Verdict: A seemingly precarious multi-cuisine restaurant does justice to its menu, paired with impeccable service and comfortable prices.
Rating: 3/5

Table for Two: Rs 2000-2400
Address: Next to Inox, Off Bund Garden Road, Camp
Timing: 12pm-3.30pm & 7pm-11pm

There’s a difference between doing it right and trying. That line is what had lead to Flag’s to shut down last year – the previous owners were banking on converting the restaurant into a dance club every night post dinner. It resulted in a new team taking over the restaurant and giving it a fresh breath of life.

The people behind Swig and Prem’s in Koregaon Park are now taking care of Flag’s and they’ve done a lovely job with the place. The ambience is comfortable, service is quick and attentive and the food – some impressive, some just slightly short of good. The menu is rather extensive and based on the theme – they’ve got flags of various countries printed on plates which are part of the interiors, covers a variety of cuisines – Mexican, European, Lebanese, Indian, and Southeast Asian. While we were skeptical about the varying flavours and hence the skillset in the kitchen, by the end of the meal we were pleasantly surprised.

We started with Gambas Pil Pil (jalapeno & garlic tossed prawns flamed with brandy), Shish Taouk (Lebanese grilled chicken on skewers) and Balsamic Tossed Warm Artichoke & Asparagus Salad. Absolutely loved the well-balanced flavours of the prawns dish – an instant taste of garlic followed by a lingering aftertaste of the jalapenos with a slight note of alcohol – all brought together without killing the essence of the prawns. The shish taouk wasn’t juicy as expected and the salad was well, just a bunch of greens tossed together for a few moments in a wok.

While we sipped on our drinks and took some time to finalize on the main course, we decided to go for a couple of soups. We ordered for the Minestrone Genevose – blended with roasted onion & garlic puree and cream instead of the regular chopped mixed vegetables, and the Cappucino De Fungi Trifolati – a very well-balanced preparation with just right amount of hint of wild mushrooms.

For the main course, we called for the Stuffed Chicken wrapped with Bacon and the Chicken Oriental Grill. Our advice, if you’re going for the first dish for your third or fourth course, you might want to share – it’s unbelievably heavy on the stomach. The meat’s done well and is juicy. Cutting into it isn’t an issue at all, but do take your scoops of mashed potatoes to balance out the bacon’s saltiness. The oriental grill’s prepared in a Korean sauce served with flat noodles and sauteed vegetables.

Dinner was wrapped up by a serving of Banoffee Pie and Bell Peppers & Sambucca Cheesecake. While the banoffee pie was pretty decent, the cheesecake managed to convince us that Flag’s does indeed have a good team on board and that the itsy-bitsy improvements can always be done. The bitterness of bell peppers was well masked and paired with crushed toffee served on the side, it definitely makes it our top recommendation.

Photos by Mehr Singh