The most famous American foods can be found at restaurants big and small, in small-time cafes and everywhere in between. Some of the food fare will make your mouth water and put a smile on your face. And at times you hate yourself for making the wrong choice. Burgers, Pizzas, Steaks and more have always been the temptations we all fall for. Just like we did and explored and ventured to visit this restaurant in Palladium, Lower Parel

Frankly, we at WHAT’S HOT IN MUMBAI have never been die-hard fans of burgers, pizzas and other American junk food as they have been compartmentalized. Yes, we have reviewed some burger festivals and feasted on some pizzas at times but always when there was a strong USP attached to the menu. And that’s exactly what made us opt for TAB - Thoughtful American Bistronomy.

Our strong contention to decide to review this restaurant was the fact that we have been great fans of celebrity Chef Ajay Chopra. We admire his take on introducing culinary classics with a twist. TAB in Palladium Mall, Lower Parel did offer an exquisite take on Thoughtful American Bistronomy and our trip offered some warm memories not just about the cuisine but also the superfluous service.

What makes TAB different from the cluttered competition?

“For years, American cuisine has had the misconception of being limited to burgers, fries, sandwiches, and all things fast food. While these items are native to this region, the cuisine has progressed vastly thanks to the evolving food trends and global gourmet influences. We wanted to bring this experience to Mumbai while still keeping the American roots intact, and we hope to do this with each plate and drink we bring forth at TAB.”, says Neha Pathan, Owner of Thoughtful American Bistronomy.

The interiors are subtle yet chick and distinctive. They depict a beautiful panoramic Californian landscape, with the pink and green colors being inspired by the breathtaking LA sunsets that paint the sky pink with a little tinge of Californian Greens. The texture of the walls gives a classic rustic look which is contrasted by the contemporary modern furniture that gives you a sense of opulence.

The menu is an interesting mix with some dramatic flavors which would surely appeal to Mumbaikars. We chose to opt for dishes beyond the burgers and were mesmerized with the pizzas they had to offer. What we really liked was the “Pick a Pizza Slice” option which had some miraculous flavors and were absolutely delicious.

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We were also glad to be honored to taste their yet-to-be launched dessert ‘Red velvet Lava Cake’ which is an off-take on the chocolate lava cake. Must say, the trip was an explosive one and this dessert would surely be a hit. A point we would surely like to emphasize here is the superfluous service which was offered by Restaurant Manager Mr. Chetan - the top-notch service standards not just impressed us but made our afternoon!

Here are some of the dishes we tried:

Starters:

South west burrata salad - Surely not one of the best creations we have had in recent times. The salad served was an overdose of leafy clutter with just two halves of cherry tomatoes visible, and four pomegranate seeds for color. The avocado was amazing, so was the burrata which somehow lacked the creaminess texture.

Zucchini meatballs -We opted for this dish primarily for the innovative, colorful plating we had checked on their page. Later, we were told that the concept had changed. We were served with some zucchini stuffed meatballs, along with some tangy chickpeas and avocado. Here’s where the Chef Ajay Chopra touch is visible. We loved the play with the colors and the multi-layering of perfect flavors.

Brick oven roasted prawns - An absolute delight. The garlic paprika peanut butter does wonders to the textures of these jumbo-sized shapely prawns.

Pesto pesto pizza slice, Margherita pizza slice - Like we mentioned earlier the ‘Pick a Pizza Slice’ is quite a stellar offer. The portion size is quite huge and pizza lovers would surely be satiated with the options available. Although we personally aren’t die-hard pizza fans, we surely enjoyed them.

Mocktails:

Frozen Mango Kiwi daiquiri - Surely a must try, some dancing flavors here.

Watermelon kaffir lime - Decent.

Cocktails:

New York Pine Pepper Sour - This one is an amazing cocktail, but somehow the extravagant splurge of ice within the cocktail dilutes the euphoric excitement and makes it a damp squib after two sips. Possibly, they should be serving the chilled-mode of cocktails rather than adding so many cubes.

Times Square Tango - Just another Sangria!

Dessert:

Red velvet Lava Cake - We loved it. The Chef ensured that his previous attempts of getting it right created that volcanic impact to our sweet tooth. And yes, the ice cream scoop is wonderful too!

Overall, TAB at Palladium has an awesome menu, a welcoming vibe and a superb service culture which makes your trip a hit. Besides having some creative dishes for kids, they also have some other offers available which you can grab for a quick business lunch meal or a post-shopping finishing touch. We did miss out on the burger range which we plan to catch up on some weeks later. Do check the offers they have, they are quite tempting and a handful.