I had heard good things about O:h cha from people who have visited the restaurant, and so readily accepted the invite to visit the place. Since I was familiar with Mathurdas Mills Compound, the advice “you’ll need a map to locate it” didn’t apply. My companion was very discerning, if sometimes- rather critical, tongue – my son.
We drove to the Lower Parel and found our way to O:h cha. The place could be missed if one doesn’t look out for it.
Walking through a corridor, we reached the entrance where we were warmly received by Monisha. It was much more spacious than I thought it would be, the ceiling caught my attention. The good height from which hung cane lantern-like lamp shades gave me that feel good factor. The tables were not too close & I loved the Buddha masks on the walls, dim lights & the green walls – there was a feel of serenity in the place. My eye caught the extensive bar – lush green with the feel of nature, “terrace farming” is what the teacher in me thought. I was explained that the decor was with paddy fields South Asia in mind. Bingo! We prepared ourselves for what was sure to be a pleasurable gastronomic journey. Monisha suggested we try a variety of small portions of the appetizers..
Deciding to go in for spice from the extensive Pan Asian Menu, I asked for a Wasabi & Balsamic Bloody Mary (INR 500) – Wow!! The wasabi & pepper gave the Bloody Mary a seriously spicy twist, I sipped it with relish! Chef Rakesh Talwar, the resident Chef came by, he was friendly, charming and had a wonderfully positive vibe around him. He suggested certain dishes and one by one they appeared, each one wonderfully plated.
First came the Grilled Prawn Cake on Lemon Grass Skewers (INR 650); the hint of lemon grass did wonders to the dish and the sweet chilli sauce complemented the prawn. The Three Style Mushroom Dumpling (INR 250) did not have much taste on its own; the accompanying Sriracha Sauce brought the dim sum to life and I must say the sauce was much better than the one served in most places. The star of the appetizers to me was the Gai Hor Bai Toey (INR 500) which is Thai Pandan Leaf wrapped Chicken. It was cooked beautifully and the melt in the mouth chicken was juicy. I didn’t need the Sriracha Lemon Chilli Garlic sauce to give the chicken company. The Pla Phawd Sam Rod (INR 550); stir fried fish in sweet chilli sauce, was super good with the chilli hitting the mouth which suited my palate perfectly.
My son loved the Hoi Yin Yum Okra Prig (INR 400); crispy potatoes & okra tossed with black pepper corns & scallions, this had a huge pepper hit along with the presence of rock salt, he declared it perfect!
We also had Thai Honey Sesame Chicken (INR 450), Tao Hu Phad Sam Rod (INR 450) which is stir fried tofu, Chicken Gyoza (INR 350), steamed & pan seared chicken dumpling – all beautifully plated and cooked in a manner that it would appeal to most people. The only miss to me was the Sichuan Pepper Char Bao (INR 350) – the skin was a little stickier than is usual, although the filling was delicious where the bell pepper crunch balanced h the chicken mince.
Stuffed with appetizers, I took a breather with a Long Island Iced Tea (INR 400) & checked out the extensive wines on offer – wines from Australia, Argentina, Chile, Spain, New Zealand, Italy and select wines from India were readily located.
Chef Rakesh Talwar insisted we try the Gado Gado (INR 350) for our salad, glad that he did as I found the peanut dressing made just the way one would find in Indonesia itself.
Although full and satiated, I still wanted to taste the Nasi Goreng (INR 500), it being one of my favourites, wasn’t disappointed at all. The Kang Phad (Red Curry) & the Kang Keaw Waan (Green Curry) with vegetable, duck, chicken & prawn options (ranging from INR 550 to INR 625), while not out of the world, were at par with most restaurants of the same genre.
“You must have some dessert”said Monisha. I requested the young man at the bar to make me something of his choice; he chose a special, the Cucumber & Cinnamon Caipiroska (INR 500) it wonderfully loaded with fresh cucumber extract, mint, basil leaf & cinnamon, very refreshing!
My Lemon Grass Creme Brulee (INR 250) arrived looking luscious,; I also had a taste of Chilli Chocolate Tart with Creamed Coconut Ice Cream & Chocolate Soil – the hint of chilli married harmoniously with the chocolate leaving just the right notes of sweet, bitter, spice and coconut on the tongue. After all of this, it was quite an effort to get up and walk out!
O:h cha definitely has the makings of a wonderful place to dine in. The decor, menu, flavours and ambiance work well and I would definitely visit again.
Ratings out of 5
Food: 4 | Ambiance: 4 | Service: 4 | Overall: 4
Meal for Two without Alcohol: Rs. 2200 Approximately plus taxes | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes|
Timing: 12 30 pm – 3 00 pm & 7 30 pm – 12 00 am | Wheelchair access: Yes
Address: Unit 1, New Mahalaxmi Silk Mills Premises, Mathurdas Mills Compound, N M Joshi Marg, Next to Blue Frog, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013
Telephone: 022 6633 4455
Disclaimer: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant. Due judgement and care has been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review, but readers need to consider this review keeping this fact in mind.
