Kemps Corner in Mumbai is a busy junction, teeming with traffic and shops. However, there is a dearth of eating options in that area. Which is where Vicinia comes into the picture. Situated in this busy locality, Vicinia is a hole in the wall, all-day eatery and bar. Vicinia which means ‘neighborhood’ in Latin, stands true to the meaning. It aims to be your neighborhood watering hole, ‘where everybody knows your name’. Does it stand true to it’s name? We were there to find out.

Vicinia is a small, quaint place with a two level seating. It has a monochromatic decor and dim lighting which works well at night. I would love to go visit during the day to see the restaurant’s ‘day look’. They have a well stocked bar, with booze bottles on display for you to ogle at. My favourite corner in the room, is this little show-case displaying curious and knick-knacks. Shelves of souvenirs, mugs and books for which make for an interesting view.

Lemon Grass in Bandra has been at that landmark Turner road corner ever since I can remember. I had my first ever Khao Suey there, a desi version of the Burmese dish, but delicious nevertheless. Many random lunch and dinner plans were made there over the subsequent years. It was our go to place, for a quick, filling Pan Asian meal, with no frills attached. If you want fancy, fine dine stuff please head to Royal China down the road. 

However, with the advent of so many new restaurants cropping up in the area, I forgot about Lemon Grass. Till they revamped and relaunched themselves to become Lemon Leaf. I decided to go eat there anonymously, and find out if the sequel was as good as the original. 

Ambiance: 

The place looked pretty similar to me except the addition of a few paintings and murals on the wall. White, traditional lanterns hang from the ceiling and nicely contrast the green on the wall and the chairs. We skipped the indoor air conditioned seating for the outdoor area, where the pitter-patter of the rain was the perfect accompaniment to our conversation.