In a city like Mumbai where there are umpteen options and varieties of pizzas, Pass The Salt has raised the bar with their Chicago-style deep dish and their signature flaky thin crust pizzas.
Before the restaurant started in June this year, Pass The Salt used to be a home kitchen and later a cloud kitchen operating from Ville Parle and in Juhu for four years.
Head chef and co-founder Kruti Sanghvi is a biomedical engineer from the University of Texas and was working in the medical device industry. Her story reminds us of the movie, Julie & Julia. In the film, Julie Powell kept herself sane from her frustrating soul-killing job by cooking delicious meals.
For Kruti, coming up with some new dinner menu after work brought comfort. While Julie took up the daring task of preparing all the 524 recipes from Julia Child’s cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Kruti quit her stressful job, moved back home in Mumbai and began hosting friends and family with new cuisines. The appreciation for her distinctive crust pizzas motivated her to start a cloud kitchen during COVID-19 lockdown.
Pass The Salt’s signature double crust deep dish Chicago pizza.
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Special Arrangement
“We had regular customers who asked me to pack the pizzas to carry abroad for their family and friends. That motivated me to start a restaurant,” says Kruti, who works along with Vishal Shah, her husband and co-founder, who has expertise in finance and management.
Through research and countless trials, they developed a laminated thin crust, she shares. Vishal says that distinctive crust style pizza was previously unavailable in their area and the home and cloud kitchen made him recognise the opportunity to fill the gap in the market. “Our shared love for unique flavours of pizza, Kruti’s expertise in crafting them, and my understanding of finance and operation gave us the confidence to start Pass The Salt,” Vishal says.
Housed in a heritage building in Fort, the restaurant blends history, culture and modernity seamlessly. The arched ceiling and decor preserve architectural elements including a distinct black and white chequered flooring reminiscent of an American diner, complemented by a charming floral pattern that evokes the ambiance of a quaint French café.
The menu
Must try dishes are their signature double crust deep dish base from Chicago which has layers of cheese on its two-inch foundation, topped with veggies and a proprietary San Marzano sauce. The other standout on the menu is the signature thin crust — a flaky pizza base inspired by Vienna’s much-loved croissant.
Pesca XVI, a thin crust flaky pizza base inspired by Vienna’s much-loved croissant.
“The thin crust is individually laminated with butter and deep dish is hand assembled, and hand rolled,” explains Kruti as we try to lift and hold a slice of deep dish pizza and have a bite in one go; it seems impossible. The thick dough base has a generous layer of cheese, topped with another thin layer of dough and topped with chunky tomato sauce. It was truly indulging!
Other options are Primavera pizza that has San Marzano sauce [made with a variety of plum tomato originating in the Campania region in Italy], onions, roasted red peppers, black olives, mozzarella, arugula, feta and chilli oil and Hawaiian Barbeque pizza that has barbeque sauce, grilled onion rings, marinated pineapple, red paprika, green chillies and mozzarella. Pesto Melanzane pizza and Pesca XVI are also available.
Mushroom and pesto burrata bowl.
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We tried Pesca XVI. The laminated thin crust was flaky yet sturdy, and the toppings were fulfilling. I was wary of trying pineapple on pizza but chef recommended giving it a try. We gave in for Hawaiian Barbeque, a Vienna-style pizza that came with a disclaimer that it will be spicy and, rightly so, all the flavours were hitting the right spot on the palate.
We also tried their burrata bowls like the signature mushroom and pesto and tartines, especially the traditional Welsh rarebit. “This is a simple toast with cheese sauce, plain milk, red Harissa cheese sauce, mushrooms and kale charred, dry roasted and garnished with onion seeds on the sourdough,” explains Kruti.
Try the half-moon shaped rosso calzone, which looks hollow when cut open with a scissor. Slowly, melted cheese flows out. This slow-cooked calzone has a bed of red pesto made of habanero chillies and ricotta and mozzarella cheese with a hint of fresh oregano. It is served with marinara sauce. Order this only if you can handle the spice.
Welsh rarebit.
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The menu also features chef’s special spaghetti croquettes, stracciatella on toast, grilled cheese sandwiches and salads like avocado and grapefruit, avocado, grapefruit segments, herb dressing, sourdough croutons and feta.
For beverages, Pass The Salt has partnered with Koinonia Coffee Roasters and offers their specialty coffees including artisanal hot brews and cold coffees.
End your meal with house-made gelatos, pistachio tres leches and Earl Grey and fig tea cake.
Pass the Salt, 8/10, Calcot House, behind Bombay House, Mudhana Shetty Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai 400001; Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 11.30pm; Price for two: ₹ 2,500 including taxes and beverages.
Published – October 21, 2024 08:53 pm IST
