Sundays are the days when I could indulge in some pampering – be it a laid back and relaxing lunch with friends and family or a nice massage to soothe those muscles aching from a long, hectic workweek. A good afternoon spent in good company in a relaxing atmosphere helps prevent Monday morning blues.
Oh Cha at Lower Parel provided a refreshing and much needed Sunday afternoon recharge with an inviting spread and a glass of bubbly. On a hot November afternoon, my wife, daughter and I promptly arrived at the congested yet very active nook of Mumbai to spend an afternoon treating us to delectable best. Boy, were we pleasantly surprised.
Its easy to miss this spacious oriental restaurant in the cramped lanes of Raghuwanshi Mills that house many famous party spots including The Blue Frog & Zaffran
One has to walk 30 meters through a corridor to get to O:h Cha’s glass entrance that opens up into a spacious, bright and well decorated sitting space that can easily accommodate up to 50 people. The tables are well laid out with quite some space between them thus offering privacy in conversations. Music is new world Bassa Nova that is catchy, up beat and yet soothing.
While the setup is a brunch, the best part of the experience is that the meals are served in portions at your table. Starting from appetizers to main course to desserts, you would not need to get up for anything. Servings are well laid out, well presented and measured which is does not overwhelm the senses.
We started with the Tom Yum Kai (Chicken) and the Burnt Garlic and Basil soups (Veg). The Tom Yum soup was good and I would expect them to get it right due to its simplicity. The galangal was punchy, and coconut flavor perfect. The Burnt Garlic & Basil soups was heavy on the garlic, which grew harder to send down the hatch with each spoonful.
The salads were good with the Som Tom emerging as a clear winner. I did not wish to fill myself with salads knowing that there were 6 Non Veg and 6 Veg appetizers to follow.
The Vegetarian fare surprised us with a wonderful Fried Turnip Cake – crisp and perfect on the outside with soft flavorful inside. It beat any fried potato, or tofu starter that I usually see at similar spreads. The Sweet Corn Patty was very good with the spicy red chilly sauce and won my heart. The Stir Fry Tofu and Vegetable Chive dumpling were weaker cousins of the first two appetizers.
The Non Veg Fare was far more exciting (surprised?). I loved the Stir Fry Chicken Black Pepper with crunchy capsicum and cleaned up the Prawn Chive Dumplings. The Fried Lemon Grass Chicken was very tasty and I just could not hold back bite after bite. The taste buds were afire with the new flavor but the taste was quite amazing. The Chicken Satay was standard quality and a hit with my 2 year old, which is a good sign – she ate all of 8 pieces.
After washing down my glass of bubbly, I was in the mood to try out the main course. We started with the Steamed Dory (Fish) Lemon Chilli Garlic that was very well cooked and quite refreshing. I next tried the Chicken dish Pad Kra Prow Kai with steamed rice. The dish still waters my mouth even one week after having tried it. It was a perfect balance of soft meat and spicy chilli gravy.
The vegetarian course started with the French Bean Chilli Bean, Four Friends and a Thai Green Curry. The Thai Curry was average with high coconut milk flavor and a lack of punch. The Four Friends dish had mushrooms and vegetables in a black bean sauce that was healthy and flavourful. The French Bean dish did not gel well with the Thai Curry but went well with the Four Friends and Noodles. The flat Noodles were quite flavourful on their own.
Making some room for the desserts, I got to sample the 4 items that were custom made (leaving the ice cream aside) and I was pleasantly surprised by 2 of them. The Home Made Sticky Rice and Mango Ice Cream is mixed into a scoop before it is presented, quite different from what I have seen elsewhere. The dish is balanced, flavourful and has a soft texture. The Chocolate Mousse Cake is a good dish to try and cannot go wrong. The Lemon Grass Crème Brulee was not set very well and could have been a great dish. The Tub Tim Krobe is served in a shot glass, and acts as a good palette cleanser but nothing more.
The exciting décor, great service, presentation and flavor provide a good buffet experience, though I strongly feel the bubbly should be unlimited.
So if you are looking for a good buffet option in Asian Cuisine, do give O:h Cha a try.
Ratings (Out of 5)
Food: 4.0 | Service: 4.0 | Ambience: 4.0 | Overall: 4.0
Address: Unit 1, New Mahalaxmi Silk Mills Premises, Mathurdas Mills Compound, N M joshi marg, Next to Blue Frog, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013, India
Timings: 12.00-3.00 pm; 06.30-12.30 pm Telephone: +91 22 6633 4455
Meal for two with glass of Sparkling: 4200/++ | Wheel Chair Friendly: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Alcohol: Yes
“Disclosure: This review was done at the invitation of the restaurant. Due diligence has been taken for the review to be as objective as possible. Reader discretion however, is recommended”
