The invite read “the first ever 3D projection bar” and obviously our curiosity was piqued. So wrapping up a very stressful day’s work, we headed towards Bandra reclamation where we found, in the bylanes behind Rangsharda auditorium, nestled besides the ever popular Candies, our destination for the evening – iBar. Like all names containing the ubiquitous “I” in its prefix, the name hinted at futuristic advances of modern science and true to its name, as soon as we entered, we noticed elements that could be very well out of a sci fi movie.
The cool bar with its motion sensing screen atop, the second bar with a 3D projection wall and an Ipad menu on each table immediately set the pace for a very cool evening. The hosts were quick to greet us and suggested we start off the evening with a cool Cosmo Watermelon (Rs.375) and an Old Fashioned (Rs.550) for my friend. While the Cosmo was sweet and refreshing (a tad too sweet for my palate), the old fashioned was perfect, robust and perfect for my taste buds. With the mood having been set with these two beautiful cocktails, Lakhan – the maverick behind the restaurant suggested us to start with two of his star starters – a cream cheese and jalapeno stuffed mushroom and wasabi garlic prawns. I was a bit put off at the sound of stuffed mushrooms, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The moment I popped it in my mouth, the word wow automatically came out of it, not once, not twice, but at least 4-5 times. The crispy coating, cream cheese filling, soft, creamy, with a kick of jalapenos towards the tail end was yum.
Similarly the wasabi and garlic prawns were equally amazing, crisp fried prawns with a wasabi mayo covering and a mango salsa to go with it – once again Y.U.M.
The next round came with a Japanese style prawn tempura which was quite basic. The stand out here was the ginger dipping sauce that came with it. We paired it with a black grape caipiroska (Rs.375) which did justice to its name. Browsing through the ipad I noticed that apart from their cocktails and regular liquor, they also carry Sangrias. With my affinity towards wine, I thought of giving it a try, but was not very happy with it. I guess its predecessors over the night had kind of raised the expectations to a new level.
To bring the joie di vivre back to the table, a strange looking platter appeared in front of us. By the looks of it, it looked like a kebab platter when in reality it was a portion of Cajun spiced potatoes. I think it is a very intelligently crafted snack for pub goers. Crisp potatoes covered with chilli and lime flavoured Cajun spice rub would hereon be my ideal snack to go with a chilled mug of beer. Another interesting drink I tried during the evening was hot toddy with Morgan spiced rum (Rs.375) which reminded me of the mulled wine I used to make in the freezing cold of Delhi
The 24 year old owner of iBar – Lakhan, who started his career as a bell boy in JW Mariott has followed his passion to food and drinks and has been the creative mind behind the food and drinks they serve. His passion not only reflects in the food and wine which he has created, but also in the décor that he has conceptualized with the futuristic three dimensional projection bar and the minimalistic wall décor. His passion percolates down his staff as all of them made sure that our table always had some kind of food or drink to keep us entertained.
The staff of the place including Lakhan warned me not to leave the place without trying their Flaming Lambourghini and curiosity got the better of me as I tried it with some trepidation. I don’t think we could have had a more apt end to our evening. A-the whole drama behind the preparation of the drink was too cool, B- the Kahlua and Coffee based drink, mixed with the flaming fire effect creates quite a lasting impression to the palate.
Things that go in favour of Ibar– reasonable pricing on both food and drinks, innovative menu, futuristic designs, chilled out ambience and hosts and their great plans for the future (opening for lunch, special theme nights, drink based special nights and above all the passion behind the creation) will certainly make me go back again and again to this fun filled place called iBar. It certainly is a worthy addition to my list of “I” brands – ipad, ipod, iphone and now certainly iBar.
Ratings (Out of 5)
Food: 4.0 | Ambience: 4.5 | Service: 4.5 | Overall: 4.0
Meal for two: Rs. 1500 (Without Alcohol) Rs.2500 – Rs.3000 (With Alcohol)| Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes| Timings: 12:30 PM to 1:30 AM
Address: Ibar, 7,8, Geliki, ONGC Building No.2, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra (W), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India – 400050 | Landmark: Behind Rangsharda Auditorium | Telephone: 9920207218 , 9892102005
