truly unique and wonderful cuisine and I would highly recommend you to try it.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post after a long time, and I hope you guys still continue to support me and follow my blog. I will try to post as often as I can in my hectic schedule filled with exams and deadlines. Also, Gong Xi Fa Cai to all, and have a prosperous CNY! 

Otto Locanda @ Maxwell Chambers

Otto Locanda is an Italian restaurant located in the prime area of Shenton Way in the CBD, near the Red Dot. Due to its location, this restaurant attracts a lot of office crowd on weekdays and Friday nights, and regular customers on weekends. The restaurant opens up into a beautiful bar, with the tables and kitchen surrounding the bar.

The restaurant is managed by the Head Chef Marco Violano, who goes to each table, asking for your preferences in taste, texture etc. and will prepare a four course meal accordingly. Chef Marco was very welcoming, and even asked me to give him a call to work in his kitchen!

In a traditional Italian restaurant, there are generally four courses: First, the Antipasti, which are the appetizers, then the Pasta e Risotti, which includes pasta and risotto, as appetizers as well. Then the Secondi, which are the entrées, and finally Dolci, the desserts.

Burrata Cheese topped with Parma Ham and Italian Bread

Our first appetizers or Antipasti was the Burrata Cheese topped with Parma Ham and Italian Bread. The dish was beautifully presented on a rustic wooden chopping board, and screamed 'Italian!' This burrata cheese was creamy and extremely refreshing, and also giving a slight hint of sweetness, and in contrast the parma ham, gave a dash of saltiness to the dish. This sweet-salty combination balanced out the dish beautifully. The home-made bread was incredibly soft on the inside, and crusty on the outside, and the cherry tomatoes elevated the dish by giving a tangy kick to it. Overall, this is a five-star dish for me.

Rating- 5/5 

Proshuitto wrapped Scarmoza Cheese with Fritters

Firstly, apologies for the picture, as we already started eating it before the picture was taken, so don't judge a book by its cover! This dish was almost similar to the previous dish as it consisted of a combination of ham and cheese, and this dish didn't fail to impress me as well. The Scarmoza cheese has a firmer texture compared to the Burrata cheese, giving the dish more of a structure. A simple combination, however giving complex flavours, tingling every taste bud with the sweet-salty combination. However, I wasn't quite impressed with the fritters as they were quite soggy, and the filling was pretty much bland, for my taste and I feel it could have been replaced by another side dish such as a salad. Nevertheless, the tomato sauce served alongside the dish was absolutely delightful. Overall, a decent dish.

Rating- 3.5/5

Mushroom Risotto and Lamb Ravioli

This was another dish customized by Chef Marco, combining two of his dishes, which was the creamy mushroom risotto and the lamb ravioli, which he had recommended to us. This dish was the beginning of the next stage of our four course meal, which was the Pasta e Risotti. As evident in the photo, the dish was beautifully presented on a long plate. The mushroom risotto was cooked perfectly and the creaminess was just right, and therefore the dish was light and not too overwhelming. Another good feature about this dish is that the natural flavours of the mushroom were brought out, which for me, is the most important aspect of the dish. The lamb ravioli was also presented beautifully and a nice meaty texture was nicely contrasted against a smooth pasta texture. The ravioli was soft and tender, which made it extremely easy on the mouth, and is always delightful. However, I felt that the ravioli could be seasoned more to elevate the flavours of it. I generally enjoyed this simple dish.

Rating- 4.5/5

Roasted Octopus with French Beans Marinated Cherry Tomatoes

I apologize once again for the picture, as we were so excited to eat it and so I forgot to take a photo when it first arrived, as it was our first Secondi, or entrée, and we were extremely hungry at that point! Trust me, the dish tastes much better than it looks in the photo! This was probably one of the few times I've had octopus, as I don't usually like it due to its fishy taste. However, the roasted octopus tasted immaculate as I tried my first bite of it. It was flavourful, and as it was roasted, a slight charred flavour was hinted in the octopus, which I absolutely enjoy, in general (others may not though). I felt that stronger flavours could be incorporated in the octopus to improve this dish, but a pretty well-rounded dish nevertheless. The vegetables were deliciously marinated with the cherry tomatoes, and they tasted wonderful, but I felt that the French beans were too soggy for my taste, as I expected it to be crunchy in texture. Overall, this dish was delightful.

Rating- 4/5

Meat Trio with Potato Cakes

This dish, is another one customized by the chef, consisted of a trio of meat served with potato cakes. On the left was the Pork Cheek, and Rack of Lamb, stacked on top of each other, over the potato cakes, and on the far right of the photo, is the tender Beef Sirloin beautifully sliced up. The sirloin and lamb was cooked absolutely beautifully to a nice medium-rare temperature, which made it tender and moist, but however I couldn't say the same for the pork as it was unfortunately dry and chewy, as it was slightly overcooked. Overall, I felt that the meat could have been given more of a flavour, as I didn't find any particular stand-out flavour in the trio; and it was a pity as it was cooked and seasoned to perfection (except the pork cheek). The pork cheek, in my opinion needed major improvements, as I didn't enjoy it as I thought I would, as I generally savour meat, and especially red meat in particular. The potato salad was unfortunately dry, and tasteless, and needed a lot more seasoning in my opinion. Overall, I expected more than I tasted in this dish. 

How it looks on a plate: (Clockwise order from top left: Pork Cheek,

Potato Cake, Beef Sirloin and the Rack of Lamb) 

Rating- 3/5

Tiramisu

We finally arrived at the sweet, sweet desserts, or Dolci, in fancier terms! A simple tiramisu is always the perfect way to end a dining session. The tiramisu was extremely chocolatey which was a wonderful element of this dessert, as it added the slight bitterness and alcoholic element to the dish; therefore elevating the flavours of it. However, I felt that the tiramisu was too creamy, and it would have been better if there was a bit more substance to the dish, as it felt like eating whipped cream. It's a pity as the tiramisu tasted fabulous in my opinion. It's just these little things that can make to huge difference in this dessert. 

Rating- 4/5

Raspberry Sorbet

As you can see, we weren't done with the tiramisu mainly because I heard they had sorbets, and especially a raspberry sorbet! I can't explain to you my love of berries; name it, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries (especially), I'll eat it! As you can see in the photo, the colour of the sorbet in a mouthwatering hot pink. You will surely know when a raspberry sorbet is good when it is in that colour! They had other choices of sorbets which were lime and mandarin; which I can only imagine how picturesque it would look as a neon yellow/green and a neon orange. I absolutely loved the sourness of the raspberry which was beautifully balanced with the sweet raspberry syrup drizzled over it, and the minced almonds. Writing to you about this makes me wanting to eat more of this excellent sorbet. In general, I enjoy sorbets way more than ice-creams, because I find sorbets lighter on the stomach, simple, and vibrantly flavourful in taste. This, for me is definitely a five-star dessert.

Rating- 5/5

The service at Otto Locanda was delightful, the servers were professional in their attitude and conversations with their customers, and therefore making the dinner wonderful to enjoy. The servers, answered all our 101 questions (they must have been annoyed inside), in an orderly, polite fashion, and therefore I would easily give the service a five star.

Service- 5/5

The overall experience for me at Otto Locanda was absolutely delightful. I thoroughly enjoyed the food, although some dishes can be improved on, and most of all the homely feeling you get in the restaurant itself. Chef Marco Violano, was very welcoming and made our dinner extremely pleasurable. Otto Locanda is one restaurant I'd come back to, if I get the chance. 

Overall Rating- 8.5/10

Pricing varies according to customization (optional). Prices of individual dishes can be found at Otto Locanda's website (www.ottolocanda.com.sg)



Otto Locanda
32 Maxwell Road #01-03
Singapore- 069115

Nearest MRT- Tanjong Pagar (EW15) (210m)

Reservations at 6224 0978

Opening Hours-
Lunch
Monday- Friday
11:30 am- 2 pm

Dinner
Monday- Saturday
6- 10 pm

Closed on Sundays