Monkeys thankfully evolve, such is the nature of things, and one such has now done exactly that to become Toast & Tonic: East Village Style. (map) Our East Village experiences have been limited to a couple of trips around Shillong and Gangtok (no need to get technical about directions, now!) and we’ve never actually been inside a barn, so back in March, we decided to broaden our perspectives on both counts and celebrate D’s birthday there. It was meant to be a surprise for her, and since I’d heard that it was usually packed, I reserved a table a day before. But we got delayed a bit thanks to our neighbour-friends surprising us both with a cake. While on our way, I wondered whether I should call and request them to hold the table. Before I could do that though, I received a call from them confirming our visit. They also asked whether they should arrange a cake for D because they wouldn’t allow food from outside. Very classy, and professional. Impressed even before I got there.
From the very second visit, the front door of Monkey has given me a “TARDIS feeling”. Partly because of the door panel shape, but mostly because the space inside is much larger than what I’d have imagined from outside. T&T feels even bigger – the chipped wood ceiling seems higher, and somehow the overall place is roomier. It could partly be because only a couple of tables were occupied when we got in, but even when fully packed (which was the situation by the time we finished lunch) it doesn’t really feel congested. Everything from the bar and decor to tableware exudes a casual elegance, making it a perfect spot for a lazy Sunday lunch, which was what we were there for.
From a fantastic bar menu, I asked for a Bacon Old fashioned, and D chose a Berry Love Tonic. My drink was a wonderful collision of the two awesome worlds that appear in the drink’s name, and I especially liked the orange slice + dill/parsley(?) infused ice cube. The strawberry flavour in D’s drink was mild, and she loved the light, refreshing drink.
Though the small and large plates beckoned, the Chicken & Coconut Soup, and Pork Tea, were too good to pass up, and we began there. Both excellent choices, made evident by the rapid slurping that followed. The chicken soup actually underplayed the coconut but the sweet potato, chilli and the “Gondhoraj Lemon Oil” flavours kept us happy enough. The Pork Tea was another level altogether, with pork tortellinis swimming in the ‘tea’ and the pickled ginger adding a neat zing. The ‘Bangalore beef’ ensured that we tried the Carne Asada Tostada – great texture, and flavours of avocado, jalapeno and coriander.
By the time we were through these, we figured that the Large Plates would have to be tackled some other day, so we focused our energies on exploring the menu before that a bit more. The Chicken Liver Pate was an obvious choice, especially when its description contained ‘Amrut Two Indies infused with smoky notes’. I *really* liked this dish, and was stuffing my face so much that I thought I heard D (or the voice in my head – I was down 3/4th of my drink by then) make a disparaging wise crack around there being two kinds of Manu, one of whom ‘eats village style’. We then forced ourselves out of ‘Small Plates’ and ordered a Spicy Korean Pork Sausage Flat Bread. Fantastically spicy, mellowed only ever so slightly by cheddar.
We rearranged ourselves so we could try ‘Citrus’, an ensemble of various sugarcane-based dessert concoctions that turned out to be refreshingly awesome. (though I can’t seem to find it in their menu online) In an equally sweet touch, they wished D a happy birthday on it.
The thing about the menu (drinks and food) is that it is unlike anything we have seen before. Pretty much every dish is a unique global-local combination and therefore, an exploration of sorts, making it a welcome departure from the standard fare around. The meal cost us a little under Rs.3300, and for the refreshing experience it was, absolutely justified.
Toast & Tonic, #14/1, Wood Street, Ashok Nagar Ph: 41116879