TheWickedsoul and the Vault of Delicia

Boveda (bo-vay-dah), do not attempt to interpret 😉 is inspired from the
Spanish word “VAULT”. Located in the busy lanes of Andheri Lokhandwala is one of the popular watering holes in the suburbs. Boveda has set up shop thanks
to two entrepreneur minds, Yash Sonthalia and Abhishek Goyal, who animated this
brilliant concept while in Singapore.

Known for exciting evenings Boveda serves up great cocktails and equally good food. The dimly lit interiors and the cosy
couches paired beautifully with some cool beats, edgy paintings and a blackboard,
hanging off the bare brick walls, signalling the Chef’s specials make for a
lively atmosphere. It also has an Al-Fresco section for dining experience.

Yet another pub lined up to entertain
a teetotaler (this wicked soul’s a tough cookie). Knowing they serve up good
cocktails l was looking forward to their line of Mocktails and food.

I started off with, Ronella, a Cerise colored drink in a regular glass. It was a simple presentation,
certainly not an eye pleaser, but one sip and you realize, looks do not matter.
An absolute refreshing mix of orange, cranberry, red bull with mint. The citrus flavor with ice cubes was fresh & tangy – A Must Have!

The next contender, Masala Tini; an
attractive blend of Green apple juice, Coriander, ginger, lemongrass and lime.
Disappointingly, the names look good on paper, not in the vial. My palate still
urging for something as fresh & energizing as the Ronella (equivalent to an
axe advert). There were a few more misses like Ginger Rogers & Cucumber
Cooler.

Just as in the movies, before I could award
Ronella as the best mocktail in house, the Gummy Bear steps in:

The name reminiscent of Gummy Bears, Sunday
morning cartoon, I was immediately transposed back to my childhood. The
adorable bears sipping up & all charged up; well, the latest mocktail
certainly made us feel like Gummy Bears. It was a fusion of Cranberry, Mint, Rosemary
& Sprite, simple yet uplifting.

I’d settle for a draw between the Ronella
and the Gummy Bear since both were equally good, refreshing and in a league of
their own.

Post a competitive mocktail bout, the next
standoff moves to the starters.

Lamb Nachos: Crispy nachos drowned in
jalapenos, minced lamb and cheddar cheese sauce garnished with Cajun spice and
accompanied by sour cream, tomato salsa and guacamole. The dish was decent but “yeh
dil maange more” (it was missing that certain captivating flavour which could
elevate it to another level)

Spicy Honey Mustard Wings: Chicken
wings marinated in Honey –Mustard, tossed in an oriental sauce. We were still
smirking after getting our hands messy digging deep into this one. One of my
favourite picks from the starters which left a lasting impression on my taste
buds.

Honey Chili Potato: Crispy potato fingers
glazed with honey chili sauce, a blend of sweet & spice making it a snack
worth munching with fellow foodies.

Spiced Grilled Chicken Burger: The wicked
soul’s on the lookout for the best burgers in town, every hangout is an
opportunity to hunt for the “ONE”. Every burger ordered enhances my excitement levels;
unfortunately this one was a tad dry. The appearance was straight but the taste
requires adjustments.

Feast Pizza: Surrounded by veggie frands ensures
you will almost surely have Pijjjjjaaaa on the table (fact). The aroma from this
yummy looking pizza loaded with onions, mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers &
olives had me drooling. The thin crust pizza with pesto sauce bursting with flavors
was made to perfection.

Paprika Cottage Cheese Steak: Now this is a
strong competitor for any meat steak. Grilled cottage cheese stuffed with
mushroom and spinach stew and served with paprika sauce. My review here is
blank. All I have is a snap and a memory of my friends breaking down this
beauty within a few minutes.

No Desserts: *biggest nightmare ever*

This was probably the first and only time,
have I ever, in my entire wicked life, departed a pub/ restaurant/ hangout/
café / so on without signing off on dessert. They were out of stock on Chocolate
Lava Cake & the only other dessert available was Chocolate Tarts with Whisky
walnuts. *sobs*

All of the amazing dishes this far could
not soothe my bleeding heart yearning for a sweet sign off. An incomplete lunch,
still nevertheless, relished a few amazing dishes which will linger on my
palate for quite some time.

The service was a little slow but
a meet hosted by TrellTale maintains an interactive environment steering away
the dull moments, if any. The ambiance is a perfect complement to the amazing bites
on offer.Special Thanks to Rushabh for having me over for the fun filled TrellMeet.

On #LipSmackingMeter 3.5/5

Service 3/5

Much Love,

Ashfina