Light house: A bright idea

Light House Café takes its name quite literally. The place is lit up with hundreds of bulbs adding much drama to its grunge, garage-like ambience with pipes, cogs and other industrial accessories on display. 90s and early 2000s pop plays in the background — a list we’re told, put together by one of its three owners. The vibe is similar to its Khar cousin that opened earlier last year. As bright as the light shines, it differs according to the time of the day — much like its menu. What’s on offer on your platter, depends on the time of the day that you make your visit. The place offers four exhaustive menus — breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner — each considerably different, with not a single repetition. This applies to the food as well as beverages. We popped in at 8 pm after work, so the menu was the one pulled out at the end of the day.

We started the meal with a varied spread of appetisers. First up, Cheese and Gherkin Balls (Rs 250) — delicious, bursts of cheesy delights. The Jerk Chicken (Rs 350) that followed, too was cooked to perfection. We were told that it should be consumed quickly to maintain the texture — a disclaimer that was unnecessary given how quickly it got polished off the plate anyway.

After setting the bar very high with the two starters, we were a little let down by the Prawn-Stuffed Calamari (Rs 550). It was a little too chewy and bland for our taste. Each of the dishes came with a healthy serving of fresh salad with a delectable dressing and drizzle of olive oil. For once, we found ourselves tucking into the greens as much as the main dish.

These were washed down with the Bull Frog (Rs 395), a heady mix of vodka, triple sec, white rum, blue coracoo and red bull. It’s probably the most dramatic cocktail we’ve seen in a while — served in a saline pouch (along with the stand, mind you) the drink slowly trickles into a beaker. Dip a straw a voila! It’s not too functional, but full marks for the effect. Following it was T-for tonic (Rs 325), a concoction of rum and tonic with curry leaves and ginger. If you like a crackling tinge of curry leaves in your beverage like we do, you’ll love this one.

The main course tossed up a delicious preparation of Grilled Basa (Rs 480) served with spiced rice, sautéed vegetables and spicy coconut sauce. It was perfect and certainly our favourite on the menu. Then came along the Chicago Style Pizza (Rs 350) — a sinful indulgence with veggies (they also have a meat option) and a generous amount of cheese. The cheesy explosion can be overwhelming if you’re not a big fan. It’s so filling that the restaurateurs themselves challenge patrons to finish it — finish it and the meal is free!

We interrupted the gastronomical ride with a shot (served in a little bulb). It hits you hard, not due to its potency as much as its overwhelming taste of tamarind — we could’ve taken a stronger shot.

If you’re the coffee/chocolate loving kinds, the desert options will leave you totally confused. We’d suggest you toss a coin because everything looks delectable! After much deliberation, we went for the cappuccino cheesecake (Rs 210). It brought together the best of the two worlds we love and with the right amount of sweetness and moistness — the perfect aftertaste to an indulgent meal.

Rating: 3 stars Meal for two: Rs 2,500