Veranda - Bandra West, Mumbai.

I am not a stranger to strange things but nothing made sense till one of me mates lit up a match which briefly flickered till the wind put it out. There was a small tunnel inside the building walls. It wasn't big enough for a man but large enough for a cat. Nina used this passage to come to us but how did the little fur ball know about the tunnel to begin with? Cat Magic? These questions would be addressed later. There was a loud noise up ahead. It was almost as if there was a storm somewhere. But how does such a small structure have a colossal abyss and such strong wind within it. Cautiously our party walked ahead, leaving the abyss behind.

A painter and a chef are both artists. One pleases the visual senses by the rendition of colors on a canvas while the other pleases the gustatory senses by the rendition of flavors on a plate.

To me, people are defined by what they make of the space given to them. As new eateries and new restaurants pop up like never before, it is important for a restaurant to have something unique that etches itself onto the memory of its visitors.  

Veranda, located inside the Executive Enclave Hotel is a place that enchants you with its art gallery inspired ambiance. The place sometimes feels like a royal palace of a lost age with all of its decor and splendor. The Rohra brothers(Owners) have taken great time and designed the place very tastefully. Elder Brother Rahul is a man with an eye for details. He came up with the decor for both Cafe Terra (Located on top of the same building) and Veranda. And one has to admit that both places score highly on the ambiance. For the art connoisseur, the paintings rotate after a period.

 I don't do drugs, I am drugs.

Younger Brother Monish is a chef who has extended the artistic themes to the menu. With dishes like chicken Redbrandt, Banksy Bharta, Raja Dahi Varma and Mario Goan Miranda - One can see the homage paid to artists from all walks of life. The dishes in most part do justice to their namesakes.

The Amuse Bouche was made of a spicy-tangy drink and mini idli coated with gunpowder. An excellent first course as it invoked my appetite.

Pablo Picacho(left) and Kin Sue(Right) made an excellent soup based second course. The Pablo had a very Indian flavor to it and had pulled chicken julienne with mint and onions. It was a thin soup with a lot of flavor. The Kin sue was made of pumpkin and sour cream. It was a creamy and flavorful soup that was quite addicting. The pumpkin flavors signified the onset of Autumn. It was served with blue cheese croutons which made it a top notch fine dine experience.

Contem Beet Root Salad was a boat load of stuff. No pun intended. This mixture was comprised of Quinoa salad, Rocket drizzled with Kasundi honey mustard and cups fashioned out of hollowed baby beetroot with hung curd inside. The salad was both a visual spectacle and was full of sweet, tart and savory flavors. This had to be one of the best salads I have come across. Bonus points for artistic creativity.

Captain : This gigantic chamber seems to be the source of the wind. 

First mate : I have been thinking. Have you lads heard about the Chest of storms?

Captain : Thats a legend.

First mate : Indeed, as is the blue compass.

Mushroom Car pachino was made of portobello and the rare(+expensive) Shimeji mushrooms. It also had roasted edamame, cherry tomatoes and asparagus. The dish was smoked in a Hickory chamber lending to it a distinct rustic flavor which I have not experienced anywhere else in Mumbai. The dish was colorful, healthy and full of mildly savory sensations. If you are a vegetarian then this is a must have.

Raja Dahi Varma was a piece of art. When it was served on my table, it looked so pretty that I did not want to damage and eat it, ha. Baked yoghurt was used to make the square structures which were filled with Tamarind gel. The crisps were made of potatoes and were placed on a dollop of sweetened curd and Urad dal flitters.

This dish was as beautiful with its flavors as it was with its appearance. It tasted very much like Indian curd based street foods like Dahi Kachori or Dahi Bhalla but its appearance was unlike anything I have ever seen. This is an absolute must have for anyone who visits Veranda. Raja Ravi Varma would be proud.

Image Courtesy Zomato/Veranda

Dhaba Chicken platter was made of three popular Kebabs. I quite enjoyed this platter. The Green Pudhina(mint) Kebab was full of juicy hariyali flavor. Kashmiri red chili was a spicy and a strong flavored kebab. The Zaffrani Chicken Tikka combined the popular tikka flavor with a bit of creaminess. I was upset that this got over so fast but it made an ideal bar nibble.

Nina : Nya 

Captain : Its cold here but the wind (gulp) seems to be coming from inside this...

First mate : Say it :)

Captain : Chest.

Chicken Redbrandt was a red themed dish with Chicken Teriyaki, sticky spicy Tawa rice and Thai Salad. The rice was full of flavors and tasted well on its own. It complemented the mild flavored Teriyaki Chicken really well. This was the quintessential main one seeks at a fine dine restaurant.

Gulkand Choco bar was something that would have been perfect for Masterchef's visual illusion or food deception challenge. Styled like a Chocolate Popsicle, this isn't its namesake in reality. Its an eggless chocolate mousse that looks simply amazing. The mousse is soft and airy. The dessert was good though the almond flakes could have been lesser and the Gulkhand(rose) flavoring a little more prominent.

I cannot comment on the service presently since most of the things were served by Monish himself and the crew was being trained. The place is brand new and growing up at the moment.

The pricing is on the higher side as the restaurant is a fine dining installation. The creativity and the effort put into some of the things does merit the price. I felt that the prices were mostly satisfactory as far as quality and portion sizes go.

Veranda is going to be big in a few months. It will be a popular feature in food magazines and articles alike. Everything seems to work for it. But I feel that one could exploit it while it still remains to be a hidden gem. The food and the wonderful ambiance without the long queues and reservation hassles is an early bird reward.

The Captain's Score : 8/10

"

First mate : Close the chest.

Captain : Doing it. (Closes chest)


First mate : See. No more wind. Do you understand how useful this chest can be to us?

Captain : Light up your matches lad. Lets see what we are into. 

Crew mate : (Lights the match)

Captain : What the? This chamber isn't as big as we thought. 

First mate :(walks back) Look at our "abyss".

Captain : What the? That must just be about a hundred feet below. But it felt so deep while climbing.

Nina : Nya :3

First Mate : Darkness tends to distort perception.

"

Map Co-Ordinates
Veranda at Hotel Executive Enclave,
331, Dr Ambedkar Road,
Pali Hill, Bandra West
Mumbai.


-I was invited to sample the menu by the Restaurant. My review however remains objective.-



 

Cafe Terra - Pali Hill, Mumbai

The weather looked devious and the rain would come and go. The sky was grey and the waves were rough. Most of me crew was in the lower decks as I and a few of the lads steered the ship in the storm. The roar of the thundering wind and the angry waves was almost deafening and we longed to find a sanctuary to get away from the inclement weather.

Suddenly the lookout rang the bell ferociously. And I got out me looking glass to see what he was pointing at. At first it looked like a light house in the middle of the sea but it turned out to be a small island with a tower. Whats more interesting was that there was a restaurant at the very top of that tower. Sanctuary and Grub.

The Gods of the sea were gracious as they led us to Terra.

The Mumbai Zoman community is trying to catch up to some of the more buzzing Zoman collectives in London, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and even Pune. What better way than to host an event in a chic Mediterranean themed cafe on a rooftop? And one of the many Zomato invitations managed to reach tis' Captain's humble mailbox. Terra was an Terra-fic name and enough for me to make the voyage. Onwards to Terra.

Imagine arriving at a concert and you find yourself seeing an incomplete stage and the organizers working out on issues. That is what I felt when I stepped in. But then, imagine if time passes quickly and suddenly you are in the middle of a buzzing concert. Was the first part just a dream or did the place Terra-form? As the sun went down and darkness descended upon us, the Cafe started looking complete and quite pretty too. Welcome to Terra...in the sky.

I am a person who loves lighting, the feel, the romance and the energy in the air. Cafe Terra seemed like a cool place who had these all. The music was perfect and I was a bit surprised to see an old man who would better fit into the shoes of a stereotyped office boss mixing the music. But eh, he totally brought the house down. Perhaps he was the Guru or the big Daddy-O of many a young DJs. While the daytime appearance was compared to Greek and Mediterranean Islands by a few, the night appearance definitely resembled a North Goan club. It transformed from a quaint cafe to a party zone in a matter of minutes.

The event had a special menu which felt a tad bit restricted but eh it had a few hits of its own.

The Zinfandel Rose Sangria was a mystery mix which had Wine, Vodka, Melon balls and some other unknown ingredients. Rahul Rohra, Terra's owner and a master chemist of fine cocktails refused to divulge the secrets of this tangy and potent mix offering his smile as the only consolation. Its color was quite intriguing being very atypical of the usual Sangria. I held my glass high and looked over the city as man made lights grew brighter. To prosperity and Mumbai.

The cocktail was a nice start to the sun downer event and seemed to go well with the Feta-Melon (with basil and a drizzle of Balsamic reduction) skewers. It built quite an appetite.

The Honey Mustard Chicken Salad was perhaps one the best Chicken salads that I have had. While the greens were in abundance, the chicken was equally abundant as well. One too often does one find places going scrooge on the chicken in such salads. The sweet honey mustard concoction stuck to the chicken giving it a mix of a savory and candied kind of sweet flavor. Even the lettuce and corn felt rich with the liquid. Never have I found myself being a glutton for salad. This mix would please both Popeye and Wimpy.

Prawn skewers in a herb crust was perhaps the finest attraction of the evening. I am not a big fan of prawns but every once in a while some chef manages to make a Prawn lover out of me. The herb coating added a very savory snackilicious feel to the prawns. They were tender and juicy. The provided dip did not quite augment the already superior taste so it felt redundant. This item paired quite well with the Zinfandel Sangria.

Captain : These would make a nice snack with me grog.

Crewmate : We could smuggle a barrelful aboard the ship.

Captain : But that would last only a day at best.

Banana Leaf wrapped fish was apparently Pomfret cooked inside the leaf. Though, I am not fond of fish with scales but disregarding that I felt that it was wee bit unnaturally salty for my linking.

Epic Club Sandwich's naming felt akin to calling a river a great sea. It was delivered considerably later than fashionable late and as a result had become quite cold. The bread was not uniformly heated as some parts felt soft while some others hard. The flavor very much resembled a run of the mill chicken mayo sandwich that I have had in Monginis and smaller establishments.

While strictly not a fan of Margherita Pizza, this was a reasonably good pie with a nice thin base and an addicting type of savory flavor. The cheese was generously added and the pizza felt light and tasty.

Captain : This is tasty but could have used some meat.

Crewmate : It feels a bit barren Cappy, a few more veggies could have added more color.

Captain : A bit of meat would have added more fun.

Aglio e Olio Pasta was not a part of the event menu but somehow found way to our table. There is a difference between spaghetti and noodles. And I felt it tasted less like the former and more like an instant noodle mix. Needless to say, it didn't find any fans across the table as it left the table looking mostly the way it was served.

As the evening came to a close, we were served the dessert. Terra Chocolate Sizzler with Hot monk Todi felt and tasted like an average Sizzling brownie. For some reason the brownie felt a bit hard and crumbly despite being drenched in sauce. But what changed the perception of this fella from a loser to a winner was the addition of  "Hot Monk Todi". Akin to an ordinary Saiyan going super.

Served in shot glasses, this liquid paired excellently with the brownie. Perhaps their pairing was as good as Shashi Tharoor and Twitter. I am not entirely sure what the liquid was made out of and as usual Rahul offered his "main nahi bataoonga" smile. I felt that there was some cinnamon and clove in the formula, but that's all I could feel.

Crewmate : I love Sizzlin brownies Captain.

Captain : Well you can have mine too.

Crewmates : Really? They go so well with these Todi shots. 

Captain : What Todi shots? Wait? Were they served with a secret elixir, lad?

Crewmate : I will never tell.

The service in Terra could use work, lots of work. The servers were slow and ill informed. They had to be given several reminders on some of the things. And a lot of things arrived cold. It took them half an hour to get me a fresh plate as I used my hands till then to substitute the same in a MacGyver fashion.

Since this was a meet for Zomans, the tab was taken care of by Zomato and the house. The menu pricing suggests par pricing with most Restropubs in suburban Mumbai.

As I look at the experience, Terra had an amazing ambiance. The city view was fantastic and I loved the lighting work. There was a bit of a "rain water coming in" issue but that seemed more like an ironing issue that they can take immediate care of.

In jest, I'd say that the place though named Terra had a bit of the sky and water to it as well. The appetizers and drinks were amazing but the mains served felt like they needed more love. Would I visit again? Definitely - there is a lot on the menu to be tried so tis' Captain has marked the place on his map.

The Captain's Score : 7/10

"The weather is getting worse and the tavern's closing lads, we have no choice but to get back to the seas. All ya well fed mateys, on the sails immediately."

Map Co-Ordinates
Cafe Terra

Executive Enclave Hotel, Seventh Floor,  

Pali Hill, Bandra West,

Mumbai

-I was part of a colorful discourse over food organized by Zomato for the Zoman community. The grub was on the house. Special thanks go to Kaiarsh, Rahul and Zomato-