Restaurant Review: Rockville Deli

I received an Asus Zenfone 5 for review about 10 days back and I have been testing out its various features, especially the camera. All pictures in this post (except one) have been taken with that phone camera.

It was dusk when I got out of Vashi Railway Station on Wednesday last week. The  weather was as perfect as it can get in my part of the world — not warm, not cold, a slight breeze and a flaming sunset to match. There was a sense of unhurriedness as people made their way out of the station and I was no different.

I was on my way to Rockville Deli to join other Navi Mumbai Foodies for a meal there with the purpose of reviewing it. According to the information sent to me beforehand, Rockville Deli was a “melting pot of global cuisine served in an innovative and alfresco dining”. I’m always intrigued by multi-cuisine restaurants, and couldn’t wait to see what Rockville had to offer that evening.

I was a little early so had the time for a leisurely stroll to the Deli, which was just a short walk away. I passed food stalls with enticing aromas and much as I was tempted to try something, it was Rockville that I quickened my steps towards.

When I arrived at Rockville Deli, the first thing I noticed was the outdoor dining area. I was delighted as the weather was perfect for outdoor dining.

Tables for four were laid out at regular intervals, and I liked the fact that the tables were not placed close to each other giving diners enough privacy. Each of the tables had a red tea light glowing away. Little did I realise then that the tea light on my table would be an important ‘prop’ to the food photography I would do that evening. 😀

The glass fronted deli was warm and inviting and had large chalkboards, stating what its food was all about, hung above the counter. A row of colourful kettles, a Buddha’s head, glass bottles, a newspaper stand… made for an interesting corner. There was limited seating inside the Deli, but with such great weather outside, I didn’t even want to consider having my meal inside. Initially, the sound of traffic did seem to intrude, but after a while the noise just faded into the background.

Once the other Navi Mumbai Foodies for the evening arrived, we got down to the task of ordering our food. I love a good design and the stark black and white menu card got read not just for what was on offer, but also for the design.

Though Chef Subhash of Rockville Deli was on hand to help us with the menu and making suggestions on what to have, the choice of what to order was mine. And I had…

Mint Mojito. I love this drink but am always dismayed to find that most restaurants drown the freshness of mint and lime in sugar. Therefore, I always request for mine with less sugar. At Rockville, the Mint Mojito was served in a jam jar, and was quite good.

3-layered Mexican rice. This was a house specialty, a one pot oven baked meal of rice, beans, nachos and cheese. The dish was not too spicy and the quantity was good enough for one person. Delicious.

Moroccan Burger. I love burgers and I love Moroccan food and I had great expectations of this dish. Unfortunately, this was the disaster dish of the day. The burger patty, which was made from chick peas, was tasteless and lacked flavour. The combination of burger, coleslaw and fries did not gel.

Jalapeno, Potato and Cheese Frittata. This was the dish of the day and what a dish it was. Lightly spiced and ‘herbed’ it was as perfect a dish as can be. If I could, I would have licked the plate clean. It was that delicious

Fresh Belgian Waffles. These were served with freshly whipped cream and maple syrup. The dish was nice, but was not spectacular. Maybe some melted butter would have lifted the dish.

The service at Rockville was enthusiastic, but not always spot on. While some dishes were served quickly (the frittata), others took ages to arrive (Moroccan burger and Belgian Waffles). Also, the waiters need to be trained in placing the dish in front of the person who has ordered it. It’s quite possible that they were nervous since they knew that we were a group reviewing their restaurant. But I consider these as minor irritants and am confident that these will be overcome in the coming weeks.

I liked Rockville Deli for its ambience, the open air and the food. Yes, the food – in spite of the disaster that was the Moroccan Burger. I like the concept of an all day breakfast and considering that Rockville is not too far from my house, it is a place I can see myself visiting often. And before summer is upon us, I want to enjoy the open air experience again.

If you are looking for a nice place to have brunch at reasonable prices, want to choose from a good selection of dishes, and love an open air dining experience, then you know where to go to. 🙂

Disclaimer: The meal at Rockville Deli was complimentary. However, this has not influenced my review of the restaurant and its food.