The 11th of June, 2023, on a hot summers afternoon I chose to go to One8 Commune, situated on the Raja Bahadur Mills ground behind Sheraton Grand. I was invited by the owner of One8 Commune, Mr. Anurag Sarda, and the elegant Swati Saraf who manages the entire place. Her keen eyes certainly takes all into account. It being the mango season One8 Commune all across India decided to be innovative and give their customers a ‘mangolightful’ experience. Not only the dishes on display were pleasing to the eye but were smooth on the palate and had a rich texture.
The Welcome
As we walked in I was taken by surprise. I met some of my good friends. We took a group photograph of which my good friend Doctor Raymus Joseph, a cosmetic dermatologist was a part of. With us a bevy of beautiful women, boy was he feeling like a fish out of water! But my women friends made him comfortable. Hahaha!
The comfort of One8 Commmune indoors was heavenly. What was more heavenly was the Mango and Basil Mocktail with ripe mango puree as the base; it was a delicate blend of basil, lemon grass (the secret ingredient) and some lemon. The flavors linger on for much longer after you have drunk it all. The drink is intoxicating. It is so loved that one is not aware of how many one can down in a matter of an hour. I wish it were an all year round drink.
The Tacos
We were then served the prawn and mango tacos, on tortillas. The prawn was cooked to the exact texture, opaque pink in color and firm enough to curl. The tortillas were lined with lettuce, the slight sourness that the palate felt was from the raw mango that was cut into tiny bits. Let’s not forget the creamy sauce that gave it its moistness.
By then I had finished my mango mocktail. I wanted another drink. I decided to have a watermelon mocktail. A beautiful concoction of watermelon juice, basil, a slight flavor of ginger and of course let us not miss the lemon grass. Rightfully titled Watermelon and Lemongrass Cooler. It had the sweetness of the watermelon, not very heavy on the sugar syrup.
The delectable Sliders
As I sipped at my watermelon drink my friends kept insisting that I taste the sliders. So, we had both the mushroom and the chicken sliders served with a cheesy tangy sauce and a bowl full of peri peri fries. I loved the mushroom sliders. The patties were made of mixed vegetables, mushrooms, and some mashed potatoes. They were deep fried. I of course did not have the chicken slider but I was told it was yummy. Harrisa Chicken slider… the chicken is marinated in the flavorful Harrissa spice and grilled to perfection sometimes just seared to retain its juices. My friends certainly found them delicious and very comforting.
The next dish that I had to taste was the mango fish curry. I am aware that in certain parts of Goa they do use dry mango to add to the flavor. However, this Kerala mango fish curry was a pleasant surprise.
The Indian salmon or Rawas was cooked in a curry that had a slight sweetness to it, a slight tanginess; however, to my delight it was not very pungent, just enough to tickle the palate. Did I enjoy that dish! The base was coconut milk and the flavor of curry leaves was not overpowering. The curry leaves gave it the Kerala touch. It was served with steamed rice. You just have to go for this dish.
And now although we were bursting at the seams you could not ignore the deserts. Heard of Mango Tiramisu? This sure was a novelty that Chef Akshay Patekar managed. He did a marvelous job with it. To bring in the mango twist to a rich and decadent Tiramisu which is known all over the world for its coffee flavor must have been a challenge. However, it sure “picked me up“!
A little insight…Tiramisu comes from the Italian tiramisu….meaning “pick me up” or “cheer me up”. normally made with delicate ladyfinger cookies, espresso, mascarpone cheese, eggs, sugar, marsala wine, rum and cocoa powder; the twist here was the rich mango flavor instead of the espresso. The delicate layers of the mascarpone and the mango custard went well together.
There was much on the menu to savor. However, if I ate another morsel I would explode.
I thought of washing it all down with a hot cuppa black coffee. On second thoughts I just wanted the flavors to linger longer. No idea when I would enjoy such a treat again. Coffee I can have any time. This ‘mangolightful‘ fare is on only for a month. The mango season ends in a month!
My suggestion…go enjoy the treat with friends and family, One8 Commune awaits!
