How the East eats in the South

Food AuthenticAmbiance ChicService PromptCost IdealVerdict 155The city is swarming with Asian eateries which may be why when we hear that a Bengalurubased one has opened shop here we are not too intrigued till we flip through their menu and find a wide range of Malay and Vitenamese offerings We head there for dinner on a Thursday and find it occupied by a family celebrating a birthday and at least three couples on dates The ambience is conducive for both groups with green walls a pop of colourful art that looks like its straight out of a comic book and pop music and RnB tunes from the 90s and early 2000s play on loopSzechuan chilli dumplingWe start with the szechuan chilli dumpling Rs 350 as Im always on the lookout for flavourful versions of this dish in Mumbai having been disappointed multiple times before With no alcohol on offer yet we pick NampM iceblended Milo Rs 235 out of curiosity and nostalgia The starter and drink are served within the 10 minutes it takes to zero in on the salmon cream cheese roll 390 for four pieces and California roll Rs 450 for four pieces from the sushi sectionWe take a sip and am instantly transported back to annual summer vacations to the hills where Milo a chocolate drink was the favoured choice of beverage to cut the heat of the sauce served with momos The chilli oil drizzle on the dumplings does not disappoint and the light garnish of celery shavings which we would have normally frowned upon works There is an explosion of flavours from the first bite and the only regret is that the dumplings could have been a tiny bit juicierCalifornia roll left and salmon cream cheese rollAs soon as thats done the sushi is served and we start with the salmon cream cheese ones which involve creamy big bites with huge chunks of Norwegian salmon garnished with capers Its fresh not too filling and the avocado and capers blend beautifully We love that its cold on the outside but offers a warm centre The California roll is crunchy thanks to the cucumber while the avocado does more to add to the texture though the hero as always is the crab stick But make sure you dont dunk the entire piece into the bowl of vinegar as its a bit too tart A few drops per piece sufficeFor the mains we cant refrain from opting for Nasi and Mee curry noodles Rs 460 a signature dish recommended by our server and the spicy tenderloin rendang Rs 635 that tastes best with steamed rice The curry noodles is a smooth blend of the two preparations mdash thin yellow egg noodles the mee aspect of it and a curry nasi made with coconut milk and pickled vegetables While it tastes a tad like khao suey thanks to the coconut milkheavy curry each bite is slurpily scrumptious The veggies arent overpowering the Thai herbs give it a different tangent and top marks for the fact that the noodles are authentic and not the usual pseudoMaggi rip offPanda baos PicsKarishma KuenzangThe rendang too reminds us of another dish mdash the Kerala beef fry The Indonesian spicy redmeat dish put on the culinary map by the Minangkabau people of the country offers a masaledaar chunk of meat in each bite with just the right amount of spices Its not a fried dish but a semicurry as it is slowcooked in coconut milk which means its not as heavy and that works for me as I cant stop tucking into it with riceWe order the panda baos Rs 270 for dessert which seems apt as we feel like pandas after the amount of food weve eaten Three dark chocolatestuffed baos are served in 15 minutes After a bunch of pictures we dive in Now if you dont like your nonbaked fermented breads sweet then avoid this Because it looks incredibly cute but consists of proper baos and pairing the outer layer with liquid chocolate may not be up your alley as is the case with my dining partnerWe will definitely be back to explore the Indonesian and Malay gems or maybe drop in for a sushicocktail night if we are in a hurryAt Nasi and Mee Unit F 6 first floor The Orb Marol Andheri EastTiming 12 pm to 1130 pmCall 5064629244 Exceptional 34 Excellent 24 very Good 14 Good 054 Nasi and Mee didnt know we were there The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for mealsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates