Indian Talent, Global Content
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Indian Talent, Global Content |
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September 2010: What's in the breeze |
Fine Dining in Mumbai: Where to go Mumbai, the commercial capital of India is also one of its most cosmopolitan cities. Home to the Indian cinema industry, Bollywood, this city boasts of some amazing fine dining places. Here are a few that you might want to try on your next trip to the city.
The Sea Lounge at the Taj Mahal Hotel Popular Mumbai folklore speaks of how the Taj Mahal Hotel was constructed as a retort to an insult. Its owner, industrialist J.N. Tata, was thrown out of the Watson Hotel, then the best in the city, for being non-British and therefore ineligible to enter. So, he went ahead and did what every human being logically does. He built one of his own. What appears to escape everyone though, is the irony of the situation. 60 years after India officially ceased to be a part of the British Empire, there is no place in Mumbai more reminiscent of the Raj than the Sea Lounge. Pale furnishings, anorexic cucumber salad sandwiches and your very own 'bearer' pouring you 'a cup o' tea', this is your ticket to the charmed world of yore. There are several places in the city that offer spectacular views of the ocean, and the harbor, but none transport you to 19 th century India. And this is what makes the Sea Lounge unique. Recommendation: Orange cheesecake Zenzi Welcome to India, France, Thailand and Arabia. At Zenzi, midnight bazaars are coupled with belly dancing lessons and positively delirious happy hours. In its many avatars as a lounge, dance class, restaurant and celebrity hangout, this place has an energy that matches its deep orange walls. The food is strictly fusion, and the cocktails range from the regular to the innovatively offbeat. Owned by Dutchman Matan Shabracq, the only thing visibly Indian appears to be the serving staff. Portion sizes match the waistlines of the many fashion models that frequent this place, but with so much going on, it isn't really all about the stomach, is it? Recommendation: The Mango Bliss mocktail Pure Pure celebrates everything organic and those with the wallets to afford it. It strives to drive home the point that healthy food isn't necessarily simple or home-cooked and that fine dining can incorporate fresh, wholesome ingredients. The fare is light, but the flavors are rich. The space is appropriately minimalist and the overall concept thankfully does not detract from the quality of the meal served. The menu spans the globe from Japan to England to Italy and remains stubbornly non-fusion in its mission. The brainchild of New York-based chef Michel Nischan, Pure boasts of an impressive wine list to complement each item on the menu. If you're looking to eat light and look gorgeous against an off-white background, this is your place. Recommendation: Pistachio and thyme-roasted chicken Oh! Calcutta Before you grab your car keys, please say you love eating anything that swims. Otherwise, chances are that you will feel like a fish out of water in this place. The unique selling point of this establishment is precisely and simply what it is best at: food. Better still, Bengali food. By far the biggest draw, the chingri malai curry, rosogolla payesh and mochar chop are worth dying for. I will be happy to have grave space outside their door. Leave your calorie counters at home, though. Not exactly fitness fare this, unless you talk yourself into believing that fish is brain food. One can't help wishing their smoking and non-smoking sections were more segregated. I'd still say bhishon bhalo and two thumbs up. But wait, I think I'll put those hands to better use. Recommendation: The entire menu The Dome at the Intercontinental Hotel To feel like you have truly arrived, just walk into the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel and ride the elevator to the rooftop. Sink into spacious white oblivion, nurse your drink by candlelight and stargaze and city-gaze as your heart fancies. Boasting the most spectacular view of the Queen's Necklace and practically hobnobbing with stars and satellites of the celestial kind, The Dome is best visited in the non-monsoon months. The menu has been recently revamped to incorporate several popular Japanese dishes and the staff, thankfully, is familiar with the foreign-sounding words and what they entail. Feel free to ask them for suggestions. Although a place like this does make you want to ignore the world and focus on knocking the socks off your date. Recommendation: The basic Mojito with crab cakes The SaltWater Grill Come prepared to get sand on your feet and starlight in your eyes. Surprisingly secluded for it's location (right at Girgaum Chowpatty), it is a world of palm trees, the Arabian Sea within your reach, torch flares at night and chaise lounges to recline on, should the urge to moon-bathe strike. Don't waste it on your boring third cousin from out of town or you'll be kicking yourself long after the food has been digested. Recommendation: Virgin kiwi margarita with chicken in red grape sauce Japengo One must commend the interior decorator of the place for his attempt to create a sushi bar ambience. He's gotten halfway there. If you can forgive him his folly and enjoy the fun, innovative seating and large portions of authentic Japanese food (with plenty of choices for non-sushi lovers), then you will find that Japengo wraps itself around you like a cozy kimono. Conveniently located in the INOX complex in the Nariman Point business district, it's a great choice right before or after a movie or event at the NCPA across the street. It doesn't serve alcohol though, so don't drop in expecting Happy Hour. Recommendation: Chicken dim sum with sake Spaghetti Kitchen For when you choose to go Italian and Verona is not entirely convenient. Fairly authentic recipes (mostly mainstream), fair-sized portions and a bright, not-too-crowded ambience are what you get for choosing this among the twelve other eateries at the Phoenix Mills complex. It shares seating space with Copper Chimney, but the multiculturalism doesn't extend to the stomach. You cannot mix and match cuisines. It's safe to venture beyond pizza but don't expect novelty on a hot plate. Skip the tiramisu or the graph will plunge downward. Recommendation: Fettuccine Alfredo with mushroom and shrimp, served with warm crusty garlic bread Mahesh If you're not a sea-food lover, stop right here. Mahesh is a three-generation institution that gummy grandfathers and teenage grandsons are in agreement about. Close your eyes and point to anything fishy on the menu. You're bound to be in gastronomical heaven. Honestly the best Bombay duck outside of my mother's kitchen (crispy without being too dry). The prawns gassi, scooped up with perfectly formed, soft, milky neer dosas, makes one want to be as permanent a fixture as the figurines that adorn the entrance. Recommendation: Go ahead. Just point. Olive Whitewashed walls, a pebbled, leafy courtyard and the odd Bollywood superstar—you'll find all these extras at Olive, this uber-chic Mediterranean eatery in Khar's Union Park area. Thankfully, vision isn't the only sense that's gratified here. The taste buds are more than adequately stimulated, as is, unfortunately, the wallet. The portions have a way of manipulating you into feeling like you've been doing some dietary cheating rather than being at the receiving end. The herb-smoked chicken salad is the best I've had, this side of the Atlantic, with just the right drizzling of dressing to keep it moist without drowning. Not exactly a place for reunions or raucous family dinners or children, for that matter. The youngest child I noticed was the 11-year-old daughter of a certain Mr. Khan, sitting demurely by her hunky Papa. I did mention the ambience greatly aids digestion, didn't I? Recommendation: Herb-smoked chicken salad with blue curacao lime fizz Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. 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