Opa! Bar & Cafe - Andheri Airport Road, Mumbai.

The sun shone brighter than before. It was so hot that most of the crew wanted to stay indoors. The lookout sat in his spot with an umbrella and sunglasses. We sailed in unfamiliar and unexplored territory. I wondered if our next mark would be the place where we finally find the blue compass. 

There was commotion on the deck as I took out me looking glass and studied the horizon. There was a sandy island up ahead. It also seemed to have a large town on it. Time to restock and sample the local taverns. As the ship neared the coast, we almost hit a local fishing boat. Opa!

Opa! which originally meant something on the lines of Oops in Greek is now often used in Greek celebrations or in high emotions. Opa! is a Middle eastern restaurant with some Greek and Turkish influences. Its located on the top of the Grand Peninsula hotel close to the Saki Naka Metro station. It could be difficult to find for the first timer, seek help from the hotel staff and thou shalt be fine.

Opa scores highly on its thematic ambiance. It feels like a true Middle Eastern restaurant. It is comparable to the stuff I saw in Dubai and the pictures of fine dine destinations in Lebanon and Morocco. The wall decor feels like the remnants of old Arabian palaces and the furniture feels very Moroccan. Combined with the summer sun in India, one is literally transported to the locales of the Middle East or North Africa. Opa has to be one of the finest roof top cafes in India. A true Arab Pavilion.

This also presents a problem. The summer heat can be rather harsh and Mumbai's humidity can sap the strongest man's strength. The small fans were mostly ineffective in offsetting the ambient heat. Its not impossible to tackle heat in an outdoor cafe. I do know of a certain other rooftop tavern that uses industrial grade coolers to keep its outdoors cool even in summers.

Opa! is quite well known for being a Hookah Bar as well. However, I don't smoke so I cannot describe well on that part. My friend however enjoyed the hookah facilities quite well. So I can claim that the Hookah is decent.

Opa scores high on food (mains and appetizers), mediocre on drinks and poorly on desserts. The ambiance, hookah and the food are the restaurant's strongest assets.

Opa's special Whiskey Sour. The color looked slightly atypical to that of the regular Whiskey sour. The drink was mildly potent. Its flavor was affected by the tremendous amount of ice put into it. It also felt too sweet. Due to the ice melting, the drink lost its flavor halfway through. The ice needs to be reduced to at least a third of what was put in.

The Cold Mezze platter was served with an assortment of dips like Baba Ghanoush, Hummus and labneh with various breads. This served as a nice appetizer, side and a filler in between courses. The dips felt authentic and set one right up for the other courses.

The Hot Mezze platter had an assortment of meat based appetizers like Adana Kebab, grilled chicken and Shish Taouk. There were also some greens and falafels. The meats were a passable fare save the Taouks which were juicy and delectable. I positively enjoyed the first platter more.

Chicken Sheefa is a popular dish in the middle east and surprisingly England. It usually has breads of various shapes stuffed with soft minced meat. Opa's variants resembled pots which were stuffed with an aromatic and savory stuffing. The stuffing was made of minced meat and various spices. The buns felt fresh, soft and slightly sweet and the stuffing was delectable. Though a Toum dip was provided with the platter, I found myself enjoying these buns on their own. To me, the sheefas were the perfect appetizers. The best in their class.

Captain : I like these hot buns.

Crewmate : Maybe we should focus on restocking. The prices here be cheaper than the last land.

Captain : Its still twice of what we paid outside this sea.

Crewmate : This is a desert island after all. No cultivation.

Captain : But the lowered prices indicate an island nearby with cultivation.

Arak Shrimps were made of pan tossed shrimps glazed with Arak. Rarely does one find the anise flavored Arak liquor in India. Its usually in the domain of five star hotels and big names. Opa brings it to the masses through its house specialty. The prawns tasted like everyday prawns sold at other places but the spicy and tangy flavoring made them delectable. The Arak added an unique twist which elevated a regular prawn dish to an elite prawn dish. A must if one loves sea food.

Chicken Bruschetta was made of grilled chicken on a focaccia toast. A bit of cheese was added on the top as well. A herb seasoning had probably been used somewhere too. The chicken was tangy, juicy and savory. This made a good antipasto though the chicken would easily get dislodged from the bread making it slightly annoying.

Time to move from the appetizers and side to the main like stuff.

Chicken Pide is a traditional Turkish flatbread that resembles a boat or a rugby ball. Pide is slowly making its moves and taking over from Pizza as the premier flatbread delicacy. Opa's variant had bright colors and flashy flavors. The chicken felt mixed and barbecued in flavor. The Rustic feel was in there. Pide uses butter instead of olive oil so it tends to be smoother in flavor. Opa's Pide was definitely the star among the mains.

Captain : This island has some nice delicacies. The world is bright and fun. Opa! :D

Crewmate : I like this Pizza.

Captain : This is not Pizza. This is Pida...Pide!

Crewmate : Pide, Lame Sparta wordplay :(

Vegetable Pita sliders were darlings in both visuals and flavors. These were made from mashed potatoes, cauliflower, Bell peppers and Jalapeno. The flavor was very snacky. The chef used pita bread instead of Burger buns making it some kind of a fusion food. This is something that can get over fast in the midst of a happy conversation.

Fish N Chips. This was beer battered Pomfret served with mushy peas and tartar sauce. The presence of this item on the menu was surprising since its British but I suppose the menu included a bit of diversity. The fish was disappointing since it felt a little too salty and crumbly within. The batter was too thick as well. I have definitely had better fish and chips.

Captain : Nina would you like some fish?

Nina : Nya :(

Captain : Oh you don't like the batter coating, eh? What if I remove it for you?

Nina : Nya :3

Crewmate : That Cat is the only creature you willingly share food with :(

Baked Umm Ali is an Egyptian bread pudding. Its supposed to have a solid bread pudding base and its appearance should be more of a semi solid than a bowl of gloop. Opa's variant did not feel authentic.

Sticky Toffee pudding was not as accurate as a traditional recipe goes. But the flavor was satisfactory. The pudding had more apricot than required mixed into the liquid below. This changed the flavor towards a tarty side. Minimal Toffee sauce was used on the sponge cake which sadly did not impart the typical toffee sauce flavor. The ice cream and the liquid salvaged the situation but otherwise I'd say that this was a pretty average dessert.


The service at Opa was great. The servers made sure that our tables always had fresh cutlery, water and the chef routinely inquired about the quality of the dishes.

The pricing seems slightly on the higher side as far as appetizers, drinks and desserts are concerned. Two of these three were off their mark on the day. The main's pricing felt at par or even lesser than other restaurants in town. And the mains (especially Pide) mostly won the day.

To sum it up, Opa! has more in its favor if you are looking for a good meal. The ambiance (especially at night) and the food make up a genuine Middle eastern/Turkish/Greek fare. The drinks need a bit of balancing and the desserts need rework.


The Captain's Score : 8/10

"
Captain : We don't need to buy too many things here. The port activity suggests that there are islands nearby.

Quartermaster : Just three days of stock. Your theory better be right.

Captain : Studying the wares sold in market, I suppose its an Island with a lush Bamboo forest.

First Mate : Ya know what? If you are right. I will do one week of deck sweeping but if you aren't, you will be doing the sweeping.

Captain : D:
"

Map Co-Ordinates
Opa! Bar and Cafe,
Hotel Peninsula Grand,Rooftop,
Opposite Sakinaka Metro Station,
Sakinaka, Mumbai


 -I was invited to sample the grub by the Restaurant's PR. My review however is objective.-

Peninsula - Sion, Mumbai

Me ship had been hit with problems after running into a storm. We were running low on both rations and fuel. The sails were damaged and the crew's morale was down. Thankfully, the keel was intact. Something needed to be done and it had to be fast. Me eyes spotted a small peninsula in the distance. And there were a bunch of restaurants there. 

This was a stroke of serendipity. Poseidon's grace was surely upon us. Once the lads get some grub, their morale would surely rise. 

"Dock the ship lads, its time we get some grub."

A Peninsula is a piece of land connected to the mainland yet surrounded by a single large water body on three sides. Southern India is a peninsula and so is this place in some way. If one were to consider the main roads as the sea then the restaurants on the corner junctions would surely be on a peninsula. But that's just my over imaginative mind talking. There is a probably a less cheesy story behind the restaurant's naming.

Peninsula is the first establishment among a reputed chain of restaurants and hotels that stretch from India to Dubai. Before the owners grew and the brand became a titan, this is where it all started.

Peninsula has been operating for twenty five years and its safe to say that the owners are quite experienced in the food business. With humble beginnings, this place has grown to become a multi-cuisine restaurant that offers Indian, Chinese and Mexican. Within Indian it offers North , South and West Indian grub. That's a lot of choice.

The ambiance resembles a quaint Victorian cafe from a forgotten era. The marble, the lighting and the artwork do not make it appear fancy or loud but still add an air of elegance and maturity to it. The dining area is not very large but certainly appears comfortable.

I was quite exhausted since the trip to Sion had been a long one for me. The late summer heat had also been quite a pest.

The Mint with Rock salt mocktail re-hydrated me and restored my spirits. This green colored drink was visibly enticing and its flavor was quite intriguing. The rock salt added a sweet-n-salty flavor to the drink while mint supplied its natural cooling sensation. The drink reminded me of the "Masala" soft drinks that I used to have back in my college days. The nostalgia was a warm sensation.

Kebab Platter looked quite amazing. It was a mix of six different kebabs. Each of the six was an amazing kebab. I do not think that I can complain about any kebab in this platter. It was simple perfection.

Reshmi Kebabs were smooth, savory and melt in your mouth type. 

Malai Kebabs were snacky and my favorite kind of white kebabs.

The classical Chicken Tikka had a potent amount of spice infused in it and the flavor was the genuine North Indian classic.

Pahadi kebabs were green colored chicken delicacies infused with coriander and mountain spices.

Madari Kebabs were my favorite in the platter and this was also my first time with these. These kebabs were marinated in rum giving them a unique flavor. I never knew that spices and Rum could be used in such unison. The flavor was quite addictive.

Lahori Kebabs were spicy North Indian morsels packed with flavor and had a heavenly aroma. These were clearly the better spicy kebabs. The spices here created different sensations on different taste buds. It was quite a mystifying sensation.

Captain : This be a treasure chest of Kebabs lad. 

Crewmate : Should we bury it on an island and mark it on a map?

Captain : Are you dense lad? The earth doesn't devour Kebabs, we do.

 

Garlic Naan was served as an accompaniment to the main but I felt that the flavor clashed and the main was best enjoyed with a plain Tandoori Roti or a Chapati.

 

Chicken Maratha had an appearance and aroma much similar to Sabud Masur Lentils. That is probably due to the coriander and spice mix. The dish also has a bit of Malwani feel to it. The chicken is moderately spicy and the flavor is quite strong. Those with a low spice tolerance could request the staff to mellow down the spice.

I however like spicy grub, so I quite enjoyed the dish. Each cube of chicken had flavor deep down to the very core. The thick curry was both aromatic and pleasing. The wafting aroma seduced my olfactory senses and it made me instantly hungry. (All this after eating several kebabs) This is the kind of food that pleases the heart and soul.

The www suggests that Chicken Maratha differs from place to place. But Peninsulas variant was definitely one of the better ones.

Captain : Green Colored Chicken, now that's something one doesn't see everyday.

Crewmate : Does it feel like a lentil soup?

Captain : Let me taste. Oh yes positively Lentil soup.

Crewmate : Are you being honest Captain? You seem to be eating it rather fast for a Dal.

Banana Split - I initially felt that there would be no space for dessert as I was quite full. However as soon as I laid me eyes upon this trophy of a dessert, I knew I had to devour it to the very last piece of banana in it. The pacman inside me was going bonkers or shall I say bananas.

Peninsula's Banana Split had an amazing presentation. It was nothing short of the fancy platings found in most casual diners today. And they had not compromised on the quantity with theatrics either. 

A scoop each of Butterscotch, Strawberry and Vanilla in a banana valley was as close as you can get to the American classic. The addition of Maraschino Cherries, roasted cashews and sliced almonds made this a banana republic that I can like. For a guy who was feeling full, I strangely finished this dessert completely.

Captain : Lets scale the ice cream mountains lad.

Crewmate : Uh huh.

Captain : Lets plant our flags on the peaks of Mt. Butterscotch, Vanilla and Strawberry.

Crewmate : You know...

Captain : But wait, what do I see? Bridges of cherry.

Crewmate : Its been a while since you got high on Desserts.

The service at Peninsula is decent. I won't say that its as extravagantly amazing as the service in some of the newer restaurants but it works well for a casual family diner. The servers appear seasoned and professional.

The pricing could be a little higher compared to most multi cuisine casual diners but the food is quite good and feels worth the money. The place does brisk business so patrons are fine with pricing structure.

While it may appear like an ordinary restaurant from the outside, its the experience inside that counts. The food is good and Peninsula positively serves some of the best kebabs in Mumbai. Made my trek to Sion worth the effort.

The Captain's Score : 8/10

"What can be better than to rejuvenate our spirits with Kebab and Chicken eh mateys? Now lets fix up our ol' ship and load up the rations. Shall we?"

Map Co-Ordinates
Peninsula
117, Peace Heaven,
Opposite Cinemax, Sion Circle,
Sion, Mumbai

-I was invited by the Restaurants PR on behalf of the establishment to sample the grub-