A #newplacealert in the South Bombay hospitality arena is all set to upscale the bar and create a holocaust in the ever-growing food, drink and party scene. Not only does this contemporary cafe showcase the vast amalgamation of flavours and traditions from all over India but their menu (food and drinks) is shaped with some tantalising food that India is renowned for.

WHAT’S HOT IN MUMBAI strongly recommends NATIVE BOMBAY located at Ballard Estate and housed at the IF.BE premises. A sprawling space that has two levels, the interiors of NATIVE BOMBAY are rustic, raw and yet contemporary elegant. They house a Negroni bar, some private dining areas and loads of warmth from the super-efficient and friendly staff.

Speaking on the nativity of Native Bombay, Shahrom Oshtori – Managing Partner says, “With Native Bombay, we have curated an experience that allows you to appreciate the various regions across India and also provides you with a home away from home when you feel nostalgic. Taking the excitement to the next level is the Native Bombay Bar which offers everyone from an amateur to a connoisseur a glimpse into the world of Negroni’s.”

Without splurging more words on the perfection levels, we chose to dive straight into our EXPLOSIVE EXPERIENTIAL CULINARY TRAIL which has left warm memories.

Here’s a long list of what made our experience truly endearing…

Cocktails:

Native Bombay also brings forth Native Cocktails by Head Mixologist Denzil Franklin stirring Indian ingredients and global techniques into stellar tipples with signature cocktails which are legitimately bona fide originals and premium in potency. The cocktails live up to the branding of the cuisine. Great job done by Denzil Franklin!

01 Cochin street

Ingredients - Gin, curry leaves cordial, citric acid.

Review - This cocktail gets its name for the street on which the restaurant is stationed. An unimaginable feat to add sizzling dimensions to a cocktail with curry leaves. A not-so-visual treat cocktail glass, the normal ‘coconut water’ looking cocktail is extremely sip-a-thon with a rustic South Indian flavour touch.

Cool Kadha

Ingredients - Whisky, spice mix, sonth powder, kesar jaggery

Review – One of the classic cocktails we have savoured in recent times. Sonth powder, which is normally used in curries, marinades, pickles, chutneys, and various other dishes adds a dramtic twist to this cocktail. Known for its digestive and carminative qualities, this cocktail is surely rejuvenating. The kesar jaggery flavour takes us back to the Thandai in Varanasi, while here it play twiddle to the whisky. This cocktail is a beautiful pairing for the Naga Chilli Pork dish (discussed later)

Star of Bombay

Ingredients - Gin, curry leaves cordial, citric acid.

Review – Different flavours, perfectly mixed – quite a treat.

Small plates:

The entire menu is crafted with precision, embraces the country’s culinary treasure trove. Award-winning Chef Bhairav Singh leads the kitchen with a fervent passion to present recipes that are jewels of the past in their true spirit in the present. Chef Bhairav rekindles culinary emotions of India without tampering with the originality of the dish. The rustic flavours are evoked with his love for choosing some hidden gem recipes and culminating them with the local ingredients that add the sizzle, punch and panache to every dish we savoured.

A standing ovation to Chef Bhairav for sharing his anecdotes and recipe inspirations and fine nuances of the making. Very few Chefs spend time with the diners and ensure that the flavours don’t just tickle the taste buds but also leave endearing memories for years to come.

Kolhapuri mutton chops

Ingredients - Fiery kharda-rubbed lamb chops served with khamang kakdi salad and sabudana crisps to cool you down.

Review – You can feel the rustic, pastoral marination that is deeply imbedded in the meat. What made our favourite dish a lingering memory is the minimal usage of oil in the marination. You can actually relish the heavily rubbed chop – smooth and soft meat as ever. Perfect. And yes, the cucumber salad offers the tangy tinge to this dish.

Patra Ni Macchi

Ingredients - Pomfret marinated with green masala, steamed in Banana leaves

Review – What we noticed is a plethora of Parsi dishes which seem to be the unfettered domain for most restaurants. Yes, they have the classics with the perfection on the taste, added with some off-beat twists. Here, the dish has a double banana leaf wrap unlike most others which have just one layer. The green chutney coating is fool-proof and splendid.

Naga chili pork

Ingredients - Crispy pork tossed in a wicked Dalle Khursani chilli and Bhut Jolokia paste. Dare to try it.

Review – Yes, we dared to try this despite the warnings from the team. We are told that this dish which includes just four pieces of pork is a super-hit with the fairer sex. The Bhut Jolokia paste is a crazy, spiky and extremely spicy shot that hits hard on the tip of your tongue. The team does brief you on how to submerge this spicy affair and yes, make sure you pair with the ‘Cool Kadha’ cocktail. It surely subsides the highly seasoned twinge and eases your senses.

Maska Prawns

Ingredients - Native spice-marinated Jumbo prawns, clay oven-baked with Kashmiri Garlic butter sauce, red chillies and jaggery chutney.

Review – AN ULTIMATE SHOWSTOPPER – the creamiest, softest and better-than-fish super jumbo prawns you would have ever tasted. The butter sauce is dramatic and you wouldn’t stop with just one. Don’t forget, make sure you start your meals with this.

Mushroom pepper fry

Ingredients - Tossed with Tellicherry peppers and Edayur chillies.

Review – A vegetarian variation to the ‘patra ni macchi’. The condiments are a fabulous twist, worth trying.

Bombay Bomb

Ingredients - Baked Talegaon Batata shells filled with a sweet-spicy chutney, drop on a bed of chana jor garam.

Review – You have to eat these baby potatoes with the skin on. A fantastic take-off, the fresh sourced Talegaon baby potatoes create ecstasy with the hidden layering.

Paan paneer tikka

Ingredients - Soft malai paneer stuffed with Banarasee Beetel leaf puree, sweet fennel chutney, finished with Kannauj Gulkand.

Review – A culinary masterpiece comes your way which rekindles memories of Banaras. Perfect treat, no spoilers here on the dish – just order it.

Jodhpuri Ker Sangri

Ingredients - Humble ker berries, sangri beans and cheese stuffed into chillies, served with punchy garlic chutney.

Review – Ker Sangri, a seasonal vegetable which comes from the Chef’s hometown. With not many fine dining restaurants opting for this, the magical twist to a stuffed chilli pakoras is triumphant and deserves accolades on the conceptualization. Fantastic.

Desserts:

Matka kulfi

Ingredients - Peru ice cream with red chillies

Review – Served in a kullad, this surely is the absolute ‘natural’ theme for an ice-cream.

Flambeed Rasmalai Tres Leches

Ingredients - Comes with a native twist.

Review – Stunning, Impeccable and Outstanding. Do we need to say more!

As a parting shot, WHAT’S HOT IN MUMBAI gives a standing ovation to the entire team of NATIVE BOMBAY who have shed aside the nonchalance and embraced the heady paroxysm of colours, flavours and aromas to the penultimate levels of perfection. NATIVE BOMBAY has been a spear-leader to dazzle Mumbaikars with the glorious culinary expressions of regional India with ultimate finesse and aplomb.