From serving up global flavours to celebrating Indian produce, chefs and restaurateurs plan to go all out to elevate your culinary experience
Chef Rahul Desai and Niketa Sharma at a menu trial for their upcoming South Indian cafe in Thane. Pic/Satej Shinde
By Sukanya Datta, Shriram Iyengar and Tanishka D’Lyma
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Southern swing in Thane
Coming In: February and June
The aroma of idli-podi, crispy dosas and strong filter coffee will soon be wafting through The Thane Club, where restaurateur Niketa Sharma will unveil a modern South Indian café. Helmed by chef Rahul Desai (ex-Indigo, Taj and Masala Library), the 35-to-40-seater space will table traditional flavours from the South in contemporary avatars. “We’ll have a filter coffee cart or bar for different kinds of coffee. We’re taking inspiration from all the southern states,” shares Sharma. By the Olympic-sized pool inside the club, Sharma is also setting up a cosy, romantic Amalfi-style Italian restaurant. Expect hand-rolled pasta, wood-fired pizzas, gelatos, and free-flowing beer and wine.
Sporty in the ’burbs
Coming In: February
Abhayraj Singh Kohli at the work-in-progress space in Malad, where the sports bar will come up. Pic/Sameer Markande
Abhayraj Singh Kohli wants to begin 2023 on a sporty note. The restaurateur behind Tori and Grandmama’s Cafe is working on Frat Boy, a sports bar he plans to launch in Malad. The nearly 3,000-sq ft neighbourhood drinking hole will offer a host of social games, served with a side of draught beer and comfort food. Think beer pong, pool, electronic darts, a basketball rink, screens to watch matches, fun competitions, and more. “We’re trying to create a space where young working professionals in the area can unwind. At the same time, corporates can host meetings or team-building sessions there. We’re trying to build a culture of social sports that can be enjoyed by even those who aren’t playing,” he shared exclusively with mid-day. Grandmama’s Cafe is also in for a full menu overhaul with Thai-British chef Thomas Catley in the kitchen. Plus, he has plans to open a couple of new outlets of Pritam da Dhaba this year.
Power to the farmers
Coming In: Third quarter
Driven by the conviction to give back to the community, chef Niyati Rao and Sagar Neve, who run Ekaa and KMC*, are working on a multi-dimensional F&B space that will shine a light on Indian grains, especially local varieties. The idea is to join the movement of bringing farmers to the mainstream, with not just a focused food and drink menu at the space in South Mumbai, but also through Sunday markets. “These markets give them a chance to showcase varieties of produce, not just those that are in demand. We’ll predominantly focus on grains as well as other ingredients,” Neve shares. Also in the works: a new app for KMC* to allow patrons to become part of their community.
Do the samba
Coming In: Mid-2023
Samba-lovers, it’s time to sharpen your moves. Prasuk Jain, who runs restaurants like The Game Palacio, Pink Wasabi and The Game Ranch, is opening Samba Club in Lower Parel, where samba beats, performances and contests will meet Spanish food and drinks. “We’ll host samba nights and classes, with a Spanish-South American spirit,” he tells us. Samba Club will join two other restaurants — Ivory, a luxury fine-dining space, and Pink Wasabi in a lounge bar avatar — that will open together in the same vicinity.
Keeping it casual
Coming In: January
(From left) Nikita Harisinghani, Dhaval Udeshi and Pawan Shahri at the upcoming Shy in Chembur. Pic/Satej Shinde
On a mission to populate the city with chic casual dining eateries, restaurateurs Pawan Shahri, Dhaval Udeshi and Nikita Harisinghani are planning to look at the eastern suburb of Chembur. Their upcoming offering is Shy that offers Instagrammable interiors, a conversational vibe, and a variety of cuisines. “We want to create a good cocktail culture in the area,” Shahri shares. They are also planning a chef-driven space in Bandra, with a celebrity. Tight-lipped about it, Shahri can only reveal that it will serve a mix of local and international fare with cocktails. Too generic a brief? Let’s wait and watch.
The hot stuff
Coming In: TBA
Former MasterChef Australia contestant, restaurateur and host, Sarah Todd is set to spice things up. After launching her chilli sauce label, Hot Toddy, in Australia, the chef, who runs Antares in Goa, is bringing her repertoire to India. Developed by Todd and her brother Matt, the range will showcase chillies from across the globe. Expect flavours like Kashmiri chilli tomato sauce, sweet chilli sauce and ghost chilli sauce. “The bird’s eye chilli is an Aussie favourite, inspired by the country, and travels with me everywhere The sauces are made with natural ingredients, and gluten-free.”
Raising the bar
Coming In: Second half of 2023
Agoddess called Deesse will be watching over Worli. While the name is French, restaurateur Abhimanyu Jakhar shares that the luxury restaurant and bar will table fare from across the globe, with a focus on Asian and Peruvian cuisines. In tune with the Amazon-inspired interiors, the bar will pour piscos from the rainforest region. Meanwhile, Attaboy! will be a rooftop high-energy bar. “The menu offers Mediterranean and Asian cuisines with a touch of European fare while the bar will stir up artisanal cocktails,” he tells us.
An East Indian dawn
Coming In: First half of 2023
Designer James Ferreira is considering turning a space in Khotachiwadi into an East Indian grub spot. While Ferreira has been hosting East Indian meal pop-ups for friends, he hopes here to use the same recipes to entertain paying guests. “Mumbai needs more spaces that specialise in East-Indian fare, and I hope to bring that to the city,” he shares.
Straight from the hearth
Coming In: March-April
For all those who still nurse the heartbreak of Arth downing shutters, chef Amninder Sandhu is back. Albela, her new offering, will be a multi-city Indian restaurant. Its first outpost opens in Assagao, Goa, in January and will be followed by a presence in BKC. “When Arth shut down, I had an unfulfilled desire to make it right. Albela means unique. In Goa, we’re constructing the restaurant from scratch,” she reveals. The restaurant will offer open-fire cooking, refined oil-free food, small plates, family-style feasts and a bar, all celebrating the flavours, ingredients and techniques from across India.
Cool school
Coming In: February
Anew 75-seater cafe is in the works at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil University, marking the educational group’s foray into the F&B space. Their spokesperson called it a new destination “for the conscious bon vivants”. Sameer Uttamsingh, founder of Acme Hospitality Management and Consulting, who will help establish the space with his partner, chef Karishma Sakhrani, shares that the 3,000-sq ft café will be open to students and the public. “It will offer inexpensive comfort food, including pizzas, puffs and sharing boards. You can catch up with friends, watch gigs, work from there and enjoy game nights,” he adds.
Also on the cards
Soul food
In January, the EarthAngels Welfare Foundation will host the Navi Mumbai Food Truck Festival to raise funds for adopted villages and provide them with solar lamps. The fest will see upcoming and popular food enterprises on wheels halt at Seawoods to offer fare like biryani, pav bhaji rolls and more. Founder Amit Nariani shares, “We’ll have a list of performances, dancing, live music as well as a pani puri eating contest.”
Got that accent
One of the most-awaited launches this year will be the arrival of award-winning restaurant, Indian Accent. The fine dine from Delhi, which was led by celebrity chef Manish Mehrotra, will be steered by executive chef Shantanu Mehrotra in Mumbai. It is likely to open in BKC in the first quarter.
Health First
The folks behind Yazu - Pan Asian Supper Club are creating an outpost of Flax Cafe in Bandra. Tuck into superbowls, salads, pastas, risottos, pizzas and more from a low-calorie menu.
That’s the spirit
Coming up in February, The Vault Home Bar Festival will bring together over 60 curated spirits. Sip away while you get insights into distillers’ tips and tricks, discover new spirits, and indulge in the world of mixology.
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