So you work in Andheri East? You are here on a sales call? You have a meeting in this area? If an answer to any of these is a Yes, this article is a handy one for you.
I might have mentioned earlier on that I’m a corporate slave. I’ve been slaving it at Andheri East for over 3 years now. While corporate lunches are a norm, splurging on corporate meals I find unreasonable. Fortunately, I have managed to find some great places for a corporate meal that are not heavy on the pocket. These are not typically street food stalls but proper restaurants, because sometimes you want to sit under an air conditioned roof while the waiter brings in food to your table. And No! When I say budget restaurants, I’m not compromising on quality or quantity of food either.
Take a look……
1) Metro Fine Dining Family Restaurant and Bar
You might stop at the entrance and think twice before you enter Metro – It looks quite shady. Interiors are dimly lit and a 21″ TV at one end of the wall on the upper level plays 90s Bollywood songs. But brave it all and you will be rewarded with value for money food. Their thalis are delicious and dirt cheap. I mean, when was the last time you paid Rs. 110 for a Bombil Rawa Fry Thali or Rs. 120 for a Chicken Thali or Rs. 150 for a Rawas Rawa Fry Thali. In a-la-carte, their Chicken Biryani has great quantity with good chunks of chicken while you shell out only Rs. 110. Oh! And please try their Chicken Tikka. I insist 🙂
Location: Below Western Express Highway Metro Station
Try: Bombil Rawa Fry Thali @ Rs. 110
Metro Restaurant
2) Maharaja
Right opposite Metro Family Restaurant and Bar is another hidden gem, popular for Manglorean style food. Maharaja has better interiors and the ambience is that of a fine dine restaurant. They don’t serve traditional thalis but their a-la-carte has great choices. A must try is their Ghee Roast Chicken. Prawn Gassi with steam rice is a good choice, as well as their chicken pepper fry. Come here in a group of four and the average bill will be no more than Rs. 1000. That’s around Rs. 250 per person for a corporate lunch. Great deal, I say.
Location: Below Western Express Highway Metro Station
Try: Ghee Roast Chicken
Ghee roast chicken, steam rice and chicken curry at Maharaja
3) Ammis
More like a grab and go Biryani center, Ammis is a good choice if you want a quick meal. The biryanis are reasonably priced and the range is decent. Try the Executive Murg Biryani or Executive Subzi Biryani. Pricier options include Gosht Hyderabadi Biryani, Murg Zeera Samba Biryani, Murg Hyderabadi Biryani and Murg Harimirchi Biryani. They also do combo meals with sides. Wraps and rolls are on the menu between 3pm and 7pm. Service is quick but the joint is really small. Be prepared for the Executive Murg Biryani to run out of stock on most days, since it’s quite popular with the corporates.
Location: less than 2 mins walk from Chakala Metro Station
Try: Executive Murg Biryani @ Rs.129 + Tax
Murg Zeera Samba Biryani at Ammis
4) Spice of Kerala
Quite a hidden gem that dishes out sumptuous Kerala style thalis. Think Kerala boiled rice, sambar, rasam, appalam, one vegetable and pickle. You can upgrade to a non vegetarian thali with a Surmai fry, Karimeen masala, Prawns fry, Chicken fry and hold your breath! even Duck roast masala. Although, the duck roast wasn’t one of the best I have eaten but then where do you find duck roast for just Rs. 160 in Mumbai? Go old school, dunk your fingers knuckle deep into their simple rice and curry meals.
Location: Marol near Seven Hills Hospital.
Try: Kerala style thali and Prawns fry or Chicken fry. Karimeen Masala tastes delicious but costs Rs. 500 (not exactly budget friendly).
Kerala style thali with Surmai fry and Karimeen masala at Spice of Kerala
5) Benzy’s
Another Kerala style restaurant, this one is a lot more spacious with a ground and upper level. Food is not as great as compared to Spice of Kerala but nevertheless a nice option when you want decent food, quite ambience and quick service. I’m not a fan of their Fish Thali, but I can vouch for their Chicken Thali that is filling and tastes good. On offer is 3 malabari parothas, dal, rasam, 1 vegetable dish, chicken gravy, Kerala style boiled rice and appalam along with pickle, salad, sol kadi and a sweet dish. How much, do you ask? Rs. 120 only.
Location: Marol
Try: Chicken Thali @ Rs 120
Chicken Thali at Benzy’s
6) 5 Spice
It doesn’t fall under the budget restaurant category if you come here alone. But come here with a group of three or more and 5 Spice instantly turns into a great budget friendly fine dine restaurant. Reason? Their Quantity. 5 Spice is known for their humongous food portions. A meal for 3 will cost Rs. 900 to Rs 1000. Split it and that’s just over Rs 300 each. Still a good deal to splurge once in a while.
Location: Sakinaka
Try: Peking Rice or Fu-chi Rice and Roast Chilly Chicken
5 Spice, Sakinaka
7) Gulati Caterers
This one is so popular you just cannot give it a miss. Gulati Caterers is packed with visitors at given time and they don’t mind standing and sharing tables either. The joint is most popular for their Chole Bature served piping hot just off the kadai. Apart from that, try the Samosas. And if you have an appetite for sweet, dig into the jalebis. It all tastes traditional but be prepared to gain those calories.
Location: Sher-e-punjab, Mahakali Caves Road (Opposite the Gurudwara)
Try: Chole Bhature
Chole Bhature at Gulati Caterers
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Do you also go looking out for budget restaurants around your corporate office? Be ever so kind to share details and I’ll go check them out 🙂
(Note: All prices were correct at the time of publishing this blog).
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