Launched by Priyank Sukhija, the Delhi restaurateur of Tamasha fame -- it is yet another eatery joining the bandwagon of modern-Indian, 'progressive' cuisine
Aquamarine walls with gold borders welcome us to JLWA, a floor below Escobar in Bandra. The glass windows give us a view of the suburb. Apart from a row of tacky lamps, the 6,000 sq ft space has British décor and tastefully done leather and fabric-covered chairs with knobs on which customers can hang their bags and the day’s worries.
Queen Scallops. Pics/Sayed Sameer Abedi
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Launched by Priyank Sukhija, the Delhi restaurateur of Tamasha fame — it is yet another eatery joining the bandwagon of modern-Indian, ‘progressive’ cuisine. But please don’t make conclusions based on the bastardised term, says Roshan Seth, who has curated the menu (he also developed the menu for Tamasha), as he narrates stories surrounding his research. “The concept is a culmination of my experiences while travelling and cooking regional food,” he says, adding that he sources his masalas from Khari Baoli in Delhi, peppercorn from Uttarakhand, bhut jolokia chilli and pearl potatoes from Assam, ker sangri from Rajasthan, Ambarsariya wadiya from Amritsar and Kadaknath chicken from a cooperative in Pune.
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Nimboo Kali Mirch Chicken
He’s excited to present his Sindhi Tamatar Kadhi (Rs 390). “This dish comes from my mother’s family, who migrated to India from Karachi during Partition,” he says. The kadhi comes with a deep-fried kadak roti, which adds a crunch to the warm broth, and is ideal for a wintry night. Next is the Go Green Salad (Rs 530), plated to resemble a swamp, with avocado, enoki mushrooms, lemon sprayed cubes of aloe vera, baby tomatoes and edible flowers, all cocooned in Belgian endives from The Netherlands.
Sindhi Tamatar Kadhi
Mini Bean Curd Shaslik on skewers (Rs 490) gets a semi-dry rub of roasted hemp, cumin and coriander, which we dip into a smoked maple and carrot coulis and olive pâté splatter. Instead of chutney, Seth serves this with a generous portion of piping hot spinach and garlic gravy. The Paneer Hadippa (Rs 475), served with an Uttarakhandi Taai roti made of paneer and flour, is flavoured with purple cabbage and green chilli. The Hadippa rub has a nutty and peppery Romesco sauce.
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Mini Bean Curd Shaslik
The mains get more progressive with the Queen Scallops (Rs 1,100), which arrives under a cloche that gives out the aroma of Munnar green tea when lifted. The dish has a sweet and tart tomato fonduta with an avoidable tender coconut flesh espuma. The scallops come with a strongly scented focaccia, which has been tossed in Chettinad masala of pepper, coriander seeds and curry leaf oil. The dish that wins us over is the Nimboo Kali Mirch Chicken (Rs 610), in which the lemongrass-braised chicken is marinated with cream. A chur chur roti with drops of cherry sauce and garlic chutney drizzle accompanies it. The roti crumbles like a thin biscuit, and the use of lemongrass as a flavour rub is unique.
Roshan Seth
Our meal meets a bittersweet end with Shahi Tukda (Rs 575), served as a buttery brioche bulging with a careless smattering of mascarpone cheese. The tartness from wild berries and pistachios does little to save the day.
Opens: Today
At: VN Sphere Building, Bandra West
Call: 8291162951
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