I recently attended the launch of this all new haunt in Worli and usually don’t blog about launch parties, but this one was an exceptional evening. Say hello to Bombay Brasserie. A place where the booze (some kickass concoctions, I say!) is served in pauwas and some great food that makes you feel good about the traditional variety Indian cuisine has to offer.
The Place:
Right from the floors to the way they’ve done up their interiors, Bombay Brasserie has a vivacious colour palette that can really brighten up anyone’s day – especially when it’s a midweek visit. I personally love the fact that they’ve avoided dim lighting – which is now a regular sight at most drinking hot spots.
The Drinks:
The pauwa cocktails are inspired by the charm and vibes from various parts of our beautiful country. With quirky names like Janta Bar (for those who love chaat masala and a hint of chilli spice), Go Goa Gone (coconut vodka, FTW!), Shimla Rum Do (to warm things up with rum as your base), Nagpuri Santra (orange, basil and vodka… need I say more?), Jaipur Gulabo (rose vodka that celebrates the pink city), Pondy Rush (tangy, tart and sweet – it’s a melange like no other) and Kollywood Pop (a pop of ginger and white rum to tantalise your taste buds), you know you’re excited enough to try them out. My personal favourite was Go Goa Gone and Nagpuri Santra. All of them are priced at Rs. 450 + taxes.
The Food:
The concept of ‘Small Plates’ and ‘Large Plates’ has certainly taken over the restaurant scenes in recent times. Bombay Brasserie continues to the trend but with preparations that are traditionally unique by nature (which I loved!).
The vegetarians don’t have to worry about variety since the Gunpowder Potatoes (baby potatoes tossed in homemade, South Indian style masala podi), Chilli Cheese Kulchas (mini kulchas stuffed with chilli cheese and the perfect kinda comfort food to binge on) and Aam Papad Paneer (paneer and lotus stem tossed with special sundried mango and street food spices, directly sourced from Amritsar) make for some fine options in the world of “small plates”.
For the meat eaters, there’s enough and more to look forward to in the form of Andhra Chicken (hot and spicy South Indian style fried chicken tenders made with freshly ground masalas), Marathi Jhinga Mirch (prawns tossed with fiery mirch ka thecha, a coarsely pounded green chilli chutney with crunchy peanut) and Naga Ghosht Pepper Wings (smoked and roasted chicken wings, flavoured with Bhoot Jolokia).
Among the Large Plates (main course), the dishes that caught our attention were…
Calcutta Club Fish Fry, Rajasthani Dhungar Maas with Chur Chur Paratha, Coast to Coast Chicken with Mixed Seed Roti and Kashmiri Naan Kebab. You see how this menu goes? It’s got stuff you’d never have tasted before unless you come from a certain part of the country and it feels familiar enough.
The Desserts:
Last but not the least, we tucked into a couple of desserts that soon arrived at our table. The one’s that made an impact include the Amritsari Kulfa, Bombay Ice Cream Sandwich and Ras-e-Aam. They also have something called the Anglo-Indian Bread Pudding. Now for someone who really likes bread pudding, this one surprisingly didn’t appeal to me. But the other 3 I mentioned, managed to end our meal at Bombay Brasserie on a sweet and positive note. With each having an individualistic appeal of its own (nostalgia being the underlying emotion), I see why we all ended up having our favourites.
I’ve got to give it to the chef and the team behind the conceptualisation of this menu, for making every dish so ethnically stunning. They’re all such rare gems to come across, so when you get a taste of such homely yet unique preparations, you know you’re in for a fresh dining experience. It’s a great way to stand out from the crowd too… so yes, Bombay Brasserie, you’ve impressed me enough with the way you choose to bring about a difference in the sea of restaurants/pubs this city has to offer.
The Good Life Potpourri 