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THE RELUCTANT GOURMET

PHOTO: R. SHIVAJI RAO

Fine setting At Pergola

Although the view is spectacular, since the hotel overlooks busy G.N. Chetty road, alive with the bright lights of bustling cars that stream past, I found it rather difficult to appreciate it since I spent a good part of the evening whimpering pathetically, with my hands over my ears. Perhaps it was the unclear music system, perhaps it was a faulty microphone, or the fact that the singer had (reportedly) got drenched in a recent rain, and thus caught a cold, but the singing that night was so dreadful I begged the waiters — with dramatic unshed tears in my eyes — to turn off the powerful roaring speakers artfully positioned right behind my earrings.

Once that was done dinner improved dramatically. Well, till the food arrived anyway.

Fortunately, although they chose to start with a bizarre preparation of broccoli, which looked suspiciously like it had been decorated with dal, the rest of the starters were quite alright. There was a ‘dal potli samosa,’ which tasted like a stylish kachori, and sizzling cheesy cheddar cauliflower. The chef seemed to be going for desi food, with a twist, the most interesting representative of which was probably the mushroom podi fry, tossed in fiery masalas.

The simple dishes, however, work the best here, like the humble Marina meen fry, which is juicy with those intense local flavours you find on the beach. The fancier kebabs, however, like the boti kali mirch, were too fussy, overloaded with so much spice that you could practically taste confusion.

Most seasoned diners know restaurants with spectacular views rarely have spectacular food. You’re really paying for the view. What’s on your plate is of secondary importance. A ‘room with a view’, after all, spells ‘swanky, accessible and sought-after’, and restaurants pay big bucks for those qualities. These are the places tourists love – and nothing ruins a restaurant quite like a swarm of tourists. After all, they just want to eat somewhere ‘happening’, in the centre of the action. They tend to have plenty of money to burn. And arrive in droves. So prices go up, and quality is pushed aside for efficient, mechanical food.

At Pergola, the accent is definitely on the setting. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a scenic evening, especially if you’re on a date during which you don’t plan to do much eating anyway. (You look so much more exotic and inscrutable if you’re not shovelling in the carbohydrates!) And if you stay well away from the Road Less Travelled, the food’s not disappointing. For instance, my fancy barbequed spare ribs were ridiculously tough — I ended up wrestling them to the ground. (Now that’s something you certainly don’t want to order on a date.) But my friend’s relatively boring fish curry, a ‘pappas’ made with coconut milk, was quite nice.

They insisted on turning the music back on for dessert. The chocolate cake was dry. The restaurant was crowded. As in real life, attractiveness clearly makes up for a multitude of sins.

Pergola is open for dinner from 7 p.m. onwards. Call 2816 1000 for reservations.

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