History bites at Apollo Bunder

Apollo Bunder is steeped in history. Now, Raaga, a reincarnation of Sea Palace Hotel's Marina Caf ufffd, attempts to recreate its culinary legacy by dishing out a blend of severalL cuisines

Every Mumbaiite worth his or her salt knows the history of the Apollo Bunder and the Gateway of India. But the British Raj and our country's subsequent partition are deemed ancient history now. Or perhaps they should be, as we enter this new era, which in British Cabinet Minister, Vince Cable's words is one where, "The balance of power between Britain and India has changed since the days of the British Empire when India looked up to the UK ufffd economically and in other regards."



Cable was emphasising the need for labour to flow freely in the world. In its own way, Raaga too seems to reflect this new, unified world vision with Indian, Pakistani and Continental fare on its menu.

The decor here is simple, with dark wood standing out against ecru tiles, and banal, framed ethnic art adorning walls. The ma ufffdtre d', Sajal Chakrabhorty, handed us an old plastic-sheathed booklet with the hotel's logo on its cover, informing us that the restaurant didn't have a formal menu in place as yet.

We ordered the Chicken Steak with Mushroom Sauce (Rs 350) and Shahmiri Lamb Kebabs (Rs 250) that Chakrabhorty recommended. We boldly decided to sample the Chicken Scallob Paprika (Rs 275) though its name left us baffled. Chakrabhorty, however, assured us it contained no seafood and hence wasn't misspelt on the menu. We were glad we did. This mysterious dish was simply superb. Prepared in a mildly spiced marinade, the tender meat had been perfectly cooked to retain its juiciness.

The ordinary looking Shahmiri Lamb Kababs was surprisingly delicious. The extra chillies in the recipe didn't cloud the flavours of the mixed spices inside the minced meat cutlets, which dissolved in the mouth, quite nicely. The chicken steak was good too as were the desserts we sampled. Though there was nothing unusually special about the spread ufffd Phirni (Rs 88), Rabri (Rs 75) and Caramel Custard (Rs 86). The Caramel Custard had neither the dish's typical velvety texture nor a sufficient spread of soft caramel on its surface.

But then, the efficient and amiable captain honestly admitted that all the recipes may not be strictly traditional and some dishes are simply christened with foreign names. Since the proprietors are Sindhis, the weekend Sindhi food fest is completely authentic. However, if you're hoping to drop by for a taste of Sindhi specialties, including the traditional Kadhi

(Rs 200) or Sai Bhaji (Rs 250; veg stew with spinach, assorted veggies and lentils), call ahead as these dishes, we're told, can take an hour or two to prepare.

AT Ground floor, Sea Palace Hotel, 26 PJ Ramchandani Marg, Apollo Bunder. Call 61128000.

Raaga didn't know we were there. THE GUIDE reviews anonymously and pays for its meals.