Head to La Tiara, the 24-hour restaurant at Meluha The Fern if you want to play Mr (or Ms) Moneybags. Overpriced Veg Stew and Appams apart, their delicious desserts come at a price too, as THE GUIDE discovered
Head to La Tiara, the 24-hour restaurant at Meluha The Fern if you want to play Mr (or Ms) Moneybags. Overpriced Veg Stew and Appams apart, their delicious desserts come at a price too, as THE GUIDE discovered
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Post midnight, as the lights dim and traffic thins on our streets the city takes on a different character. The jostling for space ceases and for a few hours before dawn aamchi Mumbai seems to breathe easy.
If you are lucky, one of the radio shows might still be on air. So Gaya Yeh Jahan from Tezaab might set the mood for a late-night drive but when your tummy begins to rumble, the dilemma to find an after hours restaurant will surface. 
White Chocolate Parfait
One such drive around town led us to drop by La Tiara, the newest 24-hour restaurant at Hiranandani Gardens in Powai.
Being located in Powai, La Tiara is accessible to residents from the Central and Western suburbs. Plus there's the advantage that you don't have to get too close to the international airport, which manages to attract traffic at unearthly hours too.
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When we reached Meluha The Fern, where La Tiara is located, the bamboo scaffolding was still supporting the structure making us wonder whether the place was open for service. It was, the security guard assured us.
La Tiara is located near the hotel's lobby and unlike most restaurants in luxury hotels, doesn't serve a midnight buffet, yet. The la carte menu includes everything from street food with a twist to Oriental and Continental cuisine. For starters, we called for a Murgh Shorba (Rs 350), Prawn Caesar Salad (Rs 500) and Mumbai Bruschetta (Rs 375).
The shorba, which was delightfully light and tasteful, arrived in an interesting-looking bowl but the salad and Bruschetta wasn't given any special cutlery treatment.
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Yet, the salad was refreshingly crunchy for that late in the night. The Mumbai Bruschetta, which has bread topped with Pav Bhaji and cheese, got mixed votes it gained points for innovation but lost a few because of stingy portions (only four pieces on the platter).
Appetite sufficiently teased, we ordered for the main course Veg Stew with Appam (Rs 500) from the Indian cuisine and Sichuan Lamb (Rs 550) from the Chinese section.
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The stew, like the shorba, was lightly spiced and went well with the soft appams but would you really pay half a grand for something that your typical Kerala joint would serve as well? In contrast to the stew, the Sichuan Lamb was fiery to the point that our ears turned red with the first bite.
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Besides, we asked for Sichuan Lamb with Mashed Potatoes but instead of informing us that the restaurant serves plated meals (therefore the lamb comes with rice anyway), the waiter served us a separate portion of Mashed Potato (Rs 250). We would have appreciated more attention to these details.
Also, for some inexplicable reason (since we were the only diners at the hour) the main course took ages to arrive.
Finally, all was forgiven when we were informed that since this is their inaugural month, they're offering 25 % discount on the bill until March 31. To wrap up out meal we wanted to opt for After Drinks or Dessert Martinis but the waiter politely informed us that they hadn't procured a liquor license as yet.
So, we plumbed for the White Chocolate Parfait (Rs 400). It was bliss. The flavours chocolate, a hint of citrus and caramel blended brilliantly. We're definitely heading back here. Just for dessert.u00a0
AT La Tiara, Meluha The Fern Ecotel, near Haiko, Central Avenue, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai.
CALL 25755555
La Tiara didn't know we were there. The GUIDE reviews anonymously and pays for meals.
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