bpb Review: Fire n Light Menu at Valhalla

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If you want to spend a cool Rs 3,000 on dinner for two, there are better places to do it at than Valhalla. That was our concluding thought after a recent trial of the “Fire n Light” menu at the Eros restobar, launched earlier this month in honor of the upcoming holiday.

Cheers to… who?

We got there at 8:30 pm on a Friday night – a little early, but the place was almost deserted except for a couple more diners and a bevy of wait staff. It reminded us why we love Valhalla for post-dinner partying, but wouldn’t consider it for a meal (one Saturday, we were the only guests present for lunch).

And the drama of our dinner only seemed to accentuate how dead the place was. We started with a couple of flaming cocktails. The Flaming Viper (Rs 750), featuring Baileys, Kahlua and Blue Curacao was served alongside a huge dollop of theatrics, where the bartender stacked at least four different types of glasses on top of each other before lighting a flame. And watching, we were afraid to breathe. It was delicious, creamy, and totally worth the fright. The Ferrari (Rs 600), another flaming cocktail, was tamer, and less tasty. (Our favorite drink is still the Isabella, Valhalla’s delicious twist on the Caprioska, featuring grapes instead of lemons).

Hey, My Food’s on Fire!

The plum tomato and goat cheese tart (Rs 325) appetizer was perfect – creamy, crusty and deliciously ripe. The entrée of asparagus risotto with cognac (Rs 495) was beautifully presented, but would have tasted better without the bitter flambé; as we maneuvered our forks around acrid, alcohol-soaked grains of rice, we wondered at the kitchen’s inclination to unnecessarily set things on fire.

Lighting up the Night

But it was the dessert that made our evening, possibly even our entire week. The chocolate fondant (Rs 400) was sinfully delicious, and served with a side of Grand Marnier ice cream on a biscuit crust that tasted like Orange Cream cookies from fifth grade. Darkly decadent pleasure melding with a sunny childhood treat – surprising, and absolutely sensational.

All in all, the food at Valhalla is good, sometimes even great. But to justify the astronomical prices, the place needs to become a more happening dinner destination, with more diners. Sitting in the large, echoing dining hall, dominated by an empty throne and surrounded by equally empty tables, can ruin even the most persistent appetites.

So we suggest that you brave the long-lines-guest-list-bouncer nonsense and visit Valhalla post-dinner – but remember to save room for dessert.

Getting There: Eros Building, 1st Floor, Churchgate, call 67353535.