I had covered Asado during its launch in January last year. At that time, it was positioning itself as India’s first Latin American restaurant. However, going was not easy as the restaurant was consistently facing issues with the archaic Indian customs to get the right ingredients from Latin America.
This encouraged them to rethink their strategy and re-launch their restaurant as a Latin inspired cocktail bar. The cocktails picked up and the Latin menu (more leaned towards the Mexican side) was a huge complement to the drinks line up.
Recently I came to know of the launch of their Sunday brunch and decided to give it a dekko. The place has changed little since its launch, with the interiors resembling a bright Cuban neighborhood, with murals depicting images from Latin America, and a well-stocked bar covering one corner of the place.
Going over the brunch menu, the first thing that impressed me was the sheer size of it. Our host graciously offered to bring in a welcome cocktail and before we could finish reading the long list of dishes that are part of the brunch offering, a massive ceramic treasure chest was placed in front of us with smoke bellowing out of it. We were asked to sip in the drink through straws poked in through the lid of the chest. Needless to say, we were quite impressed by the theatrics and the presentation and as we sipped into the drink; we were further impressed by the well balanced potent concoction.
They have another version of this treasure chest which is a massive chest with all the major white spirits which is further mixed with a bottle of sparkling wine at the moment of serving it to its patrons. The chest holds 5 litres of booze and is priced at Rs.7,999 while the smaller version served to us is priced at Rs.999 and is big enough for two people.
We were quickly served with an array of veg and non-veg starters that included a deliciously fresh and flavorful Vegetable Flatbread and a portion of Garlic Parmesan French Fries which were thick fries coated with garlic salt and parmesan cheese; the thought of the fries makes me salivate once again. Similarly, the Jacket Potato was not too lumpy and the jackets thin enough to hold a handsome amount of cheese and salsa making it quite a delectable starter. Of the Non Veg starters, I loved the Prawn Tacos where the soft tacos were small enough to be popped in as a perfect finger snack along with your drinks.
My mains saw me asking for a Chipotle Chicken that is quite interestingly served with a thick chocolate sauce. The spiciness of the chicken is balanced with the sauce which is satisfying; however I thought the dish by itself was a bit too spicy. My next dish was a portion of Enchiladas which to me was my star of the afternoon where the maize tortillas and the frijoles (beans) were absolutely how one should get in any good Mexican restaurant around the world.
My partner ordered a mushroom pasta which was also perfectly al dente and loaded with mushrooms that were deliciously blended in the rick creamy sauce.
The only negative of the entire menu were the desserts (Tres Leches Cake and Churros), both of which faded sadly in comparison to the food that preceded them.
Asado, which means Barbecue in Spanish, may not boast of a barbecue or a grill, but what it has are some kick ass cocktails priced very aggressively, and a very good Mexican food lineup which complements the drinks perfectly. The Brunch Menu is priced at Rs.1500 a.i. and includes two cocktails and is quite massive in its offering. It has the looks of a surefire winner to me and I will definitely be going back for more. Do give it a try if you are looking for a good boozy brunch on a Sunday afternoon, or should we call it a DRUNCH.
Ratings out of 5
Food: 3.5 | Ambiance: 3 | Service: 3.5 | Overall: 3.5
Brunch per person: Rs.1500 all inclusive (Sundays only) | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes|
Timing: 12 noon to 3:30 pm | Wheelchair access : No
Address: Manorama Chambers, Near Gaity Galaxy Junction, SV Road, Bandra West, Mumbai 400050
Telephone : +91 22 6568 6666
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.
