First look u00c2u00bb A new Lower Parel all-day restaurant dishes out Nikkei cuisine, Chinese classics and Asian tapas
FU is the Chinese character for good luck. And when we walk into Foo, the newest restaurant by brothers Ryan and Keenan Tham, and Kishore DF, the team already seems to have lucked out at their dinner for industry folks, who are having a ball. We, too, like the vibe of the place in an instant - not too dark, nor too bright, not cramped yet intimate, and with high ceilings. We spot the owners work the crowd with ease, as we settle on a couch to try the menu.
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Foo butter Japanese fried blue rice
The menu by chef Eric Sifu, who has worked on Koko too, concentrates on small plates, a concept that we are curious to sample after Ryan had first mentioned the idea of an Asian tapas restaurant to us in January this year. "Being set in a mall, we are keen to keep it casual. I want people to walk in wearing shorts, with their kids in tow post a shopping spree. So it's very different from Koko. We plan to turn this into a chain," Ryan tells us excitedly, as our plates start arriving in quick time.
Lemongrass pork cake. Pics/ Bipin Kokate
We sip on kokum club, a smooth gin cocktail, and Foo king, a fruity plum liqueur drink, with duck and pomelo salad (Rs 350) that comes with a spicy sweet chilli dressing. The arugula and avocado salad (Rs 280) has a delicious cream cheese sauce base and crunchy rice that offer a nice play with different textures.
Nikkei prawn tempura uramaki
We notice that half of the menu is vegetarian, which Ryan tells us was a conscious decision. The owners are aware that Indians love strong flavours. So, each sushi has the right amount of sauce as the base - Nikkei prawn tempura uramaki (Rs 450), which is their take on the Peruvian Japanese cuisine, has spicy mayo; the Peruvian lobster (Rs 595) has a fingerlicking tangy antichua yuzu sauce; and shisoto charcoal tempura (Rs 375) has a charcoal-based spicy sauce. A sprinkle of chilli crisps adds heat.
Foo king
Ryan tells us that he has also used his father, popular restaurateur Henry Tham's classic Chinese food recipes for simple dishes such as Hakka noodles. We sense that even in the sriracha chicken dumpling (Rs 360), which is no frills, all flavour. We love the simplicity of steamed chicken, seasoned with fried and steamed garlic. The pork cake (Rs 450) has a kick of lemongrass, a pairing that we don't see often on city menus.
The snapper cooked in black bean sauce (Rs 450) makes for comfort food, fishy and spicy. The last two plates are our favourites - Foo butter Japanese fried blue rice (Rs 320), and the black marble sesame cheese cake for dessert (Rs 350). The fried rice plays marvellously with the starch of the rice and manages to make even subtle flavours stand strong.
Keenan and Ryan Tham with Kishore DF
As we see people schmoozing at the hip bar, we realise that once again, the Thams have managed to tread the fine line between an all-day restaurant and a buzzing dinner space.
TIME: 12 pm to 1.30 am
AT: High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel.
CALL: 8657407778
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