The entire Team JWB (except the Dogger-in-chief who was busy snoring) was happy high yesterday.

Just as I am typing, my inner conscience is smirking at me… ‘Happy High? Bwahahaha! That has got to be the greatest understatement of the year! You fellas were sloshed!’

Alright conscience, thou may go and fly a kite so that I can continue narrating yesterday’s escapades.

It was a sunny afternoon, and all of us (including the LadyBoss, Ana), while humming ‘Long drive pe chal, chal’, were driving down to Tinderbox – the new cool bistro in town.

“What’s with the name, though?” chirped Komal.

“Maybe it has something to do with the dating app Tinder,” pitched in Lavanya.

“I can’t wait to try the burgers,” Ayushi salivated!

“And the Paan Mojito! I’ve heard a lot about it!” the Ladyboss quipped.

It was after what seemed like forever, that all of us were going out and lunching together. How did we banish the cares and chores at work, you ask? Well, we left them in capable hands, um, paws.

The place looks good, doesn’t it?

Yeah, it did seem so to us as well. But, little did we know then, that after a couple of hours, we’d be walking out of here with overblown bellies, all FOOD DRUNK.

We met Vrishbhanu and Priyansha Shekhawat, the founder couple of Tinderbox, and we were quite taken aback when they told us that both of them left their lucrative corporate jobs to open a restaurant.

“Corporate life gets very monotonous eventually. I am a foodie, a hard-core non-vegetarian freak at that. I’ve always wanted to open up an eatery. I myself cook here, sometimes,” said Vrishbhanu.

Well, yesterday was one such ‘time’. The founder director himself was going to prepare delicacies for us. YAY!

“Wow! So, did you undergo some sort of training, or acquire some experience in the food industry before launching Tinderbox?” I inquired.

The husband and wife looked at each other, smiled, and said, “Nope, we didn’t. We pitched in our funds, loaned some amount, worked hard, did our research, and created this place. Everything you see here, from the interiors to the menu to the now-famous burger challenge, is our brainchild.”  

Oh, btw, did I mention that the place had a bright and pleasant ambiance. Just when I was all lost in Bryan Adams’ songs that played on loop, Lavanya brought to our notice the interestingly contrasting walls – one was covered in bright orange, and the other revealed the bricks in all their rawness. Hanging on this particular wall were multiple framed posters. Hmmmm. We likey!

“I didn’t know how to cook at all when I married. But now I can cook a wide array of recipes. Thanks to him!,” Priyansha looked coyly at Vrishbhanu and said.

“So, let’s get the food, shall we?”

Now, I don’t really remember who said this. But, I do know that this thought was on everyone’s mind (and in tummy).

1. Shakes: Nutella, Strawberry, and Oreo

I’m sure they sent these first to relieve us from the scorching heat that we’d just come from. Surprisingly, these sweet sinful shakes came in beakers! ‘Somebody fetch me my tenth-grade lab coat, please?’ I mused!

Meanwhile, Ayushi had already gotten down to the slurp-slurp business. The quick and cunning woman that she is!

Anyway, wanna know how the shakes were? Let our expressions do the talking!

Verdict: The Nutella shake went in like a chilled cascade of melted chocolate. Sinfully blissful! The strawberry shake, with tiny bits of strawberry in between, made Komal droooool. The oreo shake impressed Lavanya’s taste buds the most.

Falling in the price range of 120 -150 rupaiye, we declare these shakes totally paisa-vasool deal.

2. Beverages: Get Lost Summer, and Burj Khalifa Iced Tea

Tinderbox’s speciality is the Paan Mojito, but we skipped it on the menu to give the other drinks a try. We didn’t want these ‘others’ to feel insecure.

First came in the ‘Get Lost Summer’, and let’s just say, it totally abided by its name. A mixture of watermelon juice and mint leaves, this ‘light bulb’ oozed out freshness with a twist of tanginess.

Btw, has anyone seen the movie Despicable Me? Remember Gru saying ‘Laaaaight Bulb’? Yeah, that. That was the kind of moment we were having.

Burj Khalifa Iced Tea: Honestly, we were quite intrigued and perplexed reading this item on the menu. Had we used our brains a bit, we would have known what to expect: A gigantically tall glass of iced tea.

Honestly (part 2). This drink had some mysterious ingredient, that all of us could acknowledge, but none could name, until, the LadyBoss announced in the Boss Swag: ‘The ingredient is Peach.’

Verdict: The quantity of drink served, and the way it is served, is insanely good for the price which is of the range Rs. 90 – Rs 120.

3. Kathi Rolls: Chicken & Mutton

Verdict: Two pieces in each serving, these rolls were absolutely fulfilling! Tell you what? If you’re starving to death on a 100-150 rupaiya budget, go get yourself a roll from this place. The evenly minced meat cooked in not-too-spicy, neither-too-bland flavours will make your taste-buds orgasm. Something similar happened with us. Watch:

Left to Right: Lavanya! It seemed like she had tasted the food of the Gods! Ayushi – Well, it was her first time with mutton. Hence, her confounded look with tints of ecstasy. Komal – Well, she just couldn’t stop eating. *Nom Nom Nom*

4. Mutton Keema Samosa and Mutton Keema Pao

This place had a lot many mutton dishes on the menu. That’s surprising, isn’t it? Most of the Non-Veg joints are chicken dominated. This place had not only dominance of mutton dishes, but also interesting variations of them. We tasted the Keema Pao, veg version of which would be the Pao Bhaji. Also, we ate the keema samosa.

Notice the way these are presented. That cute little carrot butterfly! Our LadyBoss has a thing for such creativity. And so, this happened.

And, I’m guessing Komal has a thing for onions, or rings, or eyes, or for just being funny.

Meanwhile, the others hogged.

Verdict: Again, an absolutely paisa-vasool deal! 100 – 150 rupaiye mein aur kya chahte ho bhai!? The hari chutney served along with the samosas will remind you of your dadi-maa ke haath ki chutney. So, brace yourself for that reminiscence.

5. Pizza: Chicken Tandoori, and Fresh Farm

I call dibs on the pizza! I declared even before it arrived. Given the fact that I intellectually understand Pizza as a synonym of Love, everyone around me allowed me to go ahead first. And it was oh so good!

The Fresh Farm pizza was our photographer Sanchit’s blessing in disguise. He’s a vegetarian. So, his all-watered mouth could finally have the pleasure of eating something.

Verdict: The perfect combination of thin crust and cheese overload, these were the ones primarily guilty of making us FOOD DRUNK. Though, I did wish that the chicken pieces were smaller in size. The pizzas, though, are available in 3 sizes – 9 inches, 11 inches, and 22 inches, which will make you go… “We Can Do It!”

FOOOOOOOOD DRUNK alert!

We’re not okay. Send help!