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.-

Grillin it up at the Zulu Terrace - Andheri West, Mumbai

The day was hard as me men fought the dastardly Kraken which was trying to rob me ship's possessions with its many arms. We managed to sever many of its tentacles and forced it to retreat. But we know that it will raise its ugly tentacles again someday. An epic battle however demands an epic meal. Me men were tired as I took out me looking glass to scout for places in this part of the sea. 

I saw something in the distance. Located on the top of a house was a rooftop restaurant. Fancying the need of good grub with some fresh air, I fired a roped harpoon from my ship till it stuck to the side of the restaurant. Then I turned to the lads "Fancy climbing across the ropes?"

Zulu Terrace is located in the food district of the Southern Suburbs, Andheri West. Its near Lokhandwala and Fun republic. It could be difficult to spot the place since it lies inside one of the many lanes adjoining the  main road. So that certifies it as a hidden place. But is it a Gem or something else? Well, read on mate.

Zulu Terrace is a rooftop cafe on a small building. So its not a place for the view. Its a place for the feel. Being surrounded by trees gives it the feeling of being surrounded by a forest. Though, I am pretty sure that is not what inspired the Zulu name. The restaurant serves Shisha(hookah), drinks and good grub. One can say that it has everything under one roof. Or over one roof ha.

I was invited by head chef Dionysus Lobo to sample some of the grub and he personally curated a course for the good ol' Captain.

Orange Melon Cocktail was made by mixing two fruit juices. It was sweet, tangy and rather refreshing. It even looked colorful to top it all. One could say that this was the perfect drink after an excruciating trek in the urban jungle.

Captain : In the Jungle, the noisy jungle, the lion sips tonight.

Linguist : Isn't it mighty instead of noisy and sleeps instead of sips?

Captain : Stop ruining my clever word plays lad :(

Chicken Espetada is a chicken version of a famed Portuguese dish (The original has beef). The minced meat skewers tasted wholesome and flavorful. Being grilled on a charcoal spit rotisserie also infused the flavor of an outdoor barbecue onto these. The aroma was "ah so divine". This goes very well as grub on its own but is the perfect thing to pair with Beer or whiskey. It was the ideal thing to eat on a machan during a night safari.

Peri Peri Chicken is a dish that is African at heart but colonial at creation. This dish was made by Portuguese colonials in Angola using the Pili pepper found in Africa. For us Indians, this pepper is relatively tame. It tastes like a savory herb which boosts the flavor of anything its rubbed on. This Afro Portuguese dish was thus a twist to the satay like chicken strips. It was mildly spicy, pleasantly fragrant, savory and had a bit of Thyme sweetness. Great grub to offer to the chiefs of the opposing tribes or your office mates on a break ha.
 

Hazari Kebabs. These soft four hour marinated chicken kebabs melt in one's mouth coloring the palate with cream, cheese, powdered cashews and spices. Have these and you would never want to eat other kebabs again. These kebabs were a divine sensation for me tongue. Ahh, I salivate as I write about them. Works well as a reward after a long hunt in the suburbs.

Captain : This one is for me, This one also for me and this again for me.

Linguist : Why don't you leave me a piece too, old chap?

Captain : I did leave you a piece. Here.

Linguist : But that's just a tiny sliver of onion. Not even a Kebab.

Jack Daniels burger. This burger had a sauce which was fashioned out of Jack Daniels whiskey hence the name. It was full of fragrant sweet jus which came out as I took a bite. The burger was messy but full of flavor filled meat. It was priced slightly more than the Dunkin Donuts Tough guy burger but was several levels above it in flavor.

The only problem that I found with it was the liberal use of thick onion and tomato slices. These tend to interfere in an otherwise pleasure filled burger experience and thus the slices used must be kept very thin. Served with a side of fries, it makes the ideal grub before a long noon in the Savannah.

French Rolls. This Chicken and spinach concoction rested in a bath of delectable and creamy Ricotta. This was part of a special "dish of the day menu" at Zulu Terrace. It tasted similar to Roulade and was full of proteiny goodness. Though this has no connection to the Jungle, it serves well for the soft footed tourists on elephant backs.

This was but a small part of the grub menu at Zulu. The whole menu is massive and there is something for everyone. Whether you are a hungry lion or a raging Rhino, the menu will always please you. Currently the only thing that the menu lacks is a dessert section but I am told that the management will introduce that shortly.

The pricing is very affordable. It is cheap for the good quality of food served. It is the kind of place where one can chow down on fine food everyday without burning a hole into their pockets.

I cannot comment much on the service since I was invited to have a meal here. But it seemed to be satisfactory from what I could observe on other tables.

Despite not being a fine dine or a place with an elegant ambiance, this place had a special charm to it. As I mentioned earlier, the trees made me perceive that I was on a machan in the midst of a tropical Jungle. The food was better than most similar places that I have been to. It was good enough to plan a second trip here. As a suggestion, the management could add a bit of some Zulu music to really get people in the mood. And perhaps a bit of bush crickets.

The Captain's Score : 9/10

"Its time for the hunt lads. We are back in the big game. Harpoons out and let's challenge those Krakens and Leviathans."

Map Co-Ordinates
Zulu Terrace
Next to Barbeque Nation,
Off New Andheri Link Road,
Andheri West, Mumbai


 -I was invited by the Head Chef to sample the Grub. My post however is neutral and based off what I felt.-

Eat Pray Luv - Bandra West, Mumbai

It had been a rough day and I was almost falling asleep on the helm. At sea good sailors often pray that the voyage is safe, that they have good grub to eat and perhaps some love along the straits. As I steered me ship through the dark sea lanes, there was a small noise on the radio. I looked at the innocuous radio and felt that it was my imagination. Tiredness can cause hallucinations after all. Then suddenly the radio came alive making me jump on my feet.

The voice on the radio belonged to a fine young lad that I had met in me travels. He sounded excited and asked my position. On providing him the same, he asked whether I could join him in an ongoing carnival on a nearby island. My eyes opened wide. "Tired, who is tired?" I stormed out of the pilothouse.

"Lads we have a CARNIVAL going on nearby, full speed ahead." For tired men, they executed me orders almost instantly. After all - A good sailor never passes down a dame, a feast and a carnival.

It is often said that if you think of something hard enough, it actually happens. Ever since the famous book appeared on the shelves, many food reviewers and bloggers started calling themselves as some variant of Eat-pray-love-repeat. But that wasn't the miracle we were waiting for. The miracle was a casual Italian Diner called Eat Pray Luv that appeared in Bandra.

Eat Pray Luv (EPL) is a sparkling new establishment that has appeared on the rooftop of a building called C'est La vie translating roughly to "Thats life". The building is a club that houses several clubs and a rooftop swimming pool which faces EPL.

Whether by design or by sheer co incidence - The wind entering the roof from the gaps, passes over the pool becoming cool and makes the environment pleasant. Our very own Hawa Mahal if you may. That readers, indeed is life. The pool and the illumination from the dim orange lights set up quite a mood. EPL aptly sits as the crown on top of C'est La vie.

EPL is the creation of Chef Davide Cananzi who after his stint with Mariot group and Mezzo Mezzo decided to champion his own place in his image. Davide is an energetic, multitasking and a funny man with a rather zany sense of humor. He is also hospitable and seems to be a cool cat. That explains his choice of having a rooftop place near a pool. Its a place where the coolness could probably calm down even the likes of Arnab Goswami. Someone give this man a thousand cookies.

I was part of a little Blogger meetup organized by Team EPL (nothing to do with IPL I swear). Jay Dhawan, one of my young friends, suggested my name to the team hence getting me on board for the experience.

The evening started with the first course of drinks. Since I was tired, I settled for a virgin......drink that night.

Berry Mojito was a tangy, sour and a candied version of the regular Mojito. The appearance looked classy and it worked quite well for a virgin Mojito. The sour came from lemons while the sweetness from cranberry and strawberry. Just to note, that those with a lower tolerance for sour may not be too fond of this.

When in Rome do as the Romans do, when in an Italian place with an Italian chef - eat what the Italians do. Salted Tuna Cannoli were tube pastries filled with a delicious mix of cream cheese and soft Tuna. The Tuna represented coastal grub while the Cream cheese symbolized modern Cafe grub. Brought together and they produce a taste like none other. It would be fair to say that flavor oozed out of every bite into the pastry. Cigars of glee I'd say.

Captain : This is truly a dish for a Captain.

Crewmate : Does that mean, I don't get any Cappy ? :(

Captain : You can have one lad.

Crewmate : One Cannoli cigar :D ?

Captain : One Bite.

Jerk Chicken Wings is a Jamaican delicacy that I don't find too often in Mumbai. In fact, I have only been recently acquainted with this bar nibble. EPL's version was plated well but ended up being an insipid experience. Usually, a good chicken dish calls out to me and I rarely pass the plate with just a tasting portion.

Baked Aubergine with ricotta and ham was a visually pleasing dish. It felt fine for the most part though it was not enough to surpass my dislike for Aubergines. The edges of the aubergine slices felt a bit sharp and stiff. The dish however was thoroughly enjoyed across the table suggesting that my nitpicking with it could be due to an inherent resistance against the purple bulb. A person who is fine with eggplant would probably enjoy this better.

Is it a dollop of Ice Cream? a Raj Kachori? Nope it was Burrata with happiness and thrills on the side.
This was my first encounter with this dish and obviously I did an itty bitty googling on the same. I could not find a picture that looked better than what was served on my plate. It won over me visually. The item is literally the holy grail of cheese lovers every where.

The outer shell seemed to be made of Mozarella while it was filled with softer cheese and cream within. The balsamic caramelized figs addition was like a crown on a king. Salty, savory with a a bit of sweet and tangy. This complete package was quite an experience. This is one of the best things I have ever had Burrata..I mean Brotha.

Captain : This has goodness oozing out of it.

Crewmate : This is almost perfection. A Cheese casing with more cheese inside.

Captain : Yo Dawg, I heard you like cheese. So we put cheese inside your cheese. So you can have cheese while you eat cheese.

Crewmate : What the barnacles!!

Spaghetti Chicken Wings felt like an item that was perhaps a victim of too many things happening. The item was supposed to have Mozzarella but felt a bit lacking on that part.

If one has to analyze the appetizers, I would say that EPL worked well for Italian delicacies but fell short on the foreign ones.

I eyed the servers as they brought in the main courses which were dominated by Pizza. My joy knew no bounds, after all what is an Italian place without the pizza?

Biancaneve is a very special name. Translating to Snow White in Italian, this pizza certainly lived up to its name. Its looked like a regal white monarch crowned with a Tiara of Arugula(Rucola) adorned by ruby like cherry tomatoes. The salty creamy Mascarpone provided comfort to the taste buds. It was enough for them to swoon over it akin to young women in a rockstar's concert.

The truffle oil proved to be a better ingredient than pure olive oil as it provided a savory undertone that brought out the flavors of everything else. The Parmesan flakes added to the whole experience by providing a different kind of saltiness. The pizza was the best amongst the trio of pizza served to us. And this comes from a person who usually avoids vegetarian pizzas.

Captain : Oh-my-Bianca, make me happy, make me complete, give me the joys of life.

Crewmate : Is that your lady, Cappy? 

Captain : No its my pizza.

Prosciutto e Rucola felt like the Star Batsman who went out for a duck. Although, Proscuitto ham is supposed to be served thin, the ham slices used here were ultra thin and too few in the pizza to make an impression on the flavor. The flavor was largely dominated by the Arugula leaves which did not make it a good affair.

Capricciossa in some ways resembled capriccio music. It was simple yet liberally made. This scrumptious beauty was packed with artichokes, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes in a lava of the softest mozzarella cheese ever. The thin slices with cheese flowing over them provided treat to both the eyes and the tongue. EPL has to be the Eden for vegetarian pizzas. 

I was full at this point and had to miss on some of these lovely delicacies.

But my appetite was resurrected as soon as I laid my eyes upon the dessert. Chef Davide had been very persistent upon all of us waiting till the very end. And I am glad that we listened to him.

There is no spoon. 

Davide's signature Tiramisu had an appearance that looked straight out of a Masterchef contest. The color, aroma and the appearance of the Tiramisu was perfect by text book definition. Made with real Mascarpone cheese, ladyfinger crumbs, coffee and cocoa, this was the paradigm of a true Tiramisu. Have a bite and fall in love with this Italian masterpiece. You will never want to eat Tiramisu from anywhere else again. If you are a dessert traveler who would travel far and wide for the best, do consider a trip to EPL.

Chocolate mouse with Mystery Jam - The Tiramisu was amazing, there is absolutely no question about that. But the show was stolen by this simple looking Chocolate mousse. This dark chocolate delight felt like an oddity straight from an Enid Blyton book. The rich and dense Chocolate liquor felt like a heavenly elixir and then at the bottom was a strange red glaze. At first bite it tasted like strawberry jam making it a Choco strawberry mousse.

But upon digging even further, one found that this jam was actually a mixture of strawberry and chili. Hence sweet with a bit of tongue tip heat could be the best sensory description for this. I could have written Chocolate mousse with Chili strawberry jam at the start but that would have ruined the mystery ha. This mousse was strangely addicting especially with the chili.

Captain : Oceans of chocolate around me.

Crewmate : It begins.

Captain : Deep within is the fabled strawberry.

Crewmate : Carry on.

Captain :  But wait, dont forget the Chili.

The staff is well informed about all the goods on the menu. They even pronounce the goods with an Italian accent. The whole experience was reminiscent of having fine food by the pool in a classy five star hotel.

The pricing is variable. For some grub options it may feel taxing but for its excellent desserts and pizzas its quite value for money. For an overall four course experience, EPL may actually be cheaper than most fine dines in the city.

I will say it as many times necessary. The evening was amazing. Eat Pray Luv had the finest grub compared to all of my previous Roof top dining experiences. In fact, its tranquil and cool atmosphere was almost inspiring. I would love to visit EPL again.

The Captain's Score : 8/10

"Eh you greedy scallywags, stop lickin' your dessert cups and spoons. A fine wind blows our way and we have rough winds to sleigh. So raise the flag, grab the ropes and lets sail away."

Map Co-Ordinates
Eat Pray Luv

64, 3rd Floor,
Near Holy Family Hospital, Hill Road,
Bandra West, Mumbai
Phone : +91 9820436666


-I was invited by the EPL team and Disha Kotak to sample some of Chef Davide's delicacies. Special thanks go to Jay Dhawan who passed me the invite. And to Chef Davide for being such a great host.-