Mumbai Food: Bom'bar will leave you 'Bombed Out'

Perched on the 14th floor of a high-rise in Goregaon West, overlooking a mega mall and offering an eye full of the lush, green hills of Filmcity in the east, two-month-old Bom'bar' restobar rides high. Bathed in natural sunlight, the strobe lights woefully redundant. The less said about the thumping beats amplified from the DJ booth at 1 pm the better.

A large black and white portrait of Marilyn Monroe with a kitten stares down at you as you make yourself comfortable at a table that's surrounded by cobalt blue chairs and matching, tufted couches. Both the food and drinks' menus are further peppered with plenty of Bombay puns. Take for instance the cocktail that we call for. Worli's sea breeze (Rs 450) comes to the table replete with high drama in a glass beaker shrouded in a dry ice-induced haze. But sadly, that is the only thing good about this weak, watery drink that leaves us seriously doubting the presence of the alleged gin and white rum poured to its lemon thyme and honey parts.

The lethargic, uninformed wait staff add to our woes. Water tumblers beg to be topped off, while orders are bungled up. Even a request for an explanation of a dish like the conversation starter platter (Rs 355) foxes them enough for the manager to come to our rescue. In case you were interested, the platter is made up of a trio of starters like soggy paani puris served with a shot of tasteless mint water, paapdi chaat with boiled potato cubes doused in sour, beaten, stale yogurt and a serving of an innovative-sounding, but poorly executed, over-spiced lamb shammi kebab 'dahi bhalla', slathered with that same stale dahi.

Chicken steak in devilled sauce. Pics/Nimesh Dave

Hoping our mains fare better, we await the yellow prawn curry served with basil fried rice (Rs 525). Though generously portioned with five to six plump specimens, the curry is a sickly sweet, gloopy mess that we have to will down our throats. The rice offers a dim ray of hope with its fluffy mouthfeel and peppery basil hit. Our other main, the chicken steak in devilled sauce (Rs 495), though stinting on its promise of miso-terragon butter sees two juicy, well-grilled breast fillets swimming in a sauce that tastes deceptively of ketchup. And not in a good way.

Apple and pear crumble

Disappointment rears its ugly head once again with dessert. The apple and pear crumble tart (Rs 175) is the sum of a gritty, over-sweetened apple sauce sitting atop a raw, under-baked shortcrust pastry shell and served with four blobs of artificial, non-dairy (we asked!) whipped cream. The side of cinnamon ice cream has none of that comforting warmth that the fragrant spice imparts and tastes like any other pedestrian vanilla scoop.

Now, if only the view could have filled our bellies like it did our hearts.

TIME 11 am to 1 am
AT 1st Avenue, off Goregaon-Malad Link Road, Goregaon West
Call 9136080052

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Bom'bar' didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals