Not just avocados: This new Japanese micro-dining café aims for innovative, fresh eating

Signature honey cube and Hiratake mushrooom

Bandra has great soil for all sizes of food formats to crop and thrive. Past a sliding door of the Japanese façade, we noticed that the 12-seater Abokado is all of 250 square feet. But it packs in a punch. The walls are a light lime green, like an avocado smoothie that gets a special attention on the menu. Wall art frames moonlight as mood lights in the evening.

We are welcomed with a mini waffle cone with a dollop of wasabi ice cream. It sizzles our palates clean and we are ready for the meal. We cool down, first with a chilled iced matcha made in oat milk. Before digging into the fare, Mitesh Rangras, known for his iconic eateries including Lemongrass, Lemon Leaf, Potpourri and Soi Street, joins us for a bit of a rewind session on the journey so far.

Five mushroom aguachile and Katsu chilli chicken

"I turn 45 next year, and have been in hospitality for the past 20 years. When Lemon Leaf closed in 2017, we toyed with the idea to relocate. But it wasn't fun anymore," says Rangras, confessing, "I had a burnout. As a chef-owner, I wasn't cooking enough. I decided to take a step. I was okay getting a job, a consulting gig, but I needed to change," he recalls.

It was his mentor, late veteran restaurateur Henry Tham who gave him his first gig. "I met him at least once a month for coffee and advice. They had just opened Koko in Lower Parel and The Good Wife in BKC. He was looking for someone to help launch Rockpool, W Goa. I told him I would take it up. A lot of chefs go through this phase where they need to step back and recalibrate," says Rangras.

A chef works on a yellow fin tuna. Pics/Shadab Khan

After a short, much-needed holiday, he moved to Goa for six months and later, took up consulting projects across the country. In the lockdown, he joined hands with Varun Kapoor, his partner at Abokado, to help him in his frozen foods business. "From momos to dimsums, we were in the home delivery and commercial segment. This gave me an all-round perspective on supply chain, vendors, and a network. It was a boon to step away," says Rangras. Last year, the duo decided it was time to offer something fresh.

"I spoke to my close friend and mentor Kishor DF. He encouraged me to not be predictable, and start a sushi dimsum place," reveals Rangras. The chat makes us hungry so we get to business at the nigiri section. Shitake mushroom (R250; 2 pcs) and with a soy glaze and yellow fin tuna (R390; 2 pieces) finished with pearls of black tobiko roe. Both sushi dishes have a tight, clean fold and present a mouthful of flavours.

The menu's star ingredient - avocados - comes from a third-generation farmer in Coonoor. A few years ago, he brought nearly 1,000 trees from Chile, New Zealand and South Africa. The good thing about the avocado-forward menu is that it is not forced, and does not go for an overkill.

Shitake mushroom; (right) iced matcha latte

From the oshizushi, or fried sushi, we get avocado, pickled cucumber, spicy mayo, jalapeño and sweet sauce (R450). Deep-fried uncut smashed sushi fried in potato starch. It is topped with salmon, avocado and tobiko. It is drizzled with a spicy mayo with yuzu and hot sauce and sprouts. Overall bland, the bite catches fire with the house sauce.

We are in for a Mexican surprise with mushroom aguachile (R450) which has a bunch of smoked mushrooms including hiratake, shiitake, shimeji, button and wood ear. They come drenched in a sauce or aqua chilli which means chilli water. The green water has zest of lime dashi and cilantro, a hit of jalapeño and kombu seaweed extract. It is topped with pickled onions and avocado that smoothens the spice. We dunk thinly-sliced sourdough bread in.

The main course is a filling, hearty rice bowl with katsu chili chicken (R500). Rangras has created a special sauce for this. The rice is cooked in a rice cooker with a stock of dashi, soy and chilli like a pulao. Served with baby spinach and sesame coated chicken katsu, we sip on the warm miso soup, and bite into the soy sauce egg for a textured and creamy finish.

Mitesh Rangras

Every meal hits a crescendo, when the stomach and heart agree. But, dessert pops its head out and we cannot resist. The signature honey cube (R400) is a brioche toast with salted caramel ice cream. The sugar-butter balance ensures that the crescendo stays. Abokado is a great option for a quick bite, a day meal or an evening indulgence. And we hear that Sunday brunch is also in the pipeline.

AT: Abokado, Shop no. 1, Sefa House, Pali Mala Road, Bandra West.
CALL 9821700034