The Good Food Co. is the first outpost of a chain of cafes planned by Anuj Jodhani, part of the team that organized Washoku, the Japanese street food festival in Mumbai. We therefore arrived at this brand new, all day cafe expecting excitingly different cuisine, but were much disappointed by the rather unimaginative 100 % Vegetarian menu, which consisted of tired, randomly assorted dishes like pasta, burgers and sandwiches.

Snack attack 

Nevertheless we forged ahead, beginning our meal with Nachos Supreme, a pile of bland chips dotted with a stingy amount of salsa and rather insipid melted cheese, along with Mushroom Stroganoff that had too much rice and very little sauce.

Penne Arrabbiata came next, and was a good attempt - nice and spicy. The veggie Paneer Burger was even better, crispy, crunchy, and earning a thumbs up by even the hardcore non-vegetarian at the table. 

Starting Small

The Good Food Co. is mainly a takeaway joint, with only 4 tables. It is also unfortunately located, with construction work happening right outside that seems to coat every bite of food with dust. Nevertheless, with the large number of offices and banks around, competitive employees can happily up their Tiffin-carrying colleagues with Penne for lunch.

All in all, Anuj Jodhani should jazz up the menu a bit, and would do well to remember that a little innovation can save the world, or at least Vile Parle.

Getting there: Nand Prem building, opposite Shiv Sagar, Nehru road, Vile Parle (E), call 26112020, Rs 300 for a meal for two.