We are on the top floor of The Palladium Hotel in Lower Parel. To misquote John Lennon, The world below us, above us only sky. The view is spectacular. Li Bai and Mekong, the hotel’s newest Asian bar and restaurant looks impressive at first glance. It’s big. In fact it’s massive. Will the food match the ambience? We get set for a happy test. The name of the bar (Li Bai) draws its inspiration from the famous Chinese romantic poet of the Tsang dynasty, serving new age, edgy cocktails created with distinctive Chinese ingredients. A rather interesting installation -- a statue of Li Bai -- stands tall as one enters the bar.

Shimji Mushroom and dried chilies are slow cooked on a wok and steamed in its own juice