The history of Mumbai can be traced back all the way to the 2nd century though recorded history mentions it somewhere around the 9th century. Early Arab travellers write about a place full of greenery and wildlife on the eastern outskirts of Mumbai around the 9th century, locals called it Chemula or Chevul, the beautiful place on the banks of the Kundalika River. Gone are the days of Flora and Fauna and what remains is the concrete remembrance of an area heavily used by the passing traders moving to and fro from the city of Mumbai. English colloquialisms changed the name of Saimur/Chemula to Chembur and Sion-Trombay stretch soon became a heavy traffic truck route.
Over the years, with rising population and changing infrastructure, lots of dhabas and small eateries popped up all around this road, a heavy trader community, primarily Sindhis, also set up their homes around this area, but the food landscape of the area was restricted to small eateries and Dhabas, with Lamba da Dhaba leading that pack. Recently I heard of the first major Fine-Dine restaurant opening shop in this area and with lock stock and barrel, the food freak headed to check it out.
Papdi chaat and nimbu paani amouse bouche
Located right on Sion-Trombay road, next to the famous RK Studios, the restaurant is hard to miss with an elaborately done exterior. The restaurant is split into two halves, a lounge and a family dining area. The lounge is quite small with a capacity of around 20 people whereas the dining area can seat around 60.
We landed on a Wednesday hoping it to be a quiet evening, but the restaurant, to our pleasant surprise was packed and the overall crowd looked very elegant. The restaurant staff was quite attentive and well aware of the dishes on their menu. The iPad menus added to the impress quotient. The restaurant welcomes its patrons with a welcome drink of nimbu paani shot and amuse bouche of Papdi chat with pomegranate and sev. I thought of it as a nice gesture and the papdis were quite nice and fresh
Chilgoza Bharwan Mushrooms
The starters of Chilgoza Bharwan Mushrooms (Rs.310) and Fried Camembert (Rs. 355) were quick to follow. Though the filling in the mushrooms was creamy and flavourful, I wished that the pine nuts used in the dish were not chopped. The small pieces of the nuts did nothing to bring out the flavour of the dish and a good attempt to make a great starter seemed to go waste. The fried camembert, however, was a most amazing dish. Panko crusted cheese, topped with onion jelly was crunchy on the outside and very light on the inside. This dish set the bar real high for the rest of the dishes to follow.
The non-veg starters Kashundi Mahi Tikka (Rs. 465) was another great find. Melt in the mouth pieces of juicy fish, blended well with the mustardy kick of kashundi, one could hardly feel any fish smell either and therein was its biggest strength. However the Spanish Prawn Chilly Garlic (Rs.525) served on a bed of mashed potatoes a vegetable ratatouille was a heavy dish to start off as a starter and it certainly didn’t have anything Spanish about it.
Rogan Josh Keema Chop
We also tried a Rogan Josh Keema Chop (Rs. 465) which was quite undercooked and inedible. The conceptualization of the dish is great, but the delivery was bad. The Dahi ke kebab also needs some work as it has all the right flavours but the binding can use some work.
In the main course, the Tandoor Peri Peri Prawns with Crab Masala (Rs.425) was a great dish. I am sure that the marriage of crab meat with Jumbo prawns cooked in a spicy tart masala would be highly appreciated by the diners. At a Rs.425 price tag, I think it’s a great VFM dish. The Grilled Norwegian Salmon with Pipperade (Rs. 695) was a complete let down as the chef had over cooked the salmon and it came to my plate completely dry and tasteless. A gross waste!
Paneer Badi Palak Saag Arbi Kukure
Two dishes, that were absolutely mind blowing were the Paneer Badi Palak Saag Arbi Kukure (Rs.345) and the Bhoot Curry (Skipped noting the price in sheer excitement). The soft and spicy Paneer mix was served on a bed of smooth creamy spinach with chunks of lentil badis and crunchy arbi (colocassia) pieces was a treat to the senses. Spicy, tangy, creamy, silky, crunchy all elements playing in the mouth together was enough for me to declare it the main course of the day. The Bhoot curry, made with 3 different chillies (one of them being Bhoot Jholakia) was certainly not for the faint hearted but people loving a spice kick would certainly love the dish, my partner gobbled spoonful of it despite sweating through his brows.
One must make sure to try the desserts at the restaurant, we ordered a tasting portion of a few and each and every one of them surpassed my expectations, Be it the Callebut Choco Mouse (Rs.255) or the Gulab Jamun Bharva Litchi topped with Saffron milk froth (Rs. 185) or the home made HoneyGinger Ice Cream (Rs. 155) and the must have Apple and KesarPhirni (Rs.175) -decadent and awesome!
Callebut Choco Mouse
Though we had different cocktails with our dinner, I chose not to write about them as they were functional at the best.
In short, despite some dishes being a bit weak, the restaurant seems to be quite focused in offering quality products to its discerning diners and with its heart in the right place, would soon get over these teething problems. Here is wishing an honest effort the very best, and hoping that the quality will keep on improving in the days to come.
