Food review: India Jones serves a slice of authentic East Asian cuisine

India Jones is a private hideaway at The Trident in South Mumbai.

The mystical story behind the name is that Bharat (India) Joyent (Jones), born in August 1947, on Independence Day created this culinary experience. His extensive travel and gourmet experiences from his journeys to the Far East have been distilled into the creative menu here. The menu, a treasure trove of exciting Asian dishes in the form of an old traveller’s map and diary, is an eclectic selection of dishes from Burma, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and India.

I have patronised India Jones over the years and I can’t remember walking out disappointed. Last Sunday, I made a trip to town (which seemed like a lifetime) and yet again it won my heart over.

Famished and ready to sink our teeth into some sumptous food, we arrived at the doorsteps of the restaurant.

Perched on the ground floor, this South Eastern cuisine restaurant welcomes you with it’s wooden decor giving it a very chic look. The restaurant has a vibrant yet sophisticated feel to it. The staff is extremely cordial and adept at making spot-on recommendations from their menu to suggest just the right dish to tantalise your taste buds.

Food: It is most famous for its Teppanyaki  table (you need to book seats for this) where the Chef juggles the ingredients and serves delicacies fresh and hot on your plates. However, for this time, we decided to go for the a-la-carte.  For beginners, we ordered a vegetable salad and roasted garlic with hot sauce on the side.

Next on the menu was Miso soup, which was really nice with the softest  and silkiest tofu I’ve ever had. This was followed by a platter of my favourite food, which was uncovered in the treasures hidden in  steaming bamboo baskets. Yes, you guessed it right! It was dimsum time. We had Sui Mai (open-faced steamed chicken and shrimp dumplings), Zheng Ji Jiao (steamed chicken dumplings) and the scrumptious and surprisingly delicious Ler bo Gao (steamed turnip cake).

The other specialties here include Roasted Potatoes with Hung Curd on the side and my favourite Pink Salmon with Teriyaki. Their Chinese Master Chef also toss out classic  Sichuan and Cantonese delicacies such as La Zi Kai, soy marinated, crisp fried chicken tossed with dry red pepper, Ma Po To Fu, braised silken tofu in Szechwan sauce with shitake and asparagus. La Wei Lu Sui Lian Ou Ma Ti, stir fry of asparagus, lotus stem, water chestnut, carrot and chili in light garlic sauce.

Your meal is not complete without having their legendary Tab Tim Krob (jellied water chestnut and sago in chilled coconut milk) and the green tea ice cream for a refreshing sweet savouring. You will be mesmerised with the flavours of these desserts and will want only an encore.

Service: The staff is always very prompt, courteous and keen to help. We love the warmth and friendliness of the place.

Verdict: The overall experience is truly unique and it’s a must visit place for sure. For some reason, the people feel that the restaurant is mainly for non vegetarians, but all you veggies can keep aside your fears as with the new menu, there is a lot for you to choose from too. I will give it two thumbs up from my side!

India Jones
Trident Hotel, Nariman Point
Call: 022 66324343
Rating: ****
Meal for two: Rs 2,500 to 3,500

Raveena Tandon is an actor and a foodie.