u0192u00ba u0192u00ba u0192u00ba u0192u00ba u0192n EXCEPTIONAL, u0192u00ba u0192u00ba u0192u00ba u0192n EXCELLENT, u0192u00ba u0192u00ba u0192n VERY GOOD, u0192u00ba u0192n GOOD, AVERAGE. Younion didnu2019t know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals A night post from the pages of a diary of two adults, aged . . and . . , who walked into Lower Parelu2019s latest millennial cave PHORUM DALAL theguide@ mid- day. com WE bump into friends outside KOKO. u201c Come on in!u201d Weu2019re going to Younion, we tell them, receiving a blank stare with the retort: u201c Thatu2019s for kids.u201d Weu2019re feeling rather young. Outside Younion, we are the oddballs ( read: older folk) among the dressed- up, trippy college goers. We spot high boots, high waist- pants, crop tops and layers of makeup.
The crowd is clearly here to party.
We walk past the entry, where beefy bouncers are checking IDs, in a breeze.
Gone are the days when we could giggle and celebrate the victory.
Inside, the music is thumping loud and we ignore the echo thuds in our chest.
The crowd seems to care two hoots about it as they dance to Swedish House Mafiau2019s, Donu2019t you worry child. We manage to squeeze ourselves at the bar, and start with shaky Peteu2019s ginger blue on tap ( R . . . ) which comes in a bath tub, and mango margarita ( R . . . ) which arrives in a cactus. We sip, cringe at the strong concoction of curacao, ginger, gin and pale ale.
This is a recipe for a black- out! The mango margarita is slushy, tropical in the company of a strong dose of tequila, palatable and potent. We look around; artificial plants hang from the ceiling; the walls wear neon lights in blue and pink brightening the faces of revellers who are tipsy, chatty and sweaty. They are taking selfies relentlessly in an open cage. The scene reminds our companion of university days in the US. We raise a toast to the bygone era and appreciate the high- energy ambience, but weu2019d rather invest in Netflix and pizza.
Behind the bar, a blue neon light reads: Youth has no age.
This calls for another cheer, and we do it with shots.
A Pimento scotch which is an all- spice infused shot ( R u00a3 u00a3 . ) is one strong kick but we savour ( actually sip) the purple rainbow ( R . u00a3 . ) which has grapefruit- infused vodka.
Our nerves at ease, we order buttery nipple ( R . . . ) which is a shot blend of butterscotch liqueur and baileys. The milky smoothness with a punch of liqueur is fire and ice in the mouth. The menu has shots as cheap as at R . . like the orange vodka and spiced rum. A group of youngsters buy a bottle for the table and they take it in a glass bottle like a khamba.
Okay then, weu2019ve been living under a rock.
Our food order takes the longest to arrive, and we know we have sinned for we ordered food at a bar that is busy ticketing drinks at the speed of light. The go green pav bhaji comes with buttery pav, and the mash is only green vegetables; we love the masaledar punch it leaves on our palate. The other two orders u2014 Kerala tenderloin fry ( R . . . ) and kheema ghotala tava pav ( R . . . ) u2014 donu2019t arrive for over . . minutes, and so we request them to parcel it. It takes at least . . minutes for the takeaway.
By the time we squeeze through the crowd and leave.
The tenderloin is rubbery dry and the kheema ghotala, we realise could have done with more masala.
During an earlier interview, when owner Zorawar Kalra had told us: If you donu2019t want to party with the youngsters, go in the day time for a quiet meal. But we had to see this for ourselves.
AT Younion, Kamala Mills Compound, near Radio Mirchi Office, Lower Parel.
TIME 12 pm to 1 am CALL 8433942801 FOOD REVIEW FOOD/ AVERAGE AMBIENCE/ TRIPPY SERVICE/ GOOD COST/ REASONABLE VERDICT/ u0192u00ba u0192u00ba u0192u00ba u0192u00ba Itu2019s the time to R( age) Peteu2019s ginger blue Mango margarita Purple rainbow Go green pav bhaji.
PICS/ PHORUM DALAL
