Charles, I’m Sure

When Charlie Brown mistook a gleaming supermarket for an art gallery in our favourite Peanuts episode, he described rows of jam jars and stacks of soup cans (How Andy Warhol!) as art in his field trip report. Foodhall is no Louvre, but this new gourmet grocery store at Lower Parel definitely treats pretty chip packets and jute spice buckets as prized installations. Worth your Monet? We took a field trip of our own to find out.

First Impressionist

A new venture by Future Group, Foodhall’s first outpost is at Palladium Mall and stocks raw and packaged foods, baked goods, meals on the go and even Indian TV dinners. Panelled in wood and enticingly lit - you won’t find the glaring tube-light feel of a hyper mart here – the space is divided into different sections, designed to look like open kitchens and cute garden patches.
Aisles, however, are less segregated – here, French chestnut cream jam shares space with chyavanprash. This is because while Foodhall is clearly meant to be a high-end venture, it doesn’t keep out cheaper desi brands. So you will, for instance, spot Burts chips and Haldiram namkeens, arbi and Chinese cabbage, mango achaar and stuffed Manzanilla olives on the same shelf. Not bad for when you need to stock up on essentials, with a topping of fancy.

Take Your Pick-asso

Considering its up market pitch, comparisons to Nature’s Basket are inevitable. On a few fronts, Foodhall has some catching up to do: the skinny cheese and meat sections need fattening up, and a lot of the varieties listed on the board weren’t available. They do however, have an open kitchen that prepares fresh quiches, croissants and breads (the smoked chicken-broccoli tart and achari paneer croissant are decent) and a dessert counter with intensely coloured pastries that we were afraid to try (if you must get something, stick to the chocolate cake).

Those who live solo and hate the stove may want to check out reasonably-priced meals (Rs 50 to Rs 180) - well-packed sandwiches and salads and a buffet that looked as tempting as one in a supermarket possibly can, but stay away from microwavable meal trays reminiscent of airline food.

Mona Lisa, Smile

Despite taking the wrong field trip, Charlie Brown got an A on his report for his accidental yet profound metaphors between art and consumerism. On our way out of Foodhall, we spotted kiwi and strawberry butter by Moshe’s, and a wine section that said ‘coming soon’. Now, that would make the grade for us.

Getting there: Level 3, Palladium Mall, High Street Phoenix, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Rs 80 for a chicken quiche.