Antoine Lewis

After two fantastic meals @laloca_maria I was curious to know how @lapantheraindia , @chefmanuelolveira and @mickeerocks other restaurant in BKC would compare. Where La Loca is firmly Spanish and Italian – Manuel’s forte - at La Panthera he paints on a broader European canvas. Even though I had heard, and read, very good things, about it, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
What I have come to realise since is irrespective of the cuisine, Manuel’s food e defined by two qualities that separates him from other chefs: restraint and balance. It doesn’t matter whether you’re tasting his regular menu at La Panthera and La Loca, or special menus like a Sunday Brunch or one with Black Truffles. You’ll find the same traits in every dish.
Take the Bloody Mary Ceviche for instance; an innovative adaptation certainly, but one which could easily slide into the unpalatable. There’s just the right amount of fruitiness and heat in the Bloody Mary granita to enhance the acidity of the leche de tigre, and sweetness and texture from the corn to round off the palate. It could do easily have had too much chilli, or too much tomato.
Or the Steak Tartare where a quenelle of chilled silky minced meat sits on a hot crisp potato pavé with hints of truffle oil and wisps of grated parmesan add a bit of bite.
It is the essence of the La Panthera where creamy burrata smooths over the spicy N’duja sausage, or the Grilled Sea Bass with crunchy pak choi and a tempered horseradish edamame.
It is what makes La Panthera such a special and unique Mumbai restaurant.
restaurant #mumbai #mumbairestaurants #bandra
#bkc Less

I don’t handle pungency very well so naturally a cocktail whose name derives from the Spanish word for sour and spicy is never my first choice.
But the Picante is much loved by bartenders and mixologists and it’s often the first cocktail I’m recommended at restaurants. I had to find a way to make my peace with this fieriness and the Picante promotion @perchinbombay seemed a good opportunity to do this.
Turned out to be a good idea since I found a friend in Rule Break, a sweet piquant combination of watermelon, tequila and Kashmiri Chilli Liqueur.
Place Your Pickles and Smoke Show sounded too frightening and I tenderly made my way towards Untamed and Hot Mess. Though both had a pineapple base, the former brought out the sweeter flavours of the fruit while the latter on its acidity.
They’ve curated an interesting menu to match the spicy cocktails and my favourites were the sweet cheesy Elotes, the sweet tangy seafood sopes and the bland tamales. From the main menu I’d recommend the sliced Pork Belly with Caramelised Onions.
#picante
#cocktail #cocktails
#picante🌶 #bandra #mumbai #mumbairestaurants #restaurantsofmumbai #spicy Less

I really shouldn't say this, but I quite like truffle oil.
I know it's fake. I know it's a petroleum derivative. I know it's shameful and disgusting and I'll probably be banished to purgatory.
But I still enjoy it - when used appropriately.
Real black truffle has a completely different character. It's not in your face and overpowering; it's far more delicate and gentler, it integrates into the dish rather than overpowers. It doesn't shout to be heard, but makes it presence felt subtly, yet distinctively.
For La Trufa Negra menu @laloca_maria @chefmanuelolveira has harnessed these talents into dishes where the truffle stands out, but doesn't outshine the other elements.
You see it in the light, creamy Honey Ricotta and the very mildly spiced Cacio e Pepe. It has a bolder presence in the crispy, sweet-spicy Chicken Wings, but it's pungent aromatic nature is best expressed in the Agnolotti and the Truffled Tartare.
With the Pork Belly, the soft, creamy verdinas beans from northern Spain are the star. As is the seared duck breast in the Dry Aged Duck. In both, the truffles deserve an Oscar for Best Supporting Ingredient.
No truffles fortunately in the La Loca Black Forest, but what I loved about it, is that, unlike most other deconstructed Black Forests which I hate with a passion, this one actually manages to capture the essence of the classic pastry.
The Black Truffle promotion will continue through February.
#truffle #blacktruffle #truffles #blacktruffle #trufanegra #bandra #mumbai #mumbairestaurants Less

We are witnessing a change of guard with a new generation of chefs taking charge of restaurants. The hot shot chefs and restaurateurs of the early noughts, the generation that spearheaded the stand alone restaurant movement, have transitioned into wise (mostly) mentors.

Few chefs though face as much of a challenge as @rijul.gulati @indianaccentmumbai who needs to live up to the legacy of the two Mehrotras, particularly Manish. There’s also the matter of Mumbai not quite warming up to the iconic brand as much as its Delhi counterparts.

If his new tasting menu is anything to go by then it shows he’s up to the challenge.

The only one course I took exception to was the Baked Duck Pulao where I found the rice to be too pungent and the duck too ephemeral. I didn’t find the basic wine pairing too thrilling, but I also accept wine paired menus are not easy to pull off. While Rijul has done a great job incorporating elements from Delhi and across the country, the absence of Bombay, the Konkan, or Maharashtra is a lacunae that ought to be addressed.

But these are niggling concerns and the menu on the whole is quite thoughtful and engaging. There’s a wonderful rendition of the famous New Friends Colony shawarma and an exceptional crab ghee roast in nandu rasam. I thought marinating the fish-shaped slices of regular carrot in the kanji pickle was quite an unexpected twist.

And I’m seriously contemplating making a pit stop at Indian Accent everytime I’m in BKC for the Barrel Aged Boulvardier.
#mumbai #mumbairestaurants #restaurantsofmumbai #indiancuisine #indianfood #bandra #bkc Less

I’ve been thinking a lot about why I enjoyed my meal at @across.bombay so much. I’ve realised it wasn’t just the food and the cocktails – both are fabulous and this was unquestionably amongst my best meals of 2024. I’ve unhesitatingly recommended the restaurant to everyone I’ve met.
More than the food, it’s @chefviraf and @giftofthegrub approach to Himalayan cuisine that I find exciting and hopeful. Technology has been replaced by technique, cleverness by creativity; there’s a respect for tradition and ingredients (Viraf explained a lot of time is spent on sourcing since there isn’t an established supply chain) without being restricted by either.
There’s also a respect for the expectations and limitations of their diners. At Across they’re not pretending the food is genuine Nepali, Bhutanese or Tibetan; they’re honest in stating it has been adapted to make it relevant to a contemporary urban Mumbai audience. An audience that that may not be familiar with the flavours and textures and who probably wouldn’t accept it in its original form.
For me, Across bridges the gap between the desperate need to stay true to an imagined traditional cuisine and the belief that when reimagined it needs to showcase a multiplicity of influences and processes. At Across they have recreated local cuisines in a simple, enjoyable form without the drama and theatrics.
I’d go back in a heartbeat and I’d make sure to keep space for that ethereal Cremeschnitte.
#mumbai #mumbairestaurants #restaurantsofmumbai #southmumbai #himalayan Less

Had a fun evening trying out the new dishes @rachelgoenka has added to the @thesassyspoon menu.
The star of the evening was the addictive Crispy Lotus Stems which everyone unanimously agreed was so good they should be retailed.
The tart raw mango and kasundi foam accompanying the Rawa Fried Prawns was a great idea as was the turai chutney with the Tofu Poppers.
Chorizo and hummus are surprisingly great bedfellows with the pita-like quality of the poi bridging the gap between the two cuisines.
While the romesco felt over salted with the crunchy broccolini, it paired magically with the burrata of hidden provenance.
Unexpected, flavourful combinations abound with the new additions being engaging and fun. The only reason there aren’t more pictures of the mains is because we were in a bit of a food torpor once we got through the starters. The only dish I was unconvinced about was the Khowsuey; it felt too soupy and the spices seemed to be clashing with each other rather than combining gracefully.
Desserts, naturally, have remained untouched
#mumbai
#mumbairestaurants #mumbaifood #newmenu Less

I'm not a big fan of tea but I was very impressed by the tea menu and the tea service @ziyagurgaon. In fact, there was very little about my meal that didn't impress me.
@chefvineet, who partnered with the @oberoihotels for Ziya, Mumbai and Gurugram, has introduced a new menu that draws on popular local dishes but presents them in a fun, modern avatar.
I found a lot to enjoy on this menu, like the Goan Balchao Shrimp Toast with spicy sour, pickled baby shrimp topped on crunchy toast fingers, the Aloo Toffee with an aloo paratha type filling in a toffee-shaped pastry or the Chilli Mushroom Tingmo with melted cheese topped chopped mushroom, lightly flavoured with truffle oil, on Tibetan tingmo bread.
The Tandoori Adraki Lamb Chops were served with a delicate purple potato mash and a Kashmiri-like aubergine and walnut chutney. I’m usually suspicious about eating fish in Delhi, it usually tastes terrible, but the Pickled Tomato Pan Grilled Fish but not only was the fish flavourful but the edamame sundal was as fascinating as the nuanced gondhoraj perfumed raita.
As much as I enjoyed the Mutton Ghee Roast with Malabar parotta for me the Chicken Tikka Masala served under a crisp quinoa dosa cone along with a spicy red Tamilian kara chutney was the winner. And despite being meatless, the crunchy Almond Crusted Asparagus served with a chilli and cashew nut khichdi and tangy tomato yoghurt gravy held my attention.
#indianfood #indiancuisine #delhirestaurants #delhi #gurugram #modernindiancuisine Less

The last time I met @chefshahnawazqureshi was about 10 years ago he had just taken over the kitchen at Saffron at JW Marriott, Juhu. He’s since returned to Lucknow where he runs a successful food business involved in restaurant consulting, catering, and has his own spice brand.
For the 10-day festival at Malang @courtyardbymarriottnavimumbai he’s put together a classic Awadhi menu. There’s the unusual Santra ka Shorba with orange segments and an interesting array of kebabs including the soft Galawati Kebab, the popular Lucknowi Seekh Kebab, and two of my favourites the Nadru Ki Shammi and the Dahi Ke Kebab.
The Koh-e-Awadh, tender lamb shanks in a silky smooth spiced korma was as good as the best I’ve tasted and there was also the unusual Lagan ka Murg, with chicken in a poppy seed and cashew paste gravy. A new dish for me was the Majlisi Khichda, never tried this Lucknowi-style khichda before.
For me, the breads of Lucknow have always been far more magical than the kebabs and kormas. Both the Khamiri Roti and the Ulta Tawa Paratha were excellent.
I’m not sure when I’ll next venture into the distant land of Navi Mumbai next, but I’m glad I made it for this festival.
Malang-e-Awadh will continue till 18th November.
#indiancuisine
#awadhi #navimumbai
#lucknow
#indianfood Less

@chefananyabanerjee is one of the most talented cooks I've ever met. She has a natural hand at cooking and I've been lucky to have tried out a range of dishes and cuisines from cakes and desserts to Ethiopian, German, Oriya, Anglo-Indian and pickles. Her bottled Kasundi is to die for.
Bengali, naturally, is what is closest to her heart and she does a magnificent job with it.
The thali she has put together @thetastingroombydiva is a testament of her passion. I'm not a fan of puchkas but the mellow sweet, tangy Pani found favour with me as did the sharp mustard oil flavoured jhalmuri. I loved the aamsotto khejur chutney, the creamy chingri malai Kari and the aromatic gondhoraj lebu pata bhat topped with goyna bori, the crisp and crunchy, jewelry-shaped fried snack.
While the short menu offers both a la carte and thali options, if you're a person of substance I'd recommend the thali.
#thali #bengali #bengalifood #bengalicuisine Less

I’m one of the few people from South Mumbai who’s never eaten at @gallopsmumbai. The Continental-Indian menu combination has never appealed to me, nor could I have afforded to eat there.
The 38-year restaurant has a loyal following and I can see why. It’s a great space in a unique location and despite having a huge menu, the food is exceptional.
The restaurant that Jasmine Singh, Iqbal Singh and Rahul Malik created has had an enduring legacy. It seems to be in safe hands with the second generation @chefyajushmalik and @mikhailsingh, who work under the watchful eye of Ms Singh.
#gallopsreimagined #mumbai #mumbairestaurants #restaurantsofmumbai #mahalaxmi Less