Chembur gets a new all-day restobar with quirky offerings

Distressed walls shelves stocked with classic titles ornate portraits of naturalist art cosy rattan chairs and a sepiatinged setting at Chemburrsquos new cafeacutebar Shy remind us of a snug woodside forest cabin the kind owned by a reticent pipesmoking retired colonel except that this space is in the bustling heart of Chembur Readers of a certain vintage will recognise the spot where Basant cinema once stood A mall has sprouted in its place now fronted by a handful of restaurants with Shy tucked in the middle camouflaged by a few too many plantsChicken krapow donburiSpread across 3500 sq ft with plenty of Instagrammable pockets the restaurant offers the suburb a muchneeded space to chill Itrsquos led by owner Ayush Kapur director of Movie Time Cinemas Pvt Ltd along with Aditya Wanwari Nikita Harisinghani Dhaval Udeshi and Pawan Shahri Kapurrsquos family is the force behind the mall as well as the yesteryear cine landmark Wellversed with the character of this Sindhi Punjabi and South Indian locality Kapur identified the vacuum in the casual dining space ldquoI felt that a place like this would not only do well in Chembur but also be part of its development Chembur lacks an ambienceoriented place where one can work have kitty parties unwind with cocktails and savour comforting yet experimental foodrdquo he explainedAvocado bhelFamiliar bordering on safe the extensive menu offers a mix of the usual suspects from Continental Asian Indian and American cuisines among others Skip the ubiquitous avo toast for avocado bhel thatrsquos a crunchy chatpata medley of puffed rice avocado pomegranate raw mango and a chilli honey dressing though R410 is a stretch for the glorified street snack Cheddar in bread finds a new avatar in fondue in pullapart garlic bread Rs 500 Pillowy on the inside and crispy on the outside the bread prompts multiple helpings dipped in the moreish fondue This combo along with the Indian mezze Rs 400 makes for VFM options if yoursquore heading with a group The latter comprises a delightful mix of papads fryums and chips that one can dunk in assorted dips We canrsquot say the same for the Lebanese mezze Rs 425 the truffle hummus proves a tad salty while the falafel is dryThe service while quick is in a jumble during our visit which we hope is a teething issue A pretty butterfly bearing cocktail called elixir Rs 600 distracts us with a fun blend of gin yuzu and tonic water While chocolate moonshine Rs 550 mdash white rum coffee and chocolate syrup mdash lacks the caffeine punch we were craving French velvet Rs 580 with vodka elderflower cucumber tender coconut water syrup and tonic water offers a bubbly respite In between sipping on these cocktails we sneak in a plate of truffle cream cheese spring rolls Rs 400 that are downright crispy creamy and addictiveThe interiors bear a beigewhite palette PicsShadab KhanAmong the mains we settle for chicken krapow donburi Rs 650 a wholesome Thai delicacy of sticky jasmine rice topped with chicken in holy basil and birdrsquos eye chilli and a sunny egg The chicken ghee roast pizza Rs 600 is a pleasant surprise with kadak gheefried curry leaves and chicken toppings in a subtle ghee roast masala We wrap up our meal with the broken pot Rs 550 that comprises strawberry mousse on chocolate soil speckled with edible flowers Just the right balance of sweetness it doesnrsquot shy away from creating arty drama on the tableShyAt Cubic Mall Chembur 12 pm to 130 amCall 8828186437