Farhan Azmi promises that the second outlet of Koyla, which opens tonight in Andheri, will retain much of the charm of the original, and offer the same food at reasonable prices
Farhan Azmi promises that the second outlet of Koyla, which opens tonight in Andheri, will retain much of the charm of the original, and offer the same food at reasonable prices
It's been almost 10 years since we last looked out over the Arabian Sea from the rooftop of the Gulf Hotel and
contemplated world domination. So, it was something of a momentous occasion when we trudged up three flights of stairs in three-inch heels to relinquish our worm's-eye view of the world from the Andheri outlet of Koyla.
Owner Farhan Azmi and wife Ayesha Takia arrived a short while later, having braved their way through three hours of traffic from their residence in Colaba. The journey proved a revelation of sorts for Ayesha, who claimed that she had indeed "married the right guy" since Farhan used to make the hack from Colaba to Saki Naka in Andheri to meet her, not once, but twice a day.
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| Actress Ayesha Takia and restaurateur husband Farhan Azmi drop by for dinner |
Farhan, who describes himself as a "loafer" growing up, interested only in "racing cars and hanging out at Bade Miyan's", spoke with pride about how when Koyla first opened in Colaba, all they had to offer customers in terms of comfort was just a bunch of plastic chairs and tables. "Koyla is still a place where you can come to smoke some sheesha and eat good food," says Farhan.
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| Diners can choose to sit on the wooden deck running through the middle of the restaurant or under the shamiana-style seating |
It's been less than a year since the two got married, so conversation veered toward their honeymoon. "We had this total "pseudo" honeymoon, where we rented an apartment and hired a car," says Farhan. "Two days into the experience and we were shattered," jokes Ayesha. "I had to take out the garbage; do the washing; she refused to do anything," says Farhan with mock-indignation in his voice. "We lived on tomato pasta and Caesar Salad sandwiches for 15 days," adds Farhan.
Ghar ki murgi
The conversation is soon interrupted with the arrival of the Non-Veg Platter (Rs 350), which included an assortment of Kalmi Kabab, Chicken Kabab and Reshmi Kabab. "The meat is marinated for three to four hours before it is cooked. The food is prepared fresh and we try to keep the flavours as close to home cooking as possible," says Farhan.
The kebabs are followed with the Chicken Papad Roll (Rs 145), which is stuffed with chicken mince and deep-fried. "We were the first to introduce this on our menu," adds Farhan. Piping hot Butter Naans speckled with kalonji (onion seeds) are served. Plates of Hara Bhara Kebab (Rs 135), Murg Malai Tikka (Rs 180) and Paneer Tikka (Rs 135) follow. "Ayesha was a vegetarian when I first met her," says Farhan, taking a playful dig at his wife. "That changed after she started eating at Koyla," adds Farhan.
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| Paneer Tikka. Pics/ Mahanand Gupta |
The food is delicately spiced, unusually light, while the flavours are robust. The Dal Tadka (Rs 100), one of Ayesha's favourite dishes on the menu, is comforting in its depth of flavour and is perfectly complemented by the Butter Naan (Rs 30). We wrap up the meal with chilled Ras Malai and warm Gulab Jamun, both Indian sweets made in-house. The western desserts, including the cakes and the mousses, will be sourced from Farhan's European-style delicatessan Basilico.
Arabian nights
At 5,000 sq ft, the second outlet of one of the city's first open-air rooftop restaurants is much smaller than the first. You can choose to sit on the wooden deck running through the middle of the restaurant, under the shamiana, on plush mattresses, comfy sofas or smoke sheesha on the chairs to the left of the 130-seater restaurant's entrance.
Those looking for additional privacy can walk to the far-end of the restaurant, up a few stairs and into a space right above the kitchen. While the view is pretty, the presence of an enormous whirring exhaust fan to the left might prove something of a dampener to any cosying-up plans.
We especially liked the lamps suspended upside down from a rope that served as overhead lighting on some of the tables.
Koyla in Andheri might not offer the same spectacular view of its Colaba counterpart, but if you're looking for what Ayesha describes as a place where you "can see the stars through the pollution" and some reasonably priced good North Indian food, then Andheri's Koyla is worth stopping by.
At: Koyla, B47, Paramount, 2nd floor, New Link Road, Oshiwara, Andheri (W). Landmarks: opposite Citi Mall and in the same lane as the Monginis' factory.
Call: 40066060/ 40063030
Open: 7.30 pm to 1.30 am.
No alcohol served.
