We've packed in some of the most delicious bits of news from the city's F&B movers and shakers for the year ahead. Health cafes, rooftop lounges and exciting diners, its all in here.
Looking Mumbai, talking China
Coming in: January
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F&B entrepreneur Zorawar Kalra is undoubtedly in the process of unlearning. Ask him why and he will say, "You have to keep up with the times," with equal amounts of excitement and trepidation in his voice. After championing molecular gastronomy for long and launching an array of high-end restaurants, including the youth-friendly bar Younion, Kalra seems to be veering towards a more accessible approach. This finds manifestation in his soon-to-open Asian bar, Hotel ShangHigh, which will find a home inside Lower Parel's Kamala Mills. "There was a time for molecular gastronomy, but that time has passed. With this new space, we're trying to recreate familiar, retro Chinese food and the decor tries to emulate the look and feel of old Chinese clubs. We will also have an exclusive cocktail menu that will expire after a month, and get replaced by a new one. There's also a huge stage with a ramp, where we're looking to host acts by different performance artistes, not just song and dance," he reveals about the bar, which is set to open in the next 15 days. "A restaurant like Masala Library will always do well, but it's not a scalable concept. People are identifying with easy-going, comfort food more today, and hence the change in direction," he adds.
There's room for more
Coming in: First half of 2020
There's always something cooking in the Impresario kitchen. This year, too, is filled with culinary endeavours, says restaurateur Riyaaz Amlani who's looking to scale established concepts like Social (of course). But he's also going to bring two projects to the suburbs — last year's collaboration with Anuj Shah and Prashant Issar, Ishaara, and another standalone antiSOCIAL, the hospitality group's performance space. However, for Amlani, what looks like one of 2020's most intriguing concepts is a signature restaurant with Bandra boy and his old-time colleague, Gresham Fernandes. So, will the restaurant be in the hip locality, too. "Most probably," Amlani says, adding, "It will open in the first half. And with respect to food, Gresham has his own style, which has multiple influences, be it from his grandmother's recipes or Japanese, East Indian and Mangalorean cuisine."
A lot on the cards
Coming in: Throughout 2020
This year seems to be filled with new opportunities for chef-couple Seefah Ketchaiyo and Karan Bane, as well as for fans of their no-nonsense fare. Things will kick off for Ketchaiyo and Bane in January with a new Asian burger joint under the same banner. "Since we opened the doors to Seefah, innovation has been ongoing, but it has always been around Japanese or Thai food. We wanted to do something out of the box this time. This joint will offer a range of burgers in Asian flavours and we're looking at launching on January 19," Ketchaiyo shares. But that's not all, because the two are also joining hands with Sameer Uttamsingh — who has been associated with restaurants like Sanchos, Keiba and Ostaad — for a sprawling Japanese izakaya-style pub that will open in BKC in mid-2020. "The focus will be on small plates. Think sushi, sashimi, ramen and yakitori. Plus, Japanese-influenced cocktails and a wide selection of beers," she reveals.
Take me to the candy shop
Coming in: January
Shraddha Bhansali's Breach Candy cafe Candy and Green, which has been around for three years, is known for its sustainable and conscientious approach to food. This philosophy will now be extended to a new project that finds a home above Bhansali's health bistro. The Candy Club is her passion project for 2020. Elaborating on it, she tells us, "It's a rooftop lounge in the same building as my current restaurant. The idea is to be like a neighbourhood bar, so we have a line of craft cocktails that focus on technique and make the use of fresh ingredients. We will be making our own tonics and tinctures, too. And the food menu is entirely different from the one at Candy and Green" It will be free of meat, egg products and saturated animal fats, and made with seasonal ingredients. "We have a lot of mock meat options, though," she adds.
Chapter two
Coming in: February
Restaurateur-couple Jay Yousuf and Gauri Devidayal and their partners Pankil Shah, Abhishek Honawar and Sumit Gambhir, managed to create quite a stir with their delicate-yet-bold Asian diner, Miss T that offered food from the Golden Triangle. But 2020 has other plans. Devidayal reveals that the space will return in another avatar. "Miss T is being replaced with an authentic Cantonese cuisine restaurant scheduled to open in early February. The kitchen will be helmed by chef Kent Lee, who was previously with the Hakkasan group. We've always had an affinity for Chinese flavours and there can never be enough choices for good dim sums and other authentic Chinese food, especially in South Bombay," she says.
Keeping it sassy
Coming in: January to April
For The Sassy Spoon founder, Rachel Goenka, 2020 is looking busier than the year that just went by as she forays into the Pune market with her second brand, House of Mandarin. But there are plans for Mumbai, too, Goenka shares, while remaining tight-lipped. "I am doing a really cool food truck concept with Bar Bank in Powai. We will also be working on our first café concept in the city. But that's all I can say for now."
Health bhi, kid-friendly bhi
Coming in: Second half of 2020
Health freaks and mommies, listen up. India's macaron queen has some news for you. Le15 founder and pastry chef Pooja Dhingra has a few things up her sleeve. She says, "I'm excited about all the new things we have in the pipeline. I am planning a health line called Le15 Lite, where I hope to make healthy food delicious. And also, a brand for kids, called Little Le15 with a new line that focuses on kid-friendly desserts. In addition to new stores I'm also working on my next baking book, which will be out in the later part of 2020."
Greening the city
Coming in: All year openings
Things are looking busy for co-founders of Kasa Hospitality, Kaneesha and Bhavesh Jain, who launched the popular health café Santé Spa Cuisine in 2019. In 2020, the duo are looking at two fresh projects and opening another outlet of their first brand in SoBo in the first quarter. This year, they will be foraying into Indian cuisine with a new health-forward diner, again in SoBo, by the third quarter of 2020, with plans of a multi-cuisine restaurant in the suburbs coming later in the year. "The concept and menu are still a work-in-progress, but we are excited about introducing a complete vegetarian spread since there aren't too many restaurants with an extensive veg menu. We see a huge demand for authentic restaurants, with a range of options for non-meat and vegan eaters," Kaneesha says.
Ladies' special
Coming in: January
The concept of a ladies bar — meaning one that caters almost completely to ladies — isn't very common in Mumbai. But Karan Shah of the hospitality firm Mouthwatering is launching one such place in Andheri, opposite The Little Door. He tells us, "It's meant to be a cool hangout for the girl gang, with vibrant colours, a tropical vibe and a healthy menu featuring granola-based dishes and smoothies. There is also a bar that will be helmed by women.
No monkey-ing around
Coming in: First half of 2020
We realised that in the online space, what you get today is more like, for the lack of a better term, 'factory Chinese'. So, we wanted to give it our own touch. Here, we will be making all our sauces and condiments in-house," says veteran restaurateur Anurag Katriar, while speaking about Mandarin Monkey, a QSR-style Asian delivery kitchen that will launch early this year and offer mainstream, comfort Chinese food. He plans to open several outlets simultaneously. This is also Katriar's first foray into Asian cuisine in his long career. "Consumption trends point towards a growth in the online space and we want to be where the action is," he adds.
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