Mast Kalandar :: More Funk, Less Substance !!

Monday evenings - rare days when I am vegetarian - by choice ( or by force )

This was perfect for trying out the all veg joint -  Mast Kalandar !

Had heard a lot about this place and had actually been waiting for a long time to check it out ..
We went to the one on Old airport road just before you hit the Domlur cross. (There are quite a few of them in Bangalore)

Its a bright and cheerful little place. Nice bright colors, modern, funky and kinda nice ..
Its almost self service, much like at the food courts, where in you place your order at the counter and they give you a cute little signpost with a number on it. (Mine was 10 !!! Sachin wears a 10 !!! .. and thats where the similarity ends !!)
Then the guy gets your food whenever its ready. The signpost with the number on it is his guide, so that he knows what to serve to whom .. They also give you a glass of water each at your table ..

I personally like this kind of arrangement when I am out for a quick dinner, since it gives you a lot of personal space. You do not have any waiters all over you, trying to make you feel important.
And without having to worry about what is a good tip for all that hospitality.
Its simple and effective ..

I had been to their website and had looked up the dishes on offer prior to the visit, and they had these nice pictures of the various options out there. So, I had made up my mind to go for HP3 (halka-phulka3) and my wife decided to have the aloo-piyaz parantha, after looking at the menu ..


The paratha was served with a cup of dal-makhni
and a cup of raita and a tiny portion of Salad.
 
My thali consisted of :
Dal
Dry aloo sabji
Paneer curry
3 phulkas
Raita
A cup of pulav
Gulab jamun and a glass of Chaas ..



But guess what, the thali that I got served was nowhere close to the picture that was on the website..

(www.mastkalandar.com)

The dal was too plain. Aloo subzi too dry.
Pulav was cold and the phulkas had been done hours before they landed on my plate.
The saving grace - the raita and the gulab jamun .. very nice and flavourful and of high quality..
I mention quality coz, I really did not like the quality of anything else that was there ..

But when you have paid 119+14% tax i.e. a total of 135.66/- (rounded off to 2 places of decimal), raita and gulab jamun can hardly make you feel good about the whole experience ..

My wife's parathas were better comparatively, since they were prepared fresh. It was good but nothing spectacular.
It cost around 90+ with taxes. The Dal makhni was average and she got some of that great raita too ..

So, overall it was not such a great experience. I had probably expected too much after all that hype about it, and it fell short of my expectations..
It was much like watching Dhoom 2 after watching the trailers ..
You expected too much from the movie, which ended up being a big bore eventually..

I would probably skip going there the next time if I had a choice ..
But If my very life depended on it, I would not miss it !!

For the records, there is quite a variety of things on offer there for a vegetarian ..
You have a lot of varities of paranthas ..
More of the HP(halka-phulka) stuff -- HP1, HP2 etc.
Rice combos - rajma-chawal, dal-rice, pindi-chola-rice etc.
variety of chats
lassi,sweets etc ..

So, it is not an awful place at all ..


Okae!! Now my overall ratings :
----------------------------------------------
Taste : ***
Portion size : Paranthas are wholesome, but the thali was not so fulfilling
Ambiance : ***(1/2)
Service : n/a
Value for Money : **(1/2)

Over All Experience : **(1/2)