Restaurant review: Explore regional Indian cuisine at newly-opened Folk in Mumbai's Kala Ghoda

Awadhi Kathal Shammi

What you seek, may not necessarily be seeking you and sometimes, that's okay. We are applying this philosophical un-Rumi quote to our recent trip to Kala Ghoda. Going around in circles, in the tiny bylanes dotted with trendy cafes sitting beside high-end designer stores, we finally reach Folk, home chef Jasleen Marwah's first venture as a restaurateur. It serves comforting regional food from various parts of the country. No Mumbai restaurant has attempted to put Kokni Muslim food on the menu, so kudos to that.

It's a collaboration with Prashant Pallath (of Bombay Taco Company and The Tanjore Tiffin Room fame) and Zareena Dadan, who has curated the Kokni dishes on the menu. These include kokum fish fry, Kokni sukka chicken, Kokni cutlet - all made using the masalas from her hometown Panley. This writer went to Folk for haldawni (a spicy red seafood gravy), specific to Kokni cuisine.

Green Chicken curry and Gol pani

First look, we loved the use of the Devnagri script in Folk's logo, bringing in a regional touch and the close attention to detail. The well-lit restaurant is spacious and has minimal-chic decor; the seating is ideal for small and large groups. The elephant figurines, artworks on the wall and the suspended cane lighting lend a folk charm to the space. There are also a few high tables and chairs on one side of the restaurant.

We start with Chikmaglur cold kaapi (Rs 175) and Bohra gol paani (Rs 150) - both were perfect to quench the summer thirst. The steward was happy to give us taster shots before we locked our order. We started with Awadhi kathal ki shaami (Rs 350) for our vegetarian friend, as there was no vegetarian option in the Kokni selection. The mildly-spiced, creamy kebabs melted on our tongues, and went perfectly with hot naan. This fortuitously opened our eyes to the many other regional offerings on the menu. Like the gushtaba (Rs 400) and the ros omlette pav (Rs 250), of which we haven't had authentic versions in a long time. We were confident Marwah would do a good job of the goshtaba - juicy chicken meatballs cooked in a curd-based gravy, served with rice and salad. The fragrant gravy went perfectly with hot steaming rice.

This well lit 50-seater restaurant with minimalist chic decor can easily accommodate small and large groups. Pic/Anurag Ahire

Coming back to the job at hand, we tried the Kokni green chicken curry (Rs 350) that had all the right textures and flavours, enough to pull us down memory lane of late morning walks in our village in Dabhat, where, often on a Friday, the aroma of a similar gravy would waft through someone's kitchen. Here, it is served with rice, garlic chutney, prawn pickle and meethi chutney. The wood-fired smoke may have been missing, but full marks for authenticity. We recommend that Marwah serve the traditional Kokni lal chutney (made with byadgi chillies and garlic) to set the house on fire.

We ended our meal with rose milk cake (Rs 190), made of semolina cake in a pool of masala milk - this is our version (and answer) to the tres leches of the West. The moist texture and gentle flavours stayed with us as we walked out of the restaurant, covering some distance on foot, speaking of the joys of a good Indian meal that's not "Mughlai". Truly, what is seeking you can be better than what you seek - if only you are ready to try it with an open mind.

What: Folk
At: Maharashtra Chambers, 14, New Bakehouse, Kala Ghoda, Fort
When: 12 noon to 11 PM (Monday closed)
Call: 9820453001
Rating : good
Folk didn't know we were there. Sunday mid-day reviews anonymously and pays for meals.