When I first saw the outlet while passing by, it sure caught my eyes. A brightly lit place and I could see the floral prints on the sofas from outside. I was keen to find out more and thus I and P reached Café Hydro on a weekday evening.
We opted for the 3rd floor. Café Hydro is a theme restaurant and they have made sure to live up to the theme. There is a big aquarium from floor to ceiling covering an entire wall. Those colourful fishes add to the décor perfectly. Two tables were already occupied and on each the tables 2 young girls were sitting, smiling, giggling, talking. There was such a happy vibe to the place that we instantly loved it.
The ground floor pays tribute to Indian Railways with rails under the floor and bunker styled tables.
The menu was printed like a newspaper. Rahul, the restaurant manager, was running from here to there to make sure everyone was looked after and people were enjoying the food. We decided to go by Rahul’s suggestion and settled for Desi Chilli Poppers (Rs.190), Crispy Chicken Pops (Rs. 250) and Chilli Garlic Fish Bullets (Rs. 275). The specialty of their seafood is that they use Surimi paste. Some may find it slightly strong on the aroma and the taste, but we liked it.
The Café has applied for license to serve Beer and Wine; however since it is yet to come through, the menu as of now does not have any hard drinks. We ordered for one Orange and Kaffir Lime Shikanji (Rs.195) and one Lychee Ginger Mojito (Rs.195). We loved the fact that both the drinks were not overtly sweet.
For mains, we ordered only one dish Nasi Goreng with prawns ( Rs.350) and we were not disappointed. The dish was very well done. Both of us wiped the plates clean.
What we liked about the place besides the décor, service and food, was of course the portions. The portions of their starters are enough for 2 people, and after starters, one order for mains was sufficient for both of us. For desserts, we ordered for Asian Panna cotta (Rs.200). It was good but we felt it could have been better if it was slightly more set. Someone in the next table had ordered for Chocolate Walnut Brownie (Rs.260) and we could not help but notice the beautiful plate. Though both of us love chocolate, that evening we were in the mood for some Panna cotta. So in our next visit, we will have that.
Café Hydro is the brain child of Mr. Rupesh Sakpal, founder of Utekar Fisheries Pvt. Ltd, the pioneer in the field of pet industry across India for almost two decades now. The second floor is designed to give you a feel of an underwater café with a HUGE wall to wall aquarium covering the ceiling as well.
One detail which caught our eyes was the photographs of the workers, who worked hard to make the café, adorned the walls. This was such a nice gesture to say “Thank you ” to those workers who may not come to the café again!
We met the Executive Chef, Chef Surech Chunara, andcomplimented him for coming up with such a fantastic menu focusing on Oriental and Asian cuisines.
Rating (Out of 5)
Food: 4 | Service: 4 | Ambience: 4 | Overall: 4
Meal for Two: Rs.1000 | Wheel Chair Friendly: No | Credit Card: Yes | Alcohol: Yes | Timings: 12 Noon to 3.00 PM, 7.00 PM to 10.00 PM
Address: Esspee Tower, Rajendra Nagar, Dattapada Road, Borivali East, Mumbai Phone: 022 -29690088
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