Craftbar at Bandra East serves contemporary Indian regional food that’s sure to throw up some pleasant surprises
What do you do when you see a dish on the menu that reads Solkadi Shots with Prawn Golguppa? If you’re anything like us, you’re intrigued and can’t wait to try it out. Which is exactly what we did. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s rewind a bit.
We’re at Craftbar, the latest entrant to the gastropub scene in Mumbai, that combines new world food with contemporary regional Indian food. But before we get on to tucking in, we can’t help but put in a word or two about the striking décor. The brightly coloured bottles, 158 of them to be precise, that adorn the bar are actually empty bottles of Chenin Blanc wine that have been painted and made to brighten up the place by owner Sagar Chakraborty’s talented wife Meenakshi. There’s a warm, relaxed vibe one gets from the combination of the walls brightly done up with craftwork and the tables and seating areas made of wood.
What works: The PUC (Rs 395), a combination of vodka, pomegranate and thyme has us looking behind our back to see if somebody is smoking, only to realise that it’s the smoky effect from the drink. We can’t help but be impressed with this clever little potion. The server places tasting portions of the Pirates Pepper Pot (`225) and the Catalan Seafood Stew (Rs 225) in front of us, and we’re hard-pressed to choose the one we like more. The former is a delicious vegetable soup delicately flavoured with coconut while the latter is a seafood concoction of clams, squids, prawns and fish – hearty and fresh!
The Iceberg (Rs 465), appropriately named as an orange ice candy arrive on the table half submerged in liqueur. We appreciate the slight kick of ginger and order some more food to complement the drink. The Paneer Tikka Tart (Rs 295) is a revelation, with cottage cheese that had been given a charcoal flavour and topped with a dollop of green chutney for added flavour. What we could not get out of our minds though, even after we had left the restaurant hours later and headed home, were the Tandoori Momos (Rs 295). Generously stuffed with chicken and marinated and cooked in a clay oven, it was love at first bite. We weren’t prepared to rate anything higher than that but the one that came pretty close were the Solkadi Shots with Prawn Golguppas (Rs 345) we mentioned earlier, from the Roadies section of the menu. While prawns and solkadi is a classic combination in Konkan fare, the visual appeal of the dish is heightened by the use of the golgappas. The flavours go well with each other but the golgappas don’t do anything to add to the taste. But like they say, you eat food with your eyes first! We also try the Aata Majhi Satakli (Rs 395), homemade Baileys served in an edible glass that was truly yum.
What doesn’t: There is nothing spectacular about the Pav Bhaji Bruschetta (Rs 255), which turns out be exactly that, bhaji served on crunchy bread. And while we do appreciate the fact that they have salads for health-conscious people, the Couscous with Roasted Bell Peppers and Sundried Tomato (Rs 245) doesn’t exactly make the cut.
Verdict: What does make the cut, and there are quite a few things, is the warm décor, friendly servers and food that is familiar, yet, made more delicious with a twist in taste. And the momos, definitely the momos!
Where: Craftbar, Hallmark Business Plaza, Gurunanak Hospital Road, Bandra East
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